It had been over a month since Twilight along with her army had landed at the walled village of Apple Orchard, scattered groups of ponies made their way to the encampments and village as traders seeking to buy or sell their wares or pilgrims coming to worship. One mobile forge had been completely reconstructed into a stationary structure and started working at full capacity, two forges were retooled into semi-permanent structures. The sparks in the striders and the engines on the airships were re-awoken after their long hibernation. All around the forges and Apple Orchard semi-permanent buildings serving as barracks, cybernetics facilities, hospitals and weapons depots were erected using collapsible metal walls and ceilings.

As the forge that had been reconstructed to be a permanent structure belched clouds of sparks day and night, new walls and floor were erected adding new levels to house even more manufacturing. Deep inside the forge, inside the sanctuary the sounds of hammers ringing out intermingled with the sounds of machinery and crackling, static-laden binary hymns. Around several anvils, four of the alicorn princesses alternated between striking plates of armor with hammers and heating them with their magic, while tech monks marched tirelessly around the sanctuary chanting waving censors of incense and anointing the hammers and plates of armor with sacred oils.

Cadance wiped sweat from above her eyes with a fetlock. "This would be easier if they weren't marching around chanting, waving incense and rubbing oil on the hammer or armor plates every time I put them down."

The eyes of several tech monks flickered. "I think you offended them, Cadance.", Twilight admonished, "Most of the Ponyhood of Steel believes that a piece of the souls of the ponies who built the tools or machines reside within them and it's their sacred duty to ensure that they keep those souls happy."

Flurry Heart gestured for a chisel and a smaller hammer. She quickly gave her thanks to the tech monks who brought her the freshly anointed tools and started carving swirling spell diagrams along the armor plates.

Celestia looked over at Flurry Heart carving the spell diagrams in her armor, then looked to Twilight and gave a small grin. "I see my former student taught her niece well." She laid out the pieces of her nearly completed armor to inspect it. "Bring me the die I carved and a sledge hammer.", she said, raising a hoof to several of the tech monks.

As the tech monks brought out a cylindrical piece of metal with a raised stylized sunburst carved into one end, Celestia directed two of the tech monks to place it over one of the flank plates. As two of the tech monks placed the die over the flank plate, she used her magic to heat both until they glowed with a soft orange light and raised the sledgehammer in her magic. With a loud clanking crash, the heavy hardened steel of the hammer's head impacted the die, sending off a shower of sparks as a stylized sunburst was permanently indented into the armor, they quickly move over to the other flank plate and repeated the process. Opening a pouch, she levitated out a cloud of gold dust, super-heated it with her magic until it was a blob of molten gold and placed a thin layer on the outside of the armor plates until they gleamed as if covered with sunlight.

"Always gold plating everything, sister?", Luna teased as she mixed powdered onyx into clear lacquer and applied them to the armor plates until they looked like they were covered in liquid midnight. She embedded pieces of mother of pearl into the around the collar that depicted the phases of the moon.

"Says the mare who literally paints everything black.", Celestia teased back. "One last piece.", she muttered to herself as she shaped a piece of armor into the likeness of a phoenix and welded it to the chest plate, then quickly painted it with scarlet lacquer.

Cadance flopped to her haunches and wiped the sweat from her face. "Whew! Finished! Now I just need to add one or two adornments." Grinding up star garnets, she levitated the pink cloud and magically fused it with the thick armor plates, she then attached a stylized crystal heart to the chest plate.

Flurry Heart looked over the armor plates she had finished carving the spell diagrams into. She twisted up her mouth in thought about what adornments to apply. In the end she decided only to add a layer of ice blue lacquer to match the color of the glaciers that clung to the tops of the mountain range that partially encircled the Crystal Empire.

Twilight showed her fellow princesses the inside of her armor, which was laced with swirling silver and gold wire, infused with powdered crystal. "Now comes the hard part."

After two weeks the alicorn princesses inspected their armor and weapons. Two small silver-colored cylinders for all four sets of armor were inserted into a pair of small ports on the sets of armor. "Alright, now that the power cells are inserted, it's time to put on your armor. Now remember, this isn't like old battle plate, the cells siphon off a small part of our magic to power them. Not only does the armor protect us from injury, but it also amplifies our magic and even holds a small reserve in the event we overexert our wellsprings. Once the power cells activate, relax your muscles and allow your bodies to adjust. When you've worn them long enough, it'll become second nature."

Once the princesses attached the last pieces of their armor and the power cells activated with high-pitched whines, shimmering energy crackled across the pates. Cadance and Flurry Heart magically attuned small crystals and inserted them into the hilts of weapons they had been constructing, the former was a rapier carved from the purest crystal, the latter was a mace with a head consisting of sharpened flanges. Energy fields crackled along the rapier and mace as the weapons attuned themselves to their wielders "In three days time we'll fully reveal ourselves.", Twilight said. "Why in three days?", Cadance asked. "That is the first day of autumn.", Luna replied, "A most fortuitous date as it is a time when farmers harvest their grains. It is a signal to those who would prey on our little ponies that we shall cut them down like wheat and leave their bodies lying behind like the chaff on the winnowing floor."

After the alicorns hung their armor and weapon on nearby racks, Celestia turned to Twilight, "Just as you have taught us about new technologies and will teach us about new way to wage war, Luna and I shall teach you how to take the raw iron of the religion that worships us as goddesses and turn it into honed steel." Celestia and Luna summoned scrolls of parchment and blank sheets of paper, then started writing on them or drawing photo-realistic images. After they finished writing and drawing, they used their magic to distress and artificially age them. "When the sun sets, Sister and We shalt go among the worshipers and travelers in disguise to place the writings and tell stories. Most of our work has been done as our little ponies hast already taken most of thy deeds and the deeds of thine friends and turned them into legends and created religions based on them."

As the sun set, a light fog rolled in. Traders and pilgrims, whom had been drawn by the stories of a great host and rumors of goddesses, sat around small campfires or slept in tents and bedrolls. Concealed by the dark of night and the light fog, a blue mist slunk close the ground, slipping close to the campfires. It occasionally swirled around a sleeping pony or a saddle bag, depositing a scroll. Tasks finished, the mist retreated back to the Castle of Friendship, slid up the crystal walls and pooled on the balcony. Luna materialized from the mist, closed her eyes and slipped into the dream realm. She combed through the dreams of the sleeping traders and pilgrims, subtly modifying the dreams of those dreaming of the five alicorn princesses.

A earth pony stallion whose coat was the color of burnt orange with an electric blue mane and tail and a cutie mark depicting two crossed bugles, snapped awake and scrambled out of his bedroll. "Dawn Flare! Stormfront!", he shouted, "I just had a vision!"

Dawn Flare, a unicorn mare with a dusty pink coat and silver and black two-tone mane and tail looked over at the stallion. "Go back to sleep, Marching Tune. It was just another dream."

"You know Marching Tune, always thinking his dreams are something significant.", Stormfront, a dark gray pegasus stallion with a two-tone black and white mane and tail snarked, "Just like when he said his dream showed him that there was buried treasure underneath that ancient graveyard. Go back to bed, we've got to gather as much supplies as we can so we can try and find a caravan to join."

"No, I'm serious!", Marching Tune exclaimed, "I was standing on an open field when I saw the goddesses descend on a nearby hills. They smiled at me and then spoke, saying they would reveal themselves in three days."

