The encampment itself had grown quiet, its inhabitants withdrawn to a safe distance to watch the exchange. Celestia could see them, gathered. "That's quite enough of that." She raised her forehooves, magic gathering between them before igniting into flame. "If you like fire so much, we can play that game. You picked a fight with the sun pony, so I can only hope you put on some sunscreen before coming here."

Luna glanced up at her fiery sister, a little smirk on her face. "You have erred most gravely." A steel edge rang out against her armor and she grabbed it in her magic, yanking the weapon and its wielder forward and sending the kobold to collapse at her hooves. "If you had it in mind to run, this is now the proper time."

Garou jumped from his platform back to the surface, the platform fading away. "If she's doing what I think she's doing, everyone come here!" He erupted in size as he smoothly transitioned to his war form, fingers flexing powerfully just a moment before lashing out, claws ripping into a kobold that had strayed too close. "Everyone that isn't a lizard."

Trixie trotted over with a cocked brow as if a pitched battle were not taking place around her. "You realize you still have something... stuck there." Garou was paying the painful stick stuck in him no mind for the moment.

Rockhoof brought his shovel left and right, parrying several attacks at once, sweat across his brow and nicks across his front, but he looked largely intact overall. "Have to... cut this short." He slammed the shovel down and a ripple of a shockwave burst free, knocking the kobolds back and away, giving him a chance to hurry to Garou's side. "What is she doin' up there?"

Luna vanished, appearing beside Garou in the space available. A dome of glass snapped into being around them all in a defensive shell. "Our newest member seeks to protect us from the fury of the sun, clearly."

Flames bursting from her eyes and from between her struggling hooves licked the air, wanting so desperately to be free of her control. "Away!" She hollered making a great throwing motion. The fireball did not move with the same energy that she threw it, descending on the kobolds quickly, but nowhere near the speed of a tossed baseball. The kobolds screamed, but it was a noise of terror, not aggression. They could all see it approaching them and they began fleeing right back the way they had come.

But the fireball was not entirely free of her influence. It curved as it moved, following them and accelerating as it moved, becoming faster and faster by the moment, closing distance with the kobolds all too quickly for their comfort. They started to scatter, but it was upon them.

It burst into brilliance, as if a new sun had been created, and it was an angry sun. Flames began to rain down from it, each ray of golden light instead an orange-red lick of fire that washed over the scattering kobolds in a crescendo of agonized pain. Each ray had a specific kobold in mind, when it couldn't get two close enough to strike as one. Across the field, the number of their opponents dwindled rapidly, only the few lucky enough to make it inside their sand-obscured burrows spared the lash of Celestia's mighty attack.

Luna softly nudged Garou in the side with a raised hoof. "She would not have risked us. If she had not complete confidence in her ability, she would not have cast the spell. Still, I thank you for the thought. It was one well intended and executed."

Trixie nodded in agreement with that. "Celestia would sooner throw herself off a cliff than hurt a friend. She's what you call a 'good four shoes'." She snickered softly, though her eyes were still on Garou's injury. "That really doesn't look comfortable. Trixie is not a Trained and Licensed physician, but she feels certain of this."

Garou fell to all fours. "Good... good." He collapsed to the side, the loss of blood and the pain of the jiggling spear's tip proving just a bit too much.

Rockhoof caught the collapsing wolf, setting him down more carefully. "Aye, that's a bad one. Ya fought well, now we'll take care of ya." He hefted up the wolf onto his back and strode carefully towards the wagon that housed the medical supplies.

The ponies of the caravan were returning to their wagons, the trouble passed and the noise of battle receded. A pony with a turban and a stethoscope approached Rockhoof and his canine cargo. "Get him inside," he urged, waving to his wagon, and they all vanished from sight.

Luna glanced to Celestia. "You are looking well."

"It was a contest of heat." Celestia tipped her head towards her sister. "I believe I won."

Trixie rolled a hoof. "Are you... always fireproof? You never mentioned that before."

"It certainly doesn't come up often," admitted Celestia with a coy little smile. "Besides, I'm not 'fireproof', but my magic does run in that direction. Handling that trick's worth of heat was well within my ability." She glanced away. "Now if I had been caught entirely by surprise..."

"I would be rushing you right alongside our wolf," chided Luna with a soft huff. "I'm glad you're safe." She reached out and gently brushed a few flicks of charred bits of fur from Celestia. "I can see there was an instant of surprise at least."

Celestia's cheeks warmed. "What? No..." She raised a hoof to cough into it. "Regardless, we were the victors, and without any losses."

Trixie looked towards the medical tent. "We should perhaps wait on declaring that until they are certain Garou is well."

"Why do you care?" asked Luna with a touch of acid. "He's only worth half of you, if I recall properly."

