Fallout Equestria: Shaping Shadow - Book 5

Shadow cruised over to Fort Wind’s Headquarters. He was wearing a new ACB uniform. It was nice to not have to worry about any other uniforms outside of his dress uniform and his flight suits. It was a low profile version meaning the rank was a deep silver on the black fabric. Only Scouts, Recon, and Wonderbolts were issued the flight suits.

As Shadow got over the Barracks he saw a group pressing at the armed guards. It was not physical, yet. Shadow dropped down behind the guards. They saw where he had come from, so they didn’t jump.

“Can I be of assistance?” Shadow asked.

“Yeah!” an angry recruit answered. He had a red patch on his shoulder. All of this group did. “You can tell them to let us go. We have earned our place in the military.”

“Your place is where you are right now, as recruits,” Shadow calmly stated. “As I understand, the final test was not administered.”

“A technicality!”

“But your training is not complete until then,” Shadow said, stepped forward to meet the recruit head on. He was outrageously short next to him, but Shadow’s calm confidence stood out stronger than the hot-headed recruit.

“I learned what I needed to,” the recruit continued. “It was a test of all our skills combined. But we are needed, now! Real units need us. Fort Wind does not.”

“Ah, I see,” Shadow replied, not moving. “You seek glory in the name of duty. But I can personally attest that down below isn’t glory. Its pain, misery, and survival. It’s cruel. And none of you are ready for that.”

“You speak to me as if I am a foal! All of us are as ready as they can make us. My dad served. I learned what below is really like. He was in some of the stuff he can’t talk about. Stuff below. I’ve made sure they rest of my barracks is ready.”

“Okay,” Shadow shrugged. “Who is your father?”

“You wouldn’t know him,” the recruit snorted. “A soldier of your class wouldn’t have heard of him. Like I said, he was doing stuff below, in the groups you don’t talk about. I don’t know most of what he knows. I got what I needed to out of him to be the best soldier I could be. And I will be the best.”

Shadow raised his eyebrow and then looked back at the closest drill sergeant. “Staff Sergeant, permission to teach this recruit a private lesson?”

“Ha!” the recruit laughed in defiance. “I won the hoof to hoof combat trials. I am top for a reason. My father also taught me some of the advanced combat forms.”

“All yours, Sir,” the drill sergeant said. “I can’t because I am on duty, but you can knock him around a bit. You can put him in his place.”

The other guards obviously agreed, albeit silently. They all wanted to do it themselves, but they were not to harm the recruits. Still, they all know who Shadow was. He had rank on the drill sergeants and was an outside force.

Shadow looked back at the recruit. “And what is your name?”

“Ice. Winter Ice.”

Shadow gave a slow nod and the took a half step back. He needed a little room to operate, but he wasn’t going to give up the advantage of being inside the recruit’s range. Shadow started simple and easy. It was fast, but not brutal, as he slapped his across the muzzle.

“It, you, just slap me?” the recruit sputtered.

“An effective attack because it left you critically open as you reeled from it,” Shadow shrugged. “I could have broken or killed you half a dozen times as you left yourself open.”

Shadow slid his head to the side, only moving it as he avoided the cross. The recruit was good as he forced Shadow to dodge and weave. Shadow avoided contact with ease. It was frustrating the recruit immensely. He left himself more and more open as he tried to bash Shadow.

Shadow finally struck. He floated out of the way of the jab, easily swept his front legs, topping the unbalanced recruit. His strike to the side of the head was vicious, but it looked worse than it was. Shadow wasn’t going to really harm the recruit. It was a good lesson.

“Fuck you!” the recruit spat. “But now the advantage is ours.”

Shadow cracked his neck as the rest of Red Barracks came down on him. Shadow had been aware he was near them and outmaneuvered, but he didn’t expect that they would stoop so low. Since they did, Shadow decided to lift several of his own restraints. They would not die or be maimed, but he would make them hurt.

It was easier than expected. Despite being surrounded, they had no idea how to attack in a group. It was exhausting as he struck one and then another. They usually came at him from his rear or what they thought was his blindside. Shadow was left panting, heavily, while they were left moaning in pain and usually in piles. Four in the barracks had stepped away from the fight, not wanting to be involved in any of the actions happening.

Shadow straightened his flight suit. He didn’t need to. But it looked good as he “fixed” what they had done. It was obvious they had done nothing to him. But the gesture was defiant against their actions.

“Thank you,” the Staff Sergeant said quietly as Shadow walked past him.

“I will be heading on my original path, to meet with General Marble Falls.”

“Understood,” he said with a nod.

Shadow walked along the barracks instead of flying. He was used to walking through here, even after all the years. He stopped at their old barracks, Black Barrack A. Now though, it had a sign over the door. “Filly Fooler Barracks.” Shadow snorted a smile and kept moving.

There were more barracks being guarded as they came and went from things like the mess hall. They were all well guarded. There wasn’t a single color patch that wasn’t under heavy watch, and from what Shadow could see, he guessed all four barracks in each color was being used. That was already a big strain on the drill sergeants and staff, without needed to guard them so tightly.

Shadow stepped into the Headquarters and was greeted immediately by the Pegasus at the desk. She stopped what she was doing with another soldier. “General Marble Falls is currently occupied Command Sergeant Major. An incident just occurred. I will page her though.”

The soldier at the desk turned around. Shadow immediately knew he was, but he couldn’t believe he was seeing him.

“Major?” Shadow asked. “I thought you had retired.”

“I did and still am,” Winters Breath said with a smile. He was calm and soft spoken. The years had not treated him well. “I came in my uniform today to ask some questions about my son here. He was supposed to have graduated, but we have not gotten any word about it, so I came prepared. A retired soldier gets in easier than a civilian. The uniform helps.

“But that is me. I thought we had lost you, permanently. I learned what had happened, far to late. I was caught up almost a year after it had happened. After the terminal was retrieved from storage and found it had been tampered with.

“I didn’t see the take over coming. If I had-”

“I know,” Shadow said, interrupting him as he walked over to him. “It is good to see you. We all know you did everything you could. And if you had seen it coming, you would have recalled us. Looking back on it, we should have forced our way back. We should have set up a safe word or passphrase for an emergency retreat to the gate. But we were afraid.”

“It was understandable,” Winters Breath sighed. “I would be just as afraid as you, if not more. But at least two of you survived.”

Shadow sighed sadly. “Thunder was a suicide. It was just us after Slice tried to do the same thing by having the wasteland kill him. Thunder was somepony who could have been saved. He is the only one I can regret right now. The rest died honorably in combat for the good of the Pegasus Race.”

“We can’t change it now,” Winters Breath said. “But we got two of you back.”

“Slice kind of stopped being Enclave for a while. I don’t know where he sits military wise. That’s for ponies like General Firestorm to decide. He never turned against the Enclave, but he stopped being an Inquisitor once he woke up in Baltimare with our friends there. I don’t blame him either. He didn’t expect to live. Equestria wanted him alive. He settled down and finally found meaning there.”

“It’s all complicated,” Winters Breath said.