Dawn Flare and Stormfront snorted derisively. When they went to retort, their ears twitched at the sounds of other ponies at the other small encampments or around other campfires exclaiming they had visions. "Let's stay just three more days.", Marching Tune pleaded, "If I'm wrong, I'll give you two all my trading vouchers. Deal?" Marching Tune's two companions looked at each other for a second. "You got yourself a deal.", Dawn Flare said , "The hard part will be what to get with all those vouchers." The three ponies bumped hooves to seal the deal.

Just outside the light of the campfire, the three ponies heard something rustling. They quickly reached in their saddlebags to pull out knives constructed from scrap metal. Out of Dawn Flare's saddlebag fell a weather beaten scroll. "What the shit?! I don't recall picking this anywhere." Dawn Flare quickly unrolled the scroll and the three looked it over.

A white earth pony mare with a pink mane and tail, a cutie mark depicting stylized sun rays staggered up to the edge of the firelight, her coat speckled with dirt and other filth, an old, well worn saddlebag strapped to flank. The three ponies raised their knives in their hooves. "If you're looking for trouble, you'd better look somewhere else!", Stormfront snarled waving the knife menacingly and flared his wings.

The white earth pony mare held up a hoof and spoke calmly, "Easy, I'm not here to cause any trouble. I just arrived and looking for a place to knock some of the chill off." She placed a hoof to her chest. "My name's Sunbeam."

Dawn Flare gestured to herself, then to her two companions. "I'm Dawn Flare, These two are Marching Tune and Stormfront. If you're just looking for a place to get warm, you can sit by the fire. Just know that I'm watching you, had too many scouts for bandits try and scope us out before."

"Fair enough.", Sunbeam said sitting down by the fire. She raised an eyebrow and pointed her hoof. "Is that a sacred scroll?"

Dawn Flare glanced down at the scroll then back to Sunbeam. "I don't know about it being sacred, but it seems to interest you. Maybe you'd like to trade for it."

Sunbeam waved her hoof. "No, I would never commit such a sacrilege by buying or selling an ancient scroll. I have something I'd like to show you." She dug around in her saddlebag and pulled out an old worn out photograph, yellowed from age. "I found this in an wrecked wagon several moons ago." She passed the the picture of the six element bearers standing in front of a still standing Golden Oaks Library.

Stormfront took the picture from Sunbeam and to take a closer look at it. "The six champions!", he whispered.

Sunbeam gave a small smile. "What does your scroll say?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! Lemme read it.", Dawn Flare said. Clearing her throat, she read out loud, "By the light of the sun, moon and stars I saw the rightful rulers descend and declare that they have come to free the land from madness. I then saw the rulers march forth with a great host to claim the land once again. -the last prophesy of... The last part is too smudged to read."

As the three companions looked over the picture and scroll, Sunbeam said softly, "In three days time, look to the rising sun and you shall see the salvation of this land." When Marching Tune, Dawn Flare and Stormfront looked up to ask Sunbeam what she said, they saw she said, they noticed the was gone.

The next morning the small encampments of pilgrims and traders were abuzz with conversations about old scrolls and sheets of paper that none recalled ever picking up before, prophetic dreams and odd visitors in the night. The five princesses watched from within the Castle of Friendship as the ponies that had nestled in small encampments around Apple Orchard or the military bivouac traded their goods for travelling supplies or gave them away to the villagers or to the scattered military patrols. New depots were quickly erected to house the goods that were traded or given away to be sorted. Most of it was scrap or crudely constructed weapons that were sent off to the forges to be melted down. Among many of the goods housed were bits of ancient machinery, mostly parts of old machines used for construction, logging or the trimming of bushes and trees, all of which were far too rusted and corroded to work any more. Marines and tech monks picked through the old machinery.

Aster looked over a few pieces of machinery back in the barracks. What drew the ponemarch's interest the most was a couple of longs rusted chainsaws, a few hedge trimmers and a small chainsaw-like tool that was originally used to prune trees. The transequine general sat in thought sketching out a few ideas. One finished, the heavily augmented pony looked over the drawings, crumpling a few up, tossed them into a nearby recycler and started expanding on a few drawings. Once finished, the ponemarch gave a grunt of approval, them made its way to a forge to start working. After several hours, the tranequine general looked over the three finished products, the first was an armored hoofguard with a chain that ran around the outside of the armor plating with several highly sharpened triangular blades attached, the second was a pair of chainsaw blades mounted horizontally on a bar that could be held in a mouth or mounted to a helmet, the third, which was designed form an 'ah-ha!' moment, was an armored hoofguard that had three blades, the length of short words, that flipped down from a housing and locked in place.

Aster gave the three finished weapons to a tech monk overseer along with the schematics. "Forge as many of these as you can so my sons and daughters can field them. Also offer them to my siblings so their sons and daughters can fight more efficiently."

The tech monk overseer took the weapons and schematics in its mechanical tendrils and bowed. "As you command, so it shall be done."
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In the desert among the buttes, mesa and canyons near where Appleoosa once stood, two great nomadic war hosts of hogs squared off. The porcine creatures wore armor made from crude plates of metal that was strapped or bolted to their bodies. The weapons the hogs had strapped to their armor, held in their mouths, had embedded in their bodies or replaced sections of or even the entirety of their jaws were made entirely of crudely cobbled together pieces of scrap metal. Leading the two war hosts were two massive hogs, the size of manticores, one had sections of its jaw replaced with a bear trap-like mechanism, called a 'uge chompah, consisting of plates of metal, the edges of which were ground down into jagged blades, two long sword-like tusks were bolted to the lower part of the contraption, the second massive hog had its jaws replaced completely with a massive contraption powered by pistons, called powah jawz, several crude ax blades were bolted or welded to the contraption.

"Give it up ya dossy squellah! Dere ain't no boss hog biggah an' baddah dan Gore Tuskah!" The hogs in Gore Tuskah's war host start chanting his name over and over.

The second hog started laughing derisively. "Izzat s'posed ta shook me ya l'il pig?! All da boarz knowz dat Skull Kruncha Masha Thrasha is da biggest an' baddest boss hog dere is!" All the hogs in Skull Kruncha Masha Thrasha's war host started chanting his name over and over.

The two boss hogs snorted, grunted, pawed the ground with their hooves, then charged at each other and their war hosts followed close behind, with loud bellows, grunts, squeals and shouts of "OINK!" As the two war hosts slammed into each other, there was no strategy to be recognized as they body blocked, battered with hooves, bit with powerful jaws, gored with sharp tusks or chopped with crude blades carried in their mouth called hakka slashahz. Other hogs wildly fired crudely cobbled together guns called bangahz, soopah bangahz and soopah doopah big bad bangahz or lobbed crudely constructed explosives from small catapults strapped to their armor called bom-throwahz. Other hogs drove crude vehicles powered by pedals or treadmills called kartz and wagonz in and out of brawling knots while hogs that had pilled up on the backs of them leapt into the brawl. Kartz and wagonz would ram into each other with little regard for which war host they were actually with, sending riders and drivers alike sailing through the air and leaving the vehicles lying in ruined heaps.

