Freedom Through Harmony

by Electricut

Rating: teen
Tags: Human, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Adventure, Crossover
Length: 256003

A mind**** of a crossover. MLP, Fire Emblem, Phantom Brave, Homestuck and some Zelda.

The world is in bad shape. Rainbow Dash works as a sword for hire alongside childhood friend Applejack, protecting their town and working the farm in peace time. The Lunar Festival is right around the corner, and meeting the Queen's apprentice and 'human weapon' Twilight sets the two- along with the town's noblewoman Rarity, mysteriously powerful townsperson Pinkie and unusually gifted Fluttershy- along a dangerous path between the warring forces of light and dark. It is a path that the six cannot easily remove themselves from, and may walk on opposite sides.

As the story travels down the road set forth by the original Season One, loyalties will be tested, secrets never meant to be known by normal humans will be uncovered, and the very structure of Equestria will be thrown into the balance.

Published 2012-02-09 23:44:02 UTC
Last updated 2012-10-28 21:19:55 UTC

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Lunar Festival

Both of us tensed, gripping our weapons. Applejack was equipped with a heavy battle axe. Looking around, I could see a few others equipping themselves. Chief among them was the girl's companion, who was using dual knives. I saw a few other swords and some lances as well.

Soon everyone’s attention had been turned to the black-clad figure, who stepped forward and spoke. “Freedom at last...” The voice was recognizable as feminine, shrouded as it was by the dark armor. She surveyed the town placidly. “How long has it been...? Five hundred years, perhaps? Six hundred?”

“Four ninety-eight.” A voice from across the row of seats chimed in. Turning, I saw it was the girl from before- Twilight, her guardian had said. She must have a death wish. Probably would have gotten it a while ago if not for that guardian of hers, no doubt.

The dark figure snapped to attention immediately, staring at the point where the voice had come from. “My. You’ve done well for such a short time, haven’t you? Not even five hundred years since I’ve been awake last, and you’ve made some advances, I see. So, I take it you haven’t forgotten me already, then?”

My mind was racing, trying to catch up to the conversation. The beginning of recorded time, asleep since then, black armor...

Several years previously, back when he was still around... A story he read out of an old, dusty book, telling of the princess Luna... Of her attempted overthrow of the Ruler Queen, to turn the kingdom into a land of darkness... It seemed plausible at the time, but now...

“Luna.” I whispered to Applejack. “Or, Nightmare Moon, whatever works. It’s her.” Her eyes widened slightly, but we otherwise stood silent. Twilight, however, didn’t get that message, but seemed to have made the same connection as me.

“Nightmare Moon.” She said, undaunted. Shouldn’t her guardian be trying to make her shut up? “You may have broken free early, but don’t think this means we’re not prepared to stop you.” Oh lord, someone please just kill her now.

Nightmare Moon simply stared at her, possibly dumbfounded. When she spoke again, she said this: “Tell me, young one, have you ever heard of something called the ‘Real World?’ I wouldn’t imagine so with the rate at which you’re going. If all your precious Queen could do was seal me away, and not even do a decent job of it, what can you possibly hope to accomplish?”

It was just then that I noticed a shape moving in the background behind her. Ah, that explains it. Let’s see what he can do then. The guardian had somehow made his way to the back of the stage, had both knives drawn, and was preparing to strike.

“Truly...?” The fallen royal sighed. In one move, she spun around, grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him across the stadium. He crashed into the ground, coming to rest near the opposite wall. The rest of the crowd chose now to run. “What lies have been spun, to avert trust from me so soon? Can a purpose so powerful truly be so quickly forgotten?”

Nearly everyone else had already fled, and only a few people still remained. Among them were Applejack and myself, as well as, regrettably, Twilight, Rarity, and a few others I couldn’t name off the top of my head.

“And such a cowardly bunch, too. You must live a rather cushy life these days, don’t you? One look at someone who can fight, and... Ah, pardon me, I’m rambling again, aren’t I? Well, who’s left? A few decent looking fighters, at least. Well then, why not show me what battle ability has survived in a world overseen by my sister?”

She spat out the word with extreme contempt, then cast her hand in the air, drawing more wisps of darkness from nowhere. She herself vanished, while the clouds materialized into beings somewhat resembling large dogs, but completely black with glowing yellow eyes. More appeared by the second.

I looked around, and- somewhat unsurprisingly- saw no royal soldiers whatsoever. “Looks like we’ll have to clean up the Queen’s mess once again, eh?” I said, bringing my sword to bear over my shoulder.

“Shame she don’t pay us for it, we’d be rich by now...” Applejack mumbled, bringing hers to the ground. We stood back to back, faced each with a horde of the beasts. I slashed one in half as it jumped at me, and it disappeared in a puff of smoke. They aren’t real beings, then. This is only a test...

I caught a glimpse of the guardian rushing outside, and heard sounds of battle from there, too. Opal, it seemed, had also left to fight outside, as well as some others. Twilight and Rarity had joined in with the two others who still remained in the stadium.

Rarity fought weakly with a rapier (exactly what I’d expect from a noble) Twilight shot down enemies with thunder spell (with surprising skill) and the third (one with messy magenta hair who generally just seemed a bit... off) fought wildly but effectively with a spear. The fourth (I might have seen her somewhere before, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember. She had long, pink hair and sad eyes) didn’t fight at all, instead staying behind the group and trying to remain unseen. I suppose she just didn’t get out in time. I thought.

I sliced down several more, sent a disc of wind across the ground and killed several more. I nudged Applejack, motioning to the other group. She nodded in understanding, and we fought our way over to them. “Need a hand?” She yelled cheerfully over the growling of the dark beings.

The others stared for a moment, but when they were brought back into the battle and finished their next opponents they nodded. We fell in behind the group, forming a complete circle around the non-fighter. After a while the crowd of demonic shadows finally started to thin out, and the others were mostly starting to slow down.

At last, when only a few remained, they just glanced around and disappeared. While the other four let out their held breath, some coming close to collapsing, I took the time to survey what damage had been done. The inside of the room was a mess, and hardly any of the decorations were left standing, but the building itself was intact. I could also see no significant injuries on anyone. There’s nothing broken we can’t repair, yet they could have wrecked the place if they wanted. They really were just testing us this time around.

“Well.” I said, turning to face the group. “What now?”

Twilight, as was to be expected at this point, was the first to respond. “We have to do something to stop her!”

Typical. “Well, I would like to speak with her at the very least...” She seemed to think she was misunderstood somewhere along the line. Still, it’s clear overthrowing Celestia wasn’t misconstrued. I do wonder... “Right then, we’ll go off and find her. First thing’s first, let’s find some backup- Two dependable fighters out of six just isn’t good enough.”

“Wait, who went and made you leader?”

I went as far as to face-palm myself. “Maybe because out of all of us, I’ve actually got some experience? You and Rarity are both nobles- and by that logic, have likely never been in a real fight before now, and these two-” I motioned to the other two who hadn’t been introduced- “Well, they don’t exactly look like they could lead either. That leaves me and Applejack, and I pretty much do all the talking for both of us already. Any questions?”

“Being able to fight doesn’t mean you can lead. I’m the Queen's apprentice, for goodness sake, I think I have a bit more experience in that department.”

Queen’s apprentice, that’s right. I could feel my hate for this girl growing, but I saw an opportunity here. “Fine then. You think you can lead better, fine. Lead us. Just so long as I can get to this Nightmare Moon, it doesn’t matter. You in, Applejack?”

“‘Course.” She said simply, hefting her axe over her shoulder.

“Oh, what’s your name, anyway? I’ve been introduced to everyone else but you already.”

“Ah, yes, forgot you’re not from around here. To you all, it’s Rainbow Dash.”

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

EverFree Forest

Central Road

The six of us trudged through the dense forest, me staying near the back of the pack, but completely alert. This area was totally deserted and had been for decades- what structures were left were in ruin, and the forest itself had obstructed most paths with fallen trees and landslides. Often we had to double back and find another smaller road to take until it met back with the original.

Someone remind me why we only brought the equivalent of maybe four professional fighters into this mess? I asked, not for the first time. I had already gotten multiple answers: We (as in Twilight) didn’t want to endanger more people in case something happened, she was confident that who we had would be enough (I couldn’t really complain about this answer), things along that line. I still couldn’t help but think that we would be overrun if they threw too many troops at us with these few numbers, though.

While we trudged through, I went over the mission objectives before us. Luna was a powerful being, to be sure, and we'd need to find much more powerful weapons to fight her. A set of ancient relics, called the Elements of Harmony, lay deep within these abandoned woods, and their power would likely give us a leg up in the fight. However, Luna was well aware of their presence here, and likely sent troops to hinder our progress. Once we found the objects, we'd focus on locating and bringing her down.

We had cleared one of the thicker sections of forest, and were now approaching a more narrow strip of road built onto the side of a cliff. “Careful, everyone!” Twilight called back, but not overly loudly. We all set off down the path slowly, and I began hovering above the path, ready to act.

We were about halfway through to the next even ground (and clump of forest) when a distant noise sounded. Everyone stopped. It almost sounded like...

“Get to the wall, quick!” I yelled, drawing my sword, just as an explosion rocked the foundation of the mountain. Huge chucks of rock fell from the steep cliffs below, and a few loose pebbles from above. Everyone dove to the side, trying to find a solid spot to stand. Another blast, and the path was nearly obliterated.

I looked out in the distance, from where the charges must have come from, and saw a group of figures, completely black, readying a steel tube with something, probably another explosive. I landed on a patch of steady ground and shot a large disc of wind in their direction, followed by several more.

They got off a third shot, then were blown off their feet by the missiles. The remaining explosives were triggered, and the whole setup and crew were consumed by the blast. “One more, guys! Hang on!”

The last shot connected, and the path crumbled altogether. Fluttershy (the one I thought I had seen before- maybe I knew her in school or something) began hovering herself, but everyone else began to fall. I surveyed the situation, and, in a spurt of adrenaline, threw my blade with all my strength, using wind to make it fly even faster. It stuck fast in the rock nearer the edge, and Twilight grabbed hold of it by the hilt, her only lifeline.

I dashed down, grabbed Pinkie (The crazy looking one. As it turns out, I actually underestimated the extent of her craziness. Still, best spear user I’d seen in a while) and brought her down to the ground level below. I could see Fluttershy following my lead and doing the same with Rarity. I could also see Applejack working her way down to Twilight, who was still clinging to the weapon.

I was about to rush up and help them, but saw several more beings- the same as in the stadium- approaching fast. “Ah...” I started, trying to piece together a plan. “Fluttershy, can you go help the other two get down?”

“Ah, I- I can try...” She nodded and flew off.

“Pinkie, Rarity-” I looked to each of my allies left fighting, then to my own lack of a weapon. “... Oh, boy. This’ll be fun... Well, let’s just hold out until the others get down here, huh?”

“No- problemo!” Pinkie said, preforming a fancy spinning move with her spear, ending with her brandishing it toward the enemy.

“I’ll do my best...” Said Rarity, bringing her smaller sword to bear.

I myself attempted to summon another wind attack, only to realize I had already overused it lately, and was out of energy for it. Not even that? Man, how the heck am I going to do this...?

The three of us stayed in a centered group, allowing the enemy to come to us. I readied myself as best I could, and soon the enemy was upon us. I did a backflip (much less impressive when you have wings) and kicked one clear over our heads and behind me, then punched another to the ground with enough force to make it disappear. I kicked another back, then flew up and slammed both fists into a fourth.

“Heads up!” I heard Applejack call from behind me. I turned, and jumped to catch my sword, which she had tossed my way. She had managed to descend the cliff with Twilight, and both were already fighting. Fluttershy was hovering higher above, trying to stay out of the range of the beasts.

I gripped my weapon once again, and tore into the creatures on my own, dashing just above the ground and preforming all sorts of deadly techniques. I finished by grabbing it with two hands and cross-slashing three, ending with my feet on the ground. I looked around, and since the rest seemed to have been taken care of, began to make my way back to the others.

A ferocious roar from behind stopped me short. Sword still in hand, I whipped around, and some distance away, a huge creature stood. ‘Creature’ was about as descriptive as I could get- it mostly looked like a lion, but had horns of some sort and bat wings.

“Seriously?” I said, already beginning to wear out after two fights and no rest. Still, I hefted my weapon again and jumped back, joining the others. “She’s not gonna make this easy for us, is she? AJ, let’s move!”

“Right!” She said, once again keeping things short and sweet (also seeming to be too preoccupied to tell me not to call her ‘AJ’). She hefted her weapon, brandishing it in the direction of the beast, followed shortly by the other two melee fighters. Twilight was last to ready herself, clearly not used to such a large foe or this much combat.

“Go!” I charged forward, diving to the side practically next to the thing and rolling around the side, slicing it in the back. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Applejack doing the same, but no-one else had moved yet.

I was about to yell back, but the creature turned, and after a bit of dodging, slammed me to the ground. I hit the earth hard and rolled back to the rest of the group, my head spinning.

I pulled myself to my feet with effort, facing the others. “Don’t just stand there! Get moving!” I jumped back in, this time followed by Pinkie and, more reluctantly, Rarity and Twilight. I brought my sword down over my head as I was running, and it collided with the beast’s claw, again with enough force to send me reeling. I landed on my feet, shaking my head. This is not going to be easy... Wait a minute...

I looked around frantically. Where’d Fluttershy go? I turned my attention to directly above the creature. At some point it, seemed she had flown up there, and looked like she was preparing something, possibly a spell. What’s she doing?! Agh, I gotta keep that beast busy until she can escape...

I charged again, joining Rarity somewhere along the way. We caught it off guard while it was fighting Applejack around the other side, but it was able to counter us barely after our first hit. It was simply too fast- and showed no signs of wearing down. At this rate...

All of a sudden, everything stopped. From above, a blissful song melody wafted, though in a completely indefinable language. It didn’t take much effort to realize it was Fluttershy singing- though from what I’d seen, it certainly wasn’t what I was expecting: she seemed much too timid to draw attention to herself like that. And when I looked back to the beast, I was again surprised.

It had become placid upon hearing the song, even though it had attacked viciously and without provocation just before. And as the music ended, it seemed to loose interest in our group and simply wandered off, back into the deep forest. I thought I could see a slight wisp of smoke waft from it just as it left view, much like what the smaller beings were made of.

We all (save for Fluttershy) let out a bated breath. I loosened my iron grip on my weapon, and surveyed the damages the team had taken. A few scratches here and there, but nothing major it seemed. However, Twilight seemed to be overreacting to one of her own wounds.

“Ah, that thing was tough...” She said, nursing a claw mark on her arm. “Shouldn’t be too hard to heal though...” She dug around in her pockets until she came up with a bandage, then wrapped the wound simply.

“Hey, Leader.” I called over sarcastically. “While you were busy with your near-fatal wound, I made sure the rest of the team was okay. You’re welcome.” I could tell she understood what I was getting at, but she didn’t respond immediately.

I turned to Fluttershy. “What was that?” I asked curiously.

She had been zoned out for a bit- watching the beast trudge back into the forest and out of sight. “Oh, uh... Well, I learned it from someone a few years ago... someone from another place, far away. I’m not sure how it works, but... It just, makes people calmer. Or creatures. I... I try to use it whenever I can. He was being influenced by Luna’s power, it looked like. Plus, it just doesn’t seem right to kill when it’s just hurt feelings on the line.”

“Good point.” I said. Then, as more of an after point: “I doubt we could have killed him if we wanted to, anyway...”

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

EverFree Forest

Lower Canyon

After the rest of the party was prepared, we plotted a new course along what looked like it may have been a road at one point in its life, but was vastly disused even by the forest’s standards, at the bottom of the gorge. Though Twilight was loathe to let me take the helm of the group, everyone else realized we needed someone more skilled to take point- so I ended up leading the group through the mess of a path, while Applejack brought up the rear.

I sliced yet another stray branch out of the way, silently growing impatient with the amount of effort it was taking to travel so short a distance. Luna isn’t making this easy on us... I can’t expect she’d expect someone with my mindset seeking her out, though... I kept my thoughts to myself, hoping to preserve whatever morale the group had at this point.

It’s been fight after fight so far... Still, I think Fluttershy’s performance back there may have had some positive effect on them. Then again, I don’t think that’ll be enough to push us all the way through...

All of a sudden, the brush ended, giving way to a wide river. The water was extremely choppy. I grabbed a stick, hovered over to the deepest point, but it wouldn’t reach the bottom even with my arm fully submerged. We could always fly them over, I suppose... Might take longer than it needs to, but what other options do we have to choose from...?

I was about to fly back to the shore to confer with the others, but was suddenly slammed into from behind, connecting with the opposite bank a moment later. With effort, I pulled my stiffening frame off the ground, turning quickly to face the river, sword drawn and ready for combat.

If my spirits had any room to drop after the previous battle, they certainly did now. No less than a huge river-dragon, teeth barred, eyes blackest of pitch, stared me down, towering a good story above me. I’m beginning to wonder if this is even remotely worth it. Ah... Alright, his eyes are totally black. I thought, avoiding a pot-shot fireball with less than maximum effort. They usually aren’t, if those old stories he used to tell me are true, which goes without saying. Could he be blinded into rage, by Luna’s magic, perhaps?

The dragon abruptly turned about- Twilight had thrown several low-power fireballs at him, mainly to distract him. I used the opportunity to yell to them- “He’s been blinded! He’s not truly against us- he can’t tell the difference this way!”

They nodded, and after a moment, Rarity sent a shot of light magic straight over his head, which, curiously, his eyes followed before it vanished. He then picked up where he left off- trying to crush the others with his tail. She may be on to something. Perhaps his affliction isn’t total...

I found enough spare magic energy to launch a large but un-concentrated mass of wind his way, enough to draw his attention my way. He swept his tail over the ground, I jumped powerfully over the attack, using a balance of weak attacks to keep him busy. Between attacks, I glimpsed what was going on across the stream- mainly, I kept my eye on Rarity, because I had a feeling she had a plan. Or at the very least, I hoped she did. Her grabbing a large stone- powering up another light spell- It looked like she was trying for something, but it was hard to tell what.

I continued to dodge his hits and supply my own, until his attention once again was brought to the other group, in the form of Applejack tossing a rock at him. It appeared to have been under the direction of Rarity, who drew his attention once again with a sphere of light. She brought it slowly down towards herself, then dispersed it. In it’s place was an even brighter one- an incredible luminescence focused in the stone.

She stepped forward apprehensively, setting the rock near the water, the dragon keeping his snout pointed towards her curiously. “For you.” She said, trying to keep her voice clear and level. He sniffed at it for a moment, then used his tail to scoop it up, holding it close, testing its distance, and generally just experimenting with it.

He turned his attention to her once again, and in a low, slightly disused sounding voice, asked simply: “Why?”

So it’s true. I’d heard dragons were highly intelligent beings, and were capable of speech. Still, it’s a bit odd, seeing a being so different speaking so clearly.

“Did Nightmare Moon do this to you?” She inquired politely. He confirmed. “We’re on our way to the old castle in the center of the woods, to acquire the Elements of Harmony and defeat her. Keep that stone with you- that light will guide you through until we restore light to the world.”

Personally, I thought this was just a tiny bit much, but the dragon seemed pleased by it. He spoke again. “This is quite a symbolic gift, to be sure. In return, I must warn you- Nightmare Moon is not your only enemy here, nor is she necessarily your prime target. Things may seem black and white enough now- but keep alert.”

He set the stone down on the bank, lifted a large fallen tree, and laid it across the river as a bridge. He then retrieved the stone. “Go now, to the ruin. Find your fate, young ones.”

We crossed the bridge, the others complimenting Rarity on her solution, but I stayed behind for a moment. “Sir... Was it really Luna who did this?”

He waited a moment before answering. “Or someone who claimed to be.” He replied, working his way down the river.

______________

The forest only got stronger past that- Soon it got to the point where I could hardly see the ground directly in front of me. Rarity and Twilight both used low-powered light and fire spells to try and cast some light, but it only lit a small area around it. Branches grew rampant along the path, and for the most part I stayed at the head, slicing them apart as I went.

The branches began to recede, but the darkness refused to abate. Soon the path widened into a wide circle, free of rubble- but still blacker than night. The path continued on the other side. We were preparing to cross, but we suddenly became aware of something standing in the center of the clearing.

A lone figure, glowing with dull illumination, like the dying embers of a great fire. A battered yet otherwise unremarkable sword sat in its hand, and its blank eyes stared us down with half-interest. Before we could make a move against it, the sword flew into the air, landing in its hand in a battle stance.

I was prepared to fight, but before Applejack or I could react, another stepped forward, lance over her shoulder. “My turn.” Pinkie stated simply, spinning the weapon and bringing it to bear.

The being charged, and when Pinkie blocked, it dashed to the side and hit again. Her reflexes kept up with ease, blocking each attack, quicker and quicker. The luminescent figure hardly seemed to be moving anymore- appearing now to simply teleport from attack to attack. Sword flew to slash, Lance spun to counter. Pinkie stood her ground, parrying every hit.

A change occurred suddenly. Pinkie’s very demeanor seemed to shift- she dropped her stance, smirking darkly, blocking much more aggressively. For every two hits the being dealt, she gave a counter-attack, and the being was hit each time. It’s speed was its defense, and it could not defend without abandoning the offense. Soon it dropped its strategy altogether, blocking each lightning-fast shot at it, the two locked in a vicious dance to the death invisible to the naked eye.

And just like that, it was over. Pinkie stood in the center of the clearing, the figure limp, impaled on her weapon. Its illumination began to fade, and the forest became visible once again. When normal light had returned, the being vanished altogether.

I turned to Applejack, who seemed just as stunned. She somehow just knew to fight that thing. She knew how it would fight, and knew she could kill it. And my goodness, where did that fighting skill come from?

We decided to rest in the clearing for a few minutes, gathering our thoughts, recovering our strength. Twilight had started us a small campfire. “Hey.” I said, thoughtfully. “I was thinking about what Pinkie said a bit ago- about it being her turn... I think she might be on to something. Each of these fights- the more major ones- seem to be almost tailor-made for one of us. Like, almost to test us. The one with Pinkie, the dragon and Rarity, the beast from before and Fluttershy-”

“And I had to fight a bunch of fliers on the way down the mountainside with Twilight.” Applejack added.

“Oh, really?” I asked, curious. “Huh, I didn’t notice, fighting all those evil-dog things. Sorry.” She brushed the apology aside. “So, I’d be willing to bet, all of us are going to have to do something like somewhere along the line on this journey. Which means...” I looked to Twilight. “It’s either you or me next.”

______________

We gathered what few supplies we had spread out, and ventured further into the woods. On the other side of the thick forest, a large canyon stretched out before us. A large building- the castle we had been working towards- loomed on the other side.

“Finally.” Twilight said, relieved. “All we need to do is get over there and we can head back to town.”

“Yeah, that would be nice, but I’m just going to stop you there for a minute. Do you happen to see something wrong with this picture?” I retorted.

She looked around, and quickly found what I was referring to. “There’s no bridge? Well, we made one before, didn’t we?”

I scanned the edge of the drop, searching for a narrow place to put that plan into action. I found instead a dock where a bridge used to be, and I could see that there was still something tied to it this end. I flew over and peered over the edge, and saw that the majority of the bridge was still there, a rope bridge that was likely sliced at some point.

“There’s the remains of a bridge over here. Anybody got a rope on them?” Applejack retrieved a length from her pack. (I didn’t bother asking why she had it in the first place- in all the time I’d known her, I’d learned she was nothing if not prepared.) “Sit tight, I’ll get over there and fix it.”

I jumped down the cliff and let myself free fall for a moment, then banked up and grabbed the end bridge, checking the old rope quickly for durability. Doesn’t seem too rotten. This was cut, it would be fine otherwise. We’ll be fine if I just tie it off again.

I kicked off the wall and flew over to the other edge, tied the rope around the bridge in an unnecessarily complicated and aimless, but solid knot, then affixed it to the first stake in the ground. I used my sword to slice off the other half of the rope, and was preparing to tie off the other side, when I heard something indistinct from behind me.

I turned, and saw three figures, all in unmarked armor, all battle-ready. One wielded a sword, one brandished a spear, and the third hefted an axe- though all three weapons were very basic.

“Well.” I said, resting my had on my weapon. “I guess it’s my turn then.”

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Castle of Dawn Ruins

Outer Fields

I waited for the three before me to make a move, but they simply stood their ground- they didn’t even seem hostile. The one with the lance stepped forward.

“Oh, thank goodness, we weren’t the only ones to come out here.” He said, seeming relieved to see me. “Me and my guys charged in here right after the mess back at town- there’s some crazy powerful stuff out here, and we figured we might be able to turn it against Nightmare Moon.”

I didn’t realize we were trying to get here before others... I was a bit skeptical, but not any more than I usually was. “Ah. Hey, I don’t think I’ve met any of you before. You from out of town?”

“Yeah. We’re traveling mercenaries- happened to be in the area, decided to stay for a while and catch the show. Plus, we figured there’d be some reward in it for finding this stuff, maybe helping defeat her ourselves. Only problem is... Nightmare Moon had the same idea. She knew this was here, and she knew someone would try to go for it.”

“I know. My group ran into a bunch of her minions, plus some natives she turned against us.”

“It’s not just that- we made it to the castle, and she had come here herself- we didn’t stand a chance.” This actually came as a surprise. “Two more of my men are holding her off, but she’ll be through them and out here before long. We need help.”

I thought for a moment. “Well, if we can get by while she’s distracted, we could get to the weapons before she notices, and turn the tables against her.” They nodded. “But we’re going to need more backup than that. I’m in a mercenary group myself, and I got my partner, plus a few extras here with me. Let me just get the bridge here, bring the rest of my team over-”

“There’s no time!” He exclaimed. “If we wait much longer, my troops will get slaughtered. We have to move now!”

Ah... I see it. “Let me just tie this off, I’ll let them catch up. At the very least, I’m not going in without my partner watching my back.” Let’s see how set they are. I’ll bet anything they’re just trying to remove me from the rest of the group.

They appeared to want to argue further, but stopped in their tracks. Their heads dropped, then rose again a moment later, eyes glowing red. Wait, are they being possessed? Were they... not her minions to begin with?

They charged. The axeman swung wildly my way, and I blocked his weapon, rolled behind him, and hit him with the blunt edge of my sword. He collapsed, unconscious, but alive. Maybe I can get Fluttershy to do what she did with the other thing. If these guys aren’t illusions, we could use them for backup.

I parried the swordsman next, blocking each hit with my own blade. I ducked under one and kicked his feet out from under him, sending him to the ground. He hit his head hard, and stayed down.

I turned to the leader again, who had readied his lance and was charging me. I dodged one hit, then deflected another with my weapon. With my left arm, I rammed him with my elbow, sending him reeling. He charged again, and I jumped, hitting him square on the top of his head with the hilt of the sword.

All three lay on the ground for a moment, then vanished in the same smoke we’d seen before. So they were illusions? But they were clearly being overpowered, and they completely dropped their old strategy in favor of just killing me. Could they have been possessed by another...? I guess they could have just realized I wasn’t falling for it, and wanted to finish me before I got any further, but... They would have just done it then. The eye- thing wasn’t necessary at all.

“Hey, if you’re done fighting them, would you mind finishing the bridge?” Twilight interrupted my thoughts impatiently. I shook it off, grabbed the rest of the rope, and repaired the walkway fully. The others came over swiftly, and Applejack walked over to me.

“What was that? We saw you talking with them before- they haven’t tried that yet with any of us.”

“I know. I... I think, whoever is doing this, is trying to mess with my head, make me uncertain.”

“Whoever...?” She questioned. “You’re saying it’s not Nightmare Moon?”

“I can’t be sure. I know those dog- things are hers, but those guys- they were taken over somehow- their orders were changed, possibly by an outside source. Yet they disappeared just the same as the dogs. It seems like someone decided what they were doing wasn’t going to work, and took over. At the very least... Perhaps Luna isn’t at the top of all this."

“It’s a thought.” She answered. “It all could be just to get you turned around though- don’t forget that.”

The others were gathered near a ruined stone wall. The two of us walked over to it, gazing out upon the castle.

“The Castle of Dawn...” Twilight said in awe. “One of the three great strongholds of Equestria. This, the Eclipse Castle, and Castle Dusk once stood proud as centers of civilization- the only inhabited places on the continent. Eclipse now exists as the center of all life in Equestria, and Celestia’s own ruling throne, while Dawn and Dusk lie quietly in ruin...”

“What happened?” Fluttershy asked quietly.

“War.” She answered simply. “The three hadn’t been on good terms for a long time, and they opened fire on each other five hundred years ago. The two ruling sisters of Eclipse had victory before them, but Luna, taking advantage of the distraction, whipped up a rebellion, and quite nearly took the kingdom out herself. Celestia harnessed the power of the Elements, and sealed her away, unable to do more.

That war went on for several years, and at the end, there was very little left to live on. The remnants flocked to Eclipse- the ultimate victor of the war by a hair- and formed what would become modern Equestria.”

I had to admit, it was an interesting story. To see such a pitiful remain as this, and imagining it as it once was- a grand structure surrounded by people, instead of vegetation- such things stood to remind us of our own mortality, and of the world in whole. And Twilight’s recounting of Luna’s imprisonment was as I had heard it before, but my doubt still remained. Celestia was the one to remain, so the story was told as she wrote it. But is it really the whole truth...?

“Let’s go.” I said, breaking the silence. “Our enemy won’t wait for us to wrap up with this. So let’s not keep them waiting, eh?” I drew my weapon and turned to face the castle. Those three... They said Luna herself is here, but they were her summons. Yet they were stopped on their current path. Could... Could they honestly have meant to warn us? Could Luna... have wanted us to know?

The others stepped forward and joined me in a line, all with weapons unsheathed. A little extra caution either way never hurt anyway. Applejack stood to my right, and to hers was Fluttershy. Whatever happens, I know I can count on AJ not to botch things up. I’ve known her my whole life, and I know out of anyone, I can count on her to be there.

Fluttershy... There’s something different in her. She’s got no fighting skill to speak of, but I still feel some degree of respect for her. Perhaps it’s her ability to get through conflicts without violence...

To my left was Twilight, who actually stood a bit further ahead, ready to lead the charge. To hers was Rarity, then Pinkie. I can’t say I like Twilight in the slightest, but I have to give her credit- she’s one heck of a mage. Plus, she’s the apprentice to the Queen, right? Might not be a bad idea to stay on her good side- and anyway, having someone that close to her could pay in dividends.

Rarity- Everyone knows of her around town, but I don’t think many people actually know her. I always thought of her as just another noble, but... I can see potential in her sword, and... something else in her eyes.

And Pinkie... I can’t even judge how far her skill goes, but what I’ve seen is impressive, to say the least. She’s a bit off, yes, but I guess a lot of what I thought I saw was just cheerfulness, much more than I’ve ever known myself. I wouldn’t mind spending some time with her after this.

But then... Where do I fit in here? I can fight, yes, I serve as a leader, but maybe just for lack of someone better. And I can fly better than anyone in town, I won’t down-talk myself there. But as a person... I’m just an outcast with a burning grudge...

But I pushed these thoughts aside. There’s no time for that. I need to get to the bottom of this mess, and see who’s really pulling the strings. And I have to do it quick- whoever it is, our little town is still threatened regardless.

We silently confirmed we were all ready to go, and took off at a brisk pace. Along the way I could see more of the grand city that used to be- ancient stone walls, covered in moss- rusty weapons stuck in the ground. Very little else remained here to be swallowed by time.

We approached the castle, which- even in ruin- was a sight to behold. The spires that remained still pierced the sky, and the battlements, though rusted and choked with vines, still faced their enemy and guarded their castle loyally. The grand ceilings that once soared overhead inside, though, now lay in pieces on the ground. Rain had weathered the halls, and only the skeleton of what was once no doubt a beautiful place remained.

We continued on, to the center of the inner courtyard, where a fountain- like structure still stood, surrounded by tall grass and weeds. Five arms, equally spaced around the statue, held five spheres aloft in the air. While all around the structure- even right up to its base, was ruined- the stone figure itself remained smooth and unweathered.

The spheres themselves seemed to radiate this property- each had a unique design carved into its surface- a suit of armor, an arrow bathed in light, a sword engraved in an ancient language, a yin-yang symbol, and a blade in the shape of a bolt of lightning.

“These are them. The Elements of Harmony.” Twilight breathed, approaching the fountain.

I could feel the power behind the artifacts, but... How were we supposed to use them as weapons? “Weren’t there supposed to be six, anyway?” I could see a place for a final sphere, a sixth arm reaching skyward- but it was empty-handed.

“The sixth is said to be revealed when the other five are harnessed- the sixth arm of the statue is more of a formality, I’d imagine. An acknowledgement that it exists at all.”

“Well, let’s get these out of here, figure out how to use them. No need to stay here longer than we need to.” I glided over to one of them, snapped it from its place, and brought it to the ground. I repeated this for two others, while Fluttershy joined me and removed the last two. Each of us, save for Twilight, grabbed one, and we set off for the courtyard once again.

However, near the doorway, black smoke wafted in from beneath the cobble, and soon the black- armored figure stood before us once again.

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Castle of Dawn Ruins

Grand Hall

Luna, Nightmare Moon, the fallen royal, now stood before us, weapon in hand. It was a sword of darkness- with smaller blades jutting out from the sides, and unnecessarily large. It was a formidable weapon, but hung passively at her side. She didn’t come off as angry or displeased, but she blocked the doorway clearly enough.

“So, you made it this far...” She said, sounding almost tired. “I’m impressed. However, I’m afraid I still can’t let you stand in my way. The Queen must fall.”

I was almost able to speak before Twilight burst in with a response. “We won’t be deterred. We’ll stop you here, and protect the Queen!”

She sighed. “Is that how you all feel?” Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie nodded after some hesitation. Applejack waited, seeming a bit conflicted.

“Ah, if I could ask something...” I said, stepping forward. “What exactly is it you plan to do? After removing the Queen, of course.”

“I have no such plans. I only know she must not be allowed to continue this madness.” She responded. Now if I can just...

“I don’t care! I will not allow you to even attempt an overthrow again!” Twilight exclaimed, once again ruining what I had going. “You will be stopped.”

Luna seemed almost disappointed at this. “Fine. If you’d rather die here than see a better world, I’ll be happy to oblige you.” She brought her sword to bear before her, then dashed forward towards the group. Dammit, Twilight! I thought, dropping the stone sphere and dodging away from the enemy, who flew past and landed near the other exit. She dashed over to the group, swinging in wide and wicked fast arcs, making dodging difficult.

I could see that I had lost my chance for diplomacy, and acted accordingly. I launched myself towards her, swinging my sword from behind. She blocked effortlessly, and we became locked in and endless series of swings-and-blocks, neither ever able to land a single hit. The others tried to attack at the same time, but she was able to block them in between. Her next attack came quicker than I could track it, and I was only able to provide a mediocre block, launched backward in the process.

I collided with a wall, and my vision swam for some time before I was able to pull myself to my feet again. Pinkie had attacked as well, using the same strange technique as before, matching each of Luna’s attacks and even managing to land a hit or two. However, so was Luna. She jumped back, flew forward, and delivered a strike so powerful Pinkie flew to the opposite wall, ramming it at full speed and falling unconscious.

Across the hall, I could see Fluttershy, trying to make an escape, possibly to find backup, possibly simply to avoid getting killed. I wasn’t about to stop her- she couldn’t fight anyway, and she’d be safer elsewhere. Unfortunately, Luna spun around, seeming to have known the whole time, and launched a ball of darkness her way. It hit her square in the chest, and she fell to the ground, out cold.

We have to get out of this. Our team is falling to pieces, and there’s no way we can beat her like this... Applejack jumped into the air while Luna’s back was turned, reaving through her armor with her axe. Luna turned and made short work of her, hitting her with the blunt edge of her weapon and launching her as well.

I blasted forward, flailing my weapon wildly at her. She continued to block, but I was gaining ground. She began to back up, having to act more quickly to parry my strikes. Soon I nearly had her against the wall. She jumped back, kicked off against the wall, and corkscrewed towards me. I attempted to block, but she changed direction when she was nearly upon me, hit me full force without barrier, and I fell.

She moved on to deal with Twilight, and while I tried to move, my wounds had accumulated for too long, and I found I could scarcely drag myself along at this point. Darkness swam at the edges of my vision, and the last thing I could make out clearly before I passed out from the pain was a large fireball, and Luna’s sword holding it back.

_______________

Twilight’s most trusted spell, ArcFire, collected into a huge sphere, and as she brought her arms down, it flew towards Nightmare Moon full force. She brought up her blade to catch it, but even she had difficulty containing it. Wisps of fire licked at her sword, and flares illuminated her ashen armor. It brightened and exploded satisfyingly, sending the fallen royal reeling to the other side of the room.

She’s not experienced with magic, it seems. If we can get her weakened this way... Twilight thought. She looked around, looking for others who were still conscious. Rarity stood off to the side, gripping her rapier, panting and weakened. Their eyes met, and they nodded.

The two jumped together, and both began casting a spell, focusing the two in one point. ElThunder and Shine- an overpowering light, crackling with energy, began forming between them. It began to take shape, flattening and sharpening, and soon it resembled a giant, heavenly disc.

With a grunt from both, the spell shot forward, blindingly bright and ready to explode with pent-up power. Nightmare Moon couldn’t help but see it barreling towards her, and dodged out of the way just enough to avoid the brunt of the blast. It hit the corner of the castle, blasting the wall to pieces and sending a parapet crashing down in the center of the hall. Shrapnel from the castle and shockwaves from the spell buffeted the ebon armor, but when it rose, it blasted from its places among the rubble and simply swatted Rarity aside, causing her to collapse off to the side. Unconscious, or too battered to move, she now left Twilight to face Luna alone.

Neither slowed, neither backed down. Twilight launched spell after spell her way, alternating between thunder and fire with no discernible pattern, while they were all blocked or dodged. None possessed the power behind the last two, and they no longer fazed Nightmare Moon, who had grown impatient with the resilience of the party.

She cast a powerful dark spell on her own weapon, which now seemed to not only dwarf, but absorb the very light around it. She brought it down with both hands, and Twilight could do naught but fall back and raise her arms to soften the blow. She closed her eyes...

The sword collided with metal, and the darkness within darted away to various corners of the ruin. She opened her eyes, and saw, standing over her with spear dug into the earth, Pinkie. Blood from above covered her face, darkening her hair with its stain, but still she stood strong, teeth barred viciously. It transformed into a sarcastic grin, and she backflipped, grabbing Twilight’s arm and dashing for the exit.

As Luna attempted to stop them, a darkened figure dashed forward between them. It had the exact shape of Pinkie, and brandished a spear equally black, though made no noise, remained expressionless, and remained between Luna and the exit.

Pinkie continued to run, moving past all the remains of the city, and when they reached the bridge, she moved to the side and jumped. Twilight, who’s wounds had caught up with her, could find no energy to scream, and merely closed her eyes again and waited for the end. The two free-fell for a time, then abruptly collided with water.

They surfaced, and Pinkie dragged Twilight to shore. She looked around, taking stock of the new situation from the ground. At the bottom of the canyon, it seemed, was a river, and to the side there was a small gravelly shore. Pinkie returned to the waterfront from a bit further away, dragging behind her a shabby raft of driftwood.

She set it down and looked out thoughtfully. From above, a wispy shadow fell, disappearing as it reached Pinkie. “She’ll have to keep the others alive for now, but she won’t be able to follow us yet. We’ll need to take the river back to town if we’re gonna have any chance.”

Twilight sat up, shaking her head. “Pinkie, what are you talking about? What even happened back there, and how do you know this will lead back? And how did you know this was here to begin with?”

“I used to escape here when I was little, and the raft was kind of a way for me to pass the time hanging out here. I didn’t realize it was the same place when we passed it, but when I passed out, I saw it in a vision- the two locations lined up, and I knew we’d be alright if we jumped. As for what happened... I can’t say. I’ve always been almost a different person when things heat up, like that battle in the clearing, and... I don’t know, maybe there’s more to it. It was almost like that second person and I separated for a minute, and it covered us while we escaped.”

Twilight looked a bit skeptical at this. “I won’t even pretend I understand it myself. I always just trust my gut on things like that, and it always gets me through. Anyway, Luna’ll probably want to destroy the elements, but she won’t be able to unless they’re all there at once. And as it stands...” She reached into her pack, pulling forth one of the spheres, the one engraved with the yin-yang. “They aren’t. And unless she keeps the others as a bargaining chip, she knows she’ll never get this one back. Now we need to head for home, and get backup. No offense, but Dash was right- we were way undermanned.”

The two dragged the raft into the water, climbed aboard, and floated down the stream in silence.

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Castle of Dawn Ruins

Eastern Prison Block

Hours passed, and the wall began to weaken more and more. Rarity had elected to sit nearer the door, alerting us if someone was on their way down the hall, while Applejack and I worked full time on the window. Fluttershy, however, had fallen back asleep shortly after we began, and still slept fitfully.

I could see Applejack looking over to her every once in a while. “You can take a break for a bit and check on her.” I said between hits. She nodded, put her stone on the ground and moved over to the bunk. I continued to work for a bit, then she stood again.

“Seems like she’s sick. She’s conscious, but isn’t waking up any time soon. Got a bit of a fever, too.” She moved back over to me. “Hope she shapes up soon...”

How’d she get sick so quickly? She was fine when she was awake earlier today. I can’t remember any spells being cast, but I guess someone could’ve done it from elsewhere, but why just her, then? Unless it only goes into effect when we sleep...

“Someone’s coming.” Rarity said barely above a whisper. “It’s... It’s her.”

I nearly jumped. This might have been my only chance to fix things. We moved away from the window, and I moved to the gate. I looked back, AJ gave me a look asking ‘What are you doing?’, and I returned one that I hope she could interpret as ‘Trust me’.

She nodded, and I turned back. Luna, unaccompanied, had made her way down the hall, and turned to face us. “Are you all well?”

I waited for half a second, and no-one said anything. Oh yeah, Twilight isn’t here with a lightning-fast comeback that would make the situation worse. Forgot. “Well, I think one of us might be getting sick.” I offered.

“Oh... I could find a medic somewhere, if you’re willing to accept it.”

“Why would you do that?” Rarity asked.

“I have no desire to kill any of you. If I felt it safe, I’d release you here and now. But I can’t, not yet.”

“Luna...” I started. She seemed almost surprised to hear her proper name. “You said before that you had no plans after overthrowing our Queen. So you’re just trying to get her off the throne, and don’t mind who takes over afterwards?”

“All true. Why, did you have an eye on the throne?”

“Goodness no. I can lead a few people okay, but not a country. No, what I wanted to know was... Why?”

“Celestia isn’t what she paints herself as.” She explained. “She may have been once, but... I tried to overthrow her all those years ago, because I could see her being corrupted. The people of old Eclipse were under so much terror- not only from the enemy, but from their own head of state. I... I did what I thought I could to stop her, but it just wasn’t enough. She killed the rest of the resistance and sealed me away.”

My mind was racing with possibilities, and a shiver ran down my legs. “So then, your intent is simply to save the people from her, and has always been?”

“Yes.”

Rarity was silent. Applejack put her hand on my shoulder. “Careful, partner. You don’t know what you’re getting into...”

I brushed her hand aside and stepped forward, leaning on the bars. “Luna. I have an offer, then.” I threw my arms out wide. “Release these three, and I’ll cast my lot in with you. You’ll have my sword to do with what you will.”

“What?!” “Dash, what are you doing?!”

I turned. “Celestia’s been hovering over us for too long. This is the chance I’ve been waiting for. Our home and families will be safe if I join Luna, and we’ll have a chance to do the same for the whole country. I can’t pass this up, not after all this.”

“Dash, I know what happened.” AJ said, stepping carefully. “I know you have every reason to want the Queen gone, and I do too, but... This just isn’t the way to do it, Dash. You’re just gonna get killed!”

“Are you going to stop me, Applejack?” I asked, not venomously, but softly. “I can handle myself, alright? This may be my only option.”

She averted her gaze from me, watching the ground. “If you’re really set on it... I’m not going to stop watchin' your back now. I’m comin' with you.”

As much as I did want her with me, I had to object. “AJ, I can’t let you-”

“See? You’re takin' the same risk, and I’m not lettin' you take it alone. It’s both, or neither.”

I sighed. There was never any point in me arguing with her- she always got her way with me. I turned back to Luna, who had been watching the whole affair in slight awe. “Two for two, then.”

“I... I can’t do that. I can’t put you in danger like that. Any of you.”

“She’s hurt us as much as you. We’re not going to pass a chance to take her down.” She seemed conflicted, but didn’t seem to like the idea. “Why don’t you think about it for a bit?”

She didn’t answer, but disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Applejack and I looked to each other. We were walking a thin line. “...Thanks.” I told her quietly, then went back to work on the window. Best to have a backup, after all.

_______________

Town Square

Pinkie and Spike both stood over Twilight, whose condition only seemed to have worsened. She had come down with a fever, and had begun turning in her sleep. The town doctor had come to check on her, but he wasn’t able to identify what was wrong, causing the two to continue assuming it a curse of some sort.

“I’ll stay with her.” Spike said. “You should keep looking for more troops, check on the others. Fifteen’s good, but we could use more. We’ll assault the castle tonight, but we’ll need more than fifteen and surprise to take Luna.”

Pinkie nodded and left once again. Many of the others, after deciding on when to attack, had gone back home to prepare or continue with their business. However, the soldiers remained in the square to practice, as had Angel. She went over to him.

“So, I know you’re going to save Fluttershy, but... I don’t think I ever actually met you properly.”

While he could speak, it seemed he hadn’t learned the whole language yet. He spoke carefully, but simply. “I used to live in another place, an island with others around. It was called Ivoire, and is South-east... I think. My parents, used to go all over the world. They took me and my brother and sisters with them a few times, like when they came here. But we got lost in the woods, and...”

Pinkie nodded sadly. “I was the only one left after that. But I was lucky, and Fluttershy found me. She’s very kind- she took care of me all this time, taught me a lot. I have to take my turn, to save her.”

Pinkie was touched by his story, though not too surprised. It seemed something Fluttershy would do. “I see. We’ll be glad to have you with us. And, I think I’ve heard of Ivoire before, actually. I think Equestria does some trading with them. It wouldn’t be too hard if you wanted to go back after all this.”

“Right, but... I don’t think I would want to. I would go back, remind everyone who I was, and... Then what? I would still be alone. I’ll stay here- this is my home now.”

“I understand, and know how you feel. I’ve lived alone in this town for a long time, and I could have left for my family’s town any time. But I couldn’t just leave my home behind, and there was always someone to take care of me. I think of the whole town as a big family now, and I’ll protect them whenever I can. And I bet you’ll do the same.”

He nodded, smiling. “Thank you.”

Pinkie grabbed her spear from where she had left it, leaning across the wall outside the library, sheathed it, and once again began wandering around town, seeking out fighters to join their task force.

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Castle of Dawn Ruins

Prison Block

“Ready?” AJ asked, gripping the bar with all her strength, bracing herself against the wall.