The door above them banged open. Marble Falls was not having a good day. “Filly Fooler! Get up here! Don’t make me drag your ass up here!”

“Falls,” Shadow called back. “Retired Major Winters Breath is here as well.”

“Shit!” Marble Falls swore. “Both of you come up!”

Marble Falls was lounging in her chair behind her desk, enjoying her rank and position. The stress was evident in her eyes though. Shadow closed the door behind him and they both sat down.

“I had no idea you were here, Sir,” Marble Falls stated.

“They were hesitant to bother you,” Winters Breath replied. “Something I totally understand. I hadn’t realized how things had played out here.”

“Yes, their little insurrection is a problem. A pestilence. None of them have graduated. The final test was not administered. Right before we could do it for the senior barracks, the clouds were just gone. And so was our training ground, and most of the fort. We had Barracks training at the flight decks and recalled them while we tried to figure out what was happening. Not long after, the senior barracks decided they had been through enough and should be graduated and sent to their secondary school. Things got out of hoof quickly, and we had to lock all barracks down to just their actual barrack building and the mess hall.”

“You won’t graduate them because it puts them into some very bad hooves,” Winters Breath finished.

Marble Falls nodded slowly. “But I can’t explain it to them that way. I am trying to keep them out of the entire situation. However this falls, we will need them after. We don’t need them now where they may very well just get shot. Neither side needs cheap fodder that is that hot headed.

“And now, it is too late. For one, I can’t transport them to any secondary training because I don’t have the cloudships to do it. I have told General Lunar Rays that multiple times. He is the head over the Combat School right now. And he keeps ordering me to send them. Except I outrank him. I have told him that I don’t have a way to get them there, because they can’t travel on their own without the clouds to give them a break. And even if I could get them from here, none of them have graduated.

“That is the second thing. I am not sending them to him because there is no Combat School. All of the instructors were pulled to secondary positions. Several key players came here, so I know what has happened. But they don’t need to know that. I’m trying to keep them together as a unit, and out of this fight, except the recruits are not making it easy.”

“I believe you,” Winters Breath said. “The last thing we need is to give General Lunar Rays 250 fresh recruits. He will just stuff all of them into direct combat rolls, despite their contracts, and put them at the front of the line. They will be killed before they knew that the battle had started.”

Marble Falls nodded once and stopped reclining. She leaned onto her desk. “But, what specifically has you here? Especially in uniform.”

“The uniform is still respected,” Winters Breath stated. “It is a lot easier to get in here with it on than as a civilian. I came to check up on my son. We didn’t know when graduation was happening. We knew the rough date had passed, but we hadn’t heard a thing about it, not even from him.”

“Shit,” Marble Falls sighed.

“Just give it to me straight,” Winters Breath said.

“Fine,” Marble Falls shrugged. “Your son is the head honcho when it comes to the revolt. He was the top recruit by a long shot, but he also got the other barracks to join him. Mostly. None are quite as aggressive as Red A is, but they are all a problem because of him. We can’t let up on any barracks because of it. He was organized before we knew it was happening. They went from being able to do calisthenics and the obstacle courses to locked up tight. We even are weapons hot right now.”

“How strained are your forces?” Winters Breath asked, concerned for her staff.

“Very,” Marble Falls snorted. “Very. We were before because we are training almost 1000 recruits. We are at full capacity. Guarding them has made their job worse. Less sleep, more work hours, they are in better shape because they work odd shifts with training, but we don’t have the support structure for it. And I can’t take any of the ACUs. For one, they are too small, and two, they need to be ready to deploy. So it’s just my staff.”

“I was afraid of that,” Winters Breath sighed. “Ice always was too much of an ‘all in’ Pegasus. But with the war, I gave him my support. I never should have trained him in hoof to hoof combat. Or some other tricks of the trade I picked up from the Wonderbolts and Inquisitors.”

Marble Falls snorted. “Oh, he is bad, but he just got knocked down a few pegs by a special pegasus that is better than he is. My reports tell me he actually got slapped in the fight, shocking him. And then the rest of Red A was beat up when they pounced on the pegasus.”

Winters Breath wasn’t stupid. He was looking at Shadow, eyebrow raised.

“I didn’t know it was your son,” Shadow calmly stated. “But their hoof to hoof combat skills were pathetic. Better than most, but I have faced Zebras much more skilled than him. I would rather face any Wonderbolt before I faced most of those Zebras again. And yes, all of those Zebras are dead, by my very hoof. It was a tough few years.”

“I will get out of your mane then,” Winters Breath said standing up. “I am sorry for the trouble he has caused. Thank you for seeing me and catching me up. I know we never had a relationship outside of a few encounters, so thank you.”

“We will walk you out,” Marble Falls smiled as she stood up. “You were a very important Pegasus in this military. One who deserves full honors due. Most just do not realize all that you did. I don’t think even you realize how much you did for the Pegasus Race.”

“You were an amazing officer,” Shadow affirmed. “And it was a shame they cut your time short.”

“It wasn’t easy,” Winters Breath said. “I had to choose what was right for my family. And their choices gave me the ability to walk away and focus on them. So I took the honorable out with the early retirement I had earned. But I do miss it some days, like today. I worked hard to get where I was.”

“The world has changed,” Shadow added. “There may be a place for you still. Eventually we will need guards at our settlements below. An officer like yourself would be a marvelous addition to that.”

“Is that a proposition?” Marble Falls asked, stunned that Shadow would push that envelope.

“I have been public about my stance with below,” Shadow shrugged. “I just want him to know that new options are becoming available in the near future.”

Winters breath chuckled. “Your concern is appreciated. For now, I have no plans on rejoining anything like that. It is nice to know I am wanted, and more importantly, appreciated for what I have to offer, but that is not something I want to get back into. The politics are bull shit and why I could retire when I did. This was my first time putting my uniform on after I retired. And I don’t plan on it again.”

“Understood,” Marble Falls replied.

All three of them walked out.

“I do miss it here,” Winters Breath said, looking out on the main parade field. “It was always a peaceful place to stop. Even though I was tracking Shadow and it took a lot of time and energy, it was always my favorite military installation. I hated Camp Bullis.”

“That place holds conflicting memories,” Marble Falls stated. “I found a home there, and then lost it all. I finally found something here, teaching. The Wonderbolts are great, and I am not sorry I am one. It was the only place for me to go after it all fell apart, but it never was home like it was with Nova, Jade Spring, Rose Lightning, Clean Blade, and Razor Tempest. And I barely got to get to know them.”

They watched as a group filed out of the mess hall. They were restricting how many barracks were inside at once and how close they could be to each. They were fighting for control over horrible logistics.

It was Red A leaving. And their presence on the other side of the parade field was noticed.

“Dad!” Winter Ice called out. “Dad!”

Winters Breath expertly ignored his son. “General Red River was amazing with his troops. But I have heard that you are better.”

“I am an instructor,” Marble Falls chuckled. “He learned to be one, but it is in my blood. My passion. Besides speed and flying. And Razzleberry. I should put my husband in there.”