Skull Krunchah Mashah Thrashah chomped down on the barrel of a hog with his powah jawz, slicing it in half. Gore Tuskah bit down on the head of a hog with his 'uge chompahz, crushing its skull. The two boss hogs locked their eyes on each other and charged with loud shouts. Gore Tuskah took the early advantage when he sunk one of the sword-like tusks made from scrap metal into the chest of his opponent, it plunged in deep, when he tried to pull it out, he found it was stuck fast. Taking advantage of the opening, Skull Krunchah Mashah Thrashah bit down on Gore Tuskah's left foreleg with his powah jawz, severing it easily. As Gore Tuskah lost his balance, Skull Krunchah Mashah Thrashah bit down on his opponent's barrel and started thrashing his head. The scrap metal tusk broke away from Gore Tuskah's 'uge chompah and Skull Krunchah Mashah Thrashah mauled the enemy boss hog before throwing him to the ground.

Reaching up to his chest with a hoof, Skull Krunchah Mashah Thrashah ripped the scrap metal tusk free. Walking over to the mauled form of Gore Tuskah who was trying to get back to his three remaining hooves, Skull Krunchah Mashah Thrashah plunged the sharpened piece of scrap metal into his fallen opponent's eye, then bit down the hog's neck with his powah jawz, severing his head.

Skull Krunchah bellowed in triumph, "Skull Krunchah Mashah Thrashah is da biggest and baddest boss hog dere is!" He began biting chunks of flesh and scrap metal from the fallen hog's body, eating them greedily. A strange, swirling green glow surrounded his body as he grew in height and mass. With a loud bellowing cheer, the massive disorganized brawl came to stop as the now newly unified war host gathered together. Several of the smaller hogs tried to run away, only to get pummeled by bigger hogs until they fell in line.

Skull Krunchah Mashah Thrashah looked around at his now massive war host and shouted, "'Oo's da biggest and baddest boss hog dere is?!" "Skull Krunchah Mashah Thrashah!", the war host shouted back. Looking around as he clacked his powah jawz happily, he saw a massive plume of dust in the distance indicating a column of buffalo. "Get ya munch-n-krunch on, den get all dem bits-n-bobs! Weez gonna show dem tramplahz dat da hogz are da best dere iz!", he shouted, pointing a hoof.

Several hogs tore the wrecks of kartz and wagonz, others tore the weapons and armor off the dead bodies. after the scrap metal was tossed into heaps, they then threw the dead bodies into a heap. The hogs started eating the bodies of their fallen compatriots, some greedily chewed up and swallowed chunks of scrap metal. As the impromptu camp was filled with the sounds of sloppy eating, Skull Krunchah Mashah Thrashah made his way into on of the hastily erected tents where the mekk hogz were working.

"Wut ya want?", one of the boss mekk hogs asked.

Skull Krushah Mashah Thrashah looked around at the various weapons, armor and enhancement cobbled together from scrap metal. "Gimme da razah bakk!"

"Dat'll be one hunert an' fity tuskz!"

Skull Krushah reached inside his armor with a hoof and pulled out a filthy pouch, tossing it to the mekk hog, who quickly counted them. "Oi! Wa's all dis 'ere now?! Ya two tuskz short!" Skull Krunchah reached up with forehooves and snapped the boss mekk hog's tusks off, then dropped them in the pile. "Dere, now I iz paid up!" The boss mekk hog nodded and gestured to the mekk hogz under him. As Skull Krackah laid on a filthy table, several mekk hogz lowered three massive plates of metal onto his back, welded them together, bolted them straight into his flesh and then welded several sharpened blades made from scrap metal to it.

Skull Krushah rose from the table, gave a few stretches and walked out the mekk tent. As he walked through the ragtag camp, a hog firing super-heated rivets from a weapon called a rivitah wildly while laughing caught his attention. "Give dat 'ere!", he shouted, snatching the rivitah away and strapping it to his armor. When the hog gave an angry squeal, Skull Krushah snapped his powah jawz at it, making the former owner of the weapon reconsider his argument. As he walked through the camp towards the meat pile, he snatched bangahz, soopah bangahz and bom-throwahz from various hogs, strapping them to his armor until he was bristling with weapons pointing in every conceivable direction. Stopping the the meat pile, he punched several large hogz out of the way and snapped up chunks of meat, greedily swallowing them down.

After the hogz had eaten their fill, pits were dug, the excess meat was thrown in and left uncovered. Hogz strapped weapons to their armor or hastily built the ramshackle kartz and wagonz. Skull Krushah Mashah Thrashah pointed his hoof towards the horizon, "Da tramplahz 'ave gone dat way. Let's go boarz! Da hogz are da best! OOOOOOIIIIIIINNNNNNKKKKKK!" With bellows and shouts of "OOOOOOOOIIIIINNNNNNNKKKK!", the massive war host of da hogz trampled out across the desert.

Proudhoof walked around the bivouac where his fellow buffalo had camped, setting up tepees and lodges. Calves laughed as they ran around and tumbled on the ground roughhousing. Turning to the horizon, Proudhoof saw what he thought was at first a storm cloud, though it was moving against the wind. He squinted his eyes to better peer through the midday glare and gasped when he saw uncountable numbers trampling along the desert floor. "Get everybison up and pack up the camp! We've got hostile creatures coming!", he shouted. A few seconds later vibrations could be felt through the ground, making pebble bounce and skitter. As the buffalo started gathering up the camp supplies and their young, sounds of bellowing and oinking were carried on the wind.

"Hogs!", several buffalo shouted. Proudhoof's wife, Wind-In-Her-Fur ran up to him, "We can't fight all of them!" "I'll stay behind with several warriors to try and buy some time. Leave everything behind that can't be carried and get as far away as possible. You, along with everybison need to follow the river to where the apple trees grow, then make your way south to the old iron trail. If the rumors are true, then the pony goddesses walk the world again. Find them and ask for protection.", Proudhoof said. "What if the rumors are false and there are no pony goddesses?", Wind-In-Her-Fur asked. Proudhoof set his jaw. "The big sky has never lead us astray. Get yourself, Stoutheart and as many buffalo to the south as you can. Follow the old iron trail once you get past the apple trees." Wind-In-Her-Fur nodded, ran to the tepee she shared with her husband, gathered up their infant daughter, Stoutheart, in a bundle and strapped her to her back. She joined the groups of buffalo that started stampeding away. Proudhoof joined several bull and cow warriors that chose to stay behind so that the rest of the herd could get away. As the hogz started getting closer, their numbers seemed uncountable. The buffalo warriors snorted, pawed the ground with their hooves, lowered their heads and charged.

As the hogz saw the buffalo charging at them, Skull Krushah Mashah Thrashah shouted, "Show deez tramplahz dat da hogz are da best dere iz! Smash 'em! Crunch 'em! Stomp 'em! Bash dere 'eads in! Let's go boarz! OOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIINNNNNNKKKKK!" The air filled with bellowing shouts of 'OOOOOOOOOIIIIIIINNNNNNKKKK!' as the hogz slammed into the buffalo warriors. Guns fired in every direction as hogz laughed with giddy glee, filling the air with bullets of every size, super-heated rivets and bombs. Rocks, dead trees, cacti, dried bones, scores of hogz and two buffalo were shredded by the deadly hail. Buffalo warriors gored and trampled hogz. Kartz and wagonz swerved through their own ranks, crushing hogz under their wheels who were too slow or stupid to move out of the way. Buffalo slammed into the ramshackle vehicles, flipping them over or plowing through them, sending scrap metal and hogz flying through the air. Several of the ramshackle vehicles crashed into each other in crazed high speed combat, hogz leapt back and forth between the vehicles gleefully brawling with each other.