“Let’s go.” I answered, doing the same on the top of the window, hanging upside-down. We both kicked out, pulling on the bar with all our power. At first nothing appeared to happen, but after a few moments the stone we had cut out began to scratch against the wall, and dust began to waft from the cracks.

We let up, resting for a moment. “We’re getting there.” She said.

“Right. Let’s try again.” She nodded, and we resumed our positions. Now that it had been uprooted once, it was easier to pull out, but not by much. We managed to pull it about halfway out this time. After another brief respite, we gave it one final haul, and with one final bout of resistance, the iron bar, along with the sections of rock it had been imbedded with, snapped from the wall and lay in my hand.

“Whew. That’s that taken care of.” I peered out the window, and to the ground far below. Our plan had originally been to send me out, and lower the others down. However, I was just unable to fit through the gap as it was, and neither could Applejack. Rarity could have, but there would be no way to get her down. That left...

I turned to Fluttershy, who was still out on the bunk. If she can wake, she could fit through okay, and get out of here. But she doesn’t seem to want to wake up. Unbidden, another thought entered my head. It didn’t make any sense at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like it might just work.

As loathe as I was to do it here, I decided it was worth it. I turned to Applejack. “I have an idea. It's weird, but... Fluttershy seems to like music. Like, she responds to it on a deeper level... Can you give me some kind of drum beat?”

She was confused for a minute, as was Rarity, but soon she made up her mind. “I guess it’s worth a try. Yeah, I’ll get something going for you.” She moved over to the other bunk, cracked her fingers, and began a simple rhythm.

I cleared my throat, cleared my head of all thoughts regarding how stupid an idea this was, and began.

“I used to wonder what friendship could be

Until you shared its magic with me

Big adventure

Tons of fun

A beautiful heart

Faithful and strong

Sharing kindness

It's an easy feat

And magic makes it all complete…”

It was an old song he used to sing to me, and I was able to recite the whole thing without batting an eye. As I came to the end of the song, I could feel that it had- beyond all logic- worked. The lyrics had reached her in whatever dream-state she was in, and her eyes fluttered open at last.

“What... What happened?” She asked. I quickly explained everything that had transpired since we were thrown in here, and shared with her the plan for our next move. “You’re the only one who can escape through this now, and I don’t think we have enough time to knock out another one. If I ease you out, do you think you can get down, and back to town?”

“Ah... I think so.” She said, standing up, unsteadily at first, and testing her wings. It took her a moment to stretch out again, and she was still just a bit unsteady when she turned to me. “I... I think I should be alright, yeah.”

“Are you sure? We can wait for a little while.”

“No, I’ll be okay. We need to get back to the others.” I nodded, helped her out the gap in the window, and when she was upright and hovering, I let go. She was still a bit shaky, but was able to set off in the direction of town, provided cover by the setting sun. How much time do we have? I guess all we can do now is wait...

________________

Town Square

That Night

“Alright, troops. I don’t need to waste time telling you what you already know- we’ve got friends, we’ve got Luna. We separate the two groups. The Castle of Dawn is a wreck already, and it’s only going to get worse tonight. We need to get the four prisoners out of there, and immobilize Luna. We leave in fifteen minutes.”

Spike left the place he had addressed the team of seventeen from, and stepped back into the library one last time before departure. Pinkie remained outside the building, watching over the troops. She had managed to find a few more townspeople who could fight and were willing to join them, but their skill was questionable.

“I hope the others can hold out a bit longer.” She said under her breath. “I wonder if any of them got sick...” Pinkie had been awake for two straight days now and, yawning, decided to get what sleep she could. She sat against the wall of the building, and closed her eyes.

She was about to drift off, when the troops began to make a commotion about something. She opened her eyes again, and saw a small flying figure headed for the square from above, barely visible in the dusk surrounding them.

As it landed and collapsed, she jumped up and ran to it. Fluttershy?! She must have escaped, but where are the others?

She reached the tired form, and pulled her up. Angel had already reached her, and had no plans to leave. “Fluttershy, thank goodness! What happened? How’d you escape?”

“She...” She was speaking between breaths. “She imprisoned us all... Dash and the others... they made a way out, but it was too high up and too small. I was the only one who could use it. They... they told me to come back here and get help. Where’s Twilight?” She noticed Twilight wasn’t with them.

“She’s in the back room of the library, sick. We don’t know what’s wrong with her.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “So was I! Can you take me there? I think I might know how to fix her.” Pinkie nodded, and helped her over to the building and into the back room, Angel following. Spike was just preparing to leave, but stopped when the three came inside.

“Fluttershy! You got away?” He seemed a bit more relieved than Pinkie had, but it might have just been her. She explained what had happened, and what Fluttershy had said. “Well, by all means, give it a try.”

The four entered the room, and saw Twilight, still sleeping fitfully in the bed off to the side. Fluttershy broke off, went over to her, and cleared her throat. Pinkie had a feeling about what was coming, but Spike was clueless. She turned and nodded to him. Just watch.

She began her song once again, the same she had used to pacify the Manticore (Pinkie had of course known what the creature was the whole time, but no-one had asked). Spike was at first confused, but as the song progressed, his eyes widened in recognition. Angel seemed to have heard it before, but still listened intently. As it finished, Twilight stirred, and he stepped forward.

“What... What was that? Where did you learn that song?”

“Ah, a friend who came here a long time ago taught me. She passed away, though.”

“Did she have white wings and blonde hair?” She nodded curiously. He began murmuring to himself. “The missing Heron... This is where she came. But she’s dead now anyway. But that doesn’t explain why Fluttershy singing the song does anything. Teaching it’s one thing, but why does it have the effect still on it?”

Twilight sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Ugh... How long was I asleep? What happened?”

Pinkie was quick with a response. “All day. We got plenty of reinforcements, and were just about to set off for the castle when Fluttershy escaped and sang to wake you up.”

“I did hear a song in my dream. But why did that wake me up?”

“I might have an idea why.” Spike chimed in. “For whatever reason, it seems Fluttershy is like an... 'honorary' Heron. And Heron’s do tend to get really bad sick when kept in a place like that, so far from nature’s voice. That’s probably why she got sick. And Twilight... Is it possible the Elements already took their effect? They may have bonded with the others, and left them all connected to you, the one who would wield the final Element bonded by the others. Now, this is all speculation, there’s no guarantee I’m right, but if that is true, Fluttershy’s sickness might have been reflected onto you.

“Fluttershy, how did you get awoken?” She told him it was Dash, who had sung to her. “It could be you just needed to hear the voice of someone from the other side, and his song was what reached you in your dream state. It makes sense that your song, the Galdr of... Bliss, I think it was, was enough to reach Twilight.”

“Wait, wait.” Twilight said, stopping him in his tracks. “What are you talking about? Herons, Galdr... I don’t think anyone else knows what you’re talking about. I suppose the theory on the Elements isn’t impossible, but I can’t figure out what you mean by the rest.”

“I’ll have to explain on the way.” He said, looking out at the night sky. “We’re marching.”

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

EverFree Forest

Central Road/Alternate Backroad

“So.” Twilight started as the group made their way around the collapsed path. “We’ll have some time before we reach the castle. Can you clarify now, Spike?”

“I suppose it’s only fair. Hey, Opal, can you come walk with us? I’m going to be telling them some things from home, I might need someone to help me fill in some blanks.”

Opal, the cat-girl companion to Rarity, nodded and fell back slightly, matching pace with those who had been in the library at the time- even Angel, stoic as he was, lingered at the edge of their circle to catch the conversation. “I suppose.” She said. “What did they want to know?”

“I had a theory about why Twilight and Fluttershy were awoken by music- and, it seems Fluttershy here can sing Galdrar.”

Opal seemed surprised, and turned to look at Fluttershy more closely. “Really? That’s strange... She’s got the right wing color, but her hair is pink, not golden.”

“Anyway, I think it would be easiest for understandings sake if we start the explanation now. So, back on our home continent, there were several different races- the Beorc, which are basically undistinguishable from the People of Earth and of Fire here. There were those among them who could use magic, and those who couldn’t, but they didn’t tend to separate themselves too much.

“Then there were the Goldoans- my people. We’ve got the longest lifespan of any creature, and superior strength, though we traditionally don’t make a habit of fighting.”

“My people are called the Gallians.” Opal took over. “We live a lot like cats, unsurprisingly- we have houses, sure, but hunt and gather most of our food. Our strength is second only to the Goldoans, but our lifespan isn’t as long- around twice as long as a Beorc’s. Oh, did I mention we can all transform into our animals? I can be a cat, obviously, and he can turn into-”

“A dragon. I’ve only needed to transform once since I got here, but I’m afraid I might have to once more tonight.” Twilight nodded. She remembered the sight of him, huge, terrifying, making short work of the bandits invading the town they had visited years before. And yet... I wasn’t as afraid as I thought I would be. Deep down, I could still feel him. I knew it was still Spike.

“Anyway,” Spike continued. “Lastly, there’s the bird tribes: The Hawks, Ravens, and Herons. They all have equal lifespans; better than the Gallians, but still far below the Goldoans. The Hawks have the best strength among them, the Ravens are decent fighters, but tend to be more about agility and stealth. Then the Herons have never been known to fight, instead opting for peaceful solutions to their conflicts. All the birds, Herons especially, live in harmony with the nature and other creatures.”

Fluttershy was listening intently to this. From what I’ve seen, Twilight thought. It must be like he’s describing her firsthand.

“About ten years ago, one of the Heron royals went missing suddenly. And Fluttershy, you said you were taught your song by someone with white wings and blonde hair? Only the royals have pure white wings- the others are lighter gray or silver, even light brown. I believe the princess and the teacher are the same person.

“See, the Herons have the ability to sing special songs- Galdrar- that do all sorts of passive things. Cleanse corruption of body and mind, restore energy, even heal wounds. Your song, Fluttershy, I believe is the Galdr of Bliss, which clears the minds of all who hear it.” She nodded again. “Did she somehow give you the power to sing them yourself, since you were so close to Heron already?”

“Well...” She started, but took some time before continuing. This must be a hard memory to bring up. Twilight assumed. “A few months after she arrived, she... She was really sick. She called me to her bedside and sang a song to me off a piece of scroll, one that I never heard before. A... A light, an energy of some kind, just... went from her, to me. I felt amazing physically, but... It was too much for her.

"... She passed away that day. She left me two scrolls- the one she had read off of, which I never touched- I couldn’t bring myself to it- and another, one with the song you heard me sing on it. I think that light she gave me let me use the songs.”

“She must have crafted a new song, one that passes on the Heron power. But it must require a great deal of strength, so it’s no wonder she couldn’t live through it. But I wonder, if someone does survive, would they retain their own powers as well...?”

“Spike, you’re talking to yourself again.” Twilight pointed out kindly.

“Oh, sorry.” He said, running his hand over the back of his head sheepishly. “What else was there?”

“Why songs woke us up.” She said.

“Yeah, because... When I was sung to, it wasn’t a Galdr or special song or anything. Rainbow Dash just sang a song.”

“Well, I’m just guessing here, but I think it’s just because Herons are musically attuned. You were suffering, and when, in your dream, you heard his voice, it was enough to rouse your spirits and wake you up.

“And why Twilight was sick too, again, it might have been a link going between her and the others because of the Elements- if one suffers to that extent, she feels it as well. Possibly the whole team would feel it in time, but I think Twilight will usually be the first.”

Twilight took a moment to let that thought sink in. Anything bad that happens to them will happen to me, too? Spike turned to her, seeing her growing distress. “It’s quite a burden to bear, I’ll admit, but... Twilight, I don’t think anyone else would be better for the job. I believe you can do it- it seems like it’s a matter of keeping your team together, making sure nothing happens to them, and being responsible and fixing it when it does. But I know you’ll find a way.”

__________________

Castle of Dawn Ruins

Prison Block

The tension in the air was palpable. Fluttershy would have made it back to town by now, and reinforcements were bound to be on the way. The three of us sat around the cell, Rarity on one bunk, AJ and I on the other. We weren’t sure exactly what we were waiting for, but we all knew something was coming. Applejack had taken the bar- rock thing from the window- it could serve as a weapon if we needed one. Rarity and I could both muster up some kind of magic in the event of a fight.

The sun had set, and once again the only light came from the worn torches in the hall. Fluttershy had escaped two hours previously, and I knew there would at least be a few people coming to break out the other two- I’d make sure to slip out with them. Luna... I wasn’t bluffing when I made my offer. Please, don’t wait until it’s too late...

Rarity moved over to the window, and gave a start. “There are torches, coming this way!” Both of us jumped up to see as well. “Around twenty troops it looks like, and... What is that?!”

She could only have been speaking of the Demon Sword, as I called it. The weapon belonging to brother of Applejack (and basically me as well), Mac. It towered over the rest of the troop, blood red metal visible even from here.

“Mac came?” AJ said in awe. “Sure hope Luna surrenders, for her sake.”

“Now’s our chance. Luna is not the enemy here- if I can talk them out of attacking her, we can earn her favor, and we might stand a chance in the long run. Come on, we have to get out of here!”

We looked over to the cell door, and began scanning it for weakness. Rarity grabbed my shoulder, motioning to a lock on the door. “It looks like that’s all that’s keeping it locked. If we get a powerful enough spell going, we could break it.”

“Right.” I stepped back slightly. “Ready?” She nodded. We both focused a decent spell on the lock, forming a sort of flowing-light attack. It filled the lock easily, and was too much for it to contain. It burst, and the spell dispersed. “Let’s go! We can’t have much time left!”

We ran from the cell, making our way down blindly. None of us had any idea where we were going, but we knew we were higher up in one of the back corners, so we tried to go down in general. We passed a large room from which something shined, and I backtracked slightly to see its contents.

“Guys! Armory!” I ran into the room quickly, and retrieved our weapons, as they had recently been thrown atop the pile of blades. Once we were all properly equipped with weapons, we set off again. Rarity was at first hesitant to leave without finding her armor, but knew the urgency of their trip, and was soon talked into leaving it.

We didn’t get far, however. From the shadows of the hallway before us, I could clearly see the now familiar black armor gleaming in the darkness, sword in hand. “And so you choose to run, and leave me to my fate?”

I interrupted her self-loathing ramblings myself this time. “I meant what I said, Luna. The deal has changed, but my offer is the same. Let me convince them of what’s going on, and stop their march. I know many of them, and I know that many of them already harbor a grudge towards Celestia. I can get them to back out of the conflict, even lend us more troops.”

Luna, once again, was all but speechless. “Young boy... Why would you ally yourself with me so easily?”

“Celestia’s facade has been weak for years. If she didn’t want enemies, she shouldn’t be so good at pissing them off. I want her dead, plenty of others want her dead. You’re not alone anymore, Luna. Now let me fix this mess, please.”

“Ah... Alright. I’ll call off my own troops. I have no desire to hurt them, but I won’t let them stop me either. Please, teach them the truth.”

Emboldened, I led the other two past her and through the castle, which was becoming more and more familiar, with Luna following at a distance. At last we burst through to the central courtyard once again, and saw the Elements lying exactly where we all dropped them. However, they had mysteriously darkened since then, and were completely black now.

“What happened to them?” Rarity asked, lifting one curiously.

“They became little more than rocks after you all left them. I believe they have chosen you as their bearers, and have imparted their essence to you. Which means the one who didn’t receive one already... Is likely the bearer of the final Element.”

For some reason, I’m thinking it’s Twilight. “So, how do we use them, then?” I asked.

“That’s just it. The sixth is only brought into this world when the others are fulfilled, and they can’t be used until all six have found a place. It all must happen at once.”

So when Twilight gets hers, we’ll all get our power from them. Somehow, I don’t think that can happen until we’re staring death in the face- ancient artifacts usually work like that, if I’m not mistaken. I have a bad feeling about this...

__________________

The party crossed the bridge carefully, stopping as they reached the edge of the ruined town. They would go as one, and strike at Nightmare Moon all at once.

“You should all know...” Spike started. “I’m going to try and do all my fighting with my knives, but if I end up going full force- you’ll know it if you see it- I’ll need a few of you to hold me down for a while. Fluttershy, you could probably speed it up with your song, if you wouldn’t mind.”

She shook her head. “I’d be happy to. I wouldn’t just let you sit there and suffer.”

Mac turned slightly when he heard Spike’s words. “You too? I go absolutely crazy when I use this thing, so I’ll have to ask the same.”

The group assembled themselves in a line, all facing the castle, and as one started forward at a run. They had gotten halfway to the ruin when they were stopped by a voice.

“Wait! Everyone stop, listen to me!” Rainbow Dash, followed by Applejack and Rarity, were running full speed from the castle towards the group. Twilight couldn’t quite tell from where she stood, but she thought she saw a glint of armor near the castle for a moment, before it disappeared. The others reached the war party, panting.

“Everyone, listen.” Dash spoke, addressing the crowd. “We’ve had a bit of a change of plans.”

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Castle of Dawn Ruins

City of Dawn

“You guys escaped!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Did Nightmare Moon not see you?” Twilight asked.

I took another breath before continuing. “Like I said, there’s been a change of plans. I’m glad you all came to rescue us, plus it makes it that much easier to tell you all this. I’ve made a deal with Luna- one that works well for everyone. She wasn’t sure what side anyone was on now- and I’ve explained to her what the world has become. She’ll leave our town be, and likely the rest of Equestria, provided I help explain to everyone she isn’t the enemy.”

“What do you mean, she isn’t the enemy?” Twilight asked. “She even said she was going to overthrow the Princess right to our faces!”

“Yes, that’s true. But she was able to explain further without you interrupting. All she wants is to get her off the throne- she has no intention of touching any of the citizenry or taking the throne afterward.”

“And that makes it okay in your eyes?!” She shouted. “Why would you think we would allow her to stage a rebellion like that, do you think we can just let that slide?!” Several among the crowd chose not to move with her, but a few did cast in their voices. “Nightmare Moon must be stopped! We’ll protect the throne with our lives!”

She gave more emphasis to Luna’s title, I suppose because she noticed I hadn’t used it once, and once again several of the people standing in the crowd agreed. One of the mercenaries raised their voice: “I can’t speak for anyone else, but it’s a profitable world as it is. Far as I’m concerned, Celestia can keep her precious throne, us soldiers of fortune can pick up the slack for her troops, and everyone’s happy.” The rest of the mercenaries agreed.

“You know why you have so much work in this world?” I argued. “Have you ever seen the royal soldiers addressing an actual problem? All they end up doing is buffing up the queens own defenses! She’s taken people straight from our villages to train involuntarily, even children! How can you abide by that?!”

“That’s not true!” Twilight countered. “You know there are more monsters in this world than we can handle already, and the royal soldiers are kept hard at work with them! Of course some of them are stationed at the castle- there has to be someone to protect the Queen! And plenty of troops are volunteers- we only draft soldiers when there aren’t enough to hold us afloat.”

“Are you going to stand against us, Twilight? You can deny the truth to yourself all you like, but dissent will grow. Plenty of people already oppose the Queen, and more will follow. Celestia will fall.”

Just as I finished speaking, a blast of darkness collided with the ground between us from behind. I spun, and saw Luna clutching her head in pain. “I’m... I’m sorry... She’s... Agh!” She threw her arms and head back, then brought her gaze to bear a moment later, eyes glowing red.

“Rgh, coward!” I shouted. I don’t know how, but I think I get it. This whole mess was Celestia’s plan all along. “Why don’t you get out here and fight us yourself!”

Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy all jumped forward to join us, and the five of us that fought all drew our weapons. Either to fight her and protect Celestia, or to prevent the Queen from destroying her from a distance and protect Luna, we all knew one goal- take her alive.

A golden light enveloped the team as we all readied for battle, and when it cleared, it was obvious the Elements had finally kicked in. I now wore a gold sheath criss-crossing my original leather one across my back, and in my left hand was a gold broadsword identical to my normal steel one. I spun both experimentally- The weight was the same as well, but the power behind the new weapon was obvious.

I looked at the others, and saw they had been similarly re-equipped- none of the others dual-wielded their weapons like I did, but switched to the upgrades entirely. They all had each acquired a piece of gold armor- AJ now wore a shoulder-guard across her left arm,  Rarity a chest plate, Pinkie a pair of bucklers, and Twilight (She had obtained a gold tome for a weapon, though I’d never seen her need one to cast spells) and a gold tiara. Fluttershy received no weapon, but now wore a light helmet.

“The rest of you- let us handle this!” Twilight called back to the crowd.

“Only until you start losing.” Mac responded. “Then she’s mine.” Mac could clearly see what was truly happening- and I wouldn’t get in his way for the world. If anyone deserved a shot at Celestia more than me, it would be him.

I led the charge, flying at her at full speed, a blur of flailing silver and gold. Her dark sword rose to block each slice with lightning-fast reflexes. While she was occupied with me, AJ ran up and delivered a devastating slash with her new axe across her legs. She buckled for half a second, then threw herself backward and righted herself with a backflip- handstand type move.

Twilight and Rarity both charged a large spell- a huge fireball and a blinding sphere of light, and sent them both spiraling towards her at once. She was able to spin away from the brunt of the blast, but they exploded as they contacted each other, and she was sent reeling into the air in the aftershock.

Pinkie called my name, and in one glance I could tell what she planned. I nodded, she ran forward, and as she reached me, I caught her foot in my hands and launched her into the air. She pulled her lance behind her head, and she drifted towards the Princess, almost as though in slow-motion. As she brought down her spear, she seemed to vanish for a moment, then appeared behind her and delivered several lightning fast hits. Then another series, and another.

Soon it seemed as though there were two of her flying about, one glowing with light and one barely visible against the night sky. The two collided where she had started, and her powerful strike at last connected with Luna, sending her crashing to the ground.

Twilight ran forward, standing directly between everyone and the Royal. She threw out her arms dramatically, and shouted back: “One last attack, everyone! Give me your strength!” Rarity was first to comply, sending a burst of light her way, which she caught in her left hand. Pinkie sent over a swirling mass of light and dark, and as Twilight caught it, both her arms glowed, one white, one black. AJ simply threw her axe, though it glowed with an orange radiance, and Twilight reached and grabbed it with her right hand.

From Fluttershy’s direction, a ball of light glowing not so much with radiance, but sound- like a small bell giving off a mighty chime. Twilight caught this in her right hand, matching up with Rarity’s offering. I was last, and decided to power up my gold sword with a wind spell and toss it her way. She caught it in her left hand, and now, glowing with energy, ran full speed towards Luna. She jumped and, focusing the whole attack on one crushing attack, brought down both weapons.

Luna was once again launched into the air, sword dropped, armor falling off in chunks. I was quick to cast a weak wind spell, easing her to the ground. Her unarmored form was a great deal less intimidating- She wore normal clothes, had long, unkempt dark violet hair, and appeared to actually be a few years younger than any of us. She was severely weakened, but alive- breaths came to her in ragged gasps for a minute after she was lowered to the ground.

Weapons retrieved and sheathed, magics dispelled, and threat ended, the six of us walked over to the small form that had been our ‘enemy.’ This is what we were truly meant to be afraid of? This poor little girl? You’re pathetic, Celestia. Truly pathetic. I didn’t voice these thoughts- Twilight had likely let our previous argument slip her mind in the heat of battle, and the last thing I needed was her informing Celestia of my hatred, which would inevitably lead to her keeping a much tighter grip on our town.

“What’re we gonna do now?” Applejack asked quietly.

Twilight let out a small gasp. “Look!” She pointed skyward, where a small white form could be seen arcing down towards us. In my head, I swore appropriately. As if on cue.

“Sorry, kid.” I murmured, stepping back from Luna. It’s out of my hands now. Damn, and we were so close to finally gaining some ground. Well... I guess not. It all makes sense now- those soldiers from before, Luna being possessed... This was a farce to begin with.

I did my best to remain inconspicuous as the figure landed. Clad in unmistakable white armor, white sword identical in shape to Luna’s, she approached the group, who bowed in varying amounts of honor and common sense. Swallowing my pride, I followed suite.

Celestia bid us to rise.

We all stood, and she moved over to her rejected sister. “Well, it would seem you broke your seal a bit earlier than expected, Luna.”

She coughed and pulled herself to her feet. She also knew that to argue now would be fatal and pointless, I could tell. She remained silent.

“One thousand years may have been a bit of a stretch to begin with, however. Perhaps this was enough. You were young then, and have had much time to consider both of our actions. I can only hope that you’ve seen the light- that the things you accused me of were well intended, and what I did, I did for the survival of our country.”

She shook slightly, halfway between a cough and a noise of disgust. “Yes.” She lied. “I’ve realized the folly of my actions. Please, I beg that you forgive me. I was under the power of darkness, I had little strength of my own to resist.”

“Of course.” Celestia responded. To the eyes of those like Twilight, it must have seemed a heartwarming reunion, but I could see past that. Both parties were putting on their best game face and acting their parts, putting on a nice play for the people. She helped Luna off her feet and, sheathing her weapon and lifting Luna’s with one hand, turned to us.

“I must thank you, heroes. Without you, the whole kingdom would have been engulfed in war once again.” It was getting increasingly difficult to remain silent, but I managed. “I feel it would be best to continue to entrust the Elements to you, in the case something else should occur.”

She looked to each of us in turn, smiling at her little weapon Twilight admirably, and nodding friendlily to each of us. When her eyes settled on me, she stopped for a moment, seeming to recognize something about me. Playing along, I gave my best impression of his smile, sincere, but with a hint of crazy.

And as I looked at her, I knew she saw it. She did her best to hide it, but I could see recognition in her eyes. For a moment, she saw him in my face, and I knew she knew exactly who I was. She squinted slightly, brought back up her smile, and nodded to me, accepting my silent gambit.

Not even AJ could have seen it. It was between me and her.

“I’ll take my sister back to Eclipse, and return to her crown. Our kingdom can be whole once again. Thank you again, heroes.” She took her sisters hand, who looked back to me one final time. I nodded to her knowingly. We’d have another chance someday- And I wouldn’t let Celestia win again. She smiled and nodded to me, the only one she’d met who had been with her full force.

The two took off for home, and sighing silently, I joined the others in doing the same. This isn’t over, dearest Queen. This has only just begun.

Part Two Prologue

Part Two Prologue

Eclipse Castle; Four Hours Earlier

East Wing Chamber

The spires and turrets of the mountainside castle shined in the waning light, brightening the surrounding city before night fell. With the mountain surrounding the castle, light would only be reflected upon the town at this time of day, a symbolic of a final mighty effort before the fall of darkness.

Within the castle’s grand halls, the light reflected from the west into the stained glass windows, sending lights of all shades and hues dancing around the castle. Royal guards, clad in silver-blue armor, made their rounds across the gardens and castle.

To the east of the central towers, through the older sections of the palace, the eastern chambers lay silent. Several quarters for esteemed guests and the queens own closest allies were located in these halls, all furnished expensively. Only one was currently occupied.

Within the furthest room, a boy gazed out his window, admiring the last lights of the sun.  His hair and wings were both a dusty orange, and on first glance appeared to be sickly and frail. While apparently content and unawares, his mind was working on the clock, and his heart raced with anticipation.

She’s been gone for a good hour now already, preparing to put her master plan of self- glamorization into action. Time’s as prime as it’s going to be. He thought, giving the view one last look before turning and diving to the ground, reaching under his bed frame for a small locked wooden box.

He reached under his shirt, a plain white one covered with a light leather jacket, and retrieved a small bronze key from around his neck. Opening the chest, he removed a small collection of silver knives. The biggest of these he clutched backhanded with his right hand, the rest he shoved in his belt and jacket pockets.

Seven knives in total. You really thought of everything didn’t you, Celestia? Waiting until I was at my weakest to leave me here alone. But you jumped the line just a tiny bit. He held his left hand out, and was able to generate a small fire between his fingers. I’ve still got a few minutes of flame left in me.

He kicked the box back into its dusty resting place, and looked around the room. Odds are good I’m not going to see this place again. Is there anything else I need? A thought occurred to him, and he went over to his bookshelf hurriedly. From it he retrieved a small tome, utterly unremarkable in appearance.

In this he had scribbled various bits of ancient language he had come across, and while he had no knowledge of the meaning behind them himself, he had written them down as he located them, in the hopes of one day finding a scholar who could satisfy his curiosity. A few he were convinced were spells of some kind, though the only magic he could use, little more than the most basic of fire spells, were inherent to him and required no incantation.

He slipped the book into the inside of his jacket and moved to the door. Keeping his hand in his pocket to hide the weapon, he left the room, and entered the ancient and grand hallways. Much of the castle had been reconstructed after the war five hundred years prior, though this section of the castle had remained solid and cared for.

He set off down the hall at a brisk pace. His legs had been gradually weakening over the last few weeks, as had the rest of him, but he knew they weren’t quite at their weakest yet. This was all just one huge gambit- would he have enough energy remaining to succeed without collapsing somewhere along the way?

Not many guards patrolled in this part of the castle, but to leave he would have to pass through the central entryway, and both it and the path to it were heavily guarded. While he did have free roam of the castle, his normal privilege granting him the same of the surrounding city had been restricted with Celestia away, so stealth would be necessary. The knives were simply his insurance.

He had long been studying the layout of the castle for this day, and had mapped out hidden passages not even the queen was liable to be aware of in his mind. He elected to use one now, slipping into a long unoccupied room and removing several loose floor tiles. A small tunnel down led into an unused shelter, connected to several others around the castle. One of these led to another shelter beneath the kitchens, which at this time of day would likely be empty. It was this that the boy planned to use.

He slipped down ungracefully, picked himself up off the dusty stone floor, and stared down the darkened passageway. He looked around for a light source, saw a torch, and lit it with a spark from his fingertip. The ancient cloth and wax slowly came to life, casting a dull but adequate light around him. He held it aloft in his left hand, and set off down the forgotten path.

As he approached the central gathering room, much bigger than any of the other shelters, he stopped. There were four other pathways from here, but he had travelled these before. He took the one second to the right, and entered another blank stone pass. He soon came to a shelter nearly identical to the first- it could have fit a good twenty people if it had to, but was sparsely furnished.

He climbed the small ladder that led down to it, and did his best to press his ear up to the hatch above. Silence. He doused the torch, tossed it below, and pushed up on the ceiling. He emerged in the empty kitchen as he thought he would. Tables, furnaces and cauldrons made up the majority of the room.

He rose from the shelter tunnel and sealed it as it had been before. His next task would be the more dangerous leg of the journey- the grand hall was the only room adjoining this one, and it was doubtful that it would be completely empty.

I can still be anywhere in the castle, but can’t leave and be seen. Still, I’m already this far, and I’d have to come up with a good story for why I was in the kitchen in the first place. I’ll need to stay stealthy.

He decided to come up with a simple one anyway, and made his way out of the kitchen. The grand hall was far from busy, as supper had been a two hours ago. However, a few people still lingered. When asked, he claimed to have been looking for one of the chefs, who he had been told had gone back to the kitchen for something. One of them told him they had seen the chef in question elsewhere, and he pretended to take the information and go look for him.

When he left the grand hall, he went the exact opposite direction, towards the entrance hall and his ticket to freedom. He slid against the wall, allowing the patrolling guard to pass around the next corner, then ran for it. One more turn, and the hall would be upon him.

“What are you doing?” A taciturn voice asked from behind him. He turned slowly, and was faced with a royal soldier, who didn’t appear to want any part of whatever was going on.

“Uh...” He came up blank. He could have sworn he had the guards patterns mapped out. Perhaps this was one who was on break, or had a more specific assignment. He silently cursed himself for overlooking such an obvious variable. I’ll have to improvise...

He dug around in his pockets, coming up with a decent amount of currency. “Don’t suppose you’d like to take this and pretend this never happened?”

“You underestimate us, kid. We’re a bit more devoted to the Queen than that. I ought to knock you out and present you to her myself, make her realize what a bad idea it was keeping you around in the first place.”

“You ought to... But you won’t?” He was going out on a limb, but was willing to stretch his plans a bit here.

“You seem to have several weapons with you.” He pointed out. “I’ll bet that one could fetch a coin or two with the right buyer.”

The boy looked to the knife the guard had referred to, and pulled it out of his belt. “Throw that in with the money, and I’ll go about my business.” He handed the guard the coins and knife, who then put away all of it and walked away. That was all the money I had on me. I won’t be able to do that again.

He waited until both ways were clear, then slipped through the next hall, into the entrance chamber, and dropped off the railing and behind a great statue. Once again, his landing was clumsy, as his wings were all but useless in his current state. The room was much more lively, and he knew making it through would be much more difficult. And considering he hadn’t even gotten past the easier part cleanly...

No. He corrected his own thoughts. I can’t doubt myself now. I won’t get another chance, and I will take this one.

He dashed across to a side room, which would interlock with another. Through this room, the exit was only a few yards away. The second smaller room he knew to be full of coatracks for the most part. He ducked in after checking it and confirming it empty, and slipped on a black overcoat he had seen on the way in. This might look a bit odd for the middle of summer, but at least it’ll be less conspicuous than my wings. Sorry for whoever’s this is, but it’s for the good of the country. Just get yourself a new one, prick.

He flipped the hood up and left the room through the other door, leaving the castle entryway without being stopped. The outer gates of the palace were still patrolled heavily, but as he made his way through he only attracted confused glances from the guards. However, as he approached the grand doorway leading in and out of the courtyard, he noticed out of the corner of his eye the guards walking up from behind.

There’s five of them allocated to me, it seems. On a good day I could take them all down without breaking a sweat, but I’d be lucky to get one of them today. I can only run. He reached the door and tried to get it open, but couldn’t budge the lock. Really?! I didn’t take into account the heavy bolt lock I’ve seen a thousand times?! Stupid!

He turned his head slightly, and could see the guards were almost upon him. He began running through his remaining options, but none were very good. In a few seconds he had settled on the option he felt was most likely to succeed, but even then it wasn’t a great plan...

He shrugged the coat off, and, turning to face the guards, who had drawn their weapons upon seeing his hair and wings, he lit it aflame. “Catch!” He said, throwing the burning cloth their way and tripping them up. He jumped as high as he could into the air, and used another burst of flame to rocket up over the gate and above the city. I’ve barely got any power left... This is going to either get me out of here or get me killed... It’ll be close.

Falling to the ground, he expended what was just shy of the rest of his energy, and a large, sad looking bird took of shakily in his place, skimming the rooftops and rapidly clearing the city, which while a large and proud city in itself, paled in comparison to the castle. It’s not a matter of avoiding the guards anymore. He thought. It’s whether or not I can get far enough away and hide somewhere they won’t find me. And I can only hold up like this for a few minutes more...

He shot past the last of the buildings and began coasting over the green hills surrounding them, avoiding the largest roads. His flight was wobbly to begin with, but soon he was barely able to stay on one clear path. They’ll find me if I just collapse here. I need to get further away, and somewhere where the wind won’t get me. If I can find a cave to stay in for a few days... Agh!

With a final grunt, the bird rammed into the ground and skidded to a halt atop a small hill, turning up the loose dirt. Using the very last of his magic energy, he returned to his original form with a flash of light, and pushed himself off the ground painfully. I’ll have to go on foot, then. Hup... ah...

He began running, but he wasn’t able to make much progress with any speed. His legs were tiring fast, and the moon watched as he stumbled forward, in the direction of the vast forest to the southwest. The forest was about the last place he wanted to hide out, but when it was compared to his only other option, it seemed preferable.

His eyes were set on the inky black form looming before him, but when he had nearly reached the tree line, he collapsed. His strength was gone, and his legs had given way as he descended a small slope.

My plan failed... Celestia, you knew even if I escaped, I couldn’t get far enough away. Curse you, Queen...

___________________

The boy had accepted defeat, and was content to lie and let fate do with him what it would, but as he lay motionless, another figure looked out from the forest, his boundless curiosity piqued. This man was of above average height, though not inhumanly so. His spiky hair, a longsword hanging across his back, and a knife at his belt were all the very blackest of pitch. A short jacket and tattered brown cape flowed behind him.

He regarded the boy, aligning his thoughts. This young man clearly just got done running for his life. He concluded in less than half a second. But he seems to have given up, perhaps too worn by the chase to continue? Let’s see, here... Oh, he was running from Eclipse? Well, the least I can do is speak to him and uncover his motives.

He stepped out of the shade of the forest, which would have made him seem to materialize from nowhere, had the boy been looking his way. As it was, his eyes were closed and turned to his side anyway. However, he did hear the newcomer approaching, and his ears pricked slightly.

“Why were you scurrying from the castle, boy?” He said in an unusual, almost whimsical accent. “Usual reasons?”

“Ugh... How do you know I was?” He replied quietly, though the man was able to understand him without overt effort.

“You’re sprawled across the ground, too tired to continue, and facing away from the Shining City.” He answered. “Quite simple if one cares to line up the pieces like such. So, I can guess you were her prisoner or something, and made a break for it while she’s out for tea or whatnot?”

“Heh. Something like that. She’s out making herself look good-”

“At the expense of others, I presume?”

“‘Course. I was something of a curiosity to her, and she thought it wise to keep me under her wing, so to speak. I wanted no part of it.”

“Ah, her little pet then. Well, this is fortuitous. You’d doubtless know things that an average captive wouldn't, and I am known to be a merchant of information. Tell you what, kid.” The man crouched beside the disheveled figure. “If you can tell me some things of note, rare, unusual, possibly naughty things... I’ll hide you.”

The boys eyes opened at last, taking in the stranger for the first time. He seemed a bit skeptical. “I’m not sure I can give you much... Wait, wait. Can... can you read ancient text?”

The man scoffed. “What do you take me for, kid? Of course I can. Wouldn’t be much of an information trader without understanding such a prevalent language. Why, you got some?”

“I’ve been around. I wrote down any I found, and I can recall exactly where each entry was, but I can’t decipher it. I have the notes here.” Wearily, he reached into his jacket and retrieved the old tome. The man took it and flipped through the pages idly.

“Interesting... Some of these might even take a while to read. This is old stuff... Awright kid, you got yourself a deal. I’ll lug you back to my forest shack and find a bunk for you.”

He pulled the boy up and supported him over his shoulder. “What can I call you, anyway? ‘Kid’ and ‘boy’ seem a bit impersonal.”

“It’s... it’s Phil.” He said. “And you...?”

“For the time being, you can call me Link. Good to meet you, Phil. When we get home, I’ll dig up my finest aged Chateau Romani for the occasion!”

Chapter Twelve

Chapter 12

Town

Dash’s House

A week had passed since we had returned from the Castle of Dawn. After being healed properly, we had all broken off and had for the most gone straight home. I had put my old sword back where it always was- near the door for quick access. The golden sword, however, I brought to a little used back room, where another sword sat. It was another broadsword, though slightly shorter and curved near the tip. Here this sword would wait until it had its chance to finish it’s mission. I placed the golden sword to the side of it and closed the door.

Celestia had made a show of accepting Luna back to her second-in-command seat of power, but once again I could see it was all a lie. Luna would be kept alive, I could only assume, but I doubted if she would be treated as anything more than a prisoner there. I’ll find a way somehow, kid. I’ll get us all out of this, somehow. With thoughts like this buzzing around my head, I fell asleep, and awoke in a dream.

All around me was white- the ground was indiscernible from the sky around, but I was able to find my footing easily enough. I had been here before. I stared out into the fog, watching for movement. I could never tell from what direction he would come, or when, but he always showed up eventually. Unpredictability was one thing he had never let go.

However, this time he seemed to have decided on going as simply as possible, which I suppose was exactly what I wasn’t expecting. From in front of me, he stalked slowly up to me, stopping just short of my ability to see his face. I could see his dark pants and trademark leather jacket just fine, and his hair hung far past his shoulders, much more so than my own. His hands were in his pockets, and his head was tilted slightly to the side.

“You’ve really got yourself deep into this mess, haven’t you?” He stated, phrasing it as a question.

“What choice do I have? If I don’t try, who will?”

“You underestimate the amount of crazy idiots at your disposal, kid. Though, it’s probably a good idea to have a few people who know what they’re talking about mixed in, just in case you win.”

“‘In case’? That’s an unusual thing for you to say. Somehow or another, I will fix this, and you know it.”

“Hah! Caught me there, didn’t you? However, I’ll have to call you out on that as well- You will help to fix it. You of all people should understand by now you can’t do jack alone. Take my word for it.”

“So, I presume I won’t need to tell you what happened before?”

“What, do you think I have nothing better to do than watch you all day?”

“That was true up until today, apparently.”

“I was able to catch some of it, and since I can read your mind here, I can piece it together. Let’s see, Luna dropped in for a visit, stupid capital girl, got the Elements (now that could be useful...), ooh, nice use of my song. I approve. What else... awesome combo technique... it was a trap all along, nice catch. Well, I think that about covers it.”

His dialogue was a bit hard to follow at times, I’ll admit, but I’d had experience. “So, why are you here?”

“I’m going to go ahead and assume you mean ‘here’, right now, before you talking- as opposed to existing at all. That’s what you usually mean. Mostly just to confirm to you I’m still here. But I do have a bit of advice for you- don’t rush things. I know you want to march in there and beat the queen senseless, but you’re going to want to wait. You don’t stand a chance as you are. Bide your time, kid, and you’ll get more strength. Fate may seem to throw everything at you when you aren’t ready for it, but trust me- you’ll know what to do when it does.”

“You know, I remember you being a lot less cryptic in your advice.” I pointed out.

“Come’s with the territory, kid. I wouldn’t want to give you any spoilers, anyway. And besides, I have to remain cryptic, that way it looks like I actually know what I’m talking about.”

“I remember you being more helpful too, now that I think about it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’ve never been at all helpful. You’ve just convinced yourself otherwise. Well, I’ll be seeing you, kid!”

He stepped back, and a large pair of dark blue wings erupted from behind him. With a final wave, he jumped back and flew away, quickly disappearing in the mist.

__________________

The rest of the week passed by uneventfully- save for Twilight being stationed in town indefinitely. The story behind it was something along the lines of ‘to learn friendship’ or some crap like that. I knew the real reason behind it was for Celestia to have eyes and ears here. I hadn’t seen much of her since then, but it was mostly from me not wanting to. I knew she was still around.

The day marking exactly one week after the event, I pulled myself out of bed rather late, stretching. Work had been slow lately- Applejack and I both worked as mercenaries, and we’d only been able to find one job this week, and it was a small one. I guess everyone’s still calming down from what happened. AJ of course also worked on the family farm when not on a mission, and when work was slow like this, I would go over and help where I could as well. Since most of the work we did in general we did together, we split the profits evenly from both jobs.

I was preparing to drop by the bulletin board in the town square to check for any new work, then go over to the ranch if there wasn’t. But as I opened the door to leave, I interrupted someone who had been about to knock. She pulled her hand back quickly.

“Oh, hey Fluttershy. You need something?” I asked.

“Um, yeah... I, ah, wanted to talk to you about something...”

“Sure, come on in. Help yourself to whatever you can find to sit on.” I moved aside and let her inside. My house wasn’t the fanciest by far- It was pretty small, but I spent little time there anyway. Furnishings were sparse, but I had a few chairs around, and brought out a couple to sit on. She sat quietly, and I perched myself across from her. “So, what did you need?”

“Well... It’s about the siege last week.” She said. I nodded. “When you all were fighting, especially with Nightmare Moon... I felt so... Useless. Weak. I couldn’t do anything to help you.”

I stopped her for a moment. “Hang on a sec. You’re far from useless, Fluttershy. Did you forget about the lion-head thing already? There’s no way we would have been able to kill that thing.”

“It was a Manticore, actually. And, that was just one thing. I couldn’t help with any of the other fights, and my song only works when something was turned against us- it would almost never work against another human. I want to help as much as I can, but... I’m just a liability to you now. I... I want you to teach me how to fight.”

I had to stop at that. First off, Fluttershy fighting was a hard enough picture to imagine. Plus, why would she think I would be the way to go? I’d never taught anyone anything.

“I... I came to you first, because I thought you’d understand.” She said. “You were the best fighter I’ve ever seen, and I thought... I thought that if anyone could help me, it would be you.”

I thought for a minute. “Fluttershy... I’m not sure there’s much I can do. I can’t see you holding up very long in close combat, and I don’t think you’d have a whole lot of luck with magic, either.”

“Please!” She begged. “Dash, I... I don’t want to hide at the back of the group anymore, waiting for someone else to make things safe. I... I want to be able to protect people too.”

That was what I was looking for. I realized. A memory of something once told to me surfaced. “It’s not enough to be able to fight, to even be great at it- it’s no different than wanting a toy just to have it. You have to want to fight for the right reasons- to safeguard the ones you love, or to be there for others.”

“Well... There is one other option I can think of, but if you choose to take that path, you’ll need to find someone more experienced with it than me. However... If you truly want to learn, I’ll find a way to make it happen.”

She was about ready to jump up and hug me or something, but I stopped her again. “I have to warn you, though. You’re not going to be able to turn back once you start learning to fight. Once you learn these things, they’ll start to become instinct, and you’ll carry them with you for the rest of your life. You’ll always be a fighter. Are you sure you really want that?”

She thought for a moment, then replied. “It will be a good thing to know... If I only use it to help people.”

I couldn’t help but let a small grin cross my face. Something about her determination reminded me of myself. “Alright, sit tight, I’ll go grab the stuff.” I went to a back room, and returned with an old set of archery equipment. “Archery, I think, would be the best way to go for you. You’ll be able to fight just fine, but stay a good distance from the enemy at the same time. What do you think, you wanna give it a try?”

She thought about it. “I think that would work, yes. I’ll give it a try.”

Chapter Fourteen

[BbChapter Fourteen

Town

Outer Fields

It had been some time since the last chance I’d had to practice archery, so it took me a few shots to land one good enough for Fluttershy to try and beat. I hadn’t been kidding when I told her she’d need a better tutor before too long.

She picked up the bow in her left hand, notched an arrow, and fired weakly. The first few shots barely cleared the bow itself, but as I corrected her as best I could, they slowly began to become stronger and more accurate. It was slow progress, but I could see her improving. By noon she had managed to land a few shots into the target we’d set up.

“Not bad!” I said, clasping her on the shoulder. “You’re definitely getting better. But what say you we take a break- I don’t know about you, but I need a bite to eat.” She nodded, we set the equipment against a tree, facing away from town, and headed for home. On the way, Applejack caught up to me.

“I've been lookin' for you, Dash. Where were you?”

“Oh, sorry. I got caught up in something. I didn’t get to check the bulletin board today, any job offers?”

“Nah, I checked earlier. What were you busy with?”

“Well, Fluttershy came to me this morning wanting me to train her to fight. She wanted to be able to protect her friends, you know. I couldn’t just tell her no after that. I’ve been humoring her by teaching her a bit of archery.”

“Since when have you known the first thing about that?” She asked incredulously.

“Like I said, it’s mostly to humor her. If she turns out good, which it looks like she might, I’ll find her someone who knows what they’re doing. We’re on lunch break right now, you wanna go grab something?”

“Sure.” She said, and we headed into town. We bought a couple of sandwiches sat down and began to eat, when something from the entrance of town caught my eye.

A lone figure was entering, with a worn, wide brimmed, almost wizardly-looking hat covering her face. Snow white hair flowed from under it behind her, and she wore a long blue jacket and black pants. A plain metal rod, unremarkable in every way, was slung across her back. While her features were hidden from view, she walked with an air of professionalism.

