FiMTech - The War of Annihilation (BattleTech Crossover)

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 - Trial by Ice
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 - Trial by Water
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8 - Trial by Fire
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11 - The Clawing
Chapter 13 - The Quiet before the Storm
The Beginning of the End - Part 1
The Beginning of the End - Part 2
Epilogue
Chapter 12 - Snake in the Grass

Prologue

Khan Subzero removed his glasses and rubbed his wrinkled forehead. He had always suspected Clan Draconequus was up to no good, but this was much worse than he could have ever imagined. First invading their own cities and murdering innocent civilians, then treating the survivors as livestock, and now this? A plan to cut off the heads of so many other Clans out of spite? He sighed. The thought that his old friend Khan Bolt had become such a bloodthirsty ruler was appalling.

"Is there no end to this madness? Every action that cursed Clan makes is even more heinous than the last," one of the Khans said, leaning back into his seat.

"This could all be a scheme to get their warriors in as one of our own, only to betray us in the end. The Khan of Clan Draconequus is devious. That would not be unlike him," another spoke as he turned to Subzero.

Subzero shook his head. "No, Cloud. I can assure you this is no trick. I trust everything those freeborn soldiers told us."

"And how can you be so sure? They have played us for fools before. What proof is there that anything those ponies said is factual?" Cloud argued, leaning over the massive table.

Just then, the tall wooden doors behind Subzero swung open and banged loudly against the walls. Every head in the large circular space turned toward the sound, which was followed shortly by the clicking of boots on stone as a dark blue pegasus with a short rainbow mane and pink eyes swept into the room. He was dressed in a silver uniform with sapphire blue accents and black claw marks sewn onto the shoulders, along with the mark of a Star Colonel and his cutie mark, a single yellow lightning bolt. "I believe I can provide that proof, Khan Cloud," the pegasus said, bowing slightly as he came to a halt next to Subzero.

Subzero nodded to the new arrival and placed his glasses on the table in front of him. "Star Colonel Cobalt Dash, just in time. What news do you bring?"

Cobalt shook his head and pulled a noteputer from his uniform. "Nothing good, Sir. Everything the surviving freeborns from Clan Draconequus said is true." He placed the small device on the massive table between the twenty-three assembled ponies, and a series of Holovision Monitors descended from the tall ceiling. The Khans all inclined their heads toward the massive screens as Cobalt's noteputer connected to the displays.

"This is a video taken on Draco, a planet under Clan Draconequus's control mostly populated by freeborns. One of my scouts shot this from far orbit, and I think it shows all the proof we need," Cobalt said as he tapped a few buttons on the device.

A video pulled up on the holographic screens, showing a small town in the hours of early morning. Soldiers could be seen filing through the narrow streets before suddenly breaking apart and smashing their way into the houses. There was a collective gasp around the room as the flash of gunfire illuminated the gray buildings and blood the color of rust pooled on the streets. Cobalt bowed his head and pressed a button on the noteputer. The video ceased and the screens began sliding back into the ceiling, their creaking loud in the silent chamber.

Subzero stared after the screens and clenched his jaw tightly. "This... this is serious. Very serious indeed." He reached out and fumbled for his glasses before shakily placing them back over his eyes. Cobalt reached to help the old pony, but he waved the Colonel away. "I am fine. Thank you, Colonel. You are dismissed."

Cobalt saluted and turned to leave, taking the small device with him. The doors swung shut as he exited the chamber, and one of the other Khans spoke up. "I know we were told it was bad, but that was... abhorrent," she said, a grim look steeling her normally soft features.

Subzero nodded sadly. "Yes, Howl, this is quite the stiff situation." He sighed heavily. This was something he had hoped he would never have to sanction, and having neared the end of his long life, he had started to think he wouldn't have to. He apparently had no such luck. Subzero cast his eyes upwards. "May Rainbow Dash forgive me," he thought, closing his eyes.

After a brief moment, he lowered his head and glanced around the forty-five other ponies seated around the table. "Fellow Khans, we face a grave decision this evening. One of our brothers has fallen from the way of the Clans and is beyond our help or forgiveness." He clenched one hoof, wincing slightly at the ache in his ancient bones, and sighed again. "There is only one answer to such crimes. We must conduct a Trial of Annihilation against the warriors of Clan Draconequus."

Howl scratched the side of her neck and nodded slightly. "That does appear to be the course of action here."

Cloud ran a hoof through his white mane. "A Trial of Annihilation? Against an entire Clan? Are you sure about this? Such a thing has never been done before."

"I am certain. Khan Bolt and saKhan Flash will both be executed, the Draconequus gene centers will be destroyed, and their genetic material here on Strana will be disposed of. Any of their warriors who do not surrender and comply with sterilization will also be eliminated. The civilians will be absorbed into our Clans, ideally unharmed."

A large black unicorn stood up and turned towards Cloud, his hard face set in determination. His clear voice carried easily across the large space. "I agree with Subzero. The leaders of Clan Draconequus must answer for their transgressions. They are not fighting for honor or glory. They are not even fighting for resources. The one goal of Bolt and his Clan is to cause as much destruction to us as they can before they fall. This fruitless struggle must end now."

Cloud slumped back into his seat and ran a hoof over his face. He shook his head and was silent for a moment, thinking deeply to himself. "Alright. Fine. I will agree with that, but Clan Slingtail will take no part in the fighting."

The unicorn nodded. "Fair enough. We do not need every clan to participate, only to approve the Trial." He turned to the other Khans around the room. "Trust me, brothers and sisters, when I say this is not an easy choice to make. I do not wish for the destruction of one of our own any more than you do. But it has to be done."

The unicorn turned to Subzero, and he nodded in agreement. "Khan Lance," he thought. "Leader of Clan Bugbear, and probably the most respected out of everypony here. If it ever came down to it, there is no doubt in my mind he would become the ilKhan."

Lance turned back towards the other ponies in the room. "We must take a vote. Nothing less than a unanimous decision can bring about a Trial of Annihilation." He took a deep breath and raised one hoof high above his head. "All in favor, raise your right hoof."

Slowly, hooves around the room began rising. Subzero was first, followed by Howl, and eventually Cloud. Lance glanced around the room at the solemn ponies after a few moments. There were forty-three hooves in the air, not including his own. The only hesitant Khans were a pair of griffins, their claws placed firmly on the table in front of them.

Lance turned to the griffin. "Khan Nereida? SaKhan Kestrel? I know the Jade Falcons were allied with Clan Draconequus, but-"

"We were never allied with them!" Nereida snapped, digging her claws into the table. Splinters sprung up as she gouged lines into the wood, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. "We were just... trading partners. Like-minded Clans trying to survive a deadly war." Nereida sighed and leaned back into her seat. "Or so I had thought. There are no similarities between us." After another silent moment, her own claw reached slowly into the air to join the others. Kestrel followed suit reluctantly. "Clan Jade Falcon will join the assault. We will eliminate this blemish from the Clans."

Lance nodded slightly to her. "Then it is settled. Clan Draconequus will be destroyed." He sat back down in his seat and glanced around the room again. "I realize not all of you will want to participate in such a thing. No dishonor will come from that decision, and your warriors may even thank you for that. All who wish to withdraw from the fighting, head back to your Clans and rebuild. The rest of us will take it from here."

The scraping of chairs against the floor echoed around him as many of the Khans got up to leave. "That is more than I would have liked. Will we really be able to pull this off?" he thought to himself as most of the ponies in the room left the table. However, his confidence returned as he saw the strong Clans who had chosen to stay. The sound of doors swinging shut put an end to the noise, and the six remaining Khans all glanced at each other.

Lance nodded to the others. "Clan Star Adder, Clan Hell's Horses, Clan Wolf, Clan Jade Falcon, and Clan Ghost Bear. You have my respect for choosing to stay. Between the six of us, there is no doubt we will remove this evil from the galaxy and return peace to the Clans. Clan Draconequus started this fight over a century ago, and now we are going to end it." He leaned forward and placed his hooves on the table, rapping them sharply against the wood. "Now, which of us should lead the charge?"

Discord glanced around him as he materialized inside the modern castle. It was strange being so powerful after half a millennium of weakness, and it was almost disorienting. He reached a hand forward and admired it for a second. "It's really back. Chaos has returned," he thought, grinning to himself. A ring appeared out of thin air, an exact copy of the one Celestia had given him. She'd probably go into an immediate panic if she realized his magic had returned, so he should make it appear as if he was still powerless. He slipped the inert ring onto his finger and flexed his hand. It really was a wonderful design. Maybe he'd keep it.

The sound of hooves galloping down the hall caught Discord's attention, and he turned towards the noise just as a pair of royal guards sped around the corner. Upon seeing him, they screeched to a halt and raised their laser rifles shakily toward him. One of them, an orange unicorn with a short blue mane and blue eyes, took a nervous step forward. "Y-you're under arrest, Discord. Come quietly or we'll have to use force."

Discord frowned at them. "Under arrest? Really, Storm Sentry, what is all of this about? I've done nothing wrong."

Storm shook his head. "Celestia's orders. We're to take you to Tartarus and await further orders."

"Was the ring also enchanted to tell her when I removed it? Ugh, that's too clever. I guess I can drop the act," Discord thought to himself. He raised an eyebrow at the guards. "So she just told you to take me to Tartarus? Did she not tell you what had happened?"

Storm shifted the rifle in his hooves. "She did. Her Majesty informed us of the full situation before she left."

This made Discord's frown deepen. "Left? You mean she's not here?"

Storm smirked slightly. "She'll be on the other side of the galaxy by now, along with her entire guard. You'll never find her, Discord."

Discord growled. "We'll see about that." He raised his clawed hand and snapped, watching in satisfaction as the two guards suddenly stuck together and began to fuse. The sounds of bones crunching, flesh slapping together, and agonized screams echoed down the hallway as their bodies and armor morphed into one.

The writhing mass fell to the floor, finally complete. The two ponies had become one large abomination, with their armor and the myomer inside turning the creature into a half-mechanical beast with immense strength and durability. Discord walked over to his creation and looked down at it. "Hmm. Not bad for not using my magic for five hundred years." The creature growled as Discord reached a hand down and placed a finger over its broad forehead. "Now. You are to remain here in charge of the Inner Sphere while I search for the princesses. I want the Clans destroyed. Unite the Great Houses and invade their planets if you have to, and kill every single pony you come across. If it's not done by the time I return, I'll mount your head on a spike outside the palace walls."

The creature's expression went blank as its eyes glowed for a moment. It nodded slightly after Discord stopped talking and pulled itself to its six hooves.

Discord grinned smugly. "Good. While you have fun with that, I'm going to go enjoy myself. It's been far too long since I've had a good hunt." He turned to leave and raised a hand, but paused for a moment. "I guess you'll need a name. How does... Vendetta sound?"

Vendetta simply nodded, accepting whatever its master told it. The personality of both ponies had been wiped, leaving only knowledge, as well as the irresistible urge to do whatever Discord said.

Discord nodded and snapped his fingers again. His body vanished in a flash of light, and Vendetta was left alone in the dark hallway.

"Kill..." the creature said, uttering its first word into the empty castle. Spittle had begun form at the corners of its mouth as it salivated at the thought of death. "Clans..." Vendetta's mouth began twisting into a grin as a lust for blood flooded its mind. "Kill Clans. Kill the Clans. Kill the Clans! Eliminate the filthy ponies! Pillage, destroy, rape, torture!" The creature pounded its hooves against the floor, its mind overcome with the need for death. "Murder... Everypony!"

Chapter 1

Sundance trudged down the clean halls of the large Ghost Bear infirmary. The electric lights cast the same strange glow as the planet's white sun, and large displays connected to cameras on the outside of the building acted as faux windows. It was a strange experience, seeing so much white in one place. On more than one occasion, delirious from the potent medications he had been put on for both his physical and mental states, he had walked out of his room and been convinced he had died in his sleep and had entered the afterlife. This was usually followed by a frantic search through the building as he tried to find Tangelo who, of course, wasn't there.

A shrill scream from a nearby room made Sundance jump as he passed. Intrigued, and maybe a little frightened, he stepped through the door, which hissed open as he neared. Mint came into view as he walked slowly through the opening, and she was surrounded by ponies who appeared to be holding her to the bed as she shrieked and writhed in pain.

"Just a few more seconds. You are almost done," the nurse holding her chest down said comfortingly. It was little consolation though, as her screams picked up again as one of the other nurses tapped quickly on a computer.

After a few more seconds there was a light click, barely audible through the noise, and Mint's cries of agony died off. She sighed in relief and the ponies around her stepped back. As they did this, one of the nurses noticed Sundance in the room and frowned at him. "You can not just enter a girl's room like that. Knock first," she said, slightly annoyed.

Mint shook her head. "It's alright. He can stay," she said, her voice wobbly from the lingering pain.

The nurse's frown deepened, but before she could reply the pony behind the computer interrupted her. "You should be all good. More likely than not, that limb is going to outlive you," he said with a nod to himself.

Mint smiled at him. "Thank you. Is that all? How long until I'm able to use it?"

The nurse who had rebuked Sundance sighed at Mint. "It has been months, and I feel like I have to say this every time I see you. How many times have I told you to let your body heal?"

"Not enough, apparently," Mint said as she shrugged and smiled playfully.

"That should be it for today. Let us know if you feel any more pain, okay?" the pony behind the computer said. "Alright everypony, back to work. Stop slacking off," he said jokingly as he walked towards the exit. Sundance pressed himself against the wall as the nurses all filed past him, exchanging more friendly banter as they went.

Once they were all gone and the door hissed shut, Sundance stepped further into the room. It was a little larger than his own, seeing as he had been transferred from the intensive care unit when the worst of his wounds had healed. Mint smiled at him as he approached. "Hey. Sorry about Ivory. She can be pretty fussy."

The corners of Sundance's mouth turned up slightly as he took a seat on the chair near her bed. He didn't say anything, though. Now that he thought about it, he really didn't want to be alone right then, and he was content just sitting near a friend.

After a moment, Mint broke the silence. "You doing alright today?"

Sundance nodded slightly. "Yeah. Medication's doing its job, and the therapy is helping somewhat."

"That's good. You need to keep your mind off of... well, you know." Mint coughed awkwardly and shifted slightly in her bed. "You want to see my new foreleg?"

Sundance nodded and Mint lifted her prosthetic right foreleg into the air, wincing slightly at the soreness in her body. It had a covering of light pink artificial fur that matched Mint's perfectly, and it almost looked natural, save for the gaps around the joints where a dark grey material could be seen. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah," Sundance said. He frowned slightly. "So what was all the screaming about?"

"Getting a new limb is really painful with all the internal stuff attaching. They put the base on my shoulder last month through surgery, so the whole process of attaching the leg only took a few seconds and it wasn't worth using anesthetic. This thing has the exact same number of nerves as a real leg, so it shouldn't feel any different," Mint said as she ran her left hoof lightly along the fake limb.

Sundance raised an eyebrow, impressed. "They can do that? That's cool."

Mint nodded. "I know, right? It costs almost half as much as an entire house did back in Styx and Colonel Dash just gave it to me. It's made of carbon fiber and myomer, the artificial muscles that move 'Mechs. Ivory tried explaining the details to me, but I didn't really understand much of what she said." She held out the limb and turned it slightly to look at it from another angle. "They could have made it visibly indistinguishable from my other legs, but I kind of like the look. Makes me seem tough, don't you think?" she said with a wink.

Sundance smiled. "Yeah, I guess so."

The two of them waited in silence for a little longer. Sundance just sat in his seat, his mind lost in thought, while Mint admired the mechanical limb with her excited hot pink eyes.

After a few long moments, they heard the door hiss open. The sharp sound of boots filled the room as Cobalt entered the room, clad in his silver and blue dress uniform. He took note of Sundance's position in the room before walking over to Mint's bed and nodding to her. "I heard you got your new leg. How does it feel?"

Mint grinned and flexed the foreleg. "Great! Most of the pain already wore off and I think I'll be able to walk on it pretty soon. Though, Ivory's probably gonna try and force me to stay in bed for a few days," she said with a pout.

Cobalt smiled at her. While he kept up his tough demeanor around most ponies, he tended to show his softer side and relax a bit in private. "That is good to hear. They can make adjustments as you grow, so do not worry about outgrowing it. And also, do not worry about Ivory. You and your friends will be out of here in just a few short hours. Becoming an abtakha is a long process, so the sooner you start, the sooner you can be back out in the fight."

"Really? That fast? Awesome!" Mint cheered. She leaned back in her bed and threw up her forelegs in excitement, only to jerk them down again at a twinge of pain. "Ow. Maybe I shouldn't have done that so soon." She rubbed her shoulder and looked Cobalt over. "So was the Khan meeting today? Is that why you're in uniform? How'd that go?"

Cobalt frowned. "About as you would expect. After seeing the evidence one of my soldiers gathered, there was barely any resistance. The vote was unanimous to conduct a Trial of Annihilation against Clan Draconequus."

Mint tilted her head at him. "That's a good thing, right? The ponies responsible for starting the war are going to pay, and the fight will be finished. Why don't you seem happy?"

"Because there is the problem of innocent lives being taken. Clan warfare usually prevents unnecessary casualties, but knowing Clan Draconequus, it could be a bloodbath. And it is not just the civilians we have to worry about, either. More freeborn units like yours might be hesitant to surrender, and we would be forced to eliminate them, too. None of them are fighting by choice, and many of them will be young ponies, like you two." Cobalt sighed deeply. "Justice will come, I just hope the price is not too high. Life is an expensive thing."

Mint nodded. "I hadn't thought about that. Well, if they're smart they'll surrender in a heartbeat. The only reason they wouldn't is if they were on Khan Bolt's side."

"I hope you are right." Cobalt shook his head slightly. "But I am being un-Clanlike, worrying so much about the future. It is my role to lead my soldiers and carry out my orders."

"Un-Clanlike? What do you mean by that?" Mint asked curiously.

"I am showing weakness, something not favorable in the eyes of the Clans. I imagine you would not have been brought up in the ways of the Clans during your training since their plans were to use their freeborn soldiers as cannon fodder, and it would have been a waste of time in their eyes. Clan Draconequus has fallen from the way in doing so.

"Anyway, I should be going. I will be here again exactly two hours from now, so be ready for my return. We will leave immediately afterward," Cobalt said to Mint. He gave Sundance a curt nod and moved to leave the room, his boots clacking against the tile floor.

Sundance bit his bottom lip and glanced after the older pony as he left. Ever since Mint had talked to him in the courtyard he had been unsure of what his future would be. Now, however, he felt a strange stirring inside of him. He wasn't quite sure what that feeling was yet, but he was certain of what he had to do.

"I want to fight," Sundance called after the Colonel as he heard the door hiss open.

Cobalt paused midway through the door in surprise. He backed into the room and turned to Sundance, an unreadable look on his face. "What did you say?"

Sundance lifted his chin slightly and looked directly into Cobalt's eyes. He had gotten the feeling that he had disappointed the Colonel over the past few months. After all, the only thing he had done since being in the infirmary was mope around. Sundance suddenly changing his mind like that must have been quite a shock. "I want to fight."

Cobalt stepped over to him and looked deep into his eyes. "And you are certain about that? You must be alert and operate at one-hundred percent at all times on the battlefield. There will be no room for languishing. That will get you and your comrades killed."

"I won't. I know I can fight. I will fight," Sundance insisted.

For a long moment, Cobalt stood there silently as he stared at the young pony before him. Somehow, the withered, weak pony who had been seated there just moments ago was no longer present. There was a determined light in his eyes now as if he had suddenly overcome his despair, and the strength in him the Colonel had thought was gone had returned stronger than before.

Cobalt eyed him closer, and it felt to Sundance as if the Colonel was peering into his very soul. "We have no room for weakness, especially being the personal unit of saKhan Snow. Know that if you fail your trials you will be thrown out of the warrior caste and left on your own to find your place in the Clan. Are you certain you want to take that risk?"

"I'm damn certain," Sundance said stubbornly.

"Very well. I will be by your room in two hours." Cobalt said. He turned to leave and cast one quick look over his shoulder. "There is a fire in you I thought had long died out. I once had high hopes for you, and now I can see that potential returning. Do not disappoint me, soldier." With that, he faced forward and left the room without another glance towards the two young ponies.

After a moment of stunned silence, Mint turned to Sundance. "Well that was unexpected," she said with one eyebrow raised. "I thought you were going to become a laborer?"

Sundance scratched the back of his neck lightly. "I was going to, I just... I don't know, it's kind of hard to explain. It felt like this was what I had to do, you know? Like it was the right decision to make."

Mint nodded. "Yeah, I get what you mean. I'm just surprised you changed your mind so suddenly."

"Me too. I think it was a 'heat of the moment' kind of thing." Sundance shifted in his seat nervously. Even now, after he had a few short moments to think about his choice, he still felt like it was what he had to do. The only difference was the anxiety at what would come as a result. Death was obviously a potential risk, but he almost worried more about what permanent mental effects might linger as a result of fighting longer.

"That makes sense. It kind of gives you a chance to avenge our friends, too. Just don't let that get to your head, okay?"

Mint slipped her hind legs over the edge of the bed and dropped down onto her three real hooves. She gingerly placed her prosthetic on the ground and winced slightly as she leaned her full body weight onto it. After a brief moment to adjust, she took a few careful steps towards Sundance and looked him in the eyes, a serious, but kind, look on her face. "Don't become so caught up in vengeance that you forget what's right and what's wrong, and why we're really fighting. They wouldn't want that, especially Tangelo. You'll need a clear head out there, so work on it. Me, Vermilion, and even Mist on one of his good days can help you. Trust us, okay?"

Sundance nodded and smiled slightly at her. "Okay."

"Good." Mint stepped back and moved over to the short shelf in the back of the room where her few belongings had been placed. "We'll be leaving soon, so you should go get your things and say goodbye to anypony you need to."

Sundance slid off of his seat and walked towards the doorway. "Alright. See you in a bit."

Mint nodded to Sundance as he walked through the exit. The door slid quietly shut behind him and he glanced around the white halls, which were noticeably less busy than usual. It was around lunchtime so it made sense that most of the staff would be in the small dining hall, which served what was unironically the best food Sundance had ever eaten even though many of the nurses and doctors considered it to be low quality. Living where and how he did for about twelve years gave him quite a different perspective on many things.

"I hope they're all eating right now. I'd rather not spend half an hour searching for them," Sundance thought as he walked down the empty hallways. He had become fairly close to the nurse in charge of his therapy, a pegasus with an almost overly friendly demeanor. The nurse had taken so much time out of his life to try and give Sundance the energy to continue, and he felt he needed to thank the pony. There were a couple of others as well, nurses who took care of him while he was still healing and the doctor who was in charge of him.

Sundance smiled to himself. He'd been so absorbed in self-pity recently that he'd barely even noticed anything that had gone on around him, and he'd basically been neglecting his friends. "I guess all of that can change," he thought to himself. "From now on, I'm doing things the right way."

The door to the armored pony carrier slammed shut behind Sundance, and he glanced around the interior. Thin slots high on the walls allowed some light to filter in, though not a significant amount. A single strip of what appeared to be a deactivated light ran down the middle of the ceiling. The benches that ran along the walls, while certainly not the most comfortable things to sit on, had at least a thin padding of rubber to ease the longer journeys.

Sundance took a seat in one of the back corners, next to the rear doors. Mist was seated directly to his right, followed by Vermillion and Mint, who was still playing with her prosthetic. On the bench across from them, Hazelnut and Obsidian sat silently. Next to them, two ponies whom he didn't recognize were sizing up the newcomers. Like Cobalt, they both wore the Ghost Bear dress uniform, though they had lower ranks on their uniforms, and the cutie marks sewn over their hearts were obviously different.

One was a crimson female unicorn with a flowing black and white mane and eyes the color of red velvet cake. Her cutie mark was a telescope, and the rank sewn to her jacket showed she was a Star Commander. She seemed to pick apart each of the young ponies with ease, storing away information that they didn't even know about themselves. Sundance decided then and there he never wanted to make her angry.

The other pony in the carrier was a tall, almost gaunt earth pony with the comparatively lowly rank of Warrior. His fur was a shade of blue so pale he almost appeared to be white in the faint glow coming from the slim windows. The blood red mane covered half of his face from Sundance's angle, and he thought the pony had blue eyes until he turned his head to face Sundance. While his left eye was indeed a dark shade of blue, his right eye, which had been obscured previously, was curiously rose-colored. His cutie mark was a smiley face with x's as eyes; a very strange thing to see.

Sundance frowned to himself. The earth pony certainly was odd, and not only in appearance. He slouched slightly on the bench and was very relaxed, but there was something else off about him. Something dark that lurked beneath the surface, but refused to show itself at the moment. Sundance didn't know what it was, and he wasn't sure he wanted to.

A voice from the front of the vehicle caught the ponies' attention, and they all turned their heads as Cobalt walked through the narrow entrance from the driver's cabin. The engine roared to life as he did so, and the light finally turned on, illuminating the dark space.

Cobalt grabbed a small package from the light blue earth pony and glanced quickly around the space. With the two of them next to each other, Sundance was shocked to discover that the pony's single pink eye matched Cobalt's perfectly in color.

"Now that all of you are here, your path to joining the Ghost Bears can officially begin." Cobalt pulled six woven bracelets from the package, each made of three colored cloth strands woven through a metal pin of the Silveroot Keshik's symbol. "These, your bondcords, will be removed when I or your instructor deem you worthy to join our venerable Clan. This band," he said as he pointed to the blue strand on one of the bracelets, "represents combat talent. The silver band represents integrity. The white band represents loyalty. Once each of you demonstrates these qualities to an acceptable degree, you will become full-fledged Ghost Bears."

Cobalt walked around the cabin and wrapped the bondcords around each of the ponies' right forelegs. When it was Sundance's turn, he held his foreleg perfectly still and noticed a barely audible click when the cord fixed itself in place. After a brief delay, he felt the silky-smooth strands slither across his fur and pull the bondcord tight against him. He gave it a light experimental tug and found it to be secured firmly in place in a way that didn't feel like it restricted blood flow or movement.

Once he had fixed the last bondcord to Obsidian, Cobalt moved back to the front of the cabin and squeezed himself in next to the thin earth pony. "It is time for me to explain how the six of you will be trained and evaluated. I prefer initiating abtakhas in an... unorthodox manner," he said with a strange tone to his voice. "Rather than becoming laborers or technicians for countless months, you will be spending the next half year in the wilderness. You will be split into three predetermined pairs, each sent to different locations on Strana. It will be your jobs to work together to both survive and locate each of your 'Mechs, which have been fully repaired to fighting condition. Then, assuming you survive in the wild, your training will be complete."

Cobalt leaned forward on the bench. "This will not be an easy mission. Though we try to keep the ponies who enter these trials alive, we are not always successful. We have no room for hesitation in the Ghost Bear touman, our military. If you are not prepared to risk your lives on this, now is your last chance to back out."

There was silence in the cabin after Cobalt spoke. Sundance had noticed the Colonel looking directly at him for the majority of that discourse, but he refused to back down. Cobalt obviously wasn't entirely convinced that he was fit to be a warrior, but he was going to prove the older pony wrong.

Cobalt nodded after a moment. "Very well, then." He glanced through the opening in the front of the cabin and stood up as the APC shuddered to a halt. "Mint, Mist, you two are with me. Hazelnut and Vermilion will be with Scarlet. Obsidian and Sundance, you two will remain here with Enzo." He nodded to Enzo, then walked to the back of the cabin and swung the rear door open. Scarlet stood and followed him, with the two pairs of ponies trailing behind, confused but determined.

The APC lurched forward as the door was slammed shut, leaving Sundance, Obsidian, and the unusual earth pony alone in the now seemingly empty space.

"So, you two survived the hell that is Clan Draconequus," Enzo said in a thick voice.

Obsidian nodded. "Yeah. You've heard how bad it is over there?"

"More than that, I've seen what goes on in those training camps. Scarlet managed to get videos of a few of them." Enzo shook his head. "It's barbaric. Oh, and don't let Cobalt or Scarlet hear you address somepony of higher rank so casually. I don't really care, but they'd throw a fit."

"Sorry. We had a really loose command structure back on the Constellation," Obsidian said, scratching the back of his head.

"I wish I could say the same thing about the Silveroot Keshik. I swear some of these commanders have a stick shoved so far up their ass I can see it through their mouth."

Sundance and Obsidian both stifled laughs. It made sense now why this pony only had the rank of Warrior. He didn't seem to care at all about the chain of command, and humor like that would certainly be demerited for higher ranking officers.

Enzo gestured with on hoof. "Go on, laugh! Nopony here's stopping you. I've been dying to talk to someone who isn't a statue for ages." He shook his head lightly as the other two ponies giggled. "Just don't tell my brother about that. I don't want to give him another reason to be annoyed at me."

"Your brother? Do you mean Cobalt?" Sundance asked after he had recovered enough to speak.

Enzo grimaced. "Yep. He's a year older than I am, though he acts like he's my father sometimes. And good job on noticing that, by the way. I'm gonna assume the eye gave it away since that's the only thing we have in common. It's not like I don't like my brother, we just butt heads on a lot of things."

"Well, he's a Colonel. Being uptight is just part of the job description," Obsidian said jokingly. "If you don't mind my asking, how can trueborns from the same gene set be so dissimilar?"

"Ah, that's because we're not trueborn," Enzo said with a nod. "The Silveroot Keshik is made up entirely of freeborn ponies. Good ol' fashioned sex and all that. That's also why most of us don't talk all plummy."

"I wondered about that. You were the first pony I've heard here who uses contractions," Obsidian said. He frowned slightly and scratched the back of his head again. "So, if you're the Colonel's brother, does that mean you're a descendant of Rainbow Dash too?"

"Yep, the one and only," Enzo said with a grin. "Supposedly I look almost exactly like my great-great-something-grandpa. As far as I know, me, my brother, and our mother are the only three left of Rainbow's line who aren't casket born."

Sundance's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait, what? You and Cobalt came from Rainbow Dash? The Rainbow Dash? The same one who the House of Loyalty was named after?"

Enzo gave the excited pony an amused look. "Seriously? Did you not hear a word I just said? And how did you notice our similar eye color but not the fact that my brother is her spitting image? The only physical differences are a slightly darker coat and a few obvious dangly bits."

Sundance sighed. "I just assumed it was a coincidence. I thought her descendants had all been killed during the Clan Invasion."

"What? Nopony with Rainbow's blood in their veins could fall to somepony as weak as an Inner Sphere soldier, especially with the technological differences of the time. We're as talented as freeborns come. Where'd you hear that ludicrous story?"

"I don't remember. I think somepony mentioned it before I got moved to the Sibko," Sundance said.

Enzo shook his head. "Well, obviously that was a lie. We're still alive and well." He pulled a small tablet from his uniform and tapped on the screen a few times. "I guess now that it's just the three of us, I can tell you what your trial is going to be.

"We're heading north, to the mountains of Strana. You'll each be given winter clothing, a spear, a revolver with six shots, enough rations to last a week, a communications device, a small med kit, twenty meters of rope, and a map that shows the locations of item caches and your 'Mechs. A trained mountaineer could make the trip in four months, so don't expect to be back any time soon. We'll be watching you the whole time, but we're not likely to intervene if something goes wrong. It's difficult to get a VTOL up there. Once you're at your 'Mechs, the trial is basically over. All you have to do then is follow the nav points to the bottom of the mountain without breaking the machines. Your friends will have similar trials at different locations on Strana. Any questions?" Enzo asked as he slid the tablet back into his uniform.

The two ponies shook their heads. Sundance was sure he'd have questions if he had more time to think of them, but this whole process had gone by too fast for him to really grasp the situation.

"Good. Enjoy the warmth while you can. You won't feel this again for a very long time."

The frigid air sapped the heat from Sundance's body almost immediately, leaving him to shiver violently. "Fuck, he wasn't kidding. It's cold out here. Bright, too," he thought as he shielded his eyes against the glare of the snow. It was as if thousands of tiny mirrors were embedded into the mountains, and it felt like the backs of his eyes were full of needles.

"Good luck out there, you two. If starvation and frostbite don't get you, the wildlife will. Oh, and watch the eyes. You'll go blind out here if you're not careful," Enzo said from the safety of the small concrete structure Sundance and Obsidian had just exited. He slammed the heavy door shut, leaving the two huddling against the bitter cold.

Sundance turned to Obsidian with a hoof over his eyes. Only now did the doubts begin to creep into his mind, and he almost began to regret his decision to remain a soldier. "So what now?"

Obsidian stared out at the snow-covered mountains. They were only halfway up one of the massive peaks, and from what Sundance remembered from his quick glance at the map earlier, they had three mountains to cross.

"I guess we get moving. I hope you're ready for this, Sundance. We've got a lot of ground to cover, and it won't be easy."

Mist fanned himself lightly as he stepped off of the DropShip and out into what he was convinced was a massive sauna. The humidity was suffocating, and he felt as if he were being boiled alive.

"You have six months to cross the jungles of Strana and find your hidden 'Mechs. Do not disappoint me, soldiers." With that, the VTOL's bay door slid shut and the whine of the engines picked up as the ship took off.

Mist glared after the departing ship. "Yeah, thanks, asshole. Way to explain things," he called. Cobalt obviously wouldn't have been able to hear him, but it still made him feel better. He sighed and turned around to survey their surroundings.

Trees the size of skyscrapers reached into the air around them, breaking only at the small clearing the aircraft had briefly landed in. The undergrowth was extraordinarily thick, and moving just short distances on the ground would be a challenge. It was darker on the forest floor than Mist would have expected, and he imagined night time would be nearly pitch black. A river could be heard easily through the trees, but it sounded like it came from every direction, making it impossible to locate.

"Huh, that's exactly what he said to Sundance earlier today. So... what do we do now?" Mint asked, stupefied.

Mist shrugged. "Hell if I know. Cobalt didn't exactly explain much. He didn't even tell us what we have to work with," he replied as he shrugged the packs off of his sides. He rifled through the packs and placed the objects inside on the ground one by one. "Flint and steel, a first aid kit, a map with a compass, a metal water bottle, a machete, a revolver, comms, and some food. We might be able to get ten days out of this if we're careful," he said as he placed the last items in the dirt.

"A revolver? Really? What is this, an old cowboy movie?" Mint asked. She sighed. "Any extra shots?"

Mist picked up the weapon and flicked the cylinder open. He shook his head. "Nope. Just the six."

"Damn. This is gonna be rough," Mint said as she glanced back at her own bags. "I guess we're expected to hunt and find clean water." She shuddered. "I know we're omnivores, but I'd really rather not eat meat."

"Me neither, but we might not have to. Look at this." Mist unfolded the map to its full extent. A number of recommended paths were marked out, along with supply caches indicated on each of them. "The trip might take a bit longer if we do this, but at least some of these are bound to have food."

Mint glanced at the map over Mist's shoulder. "Well, that's lucky. It would have been helpful to have been told that sooner."

Mist nodded and folded the map back up. "Yeah, but I guess Cobalt's more of a 'learn by experience' kind of a pony." He glanced back out at the jungle as he put the last of the items back in his bag. He swore he could see dozens of pairs of curious eyes observing the newcomers, and for some strange reason, it didn't exactly invoke a welcoming feeling. "I just hope this isn't the kind of experience that gets us killed."

"So that is your mission. Survive the desert, and come back alive. Simple enough, right? Now is your last chance to chicken out," Scarlet said.

Vermilion glanced back at the older pony. "We won't. We're staying."

Scarlet nodded. "Good. I had a feeling you two were the strongest. That is why you are here instead of someplace soft, like the rain forest, or the mountains. The desert separates the weak from the strong, and if you are not resilient enough, you will be dead by the time your rations are depleted."

The engines of the VTOL fired back up as the red unicorn climbed into it. "It is easy to get lost in this massive expanse of sand. Know that if we deem you to be hopelessly off course, we will collect you and call the trial a failure. Good luck."

Vermilion shut his eyes as grit was blown into his face by the machine's rotors. It lifted high into the air, and he watched as it flew off into the distance, unobstructed by even a single cloud.

"I can't say I expected to be left stranded in a desert at any point in my life. This is going to suck," Hazelnut said.

Vermilion nodded. Beads of sweat had already begun to form on his brow from the intense heat, and he could immediately tell the supply of water they had been left was not going to last long. He frowned and ran through their list of supplies mentally. "Ten liters of water each, food for one week, comm systems, a map, a compass, a med kit, a short barreled shotgun with five shells, and a combat knife."

"We should probably conserve water as much as we can. I'm not really an expert on deserts, but it doesn't take a genius to know what we have won't last long out here." Hazelnut shielded his eyes against the sun and glanced out across the open expanse around them. They were facing a slight slope upwards, and the crest of the hill appeared to be two or three kilometers out. "Well, we might as well get started. There isn't much point in just standing out here."

"Yeah. The sooner we get this over with, the better," Vermilion said as he followed Hazelnut in the direction indicated on their map. The first supply cache was located about two hundred kilometers from where they were, and if they were lucky, they could reach it before they ran out of water. "This is going to be hell," he thought to himself. "Dear Celestia, please see all six of us safely through these trials."

Chapter 2 - Trial by Ice

Obsidian shivered slightly and pulled the thick face mask over his muzzle. Even with the highly insulative clothes they had been given, the wind cut sharply into any gaps between the garments. The map laid out on the snow in front of him showed a number of routes across the mountains, each with their own ominously vague warnings. He placed a hoof over a route that wound far away from the others and squinted at the small lettering next to it. "What about this one? It has the least supply caches, but it's the only one that doesn't say 'DANGER: Ghost Bears.'"

Sundance frowned slightly and glanced at the map. "What is that supposed to mean? Do they have soldiers hiding in the snow?"

"I doubt it. I think it's referring to the animal Clan Ghost Bear was named after. From what I've heard they're very fierce, not to mention the largest ones can stand over five meters tall. I highly doubt the two of us could take one on alone," Obsidian said with a grimace.

"Seriously? Yeah, let's take that route then."

Obsidian folded the map back up and slipped it into one of his packs. "Sounds good. Let's get moving."

The snow reached up almost to Obsidian's knees as he waded out into it. For now, at least, the thick suit covering his body kept his hooves dry and fairly warm considering the conditions, though he worried about how long that would last. With his eyes screwed tightly shut, he stared out at the immense white in front of them. "The first supply cache isn't too far from here. We might even be able to make it by nightfall if we're quick. The paths split after that, so we should probably find shelter when we're there."

Sundance nodded as he followed behind. "Sounds like a plan."

Obsidian sighed internally. Understandably, the young pony hadn't been the same since the death of his friends. While it wasn't quite the same as losing a lover, the older pony could still relate to the pain, as Slate's death had taken a heavy toll on his own mind. He had definitely noticed his usual lightheartedness was rarely present anymore. However, the main difference between the two ponies' situations was Obsidian had learned long ago how to keep himself mentally healthy, even through rough times like this. As far as he could tell, Sundance was clueless in that regard. They'd have plenty of time out here in the mountains together, so Obsidian made a mental note to talk to him about that soon.

The two ponies continued along the snowy ground. It was difficult to traverse the uneven terrain hidden beneath the soft layer, especially with their eyes shut against the light. While effective at first, the clothing they were given had begun to lose their effectiveness and Obsidian felt himself growing colder and colder as the day wore on. This wasn't helped by the bitter wind, which tore at his clothes and made the already frigid air even worse. As well as the temperature, a soreness had begun to develop in his eyes, and he worried about what would happen if he had to continue in such harsh conditions for long.

As he crested a small ridge, Obsidian shielded his eyes against the setting sun. They had been wandering the frozen wasteland for hours, and night seemed to be rapidly descending. At least the temperature had risen somewhat, as he no longer felt cold. He flicked the hood of his jacket down and loosened the neck slightly to allow airflow through.

Obsidian turned back to Sundance, who was trudging along a few meters behind him. The face mask scratched lightly against his muzzle as he removed it to call out to the younger pony. "We should stop and find shelter for the night. It's gonna start getting cold out here again pretty soon."

Sundance's brow furrowed. "But it's already freezing out here. What do you mean 'again?'"

"Cold? Are you sure? It's gotten a lot warmer over the past thirty minutes," Obsidian replied, confused.

Sundance stopped and stared at him. "You're not cold anymore? That's a problem. We need to get you warmed up," he said panickedly as he hurried forward.

"A problem? It's not a problem. I feel fine," Obsidian said in protest as Sundance pushed him forward and flipped the hood back over the senior pony's head. Obsidian dug his hooves into the ground and turned to face Sundance. "Why are you so worried all of the sudden?"

"Because of something I was taught a while ago. Tangelo..." Sundance sighed briefly and shook his head. "Tangelo told me a saying when we were searching for Chartreuse, who was lost in a blizzard. It goes something like this; 'First you're cold, then you're not. Then you're hot, then you're dead.' It's hypothermia. You feel fine, but you're dying."

Obsidian shivered, and not from the cold. "Shit. Tangelo was a medic, so she probably knew what she was talking about," he thought to himself. "I really would have died out here if not for that."

Obsidian nodded and retightened his jacket. "Let's get moving, then. I think I can see an outcropping, so let's camp there," he said. He set off through the snow again, his pace more urgent than before. The path to the overhang he saw was mostly flat, but he still needed to be careful. A wrong step could send him sliding down the slope, and if he wasn't able to right himself in time, he'd tumble hundreds of meters to his death. He wasn't exactly afraid of heights, but being in such a risky situation was humbling.

By the time they had reached the overhang, the sun was sinking below the mountains and Obsidian's skin had begun to tingle with heat. "Just in time," he thought weakly. His movements had become sluggish, and at one point he had nearly lost his balance while they passed over a precarious ledge. The only thing that kept him from plummeting to the cold ground below was Sundance, who had been ready for such a thing to happen. "It's a good thing Tangelo wasn't stingy with her knowledge, or he'd have never noticed anything was wrong."

"Finally here," Sundance said. Obsidian had noticed he had stopped shivering a while back, meaning he too had started to develop hypothermia. Sundance helped Obsidian carefully to the stone wall underneath the overhang and gently lowered him to the ground. "Wait here. I think I saw an opening to a cave we could use to hide from the wind."

Obsidian nodded, and Sundance disappeared through a slim crack in the wall. It was barely visible in the dim light, and he was impressed the pony had even noticed it. "He's really observant, even if he doesn't realize it. He'll make a great MechWarrior once this is all said and done," Obsidian thought. He rubbed his sore eyes, which had begun to ache quite painfully from the brightness. It might have just been the dying light, but he swore the colors of the world around him weren't nearly as vivid as earlier.

After a few moments, Sundance returned through the crevice and walked over to Obsidian. "I think it's safe. It opens up slightly, and there's enough room for us to sleep comfortably."

"Good. Let's get out of this wind," Obsidian said as he struggled to his hooves. Sundance helped him up and through the crack which, as he had said, opened up into a fairly large space big enough to squeeze in a fair number of ponies. It seemed like it continued further back, but the ceiling dropped sharply and it was impossible to tell the full size of the space in the dim light filtering in.

"Alright, now we need to get you warmed up," Sundance said as he removed his packs and placed them against the wall. He fumbled through them, searching for something to help heat up the freezing ponies. When he came to the med kit he opened it and glanced through the contents, but closed it with a hiss of annoyance after a moment. "Nothing. How are we supposed to get warm? We don't even have a fire starter."

Obsidian removed his own packs and slumped down against the wall. "Well, there is one way I can think of to get warm," he said mysteriously.

Sundance shot him a confused glance. "There is? What is it?"

"Oh, you know... it's not usually done in these conditions, but we could..." he said with a lascivious grin.

After a short moment of puzzlement, realization dawned on Sundance and his face went beet red. "That's your idea? What the hell?"

Obsidian laughed at his embarrassment and shook his head. "I'm only joking. I'm not into younger stallions, and I'd rather not be labeled a pedophile. Come to think if it, I'm not into stallions at all. I wasn't kidding about the body heat part, though. While yes, the movie scene I saw wasn't really family friendly, we're the only heat sources around. It might be awkward, but we probably won't survive if we don't share what little heat we have left."

"Fine. But we're not sleeping totally naked," Sundance said with his face still flushed slightly.

"You got it." Obsidian stripped down to his thin base layer of clothing and laid out the thick synthetic fur coat on the ground to insulate and keep them from sleeping on bare rock. He laid down on top of them and patted the small empty space next to him. "Come on, my body isn't gonna warm itself."

Sundance sighed and laid down next to Obsidian before pulling his own clothes over top of them as a makeshift blanket. Obsidian pulled the smaller pony tight against his stomach and chuckled. "I always had a feeling you'd be the little spoon."

"We're not cuddling. And if I feel something press up against my ass I'm leaving you to freeze to death," Sundance said.

Obsidian laughed and shook his head. "Don't worry. Like I said, I'm not gay. One 'experiment' with Hazelnut was all I needed to figure that out."

"I really didn't need to know that." Even though it was nearly pitch black in the little cave by this point, Obsidian was sure Sundance was blushing again.

"It's just a part of life. Don't be so closed about your private life, we're gonna be stuck together for the next six months. Come on, tell me about it," Obsidian said jokingly.

He felt the young pony squirm uncomfortably. "Well, I uh, haven't really..."

Obsidian raised an eyebrow. "You're a virgin?"

"Yeah."

"Can't say I expected that. How long did you and Tangelo date for?" Obsidian asked.

Sundance scratched the side of his neck. "Just a few months, but we've been close for a couple of years. I guess it's just not something we really considered with training going on."

"I guess that makes sense, but this is war we're talking about. You've gotta live a little with the risk of death constantly hanging over you. Don't tell me you never even kissed?"

Sundance shifted uncomfortably again. "No, we have. Hey, can we not talk about this right now? It's still a bit soon since... You know."

Obsidian nodded. "Of course. Sorry for bringing it up, I was just trying to make you feel better."

"It's no problem."

The two of them lied there in silence for a long while. Obsidian's limbs began to lose their numbness, and while the ache of regaining their feeling wasn't pleasant it at least told him he wasn't dying anymore, which was comforting. What wasn't comforting was the doubts that had begun to creep into his mind. They had only traveled for five or six hours that day, yet both of them had nearly died from hypothermia. If one full day would be impossible, how were they supposed to last the entire trial? He sighed to himself as he felt his mind drift into sleep. It would do him no good to worry about the future. They'd just have to figure something out in the morning.

Obsidian blinked his eyes open as a pony shook him awake. He noticed he was actually quite warm now, so their plan to conserve their heat seemed to be working. "What? Is something wrong?" he asked the dark space. It must have been late into the night, as there was no light coming in through the crack.

"There's something in this cave. Do you see the red light over there?" he heard Sundance ask.

Obsidian glanced around them, but was unable to locate what Sundance was talking about. All he could see around them was pitch black. "No, I can't see anything."

A hoof fumbled around for Obsidian's face and pushed his head until he was facing the back of the cave, or what he thought was the back. There wasn't anything visible at first, but when he looked harder, he realized Sundance was right. There was a small black dot in the distance, so dim that it was barely visible even in complete darkness. "There. See it now?"

Obsidian nodded and struggled to his hooves. "Yeah. Wait here, I'll go check it out." He felt the cold start to creep back into his body as he left the warmth of the improvised bedding, but curiosity drove him forward. The light slowly became larger as Obsidian drew closer, and when it suddenly disappeared he stopped just in time to avoid slamming his face into a rock outcropping. Tentatively, he reached one hoof out and felt along the wall. The gap through which Sundance had seen the light seemed to be just barely large enough for two ponies to squeeze through at a time, and he carefully made his way through it.

There was a light click as Obsidian felt his hoof depress some hidden switch, and he cursed at the blinding light that suddenly turned on. A scraping sound echoed through the cave, followed by a short series of beeps. He scrambled backwards and looked around wildly, expecting he had just triggered some deadly trap.

"Are you okay? What's going on?" Sundance called out.

Obsidian blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted painfully to the bright glow. Now that he could open them, he could take in his surroundings. Considering he was still alive, the trap must have either been faulty or nonexistent. The switch he had stepped on appeared to be a long strip of metal recessed into the floor that would have been impossible to detect in the darkness. A small bulb in the ceiling gave off a harsh white glow, and while it wasn't actually that bright, the snow blindness Obsidian had developed made his eyes sensitive to any light. In the back of the space there was a large orange box with the Ghost Bear symbol on one side about half the size of a transport vehicle, which also happened to be the source of the faint red light, which had now switched off. It was much too large to have fit through either of the gaps, so it must have been transported in pieces then assembled here. A large panel had slid up on the far side of it, so Obsidian couldn't see its contents.

"Yeah, I'm good. Come in here and take a look at this."

Sundance shielded his eyes as he stepped into the bright space and glanced at the large box. "Weird. What's in it?"

Obsidian shook his head. "No idea. Let's check." He led the way carefully towards the container. Nothing seemed to happen as they got close, so they continued around more confidently towards the opening. Upon glancing inside, Obsidian let out a surprised gasp at its contents.

Inside the box were two suits of light Battle Armor, Hvitur models if Obsidian remembered correctly. They were about half a meter taller than the two ponies, and while they weren't the most powerful models available to Clan Ghost Bear, they were still quite an impressive sight. He had never seen one up close, but their mobility and advanced life support systems made them quite popular in dangerous conditions. Why they were here, we was not sure.

"Could this be the supply cache?" Sundance wondered aloud.

Obsidian frowned. It definitely made sense, and he hadn't checked the map since they left the base. It was entirely possible that they had traveled farther than he had first thought. He stepped inside and walked up to one of the Hviturs, which stood as still as a statue. There was also a small table in the back of the container with a small note on it. Obsidian walked over to the table and read the paper aloud.

"'Here's a pair of Hviturs to aid you in your Trial. While designed to be used for long periods of time, their battery packs won't last more than a day at a time in these harsh conditions. There's a pair of replacement batteries in each supply cache on every route. Plan carefully, as it would be almost impossible to trek through these mountains with only the supplies initially given to you. Good luck. Enzo.'"

Obsidian placed the letter back on the table and turned to face Sundance. "I guess these are for us, then."

"We won't be able to take our planned route with these. The gaps between supply cashes are too long to cover in one day."

Obsidian sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Shit. You're right." He walked up to one of the Hviturs, which was ever so slightly larger than the other, probably to account for the difference in size of the two ponies. The life support systems would have no trouble keeping their body heat up, but that wasn't on his list of worries now. "I guess now we re-plan our route. I don't like this, but we might end up running into a ghost bear or two."

Even with the Battle Armor, they weren't much of a match for the massive creatures. Each of the Hviturs was only armed with a single micro pulse laser, which wouldn't be able to kill a ghost bear in one shot. If they were forced to fight one, they might not have enough power left in their batteries to make it to the next supply cache, assuming they survived. Obsidian frowned to himself. Things just got a lot more interesting.

"Careful, there's a crevasse up ahead," Obsidian said over the comms. The Hvitur had warned him of a steep change in elevation underneath the snow, and he made sure to steer very clear of it.

"Can you tell how far it goes? We're already behind as it is."

Obsidian halted about a dozen meters from the sharp drop and glanced at the terrain map on his HUD. It went as far north and south as the Hvitur's sensors could detect, so going around would be a long trek. And Sundance was right; with this setback, they might not be able to make it to the next supply cache before their Battle Armor ran out of charge. "As far as I can see. We should be able to jump over it if we're careful."

Sundance came to a stop beside the older pony and glanced into the distance. Obsidian was sure he was checking his own terrain map and weighing the risks. If there's one thing he had come to trust about the young stallion over the past month in the mountains, it was his ability to absorb all of the given information, even the seemingly unimportant things, and deduce the best possible course of action. He just needed to work on his in-the-moment decision making.

"I think we can try. You're still carrying the rope we got, right?" Sundance asked.

Obsidian nodded his head and slid the bag from his back. He fished a thin black rope from it and tossed it over to the young pony, who caught it and began unravelling the spool. "We should tie this around ourselves so if you can drag me back up if I fall, or vice versa."

"Can that really support the weight of a Hvitur? These things weigh a metric ton, you know," Obsidian said as he raised an eyebrow. The rope didn't look much thicker than a few centimeters in diameter. With that kind of strength, holding the weight of a pony would be a challenge.

Sundance nodded. "This rope is made of a special carbon fiber weave. It's used mostly for loading ammunition into 'Mechs, often multiple tons at a time."

Obsidian raised an eyebrow. "Really? We always just used steel cable back on the Constellation. Where'd you learn that?"

"Mist's knowledge about 'Mechs doesn't always end up being as useless as it seems at first," Sundance said with a slight smile. Either it was Obsidian's constant effort or the effect of time, but it was easy to tell that the young pony's mental state had improved significantly over their journey. A small smile here or a quiet laugh there was all the evidence needed so see that.

Obsidian nodded. He still hadn't gotten Sundance to open up more about Tangelo, but these little moments of happiness were enough for now. The pony was on the mend. "I guess not. Who'd have thought his senseless ramblings weren't as pointless as we'd thought."

There was a light whip in the air as Sundance tossed one end of the rope to Obsidian. He had already tied off the other end to his Hvitur, and even though it seemed light and fragile when Obsidian caught it, he trusted his comrades. Trust was an important thing in the Clans. Many trueborns even took the significance as far as to say if you can't trust your fellow Warriors as much as you trust yourself, you have no place on the battlefield.

The armor plating of Obsidian's Hvitur creaked slightly as the rope was cinched into place. He nodded and glanced over at Sundance, who was making sure his own knots were tight. "Ready?" he asked.

Sundance nodded nervously. "I guess so. Let's get this over with."

Obsidian glanced out in front of them and took a deep breath. It was impossible to see the crevasse through the snow, but he thought he would be able to make the jump just by using the terrain map. The suit was supposed to let out a warning when he got near a sudden drop-off, so that would make things slightly easier.

The ice shelf shook slightly as the heavy machine began to sprint forward. Obsidian watched the channel rapidly approach; ten meters, six meters, three meters, two. A red light shone from the top of the Hvitur's helmet as it came within one meter of the drop, and Obsidian leapt into the air.

Time seemed to slow as Obsidian flew above the crevasse. It was massive; nearly ten meters across, and the depth updated as the interference from the ice dropped away. He sucked in a breath as the map changed to reveal the chasm to be nearly a kilometer deep. "I sure as hell hope Sundance is right about this rope," he thought. Regardless of depth, he never would have attempted this jump without the Hvitur's aid. A five meter jump was considered long for most ponies, and were it not for the improved mobility from the complex suit's artificial muscles, a jump this long would have been suicide.

Even though he was only airborne for a couple of seconds, it felt like minutes to Obsidian before he finally felt solid ground underneath his hooves again. Shards of ice flew up as the Battle Armor landed on the other side, safe and sound.

Obsidian let out a shaky breath and turned back to Sundance. "Wasn't even worried. Your turn." He took a few steps back and dug his hooves into the ice, preparing for what would happen if the young pony didn't make the jump. "Well, maybe just a little worried," he thought with a grin.

Sundance took a few steps forward, beginning to break into a sprint, but a booming CRACK brought him skidding to a halt. The red light went off in Obsidian's helmet again, and he glanced at the terrain map to see that the ledge he was on was cracking and was about to give way. Something else Obsidian had seen as the Hvitur collected data was the other side of the crevasse, the side he was now on, was only a thin ledge that stuck out into the air. Cursing the slowness of his mind to process information, Obsidian scrambled backward in an attempt to get to safety before the entire ledge collapsed.

The sensation of the ground beneath Obsidian's hooves beginning to drop out was a terrifying one. He knew Sundance wasn't in a good position to catch his weight anymore, so if he fell, he'd probably end up dragging both of them to their doom. "Shit. I can't let that happen," Obsidian thought with a final burst of strength. He felt the Hvitur strain at the strenuous movement as he leapt again, trying to make it to solid ice. The metal hooves stretched out in front of him, reaching for the ledge as the ice fell away beneath him, but he knew he had jumped short long before he was met with darkness as he fell into the deep recess.

Obsidian slammed into the ice and scrambled for a hoofhold, but found nothing. The wall was slick and free of blemish. The rope around his center was pulled taught for a moment before becoming slack again, and he didn't need to look up to know that Sundance had been pulled into the crevasse along with him.

In an act of desperation, Obsidian pulled the spear from his back and slammed it deep into the ice wall. A crack immediately formed above and below it, but it brought his descent to a halt so abrupt he nearly let go of the metal shaft. Wind whipped past him as the younger pony flew downward, and a moment later the spear was yanked so hard it almost snapped as the added weight pulled it toward the dark chasm below. The handle was bent at a worrying angle, but somehow managed to hold the weight of the two ponies and their heavy Battle Armor. For the time being, at least.

Obsidian let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and glanced down at Sundance. "You alright?"

Sundance was swinging at the other end of the rope, disoriented, but alive. After taking a moment to calm himself, he looked up and nodded. "Yeah," he said shakily.

"Good." Obsidian looked at the cliff above. They had fallen about thirty meters before Obsidian had managed to bring them to a stop. "It's a good thing my reflexes are so fast, otherwise we probably would have died," he thought with a small note of pride. "We're gonna have to climb back up. Do you still have your spear?"

There was shuffling below him as Sundance awkwardly wrestled the metal weapon from its holder. "Yeah, it's here."

"Let's go, then. I don't know how much longer mine can hold this much weight," Obsidian said with a nervous glance at his spear. He swore he could hear creaking, which he didn't think was a good sign. It didn't last much longer, however, as Sundance jabbed his own spear into the ice and allowed the rope to hang loose between the two ponies.