Proudhoof saw one of the wagonz crash into one of his fellow buffalo out of the corner of his eye, crushing the bison under its wheels, hogz leapt off the back of the vehicle, chopping at them with hakka slashahz, firing weapons wildly or goring with tusks. For an hour the buffalo put a valiant and brutal, but ultimately futile fight. Eventually the vast numbers of hogz overwhelmed them and the buffalo were cut down one by one.

Proudhoof was the last buffalo still standing, he fought on despite his many injuries, forcing most of the hogz into a circle around him. Skull Krushah Mashah Thrashah pushed his way through the crowd and squared off against the buffalo and taunted, "Oi! Dis one 'ere t'inkz heez da biggest an' baddest dere iz!" Proudhoof spat a gob of blood at Skull Krushah in defiance. "The goddesses of the ponies walk the world again. They will crush you into the dust and restore order to the land." Skull Krushah laughed. "I ain't shook by no poneez goddisiz! I iz biggah an' baddah den some ponneez! Now fight me tramplah soz I can show ya dat I iz da biggest an' baddest dere iz!" The buffalo and the boss hog charged at each other. As Proudhoof collided with Skull Krushah, he bit down on the bison's head with his powah jawz, crushing the buffalo's skull, with a quick twist of his head, the bison's neck made several wet pops. Proudhoof slumped to the ground as his body twitched in death throws, then went completely limp. "I iz da biggest an' baddest dere iz!",Skull Krushah Mashah Thrashah shouted. Biting down on the body of the dead bison, he ripped several bloody chunks of meat away and gobbled them down, swirling green energy surrounded him as he grew in size and mass. He tore the horns off the body of Proudhoof's. Snatching up a crude hammer and some nails, he attached the horns to his head.

After the hogz ate their fill of the dead creatures, they dug pits and tossed the uneaten meat in. After gathering armor, weapons and ripping apart the wrecked vehicles, they built new ramshackle vehicles, bolted the armor to their bodies and strapped the weapons to their armor. "Let's go an' find doze poneez goddisiz and bash dere 'eads in roit proppah!", Skull Krushah shouted. The massive war host trampled across the desert to the northeast, occasionally coming across small bands of hogz. Some of small bands some joined willingly, others were pummeled until they joined the war host.

For days the massive war host of hogz trampled across the desert, stopping at pits where their ill-tempered young, called pigz, were waking around, eating anything and everything they could chew up or scrambling out of the pits. The hogz kicked, pummeled and stomped the pigz before tossing them among the war host. As the war host traveled across the desert as it slowly became scrub, varying sized groups joined them. Slowly their numbers grew until they reached a critical mass and their behavior changed, becoming one part massive ravening horde, one part holy mass brawling pilgrimage.

Reaching the base of several jagged mountains, the hogz formed a huge camp. Huge walking and rolling constructs were built from scrap metal. The ones that walked around on massive legs, resembling muscular hogz were called stompaz, ones that moved on heavy rollers, that resembled fat hogz were called crushaz. Among the hogz, preechaz sprang up giving sermons. The preechaz sermons consisted of shouting about their twin gods, Oinkah, the brutally kunnin' and Gruntah, the kunnin'ly brutal, and bashing hogz over their heads.
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On the autumnal equinox the pony military gathered before the Castle of Friendship that the locals had called the Haunted spire. The ranks of the military formed up, snapping to attention into rows and columns. Pilgrims and travelers squeezed where they could or climbed trees to get a better look. The doors on the balcony snapped open, the first two Element Bearers, Dew Drop and Apple Pie walked out wearing new armor, the five alicorn princesses strode out after them, wearing their gleaming powered armor. Shouting cheers filled the air, echoing off trees and mountains, the ground shook with stamping applause.

The crowd went silent as the princesses spread their wings and took to the air, hovering in place. Taking deep breaths, the five alicorns spoke as one in the Royal Canterlot voice. "Hear us Equestria and lands beyond! Your princesses have returned, the Elements awoken and as we speak, choose new bearers. On this day we begin our campaign to bring harmony back to this land! To our little ponies who struggle and toil in the face of madness and misery for their very survival, rejoice for thy salvation is at hoof! To those who seek to enslave, prey upon or lead astray our little ponies, repent and amend thy ways, or thou shalt cut down like wheat! To those whom have risked life and limb to be here today, we command thee to go out into the world and tell all who shalt listen that harmony is coming!" The princesses raised their weapons high into the air. "PEACE THROUGH HARMONY!"

"HARMONY THROUGH VICTORY!", the gathered host of ponies shouted in one voice, followed by deafening cheers.

The princesses landed on the ground, all thirty members of the Nebula Guard marched out of the castle and took up ranks, their silver halberds held at attention. They split into groups of six, each group marched in front of the princesses and knelt, presenting themselves for inspection. One by one, the five princesses inspected, then gave their silent approval of the transequine guards. The Nebula guard formed up on their respective princess as they marched our among the military to inspect each regiment. The ten ponemachs along with their respective legions stood still as statues as the princesses inspected their armor and weapons.

Once finished with the legions, the princesses moved on to the various regiments of the mortal pony armies. The soldiers struck a hoof to their chest in salute as the princesses inspected them and their weapons. Once finished with the soldiers, the princesses moved to the Ponyhood of Steel. "Form...ranks! Present...arms!", Grand Maestro Sunset Shimmer barked to the exoskeleton-clad soldiers and heavily cyberneticaly augmented tech monks of the Ponyhood. The exoskeleton-clad soldiers placed a hoof to their breastplates and stood perfectly still as the tech monks held their weapons in mechanical forelegs, while mechanical tendrils twitched.

Once the princesses finished inspecting the Ponyhood of Steel, they moved on to the Fraternity. The stallion preachers and holy warriors prostrated themselves before the princess and laid their weapons at their armored hooves in supplication and worship.

On the edge of the Everfree Forest, two whitetail deer stood wearing cloaks woven from leaves, a buck and a doe, both with a bow and quiver of arrows across their backs. The buck, named Swift Runner said, "This is most disturbing Spring Blossom. It appears the rumors are true, the pony goddesses have returned. We must go back and warn Prince High Leaper that Thicket may be in danger." The doe, Swift Runner replied, "I agree, but we must take caution. Trickling Stream said she saw the night fliers stirring as if their goddesses call out to them. The last thing we need is ponies joining them who know the secrets of the Sacred Forest." "Won't the pony goddesses try and reclaim the ancient ruins?", Swift Runner asked, "We should have torn that cursed place down, or at least allowed our thorns to surround it." "You know as well as I that the silver tree protects that place and would destroy any attempt to block them from entering there." The two twitched their ears at the sound of soft rustling, turning they readied their bows.