They all chuckled.

“Dad!” Winter Ice called once again. He had dared to come halfway across from the parade field. No guards were reacting to it, letting them deal with him. “Hey! It’s me! Your son!”

“You know,” Shadow said, keeping the conversation going so they could easily ignore Winter Ice. “Nova is at the Squad Barracks. He retired, but he lives in Wind Hamlet. Officially. I know he has his permanent room in the Squad Barracks. His wing finally had to be removed, so its chariots for him. He stays close.”

“Both for familiarity and out of shame,” Marble Falls clarified. “He put his life into the military, lost his wife and future to this military. He has nowhere else to go, and anywhere else he would have to explain his wing. It hurts him more to not have it than the pain the tumor ever caused. He is proud of his service, but he just doesn’t want to face other, less informed, Pegasi on a regular basis.”

“He probably would love a visit,” Shadow finished.

“I think I will go visit him,” Winters Breath proclaimed. “I came here to catch up on the news and I am glad I did. I get to reconnect with some good friends. I never expected to see you Command Sergeant Major. I had decided it was best to put this all behind me. But I am glad I was wrong.”

Winters Breath threw a quick salute with his wing and took off to the Squad Barracks.

“He is slow, you have time to warn them,” Shadow said. “I flew with him for two weeks or whatever when he first took me to my station. That was the worst flight ever. And I have been through some real shit.”

Both of them chuckled, and then Marble Falls addressed Winter Ice. She was firm and cold. Factual, but in charge. “Recruit! Back with your Barracks. We are still in a security lock down.”

Winter Ice stood there, defiantly for another minute. He broke and walked away, head low, as he rejoined his barrack in their exodus back to their bunks, to sit and do nothing. The drill instructors never said a word or reacted to his behavior.

“You know,” Shadow said scanning the area. “I might have a solution. Or better put, Ukuzwa might.”

Shadow put his com in and called Ukuzwa over. Simi was joining them. Apparently, Izala was deployed to Headquarters with Sumida and Nukia, just in case they were needed. They had been staying cloaked. The five of them would be meeting with Shadow and Marble Falls.

“Sometimes I hate it when they use the cloaks,” Shadow told Marble Falls. “I told them not to do it while we were here.”

“This was a very good reason,” Marble Falls said. “Cut them some slack. My staff knows that Zebras are with you, but if the recruits saw them, it would cause a fit. I am glad they have been here, just in case. I have no contingency plans. They are at least one.”

They all assembled at the parade field. For now, no recruits could see them. Marble Falls also brought in several drill instructors. One Shadow knew well, Master Wind.

“Master Wind,” Shadow smiled at him and saluted.

Master Wind saluted back. “Thank you Filly Fooler. I am so thankful to have you back. You have been a very big inspiration around here. A good model to show the recruits that you can do anything. I guess some of those will have to change now that we know you are alive.”

“Master Wind is no longer a Barracks Master,” Marble Falls added. “He is my senior NCO. He is Command Sergeant Major over Training Wind Whisper, head of the drill instructors.”

“Congratulation,” Shadow said.

“Thank you. We will have to catch up later, when we both have the time.”

“Of course,” Shadow nodded with a smile. “But for now, we need to get you guys the physical rest you need. Ukuzwa, is there a way you can build a large fence to contain the recruits. I know your wards can block ponies. The recruits are under heavy guard, taking up every spare staff member General Marble Falls has. If we can give the guards some respite, we need to try.”

“I can,” Ukuzwa nodded. “It is not a simple plan, but I can contain your kinsman. I will need the others aid, this will be a very large lade.”

“Prepare it,” Marble Falls ordered. “But do it at night. If we can avoid you being seen, that is for the best. The recruits would not understand or listen. I want to give them as little fuel to keep this fire going as possible.”

“As you ask, it will be our task,” Ukuzwa replied. “What shall be their glade? I can make it a large stockade.”

“Can you block the sky?” Marble Falls asked. “And stop them from digging?”

“The plan I have will do so. It will make them all woe.”

“Then the barracks, the mess hall, the parade fields, and the obstacle courses. We also will need access to medical facilities. I won’t compromise on that, yet.”

“I understand,” Ukuzwa nodded. “I will make it impassible for them, but you will have free scrum. We must have some blood from each. A small drop from a tiny breach.”

“Blood?” Marble Falls asked, taken aback.

“This art some may consider dark. But the need is dire and stark. A drop from each recruit will make it so they cannot pass. The wall will look just like red glass. But those without blood in the art are not stopped, which is why for the light I opt. I do this to protect, not inflect.”

“Huh?” Marble Falls asked.

Shadow explained it as simply as possible. “The ward needs to know who to block. It blocks any identified, and that is done through blood. Everypony else can just walk through.”

“We should have badges to allow passage,” Wind Whisper added. “That will keep things tighter. The recruits and the guards need to believe only those with the right authority can pass. They can’t know it is blocking only them. And they can’t know that is why we need their blood. We should do mandatory blood testing. The nurses can pull a bit out from each recruit as they go for dinner.”

“That should work,” Simi said, glancing at Ukuzwa.

“How long will this hold?” Marble Falls asked.

“It will hold as long as the ward rod stays,” Ukuzwa stated. “But if the rod should ever be made raze...”

She didn’t need to finish.

“What is the rod?” Marble Falls asked.

“Whatever we choose,” Ukuzwa shrugged. “A rod of steel is what I would use. Pound it into the ground, and make sure guards are always around.”

“And that will guarantee it won’t fail?” Wind Whisper asked.

“Life means failure. Time is never in our favor.”

“Is there another option through?”

“Yes, but I already go too far,” Ukuzwa declared.

“Too far?” Marble Falls asked. “I don’t understand. I also barely understand what we are doing exactly.”

“It’s blood magic,” Shadow explained. “All of this is. Which is widely considered to be a dark art. Ukuzwa is a magician, not a sorcerer. She only deals in light, clean, and good magic. While this requires a small bit of blood, it is done to protect the guards and the recruits. Therefore, it is not dark, because it is for the safety of all. And she can say she has never done the dark arts. And most magicians would agree with her.

“But typically, playing with blood is an evil art. Once you take the first step past the clear line, there is no going back. Zebra Magicians always walked a careful path. Real power comes from the dark arts, but you sacrifice a part of yourself when you do it.”

“If there is anything I can do to make it stronger, please,” Wind Whisper said, almost begging. It wasn’t out of exhaustion, but love. “These are my recruits I am trying to protect. And my soldiers that are guarding them. It won’t be long before blood is spilled. I fear that it will be the tired guards that spill it first, when they would not have if they were not so strained.”

Ukuzwa looked away.

“Please,” Wind Whisper begged.

“Enough,” Marble Falls said. “This is close enough. We won’t cross that line. This option sounds like it will be sufficient.”

“You don’t need sufficient,” Ukuzwa murmured, not looking at them. “You need a guarantee.” Ukuzwa didn’t speak for a while, as the battle raged in her mind. “I have a stronger answer. But it is dark. And it is riskier. Deeper blood can be tied in with the rod, until the individual is the rod. So long as they live, the ward will not break. If they die, it will shatter when they breath their last.”