Obsidian nodded to Sundance and began climbing upward. It was slow progress, having only one spear each to use for climbing, but the holes created by the sharp objects left thin grooves that were enough to use as hoofholds. More than once one of the ponies slipped down a meter or two, but the whole way up neither of them fell, and the rope remained slack.

"Finally," Obsidian said as he reached the top of the cliff face. He grabbed the edge of the ice and pulled himself up onto solid ground before letting out the apprehensive breath he had been holding. The sound of metal chipping against ice could still be heard as Sundance continued his climb, and Obsidian splayed his hooves out to be ready to catch the pony's weight. "Just a little further-" he began encouragingly before a warning light on his HUD popped up. A massive heat signature had appeared just a few meters behind him, and when he whirled around to face it, he was greeted by the largest creature he had ever seen.

The ghost bear stood nearly as tall as a Nova on its hind legs. True to its name, the bear had appeared from the snow seemingly out of nowhere. Its fur, nose, and eyes were all varying shades of white white, giving it a strangely sinister appearance.

"Dear Celestia..." Obsidian said as he stared up at the monster. He remembered now hearing about how ghost bears dug themselves into the snow and waited for days at a time in an attempt to ambush prey. It was terrifying, and despite being in a suit that weighed nearly as much as the bear did, he still felt hopelessly small and weak.

"What? What's wrong?" Sundance asked anxiously over the comms.

Obsidian hastily untied the rope from around his Hvitur and let it slip over the edge of the cliff. There was no point in endangering Sundance's life as well as his own. "Nothing. Just a bit of troublesome wildlife," he said just as the ghost bear let out a deafening roar that rattled Obsidian's bones, even through the Battle Armor. He glanced around himself, looking wildly for the spear he had carelessly tossed aside, and found it a good distance away. Much further than the animal would allow him to run.

"Fuck, this isn't good," Obsidian thought as he glanced back up at the creature, which had begun ambling smugly towards him, as if it knew he had nowhere to go. He glanced at the battery indicator, which showed he had just enough to make it to the supply cache as it was. If he fired the Hvitur's micro pulse laser more than a couple of times, he would have to abandon the machine if he wanted to complete the trial. He cursed his luck. "I guess this is it. This is the kind of test Cobalt was hoping for. This trial will turn me into a damn fine warrior... or a ghost bear's lunch."

Chapter 3

The roar of the ghost bear shook Sundance to his core. It was a sound like a DropShip flying just overhead, only the threat of such a massive animal made it much more terrifying. "I had a feeling we'd run into a ghost bear eventually, but why'd it have to be in a situation like this?" he thought in fear.

The other end of the rope whipping past drew Sundance from his panicked thoughts. As much as the prospect of fighting one of the massive creatures was petrifying, he knew he couldn't leave Obsidian to fight for himself. They were going to make it through the trial together, or not at all. He began climbing the ice wall again, terror driving his hastened movements.

Sundance didn't have time to feel relieved at the comfort of solid ground underneath his hooves. As soon as he crested the ledge he looked around wildly, taking in all of the information he could. Obsidian's damaged spear was close, but likely wouldn't be much use against the monster in its condition. A quick check of his battery indicator confirmed using his micro pulse laser more than once would just get him killed later rather than sooner. Despite the weight of the heavy suit, the ghost bear had Obsidian in its mouth and was struggling to bite through the armor of his Hvitur with its powerful jaws, but Sundance knew it was only a matter of time before it got lucky and found a gap in the steel.

The weight of his spear served as a reminder to Sundance of everything else he had been taught as a cadet. In moments when everything else failed, the ability to rely on instincts was crucial. His weren't the strongest, and while his fight-or-flight reaction tended more towards the latter, he had his moments of clarity that had saved him or others on a small number of occasions. This was one such moment.

Sundance held the spear securely in one foreleg and began to charge at the ghost bear. The monster had its back turned towards him, so with any luck it wouldn't notice him until it was too late. He pushed back the fear that continued to mount in his throat as he got closer and aimed the Hvitur's laser carefully. Hesitation wouldn't be helpful here. He had one shot at this.

The laser mounted on the Hvitur's shoulder pulsed once, directly at the ghost bear's jaw. The smell of charred flesh and burning fur filled the air as the creature let out an agonized roar and dropped Obsidian, who fell heavily to the ground. Before the monster could further react, Sundance was on it with his spear. His aim with both weapons was true, and the pointed tip pierced the thick hide of the ghost bear and severed the muscles in its hind left leg. It fell backwards with an audible CRACK, nearly crushing Sundance in the process, and lay immobile.

Sundance let out a heavy breath and glanced at the large creature. The sound it made as it fell combined with its stillness led him to believe its neck had snapped as it fell. "A spot of luck," he thought with relief. His plan had only been to injure the creature to give them a chance to escape, but this allowed them the time to recover before continuing. He took a short moment to calm his panicked nerves and turned to Obsidian, who had pushed himself shakily into a sitting position. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Obsidian nodded. "I'll live. Thanks for that." He stood up and shook one of his hind legs before placing it gingerly on the ground. "It nearly had me there." One of his forelegs lifted as he took a step towards Sundance, but he stopped suddenly with a look of fear on his face. "Look out!"

The force of the ghost bear's claws sent Sundance flying a few meters away into the snow. It was only a glancing blow, but the red light that went off in his helmet and the breach notification on his HUD were enough to tell him it had done substantial damage. Another loud CRACK split the air, and Sundance realized what he had thought was the sound of bones breaking earlier was really just the ice cracking.

Sundance's head impacted painfully against the ice, receiving little protection from the snow. "This is bad. My spear is still stuck in its leg and I can't fire the laser again," he thought. He rolled over so his back was against the ground, and saw the monster pull itself painfully to its feet. Its nostrils flared in anger, and despite being unable to use its jaw as a weapon, the sharp claws had already proven themselves to be more than effective.

Yet another CRACK filled the air as the ghost bear took a step forward. This one seemed to resonate in the ice itself, and the ground beneath the creature shifted slightly. A look of terror briefly flashed across its face before the ice beneath it gave way and it slid into the crevasse. Its harrowing roars echoed through the deep chasm, and while it normally would have filled Sundance with fear, he felt only relief.

Sundance rested his head back in the snow and let out a nervous breath, but a strange tugging at his midsection caught his attention. The realization of its origin dawned on him the instant before the rope yanked him after the creature and to the ledge above the tall drop.

Sundance's hooves reached out desperately and managed to catch on the edge of the new divot that had been created in the ice when it had collapsed away. It was recessed two or three meters below the ground around it, and the angle made it extremely difficult to hold his own weight along with the ghost bear's.

When Sundance glanced down he saw the black thread stretched taught and wrapped firmly around one of the monster's claws. It was roaring in agony from the large amount of force on the small area, and Sundance watched as the tendril slowly sliced through its tough hide and flesh. The bones had likely already been broken, so it was only a matter of time before it fell. Whether or not Sundance could keep his grip for that long was another question.

The Hvitur's metallic hooves slipped a couple of centimeters, and Sundance gasped. At this rate he wasn't likely to survive the encounter, and he cursed his carelessness. Millimeter by millimeter he slid off of the ledge, inching closer to his death. The chasm yawned below him, black and uninviting. "I hope it doesn't end painfully," he thought. He clenched his eyes shut as he felt his hooves reach the edge of their hold. "At least I'll get to see Tangelo again."

Sundance was airborne for only a moment before he felt something grab his forelegs. He looked up to see Obsidian leaning over the ledge above him, struggling to support the immense weight. "What are you doing? You're gonna get yourself killed," he said.

"I couldn't just let you die after you saved my ass, now could I?" Obsidian replied with a wink. The pulse laser on his Hvitur began to move as he aimed past Sundance, directing the weapon towards the creature below. Time seemed to slow as the machine made minute adjustments, and both ponies held their breath as the weapon flashed a single time.

The shot was precise. All the weight from Sundance's midsection was lifted as the ghost bear's claw vaporized and it tumbled into the darkness. The monster impacted once, twice, three times against the ice before its cries cut off. They had done it. The bear was dead.

Obsidian hauled Sundance up to safety and fell back into the snow. The young pony joined him, and the two of them lied there for a long moment, exhausted.

"Well, that was sure to impress one of those three if they were watching," Obsidian said with a chuckle. The thrill of surviving such a dangerous encounter made the two ponies giddy, and it gave them a sense of excitement.

Sundance laughed and looked at the sun overhead through the Hvitur's tinted visor. He was sure Cobalt would be more than happy to pick apart their performance and tell them what they each did wrong if he had seen it, and even now he could think of a few things he could have done differently or been more careful about. Nonetheless, it was still an impressive feat. "Yeah. Maybe if we're lucky they'll call it now and just let us go back," he said jokingly.

"Not likely." Obsidian rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself upright. He let out a groan and rolled his shoulders. "Ow. I'm gonna be sore for days."

"Me too." Sundance struggled to his hooves and winced at the pain in his body. The adrenaline had begun to wear off as they took a moment to rest, and there was a light stinging in his side. The damage indicator on his HUD showed the breach had already been sealed by the limited self repair system, and the light wounds he had suffered were no longer bleeding thanks to the Harjel system on the machine.

Harjel, a naturally occurring petroleum-like material, was very useful in both 'Mechs and Battle Armor alike. Its main uses on the Hvitur were to control the pilot's bleeding and seal any gaps in the armor, preventing both heat loss and the escape of oxygen in the case of a less-habitable planet.

Obsidian shook himself and looked Sundance over. "You should be fine. There doesn't seem to be any serious damage to your suit, so there's nothing to worry about. Is mine okay?"

Sundance nodded. Obsidian's Hvitur was noticeably more beat up than his own, but the armor appeared to have held and there weren't any visible gaps. Anything that had been there earlier had already been sealed by the Harjel, and it looked strong enough to finish the trial. Assuming they didn't run into another ghost bear, of course.

"Right then. Let's get moving. With the battery we have left, we should still be able to make it to the next supply cache." Obsidian started forward through the snow, and Sundance followed close behind. The terrain map showed nothing but flat ice for many kilometers, so with any luck they wouldn't have to cross another crevasse like that one. He wasn't sure he could handle any more excitement in one day.

Sundance swung the access hatch to his Hvitur's battery compartment shut and sighed. They had been traveling for the better part of four months, but with the help of the Battle Armor they were ahead of schedule. With any luck they'd reach their 'Mechs by the end of the fifth month. Even with the machines, it was exhausting. Not to mention painfully boring. Sundance would be happy if he never had to see snow again in his life.

"Two mountains down, one to go," Obsidian said encouragingly as he finished replacing the battery in his own Hvitur. "If I didn't know any better I'd say this trial was going a little too well." He let out a chuckle as Sundance raised an eyebrow at him. "Or maybe not. But hey, at least we've only had to fight one ghost bear so far."

The light above them flickered off as Sundance flipped the hidden switch in the small supply cache. Since the first one that contained the pair of Battle Armor, the orange boxes had shrunken drastically in size. Now only about the size of a pony, these containers always held two batteries and rations for a day. Most days they even held something special.

That night's mystery supply wasn't particularly useful, but it was a nice comfort. A small pair of chocolate bars lay at the bottom of the box, tucked in neatly with their other rations. An oddly frivolous choice for the Clans, but Sundance assumed that was because of the freeborns in the Silveroot Keshik. Freeborns weren't nearly as spartan as the trueborns were in most cases.

"What'd we get this time?" Obsidian asked as he shouldered his way in next to the smaller pony. "Chocolate? Nice. I haven't had that in ages." He reached in eagerly and began unwrapping one of the silver bars.

Sundance picked up the remaining hoof-sized rectangle and turned it in his hooves. "I've never actually had chocolate before," he admitted.

Obsidian raised an eyebrow as he took a bite. "Really?" He swallowed and frowned slightly. "I guess it's not actually that surprising. We used to get some on the Constellation every few months, but it was strictly controlled and often ended up being traded for other things."

"What kinds of other things?"

Obsidian shrugged. "Oh, you know. The usual. Cigarettes, playing cards, small items salvaged during battle, even sex on a few occasions that I can remember."

Sundance snorted. "Prostitution for chocolate? It must have been really good, then."

"The chocolate or the sex?" Obsidian asked jokingly. "Both were dog shit, but it's not like we had much else." He lied down on their makeshift bed, which had become matted over the past few months. Sundance often found himself wishing they could be given an actual set of bedding, one with enough room to stretch out on.

Obsidian let out a long sigh. "Except for Cotton. Everything about her was great. She was an amazing pony, and one of the best friends I've ever had."

There was a light click as Sundance swung the orange container shut and walked over to the entrance of their small cave. Each of the supply caches were placed inside the mountains, out of the wind and snow. They hadn't been given tents, so trying to sleep out in the open would probably end with them frozen solid. "Really? You dated Cotton?"

"Nah, none of us did. I guess you could think of it as a reverse harem with me, Slate, and Hazelnut if that helps. But still, I often found myself thinking, 'if there was one pony in all of the universe who I'd want to spend the rest of my life with, it's her.' Don't tell Slate I said that, by the way."

Sundance chuckled and sat on the cold ground. He wasn't really tired at the moment, and even if he was he didn't think he'd be able to rest. Obsidian's talk had almost immediately reminded him of Tangelo, and he always had trouble sleeping whenever she came to mind.

They continued eating in silence for a few minutes. Obsidian had already scarfed down his food long ago, but Sundance preferred savoring it. Their rations were standard MRE's, and the heat they gave off was always comforting to him in the bitter cold. Even if they weren't the best tasting and the veggie burgers tended to sit in his stomach like rocks, they reminded him of his days as a cadet. He missed those days, especially the ones he spent with Tangelo. Quite often he found himself wondering how things would have been different if he had been more bold back then, but he was happy with how his relationship with her turned out. He just wished it hadn't been so short lived.

"I imagine you felt the same way about Tangelo. The two of you were pretty close," Obsidian said after a moment, breaking the silence.

Sundance sighed. He should have seen this coming. Obsidian brought this topic up all the time. He'd be annoyed if he didn't know the pony was just trying to help, but it often felt like Obsidian was being a little pushy. Tonight, however, Sundance felt he was ready to talk. He'd been avoiding his feelings for far too long. He was done running.

"Yeah. She... she was everything. My whole world. And now she's gone."

Obsidian nodded. "It's tough, losing the ones you love. Back in the infirmary I spent countless hours lost in thought, just reminiscing about all the memories I spent with the ones I lost."

"Me too." Sundance shifted slightly and traced lines in the snow with one of his hooves. Losing both Chartreuse and Tangelo at the same time hadn't been easy, and even though he had barely known Fern, he still felt sad about the green pony's death, too. Remembering the time they had all spent together was comforting, but also painful at the same time.

Obsidian cast the young pony a sideways glance. "You can talk about it, if you think you're ready."

Sundance shrugged. "I want to, but I don't know what to say."

"Well, try telling me your favorite memories with your friends. Sharing that kind of stuff with others always made me feel better, so it's worth a shot."

"Alright." Sundance sighed and glanced out at the sky. The sun had set long ago, leaving nothing in the sky but stars. The entire galaxy was visible overhead with the lack of light pollution, and swirls of orange and purple filled the vast expanse. It reminded him of all the nights he spent with Tangelo, when they'd sneak out after dark and just stare at the sky, wondering if there'd ever be a better life for them.

"I didn't know Fern very well, but there's one moment that I always remembered about him. We were up late one night, and Bistre had found a strange mushroom on the way back from the mess hall. He dared Fern to eat it, and the dumbass actually did." Sundance snorted. "He was sick for the rest of the week."

Obsidian shook his head. "That kid was an idiot. He puked on Hazelnut when we picked you guys up from Dike."

"That sounds like Fern." Sundance shivered at a chilling gust of wind and pulled the thin base layer he was wearing tighter around himself. "I guess Chartreuse is next.

"It's hard to pick just one moment with her. We trained together for so long, and I have countless good memories of her." Sundance scratched the side of his neck and smiled slightly. "Chartreuse wasn't just an amazing pilot, she was crazy talented at everything she tried, and an amazing friend. No matter what we were doing she always managed to one-up us, but she was never smug about it. Not seriously, at least. She especially enjoyed shutting down Mist whenever he got cocky, which I always found funny."

"I think Mist probably started to enjoy it after a while," Obsidian said jokingly.

Sundance chuckled. "Probably. If that was what he was looking for in a relationship, he was in the right place." He glanced back out at the stars, where a particularly bright one caught his attention. It was almost two times as big as the next largest star in the sky, and despite the bitter air around him, he felt oddly comforted by it. "And then there's Tangelo. There's one moment with her that always sticks in my mind, and I see it in my dreams all the time. The location, anyway. She's never there with me anywhere but my memories." Sundance sighed and swallowed the lump that had begun to form in his throat.

"It was late in the evening after our first real combat training exercise, just a few months before we left Dike. She took me down one of the overgrown paths. There was a large clearing with a waterfall and a bridge, and I just remembered it being the most beautiful place I've ever seen. After that, we went to a massive tree in the middle of the forest, and that was where we first kissed. She told me about her past, and after that we just took our time walking back to the mess hall, talking about whatever came to mind. It's a perfect memory. If there's one thing I want to remember for the rest of my life, it's that night." Sundance sighed again and blinked his eyes to clear the wetness he had felt building up in them. It was always hard thinking about her after her death, but he had to admit he felt at least a little better having shared his thoughts with someone else.

Obsidian was silent for a moment. Sundance hadn't noticed him move during the monologue, but the black pony was now sitting next to him at the entrance of the cave. After a brief pause he spoke up, his voice unusually devoid of any humor. "That sounds like a very special memory."

Sundance nodded but didn't say anything. He instead carefully unwrapped the chocolate bar that he had almost forgotten about and took a bite. It was soft, having melted partially from his body heat, and surprisingly bitter. It was darker in color than the few other pieces of chocolate he had seen before, too. He had always expected it to taste sweeter from how others had described it. Maybe there were different types of chocolate? Either way, it was surprisingly good. The only thing he didn't really like about it was how it dried out his mouth.

"Well, we shouldn't sit out here in the cold all night. Getting sick wouldn't be a fun time," Obsidian said as Sundance finished the chocolate bar. He stood and walked over to the furs, which had lost all of their residual heat by that point.

Sundance stood and followed the older pony. Sleeping with somepony always reminded him of the nights he and Tangelo would always steal. They'd dragged a pair of unused mattresses to a secret spot in the camp, and on warmer nights they'd sneak away and sleep together under the stars if the weather was nice. She had always liked the endless possibilities of what was out there, which was something Sundance liked about her. Tangelo was very down-to-earth, and she always held hope, even if it was just a tiny shred. Even though she was no longer alive, Sundance often felt she was the only thing still keeping him going.

The tumblers clicked into place as Sundance slammed a metal door shut behind him and locked it. He had almost had a heart attack when another ghost bear suddenly appeared in the snow in front of him just a minute or so prior, but a laser blast to the creature's face from Obsidian had distracted it long enough for the two ponies to flee. Luckily, the Hviturs allowed them to run much faster than the bear, and they managed to make it through a seemingly out of place metal door hidden in the side of the mountain. Sundance wasn't sure the creature had followed them, but it never hurt to be careful.

Sundance sighed and turned around to survey their surroundings. They were in a long hallway with hard concrete floors, dull sheet metal walls, and linear fluorescent lights that had turned on as soon as the doors opened. The hall went on for as long as he could see, but the terrain map updated to show it stopped after about two kilometers, just at the end of the long range sensor's reach. "What is this place?"

Obsidian frowned and reached around into his bag. He pulled out the map, which had become rather tattered by this point in their journey, and peered closely at it. "I'm not really sure. We should still be a day's travel from our 'Mechs. The map says the entrance is on the other side of the peak."

The ground shook slightly as Sundance walked over to Obsidian and looked at the map over his shoulder. "Do you think this tunnel leads to our 'Mechs? Maybe it's like a short cut or something. It leads in the right direction."

"You might be right." Obsidian glanced down the long hall and back at the map a few times. After a moment he shrugged and folded the map back up before starting off towards the far end. "I guess we don't really have much of a choice other than to see where it leads, considering the ghost bear that might still be outside. Come on."

That was all the motivation Sundance needed. He trotted behind Obsidian through the long gray tunnel, wary of traps the whole way. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but he didn't think Cobalt would have given them this tunnel to use if it were so easy to get through.

Which made it all the more surprising when they came to a set of double doors recessed into the far wall without incident. The entire two kilometers of the tunnel was just an open expanse of rock and steel, nothing more than what might have been an access tunnel. Not a single laser turret had shot at them, the floor hadn't opened up to reveal a massive spike trap, nothing. It was just a boring hallway.

"Huh. Did we miss something?" Sundance asked in confusion.

Obsidian shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't see anything else on the way, did you?" Sundance shook his head, and the older pony turned back to the doors. "Well, I guess we might as well go through. Be ready in case it's a trap or something," he said with a nod towards the laser mounted on the shoulder of Sundance's Hvitur.

Sundance felt his body tense up as Obsidian swung the pair of doors open. He half expected it to open up into a small room where another ghost bear would be waiting for them, but he let out a gasp when he saw what was on the other side.

Standing tall through the opening was a pair of 'Mechs, Obsidian's Grand Summoner and Sundance's Hellbringer, both repaired and polished to perfect condition. Everything that had been destroyed on his 'Mech had been replaced and repaired, and while some plates of armor along the rear and center torso still showed light scars from the last battle, the whole machine gleamed with new life.

"It was really that simple, huh?" Obsidian said in wonder. Even he seemed impressed by the machines' conditions.''

"Apparently." Sundance took a tentative step forward, but no sirens went off and no machine guns sprouted from the walls. This was it. It was the end of their Trial.

Obsidian grinned at Sundance and deactivated his Hvitur. The armor plates opened up, allowing the black pony to pull himself out of the still-damaged machine and take a step forward. He snorted and glanced up at his 'Mech. "I don't know why I was expecting it to be warm in here." He shook his head and ran towards his 'Mech. "Let's get this over with, Sundance! I want to sleep in an actual bed again. Five months on that thin excuse for bedding has given me cramps in more places than you want to know."

Sundance shook his head and powered down his own suit of Battle Armor before stepping out. Even though it was simplistic compared to a 'Mech and had no conscience as far as he could tell, it was still a useful machine that had served him well in the mountains. Hopefully the Techs could fix it up and put it to use again. He didn't want to see it torn apart and used as scrap.

By the time Sundance arrived at the two 'Mechs, Obsidian had already stripped from his base layer and was halfway into his cooling suit, which had been placed on the floor next to his Grand Summoner. "Do you have no sense of urgency? Our half-year long mission is over and we can finally go where it's warm again."

Sundance snorted in amusement and grabbed his cooling suit from the floor next to the foot of his Hellbringer. He could definitely understand Obsidian's excitement at finally being able to leave the frozen wasteland, and the pony's enthusiasm began to spill into him as he suited up and began climbing up the side of his 'Mech. It had been almost a year since he had last been in the cockpit, and he was excited to see Solis again. "I wonder how she's doing. When she's powered down it's as if she's asleep, so what will it be like, waking up in an unfamiliar location like this?"

The access hatch swung open easily under his hooves to reveal the clean cockpit. While the cockpit layout was the same, everything else about it was different. The Techs had really outdone themselves, and all of the aging interior had been replaced with brand new parts, colored in various shades of gray and black, along with blue accents. A flicker of fear popped into his mind, and he hoped Solis was still here. What if they had replaced the DI computer when doing repairs? He'd have to hope they had left her in, otherwise he'd have a lot of trouble getting down the mountain.

Only when Sundance was strapped into his seat and had his hooves hovering over the controls did he realize he hadn't been provided a neurohelmet. Was he expected to pilot his Hellbringer without one? It was possible to do, but he had never tried it before. As well as that, he would be unable to communicate with Solis. "Oh well, just another part of the Trial, I guess. I'll have to wait a bit longer to see Solis again," he thought with a twinge of sadness.

The Hellbringer hummed to life as Sundance began the startup sequence. The various beeps and other noises he usually heard through the neurohelmet came from a speaker situated above him, which he had never noticed in the cockpit before. Was that a new addition?

A familiar hum in the back of Sundance's mind made him stop. It was the hum he normally got from a neurohelmet when the 'Mech powered up, but he wasn't wearing one. What was going on?

Reactor: Online. Sensors: Online. Weapons: Online. All Systems Nominal.

Hello, Sundance. Good to hear you again, Solis said happily.

Sundance was sure his jaw would have hit the floor were it possible. "Solis? But how? I'm not wearing a neurohelmet," he thought in confusion.

I'm not sure. Every time I've powered up since our last battle, something had felt different. It would seem ponies have been making constant adjustments.

"Hmm. Maybe it's some sort of new tech?" Sundance wondered. Before he could continue that train of thought, however, he heard a voice he had long forgotten cut in on the comms.

"Congrats, you two. You survived and made it to your 'Mechs. Surprisingly, you even found that access tunnel Cobalt told me to have plugged up way back when he started putting ponies through this Trial. He's gonna have my ass for that," Enzo said, his voice garbled slightly by static. "Anyway, you should have already noticed the upgrades we made to your 'Mechs. Just a few modifications and some heavy maintenance to bring them up to snuff. I heard that Hellbringer in particular was a nightmare for the Techs."

A red light in the ceiling began flashing as a harsh siren blared and the sound of scraping filled the large space. Sundance squinted his eyes as the opposite wall, which appeared to be a thin bay door, slid into the far wall and allowed white light to spill in. The tint of the Hellbringer's cockpit shifted to a darker shade almost immediately at the bright gleaming snow, and Sundance raised an eyebrow. That was definitely new. A new set of NAV points had also appeared, but the distraction of the new cockpit had kept him from noticing at first.

"So now all that's left is to head down the mountain, which should only take a few hours if you're quick about it. There's a NAV point at each turn in the suggested path, so it should be easy to follow. Once you're at the foot of the mountain there will be a Broadsword waiting for you. It will take you back to our main base, where your ordeal will finally be over. And be careful on your way down. The slope has been known to trip up 'Mechs," Enzo added with a chuckle. There was a click as he left the comm channel, leaving Sundance and Obsidian alone.

"Well... that was a rather sudden end to the Trial," Obsidian said with a hint of lingering surprise in his voice.

Sundance nodded. He had thought they still had another day of travel left, but the hallway they had went through shaved off a lot of travel. It might have even saved them from another ghost bear encounter.

Obsidian's Grand Summoner took a tentative step forward in the 'Mech Bay, and the older pony let out a grunt of surprise. "Wow, the Techs really put in a lot of work. I've never piloted a 'Mech that ran this smoothly. That incessant knocking in the left leg is gone, too." His 'Mech walked out into the sunlight and paused, the armor plates gleaming. The Clan Draconequus symbol had been replaced with that of Clan Ghost Bear, and the entire machine had been painted in shades of white, gray, and blue. "Come on, I want to get to a private room as fast as possible. I haven't jacked off in months."

Sundance snorted at the joke, which might have actually been a completely serious statement considering the pony's nature, and pushed the throttle forward. Obsidian was right; his Hellbringer moved like the well-maintained machine it should have been all along. The controls didn't jerk, all the small scraping noises were gone, the torso and limbs didn't feel gunked up... The 'Mech was about two hundred years old, yet it felt brand new. "This is amazing. Does it feel any different to you?" he asked Solis.

Hugely. It all felt normal to me before, but now that I'm in proper working order, I don't think I could ever go back to the way I was before, Solis said gleefully.

"I get what you mean." Sundance glanced at the map screen and surveyed their route. The NAV points snaked down the mountain in what seemed to be the safest path that wouldn't take all day to traverse. He sighed in relief and leaned back slightly in the seat. It was a lot more comfortable, not having the weight of a neurohelmet on his neck anymore. His connection with Solis felt slightly weaker than with one, but he still felt entirely capable of communicating with her, so he preferred it this way. "The worst of it is over, and now we can finally get back to the others." Sundance grinned at the prospect of seeing his friends again. As much as he liked Obsidian, things had started to get lonely.

The worst of it? What happened while we were apart? Solis asked in confusion.

"More than you know." Sundance chuckled inwardly and sighed. "I guess we've got enough time for me to update you on the situation. It's a long story."

Sundance waited as Obsidian loaded his Grand Summoner into the Broadsword-class DropShip that was waiting for them at the bottom of the mountain. They were on a small plateau, the only perfectly flat ground for kilometers around. It wasn't much, but apparently it was enough for the 'Ship to use to takeoff and land.

Obsidian waved to Sundance as the 'Ship's door swung shut after him. Sundance shook his head and walked over to the other side of the ship, where the open doors awaited his own Hellbringer. However, another 'Mech stepped out as he came around the nose of the Broadsword, and he halted suddenly to avoid smashing into it.

"You are Sundance, I presume?" a mare's voice asked over the comms. Sundance assumed it belonged to the pilot of the newcomer, a Mad Dog in Ghost Bear colors.

"Yes. Who are you?" Sundance had never heard this pony's voice before, and he was more than a little confused. Why had they not been told there would be another 'Mech on the ship?

The voice continued, not bothering to introduce herself. Had it not been for their reply, he would have considered the pony to be rude. "It has come to our attention that you did not participate in a Trial of Position as a cadet, quiaff?"

Sundance felt his stomach sink. He had felt so relieved when the announcement was made that the Trial of Position was no longer a requirement for warriors in Clan Draconequus. The possibility of having to complete one now hadn't even been on his list of things he needed to consider. This was quite the unexpected twist for him, the kind he didn't like. "Aff."

Even before Sundance heard the reply, he knew what was coming. The past five months might have actually been for nothing. It was all going to ride on the next few minutes. He tightened his hooves around the controls of his Hellbringer in determination. It was time to test if the new life of the machine was all it was cracked up to be.

"Then I will be your opponent. The fight will be here, and you will do it alone. The Blooding begins now."

Chapter 4

Sundance's vision continued to shake as the massive machine came to a halt. Or maybe it was his nerves causing the constant rumbling of his body. Solo fighting wasn't his best skill when his life was on the line, especially against a seasoned warrior as past experience had already shown.

The Mad Dog was a full five tons lighter than his Hellbringer, yet the smaller machine mounted half a ton of armor more, and its dual LRM-20 launchers and strong laser loadout made it effective at all ranges. Sundance had to be very careful or he could lose the battle without getting in close enough to land a single shot.

The Trial of Position, commonly referred to as 'The Blooding,' had always been a terrifying concept to Sundance. Even though the one he was about to go through seemed impromptu and hadn't been fully prepared in the way a normal Trial would have been, that didn't change the fact that it could still end with his death.

Relax, Sundance. This is just like that training exercise on Dike where you fought Vermilion, except your current opponent is fifteen tons lighter than before and has less weapons, Solis said encouragingly. As long as you're careful, this should be a walk in the park.

"But that was different. Our skill gap pretty much negates the weight difference, and there aren't exactly an abundance of trees here I can use as cover," Sundance replied. He glanced anxiously at the Mad Dog as it neared a ridge a few hundred meters away, heading to its starting location. They would begin the fight somewhere around a kilometer apart, well out of the effective range of his deadly autocannon.

Solis sighed. You're letting the enemy win and the fight hasn't even begun yet. Listen. Take a deep breath to calm yourself, collect your thoughts, and come up with one of those unexpected strategies of yours. Stop focusing on the bad outcomes. They're only distracting you.

Sundance nodded. "Okay, I'll try."

Per the other pilot's directions, the fight would begin as soon as she reached her own starting position, a location unknown to Sundance. He was allowed to pick his own spot to start from, giving the skirmish a bit more unpredictability. The battle scenario was there was an enemy 'Mech of known tonnage, loadout, and general location past the ridge, but no other information was given. It was a simple Trial, but no less terrifying.

There were a number of strategies Sundance could use to surprise his opponent, but not many of them would be very effective. He needed a way to close the distance between them as fast as possible so he could get within range of his weapons. "Could I just run forward and hope for the best? No, our 'Mechs have an equivalent top speed. I'll need to be more creative," Sundance thought. The Mad Dog had just reached the crest of the ridge and would likely be in position before long. He had to come up with something, and fast.

Solis hummed at an idea as it popped into Sundance's head. That might work. Or it might not. Is now the time to test something we've never tried before?

Sundance shrugged and pushed the throttle forward as the Mad Dog disappeared from view. "I can't think of anything else. This is the best I've got."

The Hellbringer took short, light steps forward, keeping its movements as quiet as possible. It wasn't possible to make the footsteps of the sixty-five ton war machine completely silent, but Sundance could at least make it seem like his 'Mech was located further away than it really was if the other Ghost Bear MechWarrior was listening.

It took a while for Sundance to reach the ridge, and he had begun to fear he wouldn't make it before his opponent had gotten into position. "Okay. You ready for this?" Sundance asked.

No, and neither are you, Solis said dryly. Not that it matters. The Trial of Position is intended to mimic real war, after all.

"I know." Sundance sighed. "Well, I guess this is it. Hopefully we don't-"

"It is time. The Trial begins now," the other voice barked over the comms, cutting in through Sundance's thoughts. The faraway stomping of the Mad Dog sent chills down his spine, and he fumbled for the controls.

Relax. Making a hasty error won't help you here. What can you hear? Solis asked. She knew she had to keep the pony calm, otherwise he could end up making a careless error.

Sundance took a deep breath and strained his ears. He could hear a lot more of the outside world without a neurohelmet blocking some of the sounds, and from what he could tell, the footsteps were moving away from him off to his right. "She's heading towards the mountain, so there's probably cover for her to use there. She'll hit us from range with her LRM's before ducking into cover, reload and vent heat, then repeat. If she gets there, the fight is over."

Then don't let her get there. She wouldn't have expected you to select a starting position so close to hers, so push that advantage while you still have it.

"Got it." Sundance took another deep breath before slamming the throttle forward in its housing. The acceleration was so instant he nearly lost his balance and caused the Hellbringer to stagger, but he managed to right the 'Mech before it hit the ground. The heavy machine was up to its top speed of eighty-six km/h in a matter of seconds, and Sundance let out a shaky breath. "Damn, I didn't know this thing could shoot off like that."

Solis made an odd noise, something Sundance generally took as her equivalent of shaking her head. Neither did I. This 'Mech almost feels as maneuverable as the Shadow Cat was. If our new Techs are this talented, I could get used to being in Clan Ghost Bear, She said, impressed.

Sundance grunted in agreement but didn't continue the conversation further. His target had noticed his approach and was turning in an arc to face him. He smirked slightly, knowing his opponent would have been completely surprised to see him cross the ridge so soon. Even so, they were still out of range of his autocannon. He needed more time.

Sundance gritted his teeth as he realized he had forgotten to check the ammunition his 'Mech had been loaded with. Standard medium-range missiles would be preferred, as they had enough range to hit his target and loaded more explosives than Extended Range missiles. High Explosive missiles, the shortest range of the three types, would mean his probable loss of the Trial and demotion to another caste. Best case scenario, his LB 20-X had slug ammunition to punch through the armor, and his ATM-6 had Standard missiles to distract his opponent and ravage the internals of their Mad Dog.

For a brief moment, Sundance panicked when he saw High Explosive missiles were loaded into the ATM. Though high in damage, they didn't have enough range for his plan. Fear turned to confusion, however, when he saw an indicator for each ammunition type. Similarly, the autocannon showed both slug and cluster ammunition. "What? Solis, what does that mean? I've never seen that before," he asked.

I'm not sure. Is it an error? I'm not detecting anything out of the ordinary, Solis mused. Not that I know what ordinary is anymore. The Techs installed so many new systems that I can hardly tell what's what anymore.

"I don't think it's an error." Sundance glanced back at the controls and noticed a panel of buttons he had never seen before. Three were glowing a dull blue while two others were bright white, leaving the remaining five buttons dark. The two glowing buttons were labeled HE and CSTR, while the others were ER, STD, and SLUG. "What..?"

Realization quickly dawned on Sundance. "This 'Mech mounts every ammunition type. Is that another one of the upgrades Enzo was talking about?"

I don't know, but we don't have time to think about that, Solis said hastily.

Sundance glanced up and saw that the Mad Dog had finished turning around, and a small salvo of LRMs was heading his way. The missile lock warning hadn't gone off, meaning the weapon had been direct-fired and was likely meant as a distraction while the pilot locked-on to his 'Mech with the other missiles.

The Hellbringer barely managed to move out of the path of the explosives, but Sundance knew a much larger payload was about to head his way if he didn't do something, and fast. "How long does it take to switch ammunition types?" he thought. He shook his head. "Probably too long. I need to work with what's loaded."

Urgently, Sundance aimed at the ground a few dozen meters away from his 'Mech and fired the High Explosive missiles. Without waiting to see them hit, he immediately slammed the STD missile button and watched as the indicator for the ATM flashed to Standard ammunition. "So it really is that simple. Good to know."

The force of his missiles shook the cockpit of Sundance's Hellbringer, and he winced as he felt shrapnel pelt the armor of the machine. The explosions hadn't been close enough to cause noticeable damage to his armor, but what they had done was send up a massive dirt cloud in-between the two 'Mechs. The Mad Dog wouldn't be able to track him past the temporary obstruction, buying him the few seconds he needed to complete his half-baked plan. "We've got this, Solis. I think we can win."

As long as you don't get cocky. I'd really rather not lose an arm again, Solis said with a hint of annoyance.

"Me neither. Don't worry, I'm being careful this time," Sundance replied, thinking back to his last battle. It was a mind-numbing level of pain he never wanted to experience again.

Sundance turned the Hellbringer to sprint off to the right as the dirt cloud began to disperse. He had to continue to surprise his opponent so he could get in close and use his autocannon, the biggest advantage he had in the fight. Just a few well-placed slugs to the side torsos of the Mad Dog could eliminate all of the 'Mech's weapons, securing his victory. "Let's hope this goes as planned."

The Mad Dog became visible as Sundance sprinted through the cloud, a good thirty meters away from where he would have been expected to appear. The enemy pilot had to take time to adjust, during which Sundance aimed the ATM at the feet of the smaller 'Mech and fired again.

With smaller warheads the result was less spectacular, but with the dirt cloud being so close to the enemy 'Mech, it gave Sundance the freedom to move anywhere on the battlefield without being seen. He turned back to approach from another direction and changed ammunition types again. "We're getting close. By the time that dirt cloud disappears we should be within HE missile range."

Sundance recoiled at a stinging pain in his right arm. When he turned to look, the Mad Dog had stepped through the cloud and was firing one of its Large Lasers at him. "Shit, I don't know how I didn't think of that," he thought, annoyed at himself for overlooking such an easy way to counter his plan.

Sundance raised the right arm of his Hellbringer and fired his own ER Large Laser at his opponent. The weapon glanced briefly across the 'Mech's torsos and melted a neat line in the armor, but didn't cause any substantial damage. He followed up with the ER mediums, trying to distract the pilot long enough to get into close range.

The Mad Dog shrugged off the ineffectual laser fire and sent a hail of missiles towards Sundance. The missile lock indicator flashed, and he winced at the pain in his hind legs as he suddenly threw his 'Mech off to the left in an attempt to dodge the warheads. The limited turning speed of LRMs meant he managed to avoid most of them, but a few explosions sent a burning sensation into his right side and shook the cockpit.

Damage minimal. Now's your chance, Solis said hastily. They needed to get in close and disable at least one of the LRM launchers if they wanted to win the fight.

Sundance readjusted his course and sprinted directly at the Mad Dog. The smaller 'Mech pedaled backward and pulsed its medium lasers at his Hellbringer, but he pushed through the pain and launched the HE missiles at his target.

The warheads exploded on the 'Mech's left torso, damaging the equipped missile launcher and sending chunks of armor flying in all directions. Sundance followed up with a slug round from his autocannon, hoping to punch through the armor and disable one of the dangerous weapons. Being at the end of the weapon's effective range he wasn't successful in hitting his mark, though the shot did manage to slam into the Mad Dog's left shoulder actuator, which disabled the arm and left it hanging limp by the 'Mech's side.

The missile lock indicator flashed as the smaller 'Mech fired its LRMs again, albeit in a lower quantity given the damage sustained to one of the launchers. Explosions rattled the cockpit of Sundance's Hellbringer as he hastily turned the torso and absorbed most of the damage in the right side of his 'Mech, hoping to protect his autocannon from damage.

Critical hit, right arm. Critical hit, right torso. Heat sink destroyed. We're within effective LBX range now. Let's finish this before she reloads, or we're finished Solis said.

"You got it." Sundance punched the CSTR button and fired all of his lasers at the Mad Dog's right arm, ignoring the massive temperature spike that sent the internal temperature of his 'Mech soaring above safe levels and turned the cockpit into what felt like a sauna, even with his cooling suit running at full power.

Heat level critical.

Sundance tapped the override button and glanced back at his target. His attack had destroyed his opponent's remaining lasers, giving her no way to retaliate while the 'Mech's missile launchers reloaded. Neither his ATMs or the autocannon generated too much heat, so even with a few shots, the temperature should only be at dangerous levels for a couple of seconds. He knew Solis could handle it.

Shutdown sequence overridden. This is an uncharacteristic risk from you, Solis said curiously.

"It's been a long five months," Sundance thought with a shrug. They'd been risking everything every single day since starting their Trial, and he had become almost accustomed to it. It was strange to realize how much he had changed in such a short time.

The Hellbringer's left arm raised as Sundance came within a couple hundred meters of his opponent. The cluster round had just finished chambering, and he fired directly at the Mad Dog's weakened left torso. The shot tore apart the internal structure of the 'Mech, destroying heat sinks and electronics as it passed through. He followed up with another HE missile barrage from the ATM, which blew the entire left side of the machine clean off. The explosions also set off a chain reaction in the Mad Dog's ammunition, which sent a fireball shooting out of the gaping hole as its stored missiles detonated.

Miraculously, the Mad Dog remained standing and powered up. It was unable to fight given the lack of functioning weapons, and the fusion reactor appeared to be damaged as its movements were all sluggish and seemed miscalculated. Sundance loaded a slug round into his autocannon and glanced at the damaged machine. "What now? Is the fight over?"

Not as long as the enemy 'Mech is still functioning. Fights in traditional Trials end when a 'Mech is rendered inoperable or the pilot dies, quiaff?

"Yeah, but this isn't exactly a traditional Trial." Sundance wiped the sweat from his brow and ran his tongue over his missing tooth. Now that he wasn't in any danger he could allow the cockpit temperature to drop before firing again.

Sundance tapped the override button again to disable it and raised the left arm of his Hellbringer. The damage indicator showed the Mad Dog still had most of its armor on the center and right torsos, so it would take a couple of shots to punch through. In its damaged state, though, the risk of a reactor failure was higher than normal. An extremely rare occurrence in standard circumstances, a reactor failure always killed the 'Mech's pilot and heavily damaged anything within a couple dozen meters. Did this really have to be a fight to the death? Why wasn't she ejecting?

"Enough."

The voice was so commanding Sundance nearly mistook the speaker to be Cobalt, though he recognized it as belonging to Enzo. A new dot popped up on his radar, and the strangest 'Mech he had ever seen stepped over the ridge from the direction of the DropShip.

Sundance's targeting computer labeled it as a Fire Scorpion, with a UAC/20, two LRM-10s, and five machine guns. True to its name it looked like a scorpion, and unlike every other 'Mech he had seen before, this one had four legs, not two. QuadMechs were extremely rare among the Clans since their limited internal space affected the number of weapons they could mount, and very few Clan pilots were willing to give up firepower for the intuitiveness of four legs.

Enzo whistled in surprise as he stopped a few hundred meters away from the two 'Mechs and eyed the heavily damaged Mad Dog. "Good fucking job. Clever with the dust clouds, too." He turned to Sundance and paused for a moment. "Something's changed about you. I'm not as good at reading ponies as my brother is, but you're different than from when you left. Not that it's unusual for these trials, but still."

"Thank you, sir," Sundance replied. "I've had a lot of time to think the past few months, but my 'Mech was a big part of my victory."

Aw, you do appreciate and recognize me, Solis said jokingly. At least, Sundance thought she was joking.

"Of course I do. You're the only one left to keep me calm," he replied with a smile.

Enzo sighed. "I told you, you don't have to get all formal with me. Besides, we're equals now. More or less."

Sundance sucked in a breath and blinked a few times. The older pony was right; he had completed the Trial of Position and was officially a warrior of Clan Ghost Bear. The gravity of that fact had only just begun to sink in, and he had a hard time believing it had been that easy. He had always pictured the Trial as some terrifying hurdle that would decide his fate, but now that it was over, it was almost anticlimactic.

Almost immediately Sundance's thoughts went to his friends. Would they have to go through their own Trials of Position, too? While he could see Cobalt doubting him and wanting to test him specifically, the possibility was still there. He was sure Vermilion could handle himself, and like Obsidian, Hazelnut had completed his own Trial before the procedure in Clan Draconequus was discontinued, and as a result didn't need to go through another. Mist's combat skills were dodgy at best, and he had only seen Mint fight a couple of times, so he wasn't sure how she would do, either. "I guess there's nothing we can do now but hope," Sundance thought anxiously.

Enzo turned to the Mad Dog and exchanged a few words with the pilot over a private channel. Soon afterward, the damaged machine began ambling back to the 'Ship at its now limited top speed of thirty km/h. "Alright, let's head back. Cobalt will be interested to hear about this once he's done overseeing Mist and Mint's Trial. Oh, and Sundance? Welcome to the Ghost Bears."

Meanwhile in the Inner Sphere, on an undisclosed planet...

Discord sighed as the trail he was following dropped away again. Why was it so difficult to track a pair of princesses traveling with a full entourage? As much as he loved a good chase, this had been going on for much longer than he had expected. Short, intense confrontations followed by chaotic reveling were more his thing, not drawn-out hunts that left him in unfamiliar locations, like where he was now, surrounded by berry bushes and fruit trees.

The planet Discord was currently on, some small rock in the edge of space controlled by the House of Honesty, was almost entirely rural. Farms covered most of the planet, save for its capital that was in charge of trade. It was so small, in fact, that the horizon had a visible curve to it if one were to look closely.

Discord shook his head and was about to cast the tracking spell again when movement off to his right caught his attention. When he turned to look, he could barely see the tip of a bright blue tail sticking out from a blackberry bush, and there was a little too much pink visible through the leaves for it to be natural.

There was a cry from the bush as the earth pony hiding in it was pulled out roughly by Discord's magic. Her coat and mane were pastel shades of pink and sky blue respectively, freckles covered her round face, and pink eyes so pale that they almost looked white were wide with terror.

"Well, what do we have here?" Discord said as he looked the pony over. Twigs and leaves from the bush stuck into her long mane, the juice from blackberries stained her fur and mane, and blood dripped from countless small cuts caused by the thorns. It was a pitiful sight.

"P-please don't hurt me!" the pony whimpered as she threw her hooves over her eyes.

Discord sighed in annoyance. So this was going to be one of those ponies. "If you want to live, tell me where the princesses went."

"Princesses?" she asked nervously.

"Yes. One white and tall with a sun on her flank, the other dark blue and less tall with a moon on her flank. The heads of Canterlot? Leaders of the Inner Sphere? Heard of them?" Discord said impatiently. Five months of searching had left him quite irritable. Maybe he'd kill this pony to make himself feel better. He could use a way to relieve his stress.

The pony gasped in pain as a branch from the blackberry bush reached out and nicked the side of her face with a thorn. She pressed herself into the ground and trembled with terror. "I-I-I don't know anything! Why would they come here?"

"Because I'm going to kill them, just like I'll do to you if you don't tell me where they went. I know they were here, so where are they? Tell me!"

"I didn't see any princesses!" the pony managed to squeak out.

Discord growled. He had reached the end of his patience. "WHERE DID THEY GO?!" He bellowed, shaking the ground underneath them. Magic flowed through his body as he cast a truth spell on the pony, and she opened her mouth as a torrent of barely intelligible words began spilling out.

"They left this morning! They were only here for a couple of hours and they told us you were coming and that you would probably kill us if you found us and that they were traveling across the Inner Sphere and telling ponies what was happening on Terra! They didn't say where they were going but they did say we're the last planet around here they visited and I'm pretty sure they're heading to Angel II since that was in the general direction their ships went and it's the closest planet that isn't under the rule of Jonagold so they must-"

The pony's eyes went wide as the blackberry branch suddenly coiled around her throat and crushed her windpipe. Sharp thorns dug into her neck, and they sliced cleanly across her carotids as the branch wound itself tighter. More branches whipped out from the bush and snapped across her soft flesh, covering her entire body in neat little slices.

In a matter of seconds, the pony was covered almost entirely in her own blood. Her life flowed rapidly from the wounds on her neck, and it didn't take long for her eyes to begin to flutter shut. With a final surge of magic, the branch around her throat squeezed tightly and snapped her neck. The body immediately went limp, and Discord allowed the sharp tendrils to return to the bush they came from.

"Angel II? So they're heading to planets controlled by the House of Kindness next. I might be able to beat them there if I'm lucky." Discord scratched the top of his head and frowned. He'd never been to Angel II and he wasn't entirely sure where it was, so he couldn't just teleport himself there. He'd have to get there the common way, much to his distaste.

A bright flash enveloped Discord's body as he morphed into a grey unicorn with a short black mane and red eyes, his usual disguise for traveling among ponies without being discovered. He would rather not bother with disguises, but he hated to admit that things went a lot faster and smoother when he didn't parade around as a draconequus. Especially when everypony on the planet knew he was hostile.

Discord levitated in the air and turned towards the planet's capital. Before he flew off, however, he glanced back down at the farm. It was painfully boring, with perfect little rows of trees and bushes stretching for kilometers in every direction. The pony's painful death had given him an idea, and maybe he could make things a little more interesting around here. After all, what fun was a planet without a little discord?

The ground below began churning as every plant on the farm suddenly came to life. Branches swung in the air, roots burst out of the ground, and carnivorous mouths dripping with acid morphed from wood. Flesh-eating trees were sure to add a little excitement to the lives of ponies, Discord was sure. With any luck they'd populate across the whole planet, causing chaos and terror for as long as it was inhabited.

A wet snapping noise below Discord caught his attention. The dead body had attracted a few of the floral creatures, and wooden tendrils snaked across her entire body. The sound he had heard was one of her forelegs being ripped from her body. He had looked in time to see it disappear into the grotesque mouth of one of the apple trees, leaking blood all over the dirt.

The remainder of the corpse was entirely wrapped in branches and vines as the countless plants in the orchard fought over their first meal. The body was dismantled bit by bit; her jaw went to one blackberry bush, her hips to another, her last foreleg to the same tree that had claimed the first... it was a gruesome sight, and Discord felt a strange twinge of guilt as he watched. He hadn't needed to kill her, and creating these monsters was completely unnecessary.

Every time this happened, every time Discord had killed another pony or left some terrifying creation behind on a planet, it was always accompanied by this feeling. Deep down, he knew what he was doing was wrong. "Maybe Fluttershy was right. Maybe I'm not entirely evil. Should I stop before things end in ruin for everypony?"

Discord shook his head. "No. The Clans must answer for their crimes, and Celestia and Luna will pay for what they did to me." He began soaring through the blue sky, on his way to the airfield where a DropShip would take him to Angel II. "In a universe ruled by chaos, justice is mine to command. Those who cross me... Will burn in the flames of my anger."

Chapter 5 - Trial by Water

Author's Note

I promise this author's note is essential. I hate these, and I prefer to use them as little as possible.

I realized having Mint and Mist so many times in close relation is confusing, so I referred to Mist by the first part of his name, Azure, for the next few chapters. I said that in a blog, but I know most of you don't read them.

Just remember; Mist and Azure are the same pony.

Chapter 5 - Trial by Water

Mint sighed in annoyance as she swatted yet another spider from Azure's back. Seriously, they were in the jungle. He'd have to get used to the bugs. "Azure, can't you just deal with it? You're gonna have spiders and shit crawling all over you for the next six months."

Azure shuddered and glanced back at Mint. "No. How can you stand those things? They're terrifying. Too many eyes. And they scurry around in the most disturbing way. Besides, they could be venomous."

"I'm sure we'll be fine. The jungle can't be all that bad, as long as we're careful," Mint said. She'd been trying to keep Azure calm for the past few days, which hadn't been easy since he always found something to complain about. Sometimes it felt like she was dealing with a child.

A series blood-curdling screeches split the humid air, making both ponies jump. Azure reached into his pack to grab the revolver, but Mint put a hoof on his shoulder before he could pull it out. "It's nothing dangerous. It's just the monkeys," she said with a glance up at the trees. A group of the hairy animals could be seen swinging through the branches, observing the newcomers.

Azure relaxed his muscles somewhat and shook his head. "Fucking jungles. Why'd we have to get stuck here, of all places? I'll bet Sundance and Obsidian are on a beach somewhere, sipping cocktails from coconuts while we suffer in this shitty place."

Mint shoved him lightly and moved forward to take the lead. "As if Cobalt would send them somewhere as relaxed as the coast. And didn't you say Sundance wasn't gonna drink alcohol until he was older?" A quick glance at her map showed they were straying slightly off course, so she turned left through the trees and pushed her way through a curtain of vines.

"Yeah. He's all worry, no fun. All he ever does is worry," Azure said with a sigh.

"Well, it's kind of hard to blame him in our situation. I mean, we were taken from our homes as foals while pretty much everypony else died. He and Chartreuse had the worst of it, from what I heard. Styx was pretty much wiped out, wasn't it? Of course that's gonna cause lasting mental damage."

Azure scratched the side of his neck. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Still, he can be a bit of a stick in the mud sometimes."

"He can be, but he has good qualities. Tangelo kept me up enough nights, listing them off. Seriously, she never shut up about how perfect she thought he was," Mint said with a small smile. Memories of her late friend always brought pain, but there was still happiness to be had in them.

"I don't know what she saw in him. He's an idiot," Azure said jokingly.

"If he's an idiot, then what does that make you?"

"Retarded," Azure said with a grin.

Mint laughed and shook her head. "You said it, not me."

A small clearing through the trees opened up suddenly into a shallow ravine that held a wide, lazy river, and Mint had to dig her hooves into the soft moss to avoid slipping into it. It was in vain, however, as she felt something bump into her rear end that sent her tumbling down the slippery rocks and under the cold water below.

The water was fairly shallow and slow-moving, but being wet wasn't Mint's favorite thing in the world. Especially when the air around her already felt like she was underwater constantly. She shot to the surface and coughed up what felt like a liter of river water before glaring at Azure. "Fucking moron. What were you doing back there?"

"Sorry, there was another spider," Azure said, trying to hold in his giggles.

Mint growled at him and shook her head. "Well, now my map is probably ruined, so thanks for that. Luckily the comms are waterproof." She reached down into the water with one hoof experimentally and found she was barely able to reach the bottom of the river with her hooves. The water reached all the way up to her mouth, though, so she had to tilt her chin up to avoid sucking in another lungful of the stuff.

Azure reached a hoof down towards Mint, and she grabbed on. As tempted as she was to yank him in after her, she didn't want to risk damaging their remaining map. She'd have to find some other way to get back at him. Mint sighed as she reached solid ground again and glanced in the direction the water was flowing from. They had to cross the river at some point, preferably without swimming again. With any luck, there would be a better place to cross somewhere up there. "Let's head this way, unless you want to push me in again."

"No, I got that all out of my system. Once is good enough for me," Azure said playfully.

Mint sighed again and turned to walk upstream. It could be difficult sometimes to tell whether Azure was joking, or just an idiot. Probably both more often than not. She pushed the wet mane out of her eyes and tried to think back to what she was going to say before Azure shoved her into the river. "So anyway, I didn't think Tangelo was your type. She's so kind and wouldn't dream of hurting anypony she loved, yet you're so... masochistic."

Azure chuckled and shook his head. "I was just joking about Sundance earlier, I wasn't actually implying anything. You're right in saying she wasn't the kind of pony I like all that much. Too sappy."

"I get that. She was one of the best friends I ever had, so don't get me wrong when I say she could get annoying sometimes. She didn't keep anything between her and Sundance a secret," Mint said with a grimace.

"Ew. I'm glad Sundance isn't that open, though I was definitely surprised to find out how much of a romantic he is," Azure joked. He glanced at Mint and gave her a mischievous grin. "So how much detail did she give you about when they fucked?"

Mint stopped suddenly and turned back to Azure, shocked. "They what? She never told me that!" She said with a little too much indignation in her voice. It was hard to ignore the subtle jealous twinge that popped into her heart, but she pushed it away. "Stupid fucking hormones," she thought. "I can't wait until I'm an adult and past all that stuff."

Azure laughed and pointed a hoof at her. "You should see your face! They didn't actually, I just wanted to see your reaction. I'm sure we would have found out somehow if they had."

"Idiot. Don't scare me like that." Mint shook her head in what she hoped wasn't relief and turned back upstream. "Even so, I doubt that really would have been our business anyway. I'd be perfectly happy to never have to hear the nauseating details of that."

"That makes two of us," Azure said as he followed behind Mint.

Mint sighed and glanced through the canopy at the distant sky. Despite what she said, she missed those talks with Tangelo. Knowing that her friend had found happiness was enough to make her feel happy too, even if it had been a little disgusting at times. She blinked a few times at the heat that had begun to form in her eyes and turned her head back to the river.