Spears flew from the canopy and the two deer narrowly dodged them. Golden eyes shown from the undergrowth and branches in the permanent twilight of the Everfree. A thestral mare with a coat the color of loam and a pitch black mane and tail, walked from the shadows into a small patch of dappled light, curling her lips back menacingly to show her small fangs. "It shall avail you to not sully our goddesses with your foul words, cervine. Don't think of trying anything, we don't miss twice." She fluttered her leathery wings in anger. The two deer looked at each other, then back to the thestral mare and bounded off into the forest. The thestrals snorted, stamped and fluttered their wings, the mare raised a hoof to settle them down. "Let them run back to their pathetic glade for now. If they make the mistake of attacking us, our cousins or the goddesses, that will give us the excuse to burn that place to the ground." "But mistress Echo, shouldn't we do something? They threatened to destroy holy ground and threatened the goddesses." "Easy Silent Wing.", Echo said, "You know as well as I that deer never openly threaten anything. Come nightfall we shall reveal ourselves to our day walking cousins and the goddesses. We shall warn them of the deer and offer our services. For now, pray to the moon, stars and the six champions for protection and guidance."
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Deep underground ponies imprisoned in cages or chained to walls huddled together for warmth, protection and comfort as they lamented always being hungry, not smelling fresh air or seeing the sun and moon. Diamond dogs mercilessly lashed at teams of ponies with whips as they forced them to dig gems and ores from the walls with picks or haul carts filled with said gems and ores. The canines beat ponies with whips and truncheons whom had collapsed from exhaustion, hunger or simply because they were bored.

Diamond dogs sat around fires turning spits that held butchered bodies of ponies or chopped up and dropped pony meat into bubbling cauldrons. Screams here and there indicated where a dog was feeling especially cruel tossed a still living pony into a boil cauldron or held them over a fire, so that they and their kin could laugh at their suffering while they cooked alive.

An emaciated earth pony mare along with a sickly filly were drug into a part of the warren that served as a abattoir, where the freshly slaughtered bodies of ponies lay still strapped to angled tables or hung from hooks. "Please! Let my daughter go!", the mare begged struggling against the ropes tied to her barrel, "I'll do anything you ask! I'll work double! I'll pleasure you! Just please, please let my daughter go!"

"Shut up pony!", a diamond dog wearing a bloody apron snapped, "You too weak to work and filly too sick too work. You two will be of use to feed us and make our pups strong." The mare yelped in surprise when the diamond dog butcher snatched her up and tossed her on an angled table, then strapped her down. The diamond dog placed a knife against her belly.

"Goddesses, I haven't prayed to you in a long time. Please forgive my lapse in faith. We ponies are lost, scared and trapped, stolen away from your light. Though my life is forfeit, I beg you please save those whom are more worthy than I. The goddesses prot--GUK!" Her words were cut off as the knife plunged into her belly, sending a white-hot blossom of pain through her innards. The diamond dog quickly snatched the knife downwards, spilling the mare's ropy intestines onto the floor. She gurgled and thrashed as the diamond dog cruelly yanked the intestines from her body.

"MOMMY!", the filly cried out. She shrieked and flailed as the diamond dog snatched her up and strapped her to a table, then placed the knife against her belly. Tear leaked from the filly's eyes and pored down her cheeks as she looked over at her dead mother. Clenching her eyes shut, the filly repeated over and over softly, "The goddesses protect! The goddesses protect! The goddesses protect!"

The diamond dog cruelly laughed as he listened to the filly repeat the mantra over and over. As he prepared to plunge the knife into her belly, the sounds of fighting drew his attention.

Earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns charged out from a tunnel wearing simple wooden armor, carrying wooden spears in their mouths, hooves or magical auras. Many of the canines that were completely caught unaware found themselves impaled by the spears. Many of the dogs tried to run away, only to have the ponies thrust the spears through their backs. As more diamond dogs poured out of holes in the walls and side tunnels, the ponies shouted, "For the Mountain Ghost! For Hidden Valley! For Equestria!" The diamond dogs joined the fray with angry yips and barks as they attacked with crude iron knives, picks, shovels, spears and swords. Soon the warren devolved into knots of brawling ponies and diamond dogs. Ponies in the cages or chained to walls, grabbed the canines with their hooves, giving their liberators an opening. Larger dogs armed with axes, clubs and swords joined the fray.

In the tunnel that the ponies had charged out of, green flames exploded followed by a bloodcurdling roar. A massive beast covered in thick chitinous plates and a pair of snapping pincers scuttled forward. Dozens of diamond dogs were cut in half or crushed by the pincers. Several of the dogs hurled stones or bodies at the chitinous beast, who in turn simply swatted them away. A diamond dog, which stood twice as tall as its kindred ran forward carrying a large ax in its paws. The chitinous beast leapt through the air in a surprising show of agility. With a flash of green flames, it transformed into a massive python that wrapped around the neck and chest of the diamond dog, constricting tightly. The large dog flailed and thrashed trying to get free of the snake that was crushing the air out of it. With several wet pops and crunches, the neck and ribs of the canine were crushed. As the large dog collapsed to the floor, the pony liberators rallied, driving the subterranean mutts back. The gem hoarding mongrels broke and ran, scattering into the tunnels, while the ponies stabbed those through the back who were too slow or too injured to get away.

The python uncoiled from around the body of the large diamond dog. In flash of green flames, it transformed into a tall, feminine pony-bug with a white carapace and light green highlights, darker green mane-like and tail-like membranous material hung from its head and flank, a curved horn jutted from her forehead, jade green eyes, glittering with intelligence scanned the room. The pony-bug smashed one of the cages open with a chitinous hoof. The liberator ponies broken open cages, snapped chains and broke the yokes on carts, freeing their kindred. They pulled dried gourds from their flanks, filled with water and gave the recently freed slaves a much needed drink. They helped the ponies that were strong enough to walk to their hooves and lashed their spears together to make impromptu stretchers for those who were too weak.

The pony-bug walked through the warren, helping ponies free slaves. She walked to where the bodies of ponies lay strapped to angled tables or hung from hooks, blood still dripping from their bodies. Her stomach turned at the sights and smells of the makeshift abattoir. Her eyes immediately locked on an earth pony filly that was still alive, strapped to a table, her eyes were clenched shut as she softly repeated over and over a mantra. She had a powder blue coat, her mane and tail were kelly green. A lime green aura surround the pony-bug's horn as she ignited her magic and fired a this beam that sliced the restraints holding the filly away.

The filly hit the floor with a surprised squeak. She opened her citron eyes to look around and they became as big as dinner plates as she stared up at the pony-bug. "Me and mommy prayed to the goddesses and they sent a saint."

The pony-bug knelt down to the floor. "I'm more a sinner than saint." She cast her eyes to the ground. "And my sins are piled to the vault of the sky. Climb on, it's not safe here. Though diamond dogs are easily scared, they will return with greater numbers."

"Mommy and daddy said never to leave with a stranger. My name's Rosebud.", the filly said, placing a hoof to her chest, "What's yours?"

"My name's Chrysalis."

Rosebud smiled. "Now we're not strangers, wanna be my friend?"

Chrysalis have a flat chuckle as she thought to herself, ' Maybe one day when I find a way to find absolution, I can say I have a friend.' She picked up Rosebud in her aura and placed her on her back. She trotted over to the tunnel she and the other ponies had attacked the diamond dogs from. "Once we're clear, collapse this warren. There's too many bodies to give them a proper burial." When several of the ponies murmured their discontent, she spoke up, "It too pains me to leave so many without a proper place to rest. ut if we're to make it back without being buried up to our flanks in diamond dogs, we must do this."