“Take mine,” Wind Whisper said immediately. “I will take that risk.”

“It’s not a risk for you that she is worried about,” Shadow said. Ukuzwa still wasn’t looking at them. “It’s what it will do to her. She won’t be clean. She will be a magician who uses the dark arts, a sorcerer. Something you can never be redeemed for. It doesn’t matter if this is the only option, or best option. It could stop this whole war, but it still is clearly a dark art and something she can never be free of. She will have clearly stepped over that line of Zebra Magic. And every Zebra will agree.

“She could lose everything she has by doing this. I doubt Shanyisa would turn its back on her, but it may not go well. She would never be viewed the same. They all would question how far she is actually willing to go.”

“That is not something I am willing to let her suffer,” Marble Falls asserted. “I agree, this first plan is not dark magic. It is done for all the right reasons, to protect everyone involved and give them the best quality of life possible. Right now, nopony has a good quality of life. Either guarding them 18 hours a day, or sitting on a bunk for most of day. Neither is good.”

Ukuzwa looked at Wind Whisper. She locked eyes with him, her intention clear. “Are you seriously willing to go so far as to be linked to your very soul for this project?”

“Yes,” he replied. “I am. I am at my wits end trying to make this work. I will do it to help my staff. And they are my recruits too. If I could take it all so that they do not have to do anything, I will. If I can keep that magic wall up myself, I will gladly.”

“It will taint you too,” Ukuzwa warned. “But the long-term strain would not be great if you do choose.”

“We don’t need to make this decision right now,” Marble Falls said. “Right?”

“No,” Ukuzwa said. “It is the final step that the choice must be made. We will go prepare this barricade.”

The Zebras left, departing to gather rocks and sticks from below; things that they could use to pin the ward to. Ukuzwa was in full control. Shadow kept his com in to passively listen. She had Simi and the others well organized in a matter of seconds.

“I knew she knows the dark arts,” Shadow said. “It is not hard to figure many of them out. And she had access to a great library from the war and even earlier. It had everything she needed, for all the arts. I am almost certain she has a photographic memory. I have never seen her reread a book. But this stuff comes very easy for her. She did things off intuition before I arrived. It wasn’t very strong, but that changed once I got her those books to learn from.”

“I don’t want to push her to do anything uncomfortable,” Marble Falls stated again. “Her help is invaluable as it is. I trust her. This will be enough, I am sure. I won’t even have Wind Whisper here when she is done setting up.”

“No,” Shadow said. “She will only call for him. He should be here, but not the others. For now, get them ready to draw blood, and make sure it is drawn from every recruit. We can’t have a single mistake.”

“And badges,” Wind Whisper said. “I will head up making badges for everyone to wear. It will be a hard and fast rule. And not our rule, but the ward’s rule. We will fake it being a part of the ceremony.”

“That is a good idea,” Shadow said. “I came here to check in on you, Falls, and say hi. Maybe catch up a bit. This developed differently than planned.”

“Once this is done, we can,” Marble Falls yawned. “Even I have been picking up guard shifts. At least moments to allow them to switch out and eat.”

They were left alone as the last of the others went off to get things in order. They had a limited amount of time.

“I wish I had more of my mind to dedicate to you,” Marble Falls stated. “Let’s go to my office. We can talk there. I am sure you have been di...I mean bursting at the seams to tell me a few stories.”

Shadow chuckled. “I can think of a few that will really impress and interest you.”

Shadow shared the fun tales like the Reactive Rifle Course, the Long-distance Shooting Competition, the Hellhound hunt, and other key moments that he displayed her training. She was shocked, but not surprised. Marble Falls had trained Shadow how she had trained him because she saw his potential. And below, he had proved that potential was not only there, but realized. Fully realized.

Shadow crashed in the visitor’s barracks while Kikosi Kisasi did their thing. The rest of the team had been pulled over to set everything up. They worked in the dark, without activating their cloaks, to set up each and every tie in location.

The materials were mostly sticks brought up from below. They just had to be straight to be a pillar. And below Fort Wind a lot of raw wood was available after all of the trees lost their anchor and fell, crushing the wasteland below them. Every few yards a stick was planted in the middle of a complex ward drawn on the surface it was anchored on. They made up the reinforcing and guiding pillars. Stone would have been preferable, but they were not making this a fully permanent ward.

They met on the parade field as the morning light began to crest.

“You don’t have to cross that line,” Marble Falls said. “I don’t need that. I need a strong field to hold them in their place.”

“And you will get that,” Ukuzwa said. “But now is not the time for that chat. I knew one day this time would come. All Zebra magicians hear the dark call with its strum. The question relies on him. For both wards have the same prelim. You are the one who must face the great pain and will feel your soul be nearly torn by a powerful strain.”

“I am ready,” Wind Whisper said. “I will shoulder the responsibility, and then assure my survival.”

“Your survival I am not worried about,” Ukuzwa said. “It is the price that will make you shout.”

Ukuzwa looked around, making sure they could not be overheard. The closest guards were on the other side of the parade field. Ukuzwa then pulled out a zebra ceremonial knife. The blade was shining red, sealed in the blood of the recruits.

“This knife has absorbed the blood of all the recruits,” Ukuzwa explained. “It holds all the magical attributes. Either we take the rod, mix it, and we pound it into the final glyph, or we reap you for it and finish it with your biff.”

“I can be pricked with that,” Wind Whisper shrugged. “No problem.”

Ukuzwa’s grin was wicked. “Not a prick, that won’t do the trick. This blade must be driven into your heart, otherwise the magic cannot do its part. I can heal you with ease, but that can only happen after you yourself has been seized.”

“All the way?” Wind Whisper stammered as he looked at the long blade.

“To the hilt,” Ukuzwa confirmed. “Or else the magic will wilt. Now you see why this is dark indeed. It breaks several of my creeds. It is unforgivable to mess with the soul. There are very few loop holes. One is what we have already done, building this safety wall to keep you from overrun. We do not have to take this dark step, both spells are the same prep. Now, the choice is yours and yours alone, Wind Whisper.”

“Now hold on,” Marble Falls said. “I am his senior officer. And Shadow is yours. We can stop this. You don’t get to dictate this.”

“Mtoaji never knew,” Ukuzwa said. “Several things I was ready to brew. I hid the knife and several artifacts. I was ready to do these acts. He gave his soul for us, I was ready to do the same plus. Xys knows I am ready. She gave me words to keep me steady. I act for our protection. My actions are pure allowing for my moral resurrection. Not all who do the dark arts are evil, but I will separate myself more to keep things peaceful.”

Ukuzwa pulled out the skull necklace Shadow had first brought back for her. Along with it came a black book with red symbols on it, necromancer robes, and a wooden box.