"I wish I hadn't held in my feelings all those years," Mint thought ruefully. She and Tangelo had been in training together for almost as long as she could remember, but Mint had never been brave enough to go up and talk to her. By the time she had worked up the courage, it was already too late for what she wanted. "Tangelo really was the perfect pony for me, and I lost my chance."

Mint grunted as a tree branch above her shook and dumped a load of water on the pale pony. It had been raining nonstop for three days, and now that there was finally a break in the clouds, wildlife apparently found it amusing to drench her from head to hoof. She glanced up and glared at a blurry shape as it scurried away through the trees. The monkeys had proved to be quite the nuisance, though at least they weren't hostile.

"Is it raining again? I thought the clouds were all gone," Azure said jokingly with a glance at the sky far overhead.

"Ha ha, very funny," Mint retorted. She carefully maneuvered her way down a bank that was still soft from the rain into what appeared to be a fairly large clearing of dirt. They'd been traveling for the better part of six hours now, and she wouldn't mind taking a break to rest and eat lunch. "Wanna stop here? It looks like as good of a place as any."

Azure glanced around the clearing and nodded. "I guess so. It's about time for lunch anyway. So what have we got today? Grass spaghetti? Shit burgers? Vomit soup?"

Mint laughed and reached back to rifle through her packs. She shook her head and grimaced at the contents. "You were close. Bean and rice burritos."

Azure gagged and flopped onto the ground theatrically. "Again? Please, anything but that. I'm serious this time, I might actually risk it and find a random plant to eat out here." Something small scurried through the undergrowth, and he cast a glance after it. "You know, meat doesn't sound all that bad anymore. What kinds of things live in the jungle? Squirrels? Parrots? I could eat a parrot or two."

"Try a monkey. I wouldn't mind getting rid of a few of those," Mint said jokingly. She stepped forward into the clearing to find a better spot. The ground around her was all saturated with water and wouldn't be pleasant to sit on, so hopefully the center of the clearing was dryer. She stopped a few meters out from the tree line and glanced back at Azure, who was still lying in the dirt. "Hey, can you pull out the map? I want to see how close we are to the next supply cache."

"Yeah, just give me a moment to find my motivation again," he said melodramatically.

Mint shook her head and turned to walk forward again. However, when she tried to lift her hooves, she found them unable to move. A quick tug of each of her legs confirmed they were stuck, but on what she had no idea. "Well that's weird," she thought as she glanced at the ground below her. All of her hooves seemed like they had been sucked into the dirt, and it was impossible to lift them out. If anything, her struggles only pushed her deeper into the muck. "Uh, what's going on?"

"Is it another monkey?" Azure asked without moving from his spot.

"No, I can't move. I'm stuck in quicksand or whatever this stuff is."

Azure rolled onto his stomach and looked at Mint. "Did you try lifting your legs out?"

Mint sighed. "Why didn't I think of something like that? Of course I tried." She glanced worryingly down at her hooves again, which had sunken a couple of centimeters more into the wet ground. "Can you find me a stick or something? Preferably soon. Like, in the next few seconds soon."

Azure groaned and pushed himself to his hooves. "Fine, just give me a minute. Don't go anywhere."

"As if I have any choice," Mint called after the blue pony as he disappeared through the trees. She shook her head and looked down at her slowly sinking legs again. The faster he got her out, the better.

As much as Azure tended to get on Mint's nerves, she had grown to tolerate him over the past month. Maybe it was just because there was nopony else around to have as a conversational companion. She wasn't entirely sure. All she knew was she didn't roll her eyes at every dumb joke he told anymore, and no day felt complete unless he did something to antagonize her.

Of course, Mint always got back at Azure. Every day seemed like a struggle to see who could annoy the other pony more, and while she hated to admit it, the last thirty days hadn't felt all that long at all. She'd almost say it had been enjoyable if they weren't out in some Celestia-forsaken jungle.

Rustling in the undergrowth behind Mint caught her attention. By this point she had sunken about halfway up to her knees, and she sighed with relief. "It took you long enough. I was beginning to think-" she began as she turned to look towards the sound. What she found wasn't Azure, but one of the small jungle monkeys. This one appeared to be very young and was crouching just inside the tree line, staring at her with curious brown eyes.

Mint groaned inwardly and turned back to face forward. "Not another one of those assholes. Maybe it'll go away if I don't look at it," she thought. More rustling signaled the arrival of more of the hairy creatures, who chattered quietly amongst themselves. If Mint didn't know any better, she'd say they were laughing at her.

A twig slapping Mint in the back of the head made her yelp. It didn't particularly hurt, but it had surprised her. She turned to glare at whoever threw it and almost lost an eye when another went sailing past her face. "What the hell?" she said as she flinched away from the projectile. When she looked towards its origin, all she could see was a hail of wood flying from the direction of the monkeys.

The air was now full of debris in various sizes, ranging from small twigs to branches as big around as a pony's foreleg. Sharp points prodded painfully into her flesh while blunt ends smacked stingingly across her skin. With her legs all contained by the quicksand, there was nothing she could do but curse and take it.

"Stupid fucking monkeys! You've been nothing but a pain in the ass since we've been here! Can't you- ow! Just leave us alone?" Mint shouted at them. She knew they couldn't understand her, but it had to count for something if she made enough noise.

It didn't. If anything, the barrage picked up in intensity, and Mint had to duck her head to avoid being clocked by a particularly heavy-looking branch. "Damn it. I think I'm starting to understand Azure a bit better now. As soon as I get out of here, I'm eating all of you," she growled. "I'm sure meat tastes better than whatever radioactive sludge they pack into our rations."

Mercifully, the assault ended after a few more seconds. Either the monkeys had gotten tired of tormenting her, or they had finally run out of ammunition. Mint was covered in bruises and small scrapes, but glad it was over. The physical torture was, anyway. While they had stopped throwing sticks at her, they were now screeching at her and gesturing wildly. "What are they doing now? Some kind of primitive insult?"

It took Mint a few moments to realize the creatures weren't simply waving their arms around. It looked like they were trying to tell her something by acting it out. "Are they really that intelligent? I've heard monkeys are incredibly smart, but they almost seem purposeful in their movements," Mint wondered. The monkeys were all making similar gestures; motioning between the sticks and the ground underneath her legs, then using their own limbs to pretend they were climbing out of the quicksand. "Great, they're mocking me again," she muttered. "I can't climb out, assholes. Go bother Azure or something."

The monkeys' gesturing became wilder and their screeches picked up in volume as Mint continued sinking into the quicksand. It was getting quite annoying, and Mint glanced back at them again. They were still making the same gestures, but...

Mint frowned to herself. It almost seemed like they were trying to tell her to use the sticks as leverage to pull herself out. "Would that work?" she thought. "I guess it's worth a shot."

The ground around Mint was littered with sticks, and there was no shortage of sturdy-looking branches within reach. She stretched her head down and started moving the thick limbs around until there was a small platform directly in front of her forelegs. By the time she had finished, she was nearly up to her knees in the quicksand.

"Alright, time to see if you guys are as smart as you look," Mint said hopefully. She shifted herself slightly before trying to bend her legs forward. The sticks dug painfully into her knees, but she swore she felt her rear hooves budge ever so slightly as she pushed as much of her weight onto the platform as she could.

Mint tried this a second time, and again she felt her rear hooves slide upward in the muck. It was just a slight shift, but it was enough to invigorate her. Hopeful now, she began pushing against the makeshift platform even harder than before. All at once there was a wet sucking sound, and Mint felt her weight shift forward so quickly she nearly fell face-first back into the quicksand. She managed to keep herself above the sticks though, and with one final pull, her hind legs came free of the muck.

Not wanting to risk having her now free limbs get stuck again, Mint quickly grabbed another few thick branches in her teeth and maneuvered them so she could rest her hind legs on them. Now in a fairly safe position, she leaned back onto her rear as hard as she could. The same shifting feeling was now present in her forelegs, and before long those came free, too. Battered, exhausted, and covered in muck, Mint was safe and out of the quicksand. She flopped forward onto the platform she had made previously and lied there for a few moments, catching her breath.

After taking a minute to recover and appreciate the fact that she hadn't suffocated to death, Mint pushed herself into a sitting position and looked her prosthetic over. Since it was supposed to simulate a real limb she didn't think it would have suffered any damage, but it didn't hurt to check.

The artificial limb was coated in a layer of gunk just like her real legs, but it seemed to still be functioning as it had been before her encounter with the quicksand. "That's lucky. I guess I have the monkeys to thank for all of this," Mint thought with a grimace. "Why did they bother saving me? All they've done since we got here is irritate me." Their intelligence both now and during the past month had surprised her nonetheless, and her mind began to fill with far-fetched possibilities. Maybe they too had gotten bored of life in the jungle, and upon seeing Mint and Azure's shenanigans decided they wanted to join in with their own mischief.

"With their monkey business," Mint thought jokingly. She groaned inwardly at the terrible joke and expelled any other corny puns from her mind. "Ugh, I've been around Azure too much. His awful humor is starting to rub off on me."

Mint turned her head to look over at the monkeys again. Most of the hairy creatures had ambled back into the undergrowth or climbed up the tall trees, but a few still remained at the edge of the clearing. She recognized the young one that had appeared first and wondered if it had called the others for help. "I guess it's possible," she thought as she smiled at the creature and waved her right foreleg. After a hesitant moment, the young monkey raised its own arm and waved back. Its mouth was twisted in what seemed to be a poor imitation of a pony's smile, which Mint took as proof of their intellect.

One of the older monkeys grabbed the young one gently by the shoulder and guided it back into the tree line. It cast one last glance at Mint before disappearing into the shadows of the jungle. For some odd reason, she got the feeling that this meeting wouldn't be their last.

More rustling off to Mint's right drew her attention. She turned thinking it was just more of the hairy animals and was surprised to see Azure trudge into view, dragging a large branch behind him with his teeth. Upon seeing Mint laying on top of her makeshift platform, he dropped the stick and stared at her with his mouth agape. "How-"

"The monkeys threw a bunch at me and I used them to climb out." Mint shook her head, more than a little annoyed. "Seriously, how was a group of animals a hundred times more helpful than you in a fraction of the time? I could have died while you were off wasting time."

"It's not like I was taking a nap somewhere," Azure said with a hint of anger in his voice. "All the branches I could find on the ground were either rotten or too weak. I had to climb a tree and chop one off with my machete. Do you know how hard that was to do? Very. I nearly fell a few times, and a fall from that height would have killed me."

Now that Mint took the time to look, there was an unusually bright sheen covering his entire body. What she had assumed was simply moisture from the humidity was actually a thick coating of sweat, and he was breathing too heavily to have been slacking off. Mint suddenly felt guilty for getting mad at him. He had worked hard, even risked his life to save hers, and she had snapped at him as soon as she saw him. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"I know I seem relaxed all the time, but that doesn't mean I don't know when to be serious. I watched one friend die. I wasn't going to sit back and let that happen to another." Azure let out an annoyed sigh and climbed down the bank into the clearing. "Whatever. Let's just get you out of there. If you keep your hooves moving you won't sink back in."

"Okay." Mint pushed herself unsteadily to her hooves and took a deep breath. She hoped Azure knew what he was talking about, otherwise they'd have to go through this process again.

After another deep breath, Mint pushed off from the platform with her hind legs. The stick she had been standing on slipped in the muck, and for a terrifying second she was off balance and nearly smashed her face into the quicksand a second time. Miraculously, she managed to right herself before hitting the ground, and she immediately pushed off again with her forelegs. She used Azure's advice and took quick, light steps across the saturated ground. It felt strangely spongy, and she wasn't entirely sure how she didn't notice something amiss when she had first crossed the quicksand. What she did know was she wasn't sinking back into the muck, and before long she was standing next to Azure on relatively dry ground.

Mint relaxed her muscles and let out a sigh of relief. "Finally on solid ground again. Thanks for your help," she said with a glance at Azure. He was still frowning slightly, but he seemed like he was over the worst of his anger. She'd never seen him upset before, so she wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the usually laid-back pony. So far, he seemed the type to have an initial outburst, followed by simmering for a while. Hopefully no longer than an hour or two.

Azure shrugged and turned back to the trees. "Yeah. I found a decent spot by the water while I was out looking for branches. There's a rock overhang we can use for shade, and you can wash all that crap off of your legs."

"Let's eat there then. I don't want to deal with any more quicksand today," Mint said as she followed Azure back into the jungle.

The trip to the place Azure had described was fairly short. It was by a slow-moving creek a few meters wide, probably an offshoot of the main river. Most of the shore on their side was large, flat rocks, though a few jutted out high into the air. A particularly large boulder leaned against a couple of smaller ones and cast a long shadow, even with Strana's star so high overhead.

"Let me take your packs. I'll start making the food while you clean up," Azure said as they came to a stop in the shade. Mint let him uncinch the packs and pull them off of her, grateful to be free of the weight. She nodded to him and walked out into the water, which was shockingly cold. It flowed smoothly past her, and while she had gotten used to the feeling of being perpetually wet, she still didn't enjoy being even partially submerged. At least it relieved the heat somewhat, and with some light scrubbing, it took the dirt right out of her fur.

"Thanks again for what you did back there," Mint said after a few long moments. Azure had just finished setting up the MREs to cook, and he looked up from the brown packages. "Even if it didn't actually end up being what saved me."

Azure shrugged again and looked back to the 'food.' "I was just doing what needed to be done. Like I said, I wasn't about to let another friend die."

"You said you watched her die? Chartreuse, I mean?" Mint asked. She had been wanting to know more of the details behind her friend's death, and now seemed like as good a time as any to ask. "I don't mean to pry, I'm just curious about what happened. The battle logs were kept confidential for some reason."

Azure sighed and leaned back against the boulder. He was silent for a short moment to collect his thoughts, then he spoke in a quiet voice. "It was rough. She was heavily damaged and disengaging from the fight, but some far away 'Mech pilot decided it was her time to go. The cunt picked her off with an LRM volley. Vermilion tried to save her, but he was too far away. She was out of AMS range of the DropShips, too. There was nothing we could do but watch."

Mint scrubbed the last of the muck from her fur and climbed out onto the shore. Having lost Tangelo she could understand Azure's pain, but only to a degree. As much as she had cared about the orange pony, she knew Azure and Chartreuse were closer than they ever could have been. "That sounds like it was awful," she said. Azure nodded but didn't reply. "We can talk about it, if you want. It must be awful to lose somepony you're that close to."

"It is." Azure sighed and adjusted the MREs. "It almost feels like a part of me is missing, you know? She was one of the best friends I've ever had. The only pony closer to me is Sundance."

Mint frowned and glanced at Azure. "But weren't you and Chartreuse dating?"

Azure shook his head. "No. I know everypony on the Constellation thought we were, but we never did. I did have feelings for her, though. I used to think it was love back when we first arrived at that camp on Dike, but after a few years, I came to realize that it was just my loneliness making me misinterpret my feelings. We weren't quite that compatible, anyway." He snorted in amusement. "She figured that out long before I did."

"She always was the smartest of your group," Mint said with a smile. She wanted to keep the atmosphere from getting too heavy. As much as she wanted Azure and the rest of her friends to recover from the mental scars of their first battle, deep conversation wasn't her thing.

"Well, you're not wrong there. While we all had our moments, she was the sharpest tool in the shed, to use an ancient Terran saying." Azure nudged one of the MRE packets with a hoof and sighed. "The food is done. Assuming you can call it food, anyway. Blocks of wood is a more accurate description if you ask me."

Mint laughed and shook the water off of her legs before walking over to Azure. "Yeah, but at least it's better than whatever random crap we can find in the jungle."

"Not by much," Azure said as he picked up the tasteless rations and handed one to Mint.

The packed crinkled as Mint grabbed it and sat down near Azure. They ate in silence, preferring the company of their own thoughts at the moment. The food was shit, as usual, but there was something different about it this time. It wasn't the flavor, or lack thereof, rather. It was how she felt sitting next to him. She didn't feel like she was stuck out in the wild with him anymore. Had it not been for the nature of the Trial constantly in the back of her mind, she almost could have been convinced it was just a normal camping trip between friends.

"I guess he's not actually all that bad," Mint thought to herself. "After all, there are worse ponies I could have gotten stuck with on this Trial."

The sudden jolt into consciousness followed by Azure's panicked voice told Mint there was something severely wrong. She didn't know what it was, and in the total darkness, she couldn't try to look for it, either. "What is it? Slow down, I can't understand you when you're babbling like that."

She heard Azure take a breath to restart the conversation, but the snap of a twig in the near distance made them both freeze. Noises like that were common in the jungle. Mint normally wouldn't have worried about such a thing, but maybe Azure's paranoia had seeped into her.

Azure crouched close to Mint and brought his voice down to a whisper. "Like I was saying, there's something out there. I woke up to screeching and growling in the forest, and then I heard it cut off suddenly. It didn't sound like it was all that far away."

Mint frowned. "Really? Are there dangerous animals in this jungle?"

"I don't know. It's been nearly six months and we haven't encountered any yet, so I had begun to assume there weren't any predatory animals here. I guess I was wrong to think that. We must have just been lucky while we've been here."

"Or they've been afraid of us until now," Mint thought. She chose not to say that out loud, however. It didn't seem like a good idea to make things any worse for Azure. Instead, she rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself to her hooves. "We should be careful, then. Are you armed?"

There was rustling as Azure rummaged through his packs, and after a moment Mint heard a light clicking sound. "Yeah, now I am."

"Good. Can you get the fire going again? I'm getting worried now, and I'd rather be able to see what's out there," Mint said as she reached for her own revolver.

"Sure. Just give me a moment."

It didn't take Mint long to find her own weapon. She always left her packs right next to her when she slept, and she kept her revolver in its own little pocket. It was a very comfortable weapon to hold, much better than the guns they had trained with in Clan Draconequus. The leg brace fit snugly on her left foreleg, securing the pistol in place, while her hoof fit nicely into the large trigger guard. With her right hoof, she reached into the bag and pulled out the machete before cinching the sheath quickly around her flank. She was definitely getting paranoid now, but it was better to take extra precautions than to end up mauled by some wild animal.

A shower of sparks lit the air dimly as Azure tried to get the fire going. He hit the flint and steel against each other a few more times, and before long the kindling took flame and was set aglow. Azure pushed a few twigs on top of the burning leaves, and within seconds the space around them was illuminated. Mint let out an anxious sigh. There was just something so unsettling about complete darkness to Mint. "At least we can see anything that might come for us now," she thought in relief, believing the danger was over.

And then the jungle exploded in flashing claws and gleaming teeth.

Chapter 6

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 7

Mint shifted in the new seat of her cockpit and glanced around at the unfamiliar interior. Everything was in the same general position, and it all certainly looked like it was just a sleek modernization of her old Adder's cockpit. But she could feel a difference, or rather, countless tiny differences. The throttle lever felt stiff, the foot pedals were angled slightly differently, and the muscle memory she had developed for the button pads carried her hoof either to empty space or to the wrong button. At least not needing a neurohelmet to interface with her 'Mech anymore made piloting it easier.

"I'm sure I'll get used to everything fairly quickly," Mint thought optimistically. "We should still have plenty of time before our next battle." She looked back out at the path she was running down; a wide dirt track carved through the jungle with enough space to fit an entire Star of assault 'Mechs walking in a line formation.

Immediately after Mint and Azure had powered up their 'Mechs, Cobalt had instructed them to head down separate paths and avoid communicating on the comms. For the two of them just having completed the trial, he had spoken very little. Azure had been worried there was another step to their trial before it was truly over, but Mint hoped otherwise.

As if to reject Mint's hopes, a gruff voice cut in on the comms as she came around a bend in the path. A small 'Mech stepped from the tree line a few hundred kilometers away; a Kit Fox, a thirty-ton light 'Mech with plenty of weapons, as well as a top speed that matched her own. It popped up as red on her IFF system, marking it as an enemy. The confusing thing was the symbol of the Ghost Bears painted on its side, as well as the insignia for the Silveroot Keshik. Why would one of them be hostile?

"MechWarrior Mint, the time for your Trial of Position has come. You will have one opponent; me. Standard Trial rules apply. Prepare for battle."

"A Trial of Position? I guess that explains it," Mint thought, trying to remember the rules as the Kit Fox raised one of its arms and pointed at her, the usual signal that designated opponents in Trials. Mint rolled her shoulders and pulled up the 'Mech's data on the targeting screen. "Prime config; a mix of weapons effective at all ranges. That's kind of a scary loadout." She flipped the weapons lock switch off and smirked slightly, glancing at her own loadout of twin ER PPCs, as well as the flamer she wasn't sure she'd ever needed to use before. "Not scary enough, though. What were they thinking, putting a tiny thing like that up against an Adder prime? This battle will be over in a second."

The fight was even more anticlimactic than Mint had expected. While the enemy pilot had surprised her by firing first with his large laser and autocannon, very nearly destroying one of her 'Mech's arms in the process, she quickly responded with staggered shots from her own weapons. One PPC shot blasted a hole the size of a beach ball in the Kit Fox's left torso, destroying the left shoulder and removing the attached arm in the process. This was followed by a second shot a few seconds later that tore through the 'Mech's right arm at the elbow, disabling all of its weapons and rendering it defenseless.

"Hmm. They should have put me up against a medium." Mint glanced at the heat gauge, which was at eighty-five percent, and noted how the cockpit was already sweltering after firing only two times. "Or maybe not. Still, an opponent with more than four tons of armor would have made sense."

Both 'Mechs came to a halt about a hundred meters apart, facing each other and waiting for something to happen. The Kit Fox couldn't even use melee attacks with its arms destroyed, and it couldn't ram into Mint either since they had the same top speed. All Mint had to do to finish the Trial was wait for her 'Mech to vent heat and put a shot or two through the center torso.

"Wait. But that might kill him," Mint thought with worry. "'Mechs don't usually fight an opponent that can take them out in one shot in Trials, so what happens here? Do I just shoot and hope the automatic ejection system gets him out of there in time?" She glanced at her heat gauge again, which was now reaching relatively low levels, and looked back out at the Kit Fox. Nopony had said anything on the comms, and her opponent had said earlier that standard Trial rules applied.

Mint raised the right arm of her Adder and aimed directly at the center of the smaller 'Mech. "I guess so. Ponies die in Trials of Position all the time, so they knew what might happen." She fired the PPC at the Kit Fox and watched it flash towards the 'Mech just as Cobalt's voice cut in.

"Enough."

He hadn't been quick enough, however, and the shot smashed into the center torso of the Kit Fox, just below the cockpit. Mint was worried her shot had been too far off and the pilot had died, but was relieved when the explosive bolts popped the access hatch off and the pilot soared out on the ejection seat, trailing smoke behind him. The 'Mech exploded almost immediately afterward, and it toppled over onto its back.

Mint shifted uncomfortably as the pilot sailed into the trees and out of sight. She glanced at the destroyed 'Mech and scratched the back of her neck guiltily. "Sorry, sir. I thought the standard rules applied."

Cobalt sighed on the other side of the comms. "I did not expect you to act with so little hesitation. If anything, it was my fault for underestimating you. The Techs are not going to be happy with me," he muttered. "Regardless, you completed both of your Trials and are now a Warrior of Clan Ghost Bear. Continue down the path to the DropShip."

"Aff, sir." Mint glanced out at the trees. "What's gonna happen to that other MechWarrior?"

"We have already sent a vehicle to pick him up, do not worry. He will survive."

Mint nodded and pushed the throttle forward. "Good." Her Adder quickly broke out into a run, and she smiled to herself just as she heard weapon-fire through the trees to her right. "Now it's finally all over. For me, anyway. I'm gonna be pissed if you screw this up, Azure," she thought as she sped through the trees. As much as she liked Sundance and the others, everypony other than Obsidian tended to be more than a little dull. Azure was the only other one who didn't bore her to death most of the time.

As she raced through the trees, her 'Mech moving faster and faster as her excitement built until it was sprinting all-out down the wide path, she thought of everything she was going to do as soon as they were back on base; starting with a decent meal and a hot bath.

Azure glanced at his rear-view screen and let out a nervous sigh. He couldn't shake the feeling that their trial wasn't quite over, despite having completed their original instructions. Was there an actual reason for them to be piloting their 'Mechs right now? It seemed like a waste of time to put them the middle of nowhere just so the two of them could bring the machines immediately back to the DropShip. There had to be something more to it.

The sudden sound of weapon fire startled Azure, and he jumped in his seat. It sounded like it was coming from the left, half a kilometer or so away. His 'Mechs sensors couldn't pick anything up through the dense jungle, but he could guess at what was happening. "Is Mint fighting someone? There wouldn't be an enemy all the way out here, so is it another Ghost Bear?" He glanced back down the path and flicked weapons lock off, anticipating a fight of his own.

Azure shifted the foot pedals and turned around a sharp bend in the path. He had already gotten used to the slightly different layout, though it wasn't quite as comfortable as the old one. The biggest difference was the crosshair. The shape wasn't the same, but that was something he could get used to. What he was unsure about was the way the HUD was projected onto the glass of the cockpit, and the way the crosshair moved to reflect any movements he made. It felt natural on a neurohelmet, pointing towards the front of the 'Mech no matter which way he turned his head, but out in the open like that it just felt strange.

The advantages of not having to wear a neurohelmet made up for the fact, though. He could see neck strain being a non-issue without the extra weight on his head, sounds that were usually quiet and muddled were now much easier to hear, and he could turn his head much faster, to name a few. "They added a lot of cool tech, as well. I wonder what changes they made that we can't see."

Azure's thoughts were interrupted as a heavy 'Mech stepped from the trees six hundred meters away. It was a Ghost Bear Ebon Jaguar; a fairly new machine designed to replace the aging Hellbringer. It mounted an additional ton and a half of armor compared to its predecessor while maintaining the same top speed and a deadly weapons loadout. The 'Mech showed up as hostile, and Azure frowned to himself. It looked like his theory was correct; they had to defeat an enemy in combat to finish the trial.

"MechWarrior Azure, we will now begin your Trial of Position. Standard rules apply. Prepare for combat," a voice said over the comms. The pony on the other end didn't sound all that much older than Azure, but he got the feeling that didn't make the other pilot inexperienced, especially considering he was in the Silveroot Keshik.

"A Trial of Position with just one opponent? I guess they're not giving us the opportunity to start out with a rank other than Warrior," Azure wondered to himself as the Ebon Jaguar raised an arm towards him before lowering it again. "I hope Mint passed hers. I heard an explosion following a PPC shot, so I think she won. Let's hope I can do the same."

Azure glanced around at his surroundings. His opponent was too far away for him to be able to use any of his main weapons, and there wasn't much in the way of cover to use to get closer. Even with their weight difference, the Ebon Jaguar could easily take him out with a few well-placed shots before he got close enough to use his autocannon. He glanced up at the trees arcing overhead, and their dense branches. With a bit of help, he could imagine them obscuring somepony's view for a few seconds. "Let's try it. I think this could work," he thought as he aimed his ER Large laser towards the canopy.

A bright line flashed from the right arm of the Summoner, slashing through the trees and sending countless limbs raining down in-between the two 'Mechs. The result was more spectacular than Azure had hoped for, and the cover was so thick his 'Mech couldn't stay locked on to the Ebon Jaguar. "Perfect. This should get me close enough," he thought as he brought his Summoner up to a sprint.

In the seconds it took the debris to clear out, Azure was almost in range of his autocannon. He fired his large laser again, grunting in satisfaction as it hit the Ebon Jaguar's LRM launcher and destroyed the weapon. He wanted to take out as many of the 'Mechs offensive options as he could, making the final blow easier to take. He raised the left arm of his Summoner and aimed at the smaller machine's right arm, which housed a Gauss Rifle. That was definitely a weapon he didn't want to get hit by.

The other pilot's reflexes were better than Azure had anticipated, however, and the enemy pilot fired his Gauss Rifle at the Summoner's left leg just as Azure fired his autocannon. He felt the world tilt as his 'Mech crumpled to the ground, causing his shot to go wide, and slid forward in the dirt a couple dozen meters.

Critical hit, left leg.

Azure shook his head and pulled desperately at the controls, trying to get his 'Mech to its feet. Staying down would guarantee his defeat, and that was something he couldn't allow.

The cockpit shook as the Ebon Jaguar continued to fire at Azure, trying to inflict as much damage as it could while he couldn't fight back. He glanced worryingly at his damage indicator as he finally pulled himself upright. His Summoner hadn't received as much damage as he had initially thought, but the knocked-out leg made things difficult. He could still use his jump jets to get in closer, but flying wouldn't be a smart idea as long as his enemy still had its Gauss Rifle.

"I have to take out its right arm with this shot," Azure thought as he raised his 'Mech's left arm and aimed at the Ebon Jaguar. The crosshair centered directly over the 'Mech's right elbow, and he pulled the trigger on the joystick, praying for an accurate shot.

Once again, however, the enemy pilot fired at just the right time to throw off Azure's aim. His Summoner's torso rocked to the side as an LBX slug smashed into it, and he watched his own round glance off the Ebon Jaguar's right torso. It managed to destroy the 'Mech's SRM-2 launcher, but that was never a large threat. He really needed to take out the main weapons.

In desperation, Azure locked onto the 'Mech with his SSRM launcher and fired, hoping the six missiles could inflict some damage. They exploded on the Ebon Jaguar's right torso, sending plates of armor flying in all directions. No major damage was inflicted, however, and the 'Mech raised its right arm towards him again, aiming at his left arm.

"I can't let him destroy my autocannon!" Azure twisted the joystick as hard as he could, sending the torso of his Summoner in an arc just as the Ebon Jaguar fired its Gauss Rifle again. The shot smashed into his 'Mech's right torso, just below the cockpit. The force shook the entire cabin violently, shattering the right-most pane of glass and cracking the main one. Azure had also been knocked back in his seat, and was dazed for a moment. He shook his head to clear the fog and blinked his eyes a few times.

Critical hit, Life support.

"Shit, that's bad!" Azure thought as a red light went off at the top of the cockpit. A message popped up on the HUD: the Summoner was about to eject its pilot in an attempt to protect him from further injury. Without a fraction of a second to spare, Azure punched the override button just as the countdown reached zero, and the message disappeared. Allowing himself the briefest moment of relief, he sighed and brushed the small shards of glass from his cooling suit.

Azure brought the torso of his Summoner back around. He had a few seconds while his opponent's Gauss Rifle reloaded, so he had to make use of this time. "It's now or never," he thought as he found the button that activated the directional jump jets. He didn't use them often, but there were times they proved to be useful.

The power of the jump jets startled Azure, and his head hit the back of his seat again. The Ghost Bear Techs must have replaced them because he didn't remember them having so much thrust. He shook his head as his 'Mech flew up and forward, carrying him in an arc that would eventually place him just a couple hundred meters from the Ebon Jaguar. However, he couldn't wait until he landed to fire otherwise his opponent would reload before he got another shot off. Aerial combat wasn't something he had practiced much, but he'd have to take the risk.

Azure aimed his autocannon at the Ebon Jaguar's right arm again. He took a chance and held his shot a second longer than he normally would have, and was satisfied when another LBX shot smacked into his 'Mech. His theory of the enemy pilot being skilled enough to know exactly when to fire had been correct, and he was glad he didn't underestimate his opponent as he re-aimed and fired.

The shot tore through the 'Mech's right arm, smashing into the Gauss Rifle and causing the attached capacitors to explode. The entire right arm was destroyed, and the pilot was stunned for a moment. "That's just what I needed," Azure thought as he locked on to the Ebon Jaguar with his missiles again. He followed up the second autocannon shot with his SSRM's, not waiting to see if the slug hit its mark. The weapons screen flashed, and Azure cursed to himself. The autocannon jammed; if his last attack didn't destroy the 'Mech, the other pilot still had a chance to win.

As the smoke from the missiles cleared and Azure's 'Mech touched down, he was startled for a moment. The Ebon Jaguar was still standing, and was facing him with its remaining arm extended toward the breach in his Summoner's right torso. "It's over," he thought in despair as he closed his eyes and waited for the shot.

But none came.

Tentatively, Azure opened one eye and glanced at the Ebon Jaguar. While it still stood, its arm now hung limply by its side, and he noticed the cockpit was no longer glowing with the light of the screens. Through the holes in his own cockpit he should have been able to hear the 'Mech's fusion reactor as well, but all he could hear was the one in his Summoner. The 'Mech seemed like it was balancing precariously, as if the slightest breeze could knock it over.

"Did... did I do it? Did I win?" Azure could faintly see the pilot moving about inside the cockpit, so they weren't dead. His shots must have damaged the reactor, causing the Ebon Jaguar to shut down before the reactor could go critical. "Kind of ironic, considering those 'Mechs have a reputation to function despite taking catastrophic damage," he thought with a smirk.

Colonel Dash's gravelly voice cut in on the comms suddenly, making Azure jump. "Well done on completing the Trial, MechWarrior Azure. Proceed down the path to the DropShip. It is not far, so even in your condition it will not take long."

"Aff, sir," Azure replied. He let out a shaky breath and glanced at the Ebon Jaguar one last time before pushing the throttle forward. "I guess I'm a Ghost Bear now," he thought. A smile spread across his face, and he leaned back in his seat.

The walk to the DropShip was agonizingly slow. Even if it only took a few minutes, Azure's Summoner limped along at what felt like a snail's pace, lengthened by his impatient feelings of excitement. At some point blood had dripped into Azure's eyes; the result of a cut above his right eye from the glass when his cockpit shattered. He hadn't noticed it at first, but it stung painfully now that the adrenaline had worn off. He wiped the blood from his face and pulled a clotting bandage from the med kit underneath his seat, much like the one he had used to save Mint's life a few weeks ago.

"Speaking of Mint," Azure thought as the DropShip came into view through the trees. His Summoner pulled itself into the large clearing, and he saw her waiting at the open bay of the Ship, already out of her cooling suit.

"Damn. I was gonna ask what took so long, but I can kind of figure it out," Mint called, grinning up at Azure as he limped onto the DropShip.

"Yes, thank you for your concern, I'm doing just fine by the way," he said jokingly through the 'Mech's speaker, unable to hide his own smile. He brought the machine to a halt and shut it down, leaning back into his seat and sighing as the whine of the reactor disappeared.

"Well, that was super stressful," Azure thought. Even so, he felt he had grown as a pony over the course of the trial. And, of course, he and Mint never would have realized their feelings for each other had it not been for the time they spent together. "I sure hope the Trial of Position was the 'secret trial' Hazelnut mentioned. I don't think I could take another six months like that."

Meanwhile in Ark, the capital of Angel II...

Discord stepped out into the relatively fresh afternoon air of Angel II and took a deep breath. The staleness of recycled air always had a strange odor to it that he could never get used to, and he preferred to avoid space travel whenever possible. He glanced back at the Silver Eagle, the Monarch Class DropShip that had carried him between planets and the JumpShip. It wasn't anything special, but at least the ride had been tolerable.

"It would have been much more enjoyable if I could have made all of the silverware suddenly sentient, or turned everypony blue," Discord thought. He'd gone days without a hint of chaos, and the magic itching at his fingers only fed his desire to use it. Or, rather, the magic itching at his hooves. He was still in pony-form; a guise he could never really get used to. How did ponies ever do anything with their limbs all ending in useless nubs? That was a question that still hadn't been answered despite his millennia of existence.

Discord exited the spaceport into the massive bustling city and pricked his ears, listening intently to the countless conversations going on around him while he simultaneously cast the tracking spell again. Many of the conversations were about dull and unimportant things that had no significance for him, so he blocked them out and began walking down the sidewalk, his ears open and alert.

"...What did you get on the math test? Professor Jinx gave me a seventy-three. Some nerve..."

"...Take care of them, okay? Make sure they get to bed on time every day. Yes, I know I don't need to worry, but you know how I get sometimes. I'll call you back when I get to Remulac. I love you, too..."

"...I can't believe you beat my high score! It took me hours of suffering in that stuffy arcade to get that many points..."

"...Did you catch what the princesses were saying earlier? I couldn't hear over that stupid screaming foal."

Discord narrowed his eyes slightly at hearing this. The conversation was between two unicorns who had just passed him, walking in the other direction. He glanced around himself and turned to follow them, pretending to be a lost tourist. "I don't know why I'm bothering to be so careful. Even if any of these ponies knew who I was or what I was here to do, it's not like they could do anything to stop me," Discord thought, slightly annoyed at himself for wasting time. He pushed through the crowd until he was walking behind the two unicorns, well within earshot.

"...Something about how Discord went homicidal or whatever."

"Discord? Weren't his powers gone?"

"Supposedly. That's what the rumors all say, so it doesn't make sense that he would start using magic all willy-nilly if they were true."

"What doesn't make sense to me is why they didn't just broadcast a message out to all the planets. Were they paranoid about something?"

"Duh, they were trying to stay hidden from Discord. If he really does have magic back, he could easily find them if they did something like that."

"Oh yeah, good point. I just hope they get off the planet soon, if that's the case. Staying in one place for long doesn't seem like a good idea..."

Discord dropped back from the pair and stepped into an alleyway. It was littered with trash and puddles covered most of the ground, but at least he could stop and think for a moment. "So they're still on Angel II. Finally, I've found them," he thought, sighing in relief. He'd been chasing them for far too long. Now that the end of this endeavor was finally in sight, all he wanted was for it to finally be over.

The liftoff of a DropShip sent tremors through the ground and roused Discord from his thoughts. He gave a distracted glance in the direction of the spaceport, where he briefly glimpsed the shape of a spheroid DropShip passing by. A rather large 'Ship. A Princess Class DropShip, to be precise.

Discord's eyes snapped wide open as he realized this, and he hurriedly stepped from the cover of the buildings to look at the DropShip again. He wasn't sure, but he had to make certain.

It was. The fleeing Princess was indeed the Eclipse, the personal DropShip of princesses Celestia and Luna. It was modified to hold many more weapons and had considerably more armor than a normal Princess, making use of the extra passenger space that was unnecessary for the low number of passengers. Three Avenger Class DropShips took off shortly after, presumably the Eclipse's escort.

The edges of Discord's mouth curled into a smirk. "Perfect timing," he muttered. The air around him crackled lightly with energy for a moment before he suddenly disappeared in a flash of white light, leaving a few bystanders confused and wondering if they had just imagined the gray pony.

Discord blinked around at the familiar interior of the luxury liner. Being the personal vessel of the leaders of the Inner Sphere, it was obviously much more kempt than any other 'Ship, and on a normal day one would find it difficult to not find a cleaning pony in nearly every hallway. Discord had teleported himself to the entrance of the Earth Deck; an entire level of the ship dedicated to a massive garden, complete with day-night light cycles. He had often wondered what would happen to the various plants onboard if he allowed just a little bit of his magic to seep into them.

"I don't have time to enjoy myself yet. I've got a job to do," Discord muttered to himself as he morphed back into his usual draconequus form and turned around to face the elevator. "Now where would those two be hiding? I thought they might be on this level, but it seems I was wrong..."

Discord frowned to himself as he felt a light tug in the back of his mind; the tracking spell had found them on one of the upper levels. In such close proximity, there wasn't a shielding spell strong enough to hide them for long. "Now I've got you," he thought. He'd never been to the spot the princesses were at currently, so he'd have to teleport nearby and walk the rest of the distance. Teleporting to an unfamiliar place was tricky business.

A white flash enveloped Discord as he appeared in one of the passenger hallways of the Eclipse, not far from where the princesses were. From what he could hear they were in one of the guest bedrooms, talking to two other ponies. "Hmm. They won't mind if I crash the party. I have been very patient these past months, after all." Discord turned himself invisible and floated into the air, preparing to phase through the wall directly into the room, but stopped when the door suddenly swung open and Celestia stepped out. Luna followed her sister shortly afterward, but the other two ponies remained inside.

"Thank you again for accompanying us. We know how difficult it is to leave your citizens in somepony else's hooves," Celestia said, turning to face through the door.

"Oh no, it's no problem. You can get around a lot faster if I come along, and this is very urgent. If there's anything else I can do to assist, just let me know," a quiet voice said from inside the room. She sounded painfully familiar to Discord, but he couldn't place a finger on why.

Luna nodded to the two ponies. "We will. In the meantime, you should pack up your things. Ariel is where you get off, is it not?"

"Yep, that's my stop. I didn't need to come along this far, but I figured I'd make sure everything was continuing just fine before I left. I hope everything ends well. Let me know if you ever need help again, and the House of Honesty will come running," the second voice said.

"Ah, that voice I recognize. Prince Apple Orchard," Discord thought. Ruler of the House of Honesty and descendant of Applejack, he was the perfect embodiment of the element he represented. As hard-working as every one of his ancestors, there was no mistaking the family resemblance, assuming his orange coat and blonde mane didn't give it away.

"Thank you very much," Celestia replied. She and Luna turned to go, and the door swung shut in a green aura. They dipped their heads together in quiet conversation, and began walking in Discord's direction.

Discord rubbed his hands together and floated back down to the ground. "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize I finally caught up to them," he thought gleefully as he removed the invisibility spell.

Celestia was the first to see Discord. A flicker of terror flashed briefly across her face, accompanied by a light gasp that alerted her sister. Luna managed to look not quite as surprised; as if she never really thought they could run from him forever. "Hello, you two. It really has been a while, hasn't it?"

Celestia blinked and took a moment to compose herself. When she spoke her voice was clear, though Discord swore he could hear a hint of fear in it. "A pleasure to see you again, Discord."

"Do drop the niceties, princess. You know why I'm here," Discord said grimly, flashing the ring on his finger.

"Yes, I do," Celestia said with a heavy sigh. "For the record, I didn't want to put that spell on you, but you gave me no-"

"There's always a choice!" Discord growled. "Have neither of you learned anything over the past millennia? Did Twilight and the others not teach you anything about friendship? And what about their descendants? They also demonstrated immense trust and loyalty, which you both clearly lack."

"And what of you and your past actions?" Luna shot back. "I agree it was not the best decision in retrospect, and we are truly sorry it came to that, but you were going to murder millions of innocent ponies, adding to the already staggering casualties caused during the Clan Invasion. Everypony on both sides wished for the end of the war, yet you wanted to continue it for revenge. How can you lecture us about friendship when you acted like that?"

"Well- That was-" Discord sputtered, his face a mix of rage and disbelief. "She's right, you know," a voice in the back of his head whispered. "After everything you've done so far, all you've managed to do was prove their suspicions and validate their actions."

Discord shook his head vigorously to clear the traitorous thoughts and glared at the princesses. "I don't have to sit here and take this. You wronged me, and now I'm going to make it right." He raised his right hand in the air and opened it with the palm facing the ceiling. A white ball of pure magic began forming above it, burning painfully bright and growing in size with each passing second. Discord smirked and reared his arm back, preparing to throw the now coconut-sized sphere. "Goodbye, princesses. Say hello to Fluttershy for me," he said as he launched the projectile towards Celestia and Luna.

"No!" the familiar voice from earlier shouted. Discord glanced over at the door the princesses had just left, which was now open. A flash of yellow darted out of it and bowled Celestia and Luna out of the way in time to save their lives, but not her own. Just before the magic sphere hit her, Discord caught a glimpse of green eyes wide with fear and a flowing bubblegum-pink mane, and he finally realized why she was so familiar as her body suddenly imploded, every single bone in her body crushing into a fine powder.

Discord saw Fluttershy dying in front of him again, only this time, it was all his fault.

On New Syrtis, a planet under the control of the House of Laughter...

A sphinx raised his head suddenly, feeling something like a shift in the wind. His constantly moving mental wind, that was. Something had happened; something important and far away. He furrowed his brow as the countless timelines he had studied crumbled, making way for the new future. "Hold on here. What just happened?" he thought, trying to trace the countless threads back to the moment that changed everything. The biggest difference he could see with a glimpse in all of the possible futures was the absence of a single pony, one who should have gone on to do many more great and wonderful things.

"Ah, Princess Skyfire sacrificed herself to save Celestia and Luna from Discord. This changes... everything," the sphinx grumbled. He blinked his sightless eyes, the price for his ability to see all the potential futures, and began studying the new possibilities than had laid themselves out in front of him. "Hmm. In most of the futures I saw she wasn't able to react in time, and through a series of complicated events, the war would have died out in less than a year and peace would have reigned. If I recall correctly, the chances of this happening were... less than one percent. Improbable, but not impossible."

The sphinx followed the most likely path along, beginning the painstaking process of watching every possible future. A pony would discover him in the next couple days, a young MechWarrior following in the hoofsteps of his older brother; not just a family member, but a senior officer, and a close friend. This stallion was a member of the Pinkie Brigade, and the sphinx could see the perilous future ahead of him. Even through the pain he would endure, however, this pony was going to alter everything with one small action, a seemingly miniscule mistake that would cause the salvation of the Inner Sphere, along with his own demise.

"Young Granite," the sphinx rumbled, as if he were present and listening to the large blue creature. "Whether you will it or not, the fate of not just the Inner Sphere, but of all ponies, now rests upon your death."

Chapter 8 - Trial by Fire

Vermilion jolted awake from a nightmare where he and Hazelnut were drowning in a vast ocean, only to find the abundance of water present in the real world, as well. When he opened his eyes the brown pony was standing over him, outlined by the scorching sun high in the sky. He was holding a drenched mess of greenish-yellow pulp over Vermilion's face. "Good, you're alive. I was worried for a moment," Hazelnut said with relief.

"Yeah, barely." Vermilion coughed once and pushed himself weakly into a sitting position. Hazelnut reached down to offer him the wet glob of plant-stuff, and he gingerly took it. "What's this?" he croaked.

"It's the insides of one of those cacti we can't seem to avoid. I got desperate and carved one open. Apparently they're full of water," Hazelnut replied. He sat down and reached behind him, where Vermilion could see a cut of the prickly plant sitting in the dirt. Vermilion also noticed the multitude of spines that were stuck in his forelegs, presumably from when he wrestled with one of the cacti.

Vermilion eyed the sticky glob in his hoof. "And you're sure it's not poisonous?" he asked. He knew there was a way to test for this sort of thing, but he couldn't remember. The heat made his head feel like it was swimming through mud.

Hazelnut shrugged and squeezed some of the cactus innards over his head, drenching the breathable white cloak that was swathed around him with the questionably pure water. "No, but we'll die if we don't take the risk. The supply cache is still another fifty kilometers out, and neither of us could make it that far in our condition."

It still didn't seem quite safe to Vermilion, but he knew Hazelnut was right; they would die long before ever reaching water either way. He shrugged and squeezed the cactus guts out into his mouth, hoping to Celestia that the two of them weren't poisoning themselves. Despite having a rather bitter taste, it was surprisingly refreshing and it made Vermilion feel better almost instantly. He let it sit in his mouth for a few moments before swallowing, savoring the relief it brought his dry, cracked tongue. It didn't immediately dissolve his tongue or cause his mouth to swell up, so that added a little to his confidence.

Hazelnut walked over to a nearby cactus and carved off another large section with his knife, getting even more of the spines stuck in his legs. The two of them sat together for a long while and recovered from the heat. Vermilion refilled their water bottles with the cactus water so they would have enough to make it to the supply cache, and once the sun had begun to sink in the sky, the two ponies set out across the desert again.

The sun had set long before Vermilion and Hazelnut reached the supply cache. One of Strana's moons was high overhead, while the other had just begun inching across the sky. Vermilion had spotted it first; a large orange box with the symbol of the Ghost Bears painted on it set out against the dark sky. He had only felt relief that strong three other times in his life; when Chartreuse woke up after nearly freezing to death, when he saved Sundance from Bittersweet, and when the Wolves and Ghost Bears showed up during their last battle.

"Thank Celestia, I'm so glad we managed to stay on course through all of that," Hazelnut said as he flopped down on the ground in front of the box and leaned his back against it.

Vermilion nodded in agreement and sat down not far from him, observing the supply cache. It was a little larger than a pony; two could probably squish into it if they needed. In addition to the large Ghost Bear symbol that took up the entire front of it, there was a smaller one painted on every other side. When he looked closer, he could also see a small number pad on his side, with a small inscription above it. He inched closer to the cache and squinted at the writing.

"0613... is it a code?" Vermilion wondered. He reached up and tapped the numbers into the keypad, which beeped quietly with each press.

"What was that?" Hazelnut asked just as the entire front of the supply cache folded into the top with a light hiss. This was followed by a dull thud and a muffled "Ow."

Vermilion peeked his head around the edge of the box to see Hazelnut lying on the inside, rubbing the back of his head in pain. "Sorry. I probably should have guessed that would open it," he said apologetically.

"You're fine, don't worry," Hazelnut grunted as he pushed himself to his hooves and looked around the interior of the cache. There was what appeared to be a large water tank situated against the back wall, with a number of small packets stacked in front of it. From the labels Vermilion could read most of them were food, though a few others held miscellaneous supplies.

Hazelnut grabbed a package from the top of the pile and peered at it. He shrugged and tossed it to Vermilion before pulling his packs off and selecting another few. "Let's re-stock now so we can head out first thing in the morning," he said as he replaced the trash in his bags with unopened food packets.

Vermilion nodded and moved over to the pile, sliding his own packs onto the floor. He refilled his water bottles with clean water and stuffed half of the packets into his packs but stopped when he got to the last one. It was a large white tarp, which seemed like an odd item to receive.

"What do you think we're supposed to do with these?" Vermilion asked.

Hazelnut shrugged as he slid his own tarp into his packs and closed them. "I don't know. Maybe we could make a tent with them or something? I guess we could sleep during the day and travel at night if we use these. That way we wouldn't have to walk with the heat and the sun constantly beating down on us," he said after a moment.

Vermilion frowned. "That's... actually a really good idea. So should we keep going tonight?"

Hazelnut shook his head. "No, we can't keep going for much longer. Let's just rest for now and sleep in the morning."

"Alright." Vermilion placed his packs inside the supply cache and walked back outside. He sat down on the sand and leaned back against the metal wall, sighing internally with relief as he relaxed his aching muscles. The temperature had dropped sharply once the sun went down, and it already felt like it was around fifteen degrees Celsius. By the time morning came it would be noticeably cold, but it certainly beat the scorching temperatures during the day.

As Vermilion sat for a while and thought to himself, he realized something after a few minutes. The code for opening the supply cache, 0613, was an odd choice. If he wasn't thinking too far into things, 06 had been the hangar number back on Dike, and 13 was the numerical designation for his Timber Wolf. "Is it just a coincidence, or did they set that number on purpose?" Vermilion wondered. "Not that it means much either way."

Vermilion snorted quietly to himself as he thought of his 'Mech. "Lucky number thirteen." He shifted uncomfortably in his position and glanced up at the moons. It wasn't that he was superstitious, but he'd still never admit to anypony that it sent chills down his spine every time he saw the number painted on the right foot of his Timber Wolf. "I hope they change it to something else once I'm a Ghost Bear. I can't help but feel like my luck is running out."

The howling of wind brought Vermilion back from the edge of slumber. He shook his head sleepily and pulled himself out of his shelter; a tall rock that he had draped his tarp over and weighted down to hold it in place. Over the last night of travel the ground had transitioned from sand to gravel to large slates of rock, some of which protruded far into the air.

It was even windier outside, and Vermilion had to shield his eyes from the sand that was blowing into his face. "Damn it, is it another sandstorm?" he thought as he squinted out at the distance. The sun had just begun creeping across the horizon ahead of him, but nothing was coming from that direction. When he turned to his left, however, he stifled a gasp at the massive wall of sand that was bearing down on them. In their four months in the desert and countless sandstorms they had experienced none of them had been this bad. It was so tall it almost looked like the storm reached all the way up to the clouds, and even from this far away it was difficult to keep his balance from the force of the gale.

Vermilion reached behind him to grab the goggles he had gotten from one of their earlier supply caches, folded his tarp and placed it in his bag so it wouldn't blow away, then went around to the other side of the rock where Hazelnut's shelter was. "Hey, this one looks really bad," he shouted over the wind as Hazelnut came into view. The brown pony had already taken down his own tarp and was fixing his goggles over his eyes.

"Yeah, I noticed. Do you want to wait it out in that cave we saw earlier? I don't know if anything's living in there, but it might be worth the risk," Hazelnut said as he fixed his packs to his flank and stood up.

Vermilion scratched the side of his neck and glanced back at the sandstorm. For all he knew the storm could last for days, considering the size of it. They wouldn't be able to travel in it, which meant they'd have to lie in the sand for Celestia knows how long to keep from being blown away by the wind. That wasn't a very attractive idea. He sighed and turned back to Hazelnut. "Sure. It beats sitting out here."

Hazelnut lead the way to a nearby large hole in the ground that slanted down into the darkness. They hadn't explored it for fear of rattlesnakes and other dangerous animals, but it was an incredibly tempting shelter in the face of the storm. The two of them crept through the gaping hole into the cave, and Vermilion ducked as he walked past the opposite ledge. The cave was too short for them to stand fully while inside, but it at least reached far enough to provide shelter from the wind, and the sand that would soon follow.

"Hey, I think the cave goes deeper," Hazelnut said from up ahead. "Want to keep going?"

"Does it get any taller?" Vermilion asked.

Hazelnut reached a hoof through a crack in the wall barely wide enough for a pony to squeeze through, and nodded. "I think so. It feels like the ceiling slants upwards."

"Then let's go a little farther." Sand had begun blowing into the cave, and Vermilion preferred to stay out of it if at all possible.

Hazelnut nodded again and disappeared through the narrow opening. Vermilion followed shortly afterward, pulling himself out into what he thought was a large space. It was hard to tell from the dim light spilling through the opening, but it seemed like there was more than enough room inside for the two of them to sit comfortably. It even looked like the space might continue farther back, but the long shadows made it difficult to tell.

Hazelnut grunted as he sat down on the rocky floor and leaned against the wall. He took his goggles off and pushed back the head coverings. "Better get comfortable. We're gonna be here a while," he said.

Vermilion sat down opposite Hazelnut and removed his own goggles. Very little of the sand managed to reach this far in the cave, and it was noticeably cooler inside. Vermilion rested his head against the wall behind him and sighed. He hated sandstorms. They seemed like they lasted forever, and sand always got everywhere; in his nose, in his mouth, even in his ears no matter how hard he tried to keep it out. At least they'd be able to stay relatively clean in here.

"So... I feel like the answer is fairly obvious, but you're Carnelian's brother, right?" Hazelnut asked after a moment, trying to make small talk while they had nothing else to do.

Vermilion flinched. Even now, he still didn't like talking about his dead brother. It brought back too many memories and regrets. "Yeah. Did you know him?"

"Not personally, but he and Slate became fairly good friends. He was a lot like you, I've heard."

Vermilion frowned. "Like me? How? He was better in every way."

Hazelnut shook his head. "Not from what I saw and heard. You're both incredibly loyal, protective of those close to you, your morals are strong, and you're no slouch at combat, either."

Vermilion shifted uncomfortably on the hard floor. Was Hazelnut right? Vermilion had spent his entire life believing he was inferior to Carnelian in everything he did, so it was kind of difficult to accept what he was saying. "Maybe we were similar, but that doesn't mean I'm as good of a pony as he was."

A blur of bright green and wine red flashed through Vermilion's mind. His hooves reflexively clenched at the bloody memory, and he sighed and forced his body to relax. The memory of protecting Sundance from Bittersweet wasn't the pure image it should have been; every time it replayed in his head, all he could think about was the power he had over another pony. He'd loved beating Bittersweet senseless. Saving his friend was just a bonus. "I'll never be as good of a pony as he was," he said quietly, almost in a whisper.

"You don't need to be. You are who you are, and anypony who tells you to be somepony you're not is an idiot and shouldn't be listened to."

"Even myself?" Vermilion asked wryly.

"Especially yourself. Stop being an idiot. The only pony you can compare yourself to is the past version of you. As long as you're bettering yourself, that's all that matters," Hazelnut said with a small nod to himself.

"Thanks for the advice?" Vermilion said, not really sure how to take what Hazelnut had said. It almost seemed as much of an insult as it was advice. He got the feeling the main reason they were having this conversation was that the older pony wanted to be more of a mentor than he had been in the past. Vermilion caught himself wondering if Hazelnut actually cared, and felt guilty immediately afterward.

Hazelnut nodded again. "It was supposed to be advice. I'm just kind of repeating stuff other ponies have told me over the years, like 'you are your own worst critic.' You may not think you're a good pony, but others will see you as kind, honest, and generous."

"I guess, but how do I know how others actually see me? They could just be lying, and I'd never know if I was actually good or not," Vermilion said.

Something small sailed through the air and bounced off of Vermilion's nose. He flinched back and shook his head, wrinkling his nose to clear the light pain. Whatever it was must have come from Hazelnut, since he wasn't close enough to the opening in the wall for it to have come from the storm that was raging outside. "Is that all you do? Assume the worst in everypony, including yourself, and think that you're worth nothing? Should we take a look at everything you've done since becoming a cadet?" Without waiting for an answer, Hazelnut cleared his throat and continued on.

"You risked your life to save Chartreuse during a blizzard on Dike, got injured protecting Sundance from an attacker, attempted to sacrifice yourself in order to save Chartreuse again during our last battle, and you checked in on Sundance and Mint more often than anypony else while we were in the Ghost Bear infirmary. And that's just all of the things I know about. I'm sure there are even more times like those that you probably haven't even realized were significant. Even as a Commander, I never put my own life on the line that many times to protect anypony else. Do you still think you're worthless?" Hazelnut concluded impatiently.

Vermilion sighed and dragged his hind legs into his chest, then rested his chin on them. "I don't know. Knowing what I've done doesn't change how I feel."