I looked across, and saw that Applejack had taken note as well. We were both confused. New people came in and out of town all the time, and plenty were of the strange variety, but this person... Something was different here. “Should we talk to her?” I asked.

“After lunch. This issue ain’t that pressing right now.” I agreed, and we finished our meal quickly. The newcomer had passed down another street a few minutes ago, and so I stood and followed. Applejack had a busy day lined up on the farm, so she bade me good luck and headed for home. Once I entered the street, I had no clue which way she went, so I picked a direction at random and stuck with it.

The streets weren’t terribly busy right then, so when I saw a glimpse of the old hat, I knew there wasn’t much chance of error. Now, wait. How do I even begin striking up a conversation with her? I can’t think of a good way that wouldn’t seem weird, now that I think about it.

“What.” A voice said from behind me. When I turned to look, I saw that the girl had somehow gotten behind me, and her unadorned weapon was in hand. Her features were still shielded from sight. “You’re clearly following me. What do you want?”

She’s good. Might pay to be a bit careful. “I was curious. I like to know most of the people in town, and I hadn’t seen you before. Plus, you look like a pretty good mage, if your outfit is anything to go by.”

She chuckled slightly. “Well, I think I have some right to show off. I’ve yet to see anyone who could parallel my own magic.” Her voice dropped again. “But save your breath otherwise. I’m not in the market for friends. I’m a wanderer at heart, and I’m only in town a few days to see if anything’s happening. Then I’m gone.” She began walking away.

“Celestia?” I ventured sympathetically. She stopped short, though not turning around.

“What about her?” She asked. Despite her forced monotone voice, I could tell I’d got her interested, if only for a moment.

“Does anything you’re doing have to do with her? Are you... looking for a weakness? Or more strength?”

She turned around now. “That’s dangerous talk, you know. Especially in the middle of the street.”

I understood what she was saying. Royal influence was pretty light around here, but there were still soldiers. I nodded and set off in the opposite direction, towards the same field Fluttershy and I had been using. I didn’t need to look to see that the newcomer was following at a slight distance.

I turned and leaned against a tree, facing her. “What do you know?” She asked.

“You’re looking for something here, that much I can tell. I’ll ask again- does it have to do with the queen?”

She nodded after a moment. “I travel, seeing the state of things. I want to know how close this country is to a revolution, and the best way to do that is to see the citizenry in action.”

My interest was piqued. “And? What have you found?”

She tipped her hat slightly, allowing me to see her face in shade. She smiled darkly, and her violet eyes glinted with determination. “Five hundred years have taken their toll, let’s say. The people are loathe to act just yet, but they’re getting sick of this. We might not be far off...” She chuckled again.

“And you? I can see you’re not opposed to this, but are you fully with them?”

“I have to ask you the same first. It wouldn’t be wise for me to hand out any more information to someone I can’t trust.”

“Fine.” I stood. “I am against her. She’s crossed my path and has taken from me something that I’ll never get back. I aim to make her pay for it, and for everything else she’s done.”

She seemed puzzled by this. “I could claim the same. It’s odd... You’re the only one who’s been so willing to admit that. What did she do to you?”

That was it. I stopped short, unprepared, if unwilling, to answer. I’d only just met this girl, and didn’t even know her name, let alone if I could tell her something like that. “Suffice to say it was bad.” I said, recovering from the stagger in conversation. “I’d rather not discuss it, with all respect.”

“I understand.” She responded. “What can I call you, anyway? I’ll need to be able to contact you if anything comes up.”

“Rainbow Dash, at your service. Local mercenary of absolutely no note, part time farm hand, and one of the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony. How’s that?”

She chuckled once again. “I think I’ll remember that. I’m just... Trixie. Greatest mage you’ll ever meet, and when something starts up against the queen, I’ll be there. Can I count on you to do the same?”

“Of course.” I said. “But I’m not sure you’re the absolute best out there. I’ve met the queen’s apprentice, and she’s not half bad herself. When it comes to magic at least- otherwise she’s clueless...”

“Wait a minute, you know her apprentice? Twilight, right?”

“Sure, she was one of the others who got the Elements. Why, you actually want to meet her?”

“Well, I suppose I’m not surprised she’d be good with magic, too. After all... it’s in her blood. She was once... my sister.”

Well. I did not see that coming. Twilight never mentioned any sort of family... But then, I think I heard Celestia hand picks her closest students at a young age. So these two were separated years ago, and Twilight might not even remember. But...

“You don’t look a day older than her, though. Don’t tell me-”

“Yeah.” She said, averting her eyes sheepishly. “We’re twins on top of all that.” Now that she said it, I could see the resemblance in what I could see of her- her eyes were more inclined to darkness than of justice, but burned with the same fierce determination of Twilight’s. And I could see some facial resemblance as well.

“Okay, this is just getting bizarre... You’re telling me you and Twilight were separated at birth by Celestia- one becoming her closest ally, and one becoming what could well be one of her worst enemies?”

“Well, it wasn’t quite at birth. It was two years afterward. She had to be able to tell Twilight had potential, but she can see it pretty early.”

“This whole thing is just a little cliched, and yet... I can completely see the queen doing something like that. But wasn’t there anyone who tried to stop her?”

“You’d think...” She sighed. “But our parents were heavy supporters of her, and... They just let her have Twilight. When I learned that myself, I could never forgive them, or her. I left home with all the knowledge I needed and never looked back.”

Her parents just... gave up their daughter?! The people who follow Celestia are fanatical... A truly dangerous enemy. “So that’s why you’re opposed to her.”

“It’s definitely a big part of it. When my eyes were opened to her evil, I could see all kinds of other things she’s done to the world, and it only made the flames burn brighter. I’m waiting now for others to join in opposing her, and I’ll try to bring them together. And we might just be getting close to starting this.

“But... I think if I got to know her at last, I might be able to change Twilight’s mind. Please- if you know her like you said, I need you to arrange a meeting.”

I took a moment before answering. She truly was an interesting character- a sibling stolen and a burning desire for vengeance. Something about that seemed just a little familiar. “Well, I can get you and her talking, sure. But... I’d hold off on revealing your true motives for a while. She’s pretty much convinced Celestia’s lies are true, and won’t hear anything otherwise. Get to know her first if you’re to have any chance, if you ask me.”

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Town

Library Annex

Twilight looked over the note once more. She had received it yesterday, but still found herself hoping it wasn’t true. But everything that had been in all of Celestia’s other notes were present, and she had no choice but to accept it. But what could be done about it now?

One week prior to this message, your fellow student, the phoenix Phillip, had been reported missing, having fled the city from royal soldiers even in his weakest state. Since then, extensive searches of Eclipse have been conducted, to no avail. The few reports we have to go on estimate that he fled in the direction of the EverFree forest, but no scouts thus far have found a single trace of his presence.

I write to you with this, Twilight, not as my apprentice, but as his closest and possibly only true friend. I’m not asking you to charge into the forest yourself and try to find him, but it’s likely he might come to you. If and when he does, I need you to discover why he has done this, and do your upmost to convince him to return.

Sincerely, Celestia.

She put the note back down on the table and began pacing again. Phil ran away? I just can’t think of why he would do that... And why didn’t he tell me beforehand? Something must have happened back there, but... Celestia didn’t mention anything bad happening at Eclipse, save for him running. What happened to him...? Oh, Phil, please be okay...

“Hey Twilight, you busy?” A voice asked from behind her, in the direction of the window. For a moment, she entertained the thought that it was her old companion, dropping in through the window when she least expected it.

She turned around, but was met instead with Rainbow Dash, casually hanging from the top of the frame by his hands with his feet planted on the bottom. She felt slightly cheated by this- where she had expected Phil- her longtime friend and confidant, who would do anything to help her if it was necessary- she instead got Dash- begrudged ally, cocky and self concerned, who had and would clash with her at every opportunity.

“What do you want.” She said unenthusiastically.

He turned his head slightly. “Something happen?”

“It’s none of your concern. I have other things to get to, so what did you need?”

“Right. Kind of a hypothetical question- if I were to tell you that you had a twin sister from whom you’ve been separated your whole life, who had since then trained her butt off to become a super-powered mage in order to find a way to get back in contact with you- what would you have to say to that?”

“I’d call you crazy, but then that’s basically my default reaction to anything you say.”

“Alright then- what if she was standing right outside your door, and it was someone other than me telling you this?”

What on earth is he trying to accomplish with this nonsense? “It would still be pretty crazy, even then. Is this going somewhere?”

“Sure is. Turns out everything I said was true, for once. Ask her yourself.” He used a wind spell to open the door leading to the rest of the library, where a girl with snow white hair, looking to be about Twilight’s age, stood. She wore a variation of a classical anima mage outfit- with a long coat tailed blue jacket and worn pointed hat- and held a long iron pole as a staff. On closer inspection, there was a place on the top to screw on an attachment of some sort, leading her to believe it had once been a broomstick, only adding to the classic magic look.

“Trixie- Twilight. Twilight- Trixie. Now, talk to each other or something, I don’t know. I have to get back to teaching archery.” He kicked off the window and flew off to who-knows-where. The two remained where they stood, sizing each other up.

“So, I’m meant to believe we’re twins?” Twilight asked incredulously.

“If you are indeed Twilight, apprentice to the queen, then yes.” She answered.

“Well, I’ll admit you do look something like me... But not so much that I’ll be convinced on that alone. I don’t suppose you have half a locket or old time piece that I forgot I had the other half of?”

“Hah! If only it were that simple. No, I never thought to set us up with something like that. All I have for you is my word.”

“Well, it’s true I don’t remember anything of my life before becoming Celestia’s student, so I suppose it’s not impossible that I had a twin... But that’s not anything like proof by itself. Why haven’t I been told about it before?”

“I assume it’s because Celestia didn’t want to distract you from your training with finding me. See, she took you in when you were two years old, more or less, leaving me with our parents. When I was old enough to learn the truth, I was more than a little upset, and... maybe a little jealous, too. She had chosen you over me in terms of magical prowess. But mostly it was because of what we missed out on- I would have enjoyed growing up with you.

“I did what I could to have the chance to meet you at all- I left home and sought out the most skilled mages I could find, and learned all I could from them. I hoped that by becoming more powerful myself, I would be able to track you down again and help somehow, and convince you of the truth.”

As much as everything she said added up in Twilight’s mind, she still couldn’t be convinced what she said was true. As much as she may have wanted it to be- she still lacked any concrete evidence. “I’ll be honest... I kind of want to believe you. And I can’t really think of a reason for you to lie, I don’t see how it would benefit you in any way. I suppose... I’ll give it a chance.”

“Really? You mean it?” Her eyes opened slightly wider.

“I mean... Even if that is true, we’re still no better than strangers. Twins or not, it’s still as though we’ve never met. But I’m willing to get to know you if you want.”

“Of course! So... You wanna start by testing each others magic skills?”

“A magic duel? Huh... Sounds fun! I know a good open field we can use. Do you want to go now?” She nodded, and the two left the room, headed for the town square.

On the way out, the door opened before they could get to it, and Spike stepped in. “Hey, I was just coming to find you- wait, who’s this?”

“Apparently my twin sister.” Twilight said with a chuckle.

Spike turned his head slightly, examining Trixie fully. “Yep, I think it’s safe to say it’s her.”

“Wait, you knew this whole time?” Twilight asked, confused. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Yeah, right after Celestia assigned me to watch over you, I took leave for a while to check out what kind of family you had come from, what to expect. Sure enough, there was another little girl with them, looked pretty much like this one here, but lots younger. Trixie, wasn’t it? Anyway, I only didn’t tell you because Celestia asked me not to. Probably didn’t want you galavanting off trying to find her. But I guess you found each other anyway, huh?”

“Told you.” Trixie said. “So, you said you were Twilight’s guardian? I guess that kind of makes you like my kindly human uncle figure, then?”

“Um... I suppose. Odd way to phrase it, but yeah, I guess so.”

“Oh, that’s just something an old friend of mine used to say. Pay it no mind. Anyway, we were going off to have a magic-duel. Would you like to tag along?”

“Well, with you two, injury will surely follow, and if you’re anything like your sister there won’t be any talking you out of it... I’ll come along if only to clean up afterwards.” He said, though Twilight could detect he was mostly just playing. The three left the library for the fields near town.

I didn’t quite trust Trixie at first, her being a complete stranger, but if Spike confirmed it... I know he would never lead me to believe something like that if it weren’t true. So... I actually have a twin sister. I... I have no idea what to make of that, in all honesty.

The small party made their way around to the back of town, but when they reached the field, it was already occupied. Fluttershy lifted an arrow from where it sat stuck in the ground, notched it in an old wooden bow, and fired. It stuck fast in a target on the other end of the field, an inch or so from the center. Rainbow Dash leaned against a tree, watching her intently. He noticed the three approaching and stood.

“Any of you know anything about archery? She’s getting better by the minute and I’m running out of skills to teach her.”

“Wait, what’s going on here? Why are you teaching Fluttershy how to use a bow?”

“She wanted to learn to fight to protect her friends, you know. Couldn’t bring myself to say no. I figure this was the best way to go, at any rate. But she’s already better than I am, and I need to find someone who can teach her better. So... you convince Twilight you’re her sister?”

“Sure did.” Trixie responded. “We were getting ready to have a magic- duel, but it looks like the arena’s being used.”

Fluttershy put down her training weapon. “I was going to ask about taking a break anyway. But what were you saying about Twilight having a sister?”

“Yeah, apparently she and Trixie here are twins. Go figure.” Dash said, putting the complex situation into extremely simple perspective. “Anyway, I guess we’re done for now, so yeah, go nuts and shoot magic at each other. I kinda want to see how that turns out. C’mon Fluttershy, let’s get this stuff picked up and watch.”

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Town

Outer Field

Lugging the target off to the side, I finished moving the archery equipment out of the way, and took my place with the other two spectators. The two mages- one dressed casually and yet more properly for the occasion, and one in more formal attire completely unsuited for battle, took their places on opposite sides of the field.

Trixie planted her broomstick staff (Or ‘Boomstick’, as I had overheard her calling it) firmly into the ground. Twilight used no weapon, but had equipped a pair of fingerless gloves. Spike stepped forward. “The only rules I have should go without saying- aim to disable, not to seriously injure. We can heal small injuries, but let’s not drag this into the hospital. And since it’s fire and lightning, be careful not to hit any of the trees. Other than that, any light battle techniques are fair game.”

He stepped back, and gave a signal for them to ready themselves. Twilight’s right foot skidded back a foot or so, and she pulled one hand back and held one out, both with open palms. A small thunder spell began forming in each. Trixie spun her weapon and brandished it behind her, and a fire spell began collecting at its ends.

They charged at each other. Twilight threw her spells at her full force, and Trixie twirled her flaming staff expertly, deflecting both bolts into the dirt. She jumped into the air and brought down the staff like a spear, and Twilight spun out of the way, throwing another shot as she landed.

Twilight’s had some kind of training. I admitted. Most mages use tomes to cast spells, or at least do it from a distance. Twilight’s fighting style is almost like a blend of weaker magic and martial arts, but stationary when it’s a big spell, like at the castle. Twilight caught the weapon as it approached, and lunged at Trixie with another blast. Trixie spun quickly out of the way, wrenching the staff from Twilight’s grip and throwing a bullet of fire her way. Twilight backflipped out of the way.

The duel continued in this manner for some time, neither willing to accept defeat. Small wounds accumulated, and I could tell Spike was getting antsy. The two jumped back, both panting. Twilight’s arms barely lifted into their stance, and Trixie was relying more on the weight of her weapon now.

And just like that, it was over. The two both stepped forward and shook hands, calling it a draw. They separated and collapsed to the grass below. Spike was quick to react, and out of courtesy I picked myself up and walked over myself. The two had fallen from exhaustion, but were otherwise fine, laughing silently. Spike hefted them both off the ground, gave me a quick grin, and began the short trek back to the library.

I looked in the sky. It was getting later in the afternoon now. I felt I had taught Fluttershy most everything I could, and told her to just keep practicing what I’d already told her until we could find a proper tutor. I handed her the old bow and arrows, picked up the bulky foam target, and let her lead the way back to her home. I dragged the thing across town and to another smaller exit on another side.

A small dirt path led away from town aways, and near a small woodland area. Situated in the center of a large group of trees was a smallish house, somewhat typically furnished with a simple porch swing, but colorfully decorated with various flowers and plants. A few small animals were visible on the fringes of the wood, not seeming to mind Fluttershy, but eyeing me suspiciously.

She opened the front door, and let me into the decently sized den. Once again, aside from the plants and clear animal presence, the furnishings were very simple. A pair of old cushioned sofas were set across from each other, and a game board of some kind sat upon a table between them.

“Ah... Here, we can just move this out of the way...” She moved over to a small chest near the door, and I set down the target to help her. We both lifted an end of it, and carried it over to the other wall.

“So, it’s just you living here?” I asked. It seemed kind of a big place for one person.

“Me and Angel. But he’s out training in the forest right now. I’ve been taking care of him ever since I found him all alone in the forest, after his family was killed, poor thing... As soon as he could lift that scythe of his, he’s trained hard to protect me in return. He’s not too fond of other people, though, and mostly just stays by my side.”

This world is just swimming in orphans... At least this one wasn’t by Celestia’s hand, I don’t think. She would have taken him in that case. “Poor guy...” I said. “I... I kinda know how he feels, actually... I never knew my parents, and spent a lot of my life taken care of by Applejack’s family. It’s been tough, but... I couldn’t have asked for a better foster home, I guess.”

The words came out slow, reluctantly. Many people around town already knew what happened to me, so it wasn’t as though this was a huge secret I had been keeping- still, I found it a sore subject even now. But speaking with Fluttershy, everything seemed to be a bit easier to discuss, the atmosphere seemed generally more comfortable. Her very presence just lightened the mood wherever she was.

“Oh, I’m... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit a sore spot...” She said quickly.

“No, it’s alright. I’m the one who brought it up. I’m okay to talk about it, just kind of a little-touched subject. Ah... Anyway, I guess you want the archery stuff over by the door there?” I retrieved the foam target and set it next to the bow and quiver where they sat near the door. “So, yeah, keep practicing whenever you have time, and I’ll make sure to find someone who knows how to shoot. So, you wanna head back to town?”

“Actually, I have some things to take care of around here. Animals to look after, you know. But I’ll make sure to catch up later, okay?”

“Sure. Be seeing you then.” I waved backwards as I stepped outside, and set off down the path back to town.

__________________

The remainder of the day passed by without much to mention- I finally got around to swinging by the bulletin board, and headed over to the farm when I saw no job offers. I lent a hand in all the various odd jobs they had to take care of- they kept several animals on hand, and had vast fields of produce to look after, some of which were ready to harvest already, among most of the others who were getting close.

The largest building on the plot of land, the living quarters, was atop a hill near the entrance, grouped in with several smaller ones- tool sheds, stables, and other farm equipment- while all the actual farmland and fenced in animal-areas lay downhill from them. After pulling in the remainder of the crops in the area, I lifted into the air with the sack I had thrown them all in, and lugged it back to the group of structures. I dropped it off at one of the smaller buildings and entered the house.

As I often did, I accepted their offer of dinner, but didn’t accept any offer of cash payment. We went through this most of the time when I did work for them- unless I was really strapped for cash (in which case I would only accept begrudgingly), I would insist they keep the money. They were all family to me, and working there was just me helping to keep up the homestead.

I swung into the dining room casually, taking my usual place near the center of the long table, next to Applejack. Even before I had been taken in by the family, AJ and I had been close. She had been my companion for as long as I could remember, and probably longer. She had always been like a sister to me, and yet... In recent years, there had seemed to be something more to her. A certain quality I couldn’t quite place... This had been lingering at the back of my mind for some time now, but it never became any clearer.

A few of the family’s more distant members were still in town after the festival- only a week had passed since then, and since their hometowns were quite a trip from here, they usually stayed for some time. As such, the normally half-full table was nearly full. Granny Smith- the eldest member of the family and general wise-elder figure- sat at one end of the table, while Mac- stoic warrior, big brother to all, and for all intents and purposes head of the family- at the other.

Lastly, on my other side sat my other little adoptive sister person, young Applebloom. Although she didn’t like to admit it, I knew she had a profound respect and admiration for me, and I had even caught her swinging around a wooden sword at some animals once or twice, mimicking the techniques she had seen me use. She had long burgundy hair and bright bronze eyes, and was eleven years of age now- six younger than myself and the others I had been thrown in with lately.

Dinner had already been laid out a few minutes previously for the day’s workers (Myself, AJ, Mac and one of their cousins) so once I took my place we all dug in. I ate slightly more than was physically possible, as usual, collected my things, and prepared to depart. As I stepped outside into the darkened sky, I could see along the road two dull lights bouncing along frantically. They were both headed straight for the farm.

“Hey Applejack, you might want to get out here. I think we’re about to have company.”

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Town

Sweet Apple Acres

The two lights turned as they approached the main gate and headed straight for us. I could now see two figures in light generic armor holding them, one tall and lanky, one stout and bulky. I knew them both from several missions- members of the local town militia, Vicks and Wedge.

“You two. What is it?” I said, moving to meet them. They stopped and slouched over, panting. “Spit it out guys, what happened?”

Vicks recovered first, standing to face me. “We’re not quite sure. Something huge- this big-bear looking thing with fur like the night sky...”

Wedge cut in. “Look, let’s just cut to the chase. It’s big and terrifying and breaking freaking everything. We don’t have enough man power to kill it, we need help!”

I looked to Applejack, who already had her axe. I smiled slightly, then turned back, drawing my sword. “You got it. Let’s move.”

“Out of my way!” I heard from behind me, and Mac charged through from another of the buildings, his Weapon in hand. I turned to AJ again, both of us more alarmed now. Mac had decided to take the field against this thing. Not only did that attest to it’s power, but Mac would likely succumb to the power of the Weapon if it took too long.

“Don’t just stand there! Move!” I shouted, and the four of us took off quickly. The two semi-competent soldiers soon fell behind, winded from their previous run, but the two of us didn’t slow up. We both knew that if we didn’t get to Mac before he finished the thing off, we’d just have to take him on instead. And that was something I wasn’t looking forward to.

As we ran, we could see some of the damage the creature had caused- bits of wood and brick thrown from further into town, though it seemed it hadn’t reached this neighborhood. A few stragglers were running in the opposite direction to escape, many of which supported others with various wounds. How long has this thing been at it? Looks like he’s already done some damage...

I skidded into the town square with AJ right on my heels, and turned to see what we were up against. Right before us Mac stood, both hands on the hilt of the Weapon. There was no going back now- he was going to obliterate whatever was threatening the town. Looming over one of the buildings, eyeing him curiously, was the creature they must have been referring to- It was twice as tall as the largest building near it, and had the general shape of a bear, but almost seemed to disappear into the night sky if looked at head on. I had to view it out of the corner of my eye to get a good idea of what it looked like.

Nearby I could see Twilight and Trixie, panting, covered in wounds and dirt, another spell ready. Spike had drawn his dual knives, and was crouching in battle stance near them, between them and the creature. They had clearly been fighting it off for some time, apparently to little avail. I could discern no wounds on the creature, magical or otherwise. The two stood in a similar stance, and were readying a similar spell. Looks like they’ve been working on some kind of combo technique. Those are usually pretty effective if you can pull them off...

“Dash!” Twilight called, exasperated. “W-what the Hell’s going on?! This... This thing’s insane, there’s no way...”

“Get out of here, kid!” Trixie yelled, even though she was just as old, if not younger, than I was. She clearly thought herself to be in power here. “Less people get involved and hurt, the better. We’ve got one more card up our sleeves, though, don’t we Spike?”

“I doubt if it’ll be necessary now, Trixie.” He said, cleverly dodging the question. “I can feel the power off that thing from here.” He pointed to Mac’s Weapon. “If he can use it, that thing stands no chance.”

Mac spoke, seeming to have not heard him. “An Ursa Major... A creature largely thought to be of legend, whose power far exceeds that of any other, whose brute strength and cunning wit have led it to become an anti-glorious beast worthy of only the bravest heroes. A truly worthy opponent.” He pointed his Weapon at it and held it aloft with ease, halving the distance between it and the creature. I haven’t heard talk like that out of Mac for years. Only time I heard that before was on that last mission, before... Oh man, that thing is so screwed.

It flinched away from the blade for a moment, then barred its teeth and leapt clear over the buildings and at Mac. Snapping to attention, he swung the blade behind him with both hands, and, jumping into the air, slammed the Weapon into the creature, catching it in it’s gaping maw. Time seemed to stand still as the two impacted into each other, then the beast was sent flying, landing outside the town altogether.

The sister’s, as well as the few others still around the square, jaws dropped, in awe of the might of the Weapon. Such power was practically unfathomable, and I couldn’t blame them for being surprised. AJ and I, though, had seen it’s power first hand, and knew that we needed to stay close to Mac for when he was finished mauling the thing. As he dashed forward to engage the beast again, we ran as fast as we could to keep up, and stayed right on his heels.

He leapt over the fence guarding the town, blade brandished behind him, and brought it down heavily upon the Ursa. It attempted to dodge away from the incoming threat, but hit firmly on it’s shoulder, nearly severing the limb. It rolled out of the way, and stood just in time to receive another blow, this one to its legs. It buckled under the pain and fell, rolling down an incline behind it.

Mac jumped once again, Weapon streaming to his side, and brought it down with brutal force. A sickening crack echoed out of the small ditch, and the blade came back up, the mid section slick with curiously blue blood.

“Go!” Applejack yelled, and I followed her in running to his side. She wrenched the weapon out of his grip, and it clattered to the ground, far too heavy for her to hold- only it’s chosen master could hope to wield it. I rolled behind him and put him in a full nelson before he could react. He made a lunge for the blade, but I pulled back and kicked into the air slightly, keeping my wings flapping hard to keep him aloft.

He continued to struggle for a time, and it became difficult to keep him still. AJ grabbed my feet and pulled me back to earth as he began to throw me all over the place, and together we were able to hold him down much more sturdily. Soon though, the fires in his eyes began to die down, and at last he collapsed to the ground, awake but recovering his breath.

The two of us turned back in the direction of town, where the spectators we had amassed were all gathered. Spike, the mage sisters, Vicks and Wedge- as well as Rarity and a few others. They were all understandably awestruck- the battle had lasted no more than two minutes, and the terrifying beast which could be dealt no damage by them, in a pitiful little heap below. Rare was the occasion Mac fought, as he had forsworn his gift for battle wholly, save to protect his home or loved ones. And with power like the Weapon at his disposal, even rarer was the fight that required him to join in. AJ and I were some of the only people who had seen him in action like this before now.

“What... What was that? That weapon...” Wedge was the first one to speak.

“No one really knows it’s true story.” Applejack began. “It was dug up on the Acres many years ago, when Mac was tilling the fields. There had been a lot of rain that year, and plenty of old ground was washed away. The ground got low enough that the hilt was near the surface, and it took more than a week to dig up the whole thing. Even when we did, no one could use it. No one but Mac.

“Only explanation we could come up with was that it had some kind of ancient magic on it- Mac was the one to find it, and he’s the only one who can properly use it. He don’t even have to try too hard, it’s just like an axe in his hands. Only thing is... As you can see, it wears on his mind after even a minute using it. He goes crazy with bloodlust, and we have to forcibly take it from him to calm him down. He knows well enough to only use it if there’s no other way.”

____________________

EverFree Forest

House of The Hylian

The two watched from up high, standing upon a disc of darkness held together and aloft by Link. He watched with detached interest, but Phil would have been off on a moment’s notice were he in prime condition.

“Look, we can’t just sit around and watch them get destroyed!” He exclaimed. I can’t fight, but you could get us down there and kill it, no problem! Why let them die?!”

“Calm down, lad. First off, I told you- I’m a spectator here. I’m not getting involved, and certainly not becoming a hero. Leave the precious spotlight to some other bloke, I’ll just sit off to the side and record it in the pages of history. ‘S true I could kill it with one well-aimed blow, but what would that serve? These people need to stay on their own feet, deal with their own problems. And if you’ll look... It seems they’ve got something just for it.”

Phil peered over the edge, and saw the blood red gleam of the Weapon as it travelled swiftly through the streets, coming to rest before the Ursa. It froze, and the two watched with amazement and slight surprise, respectively, as the fearsome spectral bear was destroyed.

“What... What the hell was that?! How can anyone have that kind of power?” Phil said, especially out of breath.

Link rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes uncharacteristically alight. “Can’t say, but... I doubt if it’s master is in possession of too much of the power himself. It’s all in the sword... axe... thing. Storing power in a weapon’s no biggie, but to have that much, even with it’s size... And who would craft something that enormous in the first place? Even with it’s largeness, it must have taken decades of work to get that much energy in it. What could it be... I’m going to need to get a closer look at it before too long. This is indeed an interesting development...”

Phil only caught about the first half of the conversation, as he had become hunched over in pain without Link noticing. “S-Set us down, quick... I’m about to end this cycle, and I can’t hold on much longer... All the ashes will blow away at this height... ugh...”

“Hm? Oh, sorry kid. Hang tight, I’ll put us down. I think I can do a little windproof barrier, too, if we need all the ashes in one place.”

“Y-Yeah, do it, just... hurry...”

Link slowly ebbed the power away from the platform, and when they reached the ground, the plank he had focused it on sat between the two. With a final cry, Phil burst into flames, and in an instant was nothing but ashes. Link moved his hand slightly, and a tiny, weak dark nexus was erected around the pile. “Wind can’t touch it now, but it’s weak enough he’ll break right through when he gets reborn. A work of mastery if I do say so myself.”

For a few minutes nothing happened. The ashes lay, the wired barrier remained, and Link found himself glancing at the timepiece he kept around his wrist. But soon the small pile of black grains began to stir, and Link watched curiously as they burst aflame once more, and a human form erupted from their core. Standing tall, wings and hair orange and red as a burning flame, Phil stood once again. Energy and vitality could be felt in the air. The broken boy who had collapsed near the fringe of the woods was long gone.

Link clapped his hands humorously as Phil turned to face him. “Not bad, right? Man, I feel like I could take that beast down myself now!”

“Certainly a sight to see, I’ll admit. Only one thing, kid.”

“What?”

“Your clothes are still ashes. They gonna come back at some point?”

“Agh... crap. I was distracted and rushed, I usually strip before doing that. Dangit, there goes my good leather jacket...”

“No worries, mate. I got some extra clothes. Just... Let me throw them out to you.”

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Town

Two weeks later

Repairs of the town were coming along nicely, keeping us all busy. The beast had managed to cause quite a bit of damage in its short rampage, so there was plenty to be fixed. I mainly found myself working with other Children of Air on the rooftops. The weather was beginning to cool down, but the sun was still powerful enough to make work difficult. I slid down to another ledge, and took a draft from my canteen. While doing so, my view drifted to the entrance to town, and I nearly choked.

Heading straight for town was a decent sized brigade of troops, all in full royal uniform. The majority of the group appeared to be archer infantry, though a few swordsmen could be seen dotted throughout the ranks as well. Three figures walked at the front, a spearsman in gleaming silver armor, flanked by two more archers.

What’s happening? Why would such a sizable group of soldiers all come in at once like this? And... Is that the Prince at it’s head? This can’t be good... I could see out of the corner of my eye Twilight making her way quickly to the gates to greet them.

“Hey, cover for me for a minute, will you? I need to go check something.” I said to the worker behind me, who reluctantly agreed. I slipped off the building to the streets below, and made my own way to the front of town, just after Twilight. She had come in from another path, and neither she nor the royal troops had spotted me yet. I took the opportunity to identify the most important looking of the newcomers.

As I had thought, the leader of the group was indeed the Prince Belenth, descendant of Celestia. Her apparent immortality was a mystery to all, and another reason some wanted to see her fall- one person ruling for five hundred years was obviously too much power for anyone to have. None of the rest of the royal family had been given this power, save for Luna, and the rest of the family went on throughout the ages. At this stage the Belenth was probably nine or ten generations ahead of those two. Blonde hair flowed freely without a helmet, matching the silver of his armor with gold. He stood to the side, arms folded, eyes scanning the proceedings calmly, not joining the conversation himself.

Engaged in the actual conversation were the two women also at the head, both probably in their early twenties- one with a fancy but normal sized bow, the other with a powerful looking crossbow. The prior was the image of respectable, proper authority. She wore a darker variant of the normal grey royal uniform, though went without overt amounts of armor. Long, dark hair flowed neatly behind her, nearly concealing the bow and quiver across her back, and she stood tall as she spoke.

The other was about as far flung from her as possible- She wore a leather jacket and black pants, and her short, shaggy, almost mint-green hair looked like she had only just gotten out of bed. The crossbow and a short sword hung at her belt. She was a part of the conversation, but slouched slightly, hands in the pockets of her jacket. Her bronze colored eyes were constantly vigilant, but otherwise, from a distance, she appeared disinterested. She stood just to the side of her companion, both addressing Twilight.

“Prince Belenth! Brigadier Commander Octavia!” Twilight greeted them. “What brings you here?”

Octavia answered. “The Queen was alerted of the Ursa Major attack in this town recently, and decided upon immediate action. She requested another brigade to transfer here and back up the one already here to raise defenses in the event of another attack. This being Lyra and I’s hometown, we naturally volunteered at once. The Silver Arrows are at your service.”

“I’ve come just to get a first-person perspective.” Belenth stated. “Things have been happening in this town lately, and I’ve never been one to stay on the sidelines and hear reports. I intend to see the rest for myself. Should anything else attack, they’ll have my lance to face.”

They concluded their greetings, and Twilight proceeded to lead the people who were unfamiliar with the town on a basic tour. A few remained, Octavia and Lyra among them, and I stepped forward and approached them. Lyra took notice immediately, turning slightly to face me. Octavia and another archer- a boy roughly my age with dark brown hair and wings, normal grade archer armor, and a longbow slightly taller than he was- noticed her movement and turned as well.

“Any chance I could get a minute?” I said cheerfully. After the previous conversation, I had a few questions nagging at my mind.

“You are?” Lyra asked first, somewhat suspiciously.

“Remember the Elements of Harmony, whose chosen wielders ‘defeated’ Luna around a month ago? I’m one of ‘em. Rainbow Dash.”

Octavia nodded slightly, and for a split second I thought I caught a look of increased alertness. I continued. “If you’re not doing anything else, would one of you mind entertaining some questions? Somewhere in the shade, it’s... a little hot out today.”

I could tell they got the message- I didn’t need anyone overhearing us. “I’ll do it.” Lyra said, stalking over to me. “Lead the way, flyboy.” I decided once again to go to the sandwich place, because lunch hour had already passed, and it would likely be close to deserted. Plus, I knew the owner was pretty tight lipped about gossip, even though he was bound to have heard a lot.

“Hungry?” I asked as she sat.

“I don’t have all day, kid.” She said. “I’d like to get back to the others as soon as possible, so just ask away and let me get on with my business.”

“Right.” I sat across from her. I could tell she was a lot like myself, avoiding getting close to anyone, staying inconspicuous- but she had agreed to answering questions away from capital ears. “I’ll be frank- why are you really here? If Celestia actually wanted to buff our defenses, she would have done it right after the Luna incident. It’s obvious she just wants extra eyes and ears here- but why now?”

She smiled slightly, possibly out of impressment. “You’re perceptive, aren’t you? I’m guessing you’re not fond of her, then? Still, I’m going to need proof. I can’t just spill royal information to anyone who asks.”

I pulled my ace. “One month short of seven years ago. Town square here. Celestia herself attended. Ringing any bells?”

Her eyes soon widened, then again. “Oh. Oh... Yeah, I think that will work. Well, let’s say this- the attack two weeks ago was in fact the reason, but for the wrong side. Celestia could handle an Ursa without too much trouble any day- the problem is what killed it.”

“The Weapon...”

“Exactly. That blade is unlike anything she’s ever imagined, and... I’ll be honest, she’s scared. Nothing she can do to him she knows of can change the fact that the master of that Weapon is a legitimate threat. She took some time to decide on action, but ultimately thought that tracking his actions would be the best way to go.”

“So you’re here to spy on him? Good luck finding it, I happen to know he keeps it locked up tight.”

“Don’t worry. Remember the other conversation- don’t try and argue, I know you were listening in on the whole thing- Octavia and I volunteered, because we’re from here? That’s just it- we’re loyal to the town, and swiped up the job before anyone else could- we’ll feed her nice steady reports from here on out.”

She had thought of everything, it seemed. “So, I take it you’re not exactly ‘with’ her, either.”

“...The event you referred to had an effect on us, too. We were your age when it happened, and couldn’t abide by this madness any longer. But we knew we couldn’t just jump in and end it- we’d need to bide our time. Octavia and I both decided to enlist in the Royal Army, to gain some power and search for weakness discreetly. Plus... When a revolution starts, it’s always good to have an inside source.”

She had become more animated in her speech- I could tell she really felt strongly about this. I hadn’t even asked and she had agreed to be an informant. I knew there were several others, in town at least, that felt the same way. AJ, Mac, Trixie- if it came to it, I knew any and every one of them would join in an instant. But was there anything to join? “Between you and me... How close do you think we are to actually getting a revolution going?” I said in a low voice.

“To starting one, or it’s success? Honestly... I think we could win before year five hundred rolls around. If we’re lucky, that is. We’ll need a miracle to take down Celestia, though. No one knows how she’s immortal, and no one knows if there are any loopholes. We need someone who can figure that out, before anything else. Any ideas?”

I shook my head. “Wait, wait... Did this stop being hypothetical at some point? Are we... are we actually talking about starting a rebellion?”

“Sure. Kid, you don’t realize- Celestia’s been in power for nearly five hundred years. People only aren’t voicing their dissent because they don’t know others are with them. There are way more people who would be willing to join than you think. But it would still be pointless, because like I said, we need someone to find a weak spot.”

I thought, my mind turning circles on me. Someone would have to be ridiculously good at stealth and digging for secrets for that. As it was, the only person who came close was too loyal to the queen to even suggest. “You’ll be the first to know if I find someone.”

“Likewise. We have to get organized, you know. Keep track of anyone you know who would be willing to cast in. I won’t be hosting anything, to be sure, but I’ll be there if you have a rally of some sort. I don’t suppose you’d want to lead it?”

“Nah. I’m not that great a leader. But...” I thought of Trixie- iconic in figure, powerful in her own regard, and ready to jump into the action herself. “I may know someone who could. I won’t use names, but I’ll ask her sometime.”

“Sounds good. And we only need individual leaders for each pocket, who will eventually join up. See...” She leaned in close. “We’ve already got a general for our army. Someone who has every claim to the throne afterwards. He’s a little arrogant, and ambitious in the extreme, but I think he’ll make a great leader.”

The pieces lined up. “Belenth... He’s one of the most high-ranking generals in the Army. Not to mention tied by blood to the throne to begin with, and enigmatic enough already. I’ve heard he’s even a great fighter. You’re saying he’s on board?”

“We got lucky, what can I say? Only thing better would have been Luna- but it’s impossible to contact her. Celestia’s keeping her under tight guard. But Belenth is certainly the next best thing. He wanted to come along to get more well known, maybe slay a few monsters and become a hero in the people’s eyes, before asking them to follow him into battle, knowing he’s going to take the throne. He cares about his own reputation, to be sure, but as long as he’s on our side, I could care less.”

Wheels were turning in my mind. An actual resistance. We might be on the verge of jumpstarting and actual resistance! “Know that I’m in, Lyra. I’ll do anything I can. Let’s keep in touch, make sure we’re both on the same page.”

“Sure. See you later, kid.” She stood, but I stopped her for one other question that had occurred to me.

“Wait. You’re unit is all archers, right?”

“Mostly archers. Why?”

“Any chance you could spare someone to train a friend of mine? I don’t know any other archers, and after one day she already learned everything I could teach.”

“I can bring it up with Octavia. What’s her name?” I told her. “Yeah, I’ll see what I can do. Later.” She made her way back to the entrance, leaving me sitting with my thoughts. This thing is further along than I thought... It doesn’t have a leader yet, and isn’t organized much, but there are more people opposing her than I thought... I have to get ahold of Trixie. This thing might just be on the verge of happening. If we work for it... We could truly resist. But who’s going to find out how to kill Celestia?... I wonder...

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

EverFree Forest- House of the Hylian

Another Two Weeks Later

Time had passed quickly over the last month at the forest shack. Since entering a fresh cycle, Phil had been kept busy. Often Link would go through the book of ancient text Phil had collected, transcribing it in a fresh tome. Some were ancient writings of a historical sort- records, literature, even a few songs. Others were long forgotten spells and abilities, which he put in a separate section of the book.

As Link reached a new entry, Phil would quickly recall exactly where he had found the original text, helping to identify their origin. It wasn’t just “some old ruin south of this place-”; more often it was along the lines of “an ancient stone structure nearly buried underground, a mile south of this place, written along the bottom of the east wall”. Occasionally Link would copy an entry into one of his history books, especially if it was an ancient record of some event.

“You know, kid...” Link said as the two worked at another translation, sitting on the old couches around his gathering room, “I don’t know if you’d thought about it, but you’ve got some valuable skills on you. Pictographic memory- oh, that’s right, Equestria doesn’t have pictographs yet... Well, it’s basically a little piece of paper that an image is recorded upon, by use of a little machine- just takes the picture as it is. Wish I had one to show you, but I didn’t bother grabbing one...

“Anyway, you’re able to do that with your mind, a rare talent indeed. Being able to remember locations with that kind of accuracy, and judge distances so exactly, plus your habit of planning things out before hand with a mind for all those little details... You could be a great tactician if you so desired.”

“Tactician, huh...” Phil thought on it. “I don’t know, I’m kind of wired for fighting, too. I might want to have a say in tactics, to make sure everything will work, but I wouldn’t want to do it full-time.”

“I can understand that. Speaking of which, looks like this one’s a battle technique, too. Looks fire based, but I’ve never seen anything like it. You wanna try it out when I’m done?” He nodded, and soon Link handed over the translated incantation. “I’d get that memorized right quick- the attack appears to be a punching maneuver, and you won’t want to have to read off a paper to do something like that. Not that long a phrase anyway.”

The two stepped outside. “Think you’ll be alright here for the rest of the day, kid?”

Phil shrugged. “I guess. Why?”

“I’ve got to pop into town for a bit, pick up some supplies. We’re going to have company soon, and I want to be able to serve them properly.”

“What guests?” Phil asked. This was the first time Link had ever gone to town since he’d moved in, and he doubted if anyone else knew of this place’s existence.

“Not sure exactly who or how many, but they’ll get curious when they see me in town, and follow me here. Then we shall invite them to stay for a while, serve them supper and whatnot.”

“So... you’re going to get supplies for the people who are only going to be here because you’re going to get supplies for them?”

“There’s an old phrase- ‘If you build it, they will come.’ No idea if that means anything in context. And anyway, the reason behind it is because it is important that they meet here, so I can fill them in on things. I just want to get supplies because I am an excellent host. Anyway, if you find yourself without anything to do later, see if you can find some logs or stumps suitable for seating around a campfire, and bring them out front. There’s an axe around back. Be seeing you.”

Link pulled up the long hood of the black coat he had worn that day and set off, leaving Phil with his thoughts, mostly confusion about Link’s roundabout logic.

_______________

Town Square

That Night

I peeked around the corner into the square, and saw Twilight turn in for the night, her bedroom lamp going out. On the other side of the building, another figure slipped out the darkened window, scrambled down the side of the wall, and made her way over to me inconspicuously.

“I still can’t believe this is actually happening...” Trixie said as she reached me. “I always knew it would eventually, but to think it’s so soon, and it’s me at the head... Kinda a lot to digest.”

“You were the best person for the job.” I offered as we set off.

“Oh, yeah, don’t worry. I intended on leading it anyway, that’s not a problem. Just didn’t expect it to happen now is all.” The two of us completed the trip in silence, coming to stop before my own home. I opened it for her, and slipped in afterwards. Around the small gathering space upon various chairs were the others I had brought fourth.

I had scheduled everyone a specific time to arrive, to make it seem less obvious that anything was going on. Mac, however, had stoically refused, agreeing to lend his blade to any solid effort to dethrone the queen, but wanted no part in any other operations. Applejack of course was first to arrive earlier. To my surprise, Pinky had arrived next.

“Pinky? What are you doing here? Do you, uh... know what we’re doing here?” I had asked.

“Sure do. Word get’s around, and it always gets to me before too long. Besides, you know me, I’m not going to miss a party!” I was about to object, but she said in a lower voice: “Don’t worry, though. I know to keep my mouth shut for things this important. I’ll tell you later, but I’ve got my reasons for this too.”

While I waited for the others, I went down the short hall on a whim, and dug around the cupboard for some snacks. Figured I may as well try and be a decent host. As I retrieved various ingredients, I became aware of something in the room. Almost like I was being watched...

I stopped short, and crouched near the center of the floor silently. The kitchen had a tiled floor with large square panes, around a meter across. Near the edge of one of them, a small hole was just visible, leading slightly under the tile, big enough to fit my fingers through.

I wrapped my fingers around the edge of the loose floor tile, and, lightning-fast, I removed the tile altogether. This revealed the tiny hideaway hole I had dug years ago, and used myself on countless occasions. Crouched within was the small frame and shock of red hair belonging to Applebloom, my little student of awesomeness.

She noticed the light now, and looked up at me with those big red eyes, and it was all she could do to not jump out of her hiding place in surprise. She seemed upset, and a bit frustrated, that I had located her so quickly- or at all. “Darn it! Dash, I’m sorry, but-”

“I’m not mad.” I told her as she tried to bluff her way out. “More curious about how you knew that was here in the first place. But that aside- what are you doing in there?”

“I... I heard you talking to Applejack about the meeting, and... Well, I knew I wouldn’t be allowed to go anyway, but I really wanted to know what was going on, so...”

While she tried to reason with me, another memory came back to me. I was in her place, and he and Mac were preparing to discuss something, possibly of the same vein as what we were discussing tonight. I had found a way to fall asleep in the crevice, however, and missed the whole thing. He became aware of the hiding place the next morning, when I surfaced with him in the room.

“Are you gonna make me leave now...?” She asked. I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking. This is pretty heavy stuff here, and I don’t know if I want her listening in on it, but... She’s going to find out sooner or later anyway, and I think she can handle it. Right then. I stood, and retrieved something from the countertop. I crouched back down and handed her the cookies.

“This might take a while. Make those last.” I replaced the tile before she could jump out and hug me. I gathered up the rest of the stuff from the kitchen and brought it out to the other room.

A few others arrived as well- Lyra, the longbow-man I had seen with her before (Kyle), Belenth (I was surprised to see he had decided to attend, but was glad he was ready to acknowledge us), and lastly, Trixie. Upon bringing her here, I took a seat next to Applejack, letting her have the stage.

“Well, here we are.” She began. “I don’t need to mention why we’re here- you all know why. We’ve waited far long enough, and it’s time we took action. Celestia’s enjoyed her time on the throne for far too long, and done far too much damage to her country. It’s time we prepare to take action, take her down, and heal the scars left by her on Equestria.