Ukuzwa opened the box to reveal a skill with some ornate pieces on the top. It wasn’t a pony or zebra skull. There was an obvious seam down the center which had been filled in with gold to connect both sides. The only other defining feature was the two hook fangs on the front of the narrow halves. Shadow didn’t recognize the skull and he had no idea where she had gotten it from.

Ukuzwa spoke without a rhyme. “This is the skull from the tatzlworm from the great sand sea that attack us soon after you arrived.”

“Ah yes,” Shadow sighed. “The multi jawed blood sucking worms that had adapted to the sands. She was huge and her army of burrowing minions was a terror. The only reason I won that battle was because I could fly. They couldn’t get me because I was flying higher than they could jump. I didn’t know you went out after.”

“It was a while after,” Ukuzwa explained. “I always knew that one day I would come this chapter. This beast holds meaning in my life. It laid in fear which struck me deeper than could any knife.”

Ukuzwa hesitated and then ditched her robes. She put on the necromancer robes and then added back all her arm bands and jewelry. The tiny skull necklace joined her several talismans, but it didn’t hang as low as they did. The final piece was the skull. She raised it up to her head, took a deep breath in and let it out before she gently lowered it on her head where it settled down perfectly. She had done some preparation on it so it would sit right, but she had never tried it on.

“Now, the line has been crossed,” Ukuzwa stated. “My innocence is lost. I feel the power in them, and I see how easily I could begin mayhem. I won’t always wear these pieces, for my power they cause large increased. Rarely I need this extra gust, but the times I must…I will.”

Ukuzwa looked back at Wind Whisper. “One last chance. I am not trying to make you prance.”

“Let’s do it,” Wind Whisper said. “I am ready. I trust you.”

Ukuzwa nodded and led them over to the last glyph. It was on the ground near the entrance to the headquarters building. It was plainly visible and impossible to get to without being seen. The Zebras were blocking them from wandering eyes. At Ukuzwa’s direction, Wind Whisper stood in the center of it, flanked by Simi and Bukhali for support.

Ukuzwa stepped in front of them, chanting as quietly as possible. Before they knew what was happening the knife was firmly in her mouth and plunged all the way into Wind Whisper’s chest. Simi and Bukhali held him in place as he buckled.

Wind Whisper wasn’t going to scream. He had made up his mind, but he was having a horrible time with the pain. It wasn’t the pain of a normal knife. He had been cut deeply before, by accident. This pain was splitting him in two. The more Ukuzwa chanted, the more he felt himself tearing apart. The actual knife wound itself didn’t hurt. He wasn’t even feeling like he was being cut apart. He felt like he was being slowly torn as if raw arms had grabbed him and were relentlessly pulling.

Ukuzwa pulled the knife out and then waved a hoof over the wound, once again chanting. This chant was of healing. She was stitching up the wound. He needed to be alive for it to work. She was also easing the pain as best as she could. But the feeling of the magic would not be dulled for a while. Several days at least.

Simi and Bukhali guided Wind Whisper to the side and got him to sit down as he regained his whits. Ukuzwa plunged the knife into the very center of the ward.

“Khipha!” Ukuzwa declared.

Behind them a red light like a laser shot from one makeshift pillar to another. Lights shot up to the strategically placed clouds which had pillars hanging from beneath them and back down. Beneath them, out of sight, the same thing was happening to prevent the recruits from digging out.

Slowly the lasers turned into wider bands until they continued to expand. They connected with the ground and then slowly rose in a nice arc up to the clouds. The ward was complete. It was like translucent glass. A very thin glass that could be walked through with ease.

The guards inside were already wearing their badges. They slowly walked back out, abandoning their posts. They had been told a magical wall was being erected, but that was it.

Marble Falls called a meeting in her largest room. It was packed. They had to wake up guards. The lower ranked staff who couldn’t fit in were listening over their coms in another room. Shadow and the Zebras were present. Ukuzwa had changed back into her normal attire.

“Good morning,” Marble Falls greeted them. “An early morning. If you were not aware, our Zebra friends were erecting a barrier. This barrier you can pass through, but only if you have the badges we distributed yesterday. I know plenty of you still need them because you were not on shift. We have them waiting for you. They must be worn to cross the barrier. You cannot otherwise. At this time, you should wear them at all times and we are only issuing one badge per staff. The barrier is designed to block the recruits, even if they do get a hold of a badge.

“This barrier came at a heavy cost to what the Zebras were able to bring with them. Master Ukuzwa is a brilliant magician who deserves our utmost praise and respect. She has given us the ability to rest. We still need to guard the recruits, and be on alert, but we don’t need to watch over every little thing they do. They can come and go inside the wall as they please. I will make that announcement to them right after this. This is saving both sides a lot of pain and strife. And it severely reduces the possibility of an accident happening.

“The key this is that it does reduce how many guards we need directly on hoof at any given time. We will need a squad guarding the dagger ward, and plenty of patrols, but we will be able to get you all the rest you deserve. We will have that schedule shortly, if it is not already done.”

“I have it,” a major said. “It’s already posted. Over the next three days it does dictate sleeping time to help us recover.”

“Medical?” a lieutenant asked. “I assume we have a contingency in place for if they legitimately need medical aid.”

Marble Falls yawned and then answered the question. “The medical staff can pass through, with their badges, and we have a narrow strip set up to allow them passage to the medical facility. That passage’s path is known by the medical team. It is concealed as best as they could, to reduce the chance that they storm that facility.”

They all heard the thud from outside and they all saw Wind Whisper fall to the ground. He was left groaning while the Zebras helped him up. No one asked. They were all obviously concerned, but they knew better than to asked.

The bigger problem was the pounding they were hearing. They all exited to find Red A ramming the wall with a bed post. They had taken apart a bunk bed and were using it as a ramming rod, trying to break through. It wasn’t working. They watched their futile attempt and those on duty did take up stations.

“What is this?” Winter Ice called out. “A prison now? Are we your prisoners, locked up without due process?”

He continued to rant, but he was not dignified with any response.

Many of the other barracks had exited as well with the commotion. Most were not wearing full uniforms. Almost all wore barracks wear. Red A was in full uniform, including armor and rifles.

“Fine!” Winter Ice yelled. “Then we will go to the real extreme to get what is due to us.”

A mare in barracks wear was dragged over to him before she knew what was going on. She never had time to fight back before the knife was at her throat.

“Let us go!” Winter Ice growled through the knife in his mouth. “Let us go and send us to our next training facilities or blood will be shed.”

Marble Falls stepped forward at that moment. Shadow was beside her. Marble Falls was calm and cool. She was a general and was the very model of an upstanding one.

“Recruit, we have told you multiple times that no transports are available and that you are unable to make the long flight on your own, without stops. We have also told you on multiple occasions that your next schools are not taking recruits. They have been suspended because their training staff are deployed. There is nothing I can do about that.

“As to this barrier, we erected it to give us all a break. Guarding you 24/7 like we had to was exhausting and counterproductive. That was more of a prison than this barrier will ever be. I will remind you all that it was Red A barracks that first revolted when they couldn’t graduate.