Trixie blinked owlishly, clearly surprised at the sudden lashing. "What? He is a fan of the Great and Powerful Trixie, of course I care. It would hardly be proper for a showmare to not care when a fan is hurt." She buffed her chest lightly. "Besides, he fought well too. Trixie will even admit he did more than her, this time."

Celestia softly nudged Trixie with a hoof. "Then he should get a larger share than you for this leg of the journey?"

"I didn't say that!" she squeaked, backing away from Celestia. "Besides, that would be tricky, deciding who did what each time." She scowled at the thought of it. "Why don't we just make it even and keep it there? Much easier."

Celestia smiled gently. "What a Great and Powerful idea. You are wise beyond your years, Trixie."

"Good of you to notice." Trixie looked quite pleased with herself, a smug look on her blue face.

Luna rolled her eyes but did not argue how they had arrived at the answer the rest had already agreed on. "Are all the ponies alright?"

"They're fine," noted the caravan leader as she approached. "Thanks to you, all of you." She waved a hoof at the three defenders. "Where're the other two?" Her eyes wandered over the circle, but they were not in view. "I owe that, uh, whatever you call the wolf, a bit of thanks."

Trixie lifted a hoof towards the medical wagon. "He and Rockhoof are being seen by a physician. He had a stick right in his back last I saw."

"Just poking out of him?!" started the leader, taking a half-step away. "How awful. Hopefully he pulls through. If you see him before I do, tell him I want to talk to him. Aside that, quality work. Damage was minimal outside of some wagon cloth damage we can patch out at the next stop." She nodded and trotted away, shouting orders at some other ponies. The camp wasn't returning to sleep immediately it was very clear.

Luna nodded to Celestia. "About that. Garou seems to have considerable power, but not the training that would imply he's spent a lifetime mastering it. There are delays between one action and the next, and where you lost a few hairs in your instant of reaction, he would have been cooked on the spot had he been in the same situation."

Celestia swerved an ear at her sister, the other directed at the wagon the injured were in. "Are you implying he is not a warrior by profession then?"

Luna shrugged. "None of us are. I'm implying his powers are new to him." She raised a hoof. "He did not think to go invisible, though clearly that was a power he had, demonstrated to us when first we met him."

Trixie's face screwed up at that. "He cheated with it to best me! I remember that well. If I were more practiced with invisibility spells, I would use it all the time. But why would I do that? The world deserves to bask in my Great and Powerful presence, and they can't do that if they can't see me."

Celestia smiled with soft amusement at Trixie's thoughts. "That would be tragic indeed. It is perhaps for the best that you keep invisibility spells to only the direst of emergencies."

"Exactly," agreed Trixie, puffing out her chest. "But how does this relate to him? Perhaps he also desires to be seen?"

Luna shook her head. "He is asleep. Perhaps I could draw some answers free."

Celestia put a hoof on Luna's armored chest instantly. "He is not a pony, nor your subject. To assume he wishes you in his dreams is... questionable at best."

Luna scowled at her sister. "Ever the worrier, sister. He need not ever know."

"We would know," hissed Celestia. "Ask first, or do not. He is a friend, not a subject or enemy."

Luna rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with the idea. "Very well, if it bothers you so deeply, Good Sister. I will remain free of his dreams. We will have to learn the old fashioned way."

Trixie softly huffed. "You do that. I am returning to sleep." She trotted back to her wagon, looking pleased with how things went.

Celestia let out a soft breath. "We should do that as well... But, come to think, I will stay awake. Garou was to take the next watch and he is in no condition. I will assume it."

"Sister, dear, this is my watch," reminded Luna. "It is not yet time for me to retire. If you wish to stay awake at my side, I will not turn aside the offer."

Celestia gently leaned against Luna. "I've had worse responsibilities."

Inside the wagon, Rockhoof sat stoically. He had cuts and nicks, but they were minor things, and he had not raised a single word in objection as the doctor's full attention went to the impaled Garou. He watched intently, but kept his mouth shut. It was a modern thing, with modern solutions. He was an old-fashioned pony. He would at least not hurt the situation by remaining quiet and letting the physician work.

The doctor was examining Garou intently. "The end is barbed... nasty work. Hmmm, didn't hit anything lethal... almost all the way through, almost... Only one way." He raised a hoof to the jutting wooden shaft and paused. "You." He turned to Rockhoof. "You look strong."

"Hm? Yes, Sir. How can I help?"

The doctor pointed at the end. "When I give the word, push it clean and straight, right through him. It'll do less damage finishing the journey than trying to make it come back out. I need it to be precise and only when I give the word. Can you do this?" He was kneading Garou gently, adjusting just faintly the insides of his patient as much as he could to ensure the path the spear would take would cause the least amount of new damage. "It will hurt him, but it's the cleanest way. Make it smooth and fast."

Author's Note

The measure of the wounds of the battle are made. One significant injury, some minor ones, and some charring of a royal posterior.

Celestia brought the sun to the party!

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