Hazelnut ran a hoof across his face and glanced out at the sandstorm for a moment. "Well, I tried to help, but it doesn't matter if you don't listen. Let me know when you want my help," he said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. He leaned over so that he was lying face-up on the ground, staring at the ceiling, and was silent.

Vermilion blinked at the brown pony and drew his hind legs in closer to his chest. He kind of wished Hazelnut hadn't brought up when he tried to save Chartreuse the second time. It was entirely his fault she had died. He shouldn't have told her to go behind the DropShips… no, that was the right call. What he should have done was gone with her. Mist's Summoner had been sturdy enough to handle any stray weapon fire, so he wouldn't have been in any danger. Vermilion had been too caught up in his unobtainable dream of being a chivalrous, noble pony that he hadn't stopped to worry about any possible dangers.

Vermilion glanced over at Hazelnut, who was still glowering slightly. He was right; Vermilion hadn't really listened to anything he had said, either. It was kind of similar to his poor decision that killed Chartreuse. He was so absorbed in his own views of himself and who he wanted to be that he hadn't actually paid any attention to what his friend was saying. "I guess if I do want to be the kind of pony others look up to, I should start now," he thought to himself. After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he opened his mouth again.

"Chartreuse died because of me," he said. Hazelnut's head jerked to the side as if he were surprised Vermilion had decided to speak up again. "I shouldn't have let her go back to the DropShip alone. How can I be the pony I want to be if I can't even protect the ones close to me?"

Hazelnut sighed and pushed himself back into a sitting position. "That's what you've been beating yourself up over all this time? Her death wasn't your fault. Sending her back to the DropShip alone would have been the right decision had our opponents been literally anypony but Clan Draconequus. I or Obsidian likely would have made the same call, forgetting we were fighting dishonorable opponents. It doesn't mean you're incapable of protecting the ponies you love. Your immediate reaction to protect her is proof of that."

Vermilion frowned to himself. Was that true? Had he really been carrying the guilt of her death with him when it wasn't his burden? "It wasn't my fault. I didn't kill Chartreuse," he thought with relief. The calmness following this realization very nearly caused Vermilion to tear up, and he blinked his eyes rapidly to prevent this.

The guilt Vermilion had felt wasn't the only thing that had been bothering him, though. He originally wasn't going to tell Hazelnut about this, but something about the peacefulness he now felt made him change his mind. "There's one other thing. That day when I saved Sundance from Bittersweet, when I beat him senseless, I felt..." He noticed his hooves had reflexively clenched up again, and he had to take a deep breath and remove the stress from them. "It was enjoyable. In that moment, I loved the power I had over him. I don't like feeling like that. It's wrong."

Hazelnut was silent for a long moment. He scratched the bridge of his nose with one hoof then glanced out at the raging sandstorm. It felt like a long time before he replied. "That's not really an unusual feeling," Hazelnut said at last, turning back to Vermilion. "The first time most ponies experience power like that, it changes them. It's addicting." He chuckled wryly and shook his head. "I probably wouldn't have ever become a Commander if it weren't for that feeling. It's been one of the things motivating me all this time. Or, at least something similar to that.

"Feeling that doesn't make you an evil pony. Dwelling on that thought and craving power, wanting to hold the life of another pony between your hooves, now that would. Then you'd be like Bittersweet. The fact that you realize it's a harmful emotion and you feel bad about it is a good thing, isn't it?"

"Is he right? I guess I don't exactly know what emotions other ponies feel, but it still doesn't seem like a very noble thing," Vermilion thought to himself. Something must have changed in his facial expression because Hazelnut continued on.

"Or, if you want more proof that you're not terrible, think back to what I said earlier. Wanting to protect others while not expecting reimbursement proves that you're good on the inside. Don't you think so? I certainly do," Hazelnut said.

Vermilion frowned slightly to himself and nodded. "That does make sense." When he took a metaphorical step back and looked at everything Hazelnut had said, he definitely agreed with the older pony. It was still a little hard to fit into how he viewed and valued himself as a pony, but he thought he could work towards changing that. And if, as Hazelnut had said, he continued to recognize how bad the corrupting feeling of power was, then he could keep from becoming somepony like Bittersweet.

Hazelnut yawned suddenly and stretched his forelegs out to either side. "Well, I don't know about you, but I think it's about time I got some sleep. Now that the excitement of waking up to a sandstorm is over, I could really use a rest. You keep thinking about what we talked about, okay?" Vermilion nodded, and Hazelnut laid back down on the ground. "See you around sunset." With that, he closed his eyes and, within minutes, fell asleep.

The ground felt uncharacteristically comfortable as Vermilion laid down on it. The rock floor was actually quite hard, however, so he didn't think the comfort had anything to do with how he felt physically. "Wow, I actually feel... great," he thought. "I guess there might actually be some worth to me, after all. I need to remember to thank Hazelnut."

Exhaustion quickly overtook Vermilion's mind. He was in a deep sleep before he even realized it, dreaming dreams that were tranquil and untroubled for the first time in as long as he could remember.

A sharp gust of wind that carried with it no shortage of grit caused Vermilion to flinch. It had been wishful thinking for him to hope the sandstorm would be gone by the time he woke up. This one didn't seem to have any intention of going away; if anything, it had picked up in intensity.

Hazelnut sighed and looked up from the remnants of his breakfast. The two of them had woken up about an hour ago, and it was quite boring with nothing to do. "How long do you think this is gonna last? I don't want to sit in a cave for a week with nothing to do," he said. "The storms we've already been through lasted two days at most, but they weren't nearly as bad as this one."

Vermilion shrugged. "A few more days, maybe? I don't know anything about sandstorms."

"Me neither." Hazelnut shoved the waste from his breakfast into his packs and stood up, stretching his tired muscles. He looked as bored as Vermilion felt. "Want to explore the rest of the cave?" he asked unexpectedly.

Vermilion raised an eyebrow at him. "Is it safe?"

"Probably not, but it's better than sitting here and doing nothing," Hazelnut replied with a grin. "Besides, the storm is getting worse. I'm kind of tired of getting pelted by it."

"Me too." Vermilion sighed and ran a hoof through his mane, dislodging a shower of sand that had gotten blown into it. "Sure. Let's go."

The two of them stood up and slung their packs across their flanks. Vermilion glanced out at the dim light of the setting sun, barely visible through the cloud of dust. Their cave would be pitch black soon. While they'd always had the light of the moons to travel by, in here their options for a light source weren't quite as illuminating.

Hazelnut pulled a flashlight our of his pack; an item they received from an earlier supply cache. The one they had gotten was bright, but it only illuminated a fairly small area. "Well, let's see what happens," he said optimistically as he clicked the flashlight on and stuck it firmly between his teeth. He walked to the back of their cave, where it turned so suddenly it almost looked like there wasn't an opening at all. Hazelnut led the way through, and Vermilion followed cautiously.

Past the bend, it transitioned rapidly from a weathered, smooth-walled cave to a rough tunnel that was difficult to walk on. Pointy bits of sandstone poked out at Vermilion, and he had to be careful to not scrape his face as he squeezed past the sharp outcroppings.

The tunnel led on for a long distance, widening and shortening randomly as it went. At one point they walked out into a large cave that had entrances to countless other tunnels and crevices lining the walls, and they had to mark the floor in front of the one they left using a knife. After picking another tunnel at random, they continued on.

After what felt like half a night of exploring to Vermilion, but was probably only an hour or two, Hazelnut suddenly stopped and motioned for Vermilion to do the same. "Wait. Do you see that?" Hazelnut asked.

Vermilion stretched his neck to peer past Hazelnut down the dark tunnel. At first he wasn't sure what the older pony was talking about, but when he looked closer, there was a faint glint in the far distance. Vermilion frowned, and he exchanged a glance with Hazelnut.

Hazelnut raised his eyebrows and glanced back towards the shiny object. "Wanna check it out?"

"Sure. We've got nothing better to do," Vermilion replied. Hazelnut nodded, and he led the way towards whatever waited for them at the end of the tunnel.

Vermilion wasn't sure what it was, but he felt an oddly harrowing sensation crawl its way up his spine. He shivered and glanced behind him, but there was nothing there. What was that, and why did it feel so wrong? He pulled the cloak tighter around himself and turned back to face forward. "It was probably nothing," he thought, trying to calm himself. The odd prickling sensation persisted, but he pushed it to the back of his mind and tried to ignore it.

Hazelnut stopped at the end of the tunnel and gasped as he peered out into what looked like a hundred mirrors reflecting the light of his flashlight back at them. "Woah..."

"What is it?" Vermilion asked as he stepped up beside Hazelnut. He stopped suddenly and sucked in a breath when he saw what the brown pony had reacted to, however.

Illuminated by the light of Hazelnut's flashlight was a cavern of crystals, some as tall as buildings. The space was massive, and Vermilion thought at least two large 'Mech hangars could fit inside of it. Crystals made up the floor, the walls, and the ceiling, in addition to the ones that grew without any visible purpose.

Hazelnut tapped at one of the nearby crystals with one hoof and let out a quiet sigh. "It's just quartz, so don't get too excited. We're not suddenly rich." He glanced around the cavern and scratched his nose. "I will admit it's pretty, though."

Vermilion nodded in agreement and stepped out into the cavern, in front of Hazelnut. Every single spire of quartz caught the light of the flashlight, illuminating the entire space in blinding white light. It was the most beautiful place he had ever seen.

A sharp gasp behind Vermilion caught his attention. He was about to turn around, but the grim tone of Hazelnut's voice turned his blood to ice and made him stop. "Stop. Don't move a single muscle."

"What? What's wrong?" Vermilion asked, scared into remaining still. He felt his heart immediately start hammering in his chest, and it set his teeth on edge. The prickling feeling from earlier had become stronger, and it was now residing on the back of his neck. "What in the name of Rainbow Dash has him so scared?"

"There's a scorpion on your neck. I think it's a deathstalker," Hazelnut said quietly.

Vermilion involuntarily shuddered at hearing the name. He didn't know the first thing about arachnids, especially desert ones, but it didn't take an expert to realize something with the name "deathstalker" wasn't a friendly species of animal. "What do I do?"

"Just... stay still. I'll get it off. It'll be easier if you don't move," Hazelnut said as he took a step toward Vermilion.

Vermilion's head snapped around despite the danger, and he locked eyes with Hazelnut, who flinched back and motioned wildly for him to stop moving. "I'm not letting you do that. What if it stings you instead?"

"Stop moving! You're gonna spook it!" Hazelnut hissed. He let out a sigh and inched closer to Vermilion. "Bad things, but it might not be lethal to a pony. Might. It looks just like a deathstalker, but for all I know this could be an offshoot that developed stronger venom. They're native to Terra, not Strana, so whatever scientist brought it over might have mutated the species."

"Then I'm really not letting you touch it. I'm not putting you in danger," Vermilion said as he lifted a leg to take another step into the cavern.

"Too late," Hazelnut said as he suddenly lashed out, faster than Vermilion could react and pull away. He felt a hoof brush his neck, saw the scorpion fly out into the cavern of quartz...

And then Vermilion heard the most bloodcurdling scream he'd ever experienced.

Chapter 9

Hazelnut collapsed to the ground and shrieked in agony as the scorpion's venom sped through his bloodstream and attacked his body from the inside. The pain had been immediate; mere seconds after the scorpion had stung him, the most intense pain he had ever felt had seized his nerves and refused to let go. He could hear Vermilion shouting something as he convulsed on the ground, but he was in too much shock to register the red pony's words.

The world began to tilt around Hazelnut, and he worried for a second he was about to lose consciousness. It took him a moment to realize Vermilion had heaved him up and across the younger pony's back. He was now sprinting down the tunnel, back towards the outside world.

As Hazelnut was carried through the caves, he became aware that it was nearly impossible to move his right foreleg. This hadn't lessened the mind-numbing pain; all it did was unsettle him and make it a little harder to hold on to Vermilion. Not that he could do a very good job regardless, considering he was writhing about like a dying snake.

It felt like a long time before Hazelnut heard the familiar roar of the sandstorm. Vermilion put him down carefully on the smooth sandstone floor and tore off his packs. He began rifling through them frantically, searching for something. Hazelnut rolled over onto his side and winced. During the trip back to their cave the venom had spread throughout his entire body, and now nearly all of his muscles were in a state of near paralysis. He found he could still move his head and facial muscles, though they were quite lethargic. At least the pain had begun to wear off somewhat.

"What're you looking for?" Hazelnut slurred out through gritted teeth.

"The comms. I'm getting you out of here," Vermilion said as he pulled a gray object the size of a small book.

"Don't. Deathstalkers aren't fatal to ponies." Hazelnut drew in a shaky breath and adjusted his head so it wasn't resting painfully on a pebble anymore. Just talking this small amount was tiring on his weakened muscles.

Vermilion shook his head and smacked the comms with one hoof. "It might have evolved during its time on Strana. You said so yourself." He glanced at the raging storm, which seemed to have gotten even worse while they were away, and reached for his goggles. "I'm not getting a signal. I'll be right back." With that, he charged out through the crevice and into the desert.

Hazelnut growled in frustration as he watched the blue tail disappear into the storm. He knew Vermilion was right. There was no way of knowing if the venom if the scorpion that had stung him was the same as the deathstalker's from Terra. It was still annoying, though, knowing they were going to fail their Trial because of a tiny insect.

The faint shadow from the cave opening crept painfully slowly across the far wall as Strana's moons lit up the outside world. It seemed like it was nearly midnight by the time Vermilion slunk back into the cave. He was coated in sand, his robes were tattered, and his mane was a tangled mess. He dropped the comms and collapsed out of the way of the sand that was still blowing in. "It's no use. I can't get through to Scarlet."

"Probably interference from the storm," Hazelnut gasped out. "Can you get your medkit? I can't move much."

Vermilion nodded and pushed himself to his hooves as quickly as his battered body would allow. He grabbed the small box from his packs and flipped it open before glancing through its contents. "What am I looking for?"

"Pain killers. There's nothing else useful."

Vermilion pulled out one of the small orange packets and tore it open. It contained two small capsule pills, and he took them over to Hazelnut. With difficulty, he managed to swallow the medicine and grunted. "Thanks."

"It's kind of like putting a bandage on a gunshot wound. I wish there was more I could do," Vermilion said as he flopped to the ground again.

"Don't worry about it. I'll survive. Probably," Hazelnut mumbled. A thought made him shudder slightly, and he glanced at Vermilion. "It would crush him, watching another friend die while not being able to do a damn thing about it. He can come back from once, but a second time? I don't know if he'd be able to live with himself. Hazelnut grimaced and gritted his teeth in determination. "I won't let that happen to him. I won't die here. Not just for my sake, but for Vermilion's as well.

Despite the heat, Hazelnut shivered violently and cast a weak glance at the setting sun, which was now just a sliver of light peeking over the horizon. The sandstorm had ended while he slept, albeit fitfully, and he and Vermilion now crept out of their desert cave and into the rocky expanse, which was coated in a layer of sand. The entrance had been all but covered, making their exit difficult. "I don't like sand," Hazelnut thought bitterly, shaking his mane to dislodge the grit that had collected there. "It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere."

Vermilion rolled his stiff shoulders and pulled his map from his packs before unfolding it on the ground. He peered at it for a few moments, glancing between it and his compass. "We might be able to reach the next supply cache before morning. Ready to go?"

Hazelnut coughed and nodded. "Yeah, let's just get on with it. You take the lead."

Vermilion shot him a worried glance, then snorted dismissively and set off at a slightly slower pace than usual so Hazelnut could follow. It had been a few days since his encounter with the scorpion, and while the effects of the venom had worn off, it brought with it illness. Hazelnut's temperature had risen slowly over the past twenty-four hours, and he was starting to feel quite weak, as well.

"This sucks," Hazelnut thought, flinching at a fleeting migraine. While he wasn't sure he should be traveling in his condition, he had started to lose his mind from staying in that cave for so long. He welcomed the change of scenery, even if his body could barely handle the exercise.

As the night wore on, Hazelnut felt worse and worse. By the time both moons had passed their highest points, an hour or so before he and Vermilion would normally stop traveling, he could barely stay on his own two hooves. Every step sent shooting pains through his already aching abdomen, he was constantly fighting waves of nausea that threatened to empty his stomach, he couldn't stop shivering, and he was fairly certain he had developed a high fever, as well. The cough and headaches were bearable, but his body was entirely sapped of energy. This had brought their progress to a snail's pace, and Vermilion was constantly checking over his shoulder to make sure Hazelnut hadn't fallen too far behind.

Hazelnut preferred to keep his problems to himself, though it was fairly difficult with Vermilion watching. While not quite as astute as his friends, he had a knack for sensing when something was wrong with somepony else. Hazelnut found himself forcing his body more upright every time the red pony turned around, then slumping towards the ground when he faced forward again.

"I can't go on like this much longer," Hazelnut thought as Vermilion turned back around to face him again. He wasn't quite quick enough to react this time, and Vermilion gave him a worried glance.

"Are you feeling any worse? We can stop if you need to," Vermilion asked, slowing his pace further.

Hazelnut shook his head weakly, trying to summon all the energy he could to appear as healthy as possible. "No, I'm fine. Still just a bit tired from the venom."

"If you say so. Tell me if you need a break." Vermilion said hesitantly. He shot Hazelnut one last concerned look before continuing onward, glancing briefly at the stars for direction.

"Why am I in such a rush to travel? It's not like we can make much progress with me sick like this. We should just rest for a few more days." Hazelnut shook his head as his body sagged back into its puddle-like state. His head had begun to feel like it was wading in mud with a renewed migraine, making it even more difficult to keep himself upright.

Hazelnut shivered feebly and turned his head towards the moons. He was startled for a moment to find that Strana's two moons had apparently split into four, and they were spinning around each other rapidly, dancing about brightly like fireflies caught in a tornado.

"Oh, nothing's wrong with the moons. It's just me," Hazelnut realized as the world around him rolled violently. Long before he could react, his head impacted the hard rocks beneath him, only serving to worsen his headache. He willed his muscles to haul his body upright and dust himself off, but they refused to move. His head was too full of fog to do anything but allow him to lie helplessly in the rough ground. "Can't think straight. My head's swimming." Hazelnut blinked weakly, faintly aware of a scrabbling sound. His eyes could barely process the red shape moving towards him, wearing a distressed expression.

"Hazelnut! Are you okay?" Vermilion called as he rushed towards the fallen pony. He placed a hoof gently over
Hazelnut's forehead, but pulled it back quickly and made a worried noise. "You're burning up. Why didn't you want to stop?"

"Because I hate this fucking desert, and I want out. We can't stop," Hazelnut said weakly. The journey had been tolerable up until that point. He had kept telling himself over the course of the past few months that the desert really wasn't all that bad, hoping he could convince himself into believing it. Now, he discovered, all he wanted to do in that moment was curl up in his bed on the Constellation and drift into sleep while Cotton gently stroked his forehead, something she liked to do whenever he or any of the others were violently ill. Something that would never happen again, he realized painfully.

Vermilion shook his head. "Well, I'm getting you out now. I should have contacted Scarlet as soon as the storm stopped," he said as he reached into his bag and pulled the comms back out.

"No!" Hazelnut said loudly in as close to a shout as he could manage. Using the last of his strength, he reached up and smacked the gray device from Vermilion's hooves before collapsing into a coughing fit.

"Don't do that," Hazelnut said after he had brought his lungs back under control. "I have to finish the Trial."

Vermilion lifted the comms from the rocky ground and dusted it off. "But it's dangerous for you to keep going like this. And didn't you say you wanted to leave the desert?"

"I did, but..." Hazelnut sighed, coming to terms with the one thing he really wanted most. He had to become a warrior. Before he didn't have a choice, but now he felt he owed it to Slate, Cotton, and the rest of the Constellation's casualties to at least make sure their killers were dealt with. If it hadn't been for the careless mistake of the commanders, letting the trueborn Captain onboard without knowing it, they would all still be alive. "I have to see the Windigo destroyed. The ship, and all of her crew."

Vermilion's hoof hesitated over the comms. Hazelnut could see the emotions warring on his face through the haze in his eyes, and after a few long moments, he sighed and put the small device back in his packs. "I understand that. But if you don't improve soon I'm telling Scarlet we give up, and we'll get you to the infirmary."

Hazelnut relaxed slightly and rested his head back on the ground, knowing that was the best he was going to get from Vermilion. "Fine, but only if I'm dying."

Vermilion nodded and pulled himself to his hooves. He glanced at the stars again and back to Hazelnut. "We can't leave you out in the open, but there's nowhere to set up a tent."

"Just lay my tarp over me or something. I'll be fine," Hazelnut said. The pain in his abdomen spiked suddenly, and he grimaced. That definitely was more than just a fever, but if he told Vermilion about it, there was no way he'd finish the trial. Hopefully it wasn't anything too serious.

"That's not a good idea." Vermilion scratched his nose and walked over to Hazelnut. "Come on, I'll carry you. If we don't find shelter on the way to the supply cache, you can sleep in it."

Before Hazelnut could protest, Vermilion reached down and carefully heaved the larger pony onto his back. Hazelnut gasped at the pain that flared up in his stomach as Vermilion maneuvered him so he could rest somewhat comfortably atop the smaller pony's short but powerful frame. "Sorry, but I don't know how else to get you to shelter."

Hazelnut shook his head and wrapped his forelegs around Vermilion's chest. "You're fine, just try not to bounce around too much," he said through gritted teeth.

The trip to the next supply cache was agony for Hazelnut. Every step Vermilion took sent sharp bolts through his abdomen all while his nausea made a reappearance. It took all of his remaining willpower to not empty the contents of his stomach on Vermilion.

By the time the supply cache was visible in the near distance the sun was creeping above the horizon, sending bright rays across the desert. The ground had begun to slowly transition from rocks back into loose sand, making the last leg of the trip slightly more bearable for Hazelnut.

Vermilion trudged up to the supply cache, panting heavily at this point, and punched in the four-digit code. The large door swung open, revealing the large water reservoir inside and a number of new supplies. He swept the packages out into the sand and gently placed Hazelnut down in front of the water container, which would hopefully have enough thermal mass to keep the air inside relatively cool.

"There," Vermilion gasped out after hastily setting up his tarp across the front of the supply cache as a tent, so both he and Hazelnut could be completely shielded from the sun. He flopped to the ground underneath it and glanced at the older pony. "Doing any better?"

Hazelnut shrugged lethargically and ran a hoof over his eyes. "Hard to tell. I can barely stay awake right now."

"Same here," Vermilion said, smiling slightly. "Get some sleep. We'll stay here as long as we need to."

Hazelnut nodded and adjusted himself slightly into a more comfortable position. The floor of the supple cache was fairly cool to the touch, and it was bliss against his burning skin. He found his weary mind drifting immediately into unconsciousness, where fitful sleep and nightmares would plague him for the next twenty-four hours.

The cockpit faded into silence as the reactor in Hazelnut's Blood Asp powered down inside one of the bays of the Broadsword. He sighed and leaned back in his seat, admiring the refinished interior. Everything was polished and fresh, and Hazelnut had never seen a cockpit that was so clean.

The Broadsword rumbled slightly as another BattleMech inside the 'Ship powered up. Hazelnut turned curiously in time to see a Summoner he hadn't noticed before step out of the open 'Mech bay next to his. "Well, that's odd," he thought. There wasn't much of a reason for there to be anything else on the 'Ship, and he had assumed the open bay was for Vermilion. Intrigued, Hazelnut swung the access hatch to his 'Mech open and climbed out onto the catwalk situated around the bays.

The interior of the Broadsword was very similar to that of the Leopard , the precursor of the newer ship he was currently on, with the obvious exception of the fifth 'Mech bay situated at the front of the 'Ship that allowed it to accommodate a full Star of BattleMechs. Hazelnut had no trouble navigating the ship, but soon found himself lost in his thoughts. The familiar interior brought back many memories, good and bad, and he found himself smiling fondly.

"Look at you, getting all sentimental," a pony said from behind Hazelnut, startling him. There was strength and affection behind the voice that he knew could only belong to one pony, and his face lit up briefly as he spun around.

"Cotton!" Hazelnut cried as he turned around to face the empty air. His shoulders slumped as the memory of the Constellation being destroyed came to his mind, and he had to remind himself that she wasn't really there. It was just his imagination.

Hazelnut sighed and turned back down the hallway, not fighting the memories anymore. Phantasmal images of Cotton raced ahead of him playfully, ducked into rooms to avoid being caught fooling around by the other crew, smiled at him with deep kindness that reached her eyes, not just her lips... It was painful to remember Cotton, but Hazelnut found comfort in the thought of her nonetheless.

Before Hazelnut had realized it, his hooves had carried him to the cockpit of the 'Ship. The sliding door stood in front of him, familiar yet different. It slid open smoothly as he approached, just as he was used to. The cockpit was nearly identical to the one he was so accustomed to, and it relaxed his nerves slightly.

A seat at the head of the room turned around to face Hazelnut, and the red unicorn sitting in it nodded to him, her black and white mane bobbing slightly. "There you are. I had begun to wonder when you would turn up."

Hazelnut smiled faintly and gave a half-hearted salute; the one he had been accustomed to giving on the Constellation. "Sorry, Commander Scarlet. I got a bit distracted on the way." He frowned slightly. "You knew I'd come here, of all the places on the ship?"

Scarlet nodded again and spun back around to face the outside world. "I suspected you would. I got the impression you were not one who liked to sit around and do nothing, and being a commander in your previous Clan, I thought the cockpit would be where you were most comfortable." She motioned with one hoof to an empty seat not far off to her left. "Take a seat. The show is about to begin, and Dapple will not be here for a while longer. You can borrow her spot for now."

Hazelnut did as he was told, albeit somewhat confused, and glanced curiously at what she had been looking at when he had entered. He saw two 'Mechs moving towards each other in the far distance, and realized with a start that one of them was Vermilion in his Timber Wolf, while the other was the Summoner he had seen leave the ship earlier.

"Commander, what is going on? This doesn't look like a friendly encounter," Hazelnut asked, more than a little worried. He had no clue what was going on at this point.

"None of the young MechWarriors have completed a Trial of Position, quiaff?" Scarlet asked. Without waiting for a reply, she continued on. "We decided it would be best if they did not miss out on an important event such as that. All four of the untested soldiers will have to pass to become warriors of Clan Ghost Bear."

Hazelnut frowned and glanced at Scarlet. "But they've already been through a battle. Isn't that enough to prove their combat skill?"

Scarlet shook her head. "Not necessarily. From our observations, only a small hoofful of MechWarriors under the command of you and Commander Obsidian acted independently. If they are to become true warriors, they mush prove their individual combat skill. Single combat is the way of the Clans." Hazelnut opened his mouth to argue, but she gestured for him to remain silent. "Besides, if we allowed them to become warriors without first putting them through a Trial of Position, the other warriors in our Clan would never accept them. To become a part of us, they can not skip such important tradition."

Hazelnut tapped his chin thoughtfully and nodded. "I see your point." He looked back out at the two war machines, which had stopped about a kilometer apart. "Did the others pass their Trials?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Scarlet answered, unsure of how much she was able to disclose. After a moment she shook her head and glanced briefly at Hazelnut from the corner of her eye. "I am not authorized to tell you that, but I will say that neither Mist nor Mint have reached their Trial of Position yet. Only Sundance has completed his. Whether it ended in failure or success is for Colonel Cobalt Dash to tell you." She nodded towards the two 'Mechs and leaned back in her seat slightly. "It is about to begin. We should watch."

Hazelnut sighed. He really wanted to know how Sundance had done in his Trial. From what he had seen in their brief time together, Sundance's skill was hit or miss. It was probably only about a two-thirds chance of him succeeding, but considering the white pony's luck at making it through any situation by the skin of his teeth, Hazelnut had a good feeling about the result. Mint had above average combat ability, so he wasn't too worried about her, but Mist was an odd one. While purely average at combat, he often tried bold strategies that reached above his skill level. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. All Hazelnut could do was hope.

A sudden bright streak of light in the distance drew Hazelnut's attention as missiles poured out of the shoulder-mounted LRM racks on Vermilion's Timber Wolf. As per the young pony's usual strategy, he was starting with an all-out assault to rattle his opponent and give himself a mental edge.

The missiles streaked towards the Summoner, bearing down on the 'Mech like a swarm of wasps all fighting to be the first to their target. However, at the last possible moment, the directional jump jets on the machine fired, carrying it sideways and out of the path of the missiles. The subsequent laser fire from Vermilion also hit empty air, and while he reacted in time to bring the weapons around to rake across the airborne 'Mech, they did little more than carve a channel in its torso armor. The Summoner replied with its own volley of weapon fire, missing Vermilion's Timber Wolf by no more than a meter with a PPC shot and striking a glancing blow with its Large Pulse Laser.

Hazelnut raised his eyebrows. "A config Q Summoner? That's not something you see very often." He scratched his nose and leaned back in the seat. "It would certainly be an easy fight if it came to close quarters fighting, I'll give them that. It's still an odd choice, thought," he commented.

"That pilot is, shall we say... eccentric," Scarlet said. "He is an older pony, set to join a Solahma unit soon. In terms of personality he is nearly indistinguishable from a trueborn. Whether that is a compliment or an insult I will leave for you to decide."

Hazelnut nodded and glanced back at the fight outside. Solahma units were made up of soldiers who were dying or too old for standard combat. These soldiers wished to die the death of a warrior in battle rather than of sickness and old age, and were usually very eager to be on the front lines in battle.

There was a brief lull in the fighting while both 'Mechs recharged their main weapons and vented heat. The Summoner was faster on this, firing a few more pulses from its large laser as it broke out into a sprint towards Vermilion. The young pony retaliated by firing one of his 'Mech's missile launchers. The Summoner's pilot made an attempt to dodge, but it was in vain as all twenty missiles exploded on its torso. The Timber Wolf's large lasers blazed through the lingering smoke cloud, missing their mark entirely as the opposing 'Mech ran off to the right.

"Vermilion isn't fighting very carefully. He's missed too many shots," Hazelnut thought to himself. He glanced over at Scarlet who, while not easy to read, showed her disappointment in the slight downward curve of her mouth. "I guess she's not too happy with his performance, either."

A streak of blue whizzed by the Broadsword's cockpit and startled Hazelnut from his thoughts, passing close enough for him to hear crackling as a stray PPC round nearly hit the 'Ship. Scarlet pressed a button on the comm system none too gently before growling into the receiver. "Watch your fire. The Techs will have enough to fix once the battle is over as it is. Do not make their jobs any harder." She let out an aggravated sigh and leaned back in her seat. "Why are some ponies so difficult?" she grumbled to herself as she gazed out at the fighting machines.

The battle outside had become intense. The Summoner had come within range of its heavy lasers, and was nearly close enough to effectively use its short-range missiles. The pilot was blasting away with the bright weapons, scoring lines in the armor of Vermilion's 'Mech. Comparatively, Vermilion's attacks seemed feeble. His medium pulse laser was firing almost constantly, occasionally to be joined by his large lasers, but it was ineffectual fire. While the Summoner had taken substantial damage to its torso armor, almost all of it was from the earlier LRM barrage.

Before long, the Summoner was almost within melee range. However, noting the large number of SRM launchers on the machine, Hazelnut knew that wasn't the pilot's intention. Vermilion's Timber Wolf braced its legs as the enemy 'Mech charged straight towards it, thinking they were going to collide. Suddenly, the Summoner dashed off to one side and skidded to a halt less than fifty meters away, taking a brief moment to sure its aim. Before Vermilion could turn to face the Summoner, twenty-four short-range missiles poured from the 'Mech's launchers at a range that was nearly impossible to miss at.

The force of the explosions very nearly knocked Vermilion's Timber Wolf to the ground. Chunks of armor flew out in all directions, and the 'Mech's left arm all but disintegrated from the damage. Vermilion was dazed for a couple of seconds, but he managed to keep the machine upright. While the left torso was nearly destroyed, the LRM launcher still seemed intact. It was highly unlikely it would be able to reload, however.

Now desperate, Vermilion fired his remaining medium and heavy laser wildly at the Summoner. Both shots missed as the 'Mech ran around behind him, trying to circle around to his other side. Hazelnut gritted his teeth and slumped in his seat. It was only a matter of time before the Summoner's SRM launchers reloaded, and then the fight would be over. "Were the grueling months he spent in the desert for nothing? What was the point of all that suffering if he's just going to fail out now?" he thought bitterly. "I wonder how the others are going to cope with this."

"What is this pitiful display, Vermilion? Fight!" Scarlet shouted suddenly, making Hazelnut jump. His head whipped around to see her towering over the comm receiver and glaring out at the damaged 'Mech, her eyes ablaze with angry fire. "There is more at stake here than your honor or status as a warrior. Are you so disloyal to your friends that you would lose now? If they were here, they would see nothing but a sniveling coward who has resigned himself to a life of peasantry. Is that your choice? Or will you put aside your doubts and be the shield your comrades need?"

Hazelnut blinked at Scarlet as she sat back down in her seat. "That was... harsh," he said boldly. The force of her gaze made him flinch as she turned toward him, and he expected her to start yelling at him, too. What he didn't expect was for her voice to be full of understanding and what he thought was her version of compassion, neither of which matched her furious expression.

"Some ponies need a forceful shove in the right direction. They will be full of self doubt if they are babied, like what you did to him in the caves at the start of that sandstorm." Hazelnut frowned in confusion, not knowing how Scarlet had heard their conversation when Vermilion had been unable to get through to her on the comms, but she turned her attention back to the battle before he could inquire. "And never question a superior officer again," she said, much less kindly this time.

Hazelnut nodded nervously and went back to watching the battle. Vermilion's 'Mech seemed to be frozen in place, but as the Summoner made its way around the rear of his Timber Wolf, he noticed the difference in the 'Mechs stance. It had previously seemed like Vermilion had been on the defensive, planning to mitigate as much damage as he could, but now he held his 'Mech confidently.

The Summoner came to a halt again, this time within spitting distance of its opponent. It brought its weapons to bear on the Timber Wolf, and Hazelnut knew the 'Mechs missiles had finished reloading. After a brief pause it fired all twenty-four missiles again.

In a shocking display of determination, Vermilion's Timber Wolf simultaneously twisted its legs as far as they would go, pitched backward violently at the hip, and spun the torso around. Hazelnut was impressed to see all but two of the missiles streak past and explode harmlessly in the air at the end of their range, but it quickly turned to dread as he saw the Timber Wolf begin to fall. Vermilion had pushed the 'Mech way past its balance point, and Hazelnut didn't see any way the young pony could win if his 'Mech ended up in the dirt.

This made it all the more surprising to Hazelnut when the Timber Wolf's torso swung back around with it's remaining arm extended in a melee attack. The limb smashed into the Summoner's right torso just below the cockpit, and the lights inside flickered briefly at the impact. The force of the blow carried all of the larger 'Mech's weight, and both machines spun to the earth, shaking the ground like an earthquake as they landed.

Having been prepared for the impact, Vermilion quickly brought his Timber Wolf back upright and took advantage of his opponent's dazed state, who was face-down and still struggling to pull the machine to its feet. Vermilion planted his 'Mech's right foot on the Summoner's rear torso and pushed down, forcing the 'Mech back to the ground before firing his medium pulse laser at its hip until the machine's legs went limp. He then stepped back and aimed at the center of the Summoner's rear torso, preparing to fire his LRMs at the weaker armor. Even though one of the launchers was unable to reload, the missiles inside were still capable of firing, and forty of them was more than enough to destroy a 'Mech when fired at its weaker rear armor.

"That is enough," Scarlet cut in before Vermilion could fire. "While you have passed your trials, Vermilion, you have not yet proved yourself to me. I should not have to remind you of your reason to fight. I will be watching you very closely on your journey as a MechWarrior. Do not disappoint me again." With that, she rose from her seat and stalked to the back of the 'Ship's cockpit. "We will leave as soon as the salvage team finishes collecting the Summoner and other scrap, so do not get too involved in anything," Scarlet tossed over her shoulder as the door hissed shut behind her.

Hazelnut sagged into his seat and let out the breath he had been holding. The fight had been much closer than he had hoped, but all that mattered was Vermilion had won. "Wow, that was stressful," he muttered as he watched the salvage vehicles emerge from one of the DropShip's bays and head towards where the battle had taken place. Vermilion's Timber Wolf stood still, outlined defiantly against the setting sun, and Hazelnut sighed to himself. "If only the others could see him now. I'm sure Chartreuse and the others would have been proud."

Chartreuse sighed and pulled the neurohelmet from her head, cursing herself for her stupid error. She had very nearly defeated the Dire Wolf; her third opponent in her Trial of Position in Clan Wolf. A slight misjudgment caused one of her PPC shots to miss its mark, a shot that would have earned her a victory, and the larger 'Mech's return fire had disabled the reactor on her Warhawk and powered down the machine. "Star Commander is an acceptable rank for me, I guess," she thought to herself, still unhappy that she hadn't performed as well as she knew she could have. Defeating the one-hundred ton 'Mech would have earned her the rank of Star Colonel.

As Chartreuse reached up to open the cockpit hatch, she caught her reflection in the glass and grimaced. Her once beautiful face was marred by scars; a result of her near-death on Strana Mechty, though luckily both of her eyes remined undamaged. The portions of her mane that had been scorched off were on their way to re-growing, but it still looked patchy. She couldn't stand looking at herself, and she never felt comfortable anymore unless she was inside a 'Mech.

"It's what I deserve for being a selfish piece of shit," Chartreuse muttered, remembering how she had felt joyful at Tangelo's death. She swung open the hatch and climbed out on top of her Warhawk, which had been taken as salvage after the battle on Strana and repaired for her to use upon becoming an Abtakha. She shielded her eyes from the planet's sun, which had begun to sink below the mountains. Three of the five moons were visible in the sky, illuminating everything like it was midday.

"Clan Draconequus is going to pay for everything they've done." Chartreuse sat on the edge of her 'Mech and dangled her rear legs off the edge, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light. The sky was streaked with red, and she imagined it as the blood of her enemies; all the ponies responsible for the war and the death of the ponies she cared about. "I'm coming for you, Khan Bolt. I swear on my life and all I hold dear; you're going to die beneath my hooves, and I don't care what I have to do to make that happen."

Chapter 10

The ominous rumbling of the WarShip woke Chartreuse from her restless slumber. She'd only been a Star Commander in Clan Wolf for the better part of a month, but things were getting hectic. Already she'd been in four battles, two of which ended in the death of one of her soldiers. To their credit, however, both of them had managed to take out multiple enemies before falling, themselves.

"Star Commander Chartreuse?" a voice said, rousing Chartreuse from her drowsy state. She turned her head to see a bright pink unicorn with candy apple green eyes and a short, spiky mane the color of dandelions standing at attention next to her bed.

"I already told you, Pixie, you don't have to act formal around me," Chartreuse said as she sat up in her bunk and winced at the soreness in the right side of her face. When Galaxy Commander Peregrine had offered to have her scars fixed after her Trial of Position, she had been tempted to accept. However, she had felt it was too important of a reminder of her past sins, and elected to leave the defacing marks.

Pixie motioned with her eyes off to her left, toward another pony who Chartreuse hadn't noticed at first. "It's the Clan way, ma'am," she said briskly.

Chartreuse followed her friend's sideways glance and groaned inwardly. The other pony in the room was Star Captain Ocean Breeze, a dark blue pegasus with indigo eyes and a silver buzz cut. He was the Captain of Trinary First in the 279th Wolf Battle Cluster, and he never went easy on the two Commanders underneath him. She quickly slid out of bed and snapped to attention, knowing the senior pony wouldn't be impressed by her messy state, or her comment about disregarding the military structure.

Ocean simply snorted and pulled a tablet from his uniform. He tapped on the screen a few times and handed the device roughly to Chartreuse. "We are invading another planet today, so get your Star in order. The DropShips are detaching in three hours. Do not make us late."

"Aff, Sir," Chartreuse said, giving him a salute.

"And clean this mess up, or there will be consequences. You freebirths live like pigs," Ocean spat as he turned on his hooves and stormed out of the room.

After listening to his hoofsteps fade down the hall to make sure he had gone, Pixie turned to Chartreuse and let out a nervous breath. "Always a breath of fresh air, ain't he?" she said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Chartreuse shrugged and turned the tablet in her hooves to look at their assignment. It was a standard invasion on a planet with minimal military force; they were going to land near the military bases, storm the complexes, and kill or capture any soldiers who didn't surrender.

"What's our assignment this time?" Pixie asked, looking at the small screen over Chartreuse's shoulder.

"The usual. Our entire Trinary is going planetside, but they're splitting us up. Ocean is taking his Star and Bravo Star over here," Chartreuse said, pointing to a small dot on the global map, "And he's sending us over there, to a training camp. Usually all of the cadets in training camps surrender without a fight, so we should encounter minimal resistance."

Pixie shook her head and took a step back. "Why wouldn't they fight back? I get that they're not soldiers yet, but wouldn't they be loyal to their Clan and follow orders?"

"No. Not in Clan Draconequus, anyway. None of the freeborn soldiers there actually chose to enlist," Chartreuse said as she scrolled down through the page of information. She had to do a doubletake when the planet's name came up, and she felt her face freeze in shock. "That can't be right..."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you weren't born in Clan Wolf. I guess you'd understand better than me, since - hey, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost," Pixie said, finally noticing Chartreuse's expression.

Chartreuse nodded and double checked the planet name. "Yeah, it's nothing." She turned the tablet off and gave it to Pixie. "We need to get ready soon, so take that to the boys and tell them to meet us at the DropShip after grabbing breakfast."

Pixie did a mock salute and grinned at Chartreuse. "You got it. See you there." She turned and trotted out of the room, heading down the interior of the Liberator-Class WarShip toward their Star's other sleeping quarters.

The bunk squeaked slightly as Chartreuse sat on it and took a deep breath. "So they're sending me back to Dike. Not just that, but it's my old training camp. That's too convenient to be a coincidence, isn't it?" She shook her head and reached for the uniform hanging next to her bed. "Either way, it doesn't matter. I'm rescuing every pony there, right after I kill Charcoal."

Chartreuse shivered as the DropShip touched down. Being back on her home planet again felt strange, especially since she was in the one place she had hoped to never see again. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we finish up here, the sooner we can leave," she thought as the bay door began to open.

"Remember, don't leave the DropShip unless I say to. If the majority of the cadets don't surrender, you'll need to get in the air as soon as possible," Chartreuse said over the comms, thinking back to the heat signatures they had seen as they descended. If she had to guess, there were about thirty 'Mechs hiding in the trees, and even with the DropShip's help, there was no way the five of them could take on that many 'Mechs.

"We won't," Pixie replied. "I'd really rather not have to kill children, anyway. Soldiers are one thing, but colts and fillies who aren't even old enough to be in high school yet?"

"They're the enemy, it doesn't matter what age they are. Foals die as easily as any other pony," Steel Thunder jeered, another pony in Chartreuse's Star. He had shady morals, but at least his loyalty was unquestionable.

Pixie shook her head. "And that's why I refuse to sleep with you."

Before Steel could retaliate, Chartreuse cut in. "That's enough. Seriously, you two need to stop fighting all the time. I don't want any senseless chatter on the comms until the mission is over. Is that clear?" Both ponies grumbled in what she took to be an agreement, and she sighed to herself. The MechWarriors in her Star rarely got along, and it was very annoying to deal with at times.

The DropShip rumbled as the door finished opening, and Chartreuse piloted her Warhawk out into the open. They had landed in one of the training fields; the closest area to the camp that was large enough to land a spheroid 'Ship in. She stepped out a few dozen meters and looked around the clearing, waiting for something to happen. Nopony had replied when she had tried to contact the training camp as they landed, so she wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

The ground suddenly began to shake, and all at once, two Trinaries worth of 'Mechs came through the tree line. Even though Chartreuse knew the pilots behind them were relatively untrained, that didn't mean they weren't dangerous.

One of the 'Mechs stepped out in front of the others, and Chartreuse immediately recognized Commander Charcoal's config C Mad Dog. It stopped a few hundred meters from her, and the voice that she had trusted so long ago came hauntingly through her comms. "What are you doing on our planet, Wolf scum? We could easily kill you now."

"Then do it," Chartreuse said over the open comms. All of the cadets could hear her now, and she knew she would probably die if she couldn't convince them to surrender, "And throw away your one chance at freedom."

"Freedom? Death is freedom?" Charcoal scoffed. "You are here to kill us. Do not deny it."

Chartreuse shook her head. "We're not. Why would we bring a single Star of 'Mechs if we wanted to destroy you? Given your lack of air defense, sending in an aerospace Star would have been much simpler and quicker." Some of the 'Mechs shuffled uncertainly, and she knew logic was the right choice in this situation. Despite their numbers the cadets were scared, and she had to make them feel safe for them to surrender willingly. "No, we're not here to kill you," she repeated. "If you surrender peacefully and give up your 'Mechs, you will be allowed to go free with no consequences."

"And what if we have nopony to go back to? What if there's nothing left for us to live for?" one of the braver cadets called out. Chartreuse turned to see a Shadow Cat standing a few steps in front of the others, and she felt pity for them as she remembered the destruction of her own hometown.

"Then you must find a new reason to live, just as I have. It is entirely your decision. Just know that by the end of this war Clan Draconequus will be destroyed, and the survivors will be absorbed into other Clans, like I was." Chartreuse glanced around the line of 'Mechs. She recognized the cutie marks painted on a few of them, and she hoped they could do the same. Maybe she could use empathy to get through to them.

"A little over a year ago, I was in the exact same situation as all of you, underneath Charcoal's command. Some of the older among you may remember who I am, and that I was born in Styx, the first of many towns to be almost entirely wiped out in cold blood. I don't have anything to go back to, either. Yet I still chose my own path, and here I am, giving all of you the choice you should have had in the first place. If you surrender peacefully, you will be given the opportunity to join Clan Wolf and choose your own destiny. You do not have to remain soldiers. What you become is entirely up to you."

Chartreuse looked nervously at the cadets. Moving speeches had never been her thing, and as they all sat there in silence, she began to worry that they would choose to fight. "Should I have been kinder? They are just foals, after all," she thought anxiously. However, when the Shadow Cat took another step forward and its pilot began to speak, her confidence came rushing back.

"I'll join you. Though, to be perfectly honest, I don't think I could go back to an easy life after this. I hadn't considered the possibility of others in our situation until now, and I want to help free them like you, if I can." A few of the other cadets quietly voiced their agreement, but Chartreuse imagined most of them would choose a much safer career.

"Traitor!" Charcoal shouted. He turned the torso of his 'Mech toward the Shadow Cat, preparing to destroy it and kill the pilot inside.

Before he could fire, Chartreuse placed a PPC shot right in front of Charcoal's cockpit, wanting to draw his attention without damaging his Mad Dog. "Your fight is with me, Charcoal. If you hurt any of them, I'll make sure your death is extra painful."

Charcoal scowled and turned his 'Mech back to face Chartreuse. "You think that you can order me around just because you are a higher rank now? You are still just a freebirth, and you will always be a freebirth, lowborn scum."

Chartreuse let out an annoyed breath and ignored the slurs. "That was a threat, not an order. You're going to die today. It's your choice how gruesome it is."

"You are intent on spilling my blood? Very well, then we shall fight here and now, in our 'Mechs," Charcoal said smugly. "I will not be the one to die today, however."

Chartreuse shook her head irritably. The challenging process in the Clans wasn't supposed to happen like that, and she wasn't happy he had chosen to fight in front of the cadets where stray fire could injure them. Still, it also meant she could kill him sooner. "Fine. Then let's start-" Chartreuse cut off as her cockpit jolted suddenly, and the flashing damage indicator caught her attention. Charcoal hadn't waited until the fight officially began to fire, and her heavily damaged right torso meant she would start at a strong disadvantage. She growled in annoyance and brought her weapons to bear on the much lighter 'Mech. If he wanted to fight dirty, then she'd happily oblige.

Chartreuse quickly placed two PPC shots in the Mad Dog's right leg, ending Charcoal's attempt to circle around behind her. She then fired her two remaining PPC's at the 'Mech's hip actuator, removing its ability to turn its torso. Even though the outcome of the fight was decided long before it began, he seemed determined that he was going to win. Chartreuse almost found it admirable, if he weren't such a heartless pony.

A fast-moving dot on the radar caught Chartreuse's attention, and she whirled around in time to see a 'Mech using its Jump Jets to fly through the air toward her; It was Commander Juniper in her Gyrfalcon, trying to execute a death from above attack, something the partial winged 'Mech was designed to do. Even though the machine was barely half the weight of Chartreuse's Warhawk, it could still cause catastrophic damage. Chartreuse had completely forgotten about that pony, and she was annoyed that the fight had broken from the one-on-one rules of Clan warfare.

Thinking quickly, Chartreuse knew she wouldn't be able to kill the 'Mech with just her PPC's. The Gyrfalcon mounted reflective armor, which excelled at mitigating damage from energy weapons. It would take an alpha strike to destroy the 'Mech, and with four ER PPC's mounted on her Warhawk, that much heat would cause a massive spike in internal temperature that would spell certain doom for her.

Instead, Chartreuse took a quick step forward and reared the right arm of her 'Mech back. She then swung the torso so that the barrels of the two particle cannons in that arm rammed into the Gyrfalcon's center torso as it descended towards her, shattering the brittle reflective armor. She then fired the weapons in that arm at just the right moment to destroy the falling 'Mech and kill its pilot before its momentum ripped the arm off of her Warhawk.

The Warhawk's torso rocked again as Charcoal fired his dual Gauss Rifles at the 'Mech's rear torso, punching through the armor but doing nothing more than destroying a couple of heat sinks. Chartreuse smirked and turned back to face him in his Mad Dog. "Did you forget what I was capable of?" she asked as she leveled her 'Mech's remaining arm with his cockpit.

Chartreuse wished she could see the look on Charcoal's face through his neurohelmet, and as much as she wanted to gloat more, she knew she couldn't wait for his Gauss Rifles to recharge. Instead, she fired both of her PPC's, smiling spitefully as the glass of the Mad Dog's cockpit disintegrated and the pony inside was incinerated. Chartreuse sighed in relief and leaned back in her seat. She definitely felt better now that the fight was over, and in a way, she felt she had avenged the deaths of her friends.

The memory of being told none of her friends had survived their fight on Strana was painful. Chartreuse could clearly remember the cold emptiness that had gripped her heart when Galaxy Commander Peregrine told her a group of assault 'Mechs broke through the Ghost Bear lines and had killed Sundance and the others while she was unconscious. She felt obligated to keep fighting, thinking she was the only one of their group still left alive.

"So... what happens now?" the cadet in the Shadow Cat asked, rousing Chartreuse from her thoughts.

Chartreuse sat back up and glanced around the group of 'Mechs. Not a single one of them had tried to help Charcoal and Juniper, and she was glad they all seemed to have common sense. "Well, not much as long as you're cooperative. This planet will be under Clan Wolf's control in a few hours, so you can either choose to stay here and catch a ride with the salvage team when they come through, or you can go and find work somewhere else on Dike. It's all up to you."

The Shadow Cat pilot nodded and glanced at Charcoal's fallen 'Mech. "How long is the training process in Clan Wolf? I was supposed to join the war later this year, so my cadet days are pretty much finished. I'd really like to fight against Clan Draconequus after everything they've taken from me."

Chartreuse shrugged. "I'm not sure. They allowed me to fight as soon as I was officially a Wolf, but I already had battle experience at that point. You'll have to take that up with somepony else."

"Okay. Thank you for saving us," the cadet said. She turned to go back to her friends, but she paused for a moment and looked back. "My name's Honey Bee, by the way."

"And I'm Star Commander Chartreuse. Good luck out there," Chartreuse said with a nod before turning back to the DropShip. The other 'Mechs milled around for a few short moments, but soon they started filing down the path toward the hangars, and Chartreuse smiled to herself. It was a good feeling to know that she had personally put an end to a part of her old Clan's tyranny, but she had much more work to do before she could fully forgive herself.

Meanwhile on the Eclipse, somewhere in Inner Sphere space...

Discord wiped his eyes dry and rose unsteadily to his feet. He was back in the Earth Deck of the Eclipse, where he had just finished burying Princess Skyfire's body. With the exception of her cutie mark and the presence of a horn she looked exactly like Fluttershy, and because of this strong resemblance, all Discord could see at the time was the closest friend he'd ever had dying a horrible, painful death because of him.

"No, it wasn't my fault. I'm justified in my actions," Discord told himself for the hundredth time since setting out after the princesses. It lacked its usual conviction, however, and he found himself unable to believe the words that had kept him going for so long. Even his tracking spell, which he had cast again to locate the princesses after Prince Orchard teleported them and himself to safety, was not as strong or confident as it had been before.

Discord shook his head impatiently and tried to force himself to concentrate. Even though Orchard was an alicorn, they were far enough out into space that he wouldn't be able to teleport the princesses off of the Eclipse. They were still on the ship, so why was the spell taking so long to find them?

"Finally," Discord said dramatically as he felt the familiar tug in his mind. They were in the hangar, prepping one of the escape pods. It was an act of desperation; surely they knew they'd never get off fast enough to escape? The air around Discord crackled and warped as he teleported himself to the hangar, not far off from where the three ponies were standing. Celestia and Luna were inside the escape pod, while Orchard was busy moving a few small devices into the cramped spacecraft. He was the first to notice Discord, and he dropped what he was carrying and turned to face the draconequus.

"Stay back, Discord," Orchard growled as he placed himself between Discord and the princesses, "or I'll-"

"Yes, yes, I get the point. We don't need to waste time on that conversation," Discord said, faking a yawn. "Now, step aside, and we can all go home sooner."

Orchard dropped into a defensive position and snorted. "No."

Discord shrugged. At least he tried. "Have it your way, then." He waved his clawed hand dismissively and sent Orchard flying with his magic, feeling a surprising amount of guilt as the orange pony's head hit the wall with a dull thud and he crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Hoofsteps caught Discord's attention, and he turned back to the escape pod to see Celestia walking toward him, with Luna not far behind. "It's time to stop all this, Discord. You have us. That's what you want, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is indeed." Discord felt the magic surge though his body as he prepared to kill them, properly this time, but a question in the back of his mind stopped him. It was something he wanted an answer to before they died. "I want to know one thing first. If you were going to give yourselves up without a fight anyway, why wait so long? After all the death and destruction I've left in my wake, you should have surrendered from the start. Less ponies would have died that way."

Neither Celestia or Luna spoke. They both seemed genuinely unhappy at that statement, but he could tell there was a good reason behind it from their hesitation. "Well? You're about to die. Might as well reveal your secrets."

Luna sighed and shot Discord a wholehearted glare. "Fine, I will tell you. We wanted to use the Elements of Harmony to defeat you, but to do that we needed to find the bearer of the Element of Loyalty." she glanced sideways at Celestia. "I never believed we would find the correct pony. Almost every Element bearer has been a descendent of a previous bearer, and as far as we know, all of the descendants of Rainbow Dash reside in the Clans."

Discord tapped his chin. "Ah, now I see. You were just grasping at straws. Even if you had found the pony you were looking for, I don't think the other bearers would have been as harmonious as you believe."

Celestia frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say a certain dark gray alicorn was helping me plan your murder before I regained my powers."

Celestia took a step back, flustered. "You - how long have you been planning to overthrow us?"

"A few years now. This all started when you refused to attack the Clans. We could have wiped them all out, you know. We still can, in fact. My underling is preparing for war as we speak, and once you are dealt with, our invasion will begin." Discord chuckled again. "You really should have listened to me. This all could have been avoided."

Luna shook her head. "When will you learn, Discord? Nothing can justify wiping out billions of ponies. Think of all the innocent lives that will be lost!"

"That's the least of your worries right now." The room became darker as Discord prepared his magic again. "For real this time, goodbye."

"This isn't like you. What happened to that kind, chaos-loving draconequus from a thousand years ago?"

Discord's head whipped around at the faint voice that was unmistakably Fluttershy's. Obviously she wasn't actually there, but he had heard it as clearly as if she were standing right behind him, and it had been accompanied by the unforgettable feeling of her presence. He growled to himself and turned back to the two princesses. "Like I said, he died half a century ago. He's not coming back."

"Of course I believe in you! I've always believed in you!"

Discord shook his head vigorously, trying to clear the warring thoughts from his mind. He kept seeing flashes of memories from times much brighter and happier than the present; Spring Bud taking one of his vacation days off from work to spend time with Discord, him and Fluttershy laughing at one of his jokes, the first time he had realized how much friendship meant to him...

"No. My mind won't be changed. I've come too far to back down." Discord raised one hand shakily toward the two princesses and pressed his thumb and forefinger together firmly. "I'm ending this. Now."

Discord sighed as he took his first step on Terra in what felt like decades. He was back inside the castle, where surprisingly little had changed. He'd almost expected the entire place to be covered in dark décor and for the air outside to be foggy and dreary, but everything looked exactly like he had remembered.

The memory of his actions on the Eclipse made Discord shudder. At the last moment he'd seen a flash of Princess Skyfire again, dying from his magic, and he'd felt his power falter slightly as he subconsciously cast a different spell. He'd been unable to kill Celestia and Luna, and they were now hidden in Chaosville where they were statues instead of corpses. He was so sure he could have killed them, and had it not been for Skyfire sacrificing herself and bringing back memories of Fluttershy, he would have. Now, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do.