“This barrier allows guards with the proper badges to pass. You cannot. We will still do regular patrols and always be available, but now there is significantly less chance of an incident occurring. The guards won’t accidentally fire if you push on them again. Assuming you should not have to be forced into submission through our weapons.

“But now you can continue to train, as a real soldier would. The parade fields are open so you can keep in shape. Both obstacle courses are still here and available as well. And the mess hall is open for normal eating hours. We don’t have to restrict when you go in and where you sit.

“This works out for the better for all. It is safer too.”

“This is still a prison,” Winter Ice spat, not lowering the knife from the mare’s neck. There was a bead of blood where the tip was digging into her flesh. “And we still should have graduated.”

“The final test was not administered,” Marble Falls asserted. “It is more than just a simple test. You would not understand unless you have been through it. Until we can gauge your true abilities, we can not graduate you. That is something that has not changed for decades. I went through the same test you guys are supposed to go through. I can assert its importance and I do. Oh, and we have recycled recruits who failed the final test. Even a whole barracks once.”

“I will do it!” Winter Ice warned her. “I will kill her.”

Marble Falls didn’t respond. She didn’t leave either. She just stood there. She would let him kill the mare rather than bend in any way.

Winter Ice slashed her throat and dropped the mare. “I will kill and kill until you bend. Their deaths are on your stubborn wings.”

A new victim was dragged kicking and screaming forward. She too was in barracks wear. None of the recruits noticed that the mare who had her throat slashed disappeared, but Shadow and the guards saw.

Behind them Sumida and Chiha uncloaked with her beside them. Ukuzwa was immediately at her side, hoof out, chanting furiously. If she slipped up or stumbled even a tiny bit, she would have to start over and the mare would definitely be dead.

Marble Falls and Shadow Flare were able to see them on their peripherals. They saw the magic stitch her together from the inside out. They saw her arteries and veins stop bleeding and be sealed up so they kept her life in her. The neck was sealing up fine. As the final tissue formed, a gem on a bracelet Ukuzwa wore on her healing hoof audibly cracked. It ended the spell.

The mare was alive and, barely, and breathing, but she was left with a nasty scar along her neck. Ukuzwa’s gem didn’t have enough power stored in it to restore the flesh with new hairs and hide the scar. It was a horrible punishment she would have to bear for life. Her life for disfigurement like that was a difficult choice, and one she never got to make. She was innocent in it all.

The second mare Winter Ice was poised to kill was smiling as the knife was brought up against her neck. She was no longer kicking and screaming. She wasn’t much bigger than Shadow.

“You won the hoof to hoof combat section, right?” she asked, almost like she was goading him into making a mistake.

“What?” He said through the knife handle. “Yes. Of course I did!”

“I thought so,” She chuckled. “Fool.”

In the little space she had she twisted. Her small size gave her the advantage up close. With her throat protected, she popped out a knife from the waistband of her shorts and rammed it into the throat of Winter Ice. He stumbled back, but she withdrew it and stabbed him again before gashing the other side.

But she wasn’t the only one fighting back. The guards missed Black A make their moves, and so did Red A. Outmaneuvered, Black A jumped the Red A recruits and cut, slashed, and stabbed them in the weak spots between their armor. No Red A members were left alive and their surprise spared Black A from any casualties.

“We were the bottom barracks!” the mare declared to the others. “But we just took out the number one barracks for a reason. We kept out cool. We were ready. We resisted their idiotic choices. They brought the guards upon us! They brought this barrier on us! They brought their own deaths upon their wings because they struck first!”

“Angel Glow was our top soldier, and she was our friend and leader. She was chosen because she led the resistance against Winter Ice’s plan. She understood why we were in suspension. And she gave her life to try and find a better way that what the Red A planned.

“My name is Vibrant Hue! We will have a meeting in the mess hall in an hour. Each Barracks can choose up to three representatives. We will work together to decide how to live while we are in suspension.

“Yes! I said suspension. They don’t have the resources to take us to our next camp. There are 250 of us in just my training group. And guess what, the military just lost a lot of ships and soldiers. We lost the clouds! Sure, they need trained soldiers, but we are not trained. Black A, the Filly Fooler Barrack, believes General Marble Falls. And we know that the rest of the military would not honor our agreements. What we signed up for doesn’t mean shit to them anymore. Yeah, we were all headed to combat school to go to the front lines. Half of my training group, 142 recruits, had not signed on for roles that would have taken them to Combat School.

“As stated, we have more room than we had when we were under guard. You can see that from where you stand. The meeting is to organize ourselves into keeping sharp through physical fitness, like any real soldier would. We have the obstacle courses to use too, so we will be organizing times for each barrack to use them.

“One day this suspension will stop. And they will need us. But they will need soldiers fit to train. Most of us have more training to do. But we still need to be physically fit enough to continue that training as close to where we left off at.

“Angel Glow’s sacrifice will not be in vain! I and all of Filly Fooler Barracks will make sure of it! We will continue her legacy for how we can do our duty while we are in suspension! And your three representatives will help make that a reality we all can agree upon!

“Recruits, dismissed!”

The recruits filed back to their barracks to choose their representatives. The bodies were left where they fell. Marble Falls would let them stay there for the time being. She wasn’t willing to let her staff head in until they had a verdict from the recruit’s meeting. And none of her staff would be attending that meeting. She would respect their privacy as they sorted it out among themselves.

“I am surprised about Black A,” Marble Falls said. “They didn’t show that skill or tenacity in any segment of their training. They were all solid soldiers, but even green was better than them in most standings. All of them would make fine officers, but none of them were stellar combatants.”

The dry croak was soft, causing them to whip around and focus on Angel Glow. They thought she was unconscious still. “We found our fire when Red A revolted. Now we will be the top barracks, even against Red A we will overcome them.”

“Red A is gone,” Marble Falls stated. “Filly Fooler Barracks tore them to shreds.”

“Then it was worth it,” Angel Glow dryly coughed. “Then it was worth it. We knew we needed to always be ready for a fight once they revolted, but we couldn’t carry heavy gear because it would draw too much attention. We chose our knives and we practiced long hours in our barracks. I am sure you got reports on it.”

“I knew you were training as best as you could,” Marble Falls replied. “I knew you had moved all of your bunks towards the front and you were using it to practice drills, forms, and physical fitness. But we need to get you medical support. Ukuzwa gave you what she could, but you are missing a lot of blood.”

“I sent for medical,” a sergeant said. “They are late, but they are on their way.”

“Did you use...” Marble Falls asked, hesitating to use the word necromancy or say dark art.

“I used regular healing spells,” Ukuzwa stated. “I never dipped my tongue into the other well. But a wound as deep as it was required a lot of power. A massive amount it had to devour. I got her healed to the bare necessity before it gave out. The amount inside was no sellout. Clearly, I have several more on this band, and they are all for healing as planned. But I have no spare gems. The clouds are not a place for which they stem. The energy I put into them has to come from somewhere, and every good magician uses energy that is purely theirs.”

“Those must have taken a long time to make,” Marble Falls said.