As the warren collapsed with a loud crash and a cloud of dust, Chrysalis took the lead of the column of ponies, lighting her horn to guide them out of the tunnels. Rosebud nestled on the former queen of the changelings back, between her transparent wings and was soon softly snoring. Chrysalis smiled at the filly sleeping on her back. After several days of steady marching, the former changeling queen and the column of ponies entered into lush green circular valley that formed long ago from subterranean magma chamber that had collapsed. On the far side of the valley a waterfall cascaded over the steep walls forming the headwaters of a small clear river. Small cottages dotted the valley as ponies tended farms. Several loud whistles from the ponies guarding the edges of the valley alerted those living there that the rescue force had returned.

Crowds of ponies met them, carrying food and dried gourds filled with water. Chrysalis placed Rosebud on the ground and turned to the freed slaves. "Welcome to Hidden Valley. When you are strong enough and should you choose to stay, you will be expected to help grow food, protect the valley or go on rescue parties. If you decide that you'd rather strike out on your own, you will be given a weapon, a week's worth of food and water and pegasi will carry you out through the ceiling. We are not cruel here, you are all free to come and go as you wish. No ponies will lock you in cages, work you to death, starve you or force themselves on you" She gave a small bow. "If you excuse me, I am exhausted and must retire for now."

Gently placing Rosebud on the ground so that the ponies of Hidden Valley could tend to her, Chrysalis walked across the valley to an isolated cabin. Stepping inside, she closed the door and barred it behind her. Sitting at a small chair, she placed a chitinous hoof next to a small carving on the wall in the likeness of Starlight Glimmer and softly wept. "I should have taken your hoof in peace all those centuries ago. I thought loosing my hive and being imprisoned in stone was the worst thing that could have happened to me until my prison shattered and I saw the world descend into the flames of madness. My sins are piled too high to ever receive absolution." She quietly prayed that the soul of Sunset Glimmer rested in peace. As she closed her eyes in prayer, her memories back to all those centuries ago when she, Tirek and Cozy Glow stared out at the columns of smoke rising from where many of the cities while blooms of out of control and destructive magic bathed the countryside in flashes of light and waves of heat. She remembered the pegasus filly laughing maniacally while the magic-eating centaur and she stared in stunned disbelief. She remembered feeling something on that day she hadn't felt in centuries...despair.
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On the edge of the badlands, a group of twenty of ponies log driven mad by the horrors of the world and starvation, gibbered, shrieked and frothed as they chased three pony traders, whom tossed the goods they were carrying in an attempt to lighten themselves in hope of outrunning the maniacs.

One of the three ponies, a unicorn stallion, running from the mad ponies tripped over a loose stone and fell on the ground. When the other two ponies turned back to help him, he shouted, "Leave me! Run!" With heavy hearts, the other two ponies turned and ran, leaving their companion. The unicorn stallion rose to shaky and unsteady hooves to face against the maniacs. Staring into the crazed eyes of the mad ponies, he lit his horn and fired off a blast of magic, shredding the body of one of the ponies long driven into thoughtless madness. The remainder of the crazed maniacs pounced on him in a mass of flailing hooves and champing teeth, they stamped and reared up, slamming hooves onto the overwhelmed unicorn stallion until his body was little more than a mass of battered meat and broken bones. They surrounded the body, tearing off chunks of still warm bloody meat and gobbled it down, or cracked open the bones to get at the marrow.

As the maniacs swarmed around the dead body of the pony in their grisly feast, the loud crunch of heavy hooves drew several of their attention. A minotaur wearing armor made from heavy plates leveled a large pipe-like weapon. The mad ponies gibbered and shrieked, their long shattered minds not recognizing a threat, only comprehending their own maddening hunger. Foam fell from the maniacs' mouths as they charged mindlessly forward. The minotaur squeezed the trigger on the weapon, with a loud blast of smoke and fire, nails, chain links, shards of scrap metal, small round stones and anything else that could be stuffed down the muzzle of the scattergun filled the air, shredding the bodies of several crazed ponies.

Some of the maniacs stopped to tear bloody chunks of meat from their dead and dying, the rest charged on. Several more minotaurs stepped from behind boulders and dead trees, firing their scatterguns into the charging crowd of maniacs. Drawing large machetes from their waists, the minotaurs hacked away at the last surviving maniacs. Once the last of the mad ponies were cut down, the lead minotaur held up his fist to signal for his compatriots to stop.

"What makes a pony eat their own kind, Stone Horn?", a young minotaur asked walking up.

Stone Horn looked over his shoulder at the young minotaur, then at the malnourished bodies of the dead maniacs. "When you watch magical storms tear your home apart. When you watch mutants and monsters rip apart the ones you love. When you go weeks without eating, you'd go mad too, Iron Hoof." He gestured to the dead maniacs. "These were the lucky ones. Their mind completely shattered and they were completely driven by blind hunger. We could have come across much worse. They could have been cultists worshiping death or monsters." He pulled a shovel off his back. "Let's get them buried. Even if they devolved into mindless animals, I'll not leave their bodies for the vultures, maggots, or worse." As he started digging a grave, he gestured to some of his compatriots. "Find their companions and make sure they are unharmed."

Once the minotaurs finished burying the bodies of the ponies, they reloaded their scatterguns. The small group of minotaurs that had been sent out to find the two surviving ponies returned escorting their quarry alive and unharmed. Stone Horn slung his scattergun across one shoulder and approached the two ponies. "It is dangerous to wander in these parts, little ponies. Why were you alone?" When the two ponies shivered in fear and huddled on the ground, Stone Horn lowered himself to the ground, kneeling. "Be at peace, little ponies. I swear on my honor as warrior of the Fire Pipes Tribe, no harm shall come to you. Let me start over. My name is Stone Horn. What's yours?"

The ponies looked each other, then back to Stone Horn, rose to their hooves and swallowed. The first pony, a unicorn mare with a dark blue coat and a two-toned silver and blonde mane spoke, "My--my name's Star Shine." The second pony, an earth pony stallion with a tan coat and a light gray mane, emboldened by his companion spoke up, "My name's Radish."

Stone Horn smiled gently at the two ponies. "What were you three doing this far out on your own? There aren't any caravans or settlements anywhere nearby."

"We got separated from our caravan three days ago when maniacs attacked.", Star Shine said in a nervous tone, "There were more of us, but the maniacs killed them."

Stone Horn frowned slightly as he let his gaze scan the horizon. "Come with us back to camp. There's food and water there. No creatures will harm you while you're under our protection. When we find civilization, you can depart if you wish."

Forming up into twin columns, the minotaurs with the ponies in tow marched back to camp. After the group made their way back to camp and scattered to their own personal business or families, Stone Horn sat on an old log picking gravel from his hooves. Looking up, he saw his wife, a brown cow with a proud look on her face walking up, all four hooves kicking up small puffs of dust with each step, their daughter skipping alongside. Stone Horn snatched his daughter in his arms and gave her a big hug. "I missed you so much Moory!" "I missed you too daddy!", Moory said as she nuzzled Stone Horn. Placing the heifer calf back down on all four of her hooves, he walked over to the brown cow and wrapped his arms around his neck, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. "I missed you too Mooriel!" Mooriel nuzzled into her husband's cheek. "I missed you too Stone horn.", she leaned her mouth closer to the minotaur's ear and whispered, "I'm with calf."