“We’ve only just begun, so we’ll have to take baby steps at first. First off, we’re still pretty small in numbers, so we’ll probably want to find some more members, too. I don’t need to stress how important it is to be careful who you talk to about it. Besides everyone here, we’ve got a good chunk of the Silver Arrows on our side-” She motioned to Lyra, “So we have a bit more than what’s here. Funds won’t be a problem for a while, with Belenth having access to the Royal coffers for the time being, but we’ll need another source eventually.

“Then there’s the problem of Celestia herself- as long as she’s immortal, as it seems she is, she can just mow down any resistance personally and continue ruling, no matter how upset everyone gets about it. There has to be a way to bypass whatever defense it is she has up, but as it stands we just don’t know- not like we know any other ways to become immortal anyway, but no-one knows how she did it or how to stop it. We need someone who can look into this, research the past wherever we can find it in it’s unaltered state, and find some clues about it.”

The rest of the meeting went by like this, Trixie stating what our missions should be, though none could be immediately accomplished. We decided to wait until we had a more concrete foundation to work with to meet again, so the organization of another meeting was put on hold. As we broke off to leave, Kyle approached me quickly.

“Hey, uh... Could you possibly do me a favor?”

I folded my arms. “What is it?”

“A little off topic, but... Do you think it would be possible for me to hang out with Pinky at some point?”

I raised one eyebrow slightly. “Why are you asking me as though you need permission? I think you’ve overcomplicated this just a little- She’s certainly not one to have anyone stand on ceremony for her. You want to hang out with her or ask her out- no, don’t bother lying to me, I can see that’s your plan eventually- just say so. It’s best not to over think anything with her, especially since half the stuff she does makes absolutely no sense at all anyway.”

“I draw the line at that ‘asking her out’ part. Hadn’t even crossed my mind.” He stated adamantly.

“The advice I gave you still stands. Just ask.” Pinky had been outside checking something throughout the whole conversation, and as he left, I could see them converse for a moment, and Pinky came back inside. I could only guess he had done what I told him.

All but Applejack and Pinky (and Applebloom) had now left, and I was about to see them home, when something stirred in the unlit corner near the door.

We watched in alarm, still as statues, as a tall human form swathed in a long hooded black coat materialized before us.

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Town; Dash’s House

Link(?)

Link let his arms hang at his sides, tilted his head slightly, and stood at full height- he thought it added to the extremely mysterious dark interloper look nicely. Now, how to proceed... I know several methods that could conceivably work just as well, but it’s really all about first impressions, is it not? I’m nothing if not a showman. Should I lead them on for a while and throw an annoying little curse on them, or be all prophetic and just tell them mysteriously yet straightforwardly to just come by my house tomorrow...? Hm... All of these thoughts were in and out before the three heroes were able to react.

“What... Who are you? How long have you been in the corner there?” The Rainbow human asked.

“To answer your questions in order,” He said, “What: Pumpkin. Who: Xekora, and how long: Oh, at least a good hour now.”

The time for stealth was over. It was kind of an unnecessary precaution to begin with- no one knew his actual name here anyway, and with the lack of interaction he was involved in regardless, it wasn’t as though an alias was even useful or conventional. I don’t care. He argued with himself. Screw conventionality, it’s fun to play the part.

“I have no idea who you are.” The Rainbow human spoke again. “You’ve got some compromising information, and I don’t know to trust you. Are you against the Queen?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m ‘against’ anyone, laddie.” He said, shrugging his arms. “Don’t worry, I’m not about to go strutting up to the castle and tattle to the queen on you. I flit about the world and be at any location where something is happening, so that I might forge an accurate record of events in history. I rarely get involved myself, however. Just here for the show, I won’t tell a soul...” He ended on a slightly musical note.

“But I’m not above influencing events ever so slightly to get a better outcome... If you’re interested in taking the word of a whimsically mysterious stranger, I may have some information for you. Possibly even some answers...”

He could see the gears turning in the heads of all three. He noticed out of the corner of his eye a small redheaded girl poking her head out from the hall, but for her sake he avoided making eye contact and drawing attention to her.

“You said you record history...” The pink one started, “Then you might know something about Celestia’s immortality!”

Link, or Xekora as he now admitted himself to being, could see something of himself in the pink one. The same touch of crazy humor, of whimsical insanity, the quality he had worked hard to perfect- so apparent in her, and seemingly natural in coming. If he wasn’t already thousands of years old and no longer concerned with things of that nature, he might have felt a tad jealous. As it stood, though, he was and did not. “Indeed I might. But I wouldn’t say such things in the middle of a settlement like this, where ears might hear us. T’would be much more secure in my little fortress of solitude in the forest.”

“I gotta draw the line there.” The third of the three remaining ‘adults’ (Xekora found it strange that these seventeen-or-eighteen-year-old kids were conspiring against the queen like this, but he decided he wasn’t one to judge) stated. This one looked the basic farm girl look- long, ponytailed blonde hair, freckles, country accent, muscular arms which hovered near a battle axe near the wall- the works. He was willing to bet the hat near the door was hers as well. “You don’t see anything wrong with just coming in here and leading us to some part of the forest where no-one will hear us, with just your word to go on?”

“‘Course I don’t.” He said. “Honestly, I was just waiting to see if anyone would call me out on it. What can I do for you to make you trust me? Recall ancient happenings from memory which you can compare to something? Perhaps describe in detail the final battle of the Equestrain Civil War?”

“Don’t make much difference if you were able to do that anyway- we still wouldn’t know your intentions. And- how old are you, anyway, to be able to describe things like that in detail?”

“Older than you can comprehend, love.” Xekora said, shrugging again. “What would you have me do to gain that trust, then? Oh! I think I know a good one, give me a moment...” With a flick of his wrist, he summoned his trusty dark knife and cut himself down without a moment’s hesitation. The others jumped forward as he fell, but in an instant he was already alive again, scrambling to his feet and retrieving the dagger. They stared in awe. “I have a hunch that Celestia’s immortality may be similar to mine, which, now clearly to you, I have. I suppose in the end the decision is yours to make whether or not you wish to meet me, but you’ll be better for it if you do.

“I’ll be ready for you tomorrow, and I’ll leave subtle little signs starting near the entrance to the EverFree Forest to lead you to my home. But bring friends! Can’t stress that enough. At least all six Elements, possibly some others you feel you should involve. Hope to see you then...”

He once again ended on a musical tone, drifting out the door and disappearing into the night.

________________

“How’d it go?” Phil asked, setting another log on its side.

“Personally I think it went marvelously.” Xekora answered. “Though it’s sometimes hard for me to tell, I may have just seemed a crazy old man, as I am known to do. I think they’ll be coming, though. Oh, also, you can go ahead and call me Xekora from now on- Link was an alias I will no longer be using.”

“Oh, uh... alright. Sure. Were you able to figure out exactly who is coming?”

“Not exactly, but I have a better idea of it now. We’ll first receive a small girl with an adorable country accent, if I’m not mistaken. Followed by, like, seven or eight others. So we’re definitely going to need a few more seats. And some handkerchiefs, I think, tears of both joy and sorrow are bound to be shed tomorrow.”

“Wait, wait... what?” Phil said, certainly not for the first time in his stay at Xekora’s  house. “What do you mean, tears will be shed? What is it we’re doing tomorrow?”

“Story time!” He said, jumping at Phil slightly. “You’ll see tomorrow, I’m not letting you get out of it.”

______________

Town

Rainbow Dash

I saw the two off as they left to tell the others, and as they left my sight I ducked back inside, grabbed Applebloom, and took off for the Acres. I felt for her, and didn’t want her getting chewed out for sneaking out to listen in like she did. I flew overhead for the majority of the trip, though as far as I could tell she had never flown before, and mostly chose to hang on tight and not look down.

I touched down further into the fields, where we wouldn’t be seen. “Dash... what’s gonna happen tomorrow? I know you decided to tell everyone else about it before figuring it out, but... Do you think you should go?”

I stuck my hands in my jacket pockets. “Hard to say. The bottom line is we need a lead, and this guy says he can deliver. Like it or not, he’s the only chance we have right now. Still, there’s just something... wrong about him. I can’t bring myself to completely trust him no matter how hard I try. I think we should hear him out at least, but then just try and separate ourselves from him.”

“But... I don’t know, I mean, we only just met him. We don’t know that he’s a bad person, and I think we should at least give him a chance, anyway.”

“I know, I... I know. I want to give him that chance, don’t get me wrong, it’s just... I don’t know. There’s just something I can’t place about him that just puts me on edge. Maybe he can be trusted, I can’t say, but I can’t help but be wary of him. Anyway, we’ll figure this out, don’t worry. I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but just stay at home tomorrow, and we’ll handle it. I know you want to be involved, too, but I don’t want you in danger if anything goes wrong. Alright?”

She never did like being told exactly what to do, especially when it meant staying at home and leaving the action to others, but it being me asking, she sighed and reluctantly agreed. I thanked her, ruffled her hair and sent her on her way back home.

I leapt into the air again, now coasting towards the edge of town, where Fluttershy lived. The three of us who had met Xekora had agreed to split off and inform the others of his offer, and to meet at the sandwich place in the morning to discuss it further. Pinky had elected to meet Rarity (just as well, between the three of us she stood the best chance of actually getting ahold of her), and Applejack had decided to hit the library to contact Twilight. As I thought about it, I could imagine Trixie being interested as well, probably insisting that we go and bring her along.

I banked and landed near her house, and saw the small white form of Angel standing on the porch, gazing stoically at the full moon. He noticed my arrival, and flipped over the railings, a small dagger in hand. I put my hands up surprisedly. “Wait! Don’t worry, it’s just me.” He stopped as he heard my voice and saw me up closer. We hadn’t conversed too much anyway, so I didn’t blame him for not recognizing me in the dark, but he did know who I was.

“Dash? What is it?” He asked warily, and slightly wearily.

“I needed to talk to Fluttershy about something. Can I see her?”

“She is tired from training today. I don’t want to wake her.” Almost immediately after I had asked, Octavia had sought her out and had her demonstrate what she already knew, and, in an event I was told is incredibly rare, she elected to teach Fluttershy herself. From what I had seen, she was making leaps and bounds, but the training was tough. In addition to actual archery, she was also being taught basic battle instincts and evasive techniques, as well as a few specialized airborne archer skills from Kyle.

“Ugh, fine, take a message then? The other Elements are meeting at the sandwich shop tomorrow morning- for food, and to discuss something of importance. Can you do that?”

“I’ll tell her in the morning, yes.” With that, he went back to the house and went inside, and I returned to my own home, collapsing on the bed. It had been a long day, and tomorrow was bound to be longer.

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty One

Town

Sandwich Shop

Twilight made her way to the sandwich shop quickly, Trixie and Spike beside her. Applejack had been frustratingly vague about what was actually being discussed this morning, other than it was important. Trixie curiously had been eager to go, but denied knowing anything more about it. Spike said he wanted to tag along as well, curious and slightly apprehensive about what this was all about.

As the three approached the outdoor dining area, she saw both Pinky and Rainbow Dash both seated already, chatting idly. They noticed the other’s approach and turned. “Hey.” Dash greeted them simply. “I guess you two wanted to tag along, too?”

They sat and waited for the others, as no-one would say anything until everyone had arrived. Rarity was next to show up, along with Fluttershy. They both had their weapons on them, and Twilight noticed that everyone else had brought something to fight with as well. I don’t really have a need of a weapon, so I guess I’m alright, but... Why does everyone look ready to fight? Neither of the newcomers seemed to have any idea what was going on, either.

Last to arrive was Applejack, who looked worried. “Sorry I’m late, but I can’t find Applebloom anywhere!”

Dash swore under his breath. “Darn it, Applebloom...” He sighed and addressed everyone. “I think she went off to find him herself.”

Applejack started. “What?! But, how would she even know about him anyway?”

“She may or may not have been listening in on the whole meeting.” He said simply. “Point is she’s likely out in the middle of the forest right now, let’s go get her back.”

“Wait, she heard the whole thing and you knew the whole time?!” Applejack asked, exasperated.

“I take full responsibility, yes, but let’s save it until we find her?” She sighed, reluctantly agreed, and the two set off.

“Wait, just wait a minute.” Twilight said, following the others, thoroughly confused. The rest of the group also followed, most just as lost as she was. “What is going on here? Who is it she went to find?”

“Applejack, Pinky and I were approached by some guy, Xekora I think he said he was, last night.” Dash said as they walked. “Said he had some information for us, and some of the stuff he said really piqued my our interest. Plus he appears to be immortal. We were going to decide this morning whether or not to take him up on his offer and meet him at his forest-house, but it looks like Applebloom made the decision for us.”

“How do you know that’s where she is?” Twilight asked.

“Because I told her not to, of course. Her curiosity is infinite, and being told not to do something always make’s kids her age want to do it more. Today’s not a school day, anyway, so I can think of nowhere else she could be if not home.”

“Wait, wait.” Trixie interrupted. “Did you say his name was Xekora?”

“That’s who he said he was. Why, you know him?”

“So he’s finally come out of hiding... Goodness, we’re all screwed now. If he’s handing out info about this... things are sure to get interesting...” She ended with a mischievous chuckle, but refused to elaborate, leaving Twilight more frustrated and confused than ever.

The party of eight made their way outside of town and to the entrance to the EverFree forest, looking around for any clues. According to Pinky, Xekora had said he would leave a subtle trail starting here, but Twilight couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “Here.” Fluttershy spoke up suddenly. “That branch stuck in the ground there... It wouldn’t be like that normally, I think that might be it.”

She moved over to the upright branch she had indicated, then looked around carefully. “And there! There’s a bit of cloth on the tree there.” She led the way through the various waypoints, everyone else following behind.

“I’m impressed, Fluttershy.” Twilight said, walking near her. “I guess you’ve been getting more of an eye for detail with your training?”

“I suppose it’s a bit from that...” She said sheepishly. “I think it’s mostly because I know the area around the town and the forest like the back of my hand. I have to go in a lot for herbs and things, so I know my way around. I’ve... I’ve never been this way, this far though... I just have a general idea of what it should look like, so I look for anything that isn’t part of that... I never found any buildings in the forest, though, so we’re still going just by these signs...”

Indeed, as the forest grew denser, and whatever path they were using disappeared, their progress slowed considerably. Spike, having some experience in the wilderness of his old home, joined Fluttershy in scanning the area for out of the ordinary features. Twilight watched the two curiously. You know, I didn’t notice it until now... She thought. But Spike has been hanging around Fluttershy a lot lately. I don’t think it’s anything serious- Spike looks around twenty, but he’s actually a lot older, and he’s not the kind to do that... But I think he is becoming fond of her, to some degree.

The trees nearly blocked out the sky, and Rarity apprehensively cast a light spell above their heads. As Spike called out the next way marker, Twilight headed up the rear of the group. As she stepped forward to join the others, she heard a slight noise behind her, and stopped short. She turned, but saw nothing. Probably just a stick falling off a tree. She concluded, and hurried to catch up with the others.

______________

The party continued on, eventually coming to a large clearing. They seemed to have reached the end of the journey, as it was clear someone lived here. A decent sized wooden house was situated near the back of the clearing, and in the center was a fire ring, with numerous log-chairs and a campfire. Though a cauldron of something or other was cooking and filling the area with a pleasant aroma, no one else could be seen.

“Well, this is the place, looks like.” Applejack said. “But where is he? Or Applebloom?”

“Maybe inside?” Dash offered. The two went over to the building and tested the door, which opened without much effort. “I guess there’s not much need to lock it out here...” They entered the house and began looking around, while the others stayed outside.

“Weird, he said he’d have things ready for us if we decided to come...” Pinky mused. “Looks like he set up a campfire for us, but why isn’t he here? Ah, maybe he went out to get some more wood.” She pointed out the remains of a stack of firewood.

“That is precisely what I did.” A low, accented voice spoke from behind them. Twilight spun around to face him, but had to look up. She wasn’t the tallest to begin with, but the newcomer was- at least a foot taller than her. He had spiky black hair, pupil-less black eyes, and basic leather clothing. A bundle of sticks was under each of his arms, and he regarded the group curiously, tilting his head slightly. “Brought a few more than I expected, I see.

“So it is you, isn’t it Xekora?” Trixie said, smiling. “We’re in for it now, aren’t we?”

“Ah! Trixie, my dear, s’been a long time, hasn’t it? C’mere, give your kindly human uncle figure a hug.” Strangely, though Trixie was exactly the opposite of the type who would run up and give someone a joyful hug, she did just that. Whoever this Xekora person was, Trixie appeared to be on very good terms with him. He removed her hat and ruffled her hair. “Kind of a silly hat, if you ask me. The whole ensemble does suit you, though.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She half asked, half giggled. This all seemed a bit strange to Twilight, as she had never imagined Trixie capable of affection like this- she was always so stoic and aloof around others.

“So, I take it you’ve met?” Twilight asked.

“Uh... Did I ever mention I owe him my life?” She asked in return.

“No, I think you somehow failed to mention that.”

“Huh. Well... Yeah. I owe him my life. See, what happened was-”

“No, no!” Xekora interrupted. “Don’t say it yet! Save it, we’re going to have a big community story-telling thing in a bit, you’ll have plenty of chance then.”

Before Twilight was able to inquire further, another voice called from across the clearing, possibly from behind the house. Hearing it made her stop short.

“Hey, Link- er, Xekora, sorry, I am never going to get used to that. I think I found most of the stuff you wanted. What did you want me to do with it?- Woah, people. Guess they did decide to show up, huh?” She turned slowly to face him, and her eyes widened. His hair and wings glowing in the sunlight like fire, bright orange against the black leather jacket he now wore. His familiar dusty brown pants and basic white work-shirt were still constant, as were his black gloves, identical to Twilight’s own. He tossed the bag of herbs and whatnot at the front of the house on Xekora’s request, then turned to face the group.

He stopped similarly when his eyes rested on Twilight, as caught by surprise as she was. When she finally found her voice again, she spoke his name, almost in a whisper: “Phil?”

Upon hearing his name, his eyes softened, and he cast his arms out slightly. “Twilight.” He confirmed, and she launched herself at him, beyond caring that the whole assembly was probably watching the event unfolding. He caught her as she threw her arms around him, wrapping both his arms and wings around her. They both stayed silent for some time, before he broke the silence quietly. “Sorry I had to disappear like that all of a sudden. I meant to get a message to you somehow, but some things happened, and I was forced to wait it out here for a while. I... I really missed you.”

She felt herself blush slightly against his shoulder. “Why did you run away like that, anyway? Celestia sent me a message saying to be on the lookout for you, and to figure out why. She seems pretty worried about you too.”

He didn’t speak for a moment. “I didn’t really run from the castle, but for something else. Something’s wrong right now, Twilight, and I think the capital might be in danger. I left to investigate, but just slipped out so no-one else has to be worried about it yet. I was too weak to go much further when Li- Xekora found me and sheltered me. I was going to take off pretty soon, anyway, so I guess it’s pretty lucky for both of us that you came here today! Just about missed me.”

Satisfied with the answer for the time being, she rested her head on his shoulder again, closing her eyes. Normally she wasn’t this affectionate either, but with Phil’s sudden disappearance and weeks of worrying about him, she was just glad to see him alive and well.

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty Two

EverFree Forest

House of the Hylian

After scouring the house unfruitfully, finding various strange and unfamiliar objects of curiosity, we were forced to accept that no-one was home. Signs clearly pointed to the house being occupied, though, possibly by more than one person. “Is someone else living out here? Who else could be staying in the middle of the woods like this?”

“Could be just a friend of his.” Applejack stated. “A better question would just be ‘who would live out here’, not ‘who else’.” I conceded her point. We still knew next to nothing about Xekora’s true motives or nature, and we had no way of knowing if he was the only one. “Still no sign of Applebloom though.”

“Yeah...” I didn’t want to admit it, but I was starting to get a little worried. Not to say I wasn’t concerned before, but I was sure this was where she would have went. We still had no proof she had even come here, or where she was now. “C’mon, let’s get back to the others.” We returned through the narrow hall to the front room, and out the door.

“Woah, what’s with all the hugging?” I said immediately. Both of the mage-twins were being embraced by unfamiliar faces. I was able to guess that the one with Trixie was probably Xekora, but I had no idea who the other one was, save for the other occupant of the house. Twilight seemed very comfortable around him, I found myself thinking. The two forest dwellers turned to greet us.

“Ah, everyone seems to be here, excellent.” Xekora said, his voice confirming it was him. “Wait, what were you doing in my house?”

“Looking for you. We expected you to be here when we arrived, so we were curious. That and snooping around a little.” I said honestly. Fortunately, he didn’t seem too off-put about it.

“Awright, let’s see here.” He said, moving over to me with a quick, loping gait. “I think we’re about ready to get going here, but...” He dropped his voice. “Tell me, is everyone here on the same page, you know, as the rest of you were last night?”

I understood what he was saying, and looked to Twilight in such a way that he would see. “Not exactly...”

He shrugged. “Ah, no worries. I’ll explain the situation best I can. Then you can fill them in on all the more precise details later.”

“Oh, hey, wait. I don’t suppose you’ve seen anyone else pass through here- specifically a little girl with red hair?”

“Her? Yeah, she dropped by around half an hour ago, wanted to help get things set up for the main group. Sent her for some herbs that would have taken Phil over there twice as long to get to, she should be back... Now.” He pointed over to the right of the house, where Applebloom had just emerged from the woods with a small bag full of some kind of leaf. She stopped when she saw everyone, particularly Applejack. She didn’t look surprised, exactly, but rather seemed to be preparing for being reprimanded.

Applejack was all over it. (Plus I didn’t think I would have done much anyway- Applebloom always reminded me of myself too much, and more often than not I would take pity on her. Applejack didn’t have that problem, however) “Applebloom, what were you thinkin'?! You can’t just wander off like that, we were worried sick!”

“Sorry.” She offered. She looked to me out of the corner of her eye, but I could only shrug sympathetically. Nothing I can do for you now, kid. “I know I should have told you, but I had to see what was going on. I can tell somethin’s happenin', and I don’t want to just sit on the sidelines anymore. I need to know what’s goin' on for myself.”

Applejack folded her arms. “I might have let you come if you’d have just asked.” She said quietly.

“No you wouldn’t have. I would have to explain how I heard about it in the first place-”

“Dash already told me. I’m not happy about that either.” She turned to me. “With either of you. I don’t like things bein' kept from me , neither.” I looked to the ground. I might have argued, but this wasn’t the time. Plus it killed me whenever I had to disagree with her.

“Even if I had brought it up, you would have just told me to stay home.” Applebloom said adamantly. “I’m done sittin' out on the action, sis. I’m old enough to understand what’s happenin', and I’m not gonna let you leave me in the dark, with you out there fightin'. I don’t just want to be there just for myself, sis. I want to help.”

Applejack closed her eyes, thoughtful for a moment. I gave Applebloom a subtle nod, but she saw it. Good job, kiddo. AJ turned to me again. “Dash?”

I sighed slightly. “I think she’s got a point. She’s not ready to take to the field like she was saying- not by a long shot-” She huffed slightly. “But I think she’s old enough to be able to understand the grand scope of things. I think we should at least let her sit in on the discussions like this.”

Applebloom was ecstatic about this, but I could tell Applejack was still on the fence about it. I put my hand on her shoulder. “I know she’s still young, and you want to protect her. But she’s not helpless anymore. She can handle this, I know it. Besides,” I lifted my arms slightly for dramatic effect. “You were about her age when Mac started giving you the same slack. Same with me. She’ll be alright.”

She gave me a small smile, then turned back to her sister. “Alright, then. But I still expect you to behave yourself!” Applebloom threw herself at the both of us before she was able to finish, barely managing to get her arms around us both.

“Besides, it’s not as though we’re going to be discussing too much critical stuff here anyways.” Xekora spoke up, retrieving Applebloom’s bag of stuff and dumping most of it blindly into the cauldron on the fire. “Mostly what we’ve got to do is bulk you guys up as a team, so that when you find yourself faced with your toughest enemy, you can do some wicked awesome combo moves. That’s what being a team is all about.”

“Really?” I asked. “So team building exercises, then? I... I’m sorry, but I can’t see the usefulness in that. Oh, off topic, but what is it that you’re making? You sent Applebloom and... Phil, was it? You sent them to get stuff for it, so it must be important, right?”

“Ah, not really. It’s an old recipe from back home for Elixir Soup. Just something to have for everyone to eat. I am an excellent host like that. So, I think everyone’s here, so we can... Wait.” He turned slightly, tilting his head in the direction of the forest, from which we had entered the clearing. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then cast out his hand, a sphere of darkness forming before it. Small pebbles and sticks gravitated towards it, and as it began to get crowded, he threw it forward.

The rubble, caught in the darkness, shot forward like tiny black arrows, peppering the ground and kicking up dust. For a moment, nothing happened- then the spray altered direction ever so slightly, and a small voice yelped in surprise. From within a bush where he was hiding, a boy looking to be about Applebloom’s age leapt out backwards, dodging away from the tiny projectiles. He kept his orange wings tucked against his body to make a smaller target, yet still managed to dance away from the shots while barely touching the ground, his unkempt violet hair whipping about him.

Landing with his foot planted firmly in the ground, he pulled his arms behind him, then threw them forward. A powerful gust of wind followed his hands, and the missiles were blown off course, landing harmlessly in the dirt. The last of them hit near his foot, which he used to kick up a nearby stick, which he caught and brandished like a spear in his left hand.

Xekora folded his arms, impressed. I was inclined to agree with him. That spell he used... When I was his age, it would have taken me five minutes to prepare one that big and powerful. He did it in half a second! Who is this kid?... Whoever he is, he’s got skill... And style. I noted as he ran his other hand through his hair idly, realizing the threat had passed. “Well, come on kid. We don’t have all day.” Xekora said, motioning for him to come over to the clearing. He looked up slightly and squinted. “You too, lassie. Don’t think I don’t see you in that tree there.”

From above the boy in the treetops, another small form scrambled down quickly. She looked to be about as far flung from the first kid as possible- while his clothing was rather basic and his hair went about its own business, her clothes were much more on the fancy side, and her hair- streaked pink and light violet- fell in short, neat curls. She dropped to the ground next to the boy, and they both approached us.

Rarity moved in on them quickly, specifically the girl. “Wha- Sweetie Belle, what are you doing here?!” I watched as almost the exact same argument between AJ and Applebloom repeated itself between these two.

“So... Rarity has a sister?” I asked no-one in particular.

“Yeah.” Applejack responded. “You didn’t know that?”

“I was completely unaware of that. Weird. Anyways, what about you, kid?” I asked the boy. “You got someone to lay into you for coming here?”

He pretended to look around the clearing, but I could tell he was by himself here. “Nope. Just came out of boredom, really. I don’t know anyone here personally except Sweetie Belle, and she pretty much just wanted to come ‘cause her sister did.”

“Were you planning on getting any closer to the clearing? I doubt if it would have been worth anything if you just stayed way over there.” I pointed out.

“What, you mean so we could hear what was going on? We could hear just fine from there. I know how to bend the air just so- so that it carries sound way further. And Belle, well... I don’t know what to tell you, she’s just psychic like that. I don’t get how she does it, but she can just know about stuff, and she’s done it from way further than that.”

I was getting more and more impressed with him. I had never even considered using wind magic for reconnaissance like that. And anyway, it must have taken a large amount of concentration to pull off. “Well,” I said, putting my hands in my pockets. “If no-one else is going to chew you out, I guess it’s pretty much unnecessary. I don’t think anyone minds you staying. What’s your name?”

“Scootaloo.”

“Rainbow Dash. Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen you around. I noticed a lot of the stuff you do, fighting and flying and all- Gotta say, clearing away clouds with a sword, then turning around and beating someone up with the same sword- That is just amazing. You’re awesome.”

I spun around and faced Applejack, arms spread. “See? He thinks I’m awesome!” I turned back as she shook her head, chuckling. “Though as much as I’d love to take all the credit for my awesomeness for myself, I have to be honest- I wasn’t the one who first thought of it. The weather-control part was mostly me, but I got most of my areal swordsmanship techniques from someone else. I guess you’re too young to remember them, but when I was little, there was this group- they worked as mercenaries mostly, but did demonstrations a lot too.”

My voice rose excitedly, childhood wonder rushing back to me. “Six warriors- Axe and Lance at head, Sword and Ice at rear, Bard and Archer to the sides- So the WonderBolts burned across the sky, vigilante guardians of Equestria. When evil threatened the land, they would be there, and none would dare stand in their way. Mercenaries as they were, they would never leave their kingdom to suffer. With two fell strokes from the head, Spitfire and Soren, their final attack ‘Burning Scar’ would leave even the mightiest of foes would be rendered helpless. Never before has any group of individuals been so dedicated to kickassery.”

His eyes had widened in wonder, and I found that I had been similarly entranced with my own words, making animated gestures and poses. Sadly, my voice dropped for the next part. “Unfortunately, they’re not around anymore... A few years ago, Spitfire just... disappeared. No goodbye note, no confidants, nothing. To this day no-one knows what ever happened to her. The team basically fell apart after that- They say that Soren wasn’t much of a leader, and none of the others were able or willing to take the head. They all went their separate ways pretty soon, to each their own destiny. It’s nigh impossible to track any of them down now, ‘cept for Soren. He still does regular mercenary work, and I’m proud to say Applejack and I once served on the same mission with him. But the others just don’t appear anymore.

“But the world is slow to forget a force so destructive and heroic as them, and I’ve taken their values to heart. Applejack and I, though not totally airborne, have done our best to exemplify the selfless guardianship to our home as they did, and look as badass as possible while doing it. We’re no WonderBolts, but that never stopped me.”

“Wow...” Was all he could say. He shook his head and looked up at me. “Maybe we could do something like what they did- we just need more people! When I’m done with school, I’ll totally join up! I’m already a great lancer- watch!” He gripped his stick staff and began a complex series of attacks, the wind at his beck and call. I had to admit, he wasn’t boasting entirely on childhood confidence in his own abilities or lack thereof- he knew what he was doing with that makeshift weapon.

In a few years, with the right training, this kid could be a force of nature with those wind powers of his. If he still wants in by then... Yeah, I’d take him.

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty Two

EverFree Forest

House of the Hylian

Everyone soon situated themselves around the fire, a bowl of the ungodly amazing soup in hand. I sat directly next to Applejack, and a bit further to my other side was Fluttershy. Next to her was Spike, then Trixie, Twilight, and Phil. Pinky was next, then Rarity, then the three children, who had gotten to talking. Xekora stood before his seat, back facing the house, completing the circle.

“Right. Let’s get down to business.” He said, addressing the crowd. “As I understand it, not everyone here is aware of the threat we’re dealing with now. I’ll fill you all in as best I can. Point is there’s an army in the making, and they are seriously overpowered. Their leader is nigh unstoppable, and believed to be immortal. I do, however, think there’s a way to break this barrier, and I’ll give you more details on that at the end of our meeting. As it stands, you are all on the path to becoming great fighters, but it goes without saying you can do nothing alone. I will show you the path to unlocking your true power as well, but it’s just as important that I bring you all closer, that you may combine your abilities and be even more powerful.

“Now, best way to do that I think is to delve into your own past, share your most influential experiences with the others, and be there for each other to share the burden and pain- as I seriously doubt it will be a good experience anyone will be sharing. If anyone else here is part of your story, you may want to have them help tell it, to give us the whole picture. I won’t ask anything of the kids here, as they probably don’t have many life-changing experiences- though it they want to give something, by all means. The rest of you, though, really ought to. I’ll even give a bit of my own story once everyone else has.”

He sat down, and everyone fell silent. What he was saying made very little sense, and I wasn’t sure just how much bonding as a team would really help that much. I had to admit, the bit about ‘unlocking our true power’ was intriguing, but I wasn’t sure story telling was going to be very effectual. Still, I had been debating bringing these memories to bear, to face these demons once and for all, and share with everyone my story. I turned to Applejack. “It’s time, isn’t it?”

She looked back, sympathetically. “I guess so. I’ll be here for you, Dash. I can take over whenever you need me to.”

I nodded, thankful for her presence, and we stood. “Right.” I started. “Regardless of reason, I think you all deserve to know the truth. I’ll give my story here and now, all of it. I haven’t... I haven’t had to talk about any of this since it happened, so... I’m sorry if it gets hard for me to continue. I’ll do my best. So, this is around seven and a half years ago. I still lived in the same house I do now, me and... My brother.”

_________________

Year 490, Equestria Callander

Town; Dash’s House

Rainbow Dash

I sat upon my bed, staring up at the stars through my window, sleep having long since abandoned me. It had left around the same time Applejack had. She had set off a week ago, to the city of Manehattan, to break away from her farm girl destiny and start anew. I had put on my best brave face for her, and held it up until she and Mac disappeared on the horizon.

I fell apart right afterwards, and had been a wreck ever since. I could barely eat or sleep, and had only once left the house over the whole week. I tried as hard as I could to resurrect my usual facade, but it was for nothing. She was gone, and no-one was fooled- I was obviously upset.

“You really miss her, don’t you?” A familiar voice asked from behind. I turned slowly to face him. Ultraviolet leaned against the doorway, looking at me with slight concern. He wore jeans and a black shirt, though had removed his classic brown leather jacket. His dark blue hair, which faded out to green on one side and violet on the other, fell well past his shoulders, and it had been brought into question on more than one occasion if it had ever once been cut. He had just recently turned twenty-two years old.

“Yeah...” I said after a pause. I didn’t know what else to tell him, seeing as he knew the answer already anyway.

He closed his eyes, sighed, and began murmuring to himself. “Wonder if a week is really long enough for the truth to show itself... Well, now that I think about it, for a kid that young, it’s no doubt more than enough time. But is it my place to interfere?... Wait, hah, why do I suddenly give a crap where my place is?” He stood suddenly, walking over to me. “Tell you what, kid. Try to get some sleep- we’re going on a trip tomorrow.” With that, he left the room, leaving me alone again.

I soon retrieved a luggage case and began packing, the wheels of my mind turning. What is he talking about? Where is he taking me- it... it couldn’t be Manehattan, could it?

______________

Manehattan; Apartment Building, Floor 6

Applejack

What was I thinking... I thought, staring up at the stars, or what I could see of them with all the light- charged stones serving as light sources all around the city. They weren’t a bad sight from a distance themselves, but they still stole the show from the better backdrop. Nothing could compare to staring up at the stars, and yet it didn’t look like it was going to happen here.

Sighing, I just decided to flop over on my bed to mope. They told me that this was a huge choice, and that they wouldn’t let me change my mind too easy. Mac even tried to tell me it wasn’t a good idea! Agh, why didn’t I listen...? Now I’m stuck here, and I just miss everything... Mac, Granny Smith, Little Applebloom... And with Mom sick, too... I probably should have stayed home...

I wonder how Rainbow Dash is doing without me. He’s probably fine, really. He’s always so tough, just like his brother. I’m sure he’ll find someone else to hang out with, like... You know, come to think of it, I don’t think he really has many other good friends... But, he’ll be fine, I bet... I wish I could say the same. I never thought I’d miss him so much... Maybe I should write him a letter.

I pulled myself out of bed again, glad to have something- anything- to occupy my mind. I sat at the small wooden chair in front of the desk near the door, and after some digging its drawers, retrieved a half-filled ink well, some paper, and a quill. I looked at it idly for a moment. This is so fake. Ah well, it’s probably better for writing than one of those little blue feathers of Dash’s anyway... Still rather have one of those, though.

Shaking my head, I wet the quill and set to work. I tried as best I could to put a positive spin on what I was writing, but as I went on describing the past week, having to adjust and change everything I’d ever known, not to mention knowing exactly no-one outside of the Aunt and Uncle I had moved in with, I began to tear up. A few stray drops hit the paper on its edges, but I at least avoided blurring the ink.

As soon as I got on the topic of town, of everyone else, of him, a lump formed in my throat, but I managed to finish the letter before I had to throw myself on the bed again. I hadn’t been there for a minute before I pulled myself together. Furrowing my brow and pushing myself off the bed, I moved to the desk, and let the ink dry. The moment it did, I folded the letter neatly, crept out into the den, stuffed it into an envelope, and placed it in the mailbox just outside the apartment.

Closing the door carefully, I made my way back to my room, and tried pointlessly to get some sleep.

______________

Rainbow Dash

Somehow, I managed to get a bit of sleep that night, but woke up with plenty of energy in the morning. I made my way down the small hallway quickly and turned into the kitchen, where Ultraviolet was already reclining in his chair, coffee in hand. This was perhaps the first time in anyone’s memory that he had awoken before I did. He turned to face me. “You ready, kid?” He asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, but, where are we going?”

“Already cleared it with Mac last night. We’re city-bound, kid. I don’t know about you, but I want to see what’s so much better about that dump than our little town here. Let’s see what all that fuss AJ made was about, and if she still thinks it was worth it, yeah?”

I grinned excitedly and nodded. This might be my only chance to make things better. I have to try and bring Applejack back home.

“Well, grab some breakfast then. We fly as soon as you’re ready.” I did my best to eat something, but now it was my nerves taking away my appetite. I managed enough to satisfy him, and he grabbed a shoulder pack for the trip. “It’s not too far by air, and I don’t see us being there for more than a day or two, but it’s best to be prepared anyway.”

We walked outside and, getting a running start, kicked off the ground and into the air. My smaller sky blue wings fell in unison with his mighty midnight ones, and a few stray feathers floated gently to the ground as we gained momentum. Together we glided clear over the rooftops of our hometown and across the vast green fields that lie between.

We flew for a time, made a stop at a little group of shops and houses that might have been called a town, and set off again. Luckily, we reached Manehattan about halfway into the afternoon. The two of us touched down on the cobble road, and looked around in some awe. Back home, a two story building was somewhat unusual, and the only building that exceeded that height was the mansion Rarity’s family lived in. Here, ones with five or six floors weren’t unheard of. This was a city of magic- iron strengthened with unnatural flame forged sturdy buildings, and gems infused with light lit them with un-flickering radiance.

Ultraviolet folded his arms, thoughtful. “Right. Mac wasn’t sure exactly where the place is, so we might have to do a bit of looking around. He had a general idea of where it was, but he hasn’t been here in a while, so he wasn’t sure of the specifics. Wish I could have gotten ahold of Granny Smith...” He led the way through the busy streets, occasionally stopping to look for landmarks. An hour passed as we went no-where fast.

“Well shoot.” He said finally. “I officially have no clue where we’re going.”

Just as I was about to criticize him for leading us around for nothing, a scream from nearby interrupted me. We looked to each other quickly, then both instinctively started running towards the source. He kicked at a loose metal rod as he passed it, caught it in his hand, and swung around the corner to a side-road, me keeping close at his heels.

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty Five

Manehattan; Square

Rainbow Dash

“In short, my bro and I beat the everliving daylights out of a couple of hired idiots who were apparently trying to kidnap her. Business as usual.” Ultraviolet answered immediately.

Creiddylad, who had walked over to us, Fluttershy still in her arms, now wore a look of mixed alarm and confusion. “What? Who... Why were they trying to kidnap her?! And... and who hired them, if it was just someone moving through them?”

“Don’t know, and... Don’t know. The employer was there, but he was wearing a heavy black cloak, and I couldn’t get a good look at him. He had speckled wings, that’s about the only detail I could find. The guys he hired were apparently just some guys from around town, and didn’t last too long before running for it.”

“And the employer?” She probed. “Where’d he get to?”

“Can’t say.” Vi said, sighing. “He took off as soon as the fight was over, and I decided to escort Fluttershy home rather than chase after him. He could have left the city by now, but... Honestly, I kind of doubt that. I really couldn’t tell much about him, but I’ll bet he’s not going to give up that easily. With your permission, I’d like to keep a lookout for him around town, in case he tries something else.”

“Oh, by all means.” She said, assured by a slightly tearful Fluttershy that what he was saying was true. “And... Well, is there anything I can do to thank you? I mean, I can fight okay myself, but I doubt I could have taken on three armed guys while protecting someone at the same time.”

Vi was already shaking his head, hands in his pockets. “It was nothing, ma’am. Besides, the job isn’t even over yet. I’ve only delayed him, and I’m going to get to the bottom of this. But I don’t need a reward anyway; I couldn’t just let them have their way, they were clearly evil.”

Creiddylad chuckled slightly. “Well, I understand that, but I still should do something for you... Are you new to town?”

“Yeah, but we’re not staying long. Just came to town to find someone else, planned to be gone in a few days.”

“Do you have a place to stay yet?... Well, we’ve got some space. Why don’t you stay with us?”

“Really? You’re sure you don’t mind? Well, if you insist. Like I said, we shouldn’t be long.”

And just like that, the two of us were on our way to Creiddylad’s apartment, where just she and Fluttershy lived. It was the same basic situation my brother and I were in- Both parents had passed away at some point along the line, and the younger sibling had been more or less raised by the elder- so I understood Fluttershy’s situation well enough. I was surprised though- I wasn’t aware anyone else was in that same boat as me.

We reached the building- a tall, but otherwise unremarkable gray affair. It wasn’t too far on the fancy side, but was still far from disrepair. We entered and glided up the winding stairway to the third floor, and immediately turned into the room on the right. I noticed that there was only one room on either side of the building on each floor, so I guessed that they must be fairly large for apartments.

I entered first, and wasn’t disappointed. A short hall led down a ways, then led off to the left. To the right was a kitchen and living area, with a small table situated in between the two. I could guess that the hallway to the left led to the bedrooms. I stepped to the side as the others filed in.

“So, who wants dinner?” Creiddylad asked, and I silently thanked her. My stomach was less subtle about it.

________________

Fluttershy

Both our guardian-siblings worked on dinner that night, and as such there was a lot more food than what I usually saw at home; even with twice as many people, there was more than necessary judging by how much Creiddylad and I usually ate. The boys were more than willing to pick up the slack, however, and none of the food ended up going to waste.

After supper, Rainbow Dash and I decided to play an old battle tactics-based board game that had been in the family for longer than anyone knew or cared to remember. It was played on actual wooden boards, and had small ivory pieces to it. Over the years, we had lost just enough pieces to render one side at a slight disadvantage, even with the extras. I took the crippled side, partly just to be nice, but also because I knew my way around the game already, and had something of an advantage. A set of ivory dice was also present: most were unusual in shape, with various numbers of sides. These were for the actual combat aspect- one roll from each player would determine whether or not an attack would hit, and another would tell how badly it damaged the enemy. A counter attack roll was also in play.

The first match we played, we decided to set up two identical fortresses on either side of an empty field, just to keep things simple. I started by moving the pieces representing the heavier fighters- the axeman and two heavily armored knights- to the front gate, and set some less powerful melee fighters- spearmen and swordsmen- to guard the smaller side doors. With the entrances all sealed up, I positioned the remaining swordsman behind the main barricade, ready to switch out with someone else if necessary, with a healer just behind to patch them up. On the ramparts atop the fortress, archers and mages were standing near the edge, ready to fire upon the approaching forces, with the single winged unit left on my side standing behind them. I planned to have this one swoop down on the enemy, hit a unit fast and hard, and pull back to his perch.

Rainbow Dash saw that I was planting my feet firmly in my base, so he rallied his units together to attack. He sent every last unit at his disposal at me, but employed similar tactics in protecting them- the heavies headed up the group, with the lighter melee fighters on the sides, and mages, archers, and healer all protected by the wall of weapons. This force marched as one cohesive unit, slowly making their way towards me. Curiously, he had his two fliers branch off away from this group, one each on either edge of the map. It seemed he planned to try and flank me with them, but as it stood I couldn’t do much about them without weakening my defending force.

His main force hit my shield wall fast and hard, and it nearly crumpled under the impact. My healer set fast to work, however, and it stood firm against the attackers. I began to pick out a different strategy among his troops, one that wasn’t as obvious. As soon as the heavy units had crashed into the wall, they had pulled back to the rear, then the sides had taken up position and were peppering the guard wall with quicker, lighter strokes, dodging away from more hits as well. The heavy units replaced them on the sides, and the long-distance fighters began taking potshots at my own atop the fort, with limited success. Fire and arrow rained down from the ramparts in the opposite direction, and one by one his units began to fall.

Finally, though, he managed to break through the wall of heavy troops, and his remaining fighters poured in. To make matters worse, his fliers banked in at the same time, tying up my long range units atop the fort, leaving the remaining melee fighters below to fend for themselves. They managed to defeat both my archers before my mages and fliers were able to finish them, and by that time, his last heavy fighter and swordsman were on their way up.

Working carefully, trying to find a way to win with my limited resources, I sent the lone flier around the other side, to try and corner them. The two mages I positioned on either side, and they began firing upon the axeman as soon as he came into sight. The swordsman was immediately engaged with the flier, and both began taking heavy damage. It was close, but in the end, one mage still stood atop the ramparts, the only surviving soldier on either side.

Dash immediately challenged me to a rematch, and we decided to play for two out of three wins. The next match was played on a map made to resemble a port town being invaded by pirates, which his raiders managed to win, and a sea battle between two ships, which I again was just able to win. By that time, night had fallen, and the two of us had to go to sleep. Dash was given the guest room, while his brother elected to sleep on the couch for the night.

About half an hour after being tucked in, and sleep eluding me, I decided to try and sneak across the hallway and see if Dash was asleep yet. I opened my door quietly, and luckily it seemed both Ultraviolet and Creiddylad were caught up in a hushed conversation, and didn’t notice me. I made it into the guest room without a problem.

_______________

Rainbow Dash

I sat on the carpeted floor, looking up at the sky idly. View sure is crummy out here, isn’t it? I can’t see anything up there. All these lousy witch lights all over the place- I mean, why are they even still on? Everyone’s usually asleep by now back home... Can’t imagine Applejack is liking them much, either. I know she always prefers it darker at night.

I heard a slight noise behind me, and turned to see that Fluttershy had entered the room. The door closed quietly behind her, and I invited her to come sit next to me.

“So, what are you doing awake?” She asked in a whisper, easing herself to the floor to my right. She now wore a plain white night gown, while I had just slipped on an old shirt of my brother’s to sleep in.

“Couldn’t sleep. Just trying to watch the stars, but... it’s kind of hard to see them, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?” She asked. I realized she probably hadn’t been far from the city before, and had nothing to compare this sky to.

“Oh, man, you don’t even know- back home, where there’s no bright lights out, there’s just so many stars out. The ones you can see here are just the really bright ones- there’s three times as many out there, just behind the lamplight.”

She listened to everything I had to say- but kept in a whisper- with growing awe. “Do you mind if I watch with you?” She asked after I had finished.

“Sure, I don’t mind.” We moved over to the bed I hadn’t yet touched, pulled off a couple of pillows, and lay down before the wide window, offering us as good a view of the night sky as we were going to get.

It wasn’t too bad though.

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty Six

Year 498; House of the Hylian

Rainbow Dash

“At some point we fell asleep like that.” I stated simply. “Probably just after the point where we started singing to each other. Fun times. Ultraviolet would later inform me that a cuter picture than the two of us passed out on the floor, all curled up like that, was never seen. Come to think of it... Was that how you figured out it was me? When I sang at the castle?”