Discord raised one hand and stared at it for a moment. "What am I doing? I've gained nothing and wasted half a millennium wallowing in bitterness. Fluttershy was right." He sighed again and put his hand back by his side. "Maybe I should call off the invasion. Do I really want to kill ponies who had nothing to do with the war all those years ago?"

Hoofsteps approaching Discord's direction drew his attention, and he was unable to continue that thought. He turned just in time to see Celestia and Luna step around the corner, very much not encased in stone.

"But - how - I turned you two to stone!" Discord sputtered, thoroughly confused. There was no way somepony could have found the princesses, reanimated them, and brought them here in the few seconds he'd been gone. He was about to cast the spell again, but Celestia raised one of her hooves and motioned for him to stop.

"Calm down, Discord. We're not really the princesses," Celestia said just as her and Luna were both enveloped in bright green fire. After a brief moment the flames cleared to reveal two sky-blue changelings that looked similar enough to be siblings. "Vendetta's been waiting for you. He says the invasion is ready to begin, on your command. Here." The first changeling walked up to Discord and forcefully handed him a tablet.

Discord felt a strangely familiar twinge go through his body as he grabbed the device. It felt similar to when he had taken the enchanted ring off of his finger, but distinctly different. As a test he tried to turn the changeling in front of him from blue to pink, but nothing happened.

"It's enchanted to take away my magic!" Discord thought just as the second changeling darted out from behind his companion and lunged toward Discord, holding a very heavy looking shackle. He flinched back and dropped the tablet, but he'd been too preoccupied to notice the changeling had moved closer, which didn't give him enough time to react. Before the enchanted device left Discord's hand, the shackle slammed shut around his neck and clicked as it locked into place. He tried to use his magic to shove the two changelings away from him, but nothing happened.

Both of the changelings suddenly morphed into large minotaurs, and they grabbed Discord and threw him to the floor. One held his legs in place while the other grabbed his arms, and despite his best struggles, he couldn't budge them. "You vermin! When I get this thing off, the first thing I'm conjuring is a giant flyswatter."

"Oh, Discord, you never know when to accept defeat, do you?" a menacing voice said from the shadows. Discord twisted his head around to see a six-legged monster step out into the open, its body a horrible mess of pony and machine.

"Vendetta," Discord growled. "What do you think you're doing?"

"The right thing," Vendetta said in a way that sounded like he were explaining this to a small child. He shook his head and walked up to Discord. "It's a shame for you, really. You used a bit too much magic when you created me, and you didn't think your spell through thoroughly enough. As it turns out, having two brains and two computers that work as one is quite the powerful combination.

"I've been watching you on your little vacation. You've been having doubts the past few days, and while I couldn't see what was going on between you three in the Eclipse, I now know you didn't actually kill the two princesses based on your exclamation earlier. Were you even planning on invading the Clans anymore?"

"As a matter of fact, no. I've decided against it." Discord struggled vainly against his captors one last time, and gave up when he felt their grip tighten. "Why betray me like this?"

Vendetta snorted and leaned his head close to Discord's so only he could hear. "It's in my nature. You created me to wipe out the Clans, remember? That's my sole purpose in life, and with the help of that enchanted shackle around your neck, you can't use your magic to change that. Now that you're opposed to the invasion, you're nothing more than an obstacle." He straightened back up and jerked his head down the hall. "Take him to Tartarus. We'll decide what to do with him later."

Discord felt himself being lifted off the ground, held between the two minotaurs. He glanced back as they carried him swiftly down the hall. "You filthy traitor."

Vendetta's chuckled. "You're one to talk, Discord."

Discord swung his head back around and let it hang limply in front of him. Vendetta's laughter echoed eerily through his head and down the hall, and as the two minotaurs carried him into the portal room and through the portal to Tartarus, he knew the monster was right.

Vendetta shook his rough mane and turned to face the door that had opened behind him. Four alicorns filed out, a dark gray stallion with a short blue mane and violet eyes in the lead; Prince Shadow Chaser, the leader of the House of Generosity, and the only House leader in the Inner Sphere who wasn't directly related to his predecessors. He glanced down the hall at where Discord had disappeared. "Well, I think that was all we needed to hear."

Vendetta nodded and glanced at the other three alicorns. "Do you see now? We were right to be suspicious of him."

Princess Flurry Heart nodded reluctantly. "Yes, but that doesn't change my mind about invading the Clans. They've done nothing to us since the war ended, so why start fighting again?"

"Restarting the war has nothing to do with Discord," Shadow said patiently. "They're a dangerous, warmongering group of ponies. They shouldn't have invaded us in the first place."

Flurry shook her head. "But they only invaded us because we drove them out. Nothing would have happened had we left them alone, and we might even still be allies."

"I, for one, am with Vendetta and Shadow on this," another of the alicorns said. He had canary fur, a bouncy pastel pink mane that framed a feminine face, and bright emerald eyes. "Flurry, you remember what the Clans were like when they first formed, don't you? Even if they never directly attacked us, they were full of infighting. All it would have taken was one stray round destroying one of our ships, and our citizens would have been calling for Clan blood. It was only a matter of time."

"I know, Cheese, but..." Flurry sighed and turned away. "It just isn't right. We're at peace now. I don't want to break it."

Nopony else spoke, and after a moment, Vendetta turned to the only pony who had remained silent. Her multitone purple mane stood out sharply against her pale lavender coat, and her violet eyes carried the slightest hint of blue. "Princess Twilight?"

Twilight Solace closed her eyes and scowled slightly. After a short moment she opened them and glanced around at the other ponies. "The Clans killed the last Twilight, my great-grandmother, when we drove them out, and later my grandfather and his sister when they invaded. I know it's wrong to start the war again, but Cheese makes a really good point. Also, it's hard to fight my emotions. So many ponies in my family died to them." She sighed heavily and turned her head away.

Flurry stared at Twilight with her mouth agape. "But - Twilight! What would your mother think about this?"

Twilight shook her head. "She's not here anymore. My decisions are mine, and mine alone. It's up to us to protect our citizens." She locked eyes sadly with Vendetta. "I'll join the invasion, but once we take over the Clans, the fighting must stop immediately. I don't want unnecessary casualties, especially to innocent ponies. And I won't take all of my soldiers. Only the ones who are willing to attack unprovoked like this."

Vendetta nodded and turned back to Flurry. "There you have it. Majority rules, and the invasion will take place." Noticing her confused expression, he snorted. "I'm excluding you, of course. The Crystal Empire isn't nearly large enough to contribute a meaningful amount in terms of soldiers and supplies, so it's only fair that you don't get a say in the matter."

Flurry opened her mouth to protest, but Li'l Cheese stepped in between the two. "I don't think that's right. Even if her military isn't nearly as large as any of ours, she's still one of us. Her voice counts as much to me as anypony else's." Flurry shot him a grateful glance, and he nodded to her. "We should wait for Orchard and Skyfire to get here before we make a final decision. If the vote ends in a tie, we'll decide what to do from there."

Vendetta scowled, but before he could reply, another pony stepped around the corner and spoke up. "Skyfire is dead. She doesn't get a vote anymore."

Everypony turned to look at the newcomer, and there was a collective gasp. Prince Orchard was standing at the end of the hall, leaning heavily against the wall and holding a hoof over a bleeding wound on his head.

"She's... dead?" Twilight asked, shocked.

Orchard nodded solemnly. "She sacrificed herself to save Celestia and Luna. I went back for her body, but couldn't find it anywhere. Discord must've done something to it," he said with a low growl.

Nopony spoke for a long moment, having been stunned into silence. The alicorns were all very close, and losing one was almost as bad as losing a sibling.

Flurry broke the spell first, moving over to where Orchard rested. "Don't worry, we'll find her and give her a proper sendoff," she said quietly in a way that sounded like she was holding back tears. "For now, let's just get you to the infirmary."

Orchard nodded, but turned first to where Vendetta was standing. "I'll join the invasion, too. My mother died when the Clans attacked. I want revenge."

Flurry gasped. "But Orchard, what would Skyfire think?"

"Didn't you hear what Twilight said? The dead's opinions aren't relevant to the future. We can't get caught up in the past." Orchard sighed and whirled around before plodding away in silence. Flurry's head drooped as she followed, escorting him to the infirmary.

"Well, I think our course is settled, then," Vendetta said after a moment.

Shadow nodded. "Our armies are nearly ready. Once we've had our time to grieve and a new leader of the House of Kindness is chosen, we should meet again to discuss our plans."

"Is... is her son even ready to take the throne?" Cheese asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Cedar's training won't be complete for a couple more years, at most. Skyfire's council will likely take over until then."

Cheese sighed. "In the meantime, didn't Discord say Celestia and Luna were turned to stone?"

"Yes, but where would he have hidden them?" Shadow asked, feigning curiosity.

"I think... I think somewhere in Chaosville. Only he can traverse that place without getting lost, so it would make sense," Twilight said. "We should send out search parties immediately. Should Flurry be in charge of that?"

Shadow shook his head. "I have a few units in my military that aren't up to snuff, so I'll send them in and let them do their own thing. I think we should just leave Flurry and the Crystal Empire out of the fighting, and have her pick up some of the slack of leading the Great Houses while we're gone. Obviously we shouldn't leave everything to her, but she can still help."

"That sounds acceptable. Get them in there as soon as possible. We shouldn't make Flurry take on that much responsibility for longer than we need to. She wouldn't want that much stress." Twilight bowed her head and walked slowly down the hall. "For now, let's go our own ways. I want to be alone for a while."

Cheese nodded in agreement and trudged in the opposite direction, leaving Shadow and Vendetta alone in the empty hallway.

Once the others were long gone, Shadow leaned in close to Vendetta and spoke in a hushed whisper. "So do you think the princesses really are in Chaosville?"

Vendetta nodded. "I think Twilight hit that nail on the head. It's the most logical solution for him to make. Even with an entire army searching there, it could take years to find them. Electrical systems are affected by the chaotic aura, so we're limited to searching by eyesight alone. And once you find them..."

Shadow smirked. "Don't worry, my soldiers won't find them. I'll make sure of that. And when this war is over..?"

"I'll help you take over the other Great Houses, as promised. I have no need for power. My sole purpose is to destroy the Clans."

"Good." Shadow stretched his legs and started down the hall. "This is turning out to be quite the profitable business deal."

Twilight held her breath as Shadow walked right past without noticing her. After the few longest seconds of her life, when he had disappeared from sight, she let out the anxious breath. She was so glad her great-grandmother had included an invisibility spell in one of her spell books. She'd had a feeling learning something like that would come in handy one day.

Twilight peeked around the corner carefully, but Vendetta was nowhere to be seen. She'd thought she heard his unique gait heading in the other direction, and it looked like she was right. The air crackled around her as she dropped the invisibility spell, and she teleported herself to her dedicated guest room in the Canterlot castle.

"So... Skyfire is dead, Celestia and Luna have been turned to stone, Discord is in Tartarus, a new war is soon to begin, Shadow is betraying us, and Vendetta lied to us, just as I had suspected." Twilight sighed and flopped back onto her bed, taking deep breaths to calm herself. "This is a lot to take in at once."

Twilight rolled onto her side and lifted the small picture on the end table. It showed her and the other seven alicorns at her coronation, nearly two hundred years prior. She was the youngest of all of them, but they still treated her like she was one of them, and she was extraordinarily grateful. They'd all taken her under their wing, both literally and figuratively, and she felt it was time she paid them back. She just hated that Skyfire had died so suddenly, that Celestia and Luna might not come back for a very long time, and that one of her very own friends was a traitor and was planning their deaths. He wasn't a true friend at all. He didn't deserve to bear an Element of Harmony.

Twilight set the picture back down and sat up in her bed, determined to do something about their situation. She wasn't sure the others would believe what she had heard without proof, so she'd either have to get some, or solve the problem on her own. "Don't worry, guys. I'll put a stop to this, no matter what it takes. This time, I'll be the one protecting all of you."

Chapter 11 - The Clawing

Sundance rubbed his right foreleg absent-mindedly, waiting for Cobalt to return. Now that all of them had finished their trials, they'd been given analyses from the Colonel and had had their bondcords removed. It had been a part of him for so long that it almost felt wrong to not be wearing it.

The older pony's words still rang in Sundance's head. While Cobalt had been impressed with his performance, he'd still been picked apart with ease, causing conflicting feelings of pride and shame. Even so, all the paperwork had been filed and his bondcord was cut, and it felt good to finally belong somewhere again.

The door to the room hissing open caught Sundance's attention, and he looked over at it, expecting to see the strict Colonel re-entering. Instead, he was surprised to see all five of his friends file in, some looking more beat-up than others.

Even after having almost a month on base to recover, Hazelnut and Vermilion both looked gaunt, and he remembered that they had spent their time in a desert. Mist didn't look too different than he remembered, maybe a little more lean, but Mint had a few barely visible marks on her throat, and Sundance wondered what the story behind those was. Additionally, she was standing so close to Mist that their shoulders brushed, which was curious. However, the one thing he saw common between all of them was the smiles on their faces, showing their joy at finally being reunited.

"Sundance, you bastard, you barely look any different than you did seven months ago!" Mist joked as he sauntered over to the white pony and gave him a hug. "Obsidian told me you guys spent five months strapped into a suit of Battle Armor. Why did you guys get to be so lucky?"

Sundance snorted. "Lucky? We were almost killed by a ghost bear. Twice. Not to mention we almost fell down a crevasse, we both nearly died from hypothermia, we had to sleep together otherwise we would've-"

"Wait, you two slept together?" Mint interrupted. "I never knew you were gay, Sudnance. Even so, you could've spared us the details. Mist and I are dating now, but we didn't tell you guys everything that happened between us."

Sundance shook his head vigorously. "I'm not! There was no sex involved. We would've frozen to death if we didn't- wait, you guys are dating?"

"Don't worry, even though you didn't tell any of us, I already saw everything. The entire Trial was recorded on video, and I snuck into Cobalt's computer and watched it all," Enzo said from the doorway, having entered when nopony was looking.

Mint spun around, her face already transitioning to a bright shade of red. "You WHAT?! Everything?" she cried.

Enzo broke down into laughter and pointed at her face. "No, but it was worth it to see your expression! Cobalt's the only one who watched you two, and any footage is encrypted and will be stored somewhere in cold storage. If he did see anything he didn't tell me, and I'm not going to break into one of those vaults to watch a video of two foals fucking. That would be a little creepy."

"We're not foals anymore," Mist said defensively, his cheeks also starting to turn pink.

"Certainly not, otherwise you would not be here," another voice said from outside the room. Enzo jumped and turned to see Cobalt and Scarlet standing in the hallway, and he entered the room so they could follow. Scarlet closed the door behind them, and the room quickly fell into silence.

"So," Cobalt began, "the six of you are still here because you completed your respective Trials adequately. You all demonstrated incredible loyalty, integrity, and combat ability, both then and also during the battle nearly a year ago. You have proven your skill time and time again, and are eligible to become warriors in your new Clan."

Sundance and the others exchanged excited glances, but before any of them could say anything, Cobalt continued. "However, unless you decide to complete one final trial, the likelihood you will stay together as a unit is very unlikely. It is a dangerous one, debatably even more so than what you have already endured. It is up to you whether you participate or not. It only takes place once a year, and luckily for you six, that time is in two weeks, here on Strana.

"It is a ritual referred to as 'The Clawing.' After taking time to reflect with the Loremaster, you will be released into the antarctic of Strana, where it will be your party's mission to kill a ghost bear armed with nothing but spears and return with its carcass. If you do, I will be able to transfer you six to my Keshik, where you will replace old warriors who are scheduled to retire or transfer to a solahma unit soon. What is your decision?"

There was silence among the six ponies for a moment. So soon after having completed dangerous tasks, they were being asked to take on another. It was a tough decision. Even so, they knew they couldn't let a risk like that tear them apart after everything they'd been through. They were going to finish the war together, or not at all.

Obsidian took a step forward, the first to speak. "I'll do it, sir. We've already killed one ghost bear, so another won't be a problem," he said confidently with a glance at Sundance. The young pony nodded and stepped up to join his older companion.

"I'm not letting you go off without me. Slate would kill me if I left you to your own devices," Hazelnut said to Obsidian as he walked over to his close friend.

Mist chuckled. "Fuck it, we've come too far to back down now. I'm in, too. Between the lot of us, killing a ghost bear will be a snap," he added. Mint nodded her agreement. It was already obvious that if one of them made a big decision like that, the other was going to follow without hesitation.

"And I'm obviously coming with you. Someone has to make sure none of you die," Vermilion said jokingly as he pushed his mane out of his eyes, which he had elected to leave long after it had grown out during his trial.

Cobalt nodded his approval. "I had no doubt all of you would accept. You have improved greatly over the past half year, not only as soldiers, but as ponies, too. I will give you the rest of today to spend together, but after that, you must begin preparing for The Clawing. It is not just physical strength you will need; you will also need to have your wits about you at all times. MechWarriors Obsidian and Sundance can tell you all about how ghost bears appear out of nowhere. I know you can exceed my expectations. Do not disappoint me. You are dismissed," he said. The six of them saluted before he strode out of the room, Enzo and Scarlet not far behind.

"Man, he says that a lot, doesn't he?" Mint joked after the three of them were out of earshot.

Sundance chuckled and nodded. "Yep. That's what, our third time hearing that since we've known him?"

"Something like that," Mint replied.

Obsidian snuck up behind Mint and Mist before wrapping his forelegs around their shoulders and pulling them close. "Enough about that, I want to hear more about what you two have gotten up to. I think that's what we're all the most curious about right now, right, Sundance?"

Sundance shrugged. "Not really."

Mint shook her head. "Ugh, you fucking pervert. Why should we tell you? Our personal lives are our own."

"Aw, come on. don't be so prudish. It's healthy to be open about your sexuality. I let Hazelnut fuck me once, and I'm not embarrassed to say it," Obsidian said. "I'll even tell you the full details if you want to hear.

Hazelnut made an annoyed noise, his face flushing with heat. "You might not be embarrassed, but I am. And I'm not gay. It was one time. I was just curious," he added.

"Ew, nopony wants to hear anymore about that. Can we change the topic?" Mint asked.

Hazelnut nodded vigorously. "Yes, I agree. Who wants to hear about how I got pancreatitis from a scorpion sting in the desert and almost died?"

"I do, that sounds like a very entertaining story," Mist said as he broke away from Obsidian, with Mint closely behind him.

Obsidian sighed and turned to Sudnance as the others gathered around Hazelnut. "Man, why is everypony so averse to talking about sex? It's a big part of life."

Sundance shrugged. "It's just awkward to talk about."

"Whatever. You all are no fun," Obsidian said with a wave of his hoof. "Anyway, I actually kind of do want to hear Hazelnut's story, so stop bothering me already."

"But I didn't-" Sundance began, but before he got any further he was shushed by Obsidian. He snorted in amusement and rolled his eyes before settling in to listen to Hazelnut.

"It really is great to have all of us back together. I just wish we could've had everypony here," Sudnance thought, feeling his mind wander as Hazelnut finished his story and the others began filing out of the room. He glanced out one of the windows as they passed, which had a view out into the airstrip of the base they were currently on. One of Strana's moons was barely visible in the noon sky, and he smiled sadly at it, remembering his nights with Tangelo. The sweet nights that always made his heart flutter, the moments that made him feel as if everything in the world was perfect and nothing could change that.

"Are you watching? Is your home above the wonderful place you deserve?" Sundance wondered, still thinking of Tangelo. "Someday soon I'll join you. Just wait for me a little longer."

"Ah, that was a nice flight. Slept right through it," Mist said with a relaxed sigh as he stepped off of the transport craft, the last of the group to step out onto the snow-covered ground.

"Yeah, you were too knocked out to notice the dick we drew on your forehead," Obsidian said with a snicker.

Mist paused mid-stretch. "What? Damn it, so I have to go into this thing with a giant penis on my face?" he asked in disbelief. "The others were already going to hate us, now they're going to hate me in particular."

The five others laughed, and Mint shook her head. "We didn't actually, don't worry. It was just a joke," she said comfortingly.

Mist sighed in relief. "Oh, good. You guys had me worried."

"This is not a ritual to be taken so lightly. It is a sacred tradition that has occurred since the birth of this great Clan. It would do you well to learn some respect before you join the others," Cobalt said as he walked toward them through the snow.

The six of them nodded solemnly, remembering why they were there and what they were going to be doing. They would have to kill a ghost bear after taking a month to reflect with Clan Ghost Bear's Loremaster, somepony akin to the highest leader of a religious group. They interpreted Clan law, and in the event of a Khan becoming unable to fulfil his or her duties, they would step in to take the Khan's place.

"Good. Now follow me." Cobalt turned and walked toward a building Sundance hadn't noticed at first. The old-fashioned wooden building blended in well, the snow and few pine trees growing around it hiding its presence.

Sundance looked around as they neared the building. It was set into the edge of a forest, just where the barren tundra behind them began to give way to a taiga. It was a fairly large building, nearly as tall as the stunted trees that surrounded it. It stretched far back into the trees, and if he had to guess, it was large enough for about a hundred ponies to comfortably live in.

The front door to the building swung open as the group neared to reveal a muscular pegasus, who appeared to be in his late fifties or so. He had a sky-blue coat, a short graying midnight-blue mane, and eyes so pale he could easily be mistaken to be blind.

"Loremaster Iceberg," Cobalt said respectfully, giving a whole-hearted salute. The others followed suit, and Iceberg nodded his head, signaling for them to relax.

"Star Colonel Cobalt Dash. It is good to see you again, friend. I was skeptical when you said you would bring six freebirths- my apologies, freeborn ponies, to this Clawing," Iceberg said as he stepped outside and examined the group, peering closely at each inch of their bodies. Sundance felt his skin prickle as the old pony's gaze raked across him, but even so, he felt no hostility in it. "They do seem to be strong specimens, but the other Warriors may not accept them so easily. Sending six warriors from a single Cluster is unprecedented. It breaks tradition. Not to mention their roots in our enemy Clan."

Cobalt nodded his understanding. "I know, but trust me. These six are at their strongest together. I want them in the Silveroot Keshik now. I know they will make a large impact in this war under my command, but to do that, they need to complete this ritual."

"I see," Iceberg said slowly. "Well, if that is what you feel you must do. I have never doubted you before, and that is high praise coming from a Loremaster. We will find out soon what the other Warriors think of this. I will see you again soon," He said to Cobalt before turning back to the group. "Come. I will show you to your quarters." With that he turned on his hooved and walked back into the warm interior of the building. Cobalt nodded to the group as they passed, and as the door slammed shut behind Sundance, he glanced over his shoulder to find the Colonel's steely gaze trained on him.

"This is the Hall of the Clawed Warriors," Iceberg's voice echoed from the middle of a large, long room. Sundance glanced around the walls to see countless small lines scribed into them, each telling a tale of another successful hunt. The walls were nearly full, he noted. "Every Warrior who has completed their Clawing marks these walls to leave behind their legacy. Star Colonel Cobalt Dash obviously has faith that you will add your own legacy to this sacred building." Iceberg turned down the hall to his left, and the others followed.

"These are your sleeping quarters. Four more Warriors will join you once they arrive. You have first choice as to where you will sleep for the next month," Iceberg said as he stopped by a doorway. Obsidian led the group into the fairly small room, where a row of five bunk beds were lined against the far wall. Two storage trunks sat beneath each bottom bunk, and the six ponies all dropped their packs into one of the trunks before rejoining the Loremaster.

Icecap then brought them through the rest of the medieval-styled building, showing them the bathrooms, the dining hall, the training rooms, and the many small spaces they would be using to reflect. Finally he brought them to the main hall, a large ornate room filled with tables and chairs, where the noise of conversation could be heard through the open wooden double doors. A hush quickly fell over the room of fifty or so ponies as Icecap entered, and he signaled for them to continue on with their business.

"This is where we will hold any meetings requiring every Warrior here to be present. Currently, this is where you will wait until all of the Warriors are here," Icecap said, motioning for them to enter. "The meeting is scheduled to start within the hour. You may use this time to familiarize yourselves with the others." After they had walked through the doors he exited again, leaving to greet the next group of ponies who would show up.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting everything to happen like that," Hazelnut said, dumbfounded.

Mist nodded his agreement. "I knew the Loremaster would be here to guide us, but I didn't expect we'd be interacting directly with him."

"Is that freebirth talk I hear? I had better not have to share my sleeping quarters with such animals," a pony jeered from a nearby table. Sundance turned to see a large fire-brick red earth pony with pale gray eyes and a magenta mane staring at them with a condescending look on his face. A few ponies around him turned to watch, glad for the entertainment.

"Yes, that was freebirth talk," Vermilion challenged. "Do you have a problem with that, casket born?"

The pony rose to his hooves, his nostrils flaring. He was even bigger and more imposing standing at his full height, but even though Vermilion stood nearly half a meter shorter than the trueborn pony, he held his ground defiantly.

Before the encounter could escalate further, an olive green unicorn with peach eyes and a short mane the color of the pine trees outside stepped between the two of them. "Hey, how about we leave it at that? This is not a place to be so uncivilized in. Everypony just calm down, and we can all go our separate ways," he said in a silky voice.

The earth pony snorted disdainfully, but he sat back down and looked away. Hazelnut nodded politely to the unicorn. "Thanks for that. We didn't want to start something."

The unicorn turned back to the group and shrugged. "I did not do it for you. This is a sacred rite that should not be filled with arguing and fighting. I am normally indifferent toward freeborn ponies, but it is the duty of every one of us to keep the peace for the next month. I urge you to do your part," he said with a glance at Vermilion.

Vermilion nodded reluctantly. "Okay."

The unicorn seemed content with that, and he relaxed his shoulders. "Thank you. Now come with me. I believe most of the other freeborn ponies are gathered over here." He led the group toward one of the back corners of the main hall, where a group of fifteen or so ponies were seated at the tables there, with a good few meters of space between them and any of the other ponies.

"I am Star Commander Sage Whisper, by the way," the unicorn said politely.

"I'm MechWarrior Obsidian, and they're Hazelnut, Vermilion, Mist, Mint, and Sundance," Obsidian said, pointing to each of them in turn. "We're all the same rank."

Sage nodded, a flash of understanding crossing his face. "Ah, your names are familiar. Are you the six from Clan Draconequus who Star Colonel Cobalt Dash took under his wing? I heard a rumor you would show up today."

Mint raised an eyebrow at him. "We are. How'd you hear Cobalt was our bondholder?"

Sage smiled slightly. "Star Colonel Cobalt Dash is an old acquaintance of mine. We fought together for a brief period in our younger years, and while we do not communicate often, we still talk every now and then." He nodded to the group of freeborns sitting at the tables and stopped. "I will leave you here. I believe we will be seeing a lot of each other in the coming weeks."

The group said their goodbyes and sat down near the other freeborns, who mumbled greetings but did not start a conversation. They all looked tired, and Sundance got the feeling everypony was just wanted to take a nap instead of taking the energy to meet new ponies. He felt the same way, considering Mist's snores had kept him from sleeping a wink on the flight over.

For the better part of forty-five minutes the six ponies talked amongst themselves, Obsidian and Hazelnut telling stories of battles they'd fought while in Clan Draconequus. Sundance noticed a couple of the closest freeborns had swiveled their ears toward the group and were listening rather intently. He was glad they seemed less hostile than the majority of the trueborn ponies in the room.

As Loremaster Iceberg entered the room with one last pony, he shut the doors behind him, sending a hush over the hall. He strode up to the head of the room, where a lectern sat atop a podium. He cleared his voice and spoke loudly, allowing his voice to be heard easily by every pony in the hall.

"Warriors of Clan Ghost Bear. You are gathered here for this sacred ritual, one that has been done for nearly two centuries now. From your grandfathers to your fathers, it is now your turn to learn what it means to be the purest of the Clans' Warriors." The lights in the hall dimmed, leaving spotlights on Iceberg. Iceberg shuffled a few papers on the lectern, but Sundance got a feeling they were only for show. He was certain the old pony had whatever he intended to say learned by heart.

"In year zero of the Intergalactic Calendar, scientists discovered a way to travel many times the speed of light. This led to a century of growth, where..."

"Oh no, I'm getting flashbacks to Commander Seaweed," Mist whispered melodramatically. "Why do we need to sit through this again? Everypony knows the story already. We've heard it a million times."

A pony seated near them heard, and her head whipped around angrily. "Bite your tongue, freebirth! Do not insult the Loremaster with your foul complaints," she hissed before turning back around.

Mist jerked back in shock, but kept quiet. Sundance snorted in amusement and turned his attention back to Iceberg, who was still telling the tale of how everything started. To the old pony's credit, while it was a familiar story they all knew, the way he told it was quite captivating, nothing like Commander Seaweed's monotonous mumbling.

"...and with the new expanse of space inhabited with no central command, the Inner Sphere was formed, split into seven pieces. There were the six Great Houses, named after the essence of the ancient heroes of Equestria. In addition to these, the Terran Hegemony was at the head of the Inner Sphere, acting as an overseer.

"Over time, mistrust grew between the Terran Hegemony and the House of Loyalty. They soon broke off from the Inner Sphere, splitting into six Clans named after Terran creatures; Bugbear, Cragadile, Draconequus, Flash Bee, Star Spider, and Slingtail. The Inner Sphere saw the Clan way as barbaric, and drove the original Clans from their home worlds.

"After over a century of seething anger and research into military technology, the Clans invaded the Inner Sphere, intending to absorb it and establish peace and prosperity. With the invention of the BattleMech their progress was swift, carving out nearly a third of the Inner Sphere before reaching Terra. In an effort to end the war without further fighting the Clans challenged their rivals to a Trial of Possession for the entire Inner Sphere. Princess Celestia defeated IlKhan Storm Dash in the Accursed Trial, leading to the end of the invasion."

There was a quiet murmur throughout the hall, and Loremaster Iceberg raised a hoof for silence. The Trial of Possession that had ended the invasion was often referred to as the 'Accursed Trial,' seeing as Storm Dash's defeat was widely believed to be down to luck. It was a sore topic among the Clans, and nopony enjoyed hearing about it.

"The following four hundred years saw relative peace and great growth. In that time the Clans have made incredible strides in technology, the likes of which had not been seen before. The Clans thrived, and infighting was virtually nonexistent.

"But then, over a century ago, Clan Draconequus broke that peace. They started a war without provocation, without reason, without mercy. That is why you all are here, to prove you are worthy to strike down that vile Clan. A century from now, a new Loremaster will be standing in this very spot, recounting the tale of all of you. This war will be ended by your hooves. The Draconequus scum will be crushed beneath your boots, your tank treads, your BattleMech feet. This is where legends are born! History will be made by everypony in this room, and the Clans will sing your praises for years to come!"

There was a cheer from the ponies in the room, and as Iceberg stepped down from the podium, the room erupted into jovial conversation.

Mist stretched his legs and let out a grunt. "Well, that was at least mildly entertaining. Do you really think we'll make history?"

Sundance shrugged. "More or less. I doubt we specifically will be remembered, but we'll fight against Clan Draconequus soon, which is something."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, what do you think the next month is going to be like?" Mist asked.

"Probably a lot like the last Trials we went through. Lots of time to think to ourselves, followed by a brief but dangerous encounter," Mint replied with a sigh. "And I thought we were done with all of that."

Vermilion nodded his agreement. "The desert was mind-numbingly boring. At least this is a change of scenery."

Mist sighed. "We already went through six months of this, more or less. I think we've reflected about as much as we can. I don't know about you guys, but I think things are going to be really damn dull for the better part of the next month."

Sundance adjusted his face mask and peered out into the snow-covered forest. The day of the hunt had begun, and come morning, all of the Warriors had left on transport vehicles in their predetermined groups to hopefully pass this last stage of the trial. The sun was still low in the sky, and they had about twelve hours of light to find and kill a ghost bear. The ground around them was flat enough that he didn't think there was one nearby, but he was still on edge.

Obsidian hopped off of the transport vehicle next to Sundance and nudged the young pony with his shoulder. "You nervous at all?" he asked, a knowing look on his face.

Sundance nodded. "Yeah. You remember how terrifying those things are. I'd have to be stupid to not be scared."

"Definitely. I'd probably still be shaking if we all had more than just spears to defend ourselves with. We don't even get armor, just insulated clothing." Obsidian pulled his spear from its holder on his back. It was similar in size and construction to the ones they'd had in the mountains, except it looked more specialized for bear killing. It was longer for one; nearly three meters long. The head of the spear was broader as well, and there was a crosspiece beneath it that probably served to keep the spear from becoming too stuck.

"Come on, what are you guys afraid of? There's six of us. How hard could this be?" Mist asked.

Obsidian shook his head. "You don't know how dangerous they are. Standing on their hind legs they're about three times as tall as me or you, and that's on average. Their claws can tear a suit of Battle Armor to shreds, their jaws are strong enough to bend steel with ease, and they weigh over a metric ton. Not to mention they're surprisingly quick. You can't go charging in and expect to survive."

"Don't they hide underneath the snow for days at a time, too?" Mint asked as she walked over.

"Yep. Their white bodies blend in perfectly, and if the terrain is right, you can't even see a bulge in the snow where they're hiding," Obsidian said.

Mist shrugged. "I know all that. I'm just trying to stay light-hearted."

"He's trying to be more like me, is what he's saying," Mint said as she nudged Mist affectionately.

"Enough of that. Half a day sounds like a long time, but do any of you actually know how to find a ghost bear?" Vermilion said impatiently. "You guys only encountered two in five months."

"I think ghost bears are a lot more prevalent here, but you're right. We should probably get going," Obsidian said as he flipped the fur-lined hood over his head and set out into the snow, with the rest of the group following closely behind. "I don't know how to find one. We spent those five months avoiding ghost bears."

Mist scratched his chin. "Hmm. If they hide underneath the snow, should we spread out? That way we can cover more ground. We should stay close, though. If somepony finds one of those monsters, the others have to be able to react quickly."

The others nodded in agreement and followed his instructions. They spread out so they were about fifty meters apart, close enough together to be within earshot if something happened, but far enough apart that it felt like they were covering as much ground as they effectively could.

"Hey, what happens when we find one? How do we kill it?" Mint called after a while.

"Go for its hind legs. If we can get it on the ground, we can go for the throat without too much trouble," Mist replied. "If it charges you, I think these spears are designed to handle that, too. If you ram the butt end into the ground and point the spear at the bear, it should impale itself on the blade, and if you do it right you won't be crushed. Did everypony hear that?"

Sundance and Hazelnut yelled their replies, both being the ends of their line formation. It was comforting to know that they had somewhat of a plan in place, but even so, everypony in their group was still extremely nervous, and nopony spoke afterward. All of their attention was focused on the snow around them, and their ears constantly swiveled around to listen to the sounds of the forest, straining to hear any noise out of place.

As the day went on and the sun passed its highest point, Sundance noticed it suddenly became much darker. He frowned to himself and lifted the tinted goggles from his eyes. There was a shadow swiftly moving across the ground, encompassing the forest floor and bringing with it a strong gust of wind that made Sundance stumble a step forward.

"Shit, a blizzard? Now?" Mist cried as he glanced at the sky behind them, where dark clouds had begun to roll in. "This is even more sudden than the ones on Dike."

"Well that's just perfect. Why wouldn't they postpone the hunt if there was going to be a blizzard? Or get some weather ponies to clear it out?" Hazelnut shouted, fighting to be heard over the low noise of the wind and the distance between the ponies.

Obsidian shrugged. "I guess they thought it would be a good challenge. We should tighten the formation and be extra careful. Once the snow picks up, make sure you can still see the pony next to you."

The group shifted so that they were walking much closer together. Sundance glanced anxiously over his shoulder, where he could see snowfall over the trees. Within moments the snow was upon them, and it brought with it much stronger winds that tore at his mane and made it almost impossible to see more than a dozen meters or so. They were covering a much smaller area of ground than before because of that, and Sundance wondered if a ghost bear would even be able to sense them over the storm.

As if in answer to Sundance's worries, an all too familiar roar echoed through the forest and sent chills down his spine. He exchanged a terrified glance with Vermilion, and the two of them charged off into the snowstorm toward the sound. Fighting could be heard in the distance, and Sundance hoped they wouldn't be too late.

A shape lumbered toward them, and they raised their spears in front of them, thinking it was the ghost bear. However, as it got closer, Sundance recognized the dirt-brown fur of Hazelnut, with his left ear missing and blood running down his face. "Hazelnut! Are you okay?" he asked as he rushed over to the injured pony.

Hazelnut shook his head, splattering crimson onto the snow. "I'm fine! Go help the others!"

Vermilion hesitated for a moment, but he realized Hazelnut was right. The others needed help more than he did. He grabbed Sundance and pulled him along. "It's not lethal, he'll survive. Come on!"

Sundance nodded and followed Vermilion. The vague shapes milling in the distance quickly became a clear image, and he saw the rest of his friends circled around the massive beast, all of their faces contorted in fear. The ghost bear was standing on its hind legs and roaring at them, and if Sundance had to guess, it must've stood almost six meters tall.

"Dear Celestia, that thing's huge," Vermilion said. "How are we supposed to kill that beast?"

"Just like Mist said. Go for the legs," Sundance replied as they joined the circle around the bear.

Mist gave them a sideways glance as they ran up. "There you guys are. I was starting to worry you didn't notice the bear."

"You'd have to be deaf to not hear it, even over the sound of the storm." Vermilion jumped back as the bear swiped at him, and it's claws raked the air where his nose had been moments before.

"Isn't there a faster way to kill it? The longer the fight goes on, the more chances it has to kill us!" Mint called from the opposite side of the circle.

Mist jabbed at the bear's hind legs before darting out of its reach, eliciting a pained roar from it. "I don't know. This just seemed like the safest way to do it. If you think you can kill the thing, go for it."

"Okay. Here goes nothing." Mint hefted the large spear and charged forward, holding the blade level with the beast's heart. The creature didn't seem to notice, and Sundance watched on, thinking she was about to succeed and end the fight. However, instead of sinking into the flesh between its ribs, the blade stopped harmlessly as it thunked into the bear's ribcage, sending the shock of the blow back into Mint and stunning her for a moment.

The bear turned its head angrily with another roar and grabbed Mint's spear in its powerful jaws. It ripped the weapon from her grasp, causing her to stumble forward a few steps, before reaching down to sink its teeth into her body. Mint brought her right foreleg up at the last moment, and the bear crushed the artificial limb in its mouth before picking up the small pony by it and swinging her around like a chew toy.

"Mint!" Mist shouted as he rushed toward the bear, his spear pointed out in front of him. The bear turned and swung one of its gigantic paws at him. He raised his spear to defend himself from the sharp claws, but the force of the blow still sent him sprawling into the snow.

The distraction allowed Mint to regain her focus, and she reached up with her other foreleg. "Nice try, asshole," she grunted as she wrenched her right foreleg from its baseplate, gritting her teeth in pain as the nerves disconnected and she tumbled to the ground, out of the monster's reach.

While the bear had been busy with Mint, Vermilion hadn't been idle. He had moved around behind the bear, and leapt on its back as soon as Mint was free, wrapping one of his forelegs around its thick neck. With his free hoof he held his spear, and with a shout he stabbed it into the beast's right eye until he felt it hit bone.

The bear roared in agony and began shaking its massive body in an attempt to dislodge its attacker. The spear went flying from Vermilion's grasp into the trees, and despite his best efforts to hold on, he soon followed and landed hard against a tree with a dull thud. He struggled unsteadily to his hooves only to immediately fall over, unconscious.

Not wanting to give the bear a moment to recover, Obsidian charged from behind the bear and sank his spear into its soft rear flesh. "How do you like it up the butt?" he yelled as he jumped away from a wild blow sent from one of its hind legs. Confused, in pain, and blinded from the blood in its remaining eye, the beast ran away from Obsidian, straight toward Sundance.

Sundance tried to leap out of the monster's path, but his hooves slipped on the snow beneath him and he fell to the ground. "Fuck!" he thought as he looked up to see the bear looming over him, only a couple dozen meters or so away. It was deceptively quick for its size, and there was no way he'd be able to move out of its way in time. In a matter of seconds he'd be trampled beneath its powerful paws.

"Wait, the spear!" Sundance thought, remembering back to what Mist had said about them earlier. The spears were designed to be rammed into the ground, and they should even be able to hold back a ghost bear's weight. If he could move quickly enough he could not only kill the bear, but hopefully save his own skin in the process.

The ghost bear's pained roars reverberated in Sundance's skull as it barreled toward him. Had it not been for everything he'd been through, both as a cadet and during his previous Trial, he knew he would have frozen in fear in that moment. Their whole group had grown incredibly over the past year, both as ponies, and as soldiers. Sundance knew they could do anything together and make it out alive. He was confident in eveypony's abilities, but most of all, he trusted them and their plans and decisions with his life.

In a flash, Sundance jumped to his hooves and snatched the spear from the snow. He swung it around and jammed the butt end into the hard ground without a moment to spare, leveled at just the right height to do the job. The ghost bear crashed into the spear, which sunk deep into the beast's chest and bent dangerously from the force of the impact, worrying Sundance that it was going to snap and he would be crushed underneath the bear's weight. However, the spear held up, and the bear fell to the side with an almighty crash that nearly knocked Sundance to the ground. It struggled feebly for a moment, but before long its cries grew silent and it stopped moving.

"Is... is it over? Did you get it?" Mist asked as he crept up behind the bear and poked at it with his spear.

Sundance nodded and pulled his own spear free. From the looks of it the weapon had pierced the bear's heart, ending its life swiftly. "Yeah, I think so."

"Dear Celestia, that was terrifying," Obsidian said with a nervous chuckle. "Good job. I thought you were a goner for a second there."

"Yeah, me too. Luckily I remembered what Mist had said earlier about using the spears," Sundance said with a glance at his friend.

Mist scratched his flank through the thick clothing absentmindedly. "It was something I read about boar hunting earlier this month. I noticed the spears we were given were similarly shaped to what's used for hunting boar, but much larger, obviously."

"Well, it's a good thing you read about that. I guess they wanted us to research how to fight ghost bears on our own. I have no idea why none of the rest of us even thought to do that," Obsidian said.

Mist shrugged. "Just luck, I guess."

"What do we do now?" Mint called from across the clearing as she hobbled from the tree line. The blizzard had subsided somewhat, and they could see a little better than before.

"We'll get picked up in a transport vehicle once we send our coordinates to the base," Mist replied.

"Good. I don't know if Vermilion could walk all the way back," Sundance said with a glance at the red pony. Vermilion was awake now, but he didn't look very coherent. His eyes were unfocused, and even sitting down, he seemed unsteady.

Another roar shook the forest, and the ponies jumped in fright. Sundance glanced back at the ghost bear, but it hadn't moved at all while they were talking. Was there another one out there?

"Mint! Behind you!" Obsidian shouted. Sundance's head whipped around to see another ghost bear towering over Mint, impossibly huge and even more terrifying than the one they had just killed. Standing on its hind legs it was nearly half as tall as the trees around it, and it had its paws raised in the air, preparing to slam them down on the small pony. She stood with her limbs locked in terror, staring up at her impending doom with wide eyes.

Something shot past Sundance, making him stumble slightly. He shook his head and saw Mist charging toward the bear at full speed. Even so, it was just an act of desperation. There was no way for him to reach the bear in time to save Mint.

Out of nowhere, a spear flew from the fog of the blizzard and sank into the ghost bear's soft side. It bellowed in pain and turned to face its attacker, completely forgetting about its prey for a moment. That short span of time was enough for Mist to reach it, and with a cry of rage he jabbed his spear into the monster's exposed neck and held the other end of the weapon firmly against the ground.

The bear's cries cut off abruptly as blood began gurgling in its throat and jetting out into the snow around it, coating Mist and Mint in the sickening fluid. It flailed its forelegs wildly, but even with its large size, the spear held it at a far enough distance that it couldn't reach the two ponies. The spear bent underneath the creature's weight, but again proved its strength and remained in one piece.

The spear jerked in Mist's grasp as one of the bear's claws managed to connect with the weapon, and even in its weakened state, the beast had enough strength combined with its weight to shear the spear in half. Mist recovered from the jolt, but not quickly enough to move out of the way. It crashed down on top of him and remained still.

"No... Mist!" Mint shouted as she hobbled over to the dead bear and tried to shove it off of Mist. "Get over here and help me!"

Sundance and Obsidian ran over to help move the monster. Hazelnut appeared from the trees in the direction the spear had been thrown from, his head bandaged in what appeared to be strips of his clothing. "Good timing with that spear," Obsidian said as he began pushing against the bear.

"I hope it was enough," Hazelnut replied as he added his weight to the effort.

Even with the strength of the four ponies, they couldn't quite move the dead bear out of the way. Once or twice it would shift, but then somepony would slip and it would go right back to where it had been before. Sundance had begun to worry that they'd be too late when he felt another pony move in beside him, and he turned to see Vermilion working next to him.

"Vermilion, you're awake!" Sundance grunted inbetween shoves.

Vermilion shrugged. "Barely. Now let's get Mist out of there."

Sundance nodded and turned back to the ghost bear. Now that Vermilion was helping they had just enough combined strength, and with a final heave, the bear rolled over onto its side and off of Mist, who drew a weak breath as the weight was finally lifted from his body.

"Mist!" Mint cried as she jumped forward and wrapped her foreleg around him.

"Ow... I'll live, don't worry," Mist replied, returning the embrace.

Sundance let out a sigh of relief and fell back in the snow. He'd half expected them to not find even one ghost bear on the hunt, so finding two that were considerably larger than average was quite the unexpected turn of events. What's more, the fact that they had all completed their Clawing without life-threatening injuries was a bit surprising. After the excitement died down, it quickly dawned on the group that they were now Clawed warriors, and as a result demanded high respect from the other warriors of Clan Ghost Bear, despite their origins. To top it all off, they'd be able to stay together under Colonel Cobalt's command.

"Are you okay, Mist? That's quite a lot of weight to have crush you," Obsidian said after a moment as he kicked the second ghost bear, still breathing heavily from exhertion.

Mist nodded. "Yeah, my flank just hurts a bit," he said, shifting his rear legs. Sundance could see a cut in the clothing right above the blue pony's right hind leg, but it didn't look too serious.

Mint prodded gently at the tear in the fabric. "I think you'll be alright. The doctors should be able to- oh my..." she trialed off.

"What is it?" Mist asked as he twisted his head around. An expression of shock briefly passed his face, but then he turned back to Sundance and Vermilion with a look of triumph. Even before Sundance saw his friend's flank, he knew what that expression meant.

An open book had appeared across Mist's flank. After seventeen years of cruel life, he had finally earned his cutie mark.

Chapter 13 - The Quiet before the Storm

"So there we are. Sundance had just killed the first bear, and I had finished recovering from being flung twenty meters when we hear a roar so loud it shakes the ground. I turn and see this massive ghost bear nearly the size of a Stormcrow towering over Mint. Its claws are razor sharp, and I can tell by the look in its eyes that it intends to kill every one of us, starting with her. The problem is, none of us are close. I'm about fifty meters from Mint, and..."

Vermilion leaned in toward Sundance as a group of fourteen ponies walked through the interior of the Icecap, saKhan Snow's York-class WarShip. The group was the entirety of the Silveroot Keshik's MechWarriors, save for the saKhan himself, who was already waiting in the main briefing hall with a short speech to give to all the troops on board. "The story becomes more exaggerated every time Mist tells it," Vermilion commented.

Sundance nodded. "I agree, but it's somehow more entertaining this way."

"I guess," Vermilion said with a shrug before turning his attention back to Mist and his recounting of how they killed the ghost bears during their Clawing ritual.

"...when suddenly Hazelnut's spear comes rocketing out of the blizzard. It hits the bear with so much force it staggers sideways, giving me the opening I need to reach it. Once I'm there I plunge my spear into the beast's neck and force the butt of the weapon into the frozen dirt. The spear shaft buckles, making me worry that it's going to snap. But it was too well made. It can hold up to the sheer weight.

"As the bear's struggles get weaker, I grow a little over confident. Its claws slip past my defenses, and it shears the spear with one massive swing of its paw. Time slows as this massive shape plummets toward me, but the snow is too slippery, and I can't get out of the way in time. I feel the broken spear shaft graze my right flank, and then I'm crushed by what must have been a two ton bear, at least.

"I'm underneath there for nearly half an hour, fighting for air, trapped beneath that behemoth. My vision is going dark and I feel myself slipping from consciousness when the others manage to roll the beast off of me, their bodies wracked with exhaustion from the effort of moving such an immense weight. At that point, it was done. The six of us had killed two of the largest ghost bears in recorded history, and I had earned my cutie mark at the same time."

Enzo nodded with fake excitement, having already hear the story a dozen or so times. He opened his mouth to speak, but Mint cut him off with a sigh.

"It was not a two ton bear," Mint said, nudging him with her new right foreleg. After she'd lost her last prosthetic, she made a request for a significantly different artificial limb. Rather than a leg that almost seemed natural, she'd opted for a much more robotic design that would look more at home on a machine than a pony. She said it made her look tough and scary, but the laughter in her eyes that was always present begged to differ.

"No, but it was close," Mist said defensively.

Enzo chuckled. "I know the bear wasn't that large, but he has a right to embellish the story. That makes it more interesting. Besides, it's more immersive if the storyteller recounts a tale how they remember it. The bear may not have been as tall as a Stormcrow and Mist may not have sprinted fifty meters in two seconds, but I'm sure that what it felt like to him at the time."

Mist nodded vigorously. "I told the story exactly how I remembered it."

"If you three are almost done, we have a war to finish," Cobalt called from the head of the group as he stopped by a door, which hissed open to reveal the briefing hall.

"Sorry, Sir," Mist and Mint said in unison. Enzo simply shrugged and followed the ponies who had already begun to file into the room. When the line got to Sundance, Cobalt stepped out to stop him.

"Not you six. I have something you may want to hear first," Cobalt said to Sundance and the others. The Star Colonel led the small group to a quiet corner of the hallway and pulled a tablet from his uniform. "I am sure you are all familiar with the Windigo, the Clan Draconequus WarShip that pursued the Constellation to Strana Mechty?"

Hazelnut nodded, scowling slightly. Out of the six ponies, he harbored the most resentment toward that ship and the ponies on board. "Yes sir. What of it?"

"The ship was discovered two weeks ago by a merchant vessel. It was floating on the edge of Clan space, and was completely inoperable."

Obsidian blinked, surprised. "That far? But why would they go out to the middle of nowhere?"

Mist tapped his chin, trying to remember the stories he'd read about JumpShips. "Considering the Windigo was still damaged when it was found, it's probably safe to assume they had a really bad misjump when they left Strana. If that's the case, it's lucky that we found them at all."

"But that has to be at least a hundred light years. Is that even possible to do in one jump?" Mint asked.

"Mhm. Normally a 'Ship only ends up within a few astronomical units of their intended jump point during a misjump, but tens or even hundreds of light years isn't unheard of," Mist replied. "The damage they sustained was probably from gravitational interference on the warp drive. That doesn't normally happen during misjumps."

"We don't have time for lectures. What about the crew? Don't tell me they're still alive." Hazelnut interrupted.

Cobalt shook his head. "A rescue team was sent to the ship when it was found. They discovered ten surviving ponies who then attacked the rescue crew, murdering twelve of them before they were in turn killed. After an investigation, it appeared that the crew that survived the misjump turned to cannibalism when their rations ran out, and most of them appeared to have gone insane, at least somewhat."

"They ate each other?" Sundance asked in shock. "I can't imagine getting that desperate. I think I'd rather starve to death."

Hazelnut sighed with relief. "Me neither, but at least they're dead now. They deserved it after everything they did and their failed plans."

Obsidian nodded, more subdued than usual. He was glad those bloodthirsty ponies were dead, but he couldn't help feeling a little queasy at hearing they'd eaten each other out of desperation. As much as he hated them, he still found himself wishing they'd instead died during the ship's jump through hyperspace.

Cobalt slid the tablet back into his uniform. "I know this was a weird time to bring that up, but I decided you all should hear that before this final battle. As much as I want to say it will be quick and clean, we have next to no intel on what we are getting into. It would be a shame to go through everything that you have and die before hearing of the fate of your enemies."

"So that's why there are so many 'Ships preparing for this attack," Mist said, as if he had just solved a difficult puzzle. "I've been wondering why it seemed like there was half a Clan's Touman here. Do you really think they have that many soldiers hiding on that planet?"

"It is possible, but we do not know for sure. You will hear the details from saKhan Snow. Come," Cobalt said as he turned away and walked to the briefing room.

The main briefing hall of the Icecap was massive. It was large enough to hold the entire crew of the ship including the soldiers, some five or six hundred ponies. It was mostly full, with the only ponies not present too busy with running the ship. Rows of foldable chairs all facing a small stage at the opposite wall were set up on a concrete floor, with plain gray walls and a tall ceiling surrounding them. The room was shaped for acoustics so that a pony speaking at the front could easily be heard from anywhere without needing to shout.

Sundance could see saKhan Snow from where he stood; an entirely white muscular pegasus with a buzzcut and very short tail. He was staring intently at a tablet that looked almost comically small in his massive hooves, and his appearance combined with his emotionless gaze made him seem like a ghost to Sundance.

"I didn't realize it earlier, but you're right, Mist. There are a lot of WarShips out here for just one planet. The Khans of the attacking Clans wouldn't have brought so many soldiers if we were going to meet minimal resistance. They must be expecting something big," Mint mused as they followed Cobalt to where their fellow MechWarriors were seated.

"My thoughts exactly," Mist replied. "This is Clan Draconequus's last stand. We'll be facing off against everything they've got. What concerns me more is the fact that Cobalt said we have little intel on what we're up against. Scarlet is an incredible scout, both on the ground and in space. She might even be the best freeborn scout in the Clans. If our enemy is being careful enough that not even Scarlet can determine the full size of their remaining army, then they're either hiding a powerful force, or they've got some tricks up their sleeve they don't want us knowing about."

Vermilion frowned. "If that's the case, then things will get ugly fast."

Sundance nodded, feeling a little sick to his stomach. He'd almost expected this final battle to be brief and easy. Nothing more than a quick drop in to kill Khan Bolt before calling it a day. He needed to prepare himself if the confrontation could be as intense as the others had thought.

As Sundance and the others sat down with the rest of their unit, saKhan Snow stepped up onto the small stage and the room almost immediately went silent. The large pony looked out at the assembled ponies silently for a moment. Sundance could feel power emanating from him, and it almost felt like the saKhan's excess strength was flowing into him.

"Comrades," Snow began in a booming voice that carried easily through the whole room, "The time for us to end this senseless struggle is nigh at hoof. Our enemy is backed into a corner. The last of their forces remain on Ironhold, their home planet. As all of you know, they have lost the right to be considered one of us, and they disgrace the Clans with their very existence. That is why we will wipe them out."

Snow scowled slightly. "None of the scouts sent out by any Clan have managed to collect any meaningful information for the coming confrontation. We have seen a significant increase in space traffic to and from this system in recent months, and we have confirmation of the location of their Khans, but nothing solid on what we will fight. A sizeable portion of their Touman has not been recorded as defeated in battle, and there is no telling how many foals they managed to brainwash into doing their bidding. All of them will be at key locations on Ironhold. As a result, we expect heavy resistance. The aim of our enemy for this entire war has been to cause as much damage as possible. You can bet they will not go down without a fight.

"Clan Ghost Bear is not the only Clan participating in this final battle. In addition our Ourse Keshik, Trinary Galaxy Command, and the entirety of the First Bear Guards, Clan Wolf is bringing their Trinary Clan Command, the First Wolf Assault Cluster, and the 279th Battle Cluster. As well as that, we will be joined by the Wasp Keshik and the Sixth Striker Cluster of Clan Bugbear."

"Woah, that many? I knew there were a lot of WarShips here, but I hadn't realized just how many soldiers the Clans were bringing," Mist said. "That's almost two whole Galaxies worth."

Enzo sighed quietly. "That's a lot, but why does he always to use the formal names? Calling us the Silveroot Keshik instead of 'Trinary Galaxy Command' is so much quicker, and 'The Rage' sounds so much cooler than 'First Bear Guards.' Just use our nicknames," he muttered.

Cobalt rapped his brother sharply on the back of his head with one hoof. "Quiet," he growled. The two fell into silence, with the saKhan still talking at the front of the hall.

"Every pony on this ship, the Ourse Keshik and Trinary Galaxy Command, will be attacking a sector in the southern portion of the main continent on Ironhold. There are four military complexes that we will storm and level. We will only stop when they are totally destroyed, or if they surrender.

"Each Star leader has received their individual orders, and you will go over those in private before the DropShips detach in exactly six hours. The warriors of each Clan will move as one. The more precisely this attack is coordinated, the swifter our victory will be. Now go, all of you. Use the days in transit to prepare yourselves. This will likely be a very intense conflict. Good luck, and may the spirit of Rainbow Dash watch over all of you. Dismissed," Snow concluded with a salute. All of the soldiers stood and returned the gesture before the squeaking boots filled the room and everypony began to file out.

"Man. Four Clusters and four Trinaries all attacking a single planet at once. This is huge," Obsidian said as they left the briefing hall. "I don't think I've ever seen so many soldiers in one place, even for non-combat reasons."

Enzo nodded his agreement. "Normally we wouldn't use such a large force on one planet, but this is Clan Draconequus we're talking about. They abandoned their honor a long time ago, so we have to do the same thing to avoid unnecessary losses, at least temporarily. The Clan way of warfare only works if both sides uphold the rules. Obviously Clan Draconequus doesn't, so we have to go all out."