“They did, but they are worth it,” Ukuzwa smiled. “And you, young one, are worth its every bit.”

“I agree,” Marble Falls stated immediately. “Losing you was going to pain me for my life. I had no way to counter his devotion.”

“You did what was right,” Angel Glow moaned. “You made the hard choice, but the right choice. Besides, my barracks handled it just fine.” She gave a parched sigh. “Just as we planned to take care of ourselves. But, how bad is it? I didn’t quite understand what the Zebra said about the finished job.”

“It’s bad,” Shadow said bluntly. “But that is coming from another pegasus that is left scarred for life too. It may not look good, but you will find somepony who loves you for it.”

“I already am married,” She softly said.

Shadow slipped out of the front of his flight suit. “See this? I had my chest ripped open by a Star-spawn’s claw. I barely survived because I still had to fight it. This one here, a Zebra laid me open with a knife, and it goes a ways down. My head, here, is another gash from when my helmet shattered. I have dozens more from bullet wounds.

“But my point is simple, my wife accepts them as me. As part of my experience. As part of life. She loves them because they are me. We can talk with you and your spouse when he can come here. We will do what we can to help ease their shock.

“If they really love you, they will be able to push it aside. I’m not saying it is easy to do. I’m not saying it will be easy to live with. I hate mine. But there is always more than just looks when it comes to marriage.”

Marble Falls snorted. “Deke and Little are a perfect example of that. I know she was there and they both got bashed up, but his head took a beating and still is taking a beating. He does what he can to keep his wits about him over it, but it hurts him deeply.”

The medics finally got there and were taken aback by her neck. “They said it was bad, but I didn’t expect that,” the sergeant said. “Sorry. I was rude. I doubt we could ever have given you a better outcome. I think the biggest problem isn’t how it looks, it is that it brings me the feeling of the action on my own neck.”

“Very helpful,” Marble Falls groaned.

“It’s okay,” Angel Glow moaned.

“We are going to be giving you blood, plasma, and an IV drip to keep you hydrated,” The other medic said right before his stuck her in with the needle.

Angel Glow nodded, a bit delirious.

“Rest is coming,” Shadow assured her.

“No,” Angel Glow groaned. “I heard about the meeting. I have to go. Alone. I have to rally them. I have to finish strong. After I can rest.”

“She reminds me of you,” Ukuzwa said to Shadow. “And she is small too.”

Shadow chuckled. “I had my good runs below for sure. I had those times I couldn’t quit. I say let her. Move her to the mess hall right now for as much rest as possible, and then she can be moved to the hospital. Keep medical staff with her until the meeting happens. They can stay right outside the door and be called in if needed. And they can get her out right after.”

“Please,” Angel Glow asked, almost begging them to follow Shadow’s solution.

“Fine,” Marble Falls shrugged. “I think it is a good choice. It’s the strongest solution for us all getting along. Again.”

“You are still Filly Fooler Barrack’s general,” Angel Glow said.

They got her up onto the gurney.

“Wait, two things,” Angel Glow said.

Marble Falls nodded for her to continue.

“First off, thank you Zebras. For my life and the barrier. And for being our friends when you should not be. I will try to get my mother’s diamonds for you to use. Some form of payment for my life.”

“It is our pleasure,” Simi said with a short bow of his head. “Mtoaji, him, did a lot for us. To give back to him getting his home back, it is a great honor. As to the diamonds, we have no need. Keep them and one day wear them, remembering what a gemstone was able to do for you.”

“Okay,” Angel Glow said, resisting the pain. “The second is you. I assume you are the real Filly Fooler? Your description was given and a picture of you is inside our barracks, but you are buried under gear and flying in formation.”

Shadow chuckled a grin. “That would be me. Shadow Flare, Filly Fooler, and to many below, Mtoaji. Every member of your barracks may call me Filly Fooler. I know you have earned that right.”

Angel Glow just smiled in thanks as she laid down on the gurney. Final instructions about the logistics of allowing her to be in the meeting was given and she was wheeled off.

“Question?” Marble Falls immediately asked when she was out of earshot. “How did she get out of the barrier? And can she go back through?”

“She was dead,” Ukuzwa shrugged.

“Dead?” Marble Falls asked. “Can you elaborate? Especially since you were able to repair the damage before she bled out.”

“Mtoaji, do you remember Xarvixo?” Ukuzwa asked.

“Yes,” Shadow nodded. “A hellhole of traps, pitfalls, and blocking wards with even more troops. She was paranoid.”

“How did you make it through her wards?” Ukuzwa asked, again without following up with a rhyme.

“You had us prepare for weeks,” Shadow said before stopping and smiling. He turned to the rest of the guards to explain. “The paranoid Zebra Warlord had wards up like this wall, except that only those with the right blood could pass. We got through them by tossing pebbles with our blood on them. The wards fried the rocks and believed the target to be dead. Therefore, we could walk right through because once you die to that ward, it doesn’t know what to do with you and it allows you to pass. It’s their inherent flaw, but blocking dead individuals is extremely difficult and usually not worth it. This ward doesn’t kill those who touch it, but she will have free passage because she has been identified as dead, and always will be to the Ward. If we put a stronger guard on her, they will pick up on something being off, and that we don’t want to happen. We need to leave her be, and I really do not think she will be a problem.”

“Neither do I,” Marble Falls added. “But that would have been nice to know ahead of time.”

“The only one who comes back from the dead while not actually being dead is Mtoaji,” Ukuzwa stated. “It wasn’t a bypass I considered could even be.”

Shadow shrugged. “It’s true. Most of those where because of Ukuzwa. But it’s not something I remembered either. I never viewed it as such when we were trying to break into her fortress. I remember being told the payment through her wards was blood, so we tossed rocks with ours to get absorbed and unlock them for safe passage.”

Ukuzwa just shrugged.

“Alright, move along,” Marble Falls ordered. “Find your orders and either get to guarding, or go to bed!”

Shadow focused on Sumida and Chiha. “Good work you two. Quick thinking. A risk, but well worth the reward.”

Both nodded, but only Sumida spoke. “As soon as he made his threat, we were inside and ready. Ukuzwa had no idea what we planned.”

Ukuzwa just silently shrugged.

“We need to secure more gems,” Marble Falls said. “I will tell Firestorm and we will see what we can do. You said usually the energy comes from the magician, is there other ways?”

Ukuzwa looked away, but spoke. “The dark arts can pull the energy from others. But it is an art black in color. Even when the energy is willingly given, it can barely be forgiven. Your troops are on the verge of deployment. We can not mess with their energy when they are needed at any given moment. It is no simple thing to recover from. It leaves the body and mind numb. I won’t take, and you have no power to force me to make.”

“We can see what happens when we get gems here,” Marble Falls said. “Camp Bullis may have some already stored there that are enchanted. I have no idea what they have there. I am sure they have gems through.”

Marble Falls looked back at the carnage left there. She sighed. Prominently displayed was Winter Ice. Marble Falls could not bear to tell Winters Breath that his son’s death was a “training accident.” He had been very understanding and supportive. He deserved the truth, before it was covered up. He could easily still be on the base.