“Um... Yeah, I think that was part of it...” Fluttershy answered, a little flustered at the detail with which I had described that last scene. “I think it was more of when I first saw you fight... You looked so much like your brother just then.”

“Wait, you saw his brother fight? With a proper weapon, I mean.” Twilight inquired. She had been listening intently to the story so far, though I suppose everyone was to some degree. I picked out her and Scootaloo in particular.

“I was getting to that, just hold on.” I had begun to enjoy telling the story so far, becoming more animated in my gestures. Fluttershy had seemingly forgotten she was addressing multiple people on more than one occasion, and had started talking more excitedly, before coming back to the present and lapsing into silence, letting me take over. Applejack had been silent for a time now, and at the back of my mind I hoped she wasn’t taking away the wrong meaning from my words. I had been pretty friendly with Fluttershy in that short time- but even now, realizing I had reunited with her, that was about the extent of things between us. It never occurred to me, however, to wonder whether or not Fluttershy felt the same way.

Applejack now broke her silence, picking up the story right where it left off. I smiled slightly, reassured that she knew my intentions well enough, and wasn’t offended. Whoever said having someone who knows you better than you do yourself is annoying, was lying. I thought.

“The funny thing about it, was that it turned out Fluttershy’s place was actually two floors under mine, in the same building! I was almost right above those two, looking up at the sky myself. If we had all just peeked out the window for a second, we could have saved ourselves a heap of trouble later on.”

________________

Year 490

Manehattan; Apartment Building, Floor Six

Applejack

The bright light of the morning sun filled the small room, stirring me from my restless sleep. My eyes cracked open, and a sudden strange feeling filled my mind. It felt like something was about to happen, something big. I couldn’t guess at all what it was, or even if it wasn’t just a dream wearing off, but the sunshine was so bright this morning, it didn’t seem like it mattered. Whatever happened, it was a nice morning.

I pulled myself out of bed and, shaking away the last of my sadness from last night, decided I’d moped around long enough. I would at least try to adjust to my new city life, and move on from my old one. I would stay in contact with Rainbow Dash as best I could, but do my best not to get hung-up about it. The letter I had written two nights ago was on it’s way by now, so I decided to get dressed and see about wandering around town some, to get my bearings better. I managed to convince my uncle to take me around town after breakfast, and for a fleeting moment, I was able to forget what I had been upset about in the warm sunlight.

But only for a brief moment.

_______________

Rainbow Dash

Fluttershy and I stumbled out the guest room, rubbing our eyes blearily. The sun had already risen in the sky, and we awoke warmed by it. It was a strange thing, here- even with the short distance between the two settlements, Manehattan was noticeably warmer than what my brother and I were used to.

Ultraviolet was still asleep on the couch when we came into the living room, so we decided to kill some more time with another round of the tactics game while we waited. I was really surprised I had never encountered this game before- it seemed like something my brother would have been all over. I was also somewhat surprised at how good Fluttershy was at it- sure, she’d had more time to practice, but it seemed strange that someone as timid as her was so brilliant at battle tactics.

About an hour passed before Ultraviolet and Creiddylad woke up, and a light breakfast was prepared. Half way through eating, Ultraviolet began speaking. “So, I figure we could do some more exploring around town today, check out all the major areas of interest. We’re bound to find one of the two people we’re looking for now. Plus we may as well see the sights while we’re in town, right? I mean, when’s the next time we’re going to be here?”

I really don’t remember a lot of what we did that day, to be honest. The four of us wandered around town all day, without ever running into Applejack or the mysterious hooded figure. I would later learn how frustratingly close I was to running into her- she was making her way around aimlessly the same as me, but always at a different part of town. The day passed quickly, I remember that much- and almost before I knew it the sun was getting ready to set, with no progress made to speak of.

“It’s getting late...” Creiddylad said, looking up at the sky. “We’d better head back home soon, start dinner.”

I looked to the ground despondently. It was beginning to look like I simply wouldn’t be able to find AJ again. I could feel a lump forming in my throat when Vi said: “Go ahead and take Fluttershy back home for now, I’m gonna take my bro for one more look around this area. We’ll be back soon.”

She looked to him, almost curiously, then nodded. She took Fluttershy’s hand as they flew back home, their white and golden wings shining brilliantly in the waning light. I looked up to my brother, infinitely thankful for him giving it one last chance.

“Well, come on, then. We won’t be able to pick anyone out from above for much longer. We’re quite literally burning daylight. Let’s go!” We shot into the air in perfect sync, and began gliding over the rooftops of the general area where he thought Applejack would be staying- and therefore returning to with any luck. We must have appeared no more than large birds from below, skimming gracefully over the cityscape.

Vi banked suddenly, coming to rest on the rooftop of a four-or-five story building, and I followed shortly. I realized shortly that it was right across the street from the apartment, though my brother didn’t seem to make the same connection. He peered over the edge, trying to see something on the street below. “I thought I saw something down there. C’mere, take a look.”

I walked over to him, turning my back on the other building, and stood next to him. I began to look where he was pointing, but just as I did, something else interrupted me.

“Are you proud of what you’ve accomplished, O brave and valiant warriors?” An all-too familiar voice queried from behind us. We spun around, Vi’s hand moving to the hilt behind his head. Before us stood the same black-cloaked figure from yesterday, arms folded, head cocked slightly. I still couldn’t make out his face, but I could just feel a smug grin behind that hood.

“Saved the life on one little girl, done strictly for a sense of honor, and only desiring to find that which you set out for. It must seem so heroic to your eyes. How small the world must seem to you...” I noticed that there was a strange accent to his words: his ‘O’s were occasionally pronounced as two, and in the case of a normal ‘ou’ or ‘oo’, the sounds were elongated just enough to be noticeable.

“Save us the guilt trip, bud.” Vi spat back at him. “I really don’t have the patience for it. Why’d you try to kidnap her? What is your purpose here?”

“I have no desire nor obligation to tell you, sell-sword. However, I’m afraid that your previous actions can’t go ignored entirely. It’s not usually appreciated when someone interferes with the actions and movements of The Order, as we serve the Goddess directly. However, as all you did was delay me, I can give you a slight break. I’ll give you this option now, once. Allow me to fulfill my purpose and bring the young girl to the The Order, and you’ll be both spared and overlooked for the time being. Fail to do so, and I’m afraid I’m obliged to eliminate you myself.”

“That right?” Vi said, employing his long-standing skill of answering long rants with a two-word answer. He drew his sword dramatically, it’s silver-white steel blade, slightly curved at its tip, glinted in the orange light of the sunset. “Can’t say I’ve ever heard of this ‘Order’, nor am I familiar with what Goddess you speak of. So I suppose I’m obliged to say: You and what army?”

The figure seemed to find this very entertaining. He gave a haunting laugh, which almost sounded genuine. He then threw out his arms dramatically, several shadowy, human-like forms leaping out of the ground below him. They began massing on the rooftop, leaving room only between us and him. “Is this one acceptable?” He said with a chuckle.

Vi shook his head. “Impressive, sure. But what do you really expect to happen here? Me to just let you have your way and take some girl away from her home, for unclear and unknown purposes?” He threw his left arm forward, creating a gust of wind that blew several of the unarmed shadows clean off the building. “You obviously have a limited grasp of reality, friend.”

He sighed. “I’m almost sorry you feel that way." He leapt into the air, backpedaling with his wings to come to rest on the apartment roof. He gave a short hand signal, and the army of shades advanced, strange claws affixed to their hands raised.

Ultraviolet looked to me, as of yet unarmed, and barked an order. “Get up above me, kid. Stay out of this battle- I can handle these pawns. But- here.” He handed me a katana, one he always carried in the off chance that his broadsword were to be blown out of his hand- which was more often than one might expect. He often trained with the katana as well. “If any of them come at you, use that to defend yourself. But stay away from them otherwise.”

I was about to argue, but he shut me up quickly by slicing several shadows in half at once. He grabbed my shirt collar in his left hand, and put all his strength into throwing me upwards. I stabilized myself quickly, hovering in the air and watching as he tore into the enemy with blade and wind. Normally they wouldn’t have stood a chance against him, as he was inarguably the best swordsman I had ever seen. But there were just so many of them, and as I watched, I could see more rising from the ground constantly, with no end in sight. Clearly the plan was just to bury him in troops.

I looked to the other building, where the cloaked man still stood, regarding the situation with impatience. I considered going after him and having him call off his troops, but my attention was brought back to the battle at hand as several more bodies flew off the building, evaporating as they died. Vi swore loudly, shaking his hand. Oh no... He’s burned through all of his magic energy already? He continued to fight with just his sword, but I could see that it was quickly becoming a one-sided battle. Without any way to quickly dispatch a large group of enemies, they were spawning faster than he could kill them.

He plowed through to the center, but as he began tearing into a group, another was right behind him, claws raised, seconds away from piling him. Abandoning all thought, all notion of obeying his order to stay out, all but the next move, I flew up higher into the air, brandished the katana over my head, and shot like an arrow down towards the battle. The tip of the blade sliced through the air before me, wind whistling past with lightning-fast speed, and just as the nearest target was looming before me, time seemed to stand still. Everything slowed, and it almost felt like my sword had encountered some sort of resistance.

Then my ears popped, and all hell broke loose.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty Seven

Manehattan; Apartment Building Floor Six

Applejack

I stared out the window in wonder and panic, watching the brutal battle unfolding on the rooftop across from me. The shadows never stopped, coming to life only to be cut down by the mighty broadsword brandished by the midnight-winged warrior fighting them single-handedly. Is that... Is that Ultraviolet?! I made the connection between this fighter and my second older brother quickly, and soon another thought slammed into my mind. Is Rainbow Dash with him?!

And there was my answer, bolting through the sky towards him, katana blazing with evening light, his unkempt and unmistakable hair flowing behind him. My heart raced as I watched him fall, sword on a collision course with an enemy directly behind his brother. But when the blade connected, I had to shake my head to understand what had happened.

A shockwave of pure energy, running through the whole spectrum of light, erupted from where the sword met shadow. Every single other enemy went flying, all evaporating as they collided with ground or building. More were on the way, of course, but he hauled the weapon forward with inhuman speed, leaving trails of rainbow-dyed light in his wake. Even Vi just stood in awe, watching his little brother obliterate the faceless enemy before they had a chance to fight back.

Snapping back to reality, I dashed out of my room, making for the front door. I planned to make my way to the roof of this building, and grab their attention from there. Realizing I might end up fighting as well, I ran back to the room and grabbed the small hatchet I had snuck in with my belongings. I ran out the door, disregarding my aunt and uncle's attempts to stop me.

I scrambled up the steps as fast as I could, but something made me stop short at the door leading to the roof. Something in my gut was telling me this was a bad idea, and I had never gone wrong obeying these premonitions before. But my mind was still in lockdown, and my heart told me I needed to get to Dash by any means necessary. Nevertheless, I opened the door slowly and quietly.

Standing on the edge of the roof was a figure draped completely in black, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he considered the battle unfolding. He hadn't noticed my approach, and still didn't as I inched closer. I managed to make out some of what he was saying, as he mumbled quietly to himself: "Interesting... A child with that kind of power, brought out in time of crisis... Heh. I think I'm going to have to change targets. This one's much more valuable to The Order than the Heron child."

He must be talking about Rainbow Dash! I concluded. I gripped the hatchet tighter, and, abandoning reason, silently ran towards him, jumping into the air and slicing down powerfully at his back. He screamed shortly in surprise and pain, rolling to the side and trying to clutch his back. Turning his gaze on me, he glided over to me on a pair of tawny wings, and swung the back of his gloved hand forward. It hit me square in the face, and I went flying across the roof, coming to rest near the other edge.

"Ya-hoo'll pay for that!" He yelled, a more thick accent breaking through in his rage. A golden spear, short handled and wide, flourishingly tipped, jumped to his hand, and his wings flared out menacingly behind him. My knuckles began to turn white with how tightly I held the tiny axe, as he flew towards me. I braced for impact- to roll out of the way at the last second and rend into his cloak with the small, sharpened blade. But as he was about to reach me, a golden form spun between us horizontally, deflecting his strike off course.

She came to rest facing away from the edge, left hand tipping her wide brimmed red fedora to the stranger. A standard issue steel lance was in her other hand, and her golden wings and hair flowed behind her, almost blinding in the twilight surrounding them. "So, I take it you're the one who's responsible for yesterday's incident?" She said between gritted teeth. "The one who got it in his head to try and kidnap my little sister?"

The man threw his arms up in dismay. "For the Goddess's sake, I can't even kill the meddler without someone else meddling in this town!"

"Drop it." She said curtly, brandishing the lance. "I don't feel like listening to you rant on about the faults of humanity- I'd rather make this quick. Take off now, and stay out of this city, and I won't have to kill you.”

“You seem to be confused, girl.” He spat back at her. “I’m the one with the infinite army of shadows, I’m calling the shots! Now back the hell off and leave me to my business, or incur the wrath of the Goddess herself!” He cast his spear to the sky, reflecting the waning rays of light across the rooftop.

“You claim to serve the Goddess?” The woman carried on, advancing slowly. “The very same that family stories say my ancestor met in person, and was blessed by before his final battle? This is the Goddess you claim to turn against me?” The man froze, her words taking him by surprise. Picking up the pace, she raised her lance to the sky as well, and shouted to the heavens: “Cards of Fate, guide my Hand! Chaos Suite!” A dull red energy began pulsing with light at the end of her weapon, and with a flick of her hand, a small object flew towards the black-cloaked man.

He jumped back, dodging away from the projectile, but it landed harmlessly on the ground. I stared from behind the woman, confused. It appeared that what she threw was nothing more than a single ivory die, nothing you wouldn’t find with a normal board game. But a small light now shone from it, projecting a square of four dots- what the die had landed on. The energy on the end of her weapon flashed to a bright blue, and she kicked into the air, ready to charge at the now on-edge enemy.

“Hey, Kid.” She addressed me. “You wanna get out of here? This is going to get ugly real fast.”

“Not happenin’.” I said simply, facing him with weapon held at the ready. “I’m fightin’ for my friend, and this guy was gettin’ ready to take him just like you said about your sis. I’m not lettin’ him get away.”

“Fair enough, but do you know how to use that thing? Can you actually fight him?” I answered by tossing the axe into the air, catching it backhanded, and jumping into a battle stance. “Works for me. Just don’t get hurt, alright?”

I nodded, hoping I was doing a good job of hiding my apprehension. “Name’s Applejack, by the way.” I said, managing to keep my voice level.

“Creiddylad. Now brace yourself!” She spun her weapon before her as the man charged forward on the wind, hacking and slashing away with lightning speed. Creiddylad’s weapon was obviously much more powerful with her spell in place, but she just didn’t have the opportunity to hit him- it was all she could do to make sure he didn’t hit first. I ran forward and joined in, standing close to her to let her deflect his attacks at me, while I tried to find a chink in his guard. I swung down on him hard, deflecting the spear from its complicated but specific path, giving Creiddylad an opening to hit him once. He jumped back, jolted slightly by the energy of her attack.

The blue energy began to wane, becoming smaller as the remaining power began to condense. Running towards him, Creiddylad swept up the die again, casting it behind her. This time, it landed on three, and a green light formed in place of the blue. I guessed that the number the die landed on determined how powerful the energy on her lance was- and the higher the number, the stronger the attack. I couldn’t guess how it worked that way, though. I’d seen a few techniques that powered up weapons with energy before, but never one that was based entirely on chance.

She didn’t slow as she approached the enemy, and I rushed up to assist her again. He was working faster now, however, and began gaining ground as we were forced back away from his blade. Creiddylad was now on the defense, unable to keep up with him, and her energy wasn’t enough to counteract his speed. Soon the two of us were approaching the edge, and neither could break away from him this time. I had to work furiously to block several hits he aimed at me, and once the blazing golden spear had managed to slice my arm, leaving a shallow but bloody gash on my left shoulder and nearly cutting the arm off the shirt I wore.

My foot reached back for somewhere to step, but met only air. Oh man, we’re already to the edge! I managed to place my foot back on the roof, but I barely had any room to move. Even worse, the enemy saw my stumble, and began diverting his attention to me. Grimacing, I blocked another hit from his spear, but the impact was enough to knock me off my feet just slightly- and it was just enough to send me falling over the edge.

I screamed, trying desperately not to look down. I was already pretty scared of heights, and it didn’t help that I was falling six stories to the hard stone ground below- surely enough to kill me. Time was either dragging on painfully, or my mind was working ten times as fast as usual (or both), because I had only fallen a single floor by the time these thoughts had run through my head. I saw just below me an open window, though it was too far for me to reach. I closed my eyes, ready for the end, ready to finish the fall and be done with it...

Something slammed into me, hard, and we flew straight through the open window. I collided with the ground hard: winded, but mercifully alive. The thing that had run into me suddenly lifted, standing up and getting off of me. I opened my eyes and rolled over to see, and my breath caught immediately.

Standing over me, facing towards the window, outlined brilliantly in the remaining light, katana still trailing its rainbow light, stood Rainbow Dash.

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty Eight

Manehattan; Apartment Building Floor Four

Rainbow Dash

I skidded to a halt, facing the window of Fluttershy’s guest room once again. I did it. I found her. I saved her. Applejack was safe, and I would be able to bring her home soon.

But first, I had to finish off that idiot cloak guy who had threatened my old friend, my new friend, and my brother. He had a lot to answer for, and I was too pumped now to let him get away. Spinning the katana before me and setting it to rest over my shoulder, once again surprising myself with the speed it was putting out, I ran forward and dove headfirst out the window. I spread my wings quickly and began hovering, looking up to see where he was.

He and Creiddylad shot past me, grappling viciously as they plummeted to the ground. I followed at once, and landed next to Fluttershy’s sister as she caught herself and landed, facing off against the enemy, who had landed across the street. I swung my sword in what would have been fairly unimpressive arcs normally, but now were lightning fast and trailing rainbow light as it passed.

I had to be honest with myself- I had no idea what had just happened any more than anyone else. As soon as my sword connected with that first shadow, I was suddenly moving faster than I thought possible, and my strikes were instant-kill shots to the weak enemies. Then I saw the fight on the other rooftop, and Vi told me that he could handle what was left of them (their spawning had slowed down to a trickle, probably because their summoner was now preoccupied) and told me to go help them. I made it just in time to catch Applejack as she fell, and we flew through the window of Fluttershy’s place, which was luckily wide open.

Now there was nothing stopping me from tearing into him for what he had done, or tried to do. I charged him without a word, and all the speed he had at his disposal would do him no good. I batted away his weapon effortlessly, and delivered strike after strike to him, tearing his cloak to pieces. He began to dodge away, but Creiddylad was on him too, covering his rear and blocking his escape. I continued to haul the weapon forward, often clanging against his golden spear, but more often hitting him or missing entirely.

_______________

Fluttershy

I raced across the hall just in time to see Rainbow Dash fly out the window, sword blazing with multicolored light. Creiddylad had told me to wait in my room, and I was fully aware of how dangerous things had become. The man who had led the thugs yesterday was back, and she was fighting him- that much was clear. The brothers were seemingly engaged as well. I had succumbed to my curiosity when I heard something crash in the other room, though.

Now only another girl was in the room, one with a small axe in hand and messy, sandy blonde hair tied in a ponytail behind her. She turned and faced me now, taking stock of what had happened. “Are... are you Dash’s friend?” I asked her.

“Yeah. Applejack.” She responded, walking over to me. “Why, you know him?”

“We met...” I answered, knowing she had been his friend for much longer. “He came looking for you, and... he ended up saving me. My sister and I let him and his brother stay here last night.”

“He... He came all the way here for me...?” She mumbled to herself. “He was worried about me, too...” She moved over to the window and looked around, eventually looking straight down. “I need to get down there, quick. I’m not about to leave him hanging now.” She separated from the window and ran out of the room, knowing the way already. I followed as quickly as I could.

“I’m going too. I... I don’t know what I’ll be able to do, but...”

“You’re his friend too. An’ any friend of Dash’s is a friend of mine. I don’t mind you coming, but if you can’t fight, try to stay out of the way. This guy ain’t playing around.”

I nodded gratefully, following her out the door and to the stairway.

________________

Rainbow Dash

The figure jumped clear over our heads and landed on the street behind us, panting, swearing. His cloak was ruined, and his simple clothing underneath was now visible. Curiously, his whole body appeared to be covered in feathers, confirmed when he dropped his hood. He had long, dark eyebrows and a small set of spectacles, resting on a beak where his nose would have been. This, coupled with his stance and accent, made it clear he was some kind of owl-human. His dark eyes were alight with anger.

“Enough of this!” He exclaimed, casting his spear to his side. “I refuse to be bested by a bunch of children! The Order will destroy ya-hoo all!” He threw out his other hand, and what could only be described as a vortex of darkness formed at his fingertips, quickly growing to be large enough for him to walk through. He grinned as he stepped towards it...

And stopped short just as he approached, the portal disappearing quickly. Behind him stood Ultraviolet, feathers and jacket settling, broadsword buried in the owl-man’s back. He coughed once, then fell to the ground as my brother’s sword was removed from him. It was a sickening sight, to be sure, but with all my willpower, I couldn’t help but feel a tiny sense of satisfaction to see this maniac brought down. Creiddylad walked over to him, and I followed slowly in her wake, my mystery attack having finally worn off.

He laughed weakly, unable to get himself off the ground. It was clear he was finished. “Well done, children. The great Lucius, one of the most powerful members of The Order, has been slain by a group of four unknown street fighters. You must be... so proud of yourselves.”

“We don’t need your pity, scum.” Vi said venomously. “But now that you’re done for anyway, perhaps you’d be willing to answer my original questions?”

“Heh. Such a naive thought. I owe you nothing. However... I am, at heart, somewhat honorable. Perhaps my actions aren’t the best-guided to your eyes, but I’ve been bested. I’ve nothing left to lose, so perhaps I can do one last thing to make Number One’s life interesting... Fine. Ask away, mighty hero.”

My brother scowled slightly, fed up with this guy, but still in need of answers. “Who is this Order you speak of, and why did you want to capture Fluttershy?”

“Dash too.” Creiddylad added. “He was getting ready to change targets when I got to him. And you said Number One- how many are there, then?”

“The Order... are quite simply the followers of the Goddess, she who created Equestria and watches over it yet... We make up the core of the organization, the most highly trained of the group... There are others, but The Order refers only to the core group of experts who serve her most closely. I am Number Five, if your were curious. But don’t worry-” He said as Vi was about to interject. “I’m not... not the highest standing among them, personal opinion-wise. Someone’ll take my place before too long. No-one’s going to try and avenge my death. You lucked out and picked a fight with the unpopular guy of the group. Now if you’d gone for Two or Three, or pretty much any of the younger ones, you’d be right screwed.”

“And the kids? Why’d you want them?” Creiddylad said, slightly rushed. She could see Lucius’s time on this earth was running short.

“We’ve had a few gaps in membership lately... Number Four went AWOL some years ago, and we still haven’t managed to tracked him down. He took the young Thirteen with him as well... We only left his number open for simplicity’s sake, until we found another who would take it. I heard about the girl’s situation- of how the late Heron Princess imparted her power to her in death, turning her into quite the useful individual. I planned on bringing her back, to take the place of Thirteen, and the rainbow kid struck me as a gifted enough fighter to make a good Fourteen.”

“You say ‘I’... this mission was of your own volition, then, not an order from your superior?” Ultraviolet asked.

“For the most part, Two, Three, Six and I can do whatever we want, so long as it’s not harmful to The Order... Number One doesn’t do much, just remains at base. Sometimes he has a group mission to give, or sometime’s he’ll organize training exercises, but no, he didn’t know about this at all. I’m the only one who knew what was happening here... So no-one else will be after you or the children. All they see is a lack of me, and... I doubt that will be a problem for many.”

I stood at the edge of the small group, listening to the conversation but never saying anything myself. Ultraviolet asked all the questions I had already, and I trusted him to do so anyway. I wasn’t sure if Lucius was trying to garner sympathy with his sob story of having no friends, but he wasn’t getting any from us. After he had finished answering another question, I handed Vi back the katana, and he sheathed it swiftly. I stepped back, but as I turned, I saw two other people on the other side of the street, and one began running towards me.

My heart skipped a beat. In the heat of battle, I had actually only barely registered that I had located Applejack, too caught up in the rage of battle to focus on anything but Lucius. Now that things had calmed down, however, I realized the full implications of that. I had finally found her again. I thought for a moment I would never see her again, but now I had the chance I wanted. I could bring her home and hang out with her like always.

I turned, just enough, and just in time to have the breath chased out of my lungs as she half-tackled, half bear hugged me. I staggered back, regaining my balance, and after a moment put my arms around her as well. I was likely blushing profusely by this point, as I doubted whether I had ever really hugged anyone back before, but it just felt to me like it was what I should do in the situation. We both just stood like that for a while, both half laughing, half crying. Vi would later tell me that this moment was a very close second for cutest thing he’d ever seen.

A ragged cough from back over near the others brought us back to reality, and we turned (still in each other’s arms, mind you) to face the dying owl-man. Creiddylad still looked down upon him, but Vi had turned his back, finished dealing with him.

“One last thing.” Fluttershy’s sister prompted. “The Goddess... you say you serve her. Are you a group who believes in her and follows her guidelines, or-”

“No.” He said, barely audible. “We’re no religion, no cult. We follow her in a more literal sense. While only Discord may do so now, I can say that at one point, I gazed upon her face in person... Our Goddess walks this earth yet.” With that, his head dropped to the cobble below him, lifeless. We all watched with curiosity as his body seemed to evaporate into black smoke, leaving nothing but his spear behind. Frowning, Creiddylad lifted the weapon, and planted it in the grass nearby.

Applejack sniffed next to me, and in a small voice said: “Vi?” He turned to her, a sympathetic smile on his face. “... I wanna go home.”

Chapter Twenty-nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Year 498, EverFree Forest; House of the Hylian

Rainbow Dash

By the time we had finished, Applejack and I were grinning ear to ear, both remembering vividly everything that had happened. “Vi took us both home when morning came. I think he stayed in contact with Creiddylad for a while after that with letters, but I never got a chance to see Fluttershy again, until the Lunar Festival.”

“My sister still lives in Manehattan.” Fluttershy explained quietly. “I moved here two years ago, to be closer to nature, and to just... see more of the world. A few nights after I got here, I found Angel in the woods near my house, all alone, barely alive. I couldn’t stand doing nothing for the poor thing, and I brought him back home, nursed him back to health. By that time he was too attached to me to leave, and he didn’t have anywhere to go... His whole family was lost that day in the woods, and the poor thing was the only one to survive. He’s stayed by my side every day since then, and I couldn’t ask for a better companion. Creiddylad used to visit a lot to make sure I was okay, but I haven’t seen much of her lately... I just got a letter from her the other day, though, and she’s doing fine.”

I took a deep breath, knowing what had to come next. I had to finish my story. They deserved to know the truth. I couldn’t help but wonder, at the back of my mind, how Twilight would take it. It didn’t matter now, though. “Alright.” I said finally. “Well... About a year later, after everything was said and done... I had just finished a combat lesson from Ultraviolet, and I was just kind of wandering around town...”

______________

Year 491, Town Square

I took a bite out of my sandwich idly, not having anything worth rushing for to do. I had just finished another training session with Vi, and the cool fall air was refreshing after an hour of sweating. I still wore the wooden practice sword- modeled in shape and weight after his katana- across my back, and a black cloth jacket underneath the sheath. A single red leaf wafted past on a stray breeze as I ate.

Maybe I’ll see if Applejack wants to practice today. I thought. I think harvest has slowed down by now, so she should be free. Finishing lunch, I stood up from the bench I had been sitting on, and set off lazily towards the Acres. As I walked through the street, I noticed someone in the official Eclipse-Soldier armor standing to the side, and that he had noticed me. I didn’t think much of it- there were soldiers around here from time to time, and there was never much reason to be alarmed by this. He approached me slowly, and I stopped, standing my ground.

“So, you’re the kid I’ve heard about.” He said, and I could detect a certain fake-ness to his words. “The one called Rainbow Dash?” I nodded. “You know, a lot of people were pretty impressed with what you did back at Manehattan last year, but no-one could find you after that. People are calling it the ‘Sonic Rainboom’, for lack of anything else.

“The point is, people have taken notice of your battle ability, and I’ll be honest- I think there’s a place in the royal army for someone like you, once you’ve been fully trained.”

Through all the praise he was sending, I could see his bluff clearly enough. A small warning signal flashed in my mind, but I allowed him to continue. “I’m glad I was able to find you here, though it was mostly luck that did it. Your training could be completed at Eclipse, and you could be one of the most powerful individuals in Equestria, if not the world.”

“I’m already training, and I’ve got an excellent teacher.” I said, trying to skirt around any specifics. “And why are you talking just to me, don’t you usually talk to kid’s parents too with stuff like this?”

“You seem like the kind of person who doesn’t like decisions made for you. I figured you were capable of weighing your own opinions.”

Screw that. He obviously hadn’t met my brother. “Yeah, I’ll think about it. But I’m going to talk to my brother about it, and see what he thinks. He’s awesome enough to know what he’s talking about. I’ll probably just stick to the training I’m getting here, though.”

I attempted to continue on my way, but he threw his arm forward quickly, catching me where I stood. His hand gripped my jacket, and I couldn’t get free. “I never said anything about you choosing anything, kid.” His voice had dropped it’s already weak barrier, and now was hard and venomous. I suddenly had the feeling that something else was behind me. More soldiers? Aw, man... I could maybe take this one, but if there’s more, there’s no way... “Don’t you want to serve Celestia as best you can? To put your skill to use and fight for the throne?”

I tried uselessly to break free. He leaned closer, still speaking, mostly to himself. “You’re a bit old, but I’m sure the Queen has room enough for a third apprentice. Now why don’t you just stay quiet, quit struggling, and-” He stopped suddenly, his grip on my jacket loosening (but not enough for me to break free, I noticed angrily). He let out a short noise of pain, and another voice spoke from behind him.

“You’re doing great, pal.” My brother said clear and loud. “Really playing the part of generic henchman. Kudos to your skill, sir. However, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to get the hell off my brother, or I’ll have to snap your neck.” I looked up, and I could just make out his unmistakable mane of hair whipping to the side in the wind, his hand gripped powerfully around the soldier’s shoulder. He wasn’t kidding- from where he stood, Vi could move his other hand and break his neck in half a second.

“What do you think you’re doing, punk?” The soldier barked. Then an evil smile crossed his face. “And what do you think is going to happen here, if you don’t let go of me? Kill me or not, the Queen will hear of this, and you’ll be destroyed. You’re doomed if you don’t release me. Tell you what- I’ll cut you a deal. Unhand me and let me take this kid to the Queen without any more problems, and I might fail to mention this.”

He grimaced, and I could tell Vi had just tightened his grip. “Here’s a counter proposal for you. Let him go, and I’ll let you live. Sound good? How do you suppose anyone else will know if I kill you now? Your body wouldn’t be that hard to hide. Then where would we be? I’m not giving up my brother to the Queen, not today.”

The two of them remained silent, each daring the other to make the first move. I didn’t dare try to break free again, for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. The tension in the air was palpable, and my head and heart pounded with fear. Then the soldier grimaced and moved his other hand, and I could hear a spell activating. A small light flashed from where my brother stood.

“You’re screwed now, buddy.” My captor spat. “That tracker spell ain’t going anywhere. Every soldier for miles will be on your ass a minute or so from now.” Any further jibes were cut short, along with his back. I stumbled to the ground as I was released, the body landing a foot away from me. I scrambled up just in time for Vi to throw his leather jacket over my head, effectively providing a better hood than the one on my jacket, but leaving me blinded in the process. I was then shoved firmly back behind him.

“Mac. Get him out of here, now. They only have a lock on me, so just get him somewhere safe.”

“And you?” I heard Mac’s voice ask. “You’re not going to just lie down and let them kill you.”

“‘Course not. But this soldier was a clever one- this spell is going off of my own energy, not his. It’s not going out until I drop anyway... Sooner or later, I’m screwed, and you know it. But it’s likely this guy was working solo right now, to try and win favor, so no-one else will know Dash was here. Just get him to safety, I’ll handle things here.”

I was picked up roughly, but didn’t try to resist much. “Don’t get yourself killed.” We began moving without another word, and I could just make out the sounds of combat starting as we rounded the next corner.

_______________

Time crawled by at a painfully slow pace as Applejack and I huddled close together, in the cellar beneath the house at the Acres. We were both scared to death, uncertain of what was going to happen next. Mac, possibly for the first time in his life, had a hard time sitting still, and came close to running outside and to the fight himself- only to stop himself, reassuring himself that he needed to stay and guard me. It took someone who had been around him all their life to tell, but he was really nervous. He had every right to be, though- He and Vi had been friends for most of their lives, and had stuck together after school by forming a two-man mercenary group together, and were a deadly pair on the battlefield.

It didn’t take me long to realize that Applejack had nothing to do with any of this, and didn’t have to hide down here with me. She could have left at any time and got along with her business- but she didn’t. She stayed by me the whole time, throughout the whole ordeal, doing anything she could to ease the burden on my shoulders. It wasn’t until much later that I realized how grateful I truly was for her presence.

Things began to calm down a bit after that afternoon- I still stayed at the house with the others, but I was able to move about the Acres freely now. There wasn’t much pretense going on- I knew that I was here partly just to be kept safe, but I could tell the real reason I wasn’t at my own home was because no-one else would be there. Something had happened to Ultraviolet. To try and take our minds off things, Applejack and I would go down to the old clubhouse as often as we could, and little Applebloom- only four years old at the time- tagged along once or twice. We killed time by ‘fortifying’ the hideaway with barriers of rocks, sticks- whatever we could find.

About a week passed like this. I had no way of knowing what was going on outside the Acres, and I was somewhat apprehensive to find out. I wanted to find out what had happened to my brother, sure, but I was inwardly terrified of what I would find. I remember clearly the night before the climax- Applejack and I stayed all night at the clubhouse, and no-one stopped us this time. It was a particularly cold night, and we huddled close together underneath a pile of blankets in the corner. As with the calm before the storm, I slept for once free of nightmares, her presence next to me seeming to ward them away.

In the morning, the world seemed still, the wind dead, the crunch of leaves the only sound to break the deafening silence. We snuck out of the clubhouse, the farm altogether, and followed Mac into town. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to stop me from doing that.

__________________

“... For the crimes of high treason, multiple charges of murder, opposition of royal forces, and conspiring against the Queen, the prisoner stands sentenced to death.”

The large crowd was silent, but I could feel emotion overwhelming- rage and sorrow chief among them. The only sound that reached their ears was the echoes of a single drummer- playing his simple, cursed melody. Everyone stood facing the troop of soldiers assembled at the fringe of the town square, backs to the wooden platform assembled the day before. Atop it stood three figures- two tall, grey suited warriors, ornamental spears to their sides, taciturn as things proceeded.

Between them, clad in her unmistakable gleaming white armor, standing enigmatically with blade drawn before her, stood Celestia.

As I watched in horror, unable to wrench my gaze away from what was happening, a fourth person was led up the wooden steps begrudgingly, guided by another royal soldier. His long hair was too tangled and messy to flow elegantly in the nonexistent breeze, and only the blindfold now tied tightly around his eyes was as black as his shirt once was. Obvious bruises and scars could be seen on his arms and face, but even now he walked upright, striding slowly but purposefully towards his fate. His arms were tied behind him, and wings tied to his back.

Mac’s powerful grip stopped me and Applejack from running to him, but one look at his face showed that he was barely restraining himself. I almost started- neither of us had seen Mac get behind us, and we thought he hadn’t seen us either. I was a bit preoccupied to care much, however.

Ultraviolet turned slowly to face the crowd, though he was blind to their silent expressions. He stared ahead calmly, showing no sings of fear or regret, only calm resignation to his fate.

Celestia moved forward slightly, her sword reflecting the weak rays of the sun. “Have you any last words?” She said clearly, addressing my brother.

He looked up slightly, seeming to think for a moment, then gave a long, broken laugh. His voice cracked slightly, as he recovered himself and began to speak. “You think this’ll be it, Celestia? You think killing me is going to solve anything? Is it so much of a stretch to think that maybe killing me isn’t going to make everyone see their place, but rather fan the flames of hatred against you?”

Then things got crazy (as though they weren’t before). Celestia swung her weapon hard, clearly meaning to finish him, but with a powerful leap, he cleared the blade completely, coming to a rough landing on the stage. “You’re finished, Celestia! The people have long been awakening to the truth of your tyranny, and with this last action, the whole world will be ready to see you dead! Whatever you used to be is gone, and we’re sick of working under your iron grip! Your reign is coming to its end, you see, and it won’t be long before you see it for yourself!”

Then her sword was behind her, began arcing over her head in slow motion, and...

_______________

Year 498

EverFree Forest; House of the Hylian

I finally choked, unable to continue. Tears rose to the surface unbidden, and I was forced to fall back to my seat. Applejack was next to me, arm around me sympathetically, and it was all I could do not to throw myself at her and just bawl my eyes out. I was still in public, and had still retained some of my dignity. I couldn’t bring myself to finish, but I don’t think it was necessary anyway. Their silence told me they all got the message.

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

EverFree Forest; House of the Hylian

Twilight

Oh my... Twilight thought, surprise and guilt competing for attention in her mind. So that’s it... that’s why he was so violent against Celestia. Oh man, I feel terrible now. Poor guy... I know Celestia does have to do executions from time to time, but... I never would have thought it would have been like that...

She had a hard time keeping her thoughts in order- she of course believed everything Rainbow Dash had said, as he wouldn’t still be composing himself if he was lying. He wasn’t that good an actor. But she was raised her whole life by the queen, and she still found it difficult to see from his point of view completely.

“That night was when Mac made his vow, his promise to Vi.” Applejack picked up solemnly. “He swore he would never lift a weapon again, unless it was to protect his loved ones, ‘cause the two of them had a perfect sync fighting style set up, and to change it felt like he was betraying Vi’s memory. He found the Demon Sword about a month later and redoubled his promise- that he would fight with all the rage and power at his disposal to make sure no-one else had to share his fate... I hate to say it, but he’s never been the same since that day. He still loves and protects us with his life, but he’s changed. I haven’t seen a real smile cross his face in years...”

Fifteen or so minutes passed while everyone let the story, as well as a fresh helping of stew, soak in. Twilight was still struggling with her thoughts, and Phil moved over next to her and patted her shoulder sympathetically. “You okay?” He asked.

She shook her head to clear it. “Yeah, I’m alright. Just have a lot to think about.” She gave him a weak smile and turned back the the bowl in her lap. What would I have done in his situation, if I had lost Phil or Spike like that...? I know Dash can’t have held up too well, but it’s probably better than I would have. Of course... I think Phil would have fit AJ’s role in that story better... No one seemed to notice as she blushed ever so slightly at the thought.

Dash, having recovered, motioned that his story was finished. Xekroa now spoke. “Exactly what I was aiming for with this. By bringing these memories to bear today, you pave the way for everyone here to be tied into the next chapter of your stories. You may feel weakened at first, but you’ll walk away stronger than ever, mark my words. Now... Who’s next?”

Once again, no-one jumped to begin. No-one seemed exactly eager to walk down a painful road again like Dash had. Twilight knew that her ‘group’s’ turn would be soon anyway; with Spike, Trixie, and Phil a part of the overall story, that only left Rarity and Pinky besides them. She looked to each of her companions in turn, and each nodded back. Spike stood before anyone else.

“I suppose the four of us are up.” He said, not entirely disappointedly. “I guess I should start, since my part begins before any of these kids can remember. Alright, let’s see... Well, like any great storyteller, I think I’ll start by flashing back to my navy days.”

________________

Year 482

Unknown Waters; HMS Dragon’s Fang

Spike

I swung into the quarters and onto my hammock wearily, feeling soaked to the bone. It was positively dumping outside, and while it was fortunately not enough to be an actual threat to the ship, it still made managing it extremely uncomfortable. Luckily, night had fallen and most of my work for the night had been finished, so I was able to just lie in my bunk for a while.

In the center of the room was a medium-sized wooden table, affixed firmly to the floorboards so as to not go and move every time we hit a wave. At the table sat Fafnir- seven years my junior (though of course in Goldoan, that was about the equivalent of a month) and the only one on the ship close to my age. He wore a dark grey leather vest and white bandana identical to my own, though the similarities ended there. His green hair was cropped short, save for an uncut strand that hung at the front of his right shoulder, and mostly covered by his headwear; while my violet hair fell long past my shoulders in its single braid, leaving the bandana little more than an accessory.

He leaned far back on his barrel chair, balancing himself by kicking his legs up on the table. He shuffled a deck of cards idly, and spoke without turning away from them. “‘ey, Spike. You finished for the night?”

“Yeah.” I said, stretching out my arms. “I was just about to turn in.”

“Think you could last for a quick game, then?” He turned to me, holding up the cards. “Only other person who’ll play these days is Faslot, and I don’t feel like having my butt handed to me again.”

I agreed and took a seat across from him, collecting my hand of cards. Faslot, his older brother, was one of the senior officers on the ship of fifteen crew members, and had taught Fafnir most everything he knew: about combat, cards, and overall coolness. While most of the crew had adopted a sword or knives as a weapon (being on strict orders to keep transformation to a minimum on this mission), the two of them had gone to spears- Faslot had learned to use the heaviest one he could find, while Fafnir used a lighter, double-ended one as his main weapon.

He had also created a set of large throwing dart-like spears, with a leather sling affixed to his arm. The sling would recoil as soon as he threw the dart, easily doubling the distance they could be thrown. The darts were simple to make, so he only kept a quiver of ten with him at any time. I hadn’t been as resourceful as him when choosing- Instead, I trained hard and became proficient with a pair of large, curved steel knives.

As we whittled the time away with the card game, my thoughts began to drift to home, and our reasons for being so far from it. In recent years, multiple people of unknown origin and power began to wash up on the shores of Crimea, Gallia, and a few at Goldoa. From those who survived the trip, a picture of another continent far across the sea began to be painted- a real curiosity, because according to legend, Tellius was the only continent to survive a great flood over a thousand years ago, and until that point there hadn’t been any evidence otherwise.

However, these people- referring to themselves as Children of Earth (identical to an average Beorc in every way), Children of Fire (identical to a Beorc mage for the most part), and Children of Air (humans with more powerful wings than any Laguz, having singular control over wind-based magic, though lacking any transformative abilities)- told another story. Apparently the three races lived in harmony on the small continent, and there hadn’t been any major conflict between any of the races specifically in their history.

I personally looked upon this with a bit of skepticism. I’d figured out long ago that most all humans, regardless of race or origin, would find a will and a way to fight each other. It was simply human nature to strive to be better than one’s peers in one way or another, then prove it- and while I did admit that exceptions did exist, sometimes even in numbers, a whole country couldn’t be made up entirely of them. Thinking this, I was forced to the conclusion that some other conflict had kept them distracted from warring over their differences. Perhaps a more territorial conflict, or a power struggle for the throne, which we learned early on was controlled by the Queen Celestia.

Our own King Kurthnaga had also become interested in this mysterious new land, as had the Gallian and Crimean thrones, and it had been agreed that a group of Goldoans would act as a diplomatic party to contact the Queen. It was a tough decision- with the Dragon Tribes having such a long lifespan, and such a crippled population after the Goddess War eight-hundred years prior, our people were still rather few. Even only taking away the fifteen necessary for the voyage left a noticeable gap in our standing forces- but it was also true that the only people to come from the new land were survivors of ships gone far off course and wrecked, and as far as we knew the sailing conditions were quite rough. For this, none were suited better for the job than the highly resilient and immovable Dragons.

The decision was made, and fifteen of us were selected (or volunteered, in a few of our cases) to make the long trek. We agreed early on to only transform if absolutely necessary, or if the Queen alone requested a demonstration. As such, we had all been allotted two solid months for training- some of us had to use some of the time to become accustomed to the ins-and-outs of the vessel we would be taking, but most devoted the whole time to finding alternate ways of fighting. As I stated, I had picked up knives, Fafnir and Faslot had gone for spears, and most of the others had learned swordsmanship, with the exception of one axeman.

Several other members of the crew had come down to the quarters, all in varying degrees of soaked-ness. Apparently the rain had let up slightly since earlier, but it was still clearly raining. I played one more hand, essentially finishing off Fafnir, and decided to call it a night. As could be expected, I had just gotten comfortable when Faslot chose to descend and call on me.

He walked over to my hammock and made a move to bump me out from below, but I had already dodge-roll-jumped out on the other side before he had a chance. Luckily for me, fast was something he was not.

“Need something?” I asked casually, as though nothing had happened.

He let a shadow of a smile cross his face, his way of acknowledging a good move. “Yeah. Captain needs to talk to you about something. Says it isn’t urgent, but just to come up when you get a minute.” I nodded and made my way to the exit. I had figured out the captain’s way of doing things by now, too- he said to come whenever it was convenient, but I guessed he actually wanted to see me as soon as possible.

I emerged onto the deck, turning my head down slightly. A few lanterns were still lit around the ship- one up at the crows nest, where a bulky form was just visible under a tarp strung up above him- and two each at the doors to the crew’s accommodations and  captain’s quarters. I wasted no time in getting to the captains quarters, taking a seat across from Captain Irath upon being prompted to do so.

“What’s up?” I felt it safe to ask, seeing the easy expression behind his well-kept beard. The rest of his hair had also been cut short, and he still wore his white bandana as well (around half of us had lost or discarded the standard-issue bandana by now).

“Spike.” He said, his voice low but reasonable. “My thanks for arriving so quickly. I just wanted to ask your opinion on a few things.”

“Certainly.” I responded in turn. It was always a game with him, figuring out what would be suitably proper, yet not overly fancy, to say. “Why my opinions in particular?”

“You’re a bright young man, no other reason. I already got Faslot’s say on these things, but I feel a younger outlook might be handy to have. So...” He folded his fingers as he posed his question. “By our estimate, we should be drawing near to this ‘Equestria’- two or three days time should see us there. I have to ask- are you worried of what we’ll find? Have you any thought as to what we may encounter when we arrive?”

I sighed ever so slightly, not impatiently, but thoughtfully. “I’ve given it some thought, yes. It’s too early to make any conclusions, to be sure. From what we could gather from the castaways, it seems like we’re dealing with a fairly mild-mannered people- but the word of mouth from ten or so people isn’t really much to go on. I did do a bit of reasoning, however- since the three races of this place seem to not be at each other’s throats, and there’s only been one grand territory for several hundred years, it makes me wonder how they’ve managed to live in harmony for so long. Only thing I can think of is... they’re being kept busy by something else to fight each other.”

“An outside threat?” Irath asked, intrigued.

“Or an inside one.” I offered.

“You doubt the Queen’s intent, then.” The ship rocked slightly, and I passed it off as a larger wave.

“Like I said, I think it’s too early to tell. But I think it’s a good idea to keep our minds, and options, open- at least until we have a better idea of what’s going on. Perhaps neither side is truly in the wrong, perhaps it is in fact an outside force- or perhaps they actually have achieved harmony. There’s just too much we don’t know to make any well-founded judgement yet.”

He nodded knowingly. “Wise words, young one.” Whatever he was about to say next was cut short by a cry from outside, echoing around the whole ship.