Stone Horn parted from his wife, a big smile graced his face. "Y-y-you're sure?!" Mooriel nodded. "How far along are you?" "Just a little more than one moon." Stone Hoof gave a proud laugh as his chest swelled with pride and he bellowed to all in the camp, "MOORIEL IS WITH CALF! DRINKS ARE ON ME AT THE CANTEEN!" Cheers went up through the camp as several cows and minotaurs shouted back, "Blessings of the Divine Mother upon you!"

As Stone Horn made his way out of the canteen a few hours later after sharing a few tankards of watered down grog with his fellow bovines, a battle-hardened minotaur, who's body was covered in scars from innumerable battles, wearing the black plate armor of the honor guard, walks up. "What brings you here, honorable warrior?", Stone Horn asked giving a slight bow, "I take it you're not here to join in the celebration of Mooriel being with calf?"

"The matriarch requests your presence.", the black-armored minotaur said in a gruff voice. Stone Hoof blinked in surprise, before splashing some water on his face from a nearby trough to sober-up a bit. With a quick gesture of a meaty hand, the black-armored minotaur gestured for him to follow.

Reaching the large circular tent where the matriarch of the Fire Pipes Tribe resided, Stone Horn placed his scattergun and machete by the entrance, then pushed aside the flap to enter. Inside at the center of the tent on a simple raised wooden portable platform, laid with all four legs tucked under her was the brown and white aged cow, matriarch of the Fire Pipes Tribe, Daisy, a calm smile on her lips. Stepping clear of the tent entrance, Stone Horn knelt, lowering his head and placing both fists on the ground. "I answer your summons great matriarch, whose word and visions guide our tribe."

"Rise Stone Horn.", Daisy said in a gentle tone, "First allow me to congratulate you, it a blessing from the Divine Mother that our tribe grows. But I did not summon you here solely to congratulate you on the growth of your family. I have recently had a vision in my sleep of a winged unicorn with a dark blue coat. The soothsayers have confirmed my night vision that the goddesses of the ponies walk the land again, but their portents also speak of dark things, something that shouldn't walk the world and yet does. Their portents also speak of those whom worship shadows that seek to find the shards of a long slain king in hope of resurrecting him. We must travel to our cousins, the Long Pikes Tribe and ask for their aid. Long have our cousins in the south across the great desert have besmirched the honor of all minotaurs, but word has traveled that a great host of ponies have lain them low along with those whom they served whom pretended to be gods."

Daisy reached a hoof into a small tray with a hoof, picking up several rune stones and cast them before her. She studied the rune stones in silence for several minutes before speaking again, "The portents read the same every time I cast the runes. The goddesses of the ponies prepare to march forth to claim what they ruled. Only if we swear fealty to their cause can we prove ourselves as defenders of the innocent." She raised a hoof and a black-armored minotaur brought out a conical helmet with three red crests. "I offer to you an honor that no Fire Pipe has claimed in over a century, the title of tribe champion. You shall lead our tribe in all things when it comes to making war against our enemies, answerable only to myself and the council of soothsayers."

Stone Horn took the helmet in his hands, looking it over. "I don't know what to say matriarch."

"I would hope you say yes. If you refuse, know that you will receive no dishonor."

"Why me? Surely there are those who are more worthy to receive such an honor."

"Only those who do not seek selfish glory or power for power's sake are worthy."

Stone Horn rolled the helmet in his hands, thinking as whether or not he truly deserved such an honor. After several moments he slipped the helmet on his head.

Daisy smiled broadly, then rose slowly to her hooves, walking out of the tent with Stone Horn in tow. "Behold Fire Pipes!" she exclaimed in a loud voice, "I present to you your champion, Stone Horn! Are there any whom shalt challenge the decision of myself or the soothsayers?" One by one minotaurs and cows stepped forwards and knelt lowering their heads until the entire tribe showed their allegiance.

A motherly smile graced Daisy's lips. "Rise my fellow tribesbovines! As passed down from the Divine Mother, the cows may lead, but it is on the backs and shoulders of the minotaurs that the very life's blood of all bovinekind is preserved." She gestures with a hoof in a sweeping arc, "Go forth Stone Horn, champion of the Fire Pipes and select those who would council you in all things."

Stone Horn walked among his tribesbovines to choose the members of his council. Once he had finished choosing his eight councilbovines, five minotaurs and three cows, he brought them before the tribe to declare them. The first was an old minotaur whom had long ago lost his left hand in a fight with a mutant and currently had it replaced with a wooden facsimile, named Trampler. The second was a large, muscular cow whom had lead many defenses of the tribe, named Thorned Rose. The thrid was a young, but bright and insightful minotaur, named Indomitable Will. The fourth was a minotaur, about the same age as Stone Horn, he wore a necklace with the claws of some unnameable beast that matched the four parallel scars on his face and chest, named Stone Breaker. The fifth was a battle-scarred cow, a joyful smile graced her face despite her many battle scars, named Sweet "the Laughing One" Grass. The sixth was minotaur whom was a massive mountain of muscle, his red eyes stood in contrast to his black fur, despite his immense size and fearsome appearance, his countenance was gentle, named Mountain Breaker. The seventh and eighth were a pair of identical twin white cows, one had a crumpled horn on the left side of her head, while the other had a crumpled horn on the right side of her head, named Cammy and Amelia.

Daisy looked over Stone Horn and his eight councilors. She nodded and gave a grunt of approval. "May your choices bring victory and honor to our tribe, Stone Horn." She turned her gaze to the tribe. "Eat hearty and rest well, my kin, for in the morning we make our way to Flat-top hill to meet with our cousins in the Long Pikes Tribe." With that, she turned and made her way to her tent.
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As the sun set, three hundred thestrals flew out of the Everfree Forest in tight formations. They banked hard, circling Apple Orchard, the pony military bivouac and the Castle of Friendship, ensuring they were easily spotted against the night sky. As soldiers and transequine marines formed up into squads and firing lines aiming their weapons, the bat ponies hovered, landing in regimented formations. Once their hooves were on the ground, the bat ponies made sure that all saw them lay their spears on the ground.

Echo walked calmly forward, keeping her wings tightly tucked to her sides. She stopped several strides from the front lines of the pony military and raised a hoof. "Stay your fury, day walking cousins. We come not as enemies, but as friends."

Pegasi marines landed on either side of the thestrals, igniting the energy fields on their wing blades. Earth pony marines leveled the guns mounted in shoulder sockets on their armor, preparing to unleash volleys of mass reaction death as unicorn marines readied combat spells. Beyond the mass of muscle and thick armor of the transequine marines, pony soldiers shoved their heavy, wheeled shields in place as they aimed rifles. Exoskeleton-clad warriors of the Ponyhood of Steel took up positions between the soldiers and marines, aiming various weapons mounted in shoulder sockets, while tech monks stood on the gantries and catwalks that wrapped around the outside of the forges, aiming volleyguns and railguns. The Fraternity bristled and champed as they readied their muskets, preparing for a potential fight, while preachers golloped back and forth shouting battle prayers and sermons. Tension hung thick in the air, along with the smell of sweat and adrenaline. Muscles of mortal ponies trembled in apprehension.