“I have to find Winters Breath,” Marble Falls said. “And I have to prepare a response to this incident. I must go.”

She walked off to her office. Winters Breath was still at the Squad Barracks. He had spent the night. Marble Falls could tell that he knew it was bad when she told him it concerned his son.

Shadow entered Marble Fall’s office with him. Shadow had waited around instead of heading back. It wasn’t like he was needed at the moment.

“How bad?” Winters Breath asked, sitting down. He was braced for the worst. The worst he could expect.

“Dead,” Marble Falls stated, drawn back into her chair to handle the situation.

Winters Breath was not as ready as he thought. It hit him hard, as it should any parent. “What happened. I know it wasn’t a training accident.”

“I’m not sure if it was better or worse,” Marble Falls stated. “I am sure you saw the barrier that our Zebra friends were able to erect last night. They tried to beat it down. I am not surprised. It was expected. Then they turned it ugly. After I explained the function of the barrier and how it will help both sides, he decided it was not enough. He wanted out.”

“I assume he called it a prison?” Winters Breath asked. “He called his room that every time he was sent there for punishment.”

Marble Falls nodded before continuing. “He decided brute force wasn’t the best option. Blood was. He threatened to kill a mare if we didn’t let them go and graduate them. And all the things we can’t actually give them. And then he killed her. Slit her throat.”

Winters Breath just calmly nodded.

“The next was lined up, but they were Black A. The bottom of their group, but they killed all of Red A to prevent any more deaths. They used the crowd to their advantage and jumped them before he could slit the second mare’s throat. Winter Ice was killed by the mare he was trying to kill. He miscalculated and paid for it.

“The rest of the barracks are discussing the new situation and organizing themselves so they can continue to keep fit. Like real soldiers.”

“Red A were not soldiers and got what they deserved,” Winters Breath stated. “I will mourn my son’s lack of restraint and my failure to teach him better, but if the other recruits turn on you after you decide their lives are worthless, then the situation righted itself. I just wish they had acted earlier. I know they couldn’t, because that would put them too much as the aggressor.”

“She lived,” Marble Falls stated. “The Zebras acted quickly and their magic was strong. It came at a great cost, but they repaired the internal damage. She is at the barracks meeting, because she was the leader of the resistance against Red A. But she will be in recovery for a long while. The gash will never fully heal. She will be left with a visible scar, but she lived.”

“I’m not sure what is worse,” Winters Breath grunted. “That isn’t something you can easily hide. But with the way things are happening, she could easily put it as a combat injury. Especially if we set things up right.”

“There it is,” Marble Falls smiled. “The officer in you is shining through.”

“I know,” Winters Breath groaned with a chuckled. “The old guys were happy to see me, especially Nova. They gave their own pitch. It is tempting what they offered.

“But for now,” Winters Breath said standing up. “I need to take go home and tell my family. It was a training accident. You made the tough call, but you did what was right. My son crossed the line and made his choice. He was an adult. He was not walking out of there alive. If he did, I would have killed him myself for what he did.”

Winters Breath exited. He left a stunned Shadow and a conflicted Marble Falls in the office as he closed the door behind him. He tugged on his uniform to make sure it sat correctly and headed down the stairs.

As he got outside his heart was chained to Fort Wind. He saw the mess hall, with two bored nurses leaning against the wall, right outside the door. Inside was the mare his son had killed. Or mostly killed. He wanted to apologize.

Nopony bothered him as he calmly walked all the way over to the mess hall. The nurses looked him over, but they knew he was a retired officer and they were not going to mess with him. Winters Breath walked plainly inside.

“Forgive me,” He said as the door closed. He calmly approached the group around one of the center tables. “I am retired Major Winters Breath. I understand my son, Winter Ice gave you some trouble. I wanted to apologize. I wanted to say I did all I could in raising him. And if fault lies somewhere with me, I am sorry.”

“I don’t blame you,” Vibrant Hue said. “None of Filly Fooler Barracks does. We were expecting it to come to blood between our two barracks. They were not listening and they were bullying the others. Especially the younger barracks.”

“I don’t either,” Angel Glow said. “But thank you. I am sorry you and others had to lose their sons and daughters.”

“That is war,” Winters Breath replied. “And unfortunately, the current question and struggle inside the military came to you.”

“And that question is?” a recruit with a green patch on her shoulder asked.

“How do we handle the clouds being gone,” Winters Breath explained. “Some want to continue as we have, and conquer the wasteland through fire. But others say we need a new approach. The ponies below hurt us bad during our first assault. And they took away the clouds.”

“And your belief?” she followed up.

“This is not something I should be in,” Winters Breath said. “I am military, and right now, you need to figure out, on your own, how best to act with the current situation.”

“Retired military,” another one said.

“I still have beliefs from being in,” Winters Breath replied.

“I...” stuttered a young stallion. He was barely older than a colt. “My training group has been here less than two weeks. We have no idea what to do. We have done nothing in Basic Training. I’m the only one Blue D sent here, and I was chosen because I am the most known in my barracks. Most of that is because I keep fucking up, so my name is said a lot.

“I want your opinion. I need some guidance, because I haven’t gotten it from our instructors. Not that I blame them. We just haven’t had time.”

Winters Breath sighed. He looked around. Most of them were young. Most of them had barely any training.

“Alright,” He said sitting down. “I’ll tell you what I know. I sent a recon team down almost a decade ago. Then I was blindsided by a reassignment because someone higher up wanted to fast track a hotshot. That hotshot got most of the team killed. We only just recovered two of them.”

“One was Filly Fooler,” Vibrant Hue interjected. “The very pony our barracks is named after and still the only named barracks.”

“Yes, it was,” Winters Breath confirmed. “I know a good deal of what was going on during my time with them. I want places burned. I want it all burned. But I also know that we now can’t do that. We don’t have the resources to arm the Pegasi we would need in order to burn it and conquer it all.

“That means we will be forced to integrate. We can’t avoid below anymore since the clouds are gone. We need their resources badly. I do not believe we will just all move down there. Most won’t. But we do need to work with them. And that means we will need guards to protect us. Not soldiers since we have no need to go to war.

“If I were you, I would prepare yourselves to be the first trained guards for our settlements and envoys below. That is where you will be most likely needed. At least, that is how I see it. I don’t see an option available to do to the wasteland what I really want. Compromises will have to be made.

“So keep yourselves as fit as possible for either future training in a new field, or the rest of your training. Become as strong, as fast, as agile as possible. Set a new standard.”

“Thank you,” the stallion said. “I think that helps at least me a lot.”

Winters Breath stood up and stepped over to the gurney. “Again, I am sorry. I am extremely happy you lived, that my son’s mistakes were truly his own, and he impacted you all as little as possible for his behavior.”

“You are forgiven,” Angel Glow smiled.

Winters Breath walked out, not giving them another thought. He was focused on his long flight home and what awaited him. He focused on the choice presented to him. He would not go back to the Enclave Military. But that military might not exist in a few short weeks.