“We’ve got another ship approaching, Captain!”

Chapter Thirty-one

Chapter Thirty One

Unknown Waters; HMS Dragon’s Fang

Spike

With one look, the two of us sprang from our seats and rushed out the door to the decks. I felt my twin daggers bumping against my sides reassuringly, and I didn’t need to look to tell that Irath had grabbed the heavy steel blade from the wall behind him. We hadn’t encountered a single ship on our journey yet, and with this one apparently approaching us, things were sure to get interesting. We’ll try to avoid combat, if they even intend on meeting us, of course- but it never hurt to have a bit of insurance.

The lookout that had called for us in the first place- the very same that had been laying around in the crows nest a few minutes previously, now stood on deck with us, peering into the distance with his looking glass. It would be hard to mistake him for anyone else: Fenrir- powerfully built (though a bit on the short side), with an untamable mane of blazing-red hair and matching beard; large twin axes hung from his back, and would jump easily to his muscular hands. He never had much trouble getting into the seafaring spirit of things- he was a berserker through and through, and an ever present bottle of rum would leave no question in any stranger’s mind that he was a pirate.

He removed the spyglass from his eye and nodded to us. “I been watching ‘em for a while now, not sure of their intent. No question about it- they been following us, and their starting to catch up. Dunno what they want, though.”

“Their sails?” Irath inquired.

“Blank, captain. Either they’re incognito, or pirates. Either way, I think we ought’a be on guard.”

“...Very well. Rouse the others- tell them to bring their weapons, but leave them hidden against the railings. We’ll lower the sails and allow them to overtake us, at least until we discover their true intent.”

Fenrir and I both saluted quickly and made our way swiftly to the cabins. Soon the captain’s orders were carried out, and the whole crew of fifteen stood on deck as the second ship approached. I was soon able to make out the vessel- it appeared to be lower to the water than ours, but longer to make up for it. It was alive with activity- even from here I could see several lights on deck and in windows, as well as a few suggestions of lanterns milling about along the length of the boat.

Fafnir stood next to me anxiously, absently adjusting his leather sling on his right arm(a nervous habit of his). While all the darts and his spear were against the railing, as they were ordered to be, the sling looked mostly like an odd but unthreatening glove and was innocent enough by itself to stay. “What do you think this is about?”

“Hard to tell.” I said, folding my arms. “We really don’t know where exactly the mainland is, so we can’t say it’s too far for them to be traders. But there’s the matter of their blank sails, and there’s no sense in coming at us if they’re trying to be inconspicuous. It’s starting to seem more and more likely they’re pirates, in all honesty.”

He made no response, but I could tell he was tensing up for combat, should it come to it. Soon the other ship alighted with ours, stopping short as it reached us. They made no attempt to board, nor did we see any cannons visible. A tall silhouette approached their railings and waved at us friendlily. Another figure moved next to him carrying a lantern, and we were able to make out the barest details of the two- their clothes seemed clean enough, and while neither looked like he had shaved for a few days, they were far from dirty-looking.

“Ahoy, travelers!” He called good-naturedly. “You’re a bit far from land, mate. Catch a foul wind?”

“Aye.” Irath responded, identifying himself as the captain. “ ‘S a bit hard to get our bearings out here, and in such darkness.”

I could see what the captain was doing- he could tell these men were bluffing to some degree or another, and so he did the same. Until we learned their true motives, there was no need for them to know ours. He continued: “And you? What brings you to these waters?”

“Ah, we’re just making our way back from a bit of a trading expedition- an offshore storage for another company, you see.” Fafnir tugged at my shirt slightly, but I shrugged him off, focusing wholly on the conversation. “We’re sailors for hire, we are. Doing a bit of work for one of the noble houses. Now, if it’s not too troublesome to ask... what might you and your men be doing out here? I’ve never seen your vessel before, or indeed any like it.”

“Well... Tell me, good sir, have you ever been to the land of Tellius?”

“Tellius?... No, I can’t say I’ve even heard of such a land.” Whatever he was about to say next was cut short by Fafnir.

“Excuse me, but... what is that?” Silence. He cupped his hand to his ear to motion that we were meant to be hearing something, though all I could hear was the sound of the waves between the two great wooden craft.

“I hear... Crying. The weak cries of a small infant.” He said, only just loud enough for the sound to carry over to the other ship.

For a moment, I fancied that the other captain stiffened slightly, though it was well within reason that I imagined it. He cupped his own hand to his ear, though after a moment shrugged. “You sure? I’m not hearing anything.”

He attempted to pick up where he left off, but now that I was looking for it, I began to hear the faintest hint of a cry as well, and I could sense I wasn’t the only one. Soon the man was interrupted again. This time it was by Faslot, who-while never one to jump to an agreement with his brother- was always one to call out his enemies on something. “I’m sure I hear a baby’s cry. And if I’m judging correctly... It seems to be coming from your ship, possibly in the under-decks.”

Their captain gave an involuntary, and just noticeable, shift in posture, but recovered quickly. “Are you sure it’s not a trick of the waves between our vessels? I’ve heard stranger sounds mistakenly heard in the situation.”

“So he’s sticking to the story that there is no child on board... A folly, to be sure.” I muttered. Fafnir nodded curtly, catching my meaning.

“At any rate,” Irath started, driving the conversation back in our direction, though he was clearly not oblivious to the noise. “We were on our way, on a diplomatic mission of sorts, and need to find our way to the shores of Equestria. If you were on your way back, perhaps we could procure you as an escort, and you could guide us?” It was obvious this wasn’t really what Irath wanted, but I didn’t have enough time to piece together what he was doing.

“You’re diplomats, eh?” He leaned over to receive some quick message from the first sailor to join him (several others had made their way up to decks by now, and were watching us with growing interest), then returned to his original position. This had become a game of bluffs, and both sides knew it. “Well, by all means, I’m sure we could arrange something. You two- lower the gangplank. I’ll be over in just a moment-”

“I’m afraid we don’t have much of a meeting space on our vessel.” Irath interrupted. “It’d be better if I were to come over there.” His intent dawned on me- he wanted to get closer and find the source of the still-present noise.

The other captain stopped for a moment, seemingly unsure. He turned his head to listen to another crew-mate, and for the first time, I noticed an indistinct shape behind him- it could have been a person, but it was too dark to make it out. “Well... as we said, we’re on a return journey for a trading job. Our ship’s full to the brim as is- you know, perhaps an escort isn’t that great an idea right now...”

“He’s trying to back out.” Fafnir said, stating the obvious. Whoever he had listened to a moment ago seemed to have pushed his mind in a different direction. “We need to make our move soon.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused. As far as I could tell, there wasn’t a move that needed our immediate attention. Curiosity, maybe, but it wasn’t really our business, was it?

“Don’t tell me you don’t feel it. There’s something in there. Or someone, or whatever- but I really feel like we need to figure it out before it’s too late.”

I shook my head, exasperated. Fafnir always acted like he knew more than he should- like he was more connected to the world than others, and he could tell when something bad or important was about to happen. A few times he had turned out to be right- though those were on counts of dumb luck or an already obvious factor. At least half the time, though, his premonitions were completely unfounded.

“So you’re certain there can be no negotiations?” Irath said. I couldn’t imagine what his next move would be, or if we’d try to force our way on board. The gangplank had been stopped as it reached their railings, and didn’t appear to be moving.

Faslot, breaking away from a side conversation Fafnir had brought him into, grabbed another crew member. “C’mon.” He whispered. “We’re gonna sneak our gangplank over- quick, now. Don’t know how much time we got left.”

“I’m afraid not, mates.” Their captain said. “My apologies for confusing you in the first place. Well, my mates and I really ought to be going, so...”

He trailed off as everyone turned to look above the two vessels, where something was happening. A small core of light had formed there, and was growing before our eyes. I could trace a tiny thread of energy to the hull of their ship, and guessed whoever was casting the spell was there. It became larger and began to fluctuate, loosing it’s stability as it was stretched. The two ships were illuminated brilliantly, and I could make out the stunned, angry, and wide-eyed expressions of every sailor on the opposite deck.

All except the one standing behind the captain, arms crossed, black cloak shrouding his face.

And just like that, the core burst, flakes of light shooting this way and that before they went out. I could barely make it out now that my night vision had been ruined, but the captain turned to us and, in a decidedly hostile tone, said: “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to set sail away from here, mates.”

Chapter Thirty-two

Chapter Thirty Two

Unknown Waters; HMS Dragon’s Fang & HMS Longsword

Spike

“Well?” He said, growing impatient. “Last chance. Get going, or we’ll have to send you off in a somewhat more... unfavorable direction.” At this, I became painfully aware of several cannons mounted at various places on deck and in windows below decks.

None of us moved. Retreat wasn’t an option any longer- we knew that Fafnir had been right, and something in that ship needed to be re-appropriated. Just as the captain was preparing to order his men, another shape landed between him and the hooded figure, putting him in a powerful headlock.

“Here’s another offer for ya.” Fenrir said between clenched teeth. I had to wonder how he managed to get over there without anyone noticing. “You tell all your men to drop their weapons, and take us to the kid down below. Don’t be mistaking us, mate, our guys are more than capable of taking down yours.”

In response, the captain spat defiantly, then screamed one word to his men:

“Fire!”

A deafening series of blasts erupted from their ship, and before the rest of us could get to our battle stations, the Dragon’s Fang was ripped to pieces. I stumbled, then scrambled for the railings to retrieve my knives. All pretense of our own peaceful intentions were gone, and I planned to get over there and stop what was left of our ship from taking more damage. In a blur of movement, Fafnir rushed past me, scooped up his weapons, and launched himself at the enemy ship with a powerful jump. He grabbed ahold of their railings and pulled himself up, already batting away blades with his spear.

I stood and moved aside as our gangplank was thrown across the gap, Faslot leading a small charge. Luckily, Fenrir’s first move in the fight had caused chaos to erupt over on their ship as well, and no-one had a change to disengage their ship from ours. Most of the rest of our men had already rushed across to overtake their crew, and only Irath and I now remained on the Dragon’s Fang. He stood where he had before, sword drawn, though made no move to attack.

“Captain!” I called, moving to his side. “We have to move! Their crew is much bigger than ours, and they could well be preparing another volley! We’ll have to overtake their ship if we’re to have a chance.”

He turned to me. “And abandon ours? We’ve lost much of our vessel, and it’s likely we won’t be bringing her back. Would you have me leave my honor with her broken planks?”

My fist clenched. Him and his pesky honor... I know he wants to remain an honorable warrior, but it’s going to get him killed one of these days. “It’s not over yet, captain.” I lied. “We can still save her if we prevent any more damage. But they’ll just try harder if there’s anyone left on board.” Seeing the logic, he nodded reluctantly and joined me in charging to the opposite ship.

All around us was utter chaos. Swords clashed, blood spilled. I clenched my knives and looked around for a target to disable (I hoped to leave a few alive for interrogation, if not just to avoid taking lives needlessly), but saw none of the others unengaged already. That is, until my sights settled to the figure standing alone at the head of the ship.

It was the same black-cloaked individual I had seen before, and at this distance I was able to make him out more clearly. While none of his features were visible like this, I could see that he was rather tall and bulky- I could tell he packed some muscle beneath his cloak. I could see no weapons about him, though.

I charged at him, though I was slightly apprehensive. He showed no alarm or emotion about the bloodbath around him, and only looked on with mild interest. Upon seeing me approach, he cocked his head to the side slightly, unfolding his arms. Finally, upon reaching him, I just stopped, suitably intimidated by his calm inaction.

“A party of people from far away, all the way out here.” He spoke in a deep, smooth voice. “And by the looks of you... you’re Goldoan, the lot of you. So this must be what Four meant, flames of war would hinder my mission... Still don’t understand why he couldn’t just say that.”

“And you?” I barked, turning slightly to make a smaller target, and settled into my battle stance. “First you’re traders, now it’s clear you’re trained warriors. What is your purpose here? And what are you hiding?”

He chuckled disconcertingly. “The people you refer to- the sailors here- are nothing more than small-time pirates, who had a stroke of luck in a raid. Even more lucky than the prize itself, their action attracted my attention immediately, and I found myself serving them for a time, in exchange for its transfer to me. I- you see- am worth much more than any of them, and they wouldn’t have gotten half as far with their prize were it not for my guidance.”

“So they bought you.” I said. “What is it they have that you want? Perhaps we can make another deal.”

“Hmph. What they took isn’t the object I seek, but a way to it. And I see no sense in changing sides, when...” He rolled his head around once, giving off a slight crack, “when I can merely take my prize and go. They failed their end of the bargain, but I’ll still have my payment for holding up mine.”

As neutral as he seemed to be remaining with his words, I couldn’t think of him as anything but an enemy. Dark intentions, anger, hate, deceit- I could just feel all of these things emanating from him. No doubt about it- this man was not one to be trusted. “What is it you’re taking?!” I repeated.

“A prisoner, if you must know. Now, boy. I know you hold no allegiance to me, but neither do you to the men who owe me. Surely you should see it best to remain neutral in this conflict, one that ought not to have concerned you in the first place?”

“No, I don’t.” I ventured. “It may be the majority opinion of Goldoa to remain neutral, sure- but that’s just it. The fifteen of us were selected specifically for not having that mindset. I know darkness when I see it, and I don’t plan to just sit by and let it have its way.”

He sighed, then raised his arms from his sides slowly. “So that’s your final word on the subject? You’re going to try and stop me form collecting my target just because I spook you, even when you’re ignorant of all other factors?”

I flashed him a dark smile. “If what you were doing was right, you would have defended yourself by now.”

He grunted, clearly finished with the conversation, and two katanas jumped to his hands, seemingly from beneath his cloak. With a snap of his wrists they jumped to life- each cackled with energy, one a pale blue, one pink. Without another word he launched himself at me, and I had to work fast to deflect his whirling blades.

For his bulk, he moved with surprising speed and grace, and I had to stay at a distance to parry his hits with my shorter weapons. The lightning-fast movement of the bright, colorful blades only added to the confusion and chaos of the battle. He spun backwards and slashed horizontally with both blades, and I was forced to stumble back to avoid them. All of a sudden, he backed up, then leapt clear over me and onto the decks.

The battle had run its course by now. Despite our best efforts, and the fact that very few- if any- of the pirates remained alive, at least two more volleys of cannonballs had been shot off, and the Dragon’s Fang was just barely staying afloat.

My opponent looked around, several other Goldoans leveling weapons in his direction. He raised his arms slightly in defeat. “Well played, dragons, well played. I would have liked for this skirmish to go in a different direction- it was quite the artifact I had my eyes on, too. But I’m not stupid. One or two, yes, but I’m not about to take on ten Goldoan dragons all on my lonesome. Might have been a good prize, but it’s not that valuable. Ta-ta then, mateys. Have fun with your new toys.”

With a flourish of his arms, he planted his hands on the deck, and a strange dark energy enveloped him. In a moment it was gone, as was he. I released a pent up breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, and vaulted over the rail to the lower deck to join the others. Everyone seemed to walk in a daze, getting wounds patched up or moving the limp bodies of the pirates to the side. While we had won the battle, I saw that the pirates weren’t defenseless themselves, and had done a lot of damage to several of us.

I moved over to Fafnir, who was leaning on the edge of the ship, a forlorn expression on his face, stray droplets from the waves below washing away the sweat from his forehead. He made no indication that he had seen me approach, but spoke as I came up next to him.

“... We lost two men today.” I respectfully said nothing, unable to think of a good response. “... Faslot... He was one of them.”

At this, I had to admit I was surprised. Faslot was a great fighter, and I wouldn’t have thought any old Beorc could take him down easily. To think such a solid fighter and clear-thinking friend was gone... “I’m sorry...” was all I could think to say.

Fafnir looked up to the black night sky, eyes not resting on anything in particular. “He took on the captain, plus two or three other crewmen all by himself... He took ‘em all down with him, at least.” His head leveled again, then he shook it as though waking from a daze. “No. He wouldn’t want us to spend too much time moping about his death. He’d tell us to get back on our feet and finish the job at hand, and mourn later.”

I nodded, glad to see him recovering himself. Fafnir was never one to get too upset about anything, and it was always strange to see him down in the dumps like that. “He won’t be forgotten, I can tell you that.”

He nodded, giving me a thankful smile. “Hey, you wanna go see what that crying was all about? Whatever it was, they sure were keen to guard it. C’mon, let’s go investigate.”

Chapter Thirty-three

Chapter Thirty Three

Unknown Waters; HMS Longsword

Spike

The two of us made our way down to the under decks, but saw no sign of any prisoner. The layout of the ship was entirely different from our own, though the most basic things were the same. It took us a minute to figure out where everything was, but soon we had a general idea of the under decks sketched out in our minds.

“Could be in the hull.” Fafnir pointed out, and I nodded. We walked over to the back of the vessel, where a hatch in the floorboards led down to the space below. I swung it open and hopped down, and had to squint to try and see in the darkness. From what I could see from the torchlight in the room above, there wasn’t much of anything down here, though a few boxes could be seen just on the edge of the halo of light. I could tell that the darkness across the hull held more secrets though.

As I looked around, a shaky female voice reached me from the shadows. “Wh- who are you? You’re not one of them, are you?”

“The pirates?” I guessed. “Nah. They tried to take us on, we killed ‘em. Looks like we’re getting a new ship out of the deal, too. You’re their prisoner?”

I could hear a chain jangling as she stood. “Y-yes! Please, you’ve got to get us out of here! I beg you, neither of us can last much longer like this!”

“We? Who else is back there? Agh, Fafnir, get me a torch, will you? I can’t see a thing.”

“My child. They took us both, and have only been giving us just enough to keep us alive for the return journey, but... She needs help soon.”

So that’s where the crying from earlier came from. Must be a pretty small kid. I thought, Fafnir appearing at my side with a bright, newly-lit torch. By its illumination, I was able to confirm that more loot was stored near the back, plus I could get a better look at the person I was talking to. She looked like she had once been rather fancy looking- her lighter violet hair still showed signs of having been done up recently, though now was becoming more and more messy. Her clothes had lost some of their color, though it was clear they were once an expensive set. A single chain kept her where she was by the ankle.

Cradled in her arms was a tiny girl, who couldn’t have been more than a single year of age (going by Beorc standards, of course). A tuft of violet hair sat upon her head, darker than her mother’s. At the moment, she appeared to have fallen asleep.

“Let’s get them out of here. Fafnir, we need to find the keys to that chain tying her to the wall.”

“No we don’t.” He said, pulling a lock pick from his boot and walking over to them, setting fast to work on the lock. “So, who are you, then? Why’d they take you prisoner?”

“I’m... I’m a member of the noble house Icarus back at Equestria. My daughter and I were on a voyage to another part of the country by sea, as it’s easier traveling than trying to get through the wilderness between. But our ship was attacked, and the rest of our crew was stranded or killed. They recognized me- and by extension, her- and took us prisoner, hoping to be able to get a ransom for our return.”

“Done.” Fafnir said, the ankle lock clanging satisfyingly to the ground. He stowed the pick back where he got it. “Well, you won’t need to worry with us, ma’am. We’re on a diplomatic mission for our King, and all we need to do is get to Equestria. And wouldn’t you believe, we’ve got some extra rations now, thanks to those pirates. We’ll get you home.”

“Oh, bless you all.” She breathed, giving a slight bow. “I am forever in your debt.”

“Let’s take a look at the kid, then.” I said, walking over to them.

“I think she’s gotten sick, but she hasn’t had it long.” She offered quietly.

“Yeah, doesn’t appear too serious, if we get it taken care of right away.” Fafnir said. “If any of the Olivi Grass med’s made it after all that cannon fire, that should do the trick. C’mon, let’s get up there, quick.”

_______________

“Is this what we’ve been driven to?” Irath complained. “Are we to arrive on a diplomatic mission in a pirated vessel?”

“We’re to arrive, captain.” Fenrir said, putting the situation into simple perspective. “The Dragon’s Fang ain’t going nowhere in the shape she’s in. ‘Sides, they prob’ly stole this ship from someone themselves- we’ll just return her, aye? I say we just get what we need off the Dragon’s Fang, then finish the voyage in this.”

Irath sighed thoughtfully, then spoke again. “I suppose there’s nothing that can be done for it... Very well. Three of you head over to the Dragon’s Fang and retrieve what you can- rations, ammunition, valuables- anything that made it through the attack. Be cautious, though- She can’t be very stable any longer. When you’re finished... Bring the bodies across. Put the pirates in the under decks, our two lost at the mast. When it’s cleared out, it will have to serve as a funeral pyre. The rest of you, let’s see what this new ship has to offer. See if there’s any navigation equipment on board, perhaps we can figure out how far from Equestria we are at this point.”

“I’m headed over.” Fafnir said, moving over to the gang plank. “We need to see if there’s any med’s left for the pirate’s prisoners. C’mon you two, let’s move.” He motioned for two others to join him, and they soon disappeared into the now sorry-looking vessel.

Our ex-prisoner walked up behind us, her hair obtaining a strange ghostly hue in the pale blue moonlight. Her child squirmed in her arms, sleeping fitfully. “You are the captain of these men?” She asked Irath kindly.

“Aye.” He responded, turning to face her. “Captain Irath, at your service. You were their captive, I presume?”

“Cybel. It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”

Irath smiled. “The pleasure’s all mine. Fear not, we’ll see you two to land safely.”

______________

“That’s the lot of it.” Fafnir reported an hour later. “Most of the gunpowder either went up or got soaked, and as we haven’t found a single speck of it on board this ship, let’s just hope we don’t run into any more trouble, eh? The food came out pretty well, for the most part, and we’ve got more than enough medicine for the two ladies.”

Curiously, as Fafnir had said, we found not a trace of gunpowder having ever been on board- instead, we found inside the cannons small translucent spheres, thrumming with magical energy. It seemed that by pulling a rope at the end of their cannons, the spheres were broken, and the explosion of magic energy was what propelled the cannonballs. It seemed most of the technology used by these pirates was magic based, to some degree.

Irath nodded impassively. “We could be worse off. Thank you, Fafnir.”

“The rum?” Fenrir inquired from a bit further away, where he sat casually on the railings.

Fafnir shook his head. “Sorry, but it looks like the rum is gone.” Fenrir shook his own head in mock dismay, and muttered to himself: “Why’s the rum always gone...?”. Fafnir turned away from him. “The Dragon’s Fang is ready for the funeral pyre. Whenever you’re ready, captain.”

Soon our new vessel- the Longsword- detached itself from the wreckage of the Dragon’s Fang, and Irath stepped forward to the port side where it drifted. With a determined sigh, he slammed together his fists and threw his arms back, becoming enveloped in a strange gleaming black-silver light. When it faded, a huge orange dragon floated on leathery wings in his place. Beside me, I could see Cybel flinch, and her child began to cry in fear. I didn’t see any need though- while Irath’s transformed appearance may have been rather intimidating, I knew he would never turn to harm any of us.

With a roll of his head, ending with a lunge at the Dragon’s Fang, a jet of red flame erupted from his maw and set the vessel to burn. With a flourish he promptly changed back to his human form, and soon the two ships were drifting apart- the Longsword headed back to its homeland, the Dragon’s Fang on its way to its final resting place. Fafnir and I removed our bandanas in respect, and didn’t put them back on until we lost sight of the pyre. Cybel came to stand with us after retiring to the under decks briefly to calm her spooked child, who still rested in her arms.

After it was all clearly over, she spoke up quietly. “What was that? How was it that he transformed into a dragon like that?”

I sighed, sympathetic to her confusion. “We are from the distant land of Tellius, and the country of Goldoa. We are among the Dragon Tribe of the Laguz race- alongside the beast and bird tribes. All the Laguz have this ability to transform as such. Our king sent us here to try and make official contact with the queen, since we only became aware of the presence of Equestria through several castaways.”

“So, you’re all like him...”

I nodded. “We hoped to avoid transforming too much while we’re here, and studied other forms of fighting. But we felt it necessary to make an exception to retire our warriors- tradition and honor are some our core tenants.”

She nodded in understanding, though I could tell she was still in awe and uncertainty of our abilities. I didn’t wholly blame her- I would never tell anyone, but even before the voyage, I never transformed much. Having such insane amounts of power at my fingertips was a huge responsibility and burden- and frankly, sometimes it scared me that I was capable of such destruction.

“So... why orange?” She asked, now more curious than stunned. “I would have thought his scales would match the color of his hair.”

“Heh.” Fafnir chuckled on her other side. “That’s what he wanted to do. His hair’s actually orange, just like his scales, but he dyes it black. He hopes that when people realize he’s a Goldoan Dragon, they’ll think he’s a royal black dragon on top of that, and be at his mercy.”

Cybel laughed slightly. “Does that ever work?”

Fafnir shrugged, grinning. “Once or twice.”

I looked up to the night sky, cloudless, shining stars and a luminescent bluish moon looking back down upon us. “It’s getting late.” I pointed out, realizing how tired I was. Already, descending to the decks of the Dragon’s Fang just after sunset- only an hour or two ago- seemed like yesterday. “I think we should all try to catch some sleep- especially the little one here.”

She nodded wearily. “You’re right. Heh, I guess it’ll be nice to be sleeping upstairs for once.”

“Oh, incidentally... I don’t think we ever learned your child’s name?” I asked as the three of us headed down to the bunk room.

“Ah, sorry about that. Her name... is Rarity.”

Chapter Thirty-four

Chapter Thirty Four

Year 498; EverFree Forest, House of the Hylian

Twilight

Spike stopped his storytelling at this point, pausing dramatically for his statement to set in. Twilight shook her head in wonder. How deeply are all of us tied already? When we all met at the Lunar Festival, we were almost all complete strangers. And yet, it seems like we were bound to each other long before...

Rarity, on the other hand, only laughed quietly in amazement. She spoke, but seemed at a loss for words. “I mean... I really knew as soon as you mentioned House Icarus and my mother’s name... And, she did once say that it was thanks to me that she escaped a group of bloodthirsty pirates, so I know it’s true... But I never would have guessed it was the Guardian Dragons that saved us... Did you know it was me this whole time?”

“The whole time.” Spike confirmed. “You hadn’t noticed, but I’ve been into town every once in a while to check up on you, as a favor to Cybel. I’ve realized a while ago that I basically serve as a guardian to almost every single one of you in some way or another.”

“That’s the way to do it, mate!” Xekora applauded. “Now, er, before we continue, can we get one thing out of the way- Has anyone else run into one of these mysterious black-cloaked Order gents?... No? Alright. Let me say this now: I know not what this group is after, or who indeed any of them are- in all my time here, I’ve not run into a single one of them. But allow me to clarify this: they are not your primary concern. They seem to want to stay out of the general path of danger, so I’d advise not trying to hunt any of them down and drag them into this.

“Still... It surprises me that this group has managed to slip past my view for so long. Perhaps... Perhaps I should find some time to look into this... But I digress. Spike, by all means, please continue.”

_______________

Year 482; Equestrian Waters; HMS *Longsword*

Spike

The next morning, I reported straight to the captain’s quarters, which was furnished well with pirated loot. None of it appeared to have been touched, though, and Irath didn’t cast it a second glance. On the wooden desk in the center of the room, he had lined up two maps- one salvaged from our ship of Tellius and its surrounding waters, another with an unfamiliar landmass and oceans- I assumed it must have been Equestria. He seemed to be trying to estimate the distance remaining between the two using both maps, with little success.

“They don’t appear to share any common landmarks...” He commented. “There’s a few islands near Equestria, but they’re not far out enough to show up on the Tellius map... However, if those pirates abducted you from a ship sailing around to a different part of the continent...”

Cybel stood beside him, assisting him with lining up the charts. Neither one seemed to have noticed my entrance. “They did make land at a small island to stock up on supplies two days previously, so... we’re about here, I think... We actually might reach the easternmost coast well before nightfall, if we shoot for this port town here, and sail at the pace we’ve been going...”

I walked up to the desk, drawing their attention. “Hey, what’s going on?” I asked casually.

“Ah, Spike. I’m not sure if you overheard, but it seems we’re much closer to land than we previously thought. Tell the others to raise the sails immediately. Tonight we make port!”

I nodded excitedly. At last, Equestria! I wonder what it’s like... Whatever, really, I’m ready to be rid of all this endless water. “Aye aye, captain! I’ll round up everyone who’s not up already. But, er... have you seen Fafnir around? I haven’t seen him all morning.”

“Over here.” I heard him say from the side of the room. I hadn’t seen him on my way in, as the layout of the captain’s quarters were completely different from what I was used to. He was sitting comfortably on a small padded bench, bouncing Rarity playfully on his knee. “Keeping her occupied while her mom’s working on getting us where we’re going.” Rarity made a grab for his hair, and I decided to just get everyone else together. He seemed preoccupied.

I ran outside, scrambled up to the crows nest and, hanging from the edge next to Fenrir, announced loudly: “All hands on deck! Raise the anchors, trim the sails! Tonight, we dine in Equestria!” My words were met with cheers from the crew, and in a few minutes the ship was racing forward, the salty air rushing past pleasantly.

The hours passed with the waves, and the sun crawled across the sky at a decent pace. As we manned the ship, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one with excited thoughts running trough my mind. At last, our journey would soon be over, and we would make the first solid contact with this new people. I had no real idea what to expect, but with the balance of magic, flight, and strength they claimed to have, I guessed it must have been nice-looking at least.

As the sun began its descent, and the western sky became illuminated with brilliant orange light, I heard an exclamation from above: “There, on the horizon! I can see land!” It took a few minutes for it to clearly come into view without a viewing glass, but soon I also saw it- the faintest of outlines of the ground and tall buildings rising from it.

The outline gradually grew in view, until we could make out more detail- the distant forms of ships coming and going separated themselves from the port, and soon it became that clear a city of some size was built around it.

The illusion was broken, however, when we approached the port more closely. As the Longsword drifted closer, our pace slowed at last, a booming voice echoed around us. It had the strangest quality of coming from everywhere and nowhere, and I guessed it must have been some kind of magical amplification. The voice said only this:

“Pirates. You are under arrest. Do not attempt to flee or to otherwise resist capture, as you are surrounded. Do not attempt violence, as you are vastly out-armed. Approach the port and prepare for arrest.”

The rest of the crew had joined me on deck by now, and as the message ended, all other sound was drowned out by our worried chatter. Irath climbed to the upper deck and yelled for our attention. The talk died down as he addressed us: “Men! It seems we’ve been mistaken for the pirates we defeated, as they can only see this no-doubt stolen ship from where they are. I think it best to let them lead us to port, then we can explain that it isn’t us. Cybel, can you help with that? They may not value the word of a total stranger much more than a criminal.”

“Of course.” She said, nodding vigorously. Irath gave the orders necessary, and the Longsword began to creep forward towards the port again. We had about halved the distance when we came parallel to another ship heading out. We had just about passed it fully, when...

The floor under me shook violently, and most of the crew was thrown off their feet. I scrambled up as quickly as possible, drawing my weapons and running to the back of the ship to get a better look at the attacking vessel. What I saw made my blood run cold. The opposing deck was heavily manned, with a dozen cannons trained on the Longsword. The people in question were far from the look of state soldiers, and upon the helm, I was able to see for a split second a black-cloaked figure, who gave me a phony salute before disappearing in a sphere of darkness.

“No... More pirates...” Cybel whispered next to me, before running for cover. I slammed my fist into the railing angrily. The hooded guy! He must have hired more pirates to get back at us! But why so close to port? Surely they’ll just get apprehended like this. Our ship continued on its path as the remaining ten crew members scrambled to man the cannons aboard our own ship. We had little gunpowder to speak of, but none of us intended to go down without a fight.

I nearly tripped down the stairs in my haste. We didn’t stop or turn the ship to fight- if all else failed, we could escape into the harbor, and it looked like nothing else was going to happen. We were out maneuvered and outgunned, and currently had enemies on both sides. Two cannons were mounted at the back of the ship, and we were currently pouring all our resources into those, in the hopes of slowing the ship behind us. I remained on deck to direct our path towards port, but felt all hope we had rebuilt drop like a stone at what I saw next.

A split second before they hit, I saw the huge volley of cannonballs.

I threw myself forward to duck for cover, just before the shots ripped through both vessels. What are they doing?! I screamed in my mind, though all thought processes by now had firmly shut down, putting me in full survival mode. Do they not eve care anymore? They’re just trying to kill all of us!

Our ship was in utter chaos- fire from both directions tore through us, and it was clear that nothing that stayed on the Longsword was going to make it. What was worse (I hit myself for realizing it could get worse from there) was that we had only two five-man lifeboats, and fourteen and a half people to evacuate.

Chapter Thirty-five

Chapter Thirty Five

Port Town; HMS Longsword

Spike

Irath dashed to the center of the ship, or did what was as close to dashing as you could get with no solid ground under you. The ship was quickly collapsing in on itself, so he spoke loud, clear, and quickly. “Everyone, get to the lifeboats, quickly! Fly some kind of white flag, and get to port as fast as you can! We need to let them know we’re on their side!”

I stumbled over the violently shaking boards, planks splintering away under the fire and littering the air all around me, but still I pushed forward towards the captain. Fafnir made his way past, leading Cybel and Rarity as swiftly as he could to the opposite side of the ship, where the lifeboats would be waiting.

Leaping clear over a hole torn in the floorboards, I skidded to a halt before Irath. “Captain, getting out with the lifeboats isn’t going to stop them! We’ll just get shot down again! We have to do something about the other pirates!”

A look of profound sadness crossed his face, only to be replaced by bloody-minded determination a moment later. “Leave the situation to me, young lad. Get to the lifeboats and make sure the others are safe.”

“And you?!” I yelled over the din of the rapidly exploding ship. “You have to get out of here too! You’re the whole reason we’ve gotten this far!”

He looked to me, resigned but not unhappy. He gave me a smile screaming finality. “And I’ll be the reason you make it all the way. I trust you to get the job finished, Spike. Now follow your captain’s last order and get out of this storm.”

I didn’t want to go, but it quickly became clear that was my only option. Against all my better judgement, I turned and ran for the side of the ship, skirting over gaps in the floor and bits of flaming shrapnel, and was launched clear into the air by a violent explosion as I reached the edge. I flailed in the air pathetically for the moment before I collided with the water.

The sounds of battle were muffled under the waves, and the ripping apart of the Longsword and the deafening noise of cannons were only a distant echo. Straining all my muscles, I swam upward and surfaced roughly. Gasping for air, I looked around, and saw one of the lifeboats nearby. Fafnir, Cybel and Rarity, as well as three others were already inside, Fafnir waving his spear in the air with his white bandana tied to it, serving as a white flag of surrender to the port officials.

The boat was already technically full, but they all moved aside and made room for me as they saw me treading water. I swam up to them in a few strokes and climbed aboard, and, looking around, saw the other lifeboat similarly crowded. I twisted around to see the battle again, and was helpless to do anything but watch.

From the wreckage of the Longsword, which had finally become scarcely anything other than a pile of timber floating on the waves, rose a ferocious orange dragon, who let loose a furious blast of flame at the pirate’s ship. Even as he was pelted with shrapnel and iron, magical blasts and cannon fire, he pushed through to brutally obliterate the enemy ship.

The pirates never stood a chance. A few lucky ones managed to jump ship just after it was set aflame, but none survived when Irath dove sharply and body-slammed the whole thing, sinking it violently. He rose into the air raggedly- as he was still being fired upon by the clueless port soldiers- let out a roar that alone caused a ripple in the water, just as his wings gave out. He fell backwards through the air in slow motion, and when he collided with the sea, a huge shockwave of water erupted from around him, sending the lifeboats hurtling forward.

When the waves subsided, Irath was gone, lost to the sea.

The two tiny boats, both sporting white flags floated on, at last in peace. An utter silence surrounded us all- indeed, even the ocean seemed to hush its voice in the tense moment. The only sounds were the occasional whimper from Rarity, but she didn’t start crying. When the silence was broken, it was by one voice from the other lifeboat, barely perceptible from ours:

“Where’s Fenrir?” Realizing what he was saying, I looked around rapidly, but saw no sign of him either. We didn’t loose him too, did we?!

Fafnir spoke suddenly, as though reading my thoughts. “Guys. This is Fenrir we’re talking about. You don’t think something as insignificant as a shipwreck would be enough to slow him down? He’ll be alright.”

As much as I wanted to agree with him, I didn’t share his optimism. “Then where is he? I’m not seeing him treading water anywhere.”

He looked around, confirming for himself what I saw: nothing. All other ships had stopped short, the crews of each most likely having gone somewhere safe but with a good view of the action, and nothing but our tiny vessels floated out this far at this point. When he turned back, it seemed my point had reached him. “He’s not dead.” Fafnir still insisted. “I don’t know where he is, but he can’t be dead. That just wasn’t enough to kill him.”

I knew he was partially trying to keep the crews spirits- well, not up, but keep them from getting even lower- but I saw in his eyes that he truly believed what he was saying. For him, I made the same effort, and had to agree- Fenrir was an incredibly resilient warrior, and it would have taken a huge amount of pummeling to wear him down.

And yet, he was nowhere to be seen.

The boats made their way to port, assisted by the oars stowed in the bottom we had ignored up until now. We tied off the lines to the wooden posts and the end of the lifeboats and climbed onto the planks of port. For the first time in weeks, the ground was utterly solid, and all of us had to take a moment to get our land legs back.

We weren’t alone on the docks: Several soldiers in grey armor stood at the end, weapons and magic trained on us uncertainly. A lone figure walked forward to meet us, dressed in normal clothes with a few bits of pale green armor here and there. From the way the other soldiers moved aside for him, I guessed he was the one in charge of the operation. Cybel straightened immediately, then turned to Fafnir. “Could I get you to hold Rarity for a moment?” He nodded wordlessly, took the child from her, and stood back.

Cybel stalked up to the newcomer, looked him straight in the eye, and slapped him across the face almost hard enough to send him reeling off the dock altogether. Before he could recover, she moved over to him again and grabbed him roughly by the collar, pulling him off his feet to face her. Several of the soldiers back on land tensed or moved forward, but a vicious glare from Cybel stopped them short.

“Rytas, what the hell do you think you’re doing?!” She barked at him. “I was ON that ship you decided to open fire on! The ship that was going to come quietly anyway! The ship that had been re-pirated by these diplomats from another country, looking to make contact with us! They saved my life, which is so much less than I can say for someone from my own country, who I almost was ready to call friend! Their first contact with the kingdom of Equestria was getting shot at, you endangered me and my daughter, and you even managed to kill their captain in the process!”

She shoved him violently back, where he collapsed on the ground with a look of fear and apprehension on his face. He flinched as she moved forward and pointed a finger in his face. “I swear to whatever God you hold dear, you will pay dearly for this.” With that she walked around him and, motioning for us to follow, walked straight past the awestruck soldiers.

Even more awestruck, the party of Goldoans followed. Looking beside me, I could see a look of profound admiration, amazement and... something else on Fafnir’s face. I specifically chose not to give it a second thought as we went.

_________________

The next few days passed in a haze of activity. After returning to her hometown for a while, to let everyone know that she was okay and to leave Rarity where she would be safe, Cybel organized a meeting with the Queen. As the head of one of the various noble houses dotted around Equestria, she had an easier time of it than most would, and in only two days time the remaining eleven of us found ourselves bound for the capital city of Eclipse.

I could go on about the beauty of the city, especially the castle- its blend of ancient and modern architecture, the needle-like spires that seemed to reach to the sky, the abundance of both useful and strictly decorative magical objects- I could talk about that for ages, but I won’t bore you with the details. Soon we made our way through the gigantic towering corridors of Eclipse castle, and found ourselves before the queen Celestia.

She showed great curiosity in us, though gave us due respect. As we had suspected before, when she learned of our true nature, she implored us that we show her the extent of our power. We all transformed at some point, though she decided to have us do it in a private area (she told us it was to avoid alarming the populace, but I had a feeling it was partly to have the knowledge to herself). Needless to say, she was impressed.

However, she went on to inform us that it was a stroke of dumb luck that we had managed to make it so far, and that there was little to no chance of us getting back. Naturally, the crew wasn’t happy about this, and arguments arose immediately- and with us now without a captain, a leader, there was no-one to quell them effortlessly. When she was able to get our attention again, she said she would do everything in her power to find us a way home, and would shelter us in the meantime.

She said that it would be possible to send messages back to Goldoa by use of a rather specific magic spell, so long as the spell caster had someone on hand who knew exactly where to send it. We jumped on that without much thought, writing up a big old log on everything that had happened to us so far, and the situation we currently found ourselves in, and soon sent it on its way. As it stood, we had no way of receiving messages from home, but we all agreed it was better than nothing.

We all remained at Eclipse for a time, before the idea of splitting up and studying the goings-on around the country was brought up- an idea beneficial to both us Goldoans and Celestia. She agreed that we should go, and offered to personally employ each of us as a guardian warrior to serve as a last-line of defense in the case of an attack. We agreed, and soon I had to say goodbye to each brave soldier I had fought alongside for the past months, one by one.

“So...” Fafnir started, leaning against the grand gateway standing at the entrance to the castle. His bandana was stuffed in his pocket, and a stiff wind ran through his short green hair. His bundle of weapons was slung across his back. “I guess this is it for now, ol’ buddy.”

“Yeah...” I said, not really knowing what else to say. I was never any good at goodbyes. “We’ll stay in contact with letters, right?”

“Course! We gotta stay in touch, right? If we didn’t... what would even be the point?” He laughed it off casually, and a time passed before either of us spoke again. In all that time, he made no indication of moving. “I got stationed to the town where House Icarus is.”

“That’s the house Cybel is from, right? Congrats! It’s always good to have some pre- existing contacts around.”

He looked up into the air, and the midday sky. I couldn’t begin to read his expression. “Pre- existing contact...” He rolled the words around experimentally, then smiled vaguely. “Yeah, I guess so. Dunno if it’ll be permanent, though...”

Something else was on his mind, I could tell. “Fafnir, are you alright? You seem distracted.” I decided to just ask away.

He took a moment before answering. At last, he turned to face me. “I’m just fine, don’t you worry, but... yeah, a bit distracted.” Another lapse in conversation, only broken by a few birds chirping and the white noise of the city beyond the gates. He picked up again a moment later. “Well... Nah, it’s... it’s nothing. Well, I guess I’d better be off. Lemmie know if you hear anything about Fenrir. Catch you later!” He stood upright and, with a final wave backward, walked out the gates and into the city.

I stood, hands in pockets, watching him go. We had both convinced ourselves Fenrir was still alive somewhere, and it wasn’t too much of a stretch, really- the port officials had managed to locate each and every other body involved in the firefight, save for his. To this end, we believed firmly that he was still out there somewhere- though where, we had no clue.

Chapter Thirty-six

Chapter Thirty Six

Year 498; House of the Hylian

Rainbow Dash

“Before you ask, though- no, Fafnir isn’t in town any longer.” Spike continued. “He got transferred to another place around ten years or so ago, and is still there for all I know. He never did tell me why he switched though, just that he was needed more elsewhere.

“I mostly just lazed around Eclipse for a while after that. It wasn’t as though the capital city needed any more defensive measures, so I really didn’t have much to do. But it was important that the King’s eyes and ears were able to see what was going on at the capital, so I resolutely stayed. I always had two things on my mind, though- finding out what happened to Fenrir, and finding a way to get home.

“The Queen figured out after a while that she wasn’t getting rid of me, but without anything to defend against (what kind of idiot would attack the capital city with a full barracks?) I was little better than dead weight to her. So one day, not quite a year after we arrived, she approached me with a request. She had... picked up... a new apprentice, and asked if I would serve as a guardian for her. You know, bodyguard, confidant- the works.

“At first, I had no idea why she was asking me. All my life before then, I had been around maybe three children regularly, and by then I was sure she’d have figured that out. But I decided I’d see the apprentice at least, decide whether or not I thought I was up to the task. So she led me through the halls to a room that looked as though it had recently been converted specifically for this use. There were toys and a bed, and... other, kid stuff. In the center of the room was a little girl, messing around with some kind of magic-resonance-light show thing.”

He motioned to Twilight, indicating he was speaking of her. “She turned around curiously when the door opened, our eyes met and... That was it. I stayed by her side ever since, and at some point I even stopped caring whether we found a way home or not. Still don’t. But at first, something didn’t quite sit right with me. When the queen said she found an apprentice, I thought she meant one who was around ten or so, who was fully ready to kick of magic training- Twilight was only two years old at the time.

“It kept nagging at me, and I decided I needed to check where she came from- I needed to see what the circumstances were that her parents would be willing to give her over to the queen completely. It proved more of a challenge than I thought it would- already traces of her past life were being erased, and I really started to feel suspicious about the whole thing.

Eventually I did manage to track her family down- a pair of accomplished, but not namely ‘gifted’ mages themselves. I learned through talking to them exactly one time, and getting second opinions from some other townspeople, that they had given up Twilight without a fight. They were both clearly devoted to their ruler, and would and had made the ultimate sacrifice for her. When I spoke with them, it was in their own home, as they had invited me in after I told them of my standing with the queen. And- while I was there- I did happen to see another young girl of the same age as Twilight...”

He now nodded in Trixie’s direction. “I pretty much just left it at that. I considered trying to talk sense into her parents, but the fact that I knew it wouldn’t do any good, the fact that Celestia would never give her up by then, and the fact that I thought I could do a much better job of raising Twilight than her parents had demonstrated they could- I decided I’d just work with the situation instead.”

He wrapped up his bit of the story, and offered for one of the others to take over. Glad to hear someone else here is in their right mind. I thought. There is nothing right about what Celestia did. And to think... I flashed back to the last bit of my story, of what that soldier had said. ... That was almost me. It’s almost like I had three different paths to choose from- to live the rest of my childhood with Applejack, to be taken to The Order with Fluttershy, or to become a human weapon for Celestia with Twilight... Thanks, Vi.

Going on this line of thought, I remembered the one part of the story I had conveniently failed to mention, mostly because I wanted to understand it fully myself before I tried telling anyone else about it. A while after his execution, I had had a dream, in which I was on a featureless plain, surrounded by rolling fog and unable to go anywhere. Eventually, out from the fog came Ultraviolet. I asked if it was a dream, and half expected the imaginary world to start falling apart, as it usually did when I realized I was dreaming.

It did not. "Yes..." He had started, "And no. You’re asleep and in a world of your unconscious mind, yes. But- at the same time, this is happening. I’ve just figured out how to contact you this way- it seems this is the only way I can- and I wanted to test it out, drop in and say hi."

Aren’t... Aren’t you, dead though? I asked him. Are you talking from beyond the grave or something?

"Yeah... Yeah, I’m dead. That much is still true. Right now... I’m not sure what’s become of me. Everything’s been moving too fast for me to figure it all out, and I’m still trying to learn all the new rules. If what’s happening to me is what happens to all people when they die, or if this is something that I have to brave alone... I’m not sure. But I wanted to use this chance while I had it to see you, maybe one last time, and tell you anything you want to know, that I wasn’t able to tell you when I was alive.”

I gave it some thought- an action made totally unnecessary by the fact that in this place, every thought in my mind was laid out like a platter in my mind, and I could access any and all of them instantly. Quite disorienting the first time trying it. Just... What happens now? What am I supposed to do?