"Yeah. It would be easier if this battle could just be decided through a Trial of Grievance or something. How many ponies are going to die from this?" Mist asked.

"Too many," Cobalt replied. "There is time while the DropShips are prepared. In four hours, all fourteen of us are to be on The Silveroot Keshik's assigned 'Ship. Every Star in our Trinary has the same orders, so we will meet together to go over them. SaKhan Snow will meet us there, and he will be the one leading that briefing. Use this time to gather everything you need for the trip to Ironhold. Your combat gear is already with your 'Mechs, so do not go looking for that. You are dismissed."

"Yes, Sir," the assembled ponies said with a salute. They dissolved into smaller groups, with Sundance and his friends heading off on what they hoped wouldn't be their last walk together.

The six ponies walked in silence for a few minutes, their minds all preoccupied with the coming fight. It would be another three and a half days before they landed on Ironhold, but they couldn't think about anything else. Hearing just how large the conflict was expected to be, they had all realized just how serious things were getting, even this close to the end of the war. They hadn't come this far just to die in the final battle.

"So," Mint said after a while, wanting to break the tense silence, "Who thinks they can beat me at a game of pool?"

Mist snorted. "Pool? At a time like this?"

Mint tapped him sharply on the nose with one hoof. "I'm trying to lighten the mood, you block of lead. We can't mope around for the next few days after hearing how difficult this is going to be. If all we can do is worry about dying, then that's where we'll end up."

Obsidian nodded, his face lightening up again as he forced his stress and worries from his mind. "She's right. Besides, all of us have been through tougher situations than this. There's nothing we can't get through if we stick together, I know it; we killed two of the largest ghost bears in the recorded history of The Clawing, for Celestia's sake!"

Hazelnut nodded and scratched the scar where his left ear used to be. He'd been very lucky that the first bear had only grazed him with one claw during their fight with the two creatures. "We can't operate at one hundred percent if we're distracted by fear. That's how you get killed in battle. Going to one of the rec rooms for a while wouldn't hurt. Besides, it's not like we have many personal belongings that we need to pack up."

Mist sighed in defeat. "Alright, you win. Let's have some fun before we board the DropShips. And I'll kick your ass at pool, just watch!" He and Mint raced ahead of the group, and Obsidian and Hazelnut charged after them. Only Sundance and Vermilion lagged behind.

"Are you still worried?" Vermilion asked as he studied Sundance's face.

Sundance nodded. "Yeah. What they said makes sense, but I can't stop thinking about it. We've really only seen skirmishes and small battles since joining the Silveroot Keshik. The last time we were in a large scale fight..." he trailed off, turning his head away.

"I know what you mean," Vermilion said quietly. "We lost Fern, Chartreuse, and of course, Tangelo on Strana. It almost feels like déjà vu." He smiled and put one hoof on Sundance's shoulder, bringing them to a halt. "But this time is different. We're much more skilled than we were back then. If we stay determined, we'll get through this. We'll win."

Sundance nodded again, feeling some of his anxieties fade. His friend who once could only compare himself to his older brother and secretly harbored strong feelings of inadequacy had become a strong, confident pony. After realizing that, there was no way he couldn't feel motivated. "You're right. We can do this."

"That's what I like to hear." Vermilion jerked his head in the direction of their disappearing friends. "Now, should we catch up?"

"Of course," Sundance said, taking off after the other four ponies. Vermilion followed closely behind, and he couldn't help but feel hopeful. It wasn't just Vermilion who had grown since their first battle on Strana; they'd all become so much stronger. They could survive this. He knew they could.

"I hope you're watching," Sundance thought. He knew Tangelo and their other dead friends would be so proud of the ponies they'd become. "Your deaths weren't in vain. After all this time, the cause you died for is finally becoming a reality. We'll end this war, and we'll be thinking of you when we do."

Chartreuse stepped into her Trinary's assigned DropShip that was attached to the Lupus; the Liberator-Class WarShip that was inhabited by the 279th Wolf Battle Cluster. The other four MechWarriors in her Star followed closely behind, nervous from their recent meetings. A few hours ago Khan Howl had finished briefing all of the Clan Wolf units on the coming battle through a broadcast, and she and the rest of her Trinary had just finished going over their specific instructions not long ago.

"This battle is going to be huge! Do you think we'll survive?" Pixie asked, her worry slipping through the cheerfulness she used to hide her fears.

Chartreuse glanced back at the group of ponies. Pixie and Steel Thunder, a light gray pegasus with electric blue eyes and a short silver mane, had been with her from day one. The third, an orange male unicorn named Bonfire with ruby eyes and a curly three-tone mane that matched his namesake, had replaced a fallen warrior a few weeks later.

The newest addition had joined less than a month ago when another of her warriors had fallen in battle, and they were a pony Chartreuse had never expected to see again. It was Honey Bee; the young pony who'd piloted the Shadow Cat during Chartreuse's return to Dike about a year ago. She had a pastel yellow coat, golden eyes surrounded by no shortage of black freckles, and a soft, long black mane and tail. The fur around the base of her neck was unusually long and fluffy. She'd started dyeing it black when she joined Clan Wolf, making her look even more like a bee.

Chartreuse nodded, trying to comfort the group. Even Steel, who was normally itching for a fight, lacked a little of his usual confidence. "Of course. Our entire Cluster is going to be nearby for this battle. With so many of us in one place, we'll be just fine."

Bonfire nodded in agreement. "Clan Draconequus may put up a fight, but we'll have the advantage in numbers and skill. There's absolutely nothing to worry about."

"You know what? You're right. This battle is gonna be a piece of cake for us." Pixie tapped her nose and stared off into the distance. "Speaking of cake, what are you guys gonna do after the war is over? I think I might become a baker. I could open a shop in my home city. There's a street there where all the best chefs and bakers set up their livelihoods, and if the timing is right, I just know I'll be able to find an empty building and make it big."

Steel snorted. "You would want to do something like that. I, for one, plan to remain a soldier. Putting scum in their place is what I live to do."

"You wanna keep killing, who would've guessed," Pixie muttered. Honey giggled, but Bonfire cut in before the gray pony could retaliate.

"I'll probably go back to working in the family business. My parents own a year-round campground. They're pretty close to retiring, and I get to inherit the place when that happens," Bonfire said proudly. "There's a sanctuary of trees on top of a volcano that erupted thousands of years ago, and the campsite spans an area of almost a hundred square kilometers in that forest."

Pixie nodded approvingly. "That sounds wonderful. I've only been camping a few times since I live in a big city, but maybe I'll visit someday. Our home planets are in the same system, so that's not an unreasonable trip." She turned to Chartreuse and tilted her head curiously. "What about you? I know you don't have anything to go back to, but that doesn't mean you can't start fresh. If you can cook or run a store, we could start that bakery I mentioned together," Pixie said, tapping her hooves happily and smiling from excitement. "Ooh, that sounds like so much fun!"

Chartreuse smiled back and shook her head. "That does sound fun, but I think I'll remain a soldier, too. I have my own reasons to keep fighting that I can't just turn my back on. They're too important."

"Aw, and it was such a perfect idea. Oh well, to each their own. We'll get you to tell us what those reasons are some day," Pixie said jokingly. "What about you, Bee? Care to start that bakery with me?"

Honey shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about it much, but I do like saving ponies. I could become a firefighter or a police officer, but running a bakery seems really enjoyable, too. Maybe I can do both part time."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you're not much younger than Chartreuse. You're what, sixteen? Seventeen? You've got plenty of time to think, so don't rush it," Pixie said.

Honey nodded. "I'll give it more thought. Thanks."

Pixie stretched her shoulders as the group came to a stop just inside one of the DropShip's cargo holds, where their Star's 'Mechs were located. "Mmm, I don't know about you guys, but I could really use a mimosa and a nap."

"Did you remember to stock up? The crew rarely resupplies the champagne. You're the only one in the Trinary who ever drinks it," Chartreuse reminded her.

Pixie stopped mid stretch and scrunched up her face. "No."

Chartreuse and Honey laughed. Pixie forgetting things wasn't out of the ordinary, but the pink pony always acted surprised when it happened. "We don't have long until the DropShips detach, so I wouldn't suggest running back for more," Chartreuse said.

"Yeah, it's probably a bad idea. I'll just have to see what else they've got. You guys coming?"

Chartreuse shook her head. "I'd rather not. I don't like how disoriented alcohol makes me feel."

"I'll pass, too. I don't want to drink underage," Honey said.

"Aw, you sticks in the mud. What about you two? Wanna drink with me?" Pixie asked, turning to Bonfire and Steel.

Bonfire nodded. "Sure. We don't really have much better to do for the next few days, anyway." Steel shrugged and remained silent, but he still followed when Pixie trotted off toward the back end of the cargo hold, where one of the 'Ship's main stairwells was located.

Chartreuse took a step toward a different stairwell that lead to the 'Ship's sleeping quarters, but she stopped when she noticed Honey was staring up at their 'Mechs with a nervous expression. It was easy for her to understand how anxious the relatively unexperienced pony was feeling about her first large-scale battle. Chartreuse always got chills whenever she thought back to how she felt when the enemy Clan Draconequus DropShips were landing on Strana during her first battle, which had involved nearly three Clusters worth of soldiers, counting the forces from every Clan involved.

"How are you feeling?" Chartreuse asked as she walked up behind Honey.

Honey sighed and turned back to face Chartreuse. "Not great, honestly. Even with everypony's words of encouragement, I'm still scared. Are we really going to survive this battle?"

Chartreuse glanced up at the 'Mechs again while she thought of what she should say; Honey's Shadow Cat B that was taken from the training camp and overhauled, Bonfire's Stormcrow C, Pixie's Mad Dog A, Steel's Timber Wolf H, and of course, her own modified Warhawk Prime that removed the missile launcher for another heat sink and extra armor on the front torsos. It was an incredibly dangerous quintet of machines, especially in the hooves of the skilled warriors in her Star. Honey was still new and somewhat unexperienced, but she did have a good head on her shoulders, as well as a decent amount of natural talent. Chartreuse had to admit, Commander Charcoal had known what he was doing when he selected which cadets would stay at the training camp on Dike.

"I don't know," Chartreuse said finally with a heavy sigh. "To tell the truth, I'm scared, too. We have a lot of strong MechWarriors joining us for this battle. Clan Ghost Bear is bringing their best units, as is Clan Bugbear. However, there's no telling what tricks Clan Draconequus has up their sleeve. It could be anything, even a bluff.

"I'm not saying we're definitely going to die. If put against a Clan Draconequus Star of equal tonnage, I have no doubt we could win without a single casualty. There aren't many good ambush locations on our planned route, so if we're careful in those areas and we use our training and knowledge, we'll maximize our chance of survival," Chartreuse finished.

"That's what I wanted to hear. You're not pretending everything's going to be fine, and you're not hopeless about it, either. If you truly think we have a chance, then that's good enough for me," Honey said with a nod. She smiled slightly. "I remembered seeing you and your friends around before you left the training camp, and ever since you came back to Dike and defeated Charcoal and Juniper, I've always admired you. We heard about the battle on Strana Mechty, though we weren't told the outcome, and I didn't know if any of you had survived. Seeing you come back and save us, having gone against all odds and forged your own destiny, it made me feel hopeful for the first time in years. I'd resigned myself to dying for a cause I didn't believe in, but you showed me another way. Even if I die in this battle, I think I'd be okay with it, knowing how many other innocent foals I saved. That's all I want with this second chance of mine. To help others in need."

Chartreuse smiled and ruffled her friend's mane with one hoof. "You're an incredible pony, you know that? After everything you've been through, all you can worry about is others." She sighed again and looked away. "I wish I could say my reason for fighting was that selfless, but it's mostly just out of obligation. I did something terrible during that battle on Strana that I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself for. I don't want to say what it is, and I don't even know if I could. I'm only still here to atone for what I've done."

"Whatever it is, I don't think you should punish yourself for it," Honey said comfortingly. "We all make mistakes. Even if it was something you did intentionally, the fact that you feel bad about it means you're better than you were back then, and if it's affected you this much then you'll never do it again. Isn't that enough?"

Chartreuse shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm still stuck living in the past." She glanced at the doorway the rest of their Star had disappeared through and stretched her forelegs. "Sorry, I didn't mean to turn that into a sob story. Want to join the others? We can drink something other than alcohol."

"Sure," Honey replied. The two of them walked through the cargo bay, their hoofsteps echoing through the large space.

"Is Honey right? Am I putting myself through all of this for no good reason? Am I just going to lose more friends because of this?" Chartreuse wondered. She shook her mane, not liking the anxious shiver that worked its way up her spine. Still, she was determined. Some of her friends at least seemed to be at peace with their future no matter how short it could be, and deep down, that was enough for her to be at peace, too, even if she didn't survive until the end. At least that was a suitable atonement for how triumphant she had felt after Tangelo's death.

"I hope you're watching," Chartreuse thought. She knew Sundance and her other late friends would be so happy that the war was finally almost over. "Your deaths weren't in vain. After all this time, the cause you died for is finally becoming a reality. I'll end this war, and I'll be thinking of you when I do."

Shadow's body shuddered from exhaustion as he finished re-casting the enchantment on his computer room. He had been confined to the small space for the entire two days it took to apply the spell, but luckily the mental strain hadn't been so much that he couldn't keep up with his responsibilities as an alicorn, at least to an acceptable degree. It's not like he was a particularly benevolent leader, anyway. He left most of the public appearances to his second in command, which left him free to do his will acceptably often.

"What a pain," Shadow muttered as he glanced back at the space where Twilight's body should have been. After he'd finished rinsing his eyes of the powder and filled Vendetta in on the situation, he had expected to find her corpse lying in a puddle of her blood. Instead, all he'd found was the blood. No corpse. Luckily the storage drive that she'd copied his conversation with Vendetta to was still present, so she had no incriminating evidence, wherever she may be. Still, he was very angry.

"How the hell did she get away? And did she survive, or bleed out somewhere?" Shadow wondered. She couldn't have had help- only one pony had followed him from Terra, he was sure of it. If she'd had an object that was enchanted to allow her to teleport without using her own magic or something similar, then that could explain it. The magic inhibitor in the room only kept ponies other than himself from casting new spells. He couldn't have it cancel out enchantments too, or he ran the risk of an intruder activating it and him not being able to teleport back. Having only certain enchantments not be inhibited was something he still had to figure out.

Shadow shook his head. "No matter. She has no evidence, so I only have to be very careful about keeping this room secure. She won't ruin my plans. I won't allow it." He walked back to his computer and pulled up a message from his Captain-General, the first in command of the House of Generosity's military. He'd already read over it multiple times, but it still filled him with triumph to see. The secret troops he'd sent to Clan space months early were in place, and his plan to become the ruler of the entire Inner Sphere was in motion. He could already almost taste it, the glory of rising to the top and stamping the worthless ponies of the Inner Sphere beneath his hooves. It was all his for the taking. He could become the most powerful pony to ever exist.

Shadow grinned and stepped out into his castle's hallway, excited for what was to come. The Inner Sphere armies were supposed to leave in about a week, and every relevant alicorn would be present. Princess Flurry Heart wouldn't be too difficult to deal with after the rest were out of the picture. "Ah. How ironic, that the one pony who is supposed to embody generosity the most is about the least selfless pony alive," he said smugly. "And when everything is said and done, I'll come out on top. There won't be anypony who would dare to stand against me."

The Beginning of the End - Part 1

Sundance stepped off of the DropShip in his Hellbringer, shivering even though the cold of the outside world couldn't penetrate the cockpit. This area of Ironhold was desolate, barely falling into the range of habitable. Plateaus and sandy ridges filled the vast open desert while the sun beat down on his 'Mech, making it hard for him to believe that the outside temperature was below freezing.

"They made this rock their home planet? Why?" Mist wondered aloud as he followed Sundance in his Summoner, the newly-painted cutie mark sharp against the war machine's weathered armor.

"So they can conduct all sorts of immoral experiments on ponies in secret, probably," Hazelnut said.

Mist raised an eyebrow. "Really? I mean, I wouldn't put it past them, but I've never heard that before."

"I'm just speculating." Hazelnut turned his Blood Asp toward the assembling army before plodding forward. "Come on, we're getting into formation."

The others followed Hazelnut to where the rest of the 'Mechs were grouping up in two wedge formations separated by Trinary, with the Khan and saKhan at the head of their respective forces. The sturdiest machines made up the very front, while the 'Mechs carrying heavy long-range firepower sat along the edges, and the brawlers huddled in the middle to conserve their armor.

Sundance fell in between Mist and Vermillion on the far left of the formation, then glanced to the west, where he could barely see the soldiers of The Rage. Even the massive DropShips were only a gray smudge on the horizon. The 279th Battle Cluster of Clan Wolf was on his other side, though a huge plateau blocked his view of them. Behind him, he could hear the roar of the VTOLs as they exited the DropShips and moved to hover above the assembled Trinaries.

Sundance took a few deep breaths and placed his hooves over the controls, taking a moment to calm himself before they were ordered forward. Usually the short ritual was enough to get him through a battle, and his talk with Vermillion from a few days ago still echoed in his ears, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach.

Keep breathing, Sundance. You'll need all of your focus for this, Solis said, trying to comfort him.

"I know. I just can't help but remember Strana. We haven't seen a battle this scale since then. Every time I think about it, all I can see is..." Tangelo's lifeless body flashed through Sundance's mind again. He shuddered and shook his head vigorously, wanting to clear the image from his thoughts. Even after all he'd been through, after how much he'd grown and healed, the image of her so horribly mangled still haunted him.

Hey, it's okay. Everything will be okay. We're much better prepared for this fight. We just have to keep our head up, Solis cooed. Fear and anguish were two of the emotions that she understood best. While she wasn't a fully fledged AI and couldn't quite grasp everything behind how ponies felt, she still knew enough to not want her pilot and only friend to experience that pain.

Sundance nodded and took another deep breath, watching as the last of the soldiers got into position. "You're right. Thanks."

"Soldiers of Clan Ghost Bear," Khan Subzero began, "It is time to begin our assault. Forward, my brothers and sisters! Make your anger known to the enemy — not through words, but through every pull of your trigger!" The comms were filled with shouting for a brief moment as the soldiers voiced their determination, and all at once the two Trinaries stepped off, hundreds of ponies moving as one toward their enemy.

As the soldiers marched through the desert, Sundance glanced nervously at his Nav screen. There was plenty of space between them and Nav Alpha; their first target. Surely Clan Draconequus had some sort of trap laid out for them. He knew their strategies firsthoof, and rarely did they involve the direct confrontations of typical Clan warfare. What did they have planned?

"Enemy 'Mechs on the ridge, right side!" Scarlet said suddenly on the comms. Sundance turned to see the top of a ridgeline shift slightly, almost a kilometer away and on the opposite side of the formation from his position. Lasers raked through the air just as he caught sight of the camouflaged war machines, and he flinched back as a PPC shot flashed by his cockpit and smashed harmlessly into the sand a few dozen meters away. He could hear armor being stripped from 'Mechs around him, but from what he could tell, nopony had been seriously damaged by the attack thanks to Scarlet's warning.

All at once, the five 'Mechs making up the right-most line of the Ourse Keshik's formation aimed at their attackers and retaliated with their own weapons. Dozens of missiles rained down on a second enemy 'Mech, fired from the left wing of the Ourse Keshik. Both enemies crumpled to the ground, demonstrating the coordination of the Khan's personal unit. They had taken out two 'Mechs in a matter of seconds without receiving a single order.

"More on the left!" another voice shouted. Sundance turned in time to take a glancing blow from a laser that filtered through the 'Mechs in front of him, and he hissed at the burning sensation in his left shoulder. Luckily the damage to his 'Mech was minimal, but a low growl through the comms told him the others hadn't fared so well. He glanced to his right at Mist's Summoner, which lagged behind the group by a couple paces, stumbling slightly. Cracks spiderwebbed across the main left pane of his cockpit, and there was a dark gouge in the torso armor just beneath it.

"Mist! Are you okay?" Sundance called. Taking damage to such a critical and relatively fragile part of a 'Mech so early on in a battle wasn't good. Nothing had penetrated the glass, thankfully, but a hit like that would certainly rattle a pony's nerves, and could still cause minor injuries.

Mist nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. It didn't hit anything important." He shook off the damage and got back into formation, matching their Trinary's stride again.

"Return fire! Kill them before they can attack again!" saKhan Snow yelled. The booms of autocannons and PPCs around Sundance were enough to make his cockpit shake, and he watched well over a hundred missiles fly through the air toward their attackers. He couldn't see the enemy 'Mechs from his position, but he could imagine the devastation caused by such firepower.

Bright lights rising into the sky caught Sundance's attention, and he glanced up to see a trio of missiles arcing through the air toward their formation. They looked massive; much larger than any missile he'd ever seen come out of a 'Mech.

"Are those... Arrow IVs?" Mist asked nervously. "Should we panic?"

"Do not worry, we planned for this. The only form of artillery they carry is the Arrow IV missile. We have a way of dealing with those," Cobalt said over the comms. The roar of VTOLs briefly filled the air as three of the machines flew ahead of the steadily advancing 'Mechs, flying so low that Sundance could almost reach a hoof out and touch them. He watched them skeptically. He'd heard a little about Arrow IV missiles; one of the instructors from his cadet days on Dike had compared it to an AC-20 that could easily hit a group of five 'Mechs or more, and AMS systems couldn't effectively deal with the large missiles. What kind of defense mechanism did those three seemingly unremarkable VTOLs hold?

As the Arrow IV missiles flew closer, a small, blade-like protrusion on top of each of the VTOLs began to glow white. At the same time, each of the three missiles were enveloped in an aura of the same color, and they immediately veered off in random directions. Two exploded in the dirt a few hundred meters away from the advancing 'Mechs, while the third detonated against the canyon wall. The ground rumbled violently from the impacts.

"What in the hell was that?" Mist asked as the three VTOLs flew back to their place in the formation.

"That was a Magic Anti-Missile System, or MAMS, as we like to call it," Enzo replied.

Mist frowned to himself. "Magic? But magic weapons were scrapped centuries ago. They're terrible."

"They were, up until recently. Cobalt can tell you more later," Enzo said as he fired a salvo from the twin LRM-10 launchers on his Fire Scorpion. The exchange of fire continued for another few seconds, then quickly came to a halt as the last of the enemy war machines tumbled into the dirt.

Sundance shifted nervously in his seat. While everything had been going on, the Ghost Bear soldiers had neared Nav Alpha. He could see a ridge past the 'Mechs ahead of him closing in fast. The military base was supposed to be just on the other side, and right before they crested, the formation was supposed to shift so the 'Mechs better suited for close-range combat could rush in first. At that point, his part in the battle would begin.

"Five 'Mechs past the ridge. Four heavies, one assault. Minimal infantry and armor," Scarlet reported as she darted across the ground in her QuadMech; a modified Snow Fox variant 3 that replaced the ATM launcher and ammo with an ECM Suite, an Active Probe, another ER Medium Laser, and an extra half-ton of armor. It was incredibly fast- with MASC activated, it could sprint in excess of 170 km/h.

"Line formation!" Khan Subzero shouted. He charged ahead in his Kodiak variant 4, with saKhan Snow quickly catching up in his Executioner Prime. The side wings of each triangle formation opened up to allow the relatively undamaged 'Mechs to the middle of the line, where the fighting would be heaviest, and each Trinary formed up next to their respective leader.

"You guys ready for this?" Mist asked.

Sundance nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." He could tell Mist was trying to keep the atmosphere as light as possible, but he could also tell that his friend was as nervous as he was. That was something Mist had never been particularly good at, as his emotions often crept into his voice despite his best efforts to hide them.

"It's only five 'Mechs and a small amount of infantry. We'll be just fine," Sundance thought to himself as he watched Khan Subzero and saKhan Snow crest the ridge first, a few paces ahead of the rest of the formation.

Sundance blinked in surprise at a sudden and violent flash of light. Had he not been paying attention, he would have completely missed it; a massive barrage of missiles, autocannon rounds, and every other weapon imaginable crashed into Khan Subzero's Kodiak all at once, creating a sizable cloud of smoke and flames. He stared into the haze with his mouth agape, hardly believing what he was seeing as the massive machine fell back into the dirt with a thud that shook the earth.

An unintelligible roar split the air as saKhan Snow rushed forward, firing the Gauss Rifle on his Executioner at the enemy assault 'Mech; a Gargoyle. The gauss slug smashed straight through the cockpit, instantly killing the pilot inside. Sundance watched as the rest of the Ghost Bear forces swarmed forward, overwhelming and dispatching the remaining enemies in a matter of seconds.

"We still have an objective to complete," Cobalt reminded them as the formation continued onward.

"But... The Khan..." Sundance began.

"Is dead. That doesn't change our mission," Cobalt shot back. "Soldiers die in every battle, but we move on. That's the Clan way."

Sundance bit his lip and pushed the throttle forward again. As long as he'd been around Cobalt, he'd never heard the older pony use contractions. The Khan's sudden death had shaken him as much as the rest of them, yet he pushed on, keeping up with the MechWarriors of the Ourse Keshik who hadn't missed a beat. If it weren't for the situation, Sundance might have stopped to wonder about Cobalt's past, and why he seemed so determined to act like something he wasn't. He shook his head as they came upon the military complex. Cobalt was right; they still had a job to do.

The Ghost Bear soldiers rushed into the base, smashing down fortifications and blasting buildings to the ground. In less than a minute the entire base was flattened, and saKhan Snow ordered for the 'Mechs to form two column formations. He took the lead in his Executioner, followed by the other assaults, then the brawlers. The fire-support 'Mechs brought up the rear.

"What next?" Mist asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"We follow the saKhan. In the Khan's absence, he takes charge," Obsidian replied.

"We don't have time to mourn. If we waste time, we risk blowing the whole operation." Mint shifted nervously in her seat. "Our next target is really close, right?"

"Yeah. It's also through a canyon, so we can only travel two 'Mechs wide," Hazelnut said.

Sundance glanced at the aforementioned canyon, which was only a few hundred meters away. The plateau swept around in front of them, forming a sort of wall behind the now destroyed military base with a wide crack in the middle. The canyon was barely thirty meters wide, making any sort of attack formation impossible. They'd come out two at a time on the other side, which wasn't something he was looking forward to.

"That's a good choke point," Vermillion commented. "Do you think we'll get ambushed?"

As if in answer, a series of loud booms reverberated through the air, followed by rumbling that shook the ground and lasted for a good ten seconds. Striker, the Ourse Keshik's scout, cut in on the comms a few moments later. "Enemies in the canyon. They saw us, and triggered explosives before we could kill them. The path still looks passable, but it will slow progress."

"Are there more explosives?" saKhan Snow demanded, slowing the formation slightly as they reached the canyon.

"Neg, the rest of the canyon is clear," Scarlet replied. "I am looking down into the enemy base now. One Binary of assault and heavy 'Mechs, supporting tanks and infantry of similar size-" A pained grunt cut off the transmission.

"Scarlet, are you okay? Scarlet!" Enzo shouted.

The silence dragged out worryingly for a few seconds, and Sundance had begun to worry she'd been killed too, until he heard her voice on the comms again.

"There is a Gauss sniper among the enemy. They took out a leg of my 'Mech and damaged my Active Probe," Scarlet replied, breathing heavily. "MechWarrior Striker was also hit. He is out of the fight, but I do not know his status."

"Are you able to continue?" saKhan Snow inquired.

"Aff, but at reduced efficiency. My MASC system appears to be damaged, too. I can only move at ninety kph."

"Very well. Continue to Nav Charlie and report back. Formation, forward!" saKhan Snow led the two columns of 'Mechs into the canyon, continuing on toward Nav Beta now that the way forward was clear.

Sundance bit his lip. With the Ourse Keshik's scout out of the fight and Scarlet's 'Mech damaged, things certainly got more complicated. He watched saKhan Snow rush between the canyon walls without slowing his pace. Whatever was going through that pony's mind, Sundance hoped it wouldn't lead to their deaths.

✸ ✸ ✸

Sundance glanced up at the steep walls of the canyon as he entered the gap in the rocks, trying to calm is racing heart. Too much was happening too quickly, and there was no telling what could happen next; were there more traps in the Canyon? If not, what would be waiting for them on the other side? Were they going to die, just like the Khan?

Sundance took a few deep breaths, forcing his mind to slow. He couldn't let those kinds of thoughts to distract him. He needed to stay calm, or things could very quickly take a turn for the worst.

Focus on the things around you. Staying grounded in reality usually does a good job of keeping your emotions in check, Solis suggested.

"I know, I know," Sundance thought as he looked up at the canyon walls towering above him. They seemed unnatural, probably carved or blasted out by Clan Draconequus at some point so they could use ground transportation between bases. He estimated the top to be around a hundred meters tall. While he trusted the discerning eyes of Scarlet and Striker, seeing rock stretch so high above him was still unsettling, and he sat forward in his seat anxiously as the soldiers marched ahead.

It didn't take long for the army to reach the rockslide. Sharp shards of stone littered the path ahead, some half the size of a car. SaKhan Snow ordered the 'Mechs to a halt and tested the stability of the rock pile with his Executioner. It seemed sturdy enough, so he continued across, with the rest of the 'Mechs following along carefully two at a time. Progress was agonizingly slow, and minutes dragged on into what felt like hours to the anxious ponies.

"This is taking too long. We're giving their Khan time to escape, or for reinforcements to arrive if one of our other forces is destroyed," Mist mumbled as the two 'Mechs in front of them started across the rockslide.

Sundance glanced sideways at Mist through his cockpit. "You think he'll try to run?"

Mist shrugged. "Probably not. He could force us to waste time and energy chasing him if he can get away, but he would have done that days ago. They've been heavily monitoring what goes in and out of this system. They knew what was coming as soon as our JumpShips came out of hyperspace."

Sundance glanced knowingly at his friend. "I thought you might be suspicious, too." He looked at the 'Mechs ahead of them. "I guess we should have expected them to target our Khan, but something still doesn't seem right."

"Yeah. This battle isn't at all like I thought it would be." Mist and Sundance stepped onto the loose rocks as it came their turn to cross, moving slowly to avoid slipping and damaging their 'Mechs.

"Our slow pace has given me plenty of time to think. First ten 'Mechs against thirty, then five against thirty, now ten against twenty-eight? Combining their forces and fighting us head-on would have been far more devastating to our ranks. I get that they're trying to destroy our leadership, but every MechWarrior here is in the same league in terms of combat ability. Why string out their forces like this?" Mist wondered aloud.

Sundance frowned. "You think they're trying to draw us in."

Mist nodded. "I don't think these small ambushes and rockslides are the big plan. They're only meant to fool us into thinking they are. Distractions to lure us into a false sense of security. Once we're confident the battle will end in our favor, then the real trap will spring. What that is exactly, I have no idea." They brought their 'Mechs back onto solid ground, and Mist turned to Sundance as they slowed to a halt. "We were raised and trained by Clan Draconequus. We know our enemy better than anypony else here. We can't be so easily fooled by their plans, but the others..."

"You should tell the saKhan. He needs to know," Sundance said, realizing what Mist said was probably true. They were taught numerous ambush techniques on Dike- hell, he'd even used one on Vermillion during their first training battle in the forest all those years ago. The surprise attacks and explosives were too small, too simple to be the main plan cooked up by Clan Draconequus.

"I'll tell Commander Cobalt. They may have already seen through Khan Bolt's plans, too, and I shouldn't waste saKhan Snow's concentration if that's the case. He can't be distracted," Mist said before cutting off the comms channel.

Sundance turned back and watched the next 'Mechs step off of the rockpile. About two-thirds of their forces were across. The tanks and APCs could drive over without too much added difficulty, and the VTOLs were hovering a ways back above the canyon, obviously unimpeded by the rockslide. Whatever their enemy's plans were, this delay was giving them extra time to prepare, even if it hadn't killed or injured anypony.

Another explosion echoed through the canyon, quickly followed by the sounds of weapon fire. Sundance placed his hooves over his Hellbringer's controls, expecting a fight.

It's not one of ours. Nothing is showing up on radar. Whoever is fighting, they're not nearby, Solis pointed out.

"SaKhan Snow, the enemies appear to be fighting each other," Scarlet said.

"Dissenters?" saKhan Snow asked.

"Possibly. They seem to be split roughly half and half. I do not know their reason for fighting, but it likely will not last much longer. It is a very violent confrontation."

SaKhan Snow turned to face the other soldiers. "How many of our BattleMechs have yet to cross?"

"Twelve, saKhan. Our least damaged 'Mechs have already crossed," Cobalt replied. "Do you wish to take advantage of this situation?"

"Aff. All able units, follow me. The rest, join the battle at your best speed." SaKhan Snow turned back around and began marching down the canyon again. "There is the possibility that some of our enemies wish to surrender. If that is the case, be careful who you target. At the same time, do not let your guard down. This could be a trick."

Sundance glanced at the two 'Mechs behind him as he followed the saKhan; an Ebon Jaguar and a Stormcrow. Even if it were a trap and all of the enemies turned on them, they had enough strong 'Mechs that he was sure they could easily wipe out the hostile forces. He was just worried about what they would give up in the process. He took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the front of the formation.

"If some of them want to surrender, how do we know who the enemy is?" Vermillion asked.

"If they shoot you, shoot back," Mint joked.

"We're near the rear of the formation, so it should be fairly clear by the time we get to the fight," Mist said. "Just follow what the ponies ahead of us do."

Sundance couldn't see the saKhan when he entered the fight, but he heard the uptick in gunfire as the Ghost Bear forces entered the fray. The canyon exit got closer and closer, and he reflexively tightened his hooves around the controls. Time for the second battle.

The scene Sundance encountered could only be described as utter chaos. The military base had already been torn to shreds, and the fight was equally messy; it was nearly impossible to tell who was shooting who. Should they just attack the Draconequus forces at random?

A laser raked through the air near Sundance, and he swiveled his aim around to a Nova Cat that was shooting into the Ghost Bear forces. He fired a slug from his autocannon first, then followed up with the medium lasers and HE missiles from the ATM. The Nova Cat stumbled from the impact, then turned to face Sundance. Before it was able to retaliate, however, it was blown to pieces by other Ghost Bear forces.

When Sundance turned to search for a new target, he found two 'Mechs and a small number of tanks and infantry, their weapons quiet. The Ghost Bear soldiers quickly surrounded the remaining enemies, who dropped their weapons and clambered out of their war machines.

"I guess they're the ones who wanted to surrender," Sundance thought. After having been through a similar situation himself, he could understand not wanting to die for a cause they didn't believe in. Or maybe they just hadn't wanted to die at all.

"Search them for weapons, then escort them to the DropShips. Do not take more soldiers than you need," saKhan Snow commanded. "The rest of us will continue to Nav Charlie at reduced speed. Any BattleMechs still in the canyon will regroup en route. Single wedge formation!"

SaKhan Snow led the soldiers past the destroyed buildings, with the Silveroot Keshik again making up the left wing. 'Mechs fell into formation as tanks filled the gaps and VTOLs hovered overhead. Ten or so hoofsoldiers and an Elemental had stayed behind; not enough to safely escort the dozens of prisoners were they to rebel, but it was all the firepower they could afford to give up.

Sundance glanced back as two more 'Mechs emerged from the canyon and broke out into a sprint, trying to catch up to the main force. At this speed their whole attacking force should be reassembled in time for the next fight. The rock fall had certainly slowed them down, but they were making the best of their situation and had even remained on schedule thanks to the infighting at Nav Beta.

"SaKhan Snow, I have eyes on enemies at Nav Charlie," Scarlet said. "I count a full Trinary, and they -" there was a sharp intake of breath, "- it is the Chaos Keshik. All soldiers seem to be present."

"The Chaos Keshik... That's Khan Bolt's unit, isn't it?" Mint asked nervously.

"Yep. That's both very good and very bad," Mist replied with a tense sigh.

Sundance frowned. "Why's that?"

"It's good because both their saKhan and their Khan will be there. Once those two are dead, the war is over. However, it's a Keshik..."

"...Which means it'll be made up of their best soldiers," Vermillion finished. "It will be a tough fight."

Sundance glanced at the Nav screen. The trip to Nav Charlie was by far the longest out of the bunch, but it was entirely open ground. Once there, they'd find the base set inside a bowl of sorts, surrounded on all sides by canyon walls. Neither side had many options for retreat, and he didn't think either side would surrender, either.

Our fight is almost over, Solis said.

"Yeah. All those years of treachery coming to an end. One century of bloodshed led to this moment." Sundance adjusted one of the shoulder straps. "We'll win if we're careful. I know we can do this."

You sound confident, Solis commented. Her voice changed tone to something sweeter than he was used to hearing from her. You've gotten so strong since our first battle. I'm proud to call you my pilot, and my friend.

Sundance smiled. "And I couldn't have wished for a better BattleMech, or a better companion."

Solis made a soft humming noise, one he often heard when she was happy. Good. Now, are you ready to end this thing, once and for all?

Sundance tightened his hooves over the controls and stared out at the horizon, behind which the final battle was waiting. The end of the war. "I am. No more running; no more hiding. We kill them here and now."

✸ ✸ ✸

"I told Commander Cobalt about our suspicions," Mist said suddenly. "He said they've already considered that possibility, but he also said they'd keep a closer eye out for traps and ambushes."

"I guess that's the best we can ask for." Sundance glanced at the canyon, which was rapidly approaching. They had increased their speed once the last of the 'Mechs had caught up, and now were a stone's throw away from the base. "Whatever they've got planned for us, we'll find out here."

"Column formation, four wide!" saKhan Snow shouted. The 'Mechs lined up in rows of four as they neared the canyon entrance, the heaviest machines making up the leading force. Sundance made his way close to the front, with Mist to his right and Hazelnut in front of him.

Sundance bit his lip nervously as they entered the canyon. Scarlet hadn't reported any traps along the way, but it was still unsettling to be in such a vulnerable location, and he was on edge the whole trip through.

Sundance rounded a corner, and suddenly the base was there in front of him. The Chaos Keshik was waiting in formation with a Hellstar and a Deimos at its head, but oddly none of the enemy had fired a single shot. What were they up to?

"SaKhan Snow, what an honor," an oily voice said over the comms. The voice sent shivers down Sundance's spine, and it made him want to stuff cotton balls in his ears. "Tell me, how is Khan Subzero? It has been many years since we last met. Or, would it be more accurate for me to call him ex-Khan? Given the current situation I do not think that title applies to him anymore."

"Lightning Bolt," saKhan Snow growled, coming to a stop. The other Ghost Bear soldiers restlessly halted behind him. "If you are smart, you will keep your mouth shut and die quietly."

"That is Khan Lightning Bolt to you. And I do not intend to die quietly, but if it would please you, I would be willing to settle this battle one on one. Me against you. A Trial of Grievance, of sorts," Khan Bolt said.

SaKhan Snow snorted. "Your word means nothing. I would not trust you to honor the rules of Clan combat any more than I would trust a wolf to herd sheep."

Khan Bolt shrugged. "Well, you can not blame me for trying." The Hellstar suddenly adjusted its aim and four ER PPCs flashed toward saKhan Snow's Executioner.

Sundance sucked in a sharp breath. For a brief moment he was horrified that they might have lost both their Khans in the same battle, but saKhan Snow shifted his balance and took the hit just next to his cockpit, avoiding what would have been a fatal blow.

"Weak." saKhan Snow fired his Gauss Rifle, which punched through the cockpit of the Hellstar. Even from afar, Sundance could see the wave of blood that splattered onto the glass.

The tension on both sides of the battlefield immediately snapped. Missile smoke and laser beams filled the air while bullets flew in both directions, the ringing of steel so loud it made Sundance's teeth vibrate.

Incoming Missile.

Sundance glanced up to see a cloud of missiles descending toward him. He managed to turn in time to absorb the damage in his right side, though it still caused a considerable amount of damage, and he gritted his teeth at the pain.

Critical Hit, ATM. Critical Hit, Right Arm. ER Large Laser Destroyed.

"Fuck, lost weapons already? At least the armor damage isn't too bad," he thought, searching for the source of the missiles. Fighting at long range wasn't a hobby of his, and losing half of his long range firepower certainly didn't help. "What's up with the ATM?"

Two tubes collapsed, but the other four appear functional. The reloading mechanism is unaffected, Solis replied as part of the missile rack flashed red on the damage indicator.

"That's better than nothing." He bit his lip, unable to find the missile carrier. There were so many 'Mechs it was hard to pick out one, especially one that would be hiding at the rear of the battlefield. "Any eyes on an LRM carrier?"

"Got one over here. Never seen it before. It's got ECM," Mint said.

Sundance could see Mint on the outskirts of the battlefield, firing at some unseen target. Mist followed closely behind in his Summoner.

"Wow, an Osteon. Those are new," Mist said, a hint of worry in his voice. "Also hard to kill."

"I'll back you up. Be there soon." Sundance weaved his way out of the battle, firing at the rear of an enemy Stormcrow as he went. The left side of the 'Mech exploded, and it stumbled forward a couple steps. "That'll certainly help," he thought.

Sundance turned his attention back to his previous predicament as he left the thick of the fighting. It didn't take long to find his assailant; the Osteon was big, bulky, and full of iATM launchers. Judging from the earlier damage, it probably had standard missiles loaded. He loaded HE missiles into his own ATM; unless Clan Draconequus had developed ammunition switching for their ATM launchers, he was at a slight advantage in this fight.

Sundance fired at the Osteon, hitting it in the right shoulder with his autocannon and lasers. The 'Mech barely glanced in his direction before firing three of its missile launchers at its previous target; Mint's Adder. The missiles arced toward Mint and exploded on the left side of the machine as it ran away. Her 'Mech tumbled into the dirt, rolling end over end before skidding to a halt after a few dozen meters.

"Mint!" Mist shouted, firing all his weapons at the large 'Mech. It spun its torso to one side, absorbing most of the return damage in its right arm. Sundance followed up with another LBX slug to the 'Mech's shoulder, which destroyed the joint and dropped the limb to the dirt.

The Osteon reeled from the damage, but quickly righted itself. Missiles shot out from its shoulder-mounted racks and descended toward Mint's 'Mech. Before they were able to hit, there was a light puff of smoke on top of the 'Mech, followed immediately by the Adder's cockpit rocketing out into open air. The 'Mech was destroyed by missiles a fraction of a second later.

Sundance allowed himself a brief moment of relief before aiming back at the Osteon, which was turning to face them again. Given the 'Mech's sturdiness and how spread apart its weapon systems were, going straight for center torso would probably be the most painless way to destroy it. Not that it was going to be easy. "Let's do this."

Missiles flew from the Osteon's remaining arm, and Sundance tensed in anticipation as they arrowed toward him. He didn't want to risk losing his autocannon or right torso, so it was best to take the damage head-on.

Sundance's body was immediately overcome with agony. It wasn't the kind of feeling he'd gotten used to; this was an entirely new level of pain, one that locked up his muscles and left him frozen. He growled, unable to even flinch. "What the hell?"

Magnetic Pulse missiles. They don't deal much damage, but they are a nuisance, Solis commented.

"That explains why it feels like I dropped a toaster in the bathtub," Sundance thought. MP missiles had completely slipped from his memory, considering most ponies thought them dishonorable and avoided loading them. He forced the Hellbringer to move forward again, fighting against the paralysis in his muscles. His 'Mech seemed similarly hindered, its movements labored and choppy. The sensors and comms had also gone dark.

Mist fired another salvo at the Osteon, gouging out chunks of its center torso with the autocannon and peppering it with missiles and lasers. Sundance followed up with his own weapons, causing the 'Mech to stagger back a couple steps. It righted itself before firing its standard missiles at Sundance and its MP missiles at Mist.

Critical Hit, Right Torso. Heat Sink Destroyed. Damage Critical.

Sundance gritted his teeth, again taking the damage to the front. Considering there were now holes in his center torso armor, he wouldn't be able to do that again. Surviving much longer would be difficult. He fired another wave of missiles followed by an autocannon slug, blasting steel pieces into the air.

The Osteon fired another missile salvo, and Sundance turned his 'Mech, taking most of the hits to his right side. There was a sharp pain in his right shoulder that was intense enough to knock the breath from his lungs. Tears sprang up in his eyes, and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Losing limbs was an all-too-familiar feeling, yet it never seemed to get any easier.

Right Arm Destroyed. ATM Destroyed. I hope you have a good plan, Solis said, trying to keep her voice from sounding anxious. One more stream of missiles could potentially finish them off.

Sundance turned back to face the Osteon in time to see it take a couple autocannon bursts from Mist. Between the two of them they'd dug a deep crater in the machine's center torso, a little ways above the cockpit. Clouds of vapor poured from its remaining heat vents. "I do have one, but you're not gonna like it." He fired his LBX at the damaged armor, then loaded a cluster round into the weapon.

If you're confident in it, then I won't protest.

"Good, because we don't have many other options." It relied on Mist hitting his next shot, but Sundance trusted him. He held his breath, timing the Osteon's reload. All of the armor on the rear of his 'Mech was intact. If he spun at the right time, he should be able to absorb most of the damage there, and take any remaining missiles to his left side. A cluster round from his LBX would finish the job.

Missiles suddenly flew from the Osteon's left arm, and Sundance sucked in a breath as he jerked his 'Mech's torso to the right. The MP missiles hit before he could finish the maneuver, and he froze half-facing the enemy 'Mech. "Shit, that's bad!" The Osteon fired its regular missiles a second later, aiming for the breach in his center torso.

Sundance ground his teeth together as he made his hooves move, desperately trying to bring the torso of the Hellbringer around. It felt like his muscles had been replaced with lead, but they reluctantly obliged, and the 'Mech began to slowly rotate.

Some of the missiles hit before Sundance was able to finish spinning his 'Mech's torso around, ravaging the remaining armor and any exposed components. He growled as pain shot through his chest. It felt like somepony had shoved fire down his throat while another stabbed him repeatedly in the heart. The stinging in his left foreleg from the remaining missiles paled in comparison.

Critical Hit, Reactor. Critical Hit, LBX Autocannon. ER Small Laser Destroyed. Heat Sink Destroyed. Breathe, Sundance. I know it hurts, but you have to stay focused, Solis pleaded.

"I'm trying!" Sundance snapped, pained tears streaming down his cheeks. The Hellbringer's left arm raised shakily. "What happened to the LBX?"

There was a brief pause. The reloading mechanism is unresponsive, but the weapon itself and the loaded round appear to be unaffected.

We should jettison all the ammo. It's just a bomb at this point," Sundance thought as he pressed a button he didn't think he'd ever needed to use before. There was a clunk in the back of the 'Mech, followed by a rush of air that ejected all his remaining missiles and autocannon rounds. He pointed the LBX at the Osteon's weakened armor, waiting for Mist to punch through the last little bit of the 'Mech's armor. "Now. Let's make this last shot count."

Mist fired a salvo of missiles and autocannon slugs, hitting dead center with the missiles but striking undamaged portions of the Osteon's armor with the autocannon. He fired a second burst in a panic, only managing to land one of the three bullets on his mark.

Sundance sucked in a sharp breath. It was up to him to destroy the Osteon before it could reload, but what could he do? Cluster rounds weren't good for destroying armor, and there was no way for him to swap to a slug. "We need a new plan," he thought, hesitating with his own autocannon.

A cloud of missiles suddenly descended on the Osteon, knocking it back a couple steps. It fired its shoulder-mounted iATMs in retaliation, but before the last missile left the 'Mech its left rear torso abruptly exploded in a giant fireball, sending it to one knee.

"An ammunition cookoff! They overheated," Sundance thought in relief. With how often they had fired so many missiles, it wasn't a huge surprise, even in the cold environment.

Before the Osteon had a chance to recover, Mist fired another two bursts at its center torso, this time hitting with every shot and easily punching through the remaining armor. Sundance immediately followed up with his LBX, causing the entire torso to blow out as the reactor was destroyed.

Sundance let out a tense breath and rubbed at the lingering pain in his chest. "Mist was right, those things are hard to kill. Are you alright?"

'Alright' is subjective. Solis paused for a few moments. The ER Medium Lasers are the only responsive weapon systems, reactor output is down forty percent, armor is more or less gone, and the skeletal structure has sustained significant damage. But hey, we're alive.

"Yeah, alive is definitely better than dead. And that damage will buff out anyway, right?" Sundance asked jokingly.

If by buff out you mean take weeks to repair, yes.

"...Sundance, c̷̬̽͗a̶̜͙͒n̴̗̊͝ ̵̯̙̊y̶̳̱̎ó̷̼́ų̸̖̾̐ hear us?"

Sundance glanced at Mist, who had turned to face him. A little ways off he could also see Vermillion's Timber Wolf walking toward them. The comms had been completely jammed for the past few minutes, but some garbled words were starting to make it through now that the interference was dissipating. "Yeah, I can hear you. Kind of."

"Ȉ̵̥t̶̘́̑ ̴̮͊̓l̵̬͂̉o̴̺͘ǫ̷̳̓́k̸̀͜s̷̥̈̔ͅ ̶̲́l̵̟̊͝ĩ̶͍k̴̦̊ḛ̸̤̈́͘ ̵͙̘̎t̶͍̜̿͂h̶͖͌e̴̦̹̊ fighting ḭ̴͗s̵̜̙͖͂ almost over. Stay here, w̴̩̘̺̝̔̿ę̴̳̲̮̱̖͊͗̀̓́͋'̷̡̯̾̐̈́͂l̴̼͓̘̉̽̓͝ͅľ̵̯̤̻ protect you," Vermillion said through the static.

"Vermillion i̶̤̱͑͘s̶̻̅̿ mostly undamaged. I took a ̵̛̝̄b̸̘̦̗̦͉̿̅̾ḯ̷͉̫̠͋g̵͕̼̦̝̾̾̕ hit and can't really see straight, but I ṡ̶̪̈́t̴̺̯̑i̴͔̓̽l̸̯̻̰̈́̂͒ͅl̷͕̰̆̀̈́͠ ̸̻̰͇̪̀́ȟ̸̦͚̮͐̌͑a̵̝͓͑͗̓v̷̛͈e̷͈͠ some armor left. Try not to draw too much attention to yourself," Mist amended.

Sundance nodded. "Alright. Thanks for the help, guys." He leaned back and watched as Mist and Vermillion turned to fire into the battlefield again, forming a wall between him and the fighting. This was probably the best course of action for them to take, but it still felt weird to sit and do nothing at a time like this.

By this point in the battle most of the enemy forces had already been defeated. Their remaining soldiers fell faster and faster, yet not a soul threw down their weapons in surrender. Despite their dishonorable tactics, they were still Clan warriors at heart, and Sundance found himself admiring their resolve.

The fighting drew to a close as the last enemy 'Mech fell — a Blood Reaper that was barely recognizable for all the damage it had taken. The comms filled with cheers, the remaining soldiers voicing their excitement and happiness, but most of all their relief at the end of such a long and fruitless conflict.

SaKhan Snow allowed the soldiers a few moments before silencing them. "Bring me the bodies of Lightning Bolt and Arc Flash," he commanded as he brought his Executioner to the center of the battlefield.

A pair of soldiers climbed on top of Khan Bolt's Hellstar and pulled the access hatch open. They dropped carefully inside, then reappeared a few moments later carrying a mangled corpse. A short ways away two more soldiers were dragging another body across the open ground.

SaKhan Snow pulled himself from his cockpit and climbed down the side of his Executioner. Some of the larger 'Mechs formed a ring around him while armor and infantry filled the gaps, protecting him in case any particularly daring Draconequus soldiers were still alive.

Both bodies had been dropped in front of his 'Mech by the time he reached the ground, and one of the soldiers had pulled out a small camera. The soldier pointed the camera at the saKhan and nodded to him, and he cleared his throat before speaking.

"My fellow Clan soldiers," saKhan Snow began, his voice echoing through the comms of every pony present, "today marks the end of a century-long struggle. It is with great pleasure that I present the bodies of ex-Khan Lightning Bolt, and ex-saKhan Arc Flash." SaKhan Snow lifted each body by the mane before letting it drop back to the dirt, giving the camera a clear view of their faces. He then ripped open their cooling suits, exposing their cutie marks and confirming their identities.

"Let their deaths end this senseless conflict. Clan Draconequus is no more. I urge any units engaged in combat to cease fire, and to preserve the remaining lives on both sides. We have all suffered enough. Clan Draconequus soldiers need not fear. You will be absorbed into other Clans and, once you have earned the right, treated as our own. Let us return to the Clan way of life — to peace and prosperity."

SaKhan Snow gave a small nod to the soldier holding the camera, who then put the small device away and helped drag the two bodies onto an APC. The soldiers began to cheer after the saKhan finished speaking, some pumping their hooves in the air while others embraced.

"So... what now?" Mist said over the noise.

"You heard the saKhan. 'The Clan way of life — to peace and prosperity,'" Obsidian replied in an overly dramatic voice.

"Well, yeah, but what does 'the Clan way of life' mean?" Mist asked. "It's been a century since most Clans experienced that. Few ponies alive have experienced that, and none of them are here. I mean, obviously we've got the stories and history, but where do we really go from here?"

There was an amused snort. "It sounds like someone is getting worked up for no reason again."

"Mint, you're okay!" Mist sighed in relief. "I was worried about you."

"Worried? About me? You should know by now that I'm indestructible," Mint joked. "But seriously, we'll be fine. After all this fighting, regular life will be a piece of cake. You'll see. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Afraid? Who's afraid? Mist, you can't go pissing yourself every time a new problem comes up," Enzo said.

"I wasn't-" Mist sighed and scowled ad Enzo. "Ha ha, very funny."

"It is a valid question, though," Vermilion commented. "What is next?"

Enzo shrugged. "Who knows? We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, just relax and enjoy the scenery."

Vermilion raised an eyebrow. "The scenery?"

"Yep. Why, you don't like boring, empty wastelands?"

"I think Vermilion and I have had quite enough of deserts," Hazelnut chimed in.

"Fair enough." Enzo yawned and stretched as far as his cockpit would allow. "Well, I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me when Snow decides to head back."

"A nap? Now?" Mist asked.

"Might as well. There's nothing better to do."

Mist shrugged. "I guess not."

Sundance sighed to himself, content. Fighting had been his whole life, at least as far back as he could remember. A part of him had begun to believe it would never end. But now it was finally finished. No more struggles. No more pain.

"We did it," Sundance mumbled, resting his head against the seat.

"Yeah. After all these years, it's finally over," Mist said. "They can all rest in peace now. Chartreuse, Tangelo, Fern, everypony. No longer just names on a wall, but heroes who will be remembered by history."

Sundance raised an eyebrow. "I don't think the Clans will be telling their specific stories. Or ours, for that matter. Any of us would be lucky to make footnotes."

"No. They won't tell any of our stories. The Clans may not know their sacrifices or bravery, but we do. They may just be a footnote to the great history of the Clans, but to us, they're an entire saga."

Sundance nodded to himself. Mist was right. The ponies they lost didn't have much meaning in the grand scheme of things. But to him, to Mist and Vermilion and everypony, a single life could change their entire world. He frowned. "Hmm. That was oddly poetic. Do you think you'll become an author someday? It certainly fits your cutie mark."

"An author?" Mist mused. "I hadn't actually considered that. I mean, I am rather good at story telling, so it's a definite possibility."

"Consider it. I think you'd be good at it," Sundance said.

"I will. Thanks."

Sundance glanced out at Ironhold's sun and sighed to himself again. It sounded like things were going to start quieting down. Some of them had obvious paths laid out for them. Cobalt, Enzo, and Scarlet would likely remain soldiers, Mist and Vermilion had obvious strengths that would land them solid careers, Hazelnut's determination was bound to get him endless job offers, Obsidian would do amazingly in the entertainment business, and Mint could probably succeed at anything she put her mind to. What did he want? What was he going to do when the dust settled?

What about staying a soldier? Solis suggested.

Sundance tapped his nose thoughtfully. "I guess I could. My cutie mark is a 'Mech, after all. But there are so many other things we could be. I'd always dreamt of this day, but I never actually thought about what we'd do tomorrow."

We? Solis said amusedly. There's only a 'we' if you're a soldier. I'm a BattleMech, remember? A military weapon?

Sundance smacked himself in the face with his hoof. What was he thinking? Of course Solis wouldn't be able to come with him. If he left the Ghost Bear touman, he'd never see her again. "Oh, yeah. I'm dumb." He smiled. "Well, I guess that only leaves one possibility."

Really? You'll stay?

"Of course. You mean the galaxy to me. I'm not going to abandon you that easily," Sundance replied.

Aw. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were confessing to me, Solis joked.

"Yeah, that's not biologically possible. Besides, my heart's already taken. Forever and always," he thought, looking to the few stars visible in the afternoon sky. Tangelo may be gone, but the memory of her never left his mind. They'd be reunited someday. Not any day soon, but someday.

A single red dot blipped on Sundance's radar, a ways behind their forces. "That's odd. Did one of them survive?" he thought as he turned his Hellbringer around.

Midway through the turn there was an ear-splitting blast, and the Gargoyle in front of Sundance jerked forward sharply, shards of metal flying off of its rear. It crumpled to its knees, destroyed by a single shot. "What..?"

"Fafnir! It's an ambush!" Mist shouted.