The alicorn princesses appeared in multicolored flashes of light, their armor crackling with energy, the Nebula Guard flanked them, gleaming silver halberds at the ready. For several seconds a pregnant silence hung thick in the night air along with the smell of adrenaline and sweat. Echo laid on her stomach and spread her leathery wings flat on the ground, the remaining thestrals followed suit. "Forgive us, goddesses, for not revealing ourselves to you sooner."

Twilight spoke up, "Thank you. But we're not..." With a flick of her wings, Luna silenced Twilight and stepped forward. "Arise loyal children of the night." As the thestrals rose, Luna spoke again, "Speak true, why dost thou reveal thyselves now and not after we slew the sphinx?"

Echo averted her gaze as she spoke. "Word has been slow to reach our isolated villages deep in the forest, my goddesses. We only recently heard of your arrivals."

"Lies!", Luna barked as she curved her armored wing up in a threatening display, Echo's ears laid flat and she hunkered down, "Dost thou seek to deceive Us? We who lead countless generations of thy ancestors in glorious conquest? Speak true or We shalt smite thee and thy villages, then trample the ashes of thy kindred into the soil!" The four other princesses matched the display.

Echo threw herself belly-down onto the ground and pressed her hooves together in supplication. "A million pardons my goddess! You are correct, I did not speak true. If you must punish anypony, punish me, as leader of the Everfree Tribe."

Luna smirked. "Arise thestral. Tell Us again why thou didst not come when first hearing we had returned. Thy sun loving cousins in Apple Orchard threw their gates open for us the moment they laid eyes upon us. Speak untrue again and thou suffering shalt be greater than those in the depth of Tartarus."

Echo swallowed hard as she rose from the ground. "Y-yes it's true we heard of your conquests far to the south across the desert and even witnessed part of the fight where you forces along with the great dragon laid low a star beast. We even saw the lights come from the ancient ruins and we still didn't choose to reveal ourselves. We were unsure if you truly returned or if another warlord claiming to be divinity had risen up."

Luna lowered her threatening display, then moved her wings into a more regal display. "We believe thou." As the thestral blew out a sigh of relief, she continued, "Now tell Us truthfully, why reveal thyselves now? Why not continue to hide in the forest, like worms under a rock? Surely thou wouldst hast lived to see old age before We wouldst hast sought thy kind out."

Echo cast her gaze to the ground in shame. "There were talks among the tribe that we should reveal ourselves sooner, it was my choice to remain hidden until we knew your intentions. Even after we determined you all had returned, it was my choice to remain hidden until now."

Luna raised an eyebrow while the rest of her face remained still as a mask.

Echo's resolve withered from that raised eyebrow. "I have brought shame upon all thestrals by my own cowardice. It's true, I should have had greater resolve. We are warriors who can bring terror to the enemies of ponykind by descending upon them in a great horde like a thunderstorm or striking from the shadows like a well-placed dagger. When the deer started their scheming, I chose to move and reveal ourselves to you all. I beg your forgiveness and place my life in your hooves."

Luna placed an armored hoof to her chin in thought as Celestia leaned in close to Twilight and winked. She strode forward and drew her sword, flames danced along the blade as they ignited. "Speak your name!", she barked, pointing the tip of the flaming sword at the thestral's snout.

"E-Echo, my goddess."

"Echo, you you shall give the coordinates of where your tribe resides to our commanders, then you shall return to them and by sun down tomorrow, you shall return with every bat pony who is capable of flight here, those who are too old, too young, too weak or too sick shall be escorted here by the military. After your return here, we shall decide your fate. Failure to meet our demands shall be met with great violence."

Echo swallowed, nodded, walked over to one of the commanders and pointed out on a map where the tribe lived, then flew off with the three hundred thestrals in tow back to the Everfree.

With a flourish, Celestia put her sword away and started walking back to the palace. "Always one for dramatics, Celly?", Luna teased as she trotted. "You're a fat one to speak, Lulu.", Celestia teased back, "Speaking like you're Shakespony, even two thousand years after his death." "Calling me fat, Celly? Really?!", Luna quipped back, "Even now after the last cake has long rotted away, your flank is so wide that I'm surprised the pegasi don't use it as a landing strip, unless of course the old tumors were true and you have somewhere a stash of cakes magically preserved." "You're just jealous that no matter how much you eat or how many squat thrusts you do, your haunches still look like someone glued a pair of guitar picks under your tail.", Celestia scoffed. "Hey! I seem to remember that all the stallions had trouble keeping themselves in their sheaths when I walked by." Twilight, Cadance and Flurry Heart just rolled their eyes at the two sister's bickering.

As the sun set on the next day, the skies above the Everfree Forest darkened with the leathery wings of thestrals. The bat ponies carried on their backs or in makeshift hammocks suspended between them, those of their numbers who were unable. The pony military formed by by brigade, legion and forge, while the ponies that lived in Apple Orchard scrambled on top of the walls to gape at their bat-winged cousins flying in a massive formation. Deep within the Everfree, deer watched from their hiding places and shuddered.

A buck nudged several of his compatriots. "Come! We must go back to Thorn and warn the far-leapers that the ponies have just reunited with their night flying cousins."

The five alicorn princesses stood at the ready at the head of the military forces, the transequine warriors of the Nebula Guard formed ranks at their flanks. "I don't think they trust our forces to adequately escort their elderly, young and sick through the Everfree.", Celestia whispered to her sister. "To be honest, the ones of our forces who could go through that forest and come back unscathed aren't exactly the most stealthy.", Luna whispered back.

Rank by rank, the thestrals landed on the ground, laid down their spears and prostrated themselves before the princesses. Medics hurried out to tend to those who were too weak to fly.

Twilight took the first steps forward, armored hooves sinking slightly into the ground, her wings extended in a regal display and chin held slightly aloft. "Echo, you and the tribal elders shall join us in a private meeting where we shall decide your fate. The rest of your ponies shall allow the medics to tend to them."

Quickly turning on their hooves with a sharp snap, the five princess began the slow march back to the castle, with Echo and eleven tribal elders following close behind. The twelve thestrals gaped in awe at the crystalline walls of the castle as armored hooves rang out in perfect lock-step marching.

The group entered into a room where Dew Drop and Apple Pie were waiting, dressed in armor. Apple Pie looked around uncomfortably while Dew Drop gave the thestrals an intense thousand yard stare as she casually brushed the saber haging at her flank.

With a curt nod, Twilight dismissed the Nebula Guard, who gave small bows before backing out doors or vanishing behind pillars, seemingly to become one with the shadows. 'And here I thought we thestrals were one with the shadows.", Echo said astonished, "Those ponies are on a whole different level."

Twilight cleared her throat to draw the attention back onto her as she turned to face the bat ponies. "Now...tell me what you know of the deer."

Author's Note

This chapter went on longer than I initially expected. The bison are on the move in hopes to meet with the ponies. Da hogz rampage across the land. A tribe of minotaurs seeks the council of their cousins. Chryssi is the head of her own village. The thestrals join the growing crusade. The deer plot and scheme, to what ends, only they know.

Next chapter the crusade marches to war. Enemies rise up, allies make themselves known. What do the ~~eldar~~ ~~filthy knife-ears~~ deer have planned?

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