“You’re staying with Mac and Applejack, and their family now, correct?... Then don’t worry about it too much. I trust Mac to get things where they need to be. Just do as you’re told, and in time, you’ll know what has to be done.”

I shook my head, bringing myself back to the present. Luckily, I hadn’t missed anything, as Phil and Trixie were trying to decide who went next.

Phil stepped forward after a moment, but only shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. Celestia found me when I was little in what I assume was the same way she found Twilight. Being a human phoenix as I am, I was just as viable to be a human weapon as a gifted mage like Twilight. She tried the same tactic at first- essentially just asking nicely. My parents- one Child of Fire and one Hawk Tribe Laguz, as it happened- refused, and it came to violence. Long story short... they got killed, she took me regardless, and I was raised like a brother with Twilight.”

I was somewhat concerned that he was able to skim over the death of his parents so easily. I guess he was little at the time... could be he only knows how it happened out of researching it, and doesn’t remember the event. But then... It could also be because he doesn’t want to get all emotional about it like I did, especially in front of his little girlfriend.

“Wait... Human Phoenix?” Rarity asked first, several others agreeing. Phil grinned, a look that was startlingly similar to one I would use regularly.

“Yeah. Watch this!” He clapped his hands together and wrung them for a moment, then ran forward and kicked into the air just short of the campfire, his wings spreading wide as he went. But when he reached the peak of his jump, instead of flapping his wings to propel him further into the air, he only hovered while he threw back his head and arms, giving a strong, hawk-like cry.

A strange, fire-like orange light enveloped him, and from the core of light a huge bird shot forth into the sky, like no other bird I’d ever seen. It’s feathers were all the same color as before- blazing orange and red, and seemed to shift colors like a leaping flame as the bird tore through the sky. With its more compact form, it was able to (and did) preform complex and tight arial maneuvers that I could only dream of doing so efficiently.

With an entirely unnecessary flourish, the bird nosedived straight for the ground, and landed as a human again just as it approached the ground. Phil rolled forward to his feet, then slightly more into a bow, meeting applause from most everyone gathered. I found it to be a bit flashy, but I clapped anyway. “Human phoenix.” He confirmed, returning to his seat next to Twilight. “Trixie, you’re up.”

She stood in his place slowly. “Well... I guess it was when I was eight or so... I had finally figured out what had really happened that day, six years ago, and managed to squeeze a confession out of my parents about it. As you can well imagine, I wasn’t too happy about it. I was absolutely enraged that all this time, I had once had a twin sister- and that they just gave her away just because Celestia asked them to. I got so caught up in thoughts of what could have been, the awesome childhood we both missed out on- and I realized I couldn’t stay with them any longer. I hated them for what they did, and just couldn’t bring myself to be any kind of loyal to them ever again.

“I ran. I grabbed what I could and walked out the door, never to look back. I think they tried to find me again for a while, but they didn’t deserve to find me. It wasn’t an easy way to live, but I managed to avoid them altogether. I had some money with me, and some food, so I wasn’t too desperate for a while, and ended up sneaking out of Eclipse before too long. The crowds weren’t making it easy to go undetected, and I needed to find a more permanent place. I don’t know what I thought I was going to do after that, but at the time, I think I was just focusing on the problem at hand.

“I managed to make it all the way to a small town sitting right on what used to be the Eclipse-Dusk border- a fair distance from where I had left.... Things got harder after that.  I was able to live off what I had for a bit, but pretty soon I was clean broke, and had to live off of what I could get people to give me. I had shelter off and on, and no house was permanent. I was able to make some cash for a few magic demonstrations, but it was only just enough to survive off of, and even that soon began to abandon me.

“I went on as long as I could, but soon it just became too much to bear, and I ended up slumped against a random building, hopeless. I was tired, hungry, dirty, and- on top of all that- it was raining. Yep, things looked pretty hopeless right then. I was just about ready to give up, and let whatever was going to happen to me happen, when...”

“When a tall, ludicrously handsome, charismatic gentleman approached her.” Xekora interrupted with a grin.

Trixie grinned right along with him and shook her head at his self-portrait. “Sure, we’ll go with that. Anyway, yeah, he came up to me, and just asked what I was doing on the street. I looked up at him, wondering what he was trying to pull. All this time, he was the first one to take any notice of me sitting there, and he seemed to calm about it too. I told him ‘nothing, just sitting around waiting to die, how about you?’ He looked at me more closely, I guess to re-evaluate me from what he had seen before.

“I asked if he needed anything, or if he just wanted to stand there and block the rain- in which case, please, be my guest. He lowered himself to a crouch, bringing himself to my eye level, and said: ‘You’re the sister of that girl Celestia’s been training, aren’t you?’ I looked at him funny, as could be expected, and asked how he knew that. He told me he’d been keeping an eye on things that had been going on, and that it was very unfortunate what had happened to me. He said that it was only partly my parents fault, and that Celestia, asking for them to give Twilight up, was the root of the problem.

“I started to see his point- in the situation, my parents could have chose to act as they did or fight- but in the end, it was still Celestia that had robbed me of my sister. I experienced a surge of anger for just a moment: then stopped, deflated as I was before. It all just looked so pointless from the street, in the rain, and over the sound of my stomach. But what he told me next definitely caught my attention.

“ ‘You’re not alone, you know. Countless others have had their lives destroyed by the Queen, and want them back. You’re not the first, young one, nor, unfortunately, will you be the last. However... You could make a difference, and see to it that no one else has to live like this.’ I just stared at him, wide eyed. He sure knew what I wanted to hear. ‘You could well be the spark that starts a revolution against her. And I, while sworn to stay on the sidelines, could at least house you and ready you for the challenges ahead.’

“He held out his hand to me, a sympathetic but excited smile on his face. ‘I can make you powerful enough to take on the Queen.’... I don’t really know why I did what I did that day, but I’d do it again. Maybe it was out of desperation, of wanting anything to believe- maybe it was because I was too tired, and just wanted whatever would come to me to come and take me- or maybe I truly believed what he was saying. Whatever the reasons, I took his hand and let him help me up.”

Xekora took over the story from here. “For the record, it was obvious to anyone who cared to look that this girl had some serious potential- I thought it a shame to waste such skill, especially when we needed great fighters like her to face the queen. I took her into my own home- I was living near that town at the time, completely undercover- brought her back up to health, and showed her the world as best I could. Years passed, her magic skill flourished under my vast knowledge (and pile of magic-related stuff), and I basically did my best to set her up with all the tools she’d need in the future.

“When she was fourteen, I felt she was truly ready to go- to take on the world again, and to try and get things stirred up for a proper resistance. I set her up with some money, some hand-me-down weapons and armor, and sent her on her way. Meanwhile, I picked up shop and moved all my belongings here, to get a better vantage point for when things really get going.”

Chapter Thirty-seven

Chapter Thirty Seven

House of the Hylian

Twilight

Her mind raced in circles as the story spiraled out of control, and she had no idea what was happening. From Dash- sure, she had expected to hear some reason about why he hated Celestia, as he had made no secret about it before. She hadn’t known this Xekora character long enough to make any judgements about his allegiance, so it didn’t come as so much a shock when she learned he opposed her as well.

But to hear Spike say again and again that he didn’t trust Celestia, that he was only looking out for Twilight and would abandon the throne in an instant- she had never suspected anything like that from him, and couldn’t imagine what she was supposed to think about it. Then even her own twin sister- Twilight had begun to question her morals and motives for a time now, but while they had only just reunited not a month previously, she had grown close to the mage, and felt sure that she could trust her. And Trixie only wanted revenge on Celestia for taking away her picture-perfect childhood, a notion which seemed understandable but obsessive to Twilight.

And then, on top of all that, even Phil had come out and said it- Celestia had killed his parents and taken him away from whatever life he might have had, and he clearly wasn’t happy about it. All this time, Twilight had never really given it much thought- this was the way things were, and she was happy as she was. She felt like the world she thought she knew was falling apart before her eyes- everyone was turning against the Queen, one by one, and Xekora had put the icing on the cake: this whole thing, bringing them closer as a team to be able to fight the enemy, was all to put them in the middle of a rebellion against Celestia!

Twilight put her head in her hands, overwhelmed and unable to piece together what she should do. She never would have thought of opposing the Queen, and the thought terrified her. All her life, she had looked up to Celestia as a wise and noble person and ruler, and had never been given any reason to suspect anything different.

The people weren’t happy with her: they were scared to say otherwise.

She had thought all her life that life was good. Spike was always there to look out for her, Phil was the absolute best friend she could ever have asked for, and now she had all these new friends to support her. She had imagined what could have been with all of them, if they had all just lived their lives together...

None of them were interested. They were all just biding their time until they could strike out against Celestia. And now they fully expected her to join them.

A lump formed in her throat, and tears began to rise to the surface unbidden. What is there left for me to trust? She thought despairingly. There’s no way I could turn on the Queen, is there...? And anyway, even if I did, what good would it do? She’ll kill them all! There’s no way anyone can stand against her... But I don’t know if I can change their minds, not when they’re all worked up about it like this... Oh, what am I supposed to do...?

She could barely think straight over the clamor of opposing thoughts in her mind, and she couldn’t stop herself from finally breaking. A small sob escaped from her throat- not enough for most of the others to hear, but just enough for Phil to catch. Quickly and quietly he pulled her up off her seat and led her away from the clearing, waving away anyone who asked what was going on.

When they were a suitable distance from the others, he turned her around and tilted her head up slightly to face him. Twilight could tell he was concerned, even through her teary eyes. “Twilight, what happened? What’s wrong?” He asked, barely above a whisper.

“Phil... I just- I don’t know what to do...”

He sighed- not at all exasperatedly, but just at a loss for words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to find out like this... I had planned to show you these things slower, not hit you with it all at once... But I think, even how it did work out, you should do what you believe to be right. And I promise- I’ll be there to protect you no matter what you choose to do.”

She looked to the ground, unsure of what to say. For some time she said nothing, and the two remained where they were. Finally Twilight spoke in a whisper, though regretted instantly what she said: “Why can’t I be strong like you...”

Phil only took a moment to reply, though he still spoke softly. “Twilight... If there’s one thing I’ve learned all this time, it’s that strength isn’t cutting off all your emotions- it’s controlling and following them that counts. It’s not-never needing help, it’s about being able to ask for help when you need it, and having friends there for you that will give it.”

Twilight sniffed and looked up at him. “Wow, that was cheesy.” She said with a slight giggle. Phil reluctantly agreed, and ended up laughing along with her.

“C’m on, let’s head back. The others are bound to be wondering where we went by now. Don’t worry about it too much right now; it’ll be a while before anything happens anyway, so you’ve got time to think. And like I said, I’ll find a way to protect you no matter what happens.”

Twilight smiled and nodded, genuinely feeling a bit better. The two shared a quick, tight hug, and made their way back to the clearing.

A few minutes later, after some conferring and discussion, Spike joined the pair to bring the next part of the story underway.

_______________

Year 490

Town of Firefly

Spike

The three of us made our way in no particular hurry through the small but well-kept streets. I had brought Twilight and Phil to this tiny town sitting just inside the borders of old Dusk, the border that once separated it from Dawn, as kind of a field trip. As apprentices to the queen, part of what they were meant to do was to be able to join with the normal townspeople, and to have the ability to gain their trust and take control of the situation in the case of an emergency.

To them, this was for them to become heroes to the country, to become well known and friendly with everyone they could, and keep Equestria safe. To me, ever the pessimist, I saw clearly that Celestia could use either of them in an instant as informants to anyone she wanted watched by having them do this. However, I kept up the act anyway for a third perspective:

By showing them the right places at the right times, I could make the duo begin to question whether or not the Queen was really as grand as she claimed, and would have them believe. I didn’t aim to have them hate the Celestia right off the bat, but I hoped that I could keep a balance, and help them keep an open mind until such a time as it was necessary. I admit it wasn’t the most ambitious of plans, but it was all I felt safe doing without drawing the Queen’s attention to my ulterior motives. Were it just my life on the line, I’d have tried a straight-up assassination years ago- but it wasn’t just my life I had to think about.

Celestia knew full well that I was as good as a father to these two kids, and wouldn’t abandon either of them for the world. While Phil had arrived a few months after Twilight, I still felt the same about both of them. I had watched them grow up together, and had been right there with them every step of the way. At first, I had never thought I had what it took to be a parent- as that is by then what I considered myself- and maybe I never really did.

Growing up in Goldoa, things were much more laid back- and why wouldn’t they be? When you live for more than a thousand years, you don’t need to rush too much. I had nothing to go on in terms of how they should have been raised, with such comparatively short lifespans, and most of what I did was guesswork. I suppose it’s never really easy, but seeing the two of them as they were- intelligent, empathetic, yet fun-loving- I knew I must have been doing something right.

She also knew that I wasn’t stupid; I would figure out that she knew all this, and realize that no drastic course of action could be taken without endangering them. For the time being, I was stuck where I was. As I said, I had taken the two to this small town for a trip, specifically for those reasons. This town barely made a mark on any maps, and I hoped to show them how things worked in a smaller, closer knit, less wealthy community.

Sadly, it seemed it wasn’t meant to be. As I led them through the street, an explosion that sounded as though it was more loud than destructive echoed from somewhere up ahead. The three of us- as well as everyone else- stopped short, taking a moment to register what had just happened. Most everyone else began to panic and run off, save for me and the kids. I looked to them, and they looked back, wearing identical expressions of mixed apprehension and excitement.

“Guess we picked a great day to come here, didn’t we? This is exactly the situation you’ve been training for. Stay behind me. Only move if I give you the O-K. I’ll lead the way on this one.” They both nodded in understanding, and I took off at a brisk pace towards the place where most people were running from.

I came to a halt at a street corner, sidling up to a building and motioning for them to do the same. Satisfied that they would be well out of sight, I poked my head around the corner, and saw what I was looking for. Several townspeople who hadn’t had the good fortune of being able to flee were standing nervously in the town square, across the way from a rather large group of people with various weapons. By the looks of things, the larger group were a bandit group of some kind, attempting to give their demands to the mayor, who led the group of townspeople.

I was surprised by how well-armed the bandits were, though. None of their weapons seemed fancy or expensive, but there were a fair number of them and they all had some kind of blade or tome. Where they came into that amount of weapons and membership, I couldn’t guess. I readied my knives, ready to jump in if violence broke, but remained where I was and tried to listen in to what was being exchanged between the two parties.

“... What will it take to make you believe me?” The mayor said, sounding tired and out of options. “I don’t care how badly you want them or hurt us, I can’t turn over people I don’t have.”

“You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t instantly believe you, good mayor.” The leader of the bandits replied, in a strange drawling accent- I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I thought I might have heard it before, but on a different voice. “Our information is not known to be guesswork- they were scheduled to be here today, this I know to be fact. And our relations with you and your inner circle have never been on the... best of terms.”

The mayor threw his arms out in an exasperated gesture. “What would you have me do, Vomora?! Yes, they were expected today, but the fact remains that they have not made themselves present to me!”

Vomora, the apparent ringleader of the bandits, lapsed into silence. It was too far away and around the corner for me to make out any definitive details on any of them, but I imagined him rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Finally he spoke again, and my mind began working faster at his next words. “Well then, mayor. If the Queen's lapdogs haven’t come to you, then surely they’re merely somewhere else in town, wouldn’t you say? I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if we took a look for ourselves.”

Chapter Thirty-eight

Chapter Thirty Eight

Twilight

Spike looked back to us, showing that he was just as curious as we were. We could hear well enough from where we were to get the message: This Vomora character was looking for us, and he didn’t sound at all friendly. Spike gave us a silent signal to stay put, and rounded the corner casually. I looked to Phil, we both nodded, and crept up to the edge of the building to see what was happening.

“You wanted to find me?” He said loud and clear, drawing the immediate attention of the whole crowd. He strolled right up to the edge of the crowd, an equal distance from both parties. “I’m right here. Can I help you with something, good sir?” He directed his question at the leader of the bandits, who was silent and observant of this new development. The rest of his men shifted excitedly, and the whole of the townspeople (fifteen of them at most still remained now, as some had been gradually sneaking away during the conversation) seemed generally unsure of what direction the event would soon take.

“Ah, yes, the Queen’s most trusted Goldoan sell-sword. Spike, was it? How kind of you to oblige us all with your presence. Though I expected the whole entourage- Where are those two little pets of the Queen’s?” I frowned. Vomora kept referring to us as lapdogs or pets to the Queen- it was obvious he didn’t think very highly of us, or Celestia for that matter. But why did he want to find us then? What did he want from this, and why was he willing to hold the town hostage to get it?

“Her apprentices, you mean? They’re around. But I’m sure I will be more than enough to answer whatever questions you had for them.” Spike countered sharply. He was walking a dangerous line here, but seemed to be playing his cards carefully.

Vomora, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be hard pressed to be careful, and his quick responses coupled with his slow, accented voice portrayed him to be perfectly in control of every situation. “I don’t mind saying this, sell-sword- the path you’ve chosen to take shocks and disgusts me. How you could trade your lineage and honor to serve such a tyrant as Celestia is beyond my ability to fathom... But I digress. You say the children are in town? Men, find them immediately.”

I looked back to Phil, who shared the look of disbelief and panic I felt. “What do we do?” He mouthed.

I made a snap decision, and didn’t have time to consider whether running away would have worked better. I motioned for him to follow me, and ran out from our hiding place and to Spike’s side. I skidded to a halt next to him, and Phil followed bewilderedly after, coming to a stop at his other side. I tightened my fingerless gloves slightly. “Right here.” I said. “And I don’t intend to let you keep talking about the Queen that way.”

For the first time, I was able to get a good look at the bandit leader- but it took me a moment to identify him as such. He was rather clean cut, and his clothes, while not particularly engaging, looked brand-new and proper. He was handsomely tanned and muscular, and steely grey hair whipped across his steely grey, calculating eyes.

What stood out most about him was the fact that he didn’t appear all the way human- a fluffy tail that brushed the ground idly at his back and pointed animal ears atop his head identified him as something else. I remembered something Spike had mentioned once, about a tribe of Beast Laguz that lived in the far away country of Hatari, who bore resemblance to- and could transform into- wolves. A secluded race that often kept to themselves, they did not often venture out of their homeland, and Spike rarely remembered their mention in lessons.

And yet this man, this leader of the bandits out for them, was a Hatarian if I’d ever seen one, which I hadn’t until now. How did he get here?... Perhaps he was a bit like Spike, and shipwrecked here years ago. But did he know of Equestria, or was it by accident? And what does he want to do here?

“So.” Spike said, giving both of us a quick nod. “Here they are. I’ll ask again, can I help you with something?”

Vomora clasped his hands together, smiling widely. “Indeed you can, sir. Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Vomora, leader of this small but determined band of brothers, refugees and castaways. I found myself the sole survivor of a humble crew many a year ago, and wandered the land for a great deal of time. What I saw was a world in the cusp of sickness- the weakening of the body before the fever of rebellion, if you will.

“I soon found myself to be not as alone as I had first thought- many others were without family or home, even with this as their homeland. These people had nothing, either from never having it or having it taken away, all because of their ‘exalted leader’. They were without purpose or hope, living only on their anger and hatred, surviving solely to find their one chance to take a stab back at their Queen. I resolved to let these injustices stand no longer- I spoke to every broken heart, every crushed dream, shattered soul that Celestia had left for dead.

“I brought the tattered remnants together, and now we stand as a stronger, united force. Now, piece by precious piece, we’re going to take back what rightfully belongs in the hands of the people- starting...” He put his foot forward and pointed at us dramatically, “With taking out her most powerful weapons!”

His words were met with a resounding cheer from his men, who clearly thought very highly of him. Spike, however, only ran a hand over his head idly as he waited for the noise to die down, making him out to be much calmer than I felt. When the clamor fell away, he responded simply: “That’s a nice thought. Real entertaining. As a rebuttal- not happening, not today. Take your men and go home, friend, and I’ll pretend I didn’t hear any of that. Otherwise...” He flexed his shoulders threateningly, a gesture which seemed to have more of an impact on Vomora himself than anyone else.

“You mistake me for a man of weaker willpower, sell-sword. We all knew a clash would ensue when we started this venture. I am aware of your strength, and we are all fully ready to take all of you on. Now enough small talk.”

Spike shook his head, smiling slightly. “I warned you. Watch carefully, you two.” He stepped forward, threw back his head in a roar, and slammed together his fists in front of him. A bright light shrouded him completely for a moment, until something else entirely stepped out in his place.

It stood a solid fifteen feet tall, with violet body scales and a few green ones running from the back of his head all the way down its spine, all the way to the large, deadly-looking end of its tail. A rather smallish pair of leathery wings flared out behind it, but didn’t look like they could have done much for the giant dragon they were attached to. But I saw it in its eyes, still the same emerald green as before, and knew it was still Spike underneath.

He rolled his head back quickly and launched a small jet of white flame forward, though it only served to land in the center of the clearing and intimidate. The rest of the townspeople by now had had quite enough of this, and the few that were left all ran for it.

Behind him, Vomora’s band of ragtag rogues were suddenly active, unnerved and frightened by the monster they now faced. “Worry not, men. He is but one Goldoan- and while powerful in the extreme... he is still but one. We outnumber them twenty-to-one, and twenty men is more than enough to match up against one Dragon.”

Phil and I both knew a fight was inevitable, so we both prepared as well. I readied a small but potent fire spell in both hands, putting my head down and arms out, ready to charge. Phil leapt into the air and made the transformation into Phoenix, hovering in the air close to Spike. Tensions were rising fast, and both sides looked ready to jump at each others throats.

Vomora however remained mostly calm, if a bit more curious than before. “One of the Queen’s apprentices is a Laguz?” He said, sounding genuinely interested. “Some kind of fire-hawk hybrid, at that. Well, this is an unexpected development... I think now would be an optimal time to unveil our own new weapon.” An excited murmur ran through the crowd, and a few men near the back rushed off, presumably to go fetch this ‘weapon’. Whatever it was, it sounded both admired and feared.

Vomora put his hands behind his back and stalked forward, setting the stage for whatever was soon to happen. I had to admit, I was extremely nervous. I didn’t know what these bandits were capable of, what they were willing to do, or what they had in store for us. The fact that they wanted to kill us was nerve-wracking enough, without all the suspense.

“Tell me, Spike...” He started, looking his way with his hard, calculating eyes. “Do you fear the unknown? Does what you don’t know... hurt you? Is your mind able to accept what your eyes can’t explain?”

Spike growled and stepped forward threateningly, with the expected result from the crowd of bandits. While Vomora felt they had the situation under control, and seemed more comfortable staring down a dragon, his men had clearly never seen anything of the like before. “Don’t waste your breath with mind-games!” Spike barked, his voice oddly distorted by the new shape of- and number of teeth in- his mouth. “If you want to fight us, then just do it!”

Vomora laughed, a haunting and yet relaxing sound. “Then behold: Chaos.” He motioned wide as a small figure was led through to the front of the crowd. It appeared to be a girl, and couldn’t have been much older or younger than I was- but that was about the extent of what I could see from here. An extremely basic brown cloak masked all other features, and she stood emotionlessly as she faced us. One of the bandits moved towards her and handed her an unadorned iron spear, and she took it in both hands morosely.

“The girl you see before you is a wonder of the world, a curiosity and danger. Any law of physics, of probability... of logic... she can and will blatantly disregard. To try and understand the ways of Chaos is both a futile and maddening effort. Her ways cannot be truly understood, and one can hardly even describe them. They say seeing is believing, but you may soon find yourself questioning whether or not you can believe what you see...”

Without any further delay, Vomora backed up to his troops, and gave the command to charge.

_______________

Year 498

Twilight remembered vividly what had happened that day. The fight itself was enough, but it was also the first time she had been exposed to the other side of Equestria- the side that didn’t follow Celestia, and wanted to see her fallen. Such a change of pace was something she had never even considered, and every moment of it had stuck firm in her mind.

But as she was telling the story, she had noticed something strange. When she got to the part about Chaos, Pinky had assumed a confused expression, and as she had finished retelling what Vomora had said, all the color had drained from her face, and for the first time since Twilight had known her, she looked genuinely.... scared?

She made a decision and stopped the story for a moment, to the confusion of Spike and Phil, who hadn’t seemed to have yet noticed. She didn’t immediately ask what was wrong, as she could see Pinky understood she was concerned.

Pinky looked away, seeming at a loss for words (another first). “Twi, I... I think I might be part of this story too... I’m... I was... Chaos.”

Chapter Thirty-nine

Chapter Thirty Nine

Year 490

Phil

Vomora gave the order to charge, and the whole gathering burst into action. I was immediately caught up in combat, several bandits going straight for me. Still in phoenix form and much better at flying, I corkscrewed high into the air just as they approached me, then took a nosedive and released a burst of flame as I reached them again. The impact sent several reeling. I zipped forward before they could react, slicing effectively with beak and talons, and taking apart their defenses with the occasional fire spell.

I counted a total of nineteen people attacking me, and while many had sustained considerable wounds already, none seemed willing to give up. Their actual fighting ability was varied- some seemed like better fighters than the royal army could brag about, while others fought like they had never touched a weapon in their life- but they all shared the same bloody-minded determination to take me down, and fought accordingly.

I soon found myself overwhelmed- I didn’t want to kill any of these people, as their cause was one I didn’t entirely disagree with, and I sympathized with them being angry that Celestia had taken everything from them. I only wanted to rough them up enough for them to get out of here and to safety, so they could rethink their course of action to one less self-suicidal, but it seemed nothing short of knocking them out would deter them from this mission. I couldn’t fight off all of them alone, not when trying to avoid giving them serious injury, so slowly I ended up getting pushed further away from the square as I worked away defensively.

I quickly changed back to human form to maneuver more easily through the streets, and swung back around the corner Twilight and I had been hiding behind minutes ago. Pressing myself against the wall, I allowed another fire spell to flare up in my palm. When the first of the bandits rounded the corner a moment later, I tossed it to the ground, sending a wave of flame and heat cascading over the rest of the party. A small, thin sword clattered to the ground before me, and on a whim I picked it up. I had been trained mainly to use hand-to-hand combat (buffed with magic), but had touched base with other basic weapons, and decided a sword was the better choice for this fight.

But as soon as I grabbed the sword I was on the move again, dodging away from their weapons and throwing the occasional spell as I ran. I ducked into an alleyway, hoping to lure them in and fight them one at a time, but I waited for some time without being pursued. Where’d they go? Did they go around to the other end to try and cut me off? I turned around to check, but saw no sign of them there either. Surely they didn’t just get bored with me and go after Twi or Spike? Maybe they decided to pull back after all...

I waited until I was sure they weren’t coming, then slowly crept out from the alleyway back the way I had come. I poked my head out, looking in the direction of the town square, and still saw none of the bandits, save the ones occupied with fighting Spike. Thoroughly confused, I stepped out, looked behind me as more of an afterthought...

And spun around wildly, sword gripped tightly in both hands. Only a few yards away stood the one they called Chaos. She was maybe an inch taller than I was, a faint indifferent frown visible under her hood, spear poised behind her. I could see there was no point in trying to hide again- she would have seen me for sure by now. Could that be why the other bandits dropped me? To get out of the way and let Chaos take me by herself?

I was forced to assume this was the reason, because she didn’t allow me any further time to think about it. In the blink of an eye she was upon me, swinging the long staff-like weapon wildly and blindingly fast. I dodged backward to avoid her first shot, then deflected the second with the stolen sword. The weapon flew up from around the blade and smacked me in the side, leaving a small slice on my wing in the process. Before I could react again, a fourth hit came from the back of the spear, hitting me square in the side of my head and sending me reeling.

I fell to the ground, rolled onto my back and blocked a downward slice, the sound of her spear tip and my sword colliding echoing menacingly around the deserted street. I could see her teeth barred slightly, and could tell that most opponents never made it this far- a fact that didn’t bode well for me. I rolled away quickly, the spear tip slipping past and slamming into the pavement.

I made a snap decision, unfurling my wings and jumping high into the air, coming to rest atop a four-story building. My right wing burned horribly from the wound she had given me, and my head was still throbbing, but it was better than staying on the ground. I peeked over the edge, and saw she still stood in the center of the road, watching me. Good. I might have bought myself a few minutes to get away from her. Man, they weren’t kidding, this thing’s unstoppable...

But with mounting horror, I realized I had even less time than I had thought. She ran up to the edge of the building and started running up the side, without a single hand or foothold to speak of. Even if I was able to comprehend what I was seeing, I didn’t have nearly enough time to try. She swung over the edge a moment later and charged me again, the spear humming as it spun in dizzying circles over her head.

I backed up quickly, backflipping away from the sweeping strikes of her weapon. As I landed near the edge, I fired a powerful burst of fire at her, striking her in the stomach mid-charge. She flew back limply, but landed on her own feet at the other edge. The cloak smoldered slightly, but didn’t look like it had delivered a serious burn. Her hood had fallen in the process, and I was now able to see her striking blue eyes staring back at me, standing out even more against her long, fluffy magenta hair.

I realized now more than ever that this girl couldn’t have been any older than I was. Her abilities aside, why was she doing this? How did she come to be nothing more than a weapon in the hands of this questionable prophet-like Vomora? Did she even understand what she was doing, or was she just shoved in the right direction, fighting whatever she was told to fight?

In a way... I suppose she’s just like me. Maybe there is a better way out of this. With renewed purpose, I leapt backward as she ran at me again, allowing my wings to unfurl and glide me to the ground. Chaos was right on my tail, jumping clear off the building and landing on her feet, the impact sending several loose chunks of cobblestone flying. She lifted her head to face her enemy...

And assumed a confused expression as she watched me place the sword on the ground and raise my hands in the air, a clear act of surrender and peace. “I don’t want to fight.” I added. “Please, hear me out. I want to ask you something.”

“What...” Chaos started, unsure of what was happening. “What do you mean? You’re the Queen’s servant, you’re supposed to fight me!”

“I don’t want to fight.” I insisted. “I am the Queen’s apprentice, yes, but I don’t want to fight for her. You’ve been told she’s evil?” A hesitant nod. “Well, that much is right. She’s bad and something needs to be done. But hurting others isn’t the way, and I don’t think Vomora quite knows what the way is, either.”

“But... Vomora saved all those people. He knows the Queen is bad, and he’s trying to fight her.”

“But at what cost?” I replied, hoping my leap of logic would get through to her. “As far as I’ve seen, he’s only using these people, and doesn’t have much regard for their safety- at the very least, this is true for you.” I took a chance and moved closer to her, away from the sword, and she didn’t move to stop me. “How did he get you to join him?”

“I... I don’t know...” She said, now avoiding any eye contact. “For as long as I can remember, it’s been this way...”

“I know. I’m the same way. Celestia took me away from my family when I was too small to fight back, and trained me to be a weapon for her.” Chaos looked up at me, surprised. “I’ve learned to fight, but she can’t make me believe what she’s doing is right. And if Vomora wants to stop her, he shouldn’t be doing the same thing she is.”

______________

Spike

I brought my twin knives to bear, blocking and throwing back an attack. Most of the bandits had fallen away from the main combat to recover or fight elsewhere. I noted with satisfaction that Twilight was holding up quite well against her attackers across the clearing. Thankfully, the town militia had finally decided to jump into the action, and many of the bandits were now occupied with them. I twirled my weapons at my sides, looking around for another opponent, and turned right into Vomora himself. He stood, arms folded, in the dead center of the clearing, watching me, slightly annoyed.

“Allow me the chance to try and understand your motivation.” He said, stalking around me slowly. “You are a full-blooded Goldoan dragon- your strength in Equestria is unmatched by any mortal being. You were surely raised no differently than any other Goldoan, so it boggles the mind that you would choose Celestia’s of all sides to ally yourself with! Surely you can’t seriously believe all the lies she’s been spouting? Surely your moral code can make it clear she’s the enemy? So tell me- why? Why become her slave as you have, when you could have made her life that much more difficult instead?”

I allowed myself a quick glance to make sure Twilight was still occupied, then said in a low voice: “Who says I have given myself up completely to her? Answer me this- is it beyond reason to think I may only be biding my time here? Is it impossible that I’m waiting for the pristine moment to take the kids and turn full-force against her? Is it too much of a stretch to say I’m aware of her atrocities, and one day do intend to do something about it?”

He cocked his head, his eyes gleaming deviously, but the rest of his face remained only curious. “You’re telling me these things are true, then?”

“I’ll cut you a deal.” I said flatly. “Your men are getting murdered out here, and if you wait much longer, there won’t be much left of them to lead. Take them and run- now- and I’ll say that if any members of this ‘unnamed bandit group’ escaped, I didn’t see them. Regroup and wait for a chance to do something less dangerous to yourselves.”

He stopped finally, surveying the situation around him. While I had not escaped unscathed, his men all were obviously worse for the wear than me or Twilight. I hadn’t seen where Phil went, but I saw plenty of burns on several injured soldiers that told me he was still fighting. Vomora sighed, defeated. “Very well. I am able to accept defeat, for now. We’ll have to meet again sometime and discuss this further- not as enemies, but as fellow Laguz. As fellow men.”

I was just about to nod, until I noticed the sky above him. Following my confused gaze, he looked too, and we both watched the enormous shockwave of rainbow energy raze across the cloudless sky, kicking up loose bits of everything and popping every ear as it went. His unkempt hair and tail settled a moment later, and he shook his head in wonder. “A sign if I ever did see one... Men! Gather your things, grab someone who can’t walk. We’re retreating to fight another day.” With one final look back at me and a nod, he rounded up his troops and bounded off alongside them.

________________

Phil

“But what can we do?!” Chaos yelled. “What am I supposed to do if what Vomora’s doing is wrong?”

“He doesn’t know where you are now, does he?” She shook her head. “There you go! Run! Get out of here as fast as you can and hide! Find someplace to lay low, and find your own path! Don’t let anyone tell you what to think, find your own purpose and follow it with all you’ve got!”

I thought all this might have been just a tad cheesy and melodramatic, but to Chaos- who I’d guessed had never seen or heard any of it before, was enthralled. “But he’ll try and find me again- he wouldn’t leave town without me.”

I put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll make sure he’s too busy worrying about his own butt to chase after yours. Like I said, I know where you’re coming from. No-one deserves this fate.”

She smiled, nodded, made a half-step away from me, then spun around with an excited look on her face. “Then you could come with me!” I frowned. Hadn’t seen that coming. “We could both escape together, and start a resistance worth following!”

But I was already shaking my head sadly. “I can’t tell you how much I’d love to, but I can’t. Not yet, anyway. I’m not abandoning Twilight, the other apprentice. She doesn’t feel the same way about Celestia as we do, but I think she will someday. Until then, I have to stay to protect her.” It was then that the huge blast of rainbow light roared across the sky, drowning out all other noise and generally making a mess of everything around us.

As soon as I could speak and be heard again, I yelled to Chaos: “That’s your cue! They’ll be too confused and frightened to put up a fight! Run, and don’t look back!” She nodded and took off down the street, discarding the spear along the way. I watched her disappear over the horizon, the turned around and cracked my knuckles. One down... I thought as I ran back to the clearing.

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty

Year 498

Rainbow Dash

“Dibs.” I added simply. The story had reached a lull anyway, and I felt it was the perfect time for it. Seeing their confused looks, I clarified: “That rainbow explosion of awesomeness that saved all your butts. That was mine. Shockwave from the sonic rainboom. Total dibs.”

Most everyone else chuckled at my comment, before going back to finishing the story. Spike, Phil and Twilight had nothing else to add, as they pretty much just went home after that, and nothing much else happened all the way up to the Lunar Festival. Phil then gave us the details of his escape from Eclipse, and how Xekora had found him at the end and sheltered him all this time.

Pinky stepped up to finish her story next. “I made it pretty far after running from Firefly. I wasn’t running in any particular direction for a while, so I probably could have saved a lot of time if I had. A few days after I began, I gave out somewhere in this forest and couldn’t find the strength to get any further. I just kind of laid there, all depressed, and I was sure I wasn’t going to make it any further. But just like in a fairy tale, just as I was about to give up all hope, I heard footsteps nearby.

“When I opened my eyes, there were two people standing over me. One of them was too tall for me to make out much detail from laying on the ground, but next to him stood a little kid, not even as old as I was then. His clothes were all this cool black and white pattern, but his shirt collar and sleeve cuffs were all red, and the whole getup was a size or two too big for him. The sun was kind of in the way, so I couldn’t see his hair color or much of his face, but I did catch the gleam of a pair of sunglasses on his face for a second.

“After that I think I passed out for a while. I think I remember getting a piggy-back ride somewhere, but that might have been a dream. When I was all the way awake, I was on a couch in town hall, and realized I had been asleep there. There were some guards at first, but they figured out pretty quick I wasn’t going to do anything, and it became just one guard at a time. I wasn’t sure what was happening at first, but soon people started coming to see me, and I realized the mayor was trying to find a place for me to stay.

“Needless to say, it was a little weird seeing all these people wanting to really meet me, and maybe take me in. All my life before that... People always looked at me like some kind of freak, because of what I could do, and were too scared to get to know me. The only one who ever did talk to me before that was Vomora, and he... He was the worst. If I was a dangerous animal to everyone else, I was nothing but a tool to him... He let me open up to him just to set himself up as someone I could trust, but he didn’t really care... I’ve never felt as strongly about anyone else, but I absolutely hate him.

“I spent about a week in the care of the city, until I finally got adopted by the couple who used to run the bakery. We ditched my old name right away, and I got the new name ‘Pinky’. For the first time in my life, I was able to live a normal life with them. When they had to move to another town a few years ago, I decided to take up some work myself and rent a place here. This had become my real home, and I couldn’t bear to leave.

“And... I guess that pretty much brings us up to the Lunar Festival again.” She finished, shrugging. “So, uh... Thank you for that.” She turned to Phil as she said this. “Never actually got a chance to say that.”

“No worries.” He replied. “Now, er, Xekora? That wasn’t you who brought her to town, was it?”

“Now what would give you that idea?” Xekora asked, then looked to both Phil and Trixie. “Ah. Right. Well, the answer is no, I had nothing to do with this one. Can’t imagine who the tall fellow is, nor can I say the description of the younger one rings any bells. Clearly... the pair is trying to steal my job! I’ll find them and make it clear to them that I’m the only one who goes around influencing events for the better around here!”

He said this with his usual good-humored voice, and I could tell he was mostly kidding about it. A longer break in the conversation ensued, in which a more substantial meal was prepared. I hadn’t realized it until now, being wrapped up in all the storytelling, but it had actually gotten quite late in the day by now. My first clue was my stomach, the second was seeing the sun beginning its descent in the sky. The meal consisted of various meats from various animals he had hunted, as well as every kind of fruit I had never seen. Xekora, Trixie, AJ and Spike went to town actually turning the pile of stuff into a meal, as they were unquestionably the best cooks among us.

After eating in silence, Rarity reluctantly stood to tell her own story.

_______________

Year 490; Icarus Manor

Rarity

I rushed towards the entrance hall, past all the soldiers rapidly suiting up for battle. House Icarus had a standing force of twenty five militia men, and looked like every single one of them was getting ready for serious combat. I hadn’t heard anything, and I hadn’t seen any attackers through any of the windows- I had no idea what we were in for, and I had to find out.

I stumbled down the grand staircase, and saw my mother standing before the door, accepting a small object from one of the soldiers. With alarm, I realized it was none other than the house treasure, the Icarus Charm. It resembled a butterfly in shape and size, but was completely translucent, and hung from a thin silver chain. She wrapped it around her hand solemnly and nodded to the soldier, who returned to the ranks forming in the hall. Indeed, it seemed House Icarus was going to battle.

“Mom!” I yelled, running up to her. “Mom, what’s happening? Who are we up against?”

She turned slightly to face me. “Rarity! I thought you were asleep.”

I shook my head simply. “Got woken up by the soldiers outside my room.”

She shook her head quickly. “Nothing you need worry about, dear.  A battle is underway at Trottingham, and Houses Leo and Icarus have been called to the fight to aid the local forces. United, the attackers won’t stand a chance.”

I was only slightly relieved. There would be backup to cover them, but the fact remained that they were going to go risk their lives. “I want to go along. I’ve learned more than enough swordsmanship skills to deal with a few bandits.”

Frustratingly, she was already shaking her head. “I know you could help if you came along, and wouldn’t be a burden to us, but with all our troops out on this mission, we need someone to stay here and guard the house. I figured you and Opal would be enough to cover it. Besides, someone needs to stay with Sweetie Belle too.”

I nodded in understanding, but was still a little annoyed I wouldn’t get to be part of the action. It made sense that she’d want Opal to stay- ever since she was adopted by the house six years ago, she had proven herself again and again to be a skilled fighter, and would lay down her life for the house just as any other soldier. But most other houses didn’t know of her existence, and explaining away her presence- being a cat-girl and all- would have been difficult.

Mom led the troops out the door quickly, and they began to make their way towards Trottingham. Assistance from several Children of Air would shorten the journey considerably, but it would still be something of a trek. I waited until they were all out of sight before going back inside to wait with my sisters.

_________________

The night crawled by, since neither of us had much to do but wait. Sweetie Belle more or less slept through the whole thing. We tried to find something to occupy ourselves- we had a few practice duels, but our hearts really weren’t in it. I managed to kill some time by tinkering with some spare bits of armor that hadn’t been brought into battle (a side hobby of mine), while Opal tried to get some sleep.

I tried to keep my mind off of the battle all this time, but couldn’t help but wonder how things were going. I could imagine what kind of damage my mother was doing to the bandits- with the Icarus Charm, she was likely rending them from above on the crystal-clear wings it afforded the user. At her side would likely be Rytas, head of House Leo. I had never seen their house charm in action, but I had heard of it giving the user incredible agility and strength, as well as vicious claws for battle. I could only imagine how effective that must have been.

Both Opal and I sat in the den hours later, playing a card game absently. Sweetie Belle had just been tended to again, and was sleeping peacefully in the next room. It wasn’t long until morning now. I kind of envied her right then. I was about ready to call it quits and try to go get some sleep myself, when we heard someone yelling like a madman downstairs. With a quick glance, the two of us dropped everything and ran to see what it was.

I stopped, confused, at the top of the stairs, Opal continuing on. At the base of the stairs was Blake Leo, Rytas’s son. He wore a small scimitar at his belt and a chain mail shirt, and was currently trying to catch his breath. He wasn’t a very imposing individual- always an inch or so short for his age and more on the skinny side. He wore a pair of wired glasses, and had dark, messy, navy-blue hair that reached down to his shoulders. Something caught the glint of torchlight in his hand, but I couldn’t tell what it was from where I was.

“Blake! What are you doing here? What happened?” Opal interrogated him. He had clearly rushed here as fast as he could, but I wasn’t sure from where. Considering when he had arrived, my first guess was that he had been in the battle at Trottingham and had come here for us.

When he regained his breath and spoke, he shot down my first theory. “I ran here as fast as I could, from home. I’ve been going pretty much non-stop since this evening to get to you in time. Please, we have to hurry to Trottingham quick! Before it’s too late to stop him!”

“Blake, calm down. You’re not making any sense.” Opal said, trying to figure out what was wrong.

My eyes widened and my heart raced as fast as he must have at his next words: “It’s my dad! He’s going to try to kill Cybel!”

Chapter Forty-one

Chapter Forty One

Year 490; Icarus Manor

Rarity

“What?!” I yelled, descending the stairs again. I stopped right in front of Blake, Opal standing to the side nervously. “How do you know?”

Blake looked up at me, and in one look I could tell he wasn’t lying. Our respective houses may not have been terribly close, but the two of us had been friends for ages. We were both around the same age, and getting tangled up in things that didn’t concern us was a favorite pastime. But most importantly, I had learned to read him like a book, and knew that he was sure of what he was saying.

“I overheard him talking about it to the guard captain- I think they were the only two who were supposed to know about it. He said he wants his soldiers to position themselves around the enemy in a way that dad can kill her quickly, then make it look like someone else did it. He’s even going to swipe her Charm and replace it with a replica.”

Opal paced around us annoyingly. “The two have never liked each other, that much is obvious. Especially after that whole Goldoa fiasco a few years back nearly cost him his life and position. Makes sense he’d blame Icarus for it. And if he’s going to make a move for the Charm, I can see he aims to topple Icarus as a whole and absorb the house, the power-hungry bastard.”

Blake nodded to all of this. “I made a break for it as soon as I could- he should have no idea I’m not asleep in my room. When I passed Trottingham on my way here, the attackers were still only impeded by the locals, so we should still have a chance to stop him.”

Opal and I agreed immediately, and we descended to the armory to prepare as best we could. I got a few bits of armor together- a chest plate, some arm and knee guards and a buckler- as well as my rapier. Opal slipped on some chain mail and called it done, and we dashed back to the foyer.

We were halfway out the door when Opal stopped, hitting herself in the head. “Agh, we need someone to stay behind for Sweetie Belle... Gimmie a sec.” She dashed outside for a moment, scanning the streets, then spotted someone making their way through in no particular rush. “Hey! Lyra, get over here! I need you for something!”

The figure, a girl of about sixteen who lived in town, and I had met a few times, looked our way for a moment before coming up to meet us. Opal knew her better, thankfully. “You and Octavia wanna keep an eye on Sweetie Belle for a while? We’ve got a murder to stop.”

Lyra winced slightly, but then nodded. “I’ll do it. Tavi’s not really in much shape to... do anything, really, right now. Just had a bad breakup. I can handle things for a few hours. Where are you-”

She didn’t get to finish asking her question, because the three of us were already on the move out to the edge of town. When we hit it, Opal looked around for a moment. “How’d you get here? I’m not seeing anyone with wind magic or anything.”

Blake strode up to us. “I told you, I ran here.” He held up his hand, and I saw with surprise the Leo Charm wrapped around his knuckles. It resembled a crude image of a lion, with golden fur and a red mane, and was translucent just like the Icarus Charm. “Decided to steal one of dad’s ideas and swipe the real thing, leaving him with a fake. He’s probably figured it out by now, but I was able to get away before he noticed anything.”

With a grin, he slid the chain over his head, and a quick change took place in his body. A tail, with fur the same color as his hair, sprouted from his lower back, and his ears became pointy as they migrated to a position atop his head. His knuckles swelled slightly, and I could imagine claws springing forth from them. The transformation only took a second, so I guessed this wasn’t his first time using the charm. With his new features, coupled with the low and springy stance he took, I had to admit he looked rather cute.

I never got the chance to tell him that, though. Opal threw her arms back with a small roar, and a flash of light replaced her with a large white cat. I wasn’t sure what kind of cat she resembled, but she was far from a tiny house cat. She was big enough- and I small enough- that I was able to slip onto her back and ride without hindering her speed too much. I did so, and she and Blake took off at a run. Blake, surprisingly fast in this form, led the way to the battle, alternating between running on two legs and all fours.

As we ran, he filled us in on what the fighting was all about- apparently it was all one huge snapping point for two other houses- one based in Trottingham, the other an invader seeking to conquer the house. The home team was holding up well so far, being able to fight without endangering themselves too much, as well as having assistance from various volunteers in town. However, the attackers had them beat in raw numbers and strength, and they knew they couldn’t hold out forever in a one-on-one battle. So as soon as they were sure fighting would ensue, they called for help from Leo and Icarus, their two closest neighbors.