Sundance turned to see a big, blocky 'Mech standing next to one of the canyon walls, the ground around it scattered with chunks of rock. Sparks were pouring out of one of the huge holes in its torso, and as it turned to face Sundance, he realized those holes were actually barrels.

Sundance's muscles locked up again; not from MP missiles, but from fear. Staring down such a massive weapon, one capable of taking out an assault 'Mech with one shot — what could he do against such a monstrosity? Was he doomed to die so soon after their victory?

Something knocked Sundance to the side just as the Fafnir fired its other weapon. At first he thought the 'Mech had missed, but from the sound alone he knew that wasn't the case. He righted himself and spun on the new threat, only to feel a lump form in his throat as Vermillion's Timber Wolf tumbled to the dirt. "No..."

The radar suddenly exploded with pings, its screen now more red than green. Countless 'Mechs smashed out of the canyon walls and from the buildings in the Draconequus base, all of them unfamiliar and all of them undamaged. Their armor was completely bare, without the slightest hint of paint or affiliation marks. Hidden doors swung open from the ground, from which armor and hoofsoldiers exited like rivers. Within a heartbeat the air was once again full of weapon fire. New enemies boxed them in against the canyon; soldiers to their front and sides, an impassable wall to their backs.

Sundance jumped as another 'Mech burst from the canyon wall next to him. It was so large he had to incline his head to see its cockpit. His targeting computer called it an Annihilator 1X, with a terrifying loadout that he couldn't hope to beat on his best of days.

The Annihilator spun its massive torso to face Sundance, and he fired his measly two medium lasers at it, desperately pedaling backward in an attempt to escape. But he knew it was in vain. His 'Mech would become his tomb.

"Solis..." he choked out, unable to speak.

Goodbye, Sundance.

The Annihilator's autocannons flashed.

Sundance felt his heart stop.

And everything went black.

The Beginning of the End - Part 2

Blaze slammed a new magazine into his rifle and fired at a small group of Inner Sphere soldiers as they ran across the open battlefield. The soldier in the rear crumpled to the ground just before they reached the safety of a dune, and he moved back into his own cover. "There's so many of these bastards," he muttered.

An object struck Blaze in the side of the head, leaving a dark red streak on his helmet visor, and he turned to see what was left of one of his soldiers sliding down the hill. One rear leg and their entire head were missing, while their torso had been nearly split lengthwise, blood and guts and bones spilling from the opening. The only thing holding the halves together was a bit of stomach flesh. "Autocannon or Gauss Rifle. Poor Coco. At least he wouldn't have felt it."

"Damn. Someone get me eyes on the sadistic bastard killing infantry with cannons," Blaze shouted as he wiped the blood from his helmet.

"Got it over here. Light hovercraft with an autocannon, seventy meters north. It's got us locked down," replied Stars, his second in command. She dipped her head behind the dune, and half a second later a cloud of dirt blasted into the air not far from where she'd been. "Its gunner is a good shot."

Blaze recognized the ping-ping-ping of their grenade launcher and glanced over to see Sky with the heavy weapon sitting on top of the dune, firing out into the fray. Another autocannon slug hit the dirt barely a meter from his position, but he stubbornly stayed put, firing seven more times before sliding down the hill and pulling the grenade launcher after him. "Hovercraft's dead," Sky announced.

"Sky, you crazy bastard! Do that again and you'll be cleaning the DropShip for a month."

"Worth it," Sky replied as he wrestled the grenade launcher to a new position.

Blaze sighed in annoyance and peeked his head over the hill. This wasn't the time to be so reckless. True, a handful of grenades was worth less than an anti-armor missile in their situation, but he wasn't willing to make that trade if it came at the risk of more lives. Their situation was grim enough already.

"Blaze, do you copy?" a voice cut in.

Blaze pressed a button on the underside of his helmet. "I hear you."

"Your Point is on CASEVAC. Otso's Point will assist you, ETA ten seconds."

"Aff." From his position he could see a fair amount of immobile Ghost Bear vehicles, and even a few downed 'Mechs. If things were looking this rough for their armor, there was no way of knowing just how many soldiers were injured. Evacuating all their casualties was not going to be easy.

The ground underneath Blaze began to rumble slightly, and he turned to see five Ghost Bear Elementals charge around another dune before coming to a stop a dozen meters away. Basically a 'Mech shrunken down enough to be worn as a suit of armor, the Elemental was the poster child of Clan BattleArmor: capable of shrugging off a medium laser hit, more than capable of dealing with an entire Point of infantry with minimal support, and surprisingly proficient at killing 'Mechs and other armor when in groups. As intimidating as the nearly four-meter tall machines were, Blaze had always found the monstrous pilots inside, also known as Elementals, to be more terrifying.

"Point Commander Otso," Blaze said with a nod.

"Point Commander Blaze," rumbled the Elemental at the head of the group. "Regrettably, I have been commanded to follow your orders. So what shall we do?"

Blaze looked over the Elementals. "A full Point will draw too much attention. We need to split into smaller groups and take any injured as far behind our lines as the canyon will allow. One of your men and five of mine should be enough."

"Very well." Osto jerked his head, and the other Elementals split apart to stand next to the infantry.

"Black Star, Blue Star, you search for injured infantry. Gray Star, check any destroyed armor for survivors. White Star, stay with me," Blaze commanded. Three groups of five ponies and one Elemental broke off to carry out their orders, leaving the rest huddled behind the dune. Blaze peeked over the ridge again, surveying the battlefield.

"Stars of five soldiers? What do you think you are, BattleMechs?" Osto asked scornfully.

Blaze shrugged. "It's just a name. We're usually the ones on CASEVAC. Being able to quickly and efficiently split into smaller groups is essential."

Just then, the ground began to shake violently. Blaze turned around to see a Summoner break out into a sprint in their direction, firing at a far-away enemy. It leapt over their heads with its Jump Jets and fired a salvo from its arm-mounted autocannon. The rounds smashed into the front of an enemy 'Mech and sent it tumbling to the dirt, a smoking hole in the center of its chest.

Before the Summoner could land, a wall of missiles descended upon it and swatted it out of the air. It crashed to the ground with an almighty boom, and lay still. The pilot hadn't ejected, but the 'Mech didn't explode or otherwise appear destroyed. Were they unconscious?

A ways closer to their position, Blaze spotted a downed Hellbringer and Timber Wolf. The Timber Wolf too seemed functional, yet it remained immobile. The Hellbringer was on fire and obviously destroyed, but close to the canyon wall he saw what seemed to be the 'Mech's ejected cockpit, its exit hatch still firmly closed. They needed to get those three pilots out of there.

"White Star, go get that Summoner's pilot. Silver Star will get the other two." Blaze turned to Osto, but the Elemental was already charging off toward the Summoner.

"Valemon will escort you. I do not wish to be ordered around by a freebirth," Osto spat before taking the lead of White Star.

Blaze gritted his teeth but let the insult slide. There wasn't time to deal with Osto's wounded pride. He swung his rifle across his back and ran over to the remaining soldiers. "Fine. Valemon, you're with us. Let's hit that ejected cockpit first then swing around to the Timber Wolf."

"Where's Coco?" Crystal asked as she clipped her radio to her belt.

"Dead. It's just us four," Blaze said, jerking his head toward what was left of the pony's corpse.

Crystal sighed and glanced at her hooves, her eyes clouding over. "I understand." She slipped her helmet on and turned toward the Hellbringer's cockpit. "Let's hurry up and get this done."

Blaze nodded and turned toward the Elemental. "Valemon, don't fire unless we're fired upon. We don't want to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves."

"Aff," Valemon replied.

"Good." Blaze peeked over the ridge one more time and took a deep breath. "Now let's go save those MechWarriors."

Sundance blinked his eyes open, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. It was dark — nearly pitch-black. He could hear gunfire and explosions in the distance, though some sounded just a stone's throw away. He also came to the realization that he was suspended almost completely upside-down. None of it served to alleviate the pounding in his head or the lingering pain in his chest.

"Wait... I'm not dead?" Sundance thought, his mind beginning to catch up to his situation. His heart still felt like somepony was crushing it with their hooves, so he definitely wasn't dreaming. He wasn't dead either, unless his 'Mech followed him to the afterlife.

"My 'Mech — Solis!" Sundance fumbled for the controls and tried to turn his Hellbringer on, but there was no response to any button presses or anything. The machine was completely dead. "Okay, that's... that's not necessarily a bad thing. If I'm still alive, then there's a good chance Solis is, too," he reasoned. Even if the 'Mech was completely shot, the Techs could still transplant the DI Computer into another one. They just had to stay alive.

A loud banging reverberated in the cockpit, and Sundance glanced up as the access hatch swung open. He shielded his eyes against the light that streamed in, and shuddered at the gust of icy air. A pony-shaped figure clad in armor peered in, momentarily blocking the light.

"He's okay! Cover us for a minute!" the soldier shouted to an unseen companion before jumping into the cockpit. He reached up and began unlatching the straps holding Sundance in the air. "We're getting you out."

"What's happening out there?" Sundance asked.

"Everything's gone to shit. The BattleMechs are overwhelmed, enemy soldiers have us pinned down, and most of our VTOLs were swatted out of the sky." The soldier helped Sundance down, who nearly fell as soon as he was on his own hooves.

"Careful, you might have hit your head when you ejected," the soldier said as he helped Sundance back up. He frowned. "Wait, you're just a kid?"

Sundance shook off the larger pony's grip and climbed his way to the access hatch. "Ejected? Don't tell me..." The DI Computer was housed in the main body of the 'Mech, not in the cockpit. An ejection probably meant a totaled 'Mech.

As he reached the opening and squinted against the light, he realized just how dire their situation was. He could only see a small portion of the battlefield from his position, but even in that area alone, their forces were outnumbered almost two to one. Everywhere he looked was chaos, and 'Mechs and tanks fired in every direction. Explosions rocked the ground incessantly, making it difficult to balance.

"Hey, over here!" a voice called. Sundance looked down to see a Ghost Bear soldier with one hoof stretched up toward him. He took her hoof and hopped onto solid ground, staggering slightly. "We need to get in cover." The soldier led him to the other side of the cockpit, right next to the wall of the canyon. There he found two more soldiers: one fumbling to reload a belt-fed grenade launcher, the other with her helmet off and talking frantically into a radio. He also saw an Elemental standing in the open on the far side of the cockpit, firing the massive machine guns mounted on each shoulder to dissuade any would-be attackers.

The soldier talking into the radio glanced up as Sundance approached. She had a teal coat and a short white mane, with a jagged scar that cut across both her silver eyes. "Good, you're alive. We've been ordered to evacuate any injured soldiers. Try not to get shot in the meantime, yeah?"

Sundance gritted his teeth and leaned against the cockpit. He'd hoped he had misheard the first soldier, but there was no denying it. Where they were standing, they should have been inside the Hellbringer's center torso. Instead, there were only broken wires, sheared pipes, and the remnants of the ejection system.

"How long on those VTOLS?" the first soldier asked as he came around the side of the cockpit.

"Fifty seconds on the first, three minutes on the other. They're having to take the long way around," the teal pony replied.

"Damn." The soldier grabbed Sundance and pulled him to the end of their cover, just a couple meters from where the Elemental was standing. The massive suit of BattleArmor was formidable, nearly two times as tall as the soldiers. "Come on, kid. We need to get you to the dust off zone. You're not seriously hurt, so you'll have to wait for the second VTOL."

Sundance peeked his head past the side of the cockpit. This section of the battlefield looked just as hopeless as the rest. The ground was littered with bodies, destroyed tanks, and...

Sundance bit his lip as he recognized his Hellbringer, lying in a smoldering heap. A short ways off to the right and a few dozen meters closer, Vermillion's Timber Wolf sat. The machine seemed functional, other than the fact that the cockpit was completely destroyed. His heart sunk as he came to the realization. Solis and Vermillion were dead. He could feel the heat building up in his eyes already. Were they really all going to die here, so soon after their victory?

"Wait..." Sundance peered a little closer at the Timber Wolf. He swore he could see a pair of hooves in what looked like a MechWarrior's cooling suit poking out behind the Timber Wolf, lying in the dirt just next to the cockpit. Could Vermillion still be alive?

"What about the Timber Wolf pilot?" Sundance asked.

"Don't know yet. We haven't been able to get over there." The first soldier poked his head out above Sundance's. A couple of seconds later he abruptly pulled Sundance back into cover, just in time to avoid a hail of bullets that raked across their position. "Valemon! Don't give them any room to breathe!"

"I am trying!" the Elemental shouted. He adjusted his aim, suppressing the new threat.

Sundance gritted his teeth. Were they spread so thin that this group of just four hoofsoldiers and one Elemental were the only ponies able to evacuate the wounded? "How are we supposed to get to him like this?"

"There's no 'we.' You are going to the dust off zone, and us soldiers are going to continue our mission," the first soldier said.

"Quit treating me like a child," Sundance growled. "I'm going with you to save him."

"Like hell you are. This isn't a damn game."

"Either I go with you, or I'm going by myself. He'd do the same for me. Besides, you don't have the rank to order me around," Sundance pointed out, having noticed the soldier's rank of Point Commander.

The Commander glared at Sundance for a few seconds, then let out a sigh. "Damn it, fine. We don't have time for this. You almost done, Sky?"

The pony reloading the grenade launcher slammed the top cover shut. "Got it!" he shouted.

"Crystal, help him get into position! Stars, you're with us!" The soldier who'd helped Sundance from the cockpit ran over to join them, while the teal soldier helped Sky carry the heavy weapon to the far side of the cockpit. "As soon as I give the signal, the three of us sprint to the Timber Wolf, grab that MechWarrior, and run straight back here. You are to stay behind me and Stars. If you want to survive, don't so much as breathe without my command. Understood?"

Sundance nodded.

"Good. You ready, Valemon?"

"Ready as I will ever be," the Elemental grunted.

"All set over here too, boss," Crystal said as she ran back to her radio.

The Commander tightened the sling on his rifle and glanced out at the battlefield. "Let's do this. Three... two... now!" He charged out into the open with Sundance and Stars close behind, while Valemon and Sky provided covering fire.

Sundance could feel his heart pounding in his throat as they ran across the open ground. Dust flew up as their hooves raced desperately across the dirt, sending silent prayers to whatever cruel deities they believed in. Despite the massive amount of attention Valemon and Sky were drawing, bullets still cracked left and right, and the seconds stretched on into eternity. Sundance could imagine one of those bullets catching the Commander in the leg, passing through Stars' skull, hitting him straight in the chest...

The Commander stopped suddenly by the Timber Wolf, and Sundance skidded to a halt in time to avoid slamming into the larger pony. "Get that MechWarrior onto Stars' back, I'll cover you!" he shouted as he swung his rifle around to fire at the enemy.

Sundance and Stars ran toward the other side of the 'Mech, which gave off a low droning noise from the reactor. Vermillion would be there, likely injured; maybe missing an ear or an eye or a leg, but he knew the tough pony would adapt. A prosthetic could be even better than the real thing. Mint had said so herself a few times. He felt relief crash over him as Vermillion's hooves came into view, then his waist, then —

Sundance slowed to a stop. "This... no..." He took a step back, struggling to breathe. "Not again. Dear Celestia, not again." He took another step back, placing a hoof over his mouth as his eyes grew wet and his stomach churned. Stars placed a hoof comfortingly on his shoulder, but he barely felt it.

Everything above Vermillion's waist was gone. His organs and blood had spilled out into the dirt while chunks of bone were strewn on the ground, some over twenty meters away. Even his long blue tail was in tatters. There was nothing left, nothing to say goodbye to. Just a mangled corpse, growing cold and freezing into the unforgiving wasteland.

Sundance clenched his teeth. Vermilion and Solis had both died because of him. His careless error, a momentary lapse in focus had caused this. They were gone, and they would never come back. It was all his fault. His fault.

"Damn it!" Sundance shouted as he slammed his front hooves onto the Timber Wolf. He slowly collapsed against the fallen machine, sobs wracking his body. He was losing everypony he loved, one by one. When would it end? When would this wretched curse stop plaguing his existence?

"I'm sorry, but we need to go. We'll be killed if we stay here any longer," the Commander said urgently after a moment, appearing next to Sundance.

Sundance clenched his hooves. He didn't want to leave Vermillion, but he knew the Commander was right. Valemon and Sky could only hold off the enemy for so long. They had to retreat.

"Retreat," Sundance thought bitterly. Vermillion had risked himself numerous times to protect Sundance, now these soldiers were putting their lives on the line for him, and what had he ever done in return? Nothing. Well, he was done being baggage. It was time to return the favor.

"No," Sundance mumbled.

The Commander grabbed Sundance's shoulder. "You agreed to do exactly what I say. I know you want to mourn, but we have to go. Now."

Sundance brushed off the pony's hoof. "I said no. I won't be a coward. Not again." He wiped the tears from his eyes and jumped into the Timber Wolf's open cockpit. The 'Mechs reactor was still running, which meant he'd be able to skip the startup sequence, which only Vermillion knew. He'd just have to ignore the sickening feeling of sitting in a cockpit that was caked with blood and guts. "You guys go. Get the rest of the wounded soldiers out of here."

The Commander hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Very well." He gave Sundance a quick salute. "May Rainbow Dash be with you," he said before charging off, Stars in pursuit.

Sundance saluted back and placed his hooves over the controls. It was almost kind of poetic, he thought, to pilot the 'Mech of his fallen best friend into what may be his own final battle as well.

As Sundance pulled the machine to its feet, he realized that because of the missing cockpit glass, he'd have to guess at where he was aiming. Slightly more alarming than that, he couldn't hear anything coming from the 'Mech. He'd have to pilot it without a neural connection. "Doesn't matter. I don't need crosshairs or a neural link. I just need a target."

Sundance turned to face the battlefield after the Timber Wolf leveled out. There were countless enemy 'Mechs on the battlefield, all seemingly assault class. He didn't recognize any of the machines, and he knew nothing of the firepower they carried, but there was one thing he did know about them; they'd go down just as easily as any Clan 'Mech.

"I'll kill them," Sundance growled as he leveled his aim over the cockpit of an enemy. For everything they'd done, for all the pain and suffering they were causing, they would pay dearly. "I'll kill them all!"

Hazelnut fired his Gauss Rifles at a Marauder II, watching in satisfaction as it tumbled to the ground. "These bastards just keep coming!" he thought.

Hazelnut flinched as the left side of his 'Mech took a heavy hit, and he turned to see another Marauder II lumbering toward him. The last one tore him up pretty good — could he survive this one, too?

The Marauder suddenly lurched forward and fell face-first into the dirt. Shards of metal rained down as it went, and flames licked at the edges of a hole in its rear. Hazelnut saw Obsidian's Grand Summoner standing behind the wreckage, the barrels of its twin arm-mounted autocannons smoking.

"Got your back!" Obsidian said before turning toward another enemy 'Mech.

Hazelnut nodded and turned to find a new target. It didn't take long for him to spot one: a damaged Stalker halfway across the battlefield, most of one side torso collapsed and the other heavily pockmarked. Even from several hundred meters away, it should be easy to destroy the damaged 'Mech.

Hazelnut lined up the crosshairs over the center of the Stalker and fired both of his 'Mech's shoulder-mounted Gauss Rifles. The slugs punched through the mangled armor, and the machine collapsed in on itself a moment later as its artificial muscles went limp. "That's two," he said to himself.

Movement caught Hazelnut's attention, and he turned to see a trio of huge 'Mechs sprinting across the battlefield. They were moving impossibly fast for machines of their size, and — were they carrying hatchets? His targeting computer called them Berserkers. Though lightly armed on paper for a one-hundred ton 'Mech, carrying only six ER Medium Lasers and an ER PPC each, he hated to imagine the kind of devastation their melee attacks could inflict.

The Berserkers changed direction suddenly, and Hazelnut's heart missed a beat as he realized they were sprinting toward him. Not only him, but also Obsidian, who was fighting another enemy and had his back turned to the rapidly approaching threat.

"Obsidian, behind you!" Hazelnut shouted. He fired his four Heavy Medium Lasers at the rear of Obsidian's opponent and followed up with another Gauss Rifle salvo, destroying the 'Mech and freeing Obsidian to address the new danger.

The Berserker leading the charge took an Alpha Strike from Obsidian and a barrage of lasers from Hazelnut, causing it to stumble. Two more bursts from Obsidian's autocannons finished the large 'Mech off when it was just a few dozen meters away from him.

Obsidian raised the left arm of his Grand Summoner as the second Berserker swung its hatchet down toward him, deflecting the blow so that it slammed harmlessly into the dirt and the 'Mech fell forward. He fired the autocannon in his other arm at the cockpit of the third Berserker just as it swung its own hatchet at him.

The weapon sliced through the right arm of Obsidian's 'Mech and stuck into its side torso. Obsidian reeled from the blow, but recovered in time to fire another two bursts from his remaining autocannon at the third Berserker's cockpit, killing the pilot inside and leaving the 'Mech as still as a statue.

The second Berserker was back on its feet before Obsidian could disentangle himself. Hazelnut shot his Gauss Rifles at the 'Mech's raised arm, and cursed as one shot penetrated but failed to do anything meaningful, and the other ricocheted harmlessly off the armor. He fired all of his lasers, ignoring the painful temperature spike and desperately trying to disable the deadly weapon.

All of the damage was absorbed by the 'Mech's armor, and Hazelnut watched in slow motion as it swung its arm at Obsidian's 'Mech, frantically trying to do something with his two pulse lasers. It was laughable damage in the face of the sturdy enemy machine, but what else could he do with his main weapons all recharging?

The hatchet cut deep into the left side of Obsidian's 'Mech, wreaking havoc on its internal structure and causing the left arm to go limp. He was completely pinned between the two Berserkers, unable to run or even twist away.

"Obsidian, get out of there!" Hazelnut screamed. He fired his Gauss Rifles at the enemy 'Mech, which recoiled at the impact. It moved behind Obsidian's Grand Summoner before he had a chance to use his lasers, blocking his line of sight.

The third Berserker raised its left arm above its head, keeping Obsidian's 'Mech in place with the hatchet in its other hand. "Hazelnut..." Obsidian choked out. "I-"

The comms cut to static as the Berserker slammed its fist down on Obsidian's cockpit. Shattered glass flew high into the air before raining down like frozen teardrops. Hazelnut stared on, stunned into inaction. His last true friend, the last living pony who understood him and trusted him and loved him — gone in an instant.

Hazelnut growled, gritting his teeth so hard he felt one crack. The Berserker pulled its hatchet free, shoving Obsidian's 'Mech and the other defeated Berserker to the ground. "You," he snarled, leveling his aim over the 'Mech's chest. "Die."

A powerful explosion rocked the cockpit, and Hazelnut's vision went dark briefly as his head impacted something hard. He shook the stars from his vision and glanced up to see the barrel of his Blood Asp's left Gauss Rifle sag down, then snap off and drop to the ground. His damage indicator showed a hit to the rear. Some lucky asshole must have blown up his Gauss Rifle.

Critical Hit, Left Torso. Left Arm Destroyed. Gauss Rifle Destroyed. Heat Sink Destroyed. Damage Critical.

Hazelnut turned to see a Sunder charging toward him from behind, its autocannon barrel wreathed in smoke. To his other side, the Berserker had stepped over the wreckage of the other 'Mechs and was also sprinting forward.

"Fine. If that's how it is," Hazelnut spat, re-centering his aim on the Berserker. He would at least take Obsidian's killer down with him.

Before Hazelnut could fire his weapons, a hail of missiles flew past and slammed into the Berserker. It tumbled forward to the ground, sliding to a half just a few meters from where Hazelnut was standing. He took a step forward and kicked at the downed 'Mech's cockpit as it attempted to push itself upright. It crunched satisfyingly before falling to the ground, and he turned back to face the Sunder.

From the corner of his eye, he saw his savior running toward the enemy 'Mech. It was Vermillion; by some miracle alive despite the seemingly catastrophic damage to the Timber Wolf's cockpit. Lasers flashed from the 'Mech's arms, drilling holes into the Sunder's left leg. It fell to one knee as the joint failed, but the pilot managed to keep it mostly upright, and raised its arms to retaliate.

Hazelnut felt his jaw drop as Vermillion leapt to one side without missing a beat, deftly avoiding the missiles and lasers while the autocannon slug bounced off the side torso. How the hell did he do such a complex maneuver without breaking stride or even losing balance? Even with directional Jump Jets a skilled MechWarrior would have trouble doing that in a controlled environment, let alone the middle of battle.

Another wave of missiles poured from the Timber Wolf's twin missile racks. One stream hit the Sunder square in the face while the other detonated harmlessly on the ground in front of it, throwing up a massive cloud of dirt that completely blocked view of the 'Mech. Vermillion changed directions suddenly, sprinting off to the right side.

By the time the dirt cloud cleared, Vermillion was already next to the Sunder. Before its pilot could react, lasers raked out from Vermillion's 'Mech, carving into its left arm and disabling its deadly autocannon as he sprinted by. The Sunder's torso twisted around, vainly trying to follow its assailant with one knee still firmly planted.

Hazelnut fired his remaining weapons at the 'Mech's other arm as it turned away from him, destroying it and the two Large Lasers it housed. "That should give us more breathing room," he thought.

Vermillion slowed to a halt behind the Sunder. He raised one leg and kicked it to the ground, where it lay immobile. The pilot ejected just as he fired his missiles at the 'Mech's rear, smashing apart the thin armor and destroying the machine. Vermillion's aim trailed after the pilot, as if he was considering killing the defenseless pony, but he held his fire and instead turned to find a new target.

"Thanks," Hazelnut mumbled, but Vermillion had already charged across the battlefield again without acknowledging him in any way. "What was that about?"

Hazelnut let out a tense breath and glanced at Obsidian's fallen 'Mech. He was really the last one of their group left. It was all over. Why even try anymore? They were all going to die anyway.

Hazelnut shook his head vigorously, clearing the traitorous thoughts. "No. I won't stop fighting," he growled, turning to find a new enemy to kill. They'd come too far for him to quit now. For Cotton, Slate, Obsidian, everypony they'd lost; he'd keep fighting. Even if he died, it didn't matter. He was going to drag as many of the bastards down to hell as he could.

Chartreuse watched the Highlander crumple to the dirt, its center torso a jumble of charred steel. The ground rumbled a second time, the product of Honey Bee and Steel Thunder's opponent joining its fallen ally. By some miracle, the three of them had survived the bloody ambush.

But the same couldn't be said for the rest of their unit. The battlefield around them was littered with bodies and mangled war machines, Wolf and Inner Sphere alike. There was a considerably larger number of Inner Sphere soldiers lying dead, but it was little consolation.

"Is that all of them? Did we win, or are there more hiding somewhere?" Steel asked, surveying the carnage around them.

"Win?" Honey asked, her voice wavering. "What do you mean, 'win?'"

"Well, they're dead and we're not, right? Isn't that what winning is?"

"No! This... this was a slaughter, not a battle. Are you seriously telling me you feel triumphant looking at all of this?" Honey yelled in disbelief.

Steel gritted his teeth. "You're twisting my words. I said, 'we won,' not 'good job guys, let's kill even more of them next time.' Is that what you wanted me to say?"

"You don't have to now, you say that kind of thing all the time. You don't care about who we lose, you only care about your sadism fetish," Honey growled.

"Honey-" Chartreuse began, but Steel cut her off before she could continue.

"You think I don't care?! I'm a pony, not some heartless machine! I have feelings. Of course I care about our losses. But everypony here knew the risk, and everypony here was willing to fight to protect the Clan, and to die for it if necessary. It's not my fault you can't accept that outcome."

"You should have died with them. There's no better show of loyalty, right?" Honey shot back.

"That's enough, both of you!" Chartreuse shouted. "We're standing in the middle of hundreds of dead ponies, and you two are bickering like foals!"

"Star Commander Chartreuse?" a voice cut in on the comms.

Chartreuse took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her anger and turned to the source of the noise. There were a couple of tanks picking their way through the graveyard, surrounded by a hoofful of Elementals and no more than twenty infantryponies, all of whom were injured to varying degrees. They were a sorry sight, but she felt much better knowing there were others still alive. "Yes?"

"Would you like us to search for survivors?" one of the soldiers asked as he came to a halt a few dozen meters from Chartreuse's Warhawk.

"Yes, I think that's a good idea. If any of the enemy is still alive, capture them if you can," she replied.

"Aff, Commander." The pony saluted, then turned to the other soldiers to issue orders. After a few moments, they broke apart and began sifting through the wreckages.

Chartreuse watched the soldiers for a few moments, not really sure what else to do. All of her senior officers were dead, which made her first in command, for the time being. Somehow it didn't feel as good as she'd always dreamt it would.

"So we're really all that's left?" Honey asked quietly.

Chartreuse nodded solemnly. "Looks like it."

Honey was silent for another few seconds. "I'll miss her," she said finally, staring at Pixie's fallen Mad Dog.

"Me too." Chartreuse bit her lip hard enough to taste blood. The machine was barely recognizable, more like the aftermath of a steam engine explosion than a 'Mech. Bonfire's Stormcrow lay a ways away, its cockpit smashed and the pony inside crushed. Even though she knew any of them could have died in the battle, and it had seemed like they had accepted whatever their fate may be, it still felt like a bullet to the chest.

It shouldn't have happened like this. She could still hear the cheers as the last Clan Draconequus 'Mech fell, the congratulations from Khan Howl, and all of them laughing at one of Pixie's jokes.

Then everything had gone wrong. The First Wolf Assault Cluster's comms descended into chaos just as countless red dots blipped on Chartreuse's radar. Enemy 'Mechs and soldiers came out of nowhere. They emerged from the ground like wraiths and smashed out of false rocks, confusing and overwhelming the Wolf forces.

Pixie had died before she even had a chance to get a shot off. A Fafnir had fired through the rear of her 'Mech, setting off a reactor explosion and killing her in an instant. Chartreuse hadn't seen Bonfire's death, but his scream would haunt her nightmares for years to come.

"Commander Chartreuse!" a voice said urgently over the comms.

Chartreuse shook her head clear and gritted her teeth, recognizing the voice as belonging to the DropShip's pilot. Whatever was causing her to use that tone of voice, it wasn't good. "What is it?"

"The First Wolf Assault was overpowered. We are tracking the remaining enemy forces, and most of them are heading your way. It looks like the rest are moving to cut off your path back to the DropShip."

"Shit." Chartreuse looked over their own remaining forces. Her Warhawk and Honey's Shadow Cat were still in fighting condition, but Honey was low on LRM ammo. Steel's Timber Wolf, on the other hoof, had suffered severe damage, with one of the missile racks having been destroyed and most of the armor along the 'Mech's torsos missing. A quick glance told her the tanks and Elementals hadn't fared much better. "How many enemies?"

"They outnumber you at least three to one, and all of the BattleMechs are assault class. I would not advise holding your ground."

"What about Clan Command? They could get here fast enough to provide support," Steel suggested.

"No, they are still fighting," the DropShip pilot replied.

Steel frowned. "Then why are the remaining enemies heading to us?"

"Khan Howl was not so surprised by the ambush. She kept her forces alert, and as a result they have suffered minimal casualties while inflicting many. I believe the enemies see no point in aiding a lost battle and wish to pick off easy targets instead."

"That makes sense." Chartreuse gritted her teeth, trying to think of something. Clan Command, who was on the opposite side of the advancing enemies, would be no help. They couldn't retreat to the DropShip, there was nothing but wasteland in the opposite direction, and the only remaining possible retreat path had a sharp drop-off that the tanks and infantry couldn't possibly survive. Should they stage their own ambush and hope for the best?

"Wait... the Ghost Bears! They should be fairly close!" Chartreuse realized. "What about Clan Ghost Bear? Could we turn to them for help? I think the Ourse and Silveroot Keshiks are fighting nearby."

The DropShip pilot was silent for a few moments. "The Ourse and Silveroot Keshiks are still engaged in battle, near their third target. They will be unable to provide assistance."

"But... what if we go to them?" Honey asked. "We could provide backup, and maybe in turn they'd let us evacuate on their DropShip."

Chartreuse shook her head. "They're at the bottom of a cliff. Our infantry and armor can't make that jump."

Nopony spoke for a few long seconds. They were boxed in, with no good escape routes and no hope of defending themselves. Chartreuse glanced in the distance, where she could just barely see a large group of gray dots moving against the horizon. They'd have to come to a decision, and fast.

"Um, Commander, if I may suggest something," the soldier from earlier said.

"Do you have an idea?" Chartreuse asked.

"If the three of you link up with Clan Ghost Bear, we can run diversion and draw the enemy away. That should buy you enough time to defeat the enemies there and escape."

Chartreuse frowned. "But that's a suicide mission."

"We know. But the way we see it, either we can kill a few more enemy soldiers and all die in vain, or some of us can make it off this rock to fight another day. The choice isn't hard if you look at it that way."

Chartreuse glanced at the rest of the soldiers. They had all grouped together and were staring up at her, nervous, but determined. They looked like they'd already accepted death, and she wasn't going to deny them this last chance for honor. "Very well. If that's your wish, then we'll carry it out." She gave them the most heartfelt salute she could manage. "I'll make sure you all are remembered for this. Give them hell."

"Thank you, Commander. We won't let you down." The soldiers saluted back, then climbed onto the tanks. The machines sped off into the desert with the Elementals sprinting alongside, tracks and metal hooves throwing up clouds of dust as the soldiers went to meet fate.

"Let's get going. I don't know how much time they'll be able to buy us," Chartreuse said after a moment. She turned in the opposite direction and led her remaining comrades out of the mess of blood and scrap metal. "Get the DropShip out of here. None of us will be returning on it."

"Aff, Commander. Make it back from this mission and I will buy you a drink." There was a light click, and the DropShip pilot left the comms channel.

"I don't think this is really the time for flirting," Honey grumbled.

"Focus on the mission." Chartreuse glanced at her Nav screen. The Ourse and Silveroot Keshiks' third target was a little over two kilometers away. She was the slowest 'Mech in the Star; at her speed, they'd reach the Ghost Bears in about two minutes. She hoped they'd be able to hold on for that much longer, otherwise the soldiers' sacrifice would be wasted.

"Honey, is your ECM still functional?" Chartreuse asked.

Honey nodded. "Yep. MASC still works, too."

"Good. Can you scout ahead? We need to know what we're getting into. And don't get spotted."

"Got it." Honey sped ahead, her 'Mech glinting as it raced across the desert.

"What do you think we'll find down there?" Steel asked.

Chartreuse shrugged. "Hard to know for sure. If we're lucky, the Ghost Bears will have already killed most of the enemy and we'll only have to mop up, but I doubt that's the case." The Ourse and Silveroot Keshiks were a full Trinary short of her Cluster, but those soldiers were the best that Clan Ghost Bear had to offer. She had faith in their skills, but even a giant could be taken down if enough stones were thrown at it.

"I'm at the canyon. They're still fighting," Honey said, her voice full of relief. "They're badly outnumbered, but they're holding their ground."

"Good. Do a quick scouting run around the outside of the battlefield. We'll be there in less than a minute, so don't take too long."

"Doing it now," Honey replied.

Chartreuse glanced quickly at the map of the area. The drop to the canyon floor was a few dozen meters; short enough for a 'Mech to survive, but long enough that she was worried they could stumble upon landing, making them easy targets. It might be better to stay on the ridge and fire down into the fight. Their weapons certainly had the range capabilities to do so.

"Wait, there's more enemy 'Mechs heading toward the fight through a canyon pass," Honey said after a moment. "Four assault 'Mechs, all fresh, maybe one hundred tons? My 'Mech says they're Atlases. They'll probably get there in about two minutes. They're pretty slow."

"Shit," Chartreuse muttered. That was a lot of firepower. If they got to the battlefield, it could spell disaster. She glanced at her damage indicator. Her 'Mech was in okay-ish condition. If they surprised the enemy, the three of them could take out the four assaults before heading to the battlefield. "Keep them detected for us, but don't let them see you. How're your legs looking, Steel?"

"They're the only things on my 'Mech not torn to shreds. You want to drop on them?" Steel asked.

Chartreuse nodded. "Yep. We have to kill them quickly, and the only way I see us doing that is a death from above attack."

"Let's do it. I've always wanted to try this," Steel said. The two of them altered their course toward the four red dots on their radar.

"Let's get the ones in the back first. You're faster than me, so you jump on the 'Mech on the far side. After that, turn your weapons on the 'Mech in front of you," Chartreuse ordered. "Honey, if one of us misses our mark, you wait for them to turn toward us, then jump down and shoot their rear armor."

"Sounds like a plan." Honey turned to Chartreuse and Steel as they neared. "I'm ready."

Chartreuse nodded to Steel, who clenched his jaw and ran ahead, getting the speed necessary before leaping into the air. Chartreuse followed behind, using the radar to aim her 'Mech. They only had one shot; if they fucked this up, they'd almost certainly die, and the Ghost Bear forces might fall soon after.

Steel's Timber Wolf hung in the air for a few long moments before descending toward one of the enemy 'Mechs. Chartreuse's own target came into view as she crossed the canyon ledge, and she dug one foot of her Warhawk into the ground to slow her 'Mech slightly and prevent it from overshooting.

Steel almost completely missed his target, only managing to clip the first Atlas with one of his legs before crashing face-first into the dirt. It was enough to destabilize the machine, however, and it tripped over its own feet.

"That's bad," Chartreuse thought, gritting her teeth. Steel wouldn't be able to kill either of his targets from his position. That complicated things.

A moment later her own cockpit jerked, and the sound of groaning steel filled the air as the 'Mech below her crumpled in on itself. Chartreuse stumbled as she reached the ground, but righted herself in time to fire an Alpha Strike into the rear armor of the third Atlas, just as it was spinning to face her. Its arms and legs went slack, and the machine tumbled to the dirt.

The fourth Atlas turned to face the new threat, but instead of shooting at Chartreuse, it fired its hip-mounted autocannon at Steel's downed Timber Wolf. The shot crashed into his 'Mech, and the cockpit ejected and shot off into the distance as the machine exploded.

Before Chartreuse could retaliate, a cloud of missiles rained down on the rear of the fourth Atlas, soon followed by a gray blur she recognized as Honey's Shadow Cat, using its Jump Jets to propel itself through the air toward the enemy machine. The impact sent the large 'Mech barreling forward, and it crashed into the first Atlas as it was attempting to stand up, smashing the cockpit in and sending both 'Mechs to the dirt. Chartreuse followed up with two more PPC shots to the weakened rear armor of the fourth Atlas, destroying the 'Mech and putting an end to the short fight.

Chartreuse sighed in relief and turned toward Honey. "Go collect Steel, then join the fight as soon as you can. Let me know if you come across any more enemies."

"On it." Honey fired her Jump Jets again, arcing over Chartreuse in the direction Steel had ejected in. He wouldn't be any use in the battle, but at least he wasn't dead. That was all she could ask for right now.

✸ ✸ ✸

Chartreuse set her Warhawk down the canyon as fast as it could go, not wanting to waste any more time. A lot could change over the course of a few minutes, and she hoped things hadn't taken a turn for the worst while they were dealing with the Atlases. She clenched her hooves over the controls as the battlefield emerged from around the right side canyon wall. There was only one way to find out.

The amount of destroyed warmachines lying strewn about was startling. Chartreuse swore there were more fallen 'Mechs here than where she'd just come from, with the only notable difference being that almost all of them were Inner Sphere 'Mechs. Still, that didn't mean the Ghost Bears hadn't suffered casualties, and despite their valiant efforts, it looked like they had nearly run out of steam. They were outnumbered almost two to one, and were backed up against the far canyon wall by what seemed to be exclusively ninety-ton and above assault 'Mechs. The Inner Sphere had really put all their eggs in one basket here.

Chartreuse turned her attention to a nearby 'Mech that was walking along the outskirts of the battlefield, which her targeting computer labeled a Mauler-1R. It carried four autocannon 2s, two ER large lasers, and two LRM 15s; weapons best suited for long range. The missiles would be the 'Mech's strongest punch, and judging from her experiences in the last battle, Inner Sphere LRMs had a minimum range. Its pilot hadn't noticed her yet, so she took a chance and charged forward.

Charteuse fired one PPC at the Mauler as she came within a couple hundred meters of it. When it turned to address the new threat she fired her remaining three PPCs, which slammed into the 'Mech's left side and destroyed one of the autocannons it housed. The machine retaliated briefly with its large lasers and remaining autocannons, before the lasers suddenly cut off mid-burn and the autocannons slammed to a halt. After teetering on the edge of its balance for a moment longer, the Mauler slumped to the ground, defeated.

"Anticlimactic," Chartreuse thought. That was another thing she'd noticed from the previous fight; how easily Inner Sphere 'Mechs could be destroyed. It only seemed to be a few of them, as some were as hard to kill as any Clan 'Mech, but others went down after taking an alarmingly low amount of damage. That wasn't the first 'Mech she'd seen destroyed by a side torso penetration.

Movement caught Chartreuse's attention from the corner of her eye, and she turned in time to see an Ebon Jaguar tumble to the dirt, its massive opponent looming over the wreckage, a couple hundred meters away. Her targeting computer labeled the machine an Annihilator-1X. It weighed one hundred tons, had suffered minimal damage, carried an array of lasers and four terrifying LB 10-X autocannons — and was now turning its weapons toward her.

Chartreuse fired at the Annihilator's right torso, using only the weapons in her right arm, then immediately turned her 'Mech's torso to one side. The force from the return fire was enough to rumble her cockpit, and she was startled to see how much damage it had dealt. Her 'Mech's left arm had nearly been outright destroyed and one of the PPCs had suffered damage, but thankfully it was still mostly functional. The left torso had also taken a big hit, but most of the armor was still there, even if it was mangled and full of holes.

Critical Hit, ER Particle Cannon.

Chartreuse turned back to her opponent and fired the PPCs in her left arm at about the same spot she'd previously hit, punching a hole in the 'Mech's damaged armor. If the enemy pilot had any sense, she wouldn't get another shot off with those weapons, so she should use them while she still could.

Just as the Annihilator was about to return fire, an explosion almost as big as the machine itself effectively disintegrated its right torso and arm. Chartreuse let out the tense breath she'd been holding. "An ammunition explosion. Just what I needed," she thought. However, relief turned to confusion when the 'Mech remained upright, then to fear as it leveled its weapons on her again. Cluster rounds from its remaining two autocannons tore through her Warhawk's left torso, destroying it and the attached arm while shaking her cockpit so violently her head bashed into one of the screens next to her. Even through the neurohelmet's padding, it was still enough to daze her for a second.

Critical Hit, Left Torso. Left Arm Destroyed. ER Particle Cannon Destroyed. Heat Sink Destroyed. Damage Ctirical.

"That should have killed it!" Up until that point, every Inner Sphere 'Mech she'd seen suffer an ammunition explosion had immediately and spectacularly exploded. Why was this one any different?

Chartreuse blinked the stars from her vision and fired her remaining PPCs at the Annihilator's left arm, right at the elbow. The shot incinerated the Myomer at that joint, and the autocannon in that arm fell to hang harmlessly by the 'Mech's side. The heat from firing so often had turned her cockpit into a sauna, and Chartreuse hit the override button. She knew she could kill the enemy machine, but she didn't want to even imagine the toll it would take on her own 'Mech.

Heat Level Critical. Shutdown Sequence Overridden.

Chartreuse rotated her Warhawk's torso to absorb the incoming damage in her relatively undamaged right side. One autocannon definitely hurt much less than four, but in her condition, she wouldn't be able to survive for much longer. Another autocannon shot crashed into her 'Mech's right arm followed by a salvo of laser fire, and she cursed as it destroyed one of the PPCs. There was no way she won that matchup - one ER PPC against all of the Annihilator's remaining weapons?

ER Particle Cannon Destroyed.

"No! I can't lose this!" she thought stubbornly. There was no way she'd let her comrades' sacrifice be for nothing. Her usual 'shoot the enemy and push through the pain' strategy wasn't enough for a monster like this. She needed a plan. "There has to be something, anything!" She turned back to her opponent, scanning its torso for any damage significant enough for her to exploit. She couldn't aim for the cockpit now, considering it would take two shots to destroy. Ruefully, she realized she should have taken the risk and gone for the cockpit from the start. Now she was left searching for scraps, grasping at the smallest branch -

"There!" On the underside of the Annihilator's center torso, there was a deep gouge in the armor, just at the right level for her to reliably hit. It was probably from the Ebon Jaguar, given its height and angle. They hadn't been able to kill the large 'Mech, but they could at least enable her to finish what they'd started. She fired her last PPC at the damaged armor.

The Annihilator responded by advancing toward her and firing its autocannon at her right torso, destroying heat sinks and damaging the reactor.

Critical Hit, Reactor. Heat Sink Destroyed.

"W-what?" Chartreuse pedaled backward, trying to stay out of melee distance of the much heavier machine. Judging from the size of the gouge, she had thought one shot would be enough to break through. And while it had indeed been enough to open a gap in the armor, it was merely a crack in the remaining metal, an annoyingly thin slab of steel with a dark ripple in the middle. Nothing had gone through. It was a condemning misjudgment, and it would surely lead to her death.

But it didn't. The Annihilator's shot went wide, completely missing her side torso and slamming into her center torso just next to the cockpit. The glass cracked near the impact, and again her head knocked into one of the screens next to her, but she shook it off and adjusted her aim to sit over the hole in the 'Mech's armor again.

Critical Hit, Life Support.

Chartreuse watched the crosshair move agonizingly slowly across the HUD. A snail could move faster than her 'Mech right now. Why wasn't it cooperating? At this pace, the Annihilator might reload before she could even finish aiming.

"Because I pushed it too hard," she realized, her stomach tying itself in knots. "I had another chance, and I blew it." The machine was well over operating temperatures - even with the cooling system in the cockpit, she could feel her skin burning. But she wasn't the only thing worse for the wear. The Myomer in the 'Mech's arm and torso would have been damaged by the heat, which would cause continuously degrading performance. That combined with the reactor damage severely limited available power. It was no wonder her Warhawk could barely move anymore.

The reticle inched across Chartreuse's HUD slower and slower toward its target. She could feel her heart pounding all the way in her skull, and she ground her teeth together so hard her vision went dark around the edges. Whoever fired first would win the fight. It would be down to a matter of milliseconds.

The Annihilator's autocannon fired.

Chartreuse's reticle centered over its target.

Her Warhawk's PPC flashed.

Chartreuse felt the impact of the autocannon before the light from the PPC left her eyes. She knew it had hit her 'Mech's right torso, and she was almost certain her right arm and its weapon were inoperable, but she didn't take her eyes off the Annihilator for a second, even though the pain from the heat was unbearable.

The shot was true - it smashed through the hole in the Annihilator's armor, destroying the remnants of steel plating before crashing into the 'Mech's engine. The massive machine jerked still as the reactor shut down, fell to one knee, and tumbled sideways to the ground.

Chartreuse slammed the shutdown button, not wanting to make her 'Mech or herself cook for another second. She tore off her neurohelmet, ripped off the buckles holding her to the seat, and threw open the access hatch as quick as her aching body allowed.

Chartreuse pulled herself from the sweltering cockpit and lay on top of her Warhawk. The temperature shock was agonizing at first, but it slowly ebbed as the cold worked its way through her body, even managing to soothe her burns somewhat. After taking a moment to rest, she turned to watch the battle that was still going on around her. She'd been completely oblivious to it during her fight with the Annihilator, and she hoped it wouldn't have all been for nothing.

To her relief, the Ghost Bears were now the ones on the offensive. The Inner Sphere forces had lost their numbers advantage and were falling at an increasingly rapid pace. She could also see Honey's Shadow Cat sprinting toward the battle in the distance. With the help of that additional friendly 'Mech, the fight would be over that much quicker.

Chartreuse pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing at the pain in her body. She was really glad they'd managed to get there in time. Had the Atlases made it to the battlefield and had she not been able to take out the Mauler and Annihilator, things could have ended very differently. At best, they would have ended up like her own unit, reduced to just a hoofful of surviving soldiers. At worst, they would have been wiped out.

Chartreuse tentatively reached a hoof into the cockpit of her Warhawk. The air was still rather warm, but a significant amount of heat had vented out, and it was now at a temperature she considered safe. She clambered back into the machine and began the startup sequence, and for a few long moments there was no response. No hum from the neurohelmet, no sound from the computers, nothing. She'd begun to worry the 'Mech wouldn't start at all when the reactor suddenly rumbled to life. The screens around her flickered on one at a time, much slower than she'd become accustomed to. "All things considered, I guess I'm lucky it even powers up at all," she realized.

Outside, the battle was drawing to a close. All of the Inner Sphere hoofsoldiers and tanks had been eliminated, while the remaining four 'Mechs were being swiftly taken apart. She counted ten surviving Ghost Bear 'Mechs, along with a similarly low number of infantry and tanks. There was only one VTOL in the sky, which presumably was ferrying wounded soldiers to the DropShips.

Reactor: Online. Sensors: Offline. Weapons: Offline. Life Support: Offline. Seek Repairs.

"Seems like the smart thing to do," Chartreuse thought jokingly. Judging by the damage indicator, there was barely a shred of armor left on her 'Mech, while the inner structure was mangled to the point it could barely support the machine's weight. As far as damage to the systems, the Warhawk had taken nearly three times longer to start up than usual, which didn't bode well. The heat damage must have fried some of the electrical components. "Let's see if you can still walk."

The Warhawk sluggishly stomped forward at a speed comparable to a legged 'Mech. It was also having trouble balancing, and the whole torso slumped to the right side, which was a little disorienting. Still, it could move, which was good enough.

"What are Wolf soldiers doing on our battlefield?" a commanding voice questioned. Chartreuse turned to see an Executioner lumbering toward her as the last enemy fell, the mark of the Ghost Bears' saKhan barely visible through the marred armor.

"SaKhan Snow," Chartreuse said, dipping her head respectfully. "I'm Star Commander Chartreuse. We're what's left of the 279th Wolf Battle Cluster. The First Wolf Assault Cluster was completely wiped out, and the remainder of the enemy forces cut off the path to our DropShip. We came here hoping to get a ride on one of yours."

"You mean you led more enemy forces to us?" saKhan Snow growled. "Star Commander Scarlet, scout our eastern flank. And be quick about it."

Chartreuse bit her lip. He was right; she'd carelessly led their pursuers to the Ghost Bears. Of course the remaining soldiers from her unit were running diversion, but what about when they eventually fell? "Um, y-yes, but I thought-"

"Obviously you did not. Or maybe you did, and leading them here was your intent?" he said threateningly.

"What?! Of course not! Why would I do that?" Chartreuse sputtered. True, she hadn't thought everything through, but that didn't make her a traitor.

"Excuse my interruption," Honey interjected, walking toward the two ponies, "but we took out four one-hundred ton 'Mechs for you before they even reached the battlefield, during which our comrade nearly died. After that, Chartreuse killed two more assault 'Mechs all on her own while coming within a millimeter of death, and that's not even mentioning the fact that dozens of our soldiers willingly sacrificed themselves to divert the enemies' attention so we could make it here and save your sorry asses before enemy reinforcements arrived. Are you really going to stand there questioning our intentions despite all of that?"

Chartreuse stared at Honey, her mouth agape. Talking back to the second-in-command of an ally Clan in such an impudent way - what the hell was she thinking? "Honey-"

"You would ridicule me?" SaKhan Snow turned his Executioner toward Honey. "What gives a lowly MechWarrior the right to address me in such a way?"

"With all due respect, you're not our saKhan," Honey shot back.

Nopony spoke for a tense moment. Chartreuse could practically feel the anger radiating from saKhan Snow. What would she do if he attacked Honey? Surely he wouldn't do that, right?

"SaKhan Snow, there are enemy soldiers on our east flank. Two kilometers out. They do not appear to be advancing," a female voice said over the comms. "Fourteen BattleMechs, minimal infantry and armor, no aircraft. I can see more enemies in the distance, but they are too far to count."

"Not a fight we should take right now." SaKhan Snow was silent for another few seconds. "Very well. I will allow you to board the DropShip of the Ourse Keshik. Before you are returned to your Clan, I will take the BattleROMs in your BattleMechs and review the footage to see if what you claim is true," he relented.

"Thank you, sir," Chartreuse said, dipping her head again. That was about the best response they could have gotten.

"Star Commander Scarlet, keep watch on our eastern flank. Update me if the enemy moves a single meter. The rest of Clan Ghost Bear, return to the DropShips. We are done here. As for you," saKhan Snow said as he turned back to Chartreuse, "abandon your BattleMech. It is in no condition to make the trip. And bring your BattleROM with you."

"What? But I can't just leave it here," Chartreuse protested.

"At your speed, the enemy could arrive before you are even halfway to the DropShip. Unless you wish to join the rest of your Cluster, you will abandon it."

Chartreuse stared at saKhan Snow for a moment, then let out a defeated breath. Even though she knew he was right, she almost wanted to stay and fall with the venerable machine. But she couldn't. She'd live to see justice for her friends. "Of course."

"SaKhan, what about our dead? Are we to leave them here?" a bewildered voice asked.

"They will be remembered. We must leave now."

"But-"

"Every allied force has been ambushed, and we have no way of knowing if there are more enemies in hiding. If we stay, we will die, and the deaths of our comrades will be for nothing. We are leaving," saKhan Said firmly. "Move out!"

Chartreuse reached under the controls and yanked a small gray box free. She turned the BattleROM in her hooves for a moment, not wanting to go. How could she just leave her 'Mech here for the Inner Sphere forces to capture? She didn't want them to reverse-engineer it, or worse, repair and use it in their own army. The thought of her 'Mech being used against Clan soldiers was unbearable.

"I could... make it self destruct," she thought reluctantly. Her Warhawk had become like family to her over the past year. It pained her to have to make that decision, and she didn't want to see another friend she loved so much die. But it was better than the alternatives.

Chartreuse stretched a hoof up to the top of the cockpit, where a lone button was housed. She flipped off the safety cover and hovered her hoof over the red button. It was weird to become so attached to an object; she knew that. But that didn't change how much it hurt.

Memories flashed by, of her Trial of Position, of her first missions with Pixie, Bonfire, and her other fallen comrades, of all the times they'd joke and laugh over the comms, but most importantly, of how her 'Mech felt like an extension of herself. It was all coming to an end.

She pressed the button once, held it for one second, and pressed it a third time.

Confirm Self Destruct.

Chartreuse held the button for three more seconds. It was too late to go back now. She was committed.

Self Destruct Sequence Initiated. Detonation In T-minus Three Minutes.

"Well... I guess this is goodbye," Chartreuse mumbled. She sat for a moment, wanting to spend as much time with her Warhawk as possible. She reached a hoof toward one of the displays, where a piece of her cooling suit from Clan Draconequus hung. The tattered cloth was a sort of memento, to remind her of everything that had happened, and of what she didn't want to become. It was almost tempting her to bring it with her.

Chartreuse took off her neurohelmet and placed it on the seat before climbing to the access hatch. She pulled herself out into open air, then began descending down the side of the 'Mech. Many of the rungs were missing or badly damaged, which made her descent tricky. She was almost worried she wouldn't make it to the ground before the machine exploded.

"Need some help?" somepony asked. Chartreuse turned to see Honey's Shadow Cat standing just a few meters away, the 'Mech's hand open and outstretched toward her.

"Thanks." Chartreuse carefully dropped down onto the large hand and nestled herself on one of the fingers, getting into a secure enough position that she felt comfortable she wouldn't fall. The metal was even colder than the air, and it seeped through her cooling suit in an instant. "Okay. Let's go."

Honey maneuvered her 'Mech around the Warhawk, accelerating slowly as to not drop Chartreuse. She ran to catch up to the Ghost Bear forces, who had almost completely disappeared down one of the canyon passes.

Chartreuse looked back at the Warhawk as they neared the canyon entrance. It stood alone in the middle of the battlefield, outlined by Ironhold's bright sun and surrounded by countless bodies and fallen war machines. Despite being mangled almost beyond recognition, it was still simultaneously the most beautiful and most intimidating thing she'd ever seen.

"No. I won't look back," she thought, narrowing her eyes and tearing her gaze away. She glanced sideways into Honey's cockpit. Inside, she could see the young pony staring ahead, her expression clouded. Steel sat on the floor next to her with a similar look on his face, if more sour. "I can't let the past hold me back. It's my duty to protect my fellow soldiers; my family. From now on, all of my attention is focused solely on them."

A loud explosion sounded behind them, but still Chartreuse refused to turn back. "Our new enemy may have the numbers advantage, but they're as fierce as newborn foals. Even though they got the drop on us, the best they could pull off was a draw, and we're both walking away equally injured. They're not a threat." She gritted her teeth. "You picked the wrong fight, Inner Sphere. You may have started this war, but I'll be damned if you're the ones who finish it."

Epilogue

Everything hurt. It felt like her insides were being torn apart and sewn back together, like a thousand razorblades were swimming around inside her skull. She screamed and thrashed as violently as her aching body could, desperately wishing for the agony to end.

"You're going to be okay, Twilight! Hold on for just a little while longer, you're going to be fine!" a muffled voice said. "Can't you give her more sedative?"

"That voice... it sounds familiar..." Twilight though as she continued to writhe in pain, unable to open her eyes. "Who is it?"

"No, we've used it all."

"Well, don't you have painkillers or something?!"

"I don't think aspirin will help her! You're the one with fancy magic, you do something about it!"

"It's taking all I've got just to keep her alive! Where are your friends, they should have been here by now!"

A brief silence.

"They're just down the road. Help me lift her!"

Twilight's screams grew more desperate as she was lifted from the ground, and tears seeped through her closed eyelids. "If there is a God out there, please... make it stop..."

"There they are! Put her in the back!"

Being placed down was even worse than being picked up. Twilight wanted to bash her skull into the ground to knock herself out.

The air around Twilight was suddenly full of voices she couldn't recognize. Hooves and pointy things poked at her, and she tried to twist away from them.

"Hold her steady!"

"Somepony strap her legs down!"

"Where's the sedatives?"

Twilight felt her limbs being restrained by a stiff material, and something rubbery was pressed over her muzzle. When she could no longer move, something poked sharply into the side of her neck. It was a drop in the ocean.

"What happened?"

"She got stabbed in the side, and I think a lung collapsed. She also has a really bad skull fracture. I've been doing what I can, but I don't know if it was enough."

"You kept her alive, that's all we need. You can stop the spell now."

Most of the pain immediately dropped from Twilight's body. The change was so drastic she nearly went unconscious on the spot. That combined with whatever had been injected into her neck were making it increasingly hard to remain awake, and the outside world rapidly drifted out of reach. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she descended into darkness. All she could hear was the familiar voice, repeating itself over and over.

"It's okay Twilight, they're going to take care of you now. You'll be okay. You'll be okay. You have to..."

✸ ✸ ✸

Twilight cracked her eyes open. Something had shaken her awake; what it was, she had no clue. In fact, she wasn't even sure where she was anymore. The small space she was in was mostly dark, save for a few dim rays of light streaming in through a crack or hole in the ceiling. Definitely not Shadow's castle.

Twilight gritted her teeth at the pain in her body and tried to force herself into a sitting position. Each breath felt like a lightning bolt shooting through her chest, and the smallest movement made her head pound. "Urgh... Where am I? I have to get out of here," she thought, trying to make sense of her situation. Everything after Shadow's appearance was a little blurry. She faintly remembered being flung to the ground, but everything after that was black.

"Hey, take it easy. Just lie still," a voice said. Twilight felt a hoof push her gently back down, and she looked up to see the faint outline of two ponies in the dark. A faint memory flashed through her mind, and she recognized it as the familiar voice from earlier.

"W-who are you? What's going on?" Twilight asked, trying to keep her panic from entering her voice. She used her magic to illuminate the tiny room, and saw a middle-aged unicorn and a stocky older pegasus standing next to her. The pegasus was pale yellow with pink eyes and a short sky blue mane that was graying at the roots, and he wore a black worker's jumpsuit. It was a little frayed at the edges and had a number of stains that looked like they'd been there for years.

The unicorn was a little more unusual. She had a sapphire coat and silver eyes that poked out from beneath a long, stringy white mane. The only thing she wore was a tattered jacket that was so dirty it was impossible to tell its original color. She was also the one who had spoke, as she had a worried expression and still had her hoof on Twilight's chest.

"Hey- turn that off! Are you trying to get us captured?" the pegasus whispered, frantically trying to cover Twilight's horn with his wings. She reluctantly let the light fade, and the small space returned to darkness.

"I'm... a friend," the unicorn said evasively. "You were badly injured. We're taking you somewhere safe so you can get properly looked at, to another planet. Until then, please just try to rest. Don't move too suddenly."

"Another planet?" The floor rumbled ominously, and Twilight bit her lip as the throbbing in her chest flared up. Where had she just been..? That's right, Shadow's palace. From her quick glance at these two, she didn't think they worked there. "What were you two doing in Shadow's castle?"

"It's a long story," the unicorn said.

"I'm not going anywhere," Twilight prodded. The floor rumbled again, and she thought she heard the sputtering of some sort of engine through the noise. Were they on a 'Ship of some kind?

The unicorn was silent for a long moment. "This isn't the time or place. I'll explain everything to you soon, but not like this."

Twilight sighed and glanced around the dark space. She wished she could see, just a little bit. Then she could maybe figure out where she was, and what was going on. Her horn began to glow again, but the pegasus immediately smothered her horn.

"What did I say about that? Quit it!" he said.

Twilight sighed and dimmed her horn. She just wanted to know what was going on. "Who are you? Where am I?"

The unicorn opened and closed her mouth a couple times, confused. "You'll find out who I am later. We're heading somewhere you'll be safe. As far away from that planet as possible."

"Safe?" Twilight shook her head, and immediately regretted it as the dull ache turned into a sharp pain. "Why were you in Shadow's castle?"

The unicorn remained silent. Twilight lit up her horn again to try and see the pony, but something feathery wrapped around the upper half of her head. She tried to push it off, but it stubbornly remained in place.

"Stop!" the pegasus growled. "Her head is messed up. It's chasing itself in circles."

"I know. We need to get her to a doctor. Any idea on how far off we are?"

"Not sure. Lost track of time. Two days, maybe three?" the pegasus offered.

"I don't know if it's healthy for her to be awake that whole time. Should we use the spell again?" the unicorn asked.

"It's your magic. You make the call."

The unicorn sighed, and Twilight felt the pegasus remove his wings from her head. A dim yellow glow began to fill the room, and it took her a moment to realize it was coming from the unicorn.

"You're going to be okay, Twilight. Everything will be fine. Just rest for now."

Twilight flinched back as glowing tendrils reached toward her from the unicorn's horn. She tried to use her own magic to shield herself, but the unicorn's magic easily phased through her protection spell — a little too easily, she noted nervously. Either her current condition had weakened her magic considerably, or this unicorn was much more powerful than she let on.

"You'll be okay." The unicorn's voice reverberated in Twilight's head, harshly at first, but then it faded into something softer that soothed her headache and calmed her worried thoughts. "We will keep you safe." The aches in Twilight's body slowly melted away, and it felt like she'd been enveloped in a warm blanket. "But for now, sleep, and heal." Twilight's eyelids began to feel heavy, and as her mind crawled to a gentle stop and her eyes flitted shut, she thought she saw the unicorns' eyes shift from silver to light blue.

Granite sighed in annoyance and ended the simulation. One 'Mech Lance against a 'Mech Star was so difficult. Winning was possible, but even with his ally pilots' skill set to maximum, they still lost way more often than not, and the wins left only one 'Mech standing. Fighting Clan soldiers on their terms was nearly impossible. They were certainly leagues ahead of the run-of-the-mill bandits he was accustomed to fighting.

"What are you doing in here at this hour?" a voice called commandingly from the other end of the room. Granite jumped out of his seat and snapped to attention, fearing a reprimand, but relaxed when he recognized his friend, Botu.

"Oh, it's just you. Hey Botu," Granite said as he disconnected his neurohelmet and pulled it from his head. "Just getting a little extra practice in."

Botu raised an eyebrow. "'A little?' It's past midnight. You're the last pony in our battalion who needs that much practice."

"I just want to be sure I'm ready. Extra sim time never hurt anypony," Granite replied with a shrug.

"It will if it starts eating into your sleep schedule. We barely get enough rest as it is, and you'll start to seriously feel like garbage if you miss out."

Granite nodded reluctantly. "I know. You're right." He placed the neurohelmet on a rack to be disinfected later and walked past the simulator cockpits toward the exit. "And why are you still awake? Gravity sickness again?"

"Yeah, my stomach feels like shit, but at least they're keeping the 'Ship moving. Some gravity is better than nothing." Botu led the way down the gray halls of the Sugarcube: the Kyushu-class WarShip inhabited by the Pinkie Brigade's First Battalion. The halls were completely empty, as the only other awake ponies would be the tiny night crew.

They walked in silence for a couple minutes. The Sugarcube's seemingly infinite levels were confusing to most ponies at first, and while it was borderline impractical, the reversible design of the halls and rooms allowed the 'Ship to have a small level of gravity by constantly accelerating or decelerating, switching each day before dinner to avoid the spontaneous emptying of every crew members' stomach as their world literally flipped upside-down. Granite found it hard to get used to, but not having to adapt to zero-gravity during transit and then back to gravity upon arrival was well worth it, especially for time-sensitive missions.

"So what do you think fighting Clanners is going to be like?" Botu asked after a long moment.

Granite shrugged. "I don't know. We've been given some data from recent border skirmishes, but that's only from four Clans, and they all have their own fighting styles and technology levels. Our info on the rest of them is over a century outdated, and there's no telling what kinds of things they've developed in that time. I've been running as many simulated battles as I can to try and get the best idea of what we can expect."

"Is that why your face is in a perpetual state of concern?" Botu said jokingly. "I'm assuming those simulations don't end well by your expression."

Granite's brow furrowed further. "It all depends on the fights we take. The individual skill of our opponents, how the numbers stack up, if it's a battle of brute force or attrition, everything. We stand a really good chance of winning the longer fights, but we lose nearly every battle of strength. Our chances improve if we're on the defensive, but the Clans aren't the ones invading."

"That bad, huh?"

"Most likely, but some of them are also weakened. I didn't account for that in any of the simulations. I want to be ready for the worst-case scenario, otherwise I'll never pull everypony through this war," Granite finished, coming to a stop next to a door.

Botu nudged Granite, perhaps a little to roughly. "How about you instead focus on pulling yourself through it. You won't be able to protect everypony. Just prepare us, lead your Lance, and let us handle the rest."

Granite nodded, again fighting the urge to tell Botu about his meeting with Time Strider. He wanted to. On multiple occasions he'd been tempted to tell Botu or Halo about what the sphinx had seen in his future. But how could he? How could he tell his best friend or his brother that he wasn't going to survive the war?

"Now come on, it's way too late already. We need to get some sleep," Botu said before sliding the door open.

Granite hesitated. "You go on ahead. I'll be a few minutes. I'm not quite ready to sleep yet."

Botu gave Granite a skeptical look. "Okay. Just remember what I said about getting enough sleep. 'Night." He walked into the dark room and slid the door shut silently behind him. Or, as silently as a yak could shut a door.

Granite sighed, staring after his friend. He wished he could tell Botu about his future. It would be such a huge weight off his chest. But this was a burden he had to carry alone. He began wandering the labyrinth of a WarShip, unsure of what else to do.

After a good five minutes of walking, lost in thought, Granite found himself at a dead end. He hadn't been paying a particularly large amount of attention to where he'd been walking, and his hooves had apparently carried him to one of the 'Ship's rec rooms of their own volition. With nothing better to do, he decided to go in.

The rec room was of decent size, with a bar, tables and chairs, a pool table, a small bowling lane, a television, and a few other things Granite had never bothered to try to learn the names of. He sat down at one of the tables near a corner of the dimly-lit room.

"Not much longer," Granite said to himself. They'd left nearly a month ago, and were now almost in Clan space. One more jump would put them right on the edge of enemy territory, and another would put them close enough to their first target to detach the DropShips. From that second on, every moment could be his last.

"How many more times will I see Botu? What will be the last thing I say to Halo? What's going to happen to them after I die? What's going to happen to me after I die?" Granite's breaths became ragged, and he rubbed his upper forelegs, cold creeping into his limbs despite the warm interior of the 'Ship.

"I don't... I don't want to die, he thought. He wrapped his forelegs tightly around himself. "Please, someone help me. Tell me what to do."

Anxiety and the desire to run away overtook Granite's mind, and he let it this time, shivers shaking his body. He'd fought these feelings enough to know resisting never made a difference. "I know it's for the greater good." He whimpered and rested his head on the table in front of him. Tears began rolling slowly down his face, one after another.

"But I'm still scared."

The Council Chamber was in utter chaos. Forty ponies seated around a large table all shouted ceaselessly at each other, while hundreds more in balconies muttered restlessly to each other. The new situation certainly had everypony on edge.

"Why should we do anything? We just finished one war, we can not afford another so soon!" one pony argued.

"To sit back and do nothing is cowardice!" a second yelled.

"If we do not retaliate, it will be taken as a sign of weakness. More planets will surely be raided," another countered.

"We must wait for the others before we make a decision. This will affect all Clans. We need every Khan to be present."

One of the ponies jumped from his seat and slammed his front hooves on the large table. "Then where are they? It has been hours, yet they are still absent." They gestured to the six empty seats. "If those Khans cared about the Clans, they would be here, yet they are not. We do not need to wait for them any longer! All of us have important duties to uphold, and we can not do them here. We must come to a decision now."

"We do, but we will still wait," another replied. "We will wait for a year if we must. They were just in battle. See beyond your own selfish mind for once. This is bigger than you or I."

The other pony growled. "I will not stand here and be ridiculed by the likes of you while I wait for Inner Sphere scum to attack my planets, steal my resources, and kill my ponies." He spun briskly and began to walk from the chamber. "We are done here. Clan Flash Bee will retaliate, with or without your help."

"No, you will not."

Forty heads swiveled to see Khan Howl sitting in her previously unoccupied seat. Next to her, saKhan Jackal's projection flickered to life, and a few dozen of Clan Wolf's more prominent warriors began appearing in the gallery behind them.

"You will wait for all Clans to be present, Khan Wasp," Howl said sternly.

"Clan Wolf finally graces us with their presence," Wasp sneered. "Why are you so late? Lost track of time? Could you not afford a pocket watch?"

"We are late because our WarShips were attacked, and our comms were jammed," Howl replied curtly. "We would have been here on time or sent a message were it not for that."

"Attacked again? So soon?" one of the Khans asked.

Howl nodded. "Our enemy seemed very intent on killing us, to follow us so far. Thankfully they did not have the numbers advantage in that fight. Few Clan lives were lost today."

"That is good news. If that battle is over, then where are the others? We are still missing the Ghost Bears and Bugbears."

"Here," Snow rumbled as he entered the virtual chamber. Khan Lance materialized a second later. "We do not all have Khan Howl's speed."

"Nor your strength," Howl replied. "I am sad to hear of the deaths of Khan Subzero, and saKhan Radiance. We could have used their wisdom and courage in the coming years."

"Indeed we could have, but now is not the time for that. We must discuss the Clans' new scourge. There shall be brief introductions, then we should form a plan." Snow nodded to the olive-colored pony seated next to him, who cleared their throat nervously.

"I am Sage Whisper, former Star Captain of the First Bear Guards. It is my honor to have earned the title of Clan Ghost Bear's saKhan, and to serve to the best of my abilities," he said.

The other Khans murmured greetings, then turned expectantly to the pony seated next to Khan Lance. He had a sky blue coat and a smooth black mane, which hung just above his rose eyes. He spoke with a clear voice that carried easily across the chamber.

"I am Star Dash, former Star Captain of the Sixth Striker Cluster. I will carry the burden of saKhan with honor, and will one day lead Clan Bugbear to higher glory."

"Thank you, saKhan Dash," Lance said before turning to the assembled ponies. "Now that introductions are out of the way, let us continue. First we must discover who this new enemy is, and how much of a threat they are. What are their true numbers? Are the associated with the Houses in any way, or is this the act of another power? What are their intentions? Only then should we decide whether war is the answer."

"I think I may be able to answer one of those questions in the coming days," Howl chimed in. "Using combat data collected during the battle of Ironhold, we will be able to deduce their affiliation based on their BattleMech choices and fighting techniques."

Lance nodded approvingly. "Good thinking. Should you need more data, I have much I can provide." He leaned forward on the table and stared through it, subconsciously tracing his hoof across its surface. "As for intentions, they are a little more confusing. They did not attack until after Lightning Bolt and Arc Flash had been confirmed dead. This leads me to believe either they have no love for Clan lives, or they wanted Clan Draconequus specifically to be destroyed. They would have needed Lightning Bolt's cooperation to stage their ambush, making matters more confusing.

"If they wanted the Draconequus Khans dead, they could have first helped defeat our forces, then killed the Khans themselves. Given their numbers I do not doubt they could have pulled it off. So why wait until their numbers advantage slipped?"

"Arrogance, perhaps?" one of the Khans suggested. He was a Zebra named Rungu, the Khan of Clan Widowmaker, and the new senior Khan following Subzero's death. "Hmm. Arrogance and betrayal... Khan Howl, you might start your search in the House of Honesty or the House of Generosity. They each fit one of those bills, judging from history."

"She may not have to," Snow said grimly, staring through their virtual chamber. "Have the rest of you also received a transmission?"

There was a brief silence as the rest of the Khans also broke from the meeting, then a low murmur when they found what Snow had mentioned. It was a video message from the Inner Sphere, and judging from the still image, it wasn't exactly a friendly greeting. Lance tapped a few times on an unseen object, and a trio of screens appeared in the center of the hall so all could clearly see. The video started a moment later.

"I am Prince Shadow Chaser, leader of The House of Generosity," the gray pony on screen began. Five other regal ponies stood behind him, their faces unreadable masks. "I will keep this short. We have important matters to attend to, as will you shortly."

Shadow cleared his throat. "The Inner Sphere hereby declares war on the twenty-three Clans. Do us all a favor; roll over and die quickly. Let's not make this more painful than it needs to be." He inclined his head as the video ended, his condescending glare left filling the now silent chamber.

Lance raised one eyebrow. "I guess that answers one question."

"War? On all of us? Why?" Howl asked skeptically.

"I do not know that the 'why' matters at this moment," Rungu said. "And they do have the numbers to fight us. Enough to win, though? Shadow seemed certain they would prevail, but I do not think we are as weakened as he believes."

Nereida growled. "Pompous swine. It will give me great pleasure to ram my BattleMech's fist down his throat."

"You may have that opportunity someday, but now we must prepare for a new war," Howl replied. "I believe it is in our best interests to elect an ilKhan."

Snow nodded. "That may be why they are so confident. The Inner Sphere sees us as separate bands of war-hungry savages. We could still win this war as separate Clans, but united under an ilKhan, we will show them what we truly are, and that we cannot be so easily broken."

"Indeed." Nereida leaned back in her seat and eyed the other Khans. "So which of us should it be?"

Snow, Howl, and Rungu immediately turned to look at Lance. Slowly other ponies began shifting their gaze toward him, one by one until every set of eyes in the room was staring straight at him. It seemed there was already a favorite choice.

"All who wish for Khan Sun Lance to become the ilKhan, raise your right hoof," Snow said. Forty-two of the forty-six Khans voted in favor, and the vast majority of the assembled warriors also voted for. Wasp and Nereida were among the few to vote against, their surly faces turned away.

Snow nodded to Rungu, who pulled himself from his seat and drew back his shoulders, standing tall and with strength despite his age. "Rise, Khan Lance," he said. Lance obeyed, meeting the zebra's gaze.

"Khan Sun Lance, do you swear upon the words of the great Rainbow Dash that you will guide us through this new trial, that you will lead us into battle to overcome this new enemy that rears its head before us?" Rungu asked in a clear voice.

Lance lifted his chin. "I swear."

"Then by the power of the Grand Council, I appoint you ilKhan of the Clans. May you lead us with confidence in these dark days."

"Seyla!" responded the other ponies in the chamber.

"Seyla," echoed Rungu before returning to his seat.

IlKhan Lance stood still for a moment, unsure of what to do, then too sat back down. "We must assemble our forces first," he said. "Clans who were involved in the battle of Ironhold should take three months to rest. Rebuild your Toumans before returning to the fight. The other Clans will hold the frontlines during that time."

"Three months?" Howl asked. "IlKhan, I do not wish to let other Clan Warriors die in our stead for so long, especially after what our enemy has done. Let us take thirty days to rebuild, and we will be in fighting condition again. I swear it."

"Clan Ghost Bear will also be ready in thirty days. We should not sit idle so long during a time like this," Snow rumbled.

Lance nodded thoughtfully and remained silent. After a few moments, he turned to Dash expectantly. "Khan Dash? What is your decision?"

Dash glanced up, startled. "Khan?"

"Yes. It is now my duty to lead all the Clans, leaving Clan Bugbear in your hooves. It is your responsibility," Lance replied. "Remember you must also choose a saKhan before going to battle."

Panic flashed across Dash's face, but he pushed it down quickly and squared his shoulders, speaking in a voice that carried no fear. "Clan Bugbear will be at full strength in thirty days. Not a second longer."

"Very well. If that is what you all wish, then I will abide." Lance rapped his hooves on the table. "For now, return to your Clans. We will hold another meeting tomorrow, during which we should respond. We will remind this new enemy of our strength, and teach them the error of their ways. We are not to be trifled with." He tapped a few buttons on an unseen console, after which the council chamber began to waver and disappear. "Erase the Inner Sphere from existence. I will not play these games any longer."

Chapter 12 - Snake in the Grass

The Inner Sphere, on New Syrtis...

Granite pulled the bulky neurohelmet from his head and rubbed his sore neck, thinking enviously of the stories he'd heard about Clan technology. Weapons with kilometers of effective range that could destroy an Atlas in one hit, 'Mechs controlled solely by the pilot's mind, no stupid neurohelmets giving him neck pains, and all sorts of other crazy things. He wasn't sure how many of them were actually true. They were only stories, after all.

"How's the new 'Mech?" a voice boomed from the bottom of the stairs. Granite turned to see a yak walking toward him, and the entire catwalk shook as he began climbing the steps. It was Botu, one of Granite's foalhood friends, and another soldier.

"Not bad. It's the same size and weight, so it's really just an updated version of my last one. I'll probably get headaches from piloting it for a while," Granite said, rubbing one of his temples with a grimace. He glanced up at the 'Mech, a slightly modified 7K variant Grand Dragon. Like the original 7K it had a top speed of 130 km/h with MASC activated, an ER PPC in the right arm, three ER Medium Lasers in the left arm, and a C3 Slave unit that allowed it to share targeting data with other allied 'Mechs. The only difference was an SRM 6 launcher in place of the MRM 10.

"That's just something you MechWarriors have to deal with when you get a new 'Mech, right? Do you miss your Dragon?" Botu asked.

Granite shrugged. "I do miss it, but this is a good upgrade. Besides, the militia that bought it could really use some actual firepower. That rednecked piece of garbage isn't enough."

Botu laughed, a hearty and deep noise. "I heard about that. Didn't they just strap weapons to an AgroMech or something?"

Granite nodded. "Basically. They removed the equipment from a Harvester and attached a Light AC/2 and a machine gun. Luckily they haven't had to use it, but with bandit raids becoming more common in that system, they needed real firepower."

"A sixty-ton heavy mech is a huge upgrade from something like that." Botu looked up at Granite's Grand Dragon and sighed. "I wish I could be a MechWarrior."

"You still could if you really wanted to," Granite commented.

Botu raised an eyebrow at his friend. "You've heard what everyone else says about yaks. 'They're no brains and all brawn, good for nothing but cannon fodder and infantry. Strap some steel plates to them, give them rifles, and send them out the door. The sooner they die, the sooner they'll stop eating all the rations.' That kind of thing. Nopony is gonna want me in the cockpit of a 'Mech."

Granite shrugged. "So what? You have the skill set, I know you do. The Techs will install a larger cockpit in a 'Mech if my brother tells them to. All you have to do is go through the training and not fail out."

Botu shook his head. "If only it were that simple." He turned away and started stomping his large hooves back down the stairs. "Anyway, I'll be in the rec room. Come find me if you ever get your head out of the clouds."

Granite snorted and placed his neurohelmet on a rack set into the wall. A soldier was a soldier. It didn't matter if they were a pony, yak, dragon, or whatever. Skill, determination, and obedience were all that were needed. Race was mostly just a visual factor.

"Anything wrong with her?" a voice asked from behind Granite.

Granite turned around to see the chief Tech standing behind him; a pale green earth pony in his thirties or so. He had seafoam eyes and a sapphire mane, and his dark gray uniform was covered in stains that refused to wash out. Granite blinked his gray eyes, trying to think back to the test run he'd taken the machine on. "Oh, yeah. The left knee actuator feels stiff, but other than that it's fine. Can you look into it?"

The Tech nodded and glanced at the 'Mech. "Probably just 'cause she's new, but I'll have a look anyway. We'll get her painted up, too."

"Thanks." Granite trotted down the steps, casting one last look at his 'Mech before exiting the hangar. With his old Dragon, the neural connection between pony and machine always felt restrictive in a way, as if the 'Mech had wanted to resist what he told it to do. With the Grand Dragon, however, it felt almost like floating on air. Other than the stiff knee, he'd never piloted a machine that performed so obediently and responsively.

Granite's lancemates always said his relationship with his 'Mech was unusual. It wasn't like he thought the machine was alive or anything, but sometimes the way it reacted seemed too life-like to be just a simple program. When talking to his brother, Silver Halo, the older pony had admitted feeling similar things from 'Mechs he'd piloted. Maybe it was a hereditary skill, or maybe they were both unlucky enough to inherit the crazy genes from their mother's side of the family. She was mostly sane, but her brother had been confined to a psych ward since he was a colt.

As much crap as Granite's lancemates gave him, they still respected him. Fending off bandit raids was as much combat experience as anypony on base had seen, but even so, the skill he'd shown as a MechWarrior was rivaled by nopony in their Company, except for his brother.

Granite stopped by the road as a transport vehicle sped by, driving at a much higher speed than what was normally allowed on base. He watched it screech to a halt in front of the command building, a hundred meters or so away from where he was standing. A very official-looking magenta pegasus stepped out and rushed into the building, followed by a guard.

"Well that's strange," Granite mused as he ruffled his short marigold mane. Whatever it was, it seemed urgent. Another bandit raid? But if it was something as standard as that, why not just send Silver Halo a message on the comms? He shrugged and continued on his way. "I guess Halo will tell me about it later."

After about ten minutes of walking, Granite found himself at the edge of the base. The guards nodded to him as he walked through the checkpoint, and he glanced around as he stepped into the open desert air. He could faintly see the outline of a small city in the distance. It was built around an oasis hundreds of years ago, not long after the planet was first discovered. Being in such a remote location there weren't any other civilizations for many kilometers, making it a perfect place for a military base and unrestricted training exercises.

The base itself was situated at the foot of one of the mountains in a long range of sandstone peaks, and some parts were even inside the mountain itself. Granite liked to explore the mountains and their valleys in his free time. Despite the frequent bandit attacks he had plenty of time to himself, all things considered, and there was a new spot he'd discovered the previous day that he really wanted to check out.

Granite was sweating by the time he reached the shade of the mountain, and the sand coating his cream-colored body was uncomfortable. The desert heat was unforgiving, but in the right areas, it was actually quite comfortable. The place he'd found was one such area, full of ravines and small caves. Of course, in an area like that, he had to be very careful of wildlife. The red-tailed cobra was a very dangerous snake native to New Syrtis, and while its bite wasn't normally lethal to ponies, it could cause all sorts of problems that would put him out of commission for weeks, most likely.

It didn't take long for Granite to reach the area he'd discovered. It was in a massive ravine, with caves of various sizes all along one wall, many of which were too far up for an earth pony like him to reach. He climbed carefully down into the ravine, where the temperature was noticeably cooler. A few small critters scurried out of his way, but it didn't seem like anything dangerous was around.

Granite sat at the mouth of a particularly large cave and peered in. The entrance was massive; about ten meters wide and almost thirty meters tall at its highest point. He couldn't see very far into it, and while it gave off a mildly foreboding feeling, it oddly didn't frighten him at all. He felt content to just sit there and relax for a while. The temperature was comfortable this far into the ravine, and the sandy floor was surprisingly comfortable to lay on. Granite soon found himself dozing off to the rhythmic sound of his breathing. Only...

Granite shot up and stared into the cave, his senses on alert. While he had heard his own breathing, he could have sworn he'd just heard louder breaths coming from inside the cave. He strained his ears, trying to make sure his mind hadn't been playing tricks on him.

Now that he listened closely, he could definitely hear the sound of breathing coming from inside the cave. Whatever it was, it sounded large. He quickly ran through the list of things he knew lived in the deserts on New Syrtis, but nothing was big enough to breathe that loudly. It had to be at least as big as an Ursa Minor, whatever it was.

"Halo will want to hear about this," Granite thought as he turned to climb quietly out of the ravine. However, he stopped after only a few steps, remembering the transport vehicle and pegasus from earlier. It seemed like his brother had a lot on his plate at the moment. If Granite took care of this for him, he wouldn't have to burden his brother with anything else.

Granite scratched his freckled face and slid back down to the cave opening. The breathing still sounded from inside, just as before. He checked his flank to make sure his laser pistol was where it should be. The firearm was strapped to the top of his right leg, and it should be capable of killing whatever it was inside the cave. He slipped his right foreleg through the brace and pulled the weapon from its holster before stepping into the dark cave.

Granite blinked to adjust his eyes to the relative darkness before continuing on. There was just enough light filtering in to see that the cave opened up into a large space; large enough that he couldn't see the walls. The breathing reverberated in his body for a moment, amplified by the cave, before suddenly cutting off. Granite frowned and glanced around, starting to feel a little nervous at his situation.

A loud scraping noise above Granite made him jump, and he whirled around to see a pair of white glowing orbs descending from the ceiling. A massive shadowy shape as large as a medium 'Mech dropped down between him and the entrance of the cave, blocking his escape. Not wanting to give the creature a chance to attack, Granite raised the laser pistol and fired three shots at what he hoped was its torso. The light from the beam illuminated a large navy blue shape, but he couldn't make out what it was from the brief glimpses. Shards of something hard rained down on Granite from the direction of the creature, and he winced.

"Are you done now? I have plenty of rocks to block your shots with. This cave is made of rocks, and I do believe your laser pistol will run out of charge long before I run out of rocks. Many rocks. In fact, you are a rock, if I'm not mistaken," the creature said with a voice like thunder.

Granite scowled at the odd words, keeping his laser pistol trained on the large figure. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you are Granite, no? My eyesight isn't what it used to be."

Granite nodded slowly. "I am. How did you know that? And what are you?"

There was a brief pause, followed by a loud scraping noise off to the left of the cave entrance. A shower of sparks rained down from the wall and onto a pile of dry brush, which immediately burst into a bright flame that illuminated the large space. The walls were maybe sixty meters high in places, with many other large caves leading off into the darkness. Most importantly, the light allowed Granite to make out the creature.

The creature stood many times larger than a pony, though not as large as Granite had initially thought. It almost looked like a giant navy blue pegasus with an azure belly, except its tail wasn't quite right, and its legs ended in paws instead of hooves. As well as that, it had a cat's head with two sky blue curls beneath its eerily pale eyes, which strangely seemed to lack pupils.

The creature's appearance clicked in Granite's mind with an old tale he remembered hearing, one that took place millennia ago on Terra.

"You... you're a sphinx!" Granite exclaimed.

The sphinx nodded and padded around Granite toward the back of the cave. "Indeed I am. Would you mind putting away that gun of yours? I can't see it, but that doesn't mean I enjoy having weapons pointed at me. I've had enough of that in my life."

Granite hesitantly put the laser pistol back in its holster, though he remained on alert. The sphinx sat down heavily and leaned against the wall. "Sit. I won't hurt you. Sphinxes don't eat ponies."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Granite replied. "Shouldn't you be giving me a deadly riddle or challenge or something? Something along the lines of, 'navigate these tunnels blind and find the talisman before the cobras get you?'"

The sphinx shook his massive head. "I'm done with all of that. Cryptic riddles aren't my thing, ironically. I prefer everything to be crystal clear. I just want to live in peace and watch the galaxy do its thing, and maybe intervene when things take a drastic turn for the worst."

"Watch from in a cave? How does that work? And how did you know my name, and-"

The sphinx waved one paw dismissively. "So many questions. Then again, I knew you would be this inquisitive." The sphinx made a weird rumbling noise and settled against the wall behind him, as if he had a long tale to tell. "My name is Time Strider. Once I was called something different, but I left that name behind many years ago, along with my eyesight. As you noticed earlier, my eyes are pale; nearly white, even. That is because I am blind, and I have been for a very long time.

"You wonder how I became blind. No, it was not an accident. I cast a powerful spell, knowing it would take my eyesight. Not only that, but all of my magic, as well. I can no longer see with my eyes or cast spells, but as a result, I became a powerful seer. I can watch the possible lives of anypony I choose as if it were a movie in my mind. I can speed it up or slow it down, I can see the endless possibilities that the future holds. I study them and commit the most likely ones to memory. That is how I know you, and how I blocked your lasers."

Granite shook his head, having a hard time understanding what Time Strider was saying. "Wait a second. You're saying that you became blind so that you could see the future? And you've watched my future?" he asked. If it were true, could he ask to know what his future held for him? Or would he forever live in fear, knowing how and when he would die?

Time Strider nodded. "I have," he said ominously.

"I'm not sure I like your tone of voice," Granite commented, feeling a pit of dread form in his stomach.

"Nor will you like your future. But first, you would like proof that I can really see the future," Time Strider commented.

"That would be preferable," Granite said. He watched as Time Strider hauled himself to his paws and reached into one of the dark cave openings. The sphinx pulled out a large object- a sandstone boulder about half as big as a car- and turned towards the entrance of the main cave.

"Watch the entrance, and do not make a sound," Time Strider rumbled, holding the boulder as if he were about to hurl it with all his strength. Curious, Granite turned and did as he was instructed.

For nearly a minute they sat there in silence, only the sound of their breathing filling the cave. Granite felt restless, and he had begun to wonder if Time Strider actually planned to show him anything when a sudden gust of wind knocked him sideways. He shook his head and glanced back up at the cave entrance to see the boulder rocketing toward open air. Right before it left the cave mouth a shape whirred by, but it moved too quickly for Granite to register what it was. The boulder caught the object and slammed it into the far wall, shattering into a million pieces and shaking the ground.

Granite stared at the crater the boulder had gouged out of the rock, his mouth agape. "What the fuck was that..?" he whispered.

"Lunch," Time Strider replied. He padded over to where the boulder impacted and picked up a small object; a bird, or at least, what was left of a bird. The sphinx popped it into his mouth before reentering then cave and sitting back down. "Now that you believe me and I am no longer hungry, would you like to hear about your perilous future?"

Granite nodded slowly. "Sure," he said, still more than a little surprised and confused.

Time Strider scratched behind one ear with a familiar expression on his face; one Granite had seen before, defending towns from bandits. It was the expression medics wore when they had to tell a soldier they were going to die of their wounds long before they could reach base.

"War is coming to the galaxy. That much is inevitable. However, one seemingly small event will snowball into the end of the war. The fighting will be fierce, but as long as this event takes place, it will be short-lived."

"Is that event my death?" Granite asked quietly.

Time Strider nodded grimly. "Yes."

Granite let out a shaky breath. This was what he had been afraid of hearing; that he would die sometime soon. Time Strider hadn't said how soon, but the words 'short-lived' didn't instill a lot of confidence. "How does it happen?"

"There will come a time where you will meet an opponent you are not meant to beat. There was a slim chance before that you would win the fight - about one out of ten. Now that I have told you the importance of your death, your fate is sealed," Time Strider said with finality.

Granite swallowed, his mind still trying to process what Time Strider was telling him. "Who is this opponent? What makes them so skilled that I only have a ten percent chance to win? Why is my death so important in the first place?"

Time Strider shook his head. "You will know when the time comes. You have an upper hoof in terms of raw skill, but this opponent has been through many hardships and has been taught the intricacies of combat since a young age. If you both were to fight in similar tonnage 'Mechs that didn't have a technology difference, it would actually be a very fair fight.

"As for why your death is essential, that is a story I do not have time to tell. Just know that you will be saving the lives of countless innocent ponies with your death." The sphinx rose to his paws and stretched his large body. "You should head back to base. Your brother is trying to contact you," he said before turning down one of the tunnels that branched off from the main cave.

Granite stood slowly and walked to the cave entrance, but stopped before he stepped outside. "How do you know I'll go through with this? Now that I know my future, I could easily avoid it," he called over his shoulder.

"You won't avoid it. There isn't a single future where you two do not fight," Time Strider replied. He turned his head to face Granite, his sightless eyes staring straight through the pale pony. "You are morally strong, and you wouldn't hesitate to give your life to protect even a single pony. We both know you will willingly lose that fight now that you know its significance. It's a shame. Had it not been for the war, you would have gone on to do many great things." Time Strider nodded respectfully to Granite before disappearing down the tunnel. "Farewell."

Granite scratched his nose and sighed. He still was having a hard time accepting what Time Strider had told him, but after what he'd seen, he didn't doubt what the sphinx had said. "Maybe I should get my affairs in order," he mumbled as he stepped out of the cave.

"...Granite, are you there? Hello?" a crackly voice said as Granite walked into the open air. He reached up and pressed a button on the small device hanging around his neck.

"I'm here, Silver Halo. What is it?"

There was a noise on the other side of the comms, something like a worried sigh. "It's... fuck, it's really bad."

"Halo, what's wrong?" Granite asked again, though he had a guess as to what his brother was going to say. Time Strider had said war was coming, and he had mentioned something about technology differences between sides. There was only one possible enemy who fit that bill. An old enemy who had nearly destroyed them all, five centuries ago.

"It's the Clans. The Inner Sphere is going to invade them."

On Terra, ten months later...

Twilight Solace glanced quickly at her hooves to make sure her invisibility spell wasn't wavering. After a year of failed attempts to get solid evidence condemning Shadow and Vendetta, she'd decided the only way was to go to Carousel, the capitol planet of the House of Generosity, and search for evidence in Shadow's castle. But she couldn't take her personal DropShip without arousing suspicion. She would have to catch a ride on Shadow's 'Ship, a modified Monarch-class DropShip named The Black Opal, and hope she wouldn't be discovered. That was why she was here, waiting in the Canterlot Spaceport for Shadow to arrive.

Hoofsteps and the sound of conversation made Twilight's breath catch in her throat, and she slowly turned her head to face the approaching ponies, still feeling nervous even though she knew her spell hid her flawlessly.

"...won't be much longer now. My soldiers are where they need to be. Now we just need to wait for the right time."

"That's Shadow. But what is he talking about?" Twilight wondered right before the gray alicorn appeared around the corner. She knew who the other pony was long before she ever saw him, though. There was only one creature in the Inner Sphere with that unique gait.

Vendetta grunted, a noise that set Twilight's teeth on edge. Everything about that creature made her feel uncomfortable (why were the six legs necessary?). "Good. The sooner everything starts, the better. All this waiting around is making me impatient."

"You and me both. At least it won't be much longer now..."

Twilight frowned to herself after the two ponies passed, still holding her breath. She hadn't expected Vendetta to tag along with Shadow. That complicated things. His unnatural hearing would make sneaking around difficult, at least without another spell. She could cast a sound muffling spell, but that combined with the invisibility spell would take a fair bit of concentration, and she would need to be careful.

Remembering back to her great-grandmother's spell book, Twilight bit her lip and channeled her magic through her horn. She felt a light tingle through her body after a moment, and she experimentally tapped one hoof lightly against the floor. Not a sound came from the movement, and she let out a breath of relief. It was extraordinarily difficult to keep two high-level spells going, but she knew she could do it.

Twilight trotted up behind Shadow and Vendetta, now confident that she could follow them without being detected. Unluckily they had finished whatever they had been talking about and were now walking in silence, but she wasn't sure she could focus on two advanced spells and eavesdropping at the same time anyway.

It didn't take long for the trio to reach Shadow's 'Ship, and after passing through the checkpoint at the entrance (which Twilight had had to teleport through- she was a little surprised she didn't drop the other spells in the process), they were on board and The Black Opal was preparing for takeoff.

Twilight glanced around the clean interior of the DropShip. A part of her had almost expected it to be dark and sinister, but as far as she could tell, it looked more or less like any other of the alicorns' 'Ships; shrunken internal space to allow for increased armor and a fair amount of weapons, luxurious passageways, art and décor hanging on nearly every wall, and the many hidden cameras that she could assume were present. They were on every royal 'Ship, though not many ponies knew about them. All of the important areas would also have thermal cameras and magic sensors, so she would have to be careful about where she went.

As Shadow and Vendetta walked through the DropShip, Twilight decided she'd better find a place to hide until they arrived at their destination. She needed the perfect hiding place. Well thought out but not too obvious; somewhere nopony would think to look. If the layout of The Black Opal was anything like Twilight's own Monarch-class 'Ship, Starchaser, then the garden would be the best place to check first.

Luckily for Twilight, the layout of the two ships seemed to be identical, or at least mostly similar. The garden was in the same place as her own, but she had completely forgotten that she'd had the garden of her own 'Ship enlarged decades ago. Rather than filling an entire deck like the garden on Starchaser, the one she was met with was roughly the size and shape of a buckball field. Not much to work with, but she decided to have a look anyway.

The garden was fairly simple, with sandy paths lined with round stones and hardwood benches, various bushes and flowers growing underneath dogwoods, hornbeams, and other small trees, and a large alicorn fountain in the center that stretched to the height of the trees around it. There were also various rock formations and statues littered throughout the room, one of which was of a fairly large dragon with half-opened wings, wearing spectacles and holding an open book in each hand. The space underneath one of its wings looked just large enough for her to curl up in, and with a fairly simple illusion spell that should last the whole trip, she could stay there without fear of being discovered.

Twilight made herself comfortable (or, as comfortable as a princess could get inside of a stone statue) and started thinking about how she would have to alter her plans now that Vendetta was present. It would take about ten days from departure on Terra to arrival on Carousel, so while she had plenty of time to think, she also had to remain hidden for that time. She sighed to herself. This was going to be a long trip.

Twilight blinked her eyes a few times as she stepped out of the small spaceport, trying to adjust to the blueish light cast by Carousel's sun. She'd always wondered how Shadow could live under the strange glow, but every time she thought that, she reminded herself that he probably thought the same thing about the rest of them.

The sound of a vehicle firing to life brought Twilight's attention back to the present, and she shook her mane. She could feel sad about Shadow's betrayal later. Right now, she needed to stop him from murdering her and her friends (which she was still having a hard time accepting).

Shadow and Vendetta had climbed into a large armored van, which had begun making its way down the road to the massive castle in the distance. Rivaled in beauty and age only by the Canterlot Castle, Château d'Opalescence was a magnificent sight. Supposedly it was designed and named by Rarity herself over a millennium and a half ago, but likely only as a fantasy of hers. She'd have had no way of knowing it would actually be built one day, when the Great Houses were formed. It and Canterlot Castle were the only two of the royal castles to not have been completely rebuilt at some point, though modifications had been made as technology progressed.

Twilight sighed in annoyance and tried to bring her focus back. She could admire the castle from a distance some other time. She had work to do. Dangerous work that could very well end with her dead, based on what she knew now about Shadow. She hadn't told anypony where she'd gone, just that she was going on a trip for self-reflection, so her "disappearance" could easily be fabricated.

Twilight looked around the area for a place where she could safely drop her invisibility spell. The spaceport was set on top of a flattened hill, surrounded by a dense forest where she was certain nopony would see her. As she stepped past the tree line and dropped the invisibility and muffling spells (which felt somewhat akin to finishing a marathon), she turned back to face the castle. It was about three kilometers away, set into the side of the mountain. She had been inside a few times and was somewhat familiar with its layout, but getting lost wasn't her main concern. Figuring out where Shadow might keep potential evidence was.

The air around Twilight crackled as she channeled her magic. It was a long distance to teleport, even for an alicorn. Even so, when she opened her eyes she found herself standing behind the cream-colored silk curtains of one of the castle's large ornate windows. She shook her head, feeling a little lightheaded at using her magic so heavily for nearly two weeks. The sooner she could finish this, the better.

Twilight took a deep breath and recast the invisibility spell. That should be enough to get her through the castle, if she were careful. She strained her ears, trying to listen past the curtains. She didn't think there were any guards patrolling by, but she waited a few seconds before emerging into the large hallway just to be safe.

The hallway looked just like she remembered; tall ceilings, a thick red carpet with intricate gold embroidery running down the middle of the hall, gold lanterns sprouting from the walls, and a painting hanging between each of the windows, which were spaced a few meters apart. Even though the castle interior looked medieval, Twilight knew it would be full of modern security features, and she would have to be careful.

If Twilight remembered correctly, Shadow's sleeping quarters were down the hall and up a flight of stairs to the left, at the end of the hall. It felt weird to be sneaking around her friend's castle (ex-friend's castle, rather), but the sick feeling in her stomach reminded her why she had to be there.

It didn't take long for Twilight to find her destination. There were guards at the door, just like she had remembered, but luckily there were only two. Shadow's personal guards were nowhere to be seen, which meant he hadn't arrived yet. Considering he hadn't teleported over it wasn't a huge surprise, but it didn't hurt to check.

Twilight took a deep breath and stepped back out of sight, trying to calm her racing heart. There would be no turning back after this. Either she saved her friends and the lives of countless others, or she died here and failed completely. No pressure.

Twilight glanced quickly behind her to make sure no other guards had appeared before dropping the invisibility spell and walking around the corner. Both of the guards at the door immediately glanced her way, and while they looked shocked, she was relieved to see they weren't hostile. They must not have known about Shadow's plans.

"Princess Twilight Solace? It's a surprise to see you here so suddenly. Is Prince Shadow Chaser with you?" one of the guards asked.

Twilight nodded. "He is, but he had something he needed to check up on. He told me to meet him in the council room. Is this it?" she asked as she walked up to the guards, nodding to the large wooden doors behind them. She needed to be close to the guards for this spell to have its maximum effect, but preferably not so close they became suspicious.

The second guard shook his head politely. "No, ma'am. These are the private quarters of Prince Shadow Chaser. The council chamber is on the other side of the castle. I can escort you there, if you wish."

Twilight shook her head. "That's okay, I wouldn't want you to get in trouble for leaving your post. I'll find another guard or a map or something. Thank you anyway."

As Twilight turned to walk back down the hall, she watched the guards from the corner of her eye. When they were both at attention and facing forward again she immediately cast a spell, one she had learned from her grandfather centuries ago. It was originally only meant to "catch" objects, reducing the value of any force acting on them to zero. One day by accident, they had discovered this spell worked on living things, as well. Twilight had missed her spell and had hit her great-aunt instead, but luckily it had worn off after only a few seconds, and she'd had no memory of what had happened during that short time. While Twilight had been young and didn't realize the spell's true worth, now she understood how useful it could be. The guards would likely be confused when they regained consciousness, but they would be unharmed. She just hoped they wouldn't be punished for negligence.

Both of the guards' eyes now glowed with the color of Twilight's magic, and they stood stock still. When she waved a hoof in front of their eyes they didn't react, and she nodded to herself. "Okay. Two ponies from a distance of about three meters- I should have at least thirty seconds," she thought as she went up to the door.

Shadow was a brilliant enchanter. There was no way the doors were inert. But that was where Twilight Sparkle's spell book came to use again- a spell that briefly allowed a pony to walk through walls. It was difficult, required an immense amount of magic, and would kill a pony if they dropped the spell without stepping fully out of the wall. But it was effective, and it was needed now.

Twilight Solace took another deep breath and gritted her teeth from exertion as her horn began to glow, and she felt the familiar nauseating effect of the spell. She knew she could only keep this spell up for a few seconds, so without wasting any time, she stepped into the walls and walked around the door. Right at the end she felt her magic falter, and she launched herself into open air just as the spell failed. She crashed to the floor and lied there for a moment, allowing herself a few seconds to breathe. Luckily her whole body had made it through, otherwise there would have been a giant puddle of blood on the floor by now.

Twilight pushed herself unsteadily to her hooves and glanced around. Shadow's sleeping quarters were large, but mostly empty space. A massive bed, a couple of ornate dressers, a large mahogany desk, and a door that led to the bathroom were all that occupied the room. She had thought this might be the most likely hiding place. It didn't look like it would be anymore, but at least there was less to search through than she had expected.

After nearly five minutes of frantic opening drawers and checking underneath and behind things, Twilight realized there probably wasn't anything of use there. It seemed like the only things Shadow did in this room were sleep and change clothes. Even the desk was completely scratch-free, which didn't happen by cleaning it. He wouldn't have evidence in a room he was rarely ever in.

"This is a waste of time. Shadow is probably already in the castle. I have to search somewhere else," Twilight thought. His computer would be a good place to look, but she didn't know where to find that. It could be anywhere in the massive castle. Twilight thought back to the list of rooms she had considered searching, but none of them seemed particularly promising. None of them, except for one.

It was a door set in the middle of a hallway, high-tech and strangely out of place. Even stranger was that there were no guards posted at it; at least, none that she could remember. She'd never gone inside, but something about that room called to her. It had to hold what she was looking for. She could feel it.

Twilight sighed and channeled her magic again, casting the invisibility spell before teleporting herself next to the odd door. A quick glance around told her nopony was in sight, and she stepped out in front of it.

Standing there in front of the metal sliding door, Twilight suddenly felt a strange sense of foreboding, as if entering the room would put her in immense danger. The feeling became so overwhelming she nearly gave up and went home then and there, but she stamped down the unexpected feeling of terror. She couldn't back down now.

Twilight bit her bottom lip. She had enough strength left to hold the permeation spell for half a second, maybe less, but she didn't think there was any other way inside without setting off some sort of alarm. Steeling her resolve, Twilight backed up against the opposite wall and took a deep breath. Then she charged forward.

"I sure hope this wall is as thin as it looks!" Twilight thought as she leapt at the wall and cast the spell again. She immediately realized she had done it too soon, and for a horrifying moment she thought she was about to become corporeal inside of the wall. However, a desperate surge of strength allowed her to keep the spell going for another fraction of a second, and she appeared on the other side in one piece before landing heavily on the floor. Well, a large chunk of her tail had been left behind, but she was mostly in one piece (losing half of her tail was a damn sight better than losing half of her body, she noted).

Twilight shook her head nauseously and pushed herself upright, breathing heavily. Now that she could stand again, she looked around her surroundings and was surprised at what she found. From what she could tell she had in fact found Shadow's computer, but that was it. It was just a screen sitting on top of a simple wooden desk, with a similarly unimpressive chair in front of it.

"That's... anticlimactic," Twilight muttered as she walked up to the computer. A laser image of a keyboard projected itself onto the desk as she neared, and she scratched her nose. That was kind of cool.

A quick glance behind the screen revealed a couple of data transfer ports, a power cable that ran to an outlet underneath the desk, and a few other miscellaneous ports. Twilight turned back to the front of the screen and tapped the spacebar on the projected keyboard with her magic. She didn't want to physically touch anything in case it was enchanted. The computer instantly pulled up the desktop, and Twilight frowned to herself. "He doesn't lock his computer? That's kind of uncharacteristic of him," she thought. She instantly recognized a communication program and opened it.

The program opened to reveal a long list of conversations sorted alphabetically; longer than Twilight could hope to read through. She scrolled down the list, skimming through the names. They all seemed fairly standard. Just the kinds of things she or any of the other alicorns normally dealt with.

Twilight had begun to lose hope when Vendetta's name flashed past on the screen. She quickly scrolled back up and opened the conversation, which immediately proved all her worries. "This is what I was looking for. I have to show this to the others," she thought, reading through the conversation.

"Dear Celestia…" Twilight whispered. It- everything was worse than she had initially thought. Shadow's treachery went back centuries, not long after the Clan invasion. In fact, if she remembered the date of his coronation correctly, it was only a couple hundred years after he inherited the Element of Generosity from Rarity's bloodline. And it got worse. Twilight pulled out a device from her small saddlebags and slotted it into one of the data transfer ports, watching as the conversation was copied over to the storage drive.

The century-long infighting between the Clans. That was when all of this madness started. The Khan and saKhan of Clan Draconequus- they weren't of Clan blood at all. They were direct descendants of Shadow, dating back hundreds of years. Other ponies had been bribed into letting them take power (maybe that was just Shadow's politically correct way of saying he enchanted them to), and through them he orchestrated a war to cripple the Clans and allow their destruction, during which he was planning to kill off the other alicorns and seize control over the Inner Sphere for himself. Even Discord regaining his magic was planned for, though Vendetta was an unexpected addition.

Twilight suddenly became aware of a presence in the room and spun around to see Shadow standing in front of the door, his face grim.

"Hello, Twilight," Shadow said coldly. "I didn't think you were the one who was tailing me this whole time."

"No! This is bad!" Twilight thought in panic. She quickly pulled the storage device from the computer, praying that enough data had transferred over, then tried to teleport away. However, she was too slow. Halfway through her teleportation spell Shadow reached up and flipped the light switch, which caused Twilight's spell to immediately fail. "What?"

Shadow smirked and stalked over to Twilight. "This entire room is enchanted," he said, noting her confused expression. "Didn't you know I was talented with enchantments?"

Twilight nodded stiffly. "I did. Knowing your conniving nature, I should have expected something like this."

"Ooh, ouch. Words cut deep, you know." Shadow tilted his head at Twilight. "It still surprises me that you're the one following me. Your hiding location on The Black Opal was genius, I will admit, but hitching a ride on my van was uncharacteristically ill-thought on your part," he said as he walked behind her.

Twilight scowled, confused. She'd teleported over. That meant somepony else was following him- but who? Luckily Shadow didn't see her expression, so she didn't think he'd caught on.

"But still, you managed to get to my computer extraordinarily quickly after we arrived here. Your mind is as sharp as your great-grandmother's. Or so I've heard, anyway. I underestimated you," Shadow continued, walking back around in front of Twilight. "An invisibility spell as complete as yours is no small feat, even for an alicorn. Pair that with a silencing spell and short range teleportation, and there are probably less than ten other ponies in all of the galaxy who could have snuck on my ship the way you did."

Twilight snorted. "How long are you going to stand there, monologuing like a supervillain?"

Shadow chuckled and grabbed Twilight's chin, pulling her face close to his own. "Oh, my naïve little Twilight. You have no idea." He released her and looked up at the light in the ceiling. "Isn't it fascinating? It's such a simple enchantment, yet incredibly effective. I developed it myself, after years of research and practice. It's strong enough to cancel even Discord's magic."

"So you're the one who gave him that ring?" Twilight asked.

"Indeed. That was the first object I enchanted after perfecting the spell. It was a crude enchantment, nowhere near as elegant or powerful as what I can do now, but its inhibiting ability got stronger as it absorbed more magic. I'm quite proud of that one." Shadow walked over to the computer and placed a hoof over it. "This one, too. I know whenever anypony goes near it, and I can teleport myself back here anytime I need, from anywhere in the galaxy. It's a one-time use enchantment that takes nearly a full two days to cast, but it's quite an effective security measure, if you ask me."

Twilight shrugged. "It seems a bit overkill, if you ask me."

Shadow laughed. It was a cold laugh, one that she was unused to hearing from him. That made it a little easier to separate him from her memories of him. "That is why you could never hope to understand. I don't do things for efficiency. I do them because I want to. This all started with me wanting to wipe out the Clans, and now look at me. I've realized what I truly want, and I'm taking it. That's what true freedom is, young Twilight. The freedom to crush ponies between your hooves and dictate their every action."

"That just sounds like somepony who's been corrupted by power." Twilight reached subtly into one of her packs with a wing, reaching for an item that she had planned to use for something else. It seemed like her last option, though. "But why tell me all of this?"

"Because how often to I get to gloat like this? Besides, it doesn't matter what I tell you. If you think I'll let you leave this place alive, you're-"

Before Shadow could finish, Twilight pulled the item from her pack; a small sack of magic absorbing powder. Using it now would make getting off of Carousel a little trickier, and it wasn't strong enough to absorb an alicorn's magic, but she had no other option. She flung the open sack directly into Shadow's open eyes and bolted for the light switch as he roared at her in anger, smashing his hooves on the floor where she had been moments before.

"If I can reach the light switch, I'll be able to teleport away," Twilight though as she raced across the room. While it had seemed small when she had first entered, now the seconds it took to reach the other end felt like an eternity. She lunged for the light switch and prepared to teleport away, but when her hoof was only a couple millimeters away from her target, she felt her body suddenly slam to a halt. "What... what's going on? I can't move!"

A weight crashed into Twilight from behind, knocking the breath from her lungs. She suddenly became aware of a piercing pain that stretched from her left kidney up through her left lung that grew worse as she was lifted high into the air. It left her unable to move or defend herself; she wasn't even able to scream as she realized what had happened. Shadow had impaled her on his alicorn horn. Weak from all the magic she had been casting and completely drained of hope, all she could do was hang there limply.

Shadow grunted from exertion as he flung Twilight's limp body off of his horn. She crashed heavily to the ground, though she could barely feel it through the pain in her body that got worse with every passing second.

"Damn, you're more of a fighter than I thought," Shadow said as he wiped the powder from his eyes. He pulled out a pristine white cloth and used it to clean the blood from his horn and face.

"How..?" Twilight coughed out. It had started to feel like she was drowning, which meant her left lung must have been punctured. As well as that, she was losing blood onto the floor at an alarming rate. She didn't see a way out of this.

Shadow flung the now soiled cloth to the corner of the room and blinked his eyes, still trying to clear the powder from his eyes. "I'm the one who made the fucking enchantment. You think I couldn't figure out how to make it not affect myself? Fuck! Why'd you have to throw it in my eyes?!" he shouted as he shook his head vigorously.

"Sorry for the... inconvenience..." Twilight muttered. She must have hit her head really hard or something, because she could barely keep her eyes open.

Shadow growled and glared at Twilight. "Whatever. There's nopony left who can stop me. I'm sure you can guess what's going to happen next." He levitated the storage drive from Twilight's packs and flung it against the wall hard enough to make it shatter. "You'll probably be dead by the time I get this shit out of my eyes, which is a shame. I'd really love to torture you after what you just did, but bleeding out on the floor will have to do. Have a nice rest, princess," Shadow said as he turned toward the door.

Twilight gritted her teeth, feeling herself slip from consciousness as his blurry shape passed through the doorway. "D-damn it. I guess that's it then." She coughed and felt a stream of blood begin to trickle out of her mouth. "I'm sorry, everypony. Everything was on me. And I failed."