I could see Rytas’s plan unfolding before me- he wanted to throw the four houses into utter chaos, and come out on top of the situation himself. It didn’t matter how the battle really went, his plan would set it up so that one of the other two houses would have appeared to done the deed, severing the head of Icarus. While attacking and absorbing another house was an act frowned upon but not usually punishable, the defenders would be punished brutally for betraying someone they called upon for help, and the attackers would surely be crippled after being repelled. Either way, Icarus would be in disarray after the fact, and Rytas would be the one to pick up the pieces.

Fueled by panic and rage at the lengths that this man was willing to go, I prepared myself for whatever was to come. I understood what his plan was, but the question now was what our plan would be. By the sounds of it, this was going to be a brutal battle, and we’d have to dive into the middle of it to get to mom. The sun was making its trek across the sky, but we didn’t stop for food. We were all too nervous to eat, and had precious little time anyway.

After a painful wait, the outline of Trottingham finally became visible on the horizon. My heart raced, and I could feel the tension in both of my companions. Whatever was going to happen, was going to happen soon.

As we got closer, it became apparent that a battle was hard underway. Even this as far as we still were from the city walls, stray arrows and blood littered the grass. The echoes of colliding steel and the odd explosion could be heard, and Children of Air could be seen battling it out above the city. Clearly we weren’t too late, but for how long?

We cautiously peeked around the edge of the gateway leading into the city, and realized our mission was going to be harder than we thought. The battle seemed to be reaching its peak, with the four small individual armies all giving their final push at each other. Blake tore the Leo Charm off quickly, wrapping it around his hand again and shaking his head. His features rapidly returned to normal. “Thing drains your strength after a while. I doubt I could keep it up much longer like this, let a lone in battle. So... What’s our plan?”

Opal rose from her crouch where she had been thinking, and spoke sharply. “Don’t stop moving. Keep close to me and don’t engage anyone. Shields up. Someone give me a some weapons.” We looked around for a second and handed her a discarded shield and a bloodied sword. She equipped them both properly, then began scanning the chaotic crowd. Blake and I drew our own weapons and adjusted our small shields. My heart felt like it was going to burst from my chest, and I could tell by the way Blake’s unoccupied fingers were flexing and un-flexing rapidly that he was just as on edge.

“There. I see them over there, by the vendor stand.” Opal said abruptly, and the two of us scrambled over to the wall to see. It took a moment to find where Opal was pointing, but soon I was able to pick out the figure of my mother, still fighting viciously with her rapier. The Icarus Charm was in full effect- a pair of crystalline butterfly’s wings sprouted from her back, and she darted back and fourth with sharp, stinging strikes. My heart began to slow slightly with relief. She’s still alive. We’re not too late.

But like a stone dropping, like a heroic piece of music suddenly veering off with a darker, more rapid pace, I saw that on the ground was Rytas. A large shield was strapped to one arm, and the scimitar in the other zipped around him and bit into his enemies before they had a chance to block. He was low to the ground as he fought, just as animalistic even without the Leo Charm. The scimitar was a blur as it spun and swung around him, and I couldn’t help but think of what he was apparently planning to do with it soon... I forced the thought out of my mind.

“On my mark, start running. We’re getting right in there with them, and if worst comes to worst we’ll just kill him. If not, he’ll think better of it and abandon the plan, what with smarter witnesses around.” She walked over to the gate, standing now in plain view of anyone who cared to look, and readied her sword. Her foot skidded back, and she was a second away from charging. Blake and I looked to each other, and I could see in his diamond-blue eyes that he was as scared as I was. He gave a terse nod and moved to Opal’s far side, and I took my place on the other.

“Charge!” Opal barked, taking off like an arrow, the two heirs scrambling to keep up. She didn’t slow as she collided with the crowd, mowing them down with shield before her and sword swinging in ineffectual arcs. Blake and I were right behind her now, heads down, shields up. We didn’t have time to attack, but we both gripped our swords still.

We were halfway buried in troops now, a few Icarian troops noticing our presence and covering us, but all of a sudden something changed. It wasn’t anything physical- soldiers were still fighting, the sounds of battle still echoed, nothing new was visible- but something in the air had definitely changed, and I was horrified. We didn’t slow, we didn’t change our strategy, but I could tell I wasn’t the only one feeling it.

Time seemed to be gradually slowing as the crowd thinned out, and my mind was screaming at me too loud for me to gather my thoughts. All I could think of now was getting to the end, and wondering what it was I’d see when we got there. Suddenly, Opal stopped short, and I ran into her and bounced back to the ground, landing roughly. Blake skidded to a halt an inch from doing the same, and looked forward, terrified. I didn’t want to, but I slowly moved my own gaze to where my companions were staring.

Just in time to see the curved, bloody sword pull out of my mother’s back.

Chapter Forty-two

Chapter Forty Two

Trottingham; Plaza

Rarity

My mind locked down, and I couldn’t process what I was seeing. The few agonizing seconds between events each felt like a lifetime. First the sword, bloodied to a degree that it appeared to have been born that color, flipped out of her body cleanly. She began to fall backwards from Rytas, having no remaining balance. With his sword hand, he swiped at her with two fingers, and in one quick move removed the Icarus Charm from her neck.

At last, she hit the ground roughly, a stunned expression on her lifeless face, and the reality of the situation finally hit me. She’s dead... He killed her... All at once, everything snapped into focus, and all I could see was myself and Rytas. My grip on the rapier tightened, and I screamed his name in anger.

He turned, and looked genuinely surprised to see my small party. I expected the coward to look afraid of us, since we had ruined his plan, but instead he merely wore an expression of us being an inconvenience. I hadn’t met him many times before, but there was something in his eyes that I was sure wasn’t there before. Something was driving him this time, and it wasn’t his own selfish, sneaky desires anymore. His eyes seemed darker, his stance lower, his face more determined and deadly.

All the intimidation in the world couldn’t have stopped me then, though. He just killed my mother, and would pay with his own life for it. I was ready to charge, as were both Opal and Blake, but he spoke before any of us made a move:

“So, you pieced it together, did you? I must say, I think you made it here in record time, and for your effort, I congratulate you. Now, Blake.” He made a half step forward, but stopped when he saw all three of us respond in turn. “Is this the truth of it? You’ve elected to betray me now, to cast your lot in with your now orphaned, utterly doomed friend? Even when you know what is at stake here?”

I looked to Blake out of the corner of my eye. From the tone Rytas used, it sounded like he knew Blake knew more than he was letting on. Blake responded with strength he didn’t feel. “I’m not like you, dad. My thirst for power doesn’t get in the way of what’s right. I refuse to let you get away with such horrible ways of getting ahead in the world, and I won’t abandon my friends. Sure, I want power too. But when I get it... I’ll do it with my friends at my side.”

“Enough of this.” Opal said between clenched teeth. “You have no defense for what you’ve done now. We’ve all just seen you kill Cybel, and you’re going to pay for it!” Without bothering to wait for a response, she leapt at him with sword swinging. He parried with his own sword, jabbing at her with his elbow. She flinched back slightly, and Rytas took advantage of it, swinging wide from the side. His scimitar was parried with another: Blake jumped in and blocked, spinning to get behind him. Opal’s sword raised behind her, swinging in for an overhead strike.

Rytas moved faster, sticking his leg out and twisting to the side, kicking Blake clear off his feet. He rolled at the end, springing up right behind Opal, scimitar poised to strike. I made my move now- I ran up quickly, shield arm raised, and made a dive for Rytas’s sword arm. His back was turned to me, so he didn’t see me until I was almost on him. His sword pulled away just in time, but I got what I really wanted.

I sprung to my feet next to Blake, sword up behind me, the Icarus Charm hanging from my hand, reflecting the light from the afternoon sun. I held out my other hand to Blake, and helped him to his feet. Opal had sprung to her feet again and was keeping Rytas busy, so as one Blake and I nodded, and slipped on the two charms.

At first, there was no effect in mine, though Blake’s transformation was once again immediate. He jumped back into the fray, claws and sword blazing, leaving me alone. I had never used the charm in the past, so I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to feel, but I was sure it wasn’t nothing. I was about to remove it and shove it in my pocket, to just keep it safe and do without, when I began to feel a sharp pain in my back. It grew rapidly, and I dropped to my knees, the pain blinding. I couldn’t reach the spot on my back where it was coming from, but with a short cry it abruptly ended.

My heart raced when I opened my eyes, and saw myself silhouetted against the cobble street. To the sides of the shadow, the sunlight was beautifully distorted, pastel-y colors refracted onto the ground like shards of colored glass. I could scarcely move, but I did give an experimental twitch from my back, and I was thrilled to see the distortion move in response. It worked... I have wings!

I was pulled back to reality by the silence that had befallen the city. Indeed, it seemed only one fight was still going: Opals’ and Blake’s swords colliding with Rytas’s. All the other soldiers seemed to have retreated or gone to tend to their wounded, because while many still remained to watch the final fight, none of them were fighting each other any longer.

Tearing my gaze away from my new wings, I hefted the sword again and jumped into the combat, filled with new energy. I hadn’t learned to fly on the wings yet, so I was still on foot, but I still felt incredibly light and agile, and was able to move faster than I thought was possible. I thrust forward with my rapier, whipping it back quickly when Rytas made a move to block, and sliced around instead. The steel flashed past his guard and cut through his clothes, drawing blood.

The three of us kept him penned in, but he still wasn’t giving in any time soon. Even with the augmented strength and speed granted to two of us, he was still able to keep up and land just as many effective hits, and even while outnumbered he held his own. He fought with a rage and determination almost inhuman, but wasn’t invincible.

With a great spinning attack, he threw all three of us back, and I was launched high into the air. I soon ended up upside-down, and saw the ground rushing towards me. I uttered a silent cry, anticipating the impact ahead of me, but it never came. With a start, I realized that I was now hovering a foot off the ground, my wings keeping me bobbing gently. As soon as I was conscious of it, they stopped and I fell, but scrambled back up quickly.

Opal and Blake were pulling themselves to their feet, bruised and battered much worse than I was. Rytas stood alone in the center of the plaza, his scimitar a blur of silvery blue steel as it spun threateningly around him. None of his soldiers made a move to help him, but he didn’t seem to need it: he clearly had complete control of the situation, and the three of us would not be able to overcome him like this. His original plan had been shot to pieces, but he didn’t seem bothered by it any longer, and only sought to finish what he started.

I lifted the sword again, my tired arms yelling in protest, and inched closer to my enemy, the man who had killed my mother in cold blood. Seeing I was the only one left fighting, Rytas devoted his full attention to me, and the crowd watched as the two of us stared each other down. This was it. One of us wasn’t walking away after this.

Screaming his name, I leapt off my feet and let my wings carry me towards him. He wasn’t expecting me to launch at him like this, and he was only just able to block my first strike. I dropped to the ground an instant afterwards, and landed a successful slice at his legs. He kicked me away and dove at me, sword blazing behind him, and I rolled out of the way just as he swung at me. From my position on my side next to him, I thrust the sword right at his stomach, and grimaced as it sunk in.

Rytas screamed in rage and rolled to his feet, slamming me in the chest with his elbow in the move. I stumbled back from the impact, and wasn’t able to block in time as he swung the scimitar across my front. The small chest piece I wore saved me that time, but a bloody gash still formed on my right shoulder, and the pain made me drop my sword.

The demon didn’t slow down. Another strike sliced just under the chest plate, a stinging move just strong enough to draw blood. The hilt collided with my stomach, and I fell backward. He stood over me, pausing only half a second before finishing me, and in that moment I saw my life flash before my eyes. I did the only thing I could do now, and closed my eyes.

But instead of the sword coming down on my head, I heard Rytas cry out in pain. Did Opal or Blake recover enough to stop him? When I opened my eyes, he had staggered back a few paces, and was clutching the shaft of something sticking out of his shoulder. It was a simple wooden object, with feathers attached to the back and a spear tip atop, making it resemble a large arrow. But with the shaft too short in comparison, I knew it couldn’t have fired out of a bow. It looked more like a large throwing dart.

“Rytas...” A voice from behind me choked out, probably through clenched teeth. I doubted Rytas would be very interested in me any longer, so I risked a look back. Near the very vendor stand we had started at, mom’s lifeless body in his arm, crouched a man of about nineteen or twenty years. In his other hand was some kind of leather sling, hanging in the air above him, and I knew he was the one who threw the dart. His hair, an olive green shade, was short but shaggy, save for one lock hanging long over his right shoulder, and though his eyes were shaded, I could see the glint of tears on his face.

“Rytas!” He screamed, his voice beyond broken. In that moment, I knew true fear: this man’s rage seemed to fill the whole plaza, and the air seemed to shake with anger. Laying mom’s body against the wall with extreme gentleness, he stood and faced Rytas, who was beyond terrified. From his back the man pulled a long, double-headed spear, and gripped it with both hands.

Eyes still shaded, he stalked forward, mouth twisted in an enraged grimace. Rytas wasn’t an idiot, and backed away slowly, knowing he didn’t stand a chance against whoever this was. Wordlessly, the man jumped forward, spear swinging in insane arcs, and Rytas’s parrying sword soon flew away from his grip. The spear pulled back in slow motion, and in a heartbeat thrust forward, straight through all his armor and out the other side.

Time didn’t slow this time, like it had when mom was taken. The man only waited a second before pulling the spear back out, Rytas’s limp body collapsing to the street, blood pooling around him. No one else moved, only stared with eyes wide at the event we had just witnessed. For a moment, I thought the threat had passed- Rytas was gone, thanks to this stranger, and we were safe.

All that came crashing down when he spoke again, his voice shaking. He addressed the crowd as a whole, none of whom knew what to do. “I’ll make you all pay for what you’ve done... I’m going to wipe house Leo clean off the face of the earth for taking Cybel away from me!”

Chapter Forty-three

Chapter Forty Three

I struggled to my feet again and made my way slowly, carefully, back towards Blake and Opal. Blake especially was trying to make himself inconspicuous. I reached the edge of the crowd just as the man stepped forward, spear whirling behind him. No one stepped forward to stop him, as they had all seen what kind of power he possessed.

Opal stepped forward cautiously, and while Blake and I tried to stop her, she left the safety of the crowd and crept into the center of the clearing. The man noticed her immediately, but made no move himself to attack her. In fact, he seemed somewhat sad to see her. All of a sudden, I recognized him: I didn’t know him personally, but had seen him multiple times in town, meeting often with my mother. I had no idea who he was, really, but he obviously knew her somehow, and was incredibly distraught over her death.

The gravity of the situation- that mom was really, truly gone- finally hit me. I had been too caught up in the fight to let it fully sink in, but at that one moment I felt more alone than I ever had. I felt like sinking to my knees and just laying there, but it wasn’t over yet. I had to keep it together until whatever was happening now was sorted out.

“Fafnir...” Opal began, speaking calmly and kindly, yet with a volume of control. “It’s over, Fafnir. Rytas was the only one involved in this, and he’s dead. The rest of Leo is innocent.”

She chanced moving in closer, close enough to put her hand on his shoulder, and the man- Fafnir- still didn’t make a hostile move towards her. “Killing the rest won’t solve anything...” She went on, her voice barely perceptible. “Killing them... won’t bring her back.” The tension in the air was unbearable, but finally, slowly, the tip of the spear was lowered to the ground.

______________

The soldiers from the house laying siege to Trottingham had retreated already, and the local house of Trottingham itself had pulled back to their manse to tend to their wounded, assess the damage to the city, and decide on their retaliatory actions. The people of Icarus and Leo drifted about in a haze, some lending a hand in repairing the wreckage of the plaza. The majority, however, simply sat at the curb in shocked silence, uncaring of who belonged to which house. They were all in the same boat- the head of both houses had been slain, and they were doing their best to try and come to terms with the fact.

Blake and I both did all we could to help along the process of repairing the market-turned-battlefield, even though the two of us were mostly ineffectual. We were really just trying to keep our minds off of what would happen next- while Blake did have an uncle on his mother’s side who could assist him, he was next in line to lead Leo. And me... Opal could only be there to help me, since she wasn’t tied to the house by blood, and I was the only one who could take over Icarus now.

I didn’t see much of Opal for a while: I think she had taken this Fafnir person away form the crowd to speak in private. About an hour passed until she returned, and the mysterious spearman was gone. She wore an annoyed expression as she approached the two of us. “He’s left town.” She said upon being asked about him. “I doubt if we’ll be seeing him again.”

She sighed heavily, and I could tell some kind of argument had occurred between the two. “He’s not strong enough to face his fate. How he can just up and kill a man like that, then shy away from what really needs to be done... Never mind. Nothing can be done for it now. Anyway... You think you two should address your people? They’re still a wreck after everything, and could use some comforting words.”

I nodded emptily. “I know. But... what am I supposed to tell them?”

Opal scratched her head idly, not one to give out advice. “Well... The two of you are going to be expected to take over your respective households now. You’ll have help along the way, of course. But they need you to lead them, to give them direction. What they need right now is for you to tell them what’s going to happen next, and what your intentions are for the future.”

I lowered my head sadly, but knew she was right. I turned to Blake, and after a few minutes of quiet discussion, we stepped up to speak. The best we could find in terms of something to step up to was a wooden box, and it wasn’t even particularly big, so we stood close. Both charms reflected the dulling light in our palms.

“Listen to me, everyone!” I called, drawing the attention of all the members of Icarus I could see, as well as most from Leo. “It seems... that I’m going to be leading Icarus from here on out. Our job is done here, and we’ll be setting off for home in a moment, but I first want to make my stance regarding these other houses clear.”

I stopped for a moment, motioning for Blake to take over. “Uh... People of Leo!” He started awkwardly. “I... I’m also obliged to take over for my house, but I want to make one thing clear right now- What my father did will not stand. His ambition quite nearly got us all killed today, and I will not follow in his footsteps... I am taking no further action against Icarus or any other house at this time, and instead merely ask for reconciliation with Icarus for what he did.”

He looked to me for a response, and I nodded thankfully. “Icarus will not be taking action against Leo either.” I said, stopping to motion for silence when the people immediately began protesting. “I know... I know that Lady Cybel is slain at the hands of Lord Rytas, and by extension House Leo- but Rytas was acting of his own accord in this, and the remainder of Leo is innocent. In addition, it is thanks to the new Lord Blake that I was able to expose his actions as murder, instead of his plan to make it seem like she had been slain in battle falling into place.

“For this I am very grateful, and I feel that Leo and Icarus are much closer to even ground. That, coupled with the facts that Rytas is dead, and I know I can place my trust in the new lord, makes me that much more confident that we should not pursue retribution for this day.”

Blake nodded and released a held breath. “I thank you, Lady Rarity. We... we will be returning home post-haste, to recover our own strength and health after today’s battle. As I said, we will be making no hostile moves towards any house for some time. And... When all this is said and done, I hope that I can offer our friendship to Icarus, and rebuild the relations that our two houses once had. No underhanded trickery this time, either. I have always thought of Icarus as the ally Rytas pretended to be allied with, and hope that we can finally, truly achieve what was previously perceived by outsiders. We always were, on the surface, allies- I intend to bring those bonds back, deeper, and make it a reality!”

His words met an energetic round of applause from his own men, and several of the men from Icarus joined in as well, though with less enthusiasm. I knew that this wasn’t going to be easy for me- Icarus had lost a lot that day, and the men clearly were still angry at Leo for it, but I knew I could turn their minds around once they had a chance to calm down and recover. It would be a hard road, perhaps, but I felt I was both obligated and prepared to travel it.

______________

“I guess this’ll be the last time we see each other for a while.” Blake said after the gathering was over. Both houses had drifted to opposite sides of the gates, preparing to depart, and the two of us were now virtually alone in the plaza. The sun had just dipped below the crest of the hills outside town, and the last vestiges of dusky light fell softly upon the cobble, and his face and mess of dark blue hair.

“Yeah...” Was all I could think to say. Today had been hard on both of us, and I was intensely thankful for everything he’d done, and simply for his presence. Part of me didn’t want this moment to end- I still had to return home and help give mom a proper burial, and loathed facing it without him. But I knew he had to return home as well: Rytas would be buried as well, not as a way of honoring him, but a way for Blake to show that he had more honor than his father had. It would be nothing more than the most basic of burials though.

“I... I’m really grateful for what you did.” Blake started. “Even if we were all individually innocent, I can’t help but feel we got better than we might have deserved thanks to you.”

“No.” I responded quickly. “None of you did anything wrong. I mean... sure, I’m still upset that mom’s gone... But the one who took her paid the price, and I don’t want anything else in return, for any more blood to be spilt. The people of Icarus may not like my judgement now, but I think they’ll warm up to it.”

He smiled fondly, closing his eyes and letting his face bask in the waning warmth of day. “I still owe you one though, Rarity. Not as the lord of a house, but as a friend. If you ever need anything...” He looked at me earnestly, “Just let me know, and I’ll be there for you.”

I smiled and nodded, then stepped forward and gave him a hug. He was never much of an affectionate person, but after a second he gave me a comforting pat on the back. We stood like this for a few seconds, then broke away and walked in silence to the parties waiting for us outside the plaza. As Icarus rode away to the south on a cloud of air generated by our eight children of air, I cast a glance back to the north, just in time to see Leo disappear on the horizon. I barely even noticed the shockwave of rainbow energy overhead, and had to be told about it later.

_______________

Year 498; House of the Hylian

Rainbow Dash

Rarity finished her story and took her seat, and after I looked around a moment later, I realized there was no-one else to go next. When we began, I hadn’t expected to become as absorbed in any of the stories as I had, but I found myself hanging on every word of each one. And, even more surprisingly, I realized the truth behind Xekora’s plan.

After hearing everything, I did feel like I knew everyone else a bit more than before- I already knew Applejack as much as I did myself, and I could tell the already fairly-strong friendship I had with Fluttershy and Pinky had grown deeper today. Rarity was the kind of person no-one could help but know, but I now felt as though I really knew her instead of just knowing of her.

“So that’s what it was...” I heard Spike mutter into his interlocked hands, held up before his mouth thoughtfully. “Fafnir, you idiot...” Spike had never struck me as one to rush anything, and now I could see why: if Goldoans had such long lifespans as I was led to believe, this person appearing to be three or four years my senior might have been hundreds of years ahead in reality. I knew now his heart was in the right place, and he knew Celestia was the enemy here, but I couldn’t find a good way of justifying his lack of action. Still, I was sure he’d come around in time to be a valuable ally.

Phil and Trixie both had the right idea too, but I was somewhat concerned by their motivation. Phil had the same problem Spike did: it was likely he wouldn’t make a move without ensuring Twilight’s safety first, but would fight to his last breath to protect her. Trixie, on the other hand, seemed completely obsessed with revenge, to a degree that concerned even me. I felt like if we didn’t stop her, she’d probably get herself killed trying to gain more power. She didn’t have any concern for her own safety, only the destruction of the Queen.

That brought me to Twilight herself. When we first met, all I felt for her was annoyance and hate, as she was exactly the kind of person I couldn’t stand. But things had changed slightly since then. Outside of anything relating to the Queen, I found that I didn’t outright hate her. And now I realized none of it was her fault, but Celestia’s. Twilight never had a choice in the matter, and was raised to act the way she did. I felt myself agreeing with Phil and Spike more and more: if there was a chance to change her mind, it should be taken. Twilight was a good person at heart, but needed to be pointed in the right direction.

“So.” Xekora said, hands folded before him. “That’s that. I think you’ll all realize now why I had you do that. You’ll need to know each other inside and out to be cohesive enough a team to tackle the challenges ahead of you. Now... As promised, I’ll hold up my end of the offer now. You’ve all shared your stories, now it’s time for one of my own.”

Chapter Forty-four

Chapter Forty-four

Rainbow Dash

If I wasn’t fully alert before, I was now. I knew exactly nothing about Xekora, except that he seemed to have unlimited power and influence. He was constantly there to bring in people with power and reason to fight, as was evident by Trixie and Phil. While good humored, I could still sense something decidedly wrong about him.

That, and the fact remained that he was immortal.

He stood, cleared his throat and began. “A long, long time ago, all of reality was based around, lived and died according to, and was utterly tied to, a grand system of sorts. In this system, a world reaching it’s time would produce a certain number of children, destined to carry on and be the heroes of their world. The age of these children was always the same, but the units of age would often vary. In terms of the years Equestria uses, the children would be more or less thirteen years of age.

“These chosen children would be raised on their home planet as a normal child, raised only by a guardian who would find them as newborns, because, as you see, the both the guardians and the children would be direct products of the system itself, rather than a natural part of the world. The children would venture through a fantasy world, while, unfortunately, their own world would be left to die. Upon completing their quest through this fantasy world, the children would create a new world, and give life to it themselves. This was the grand circle of life, of destruction of one world and birth of another, with the system governing it all serving as the link connecting the two ends.

“However... Approximately six hundred years ago, something went wrong. A group of children began their quest. All seemed to be going perfectly well. However, something else made it through. Something that should have died with their old world. Something that proceeded to grow unreasonably powerful, and wreak untold havoc and destruction upon countless worlds.

“This being managed to utterly screw over their quest so hard, that the system itself crashed. Not only did their own world collapse immediately, but the system was ruined permanently, as what entity could possibly repair something like that? Other worlds began to collapse before their time- some from this entity's immediate influence, some from the lack of support from the old system- and untold zillion-zillions of people died. The governing forces of each individual world began to panic, and were willing to try anything to stop the destruction of all life. These governing forces, of course, were nothing short of Gods.

“Now, enter the grand world of Hyrule. My homeland, one with a bloody but heroic history of darkness being slain by the righteous hero. My world was nearing it’s own time when the system was destroyed, had almost reached the time when we would have shed our old world and be born anew, when the world began collapsing in on itself right in front of our eyes. The chosen heroes had not yet reached the time when they could save us, and things were looking utterly grim. Hyrule was running out of options, and were willing to do anything to save our lives.

“Now, before I go on, you should all understand something about me. Back then, I was a completely different person than I am now. The times I’ve had here changed me completely, but back then... I was, in essence, the bad guy. I was the one sitting on the sidelines, orchestrating events as I saw fit to throw the world into chaos, and seize power in the end. I was the ultimate king of darkness- at least, I would fancy myself to be- and I know that if I had been given the full chance, I could have taken over Hyrule and bring it under my own rule.

“But my plans changed when I witnessed what was befalling my world. It needed saving more than ever before, and I realized that I was the only one capable of saving it. I had been one of the heroes to create the world, and had used one of the artifacts of that quest to give myself the power to do so: the Quest Bed, a venture that would allow the user to elevate themselves to nothing less than godhood, for purposes of finishing their quest, and for ruling their new world afterwards.

“With this power at my disposal, I felt I could do what needed to be done. I made my way to the ancient control center of the world, the Tower of the Gods. Meeting me there was the other surviving hero of that world, the goddess whom everyone adored. Together, we faced off against the entity that was threatening our world. But it was a losing battle. We would surely have died. But another arrived, a woman from another session, who both banished the being to another corner of space, and gave us the answer to our injured world.

"She directed us to a meeting ground, where we found others whose worlds had been wounded, as well as those children from whose world this entity had come. As you can imagine, I was at first outraged, but that demon's actions were not their will. However, the being seemed to have one thing in mind: killing the remaining children from the world he had come from. We couldn't allow that. This entity was our enemy, and if he wanted these heroes dead, we would protect them. I made the hardest decision of my life that day. I left behind Hyrule, left it in the care of the goddess, and joined those heroes, to protect them personally.

"As for the worlds that had been wounded, something had to be done to save them. The remains of some of the wounded worlds were joined, to give support to one another, to form a complete world again. Is that what happened to the world of these heroes? Who can say? I couldn't, I wasn't in charge of that operation. All I knew was that I had traveled to a new world, and had to protect it, for the demon would surely return. And return it did. The surviving heroes were well-hidden, but I would take to the offensive. This conflict was not between the gods, not this time. You will remember this conflict as the Equestrian Civil War.

“I soon ended up allying myself with quite the interesting rag-tag group: a couple of knights and some civilians- though all six were formidable fighters in their own regard- two of each from Dusk, Dawn and Eclipse. But most interesting was the matter of two individuals the group was escorting and assisting in their various quests: none other than our dear Celestia and Luna. But, as you might have guessed, Celestia was a great deal less insane five-hundred years ago, and she’s been gradually losing her mind since.

“It seemed the sisters, both members of the fairly powerful noble House Apollo already, had come to the same conclusion I did, but in different circumstances: While their own world did not seem to be threatened (any longer, perhaps) by The Crash, the civil war was on the path to ripping Equestria to shreds. Something needed to be done to end the war quickly, and the two had discovered a way to do it. You see, the entity that had caused so much destruction was still working its influence, and the princesses knew that if it was removed, tensions would surely drop, and the nations would be at peace.

“To attain power enough to destroy this threat, the sisters made a pact to do whatever it took to protect their kingdom, and soon found exactly what they needed: Another Quest Bed had survived on this planet, and fell into their possession. With the system long dysfunctional, and Equestria nowhere near its time to die, it was clear the bed did not work as it might have. However, after extensive research, we discovered that it would support one unorthodox function: the Dual Godhood. By accepting the ultimate light and darkness and taking each others' lives, Celestia and Luna both ascended to godhood with this one bed.

“There were both some limitations and advantages to this method of godhood. Celestia embodied the ultimate light, and Luna the ultimate darkness, and neither could be killed save for by the other, with the ‘Heroic or Just’ rule still in place as well. This isn’t to say only Luna could kill Celestia or vice-versa, but that only an equal opposite power could. At the time, this made no difference, but today I know Luna’s power has waned severely, while Celestia’s has grown, and Luna stands no chance of defeating her sister alone now. However, if one of the sisters is killed... the other becomes mortal once again. I know what it sounds like I’m suggesting, but no: I do not advocate killing Luna to weaken Celestia. While this would in theory work, I believe there is a better way.

“But to get back to the topic, I watched as the two soared to immortality, seized two of the most powerful weapons in existence- the Blades of Light and Dark- and faced off against this startlingly familiar entity. He took no real definitive form, but brandished the third in the set: The Blade of Blood. Together, along with the six warriors and yours truly, our team successfully brought this being to its knees, and it was sealed away permanently. History would remember nothing of this entity, save for one name recorded by me... Discord.

“After his vanquishment, Celestia ended up ascending to the throne after the current king was slain in battle, and for a time tried to bring the three countries together to hammer out a treaty, but Discord’s damage was lasting. Soon she herself began to fall victim to his chaotic ways, and her attempts at peace soon morphed into a startlingly successful conquest. Luna, retaining her own reasoning, attempted to raise a resistance force to stop her sister, and the six heroes raised arms once again to her aid. I however, remained on the sidelines, having accepted and immersed myself in my role as immortal historian. What happened next is history: Luna’s resistance was obliterated, the young princess sealed away indefinitely, and the six warriors were slain, never to be remembered again by any save for their one remaining friend.

“These six heroes, however, did all start families in between the battles, and their blood carried on through the generations. And now I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that their ultimate descendants... are you six, the Elements of Harmony. That of course extends to all the brothers and sisters you all have, as well as a few other distant descendants dotted around Equestria, but you six are clearly destined to follow in your ancestor’s footsteps and challenge the Queen once again. This is your next objective form me: you will someday be directed to the final resting places of your ancestor, and you must learn from them to become powerful enough to do what must be done.”

Xekora finally paused, letting his words sink in. I had no doubt that his account of events was the accurate one I had been searching for, and was glad I could see what had truly happened at the end of the war. Never before had I heard of any Discord or six heroes, but I suppose it made sense Celestia would cover them up over time. I did have my doubts about his claim that the six of us were tied by blood to these mysterious warriors, as I had no evidence either way. Still... If we were descended from an ancient hero, I’ll bet anything that Ultraviolet knew something about it. I’ll have to remember to ask him about it the next time he decides to bum around in my head.

“Anyway...” Xekora sighed, stretching. “That’s really all I have for you... I’m pretty sure we can find a way to use the Elements of Harmony to bring down the Queen, but we’ll have to keep looking for it. So... did we have anything else do do here today?”

No one elected any further information, and everyone seemed generally tired. The sun was on its way down, and we’d all done nothing but sit around in the woods all day. I could guess that the others felt the same way, and was about to suggest we all head back home, when someone else spoke up first: “You know, I do recall someone mentioning Rainbow Dash over there singing. I dunno about you, but I think I’d like to see that myself.”

I turned to face Phil, who wore a smug expression on his face. He had already showed off with his fancy flying earlier, and now he was calling me out on singing. It was clear this guy wanted a challenge out of me. Once again, while still a bit annoying, I could see something of myself in this ‘Human Phoenix’. I smirked back at him and stood.

An idea began forming as soon as I was on my feet. “Fine. But first... Xekora, I saw some instruments inside your hut when I was poking around this morning... Mind if I borrow that drum set?” I turned slightly to confirm that my plan was already falling into place, with Applebloom already trying to back out. “No, Applebloom, that’s the deal. If I’m singing, you’re playing the drums for me. Can’t sing with no music.”

“If you’ve got a guitar in there, I can play that.” Scootaloo offered excitedly. A few minutes later we had set up the instruments off to the side and were doing a bit of a practice run. Applebloom was, of course, still as good as ever at her post: it was in fact Applejack who had picked up a few tricks to it from her over the years. Scootaloo could play his chosen instrument well enough, though took a bit longer to get warmed up.

After a bit of conferring, we decided unanimously on a song to play, and took only a moment to get ready. The guitar, held curiously backwards by Scootaloo and played with his left hand, began with a soft rhythm, and drew the full attention of everyone in the clearing. I cleared my throat silently and began as soon as the arc began to repeat, an un-contained smile on my face:

“I’ll take these storms away,

Start, a brand new story,

I’ll make it through each day,

Singing death or glory,

Lord, won’t answer me,

I, won’t let it bring me down...”

Applebloom’s drums began in the background at the beginning of the next verse:

“And though these clouds are grey,

That I’m living under,

I know I’ll be okay,

With, the rain or thunder,

I hear it calling me,

I’ll go marching to the sound...”

_____________________

Psst. Imma be out of character for a minute and give you the song.

Part Three Prologue

Part Three Prologue

One month later, Year 498, Town

A crisp wind blew through the trees, kicking up the loose leaves and spreading them over the darkened street. Night had only just fallen, but a chilly autumn night had been quick to set in. The town had long since recovered from the wounds dealt to it over the course of the summer, and the bright new timber stood out slightly in the dark night. A few clouds passed through the skies, occasionally obscuring the moon, but otherwise the stars shone bright.

Under the soft glare of a light-stone streetlight passed two figures, walking quickly to get somewhere warmer. One wore a light pair of tan sweat pants and a soft pink jacket, the hood pulled up over her head. Her mess of magenta hair spilled over her shoulders and poked out the front of the jacket. She held the hand of the other figure, who wore simple blue jeans and a brown leather jacket. His had no hood, and his shoulder-length brown hair, and wings folded neatly behind him like a cape, whipped about freely in the breeze.

The pair rounded a corner and stopped before a small but cozy home halfway down the street. The man pulled his hand back sheepishly a moment later, but tried to laugh it off, scratching the back of his head. The girl laughed as well, a sound pure and musical to his ears.

“That was really fun!” She said. “Kyle, I’m glad you’re a strong enough flyer for both of us, ‘cause that was great.”

Kyle nodded, grinning. “Any time, Pinkie. It’s much more fun carrying you around than the bags of sand they load us up with in training.”

The two laughed together, partly out of simply being tired after an evening of flight. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later.” Pinkie said after a pause, giving him a quick, warm embrace before skipping down the path to her home. With a wave goodnight she closed the door, and Kyle began walking back through the street, cheeks flushed from more than the cold air.

“You look like you’re having fun.” A familiar, sarcastic but not aggressive voice was heard as he passed a corner. He spun around, embarrassed, to face his main commanding officer. Her outfit (similar to his own recently adopted one of jeans and a leather jacket) kicked slightly in the wind, and her mint-green hair, a tousled mess to begin with, gave a small bounce. She kept her arms folded and legs crossed before her as her bronze eyes opened to see him. She went on: “ Took her out flying, did you? I’ll be the first to admit, I didn’t think you had it in you. But I gotta say, I’m impressed.”

“Gimmie a break, Lyra.” Kyle chuckled. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve, same as you.”

“A few tricks, sure, maybe.” She admitted. “But a break? Never! Now... if we could get our heads back to business, we’ve got something a bit more important than the success of your date to deal with.” She reached her hand behind her back and retrieved a single sheet of rolled-up parchment paper. “A status update from queen Celestia.”

The haze of happiness left over from his time with Pinkie dispersed instantly, and his mind snapped to attention. Wordlessly, the two soldiers nodded to each other, and they made their way quickly to the inn, where the majority of the Silver Arrows were staying. The pair remained silent, thoughts swirling, until they were secure in Lyra’s room.

Kyle took a seat on a small chair in the corner of the small room, across from the bed where Lyra sat. She unceremoniously tossed him the rolled paper, then stretched out on the bed. “I’ve already gone over it a dozen times.” She explained. “Take a look for yourself and tell me what you think.”

He unrolled it slowly and held it up a foot from his face, quickly scanning the carefully scrawled words. He came to the end of the message, then, adopting a confused expression, reread it again more slowly. Finally, he set the parchment to the side and shook his head. “It... It doesn’t sound like she suspects anything.”

“What, you doubted miss Octavia?” Lyra responded, not bothering to sit up and face him. “She knows what she’s doing. When Tavi says she can keep the queen happy with fake updates, you’d better believe she can and will.”

“I know, but... It seems a little too perfect, don’t you think? I mean, I knew Brigadier General Octavia would be able to keep Celestia from guessing what’s going on for a while at least, but it just seems too easy. I expected to have to do some more backing up of our claims than this.”

Lyra raised herself into a sitting position, pulling up her legs close to her chest. “I thought that at first, too. Celestia has no reason to suspect anything is happening here, for the moment at least. Seems like we got off pretty well, right? Well... We can’t keep things super-secure forever. We’ve been able to keep everything on the down-low so far, but sooner or later someone’s going to slip up and give the queen that piece she needs to suspect us.

“See... Celestia’s already looking for a reason to suspect something is happening in this town to threaten her, but she can’t just come out and say it. It’s because of one factor... The one thing she still fears in this world, the one that was almost the death of her in Nightmare Moon’s Rebellion five hundred years ago... The Elements of Harmony. The original bearers were unable to defeat her, but they came darn close. I know for a fact that she’s afraid of these six kids who’ve inherited their powers, and she’s just biding her time for an excuse to rid herself of their threat to her throne.

“Still, we’ve got two things on our side, keeping her at bay. The first is, of course, our dear Octavia, and the onset of winter. I know Tavi can keep Celestia at bay for a while longer, and with the onset of the cold season, we’ll have a good stretch of time in which there’s little to no chance of any suspicion. Plus the fact that Celestia, to the best of our knowledge, has no reason to suspect the Silver Arrows are anything but loyal to her. With all this in play, I can say with certainty we’ll be safe until... say, midsummer next year? We can last that long without any real trouble, anyway. Celestia might start getting suspicious of the town, and us, earlier than that, but we’ll be safe from danger until then.

“The second factor is her prized apprentice, Twilight. Make no mistake, the queen values Twilight more than anything else, and since she’s an Element of Harmony herself- indeed, the one linking all the others together- it makes it very difficult for her to order the destruction of the other five without endangering her. However... this factor is something of a double-edged sword. Celestia will spare no expense to try and keep Twilight on her side, and it may be difficult for us to keep her from turning on us. This mutual two-sided-coin status of Twilight, applying to both us and Eclipse, makes it that much important to convince Twilight that Celestia is evil.”

Lyra stood, hands clasped behind her back, and stalked over to the darkened window on the far wall. “I’m just anxious about what’s going to do it, that one thing that’ll push that poor girl one way or the other. It’ll take away from only one side or the other, sure, but it’s going to hurt Twilight no matter what. Someone else is going to do something drastic, hurt someone else or do something remarkably stupid, and it’s going to hurt Twilight and send her over the edge, either to us, or to Celestia...” She sighed, her voice having broken ever so slightly. “I feel so bad for her...”

Kyle stood, walked over to Lyra, then paused before reaching her. Shaking away his doubt, he moved next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Nothing we can do about it. No amount of arguing will sway her one way or another now. What matters is that we’re here for her after the fact.”

Lyra nodded at last. “True enough. Well, I suppose that brings you up to speed on the situation. I was going to bring it up to the other members of the Silver Arrows and the townspeople participating in the resistance before too long, but I needed a second opinion first. Thanks for that. Now, you probably ought to get some shuteye, you’ve got a training session with Fluttershy in the morning, right?”

Chapter Forty-five

Chapter Forty-five

Dash’s House

Rainbow Dash

It’s truly amazing how quickly time can fly when you keep busy. I suppose a month isn’t really much time to kill to begin with, but it still only felt like a few days to me. After what was conversely one of the longest days of my life at Xekora’s place, we all dragged ourselves back to town, Phil included. Xekora decided he’d rested up enough and was needed out on the front lines with the rest of us, so he essentially gave the Phoenix some supplies from his hut and kicked him out.

Having no-where else to go, I ended up lending him the spare bedroom at my house for a few days. Of all the things I could say about him, I couldn’t say he wasn’t a good roommate. He, much like Twilight, had the annoying habit of keeping everything super-organized, and the house was in better shape when he left three days later than when he had come in.

But despite the similarities he had to Twilight, he had just as many with myself, which made for an interesting time. We competed often, even after he had moved out into a hotel, in both combat and flight. As good as his professional training in Eclipse may have been, it didn’t hold a candle to the skills passed straight down to me from Ultraviolet, and I didn’t loose a single duel with him. Racing was another matter altogether. With his transformative abilities, he was able to become much more aerodynamic, giving him a speed boost I couldn’t match easily. Still, natural skill was on my side as much as his, and wins always hovered around the fifty-fifty point.

As entertaining as matching wits with Phil was, I was only able to do so in my off-time. Mercenary work had finally started to pick up again, as well as having crops to harvest over at the acres, so actual work kept me busy during the day, much to my distaste. The afternoons I found to be much more enjoyable, as Applejack, Mac and I had decided it was finally time to do something drastic and awesome.

_____________

I had been lazing around my house one evening, trying to hammer out a dent left in the buckler I had worn into battle with some kind of huge cat from the forest. I had taken on this job by myself this time around, and quite nearly paid for it. As it was, I was able to escape with little more than a few scratches, a sore leg, and a mangled buckler while it was killed, but I felt I got lucky.

I set the tiny shield down and stretched out on the worn sofa, closing my eyes for just a moment. Just before drifting off to sleep, a knock at my door woke me out of it. Shaking myself awake, I moved over to the door and swung it open abruptly, only to have to look down slightly. Applebloom stood at the door, meeting my tired yet curious gaze with a determined yet almost conflicted looking one.

“Hey, kid.” I greeted her in my usual manner. “Need something?”

“Hiya Dash. Ah...” She said in return, then paused. “Yeah, there was somethin’ I wanted to ask...” Sensing the tension in her voice, I moved aside and motioned for her to come inside. She plopped down on the beat-up sofa in one move, then scrambled into a sitting position. I took a seat on the chair opposite her, fingers interlocked in front of my mouth, and watched her with some concern. Something was obviously weighing heavily on her mind, and her normal happy-go-lucky attitude had been eclipsed by it.

“I... Can I ask you somethin’, Dash?”

“You just did.” I poked at her. It was comments like this that I just loved to slip in any time I got the chance. She chuckled slightly, shaking her head for falling for it, then continued: “Do you think I’m... weak?”

“Who told you that?” I responded. She shrugged, no longer making eye contact, so I sighed and forged ahead myself. “No, I don’t. You’re as dependable as anyone, and you’ve got the same strong-hearted spirit as your sister, and brother. Plus, literally speaking, helping with the fields as much as you do makes you objectively stronger than most kids your age.”

She shook her head again, having seemingly found something to latch onto. “No, that’s just it: You said I got the same spirit as AJ, and workin’ the fields like her and... Thing is, I don’t want my best to be just like her. Bein’ just like her in other people’s eyes is like saying I’m not strong enough to make my own path, and I’m only safe in any kinda’ danger because of her. I don’t want that...”

“I see...” I muttered, but loud enough for her to hear. “You’re saying you want to set yourself apart from the crowd, and start being your own person. Yes, I can understand that. I of all people would get the need to stand out from the crowd. But... What made you want to do something now? Did something happen?”

“Nah...” She sighed, worming deeper into the couch. “I... I kinda always had that in the back of my mind. Just... Just all hit me at once.”

“Well...” I hesitated, then decided to cross the room and sit next to her. “Alright. Um...” I guessed I should have said something like ‘don’t try to be someone you’re not to stand out’ or something smart, but it didn’t occur to me at the time. All I said was: “So... what did you have in mind?”

She perked up slightly, glad that I was listening. “Well... I was thinkin’...”

“A dangerous pastime.”

“If I’m gonna do this, I should start by not needin’ anyone to protect me when things get dangerous, or even be able to protect others. So... I want you to teach me to fight!”

I gave her a thoughtful look, before sighing and folding my hands behind my head. This was the second time, and not far from the first, that someone had come to me looking for training. But Applebloom approaching me was different than Fluttershy doing it, if only because I had been expecting it before long. I had more than once seen her brandishing a toy sword and trying to emulate some of my moves, mostly just whacking at trees. I knew she looked up to both Applejack and I for our battle ability, and knew it was only a matter of time before she asked to be trained.

“Have you talked to anyone else about this?” I pressed. “Does Applejack know?”

“No...” She replied quietly. “I... I couldn’t. She woulda’ never let me... I came to you first ‘cause I knew you’d at least give me a chance.”

“Well... I can’t just up and start training you without the O.K. from your sister. She’d find out pretty quick, and I’d rather not have her try and kill me. But-” I interrupted her before she could start begging. “I’ll tell you what I can do: I’ll give you a trial match, against me. If it looks like you’ve got what it takes to shape up and become a great fighter, I’ll talk to Applejack on your behalf. If not, well... you can talk to her yourself then.” I made the snap decision to leave out the last part I was thinking: If not, you may as well not go for fighting at all. There are other things than combat in this world. She wouldn’t have liked to hear that, and if I had to, I could tell her later.

She let out a grateful breath, almost a happy cry, and threw herself across the sofa at me. Wrapping her small arms around me gently and burying her face in my chest, I heard her mumble her thanks. Realizing just how desperately Applebloom had wanted this, and how relieved she was that I had agreed, I sat up straighter and draped my arms around her in return. Having grown up with her since I was young and she was born, but not being related to her or around her quite enough to get on her nerves like her sister did, there was some pretty unique affection between us. I guess she was like a little sister to me for the most part, but I didn’t really try and describe her relation to me. With things like these, it just was what it was, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Patting her on the back before separating, I said simply: “C’mon, kid. Let’s get this rolling.”

______________

To put it simply, she did better than I could have hoped. It still took a lot of convincing on my part to get her brother and sister to budge on it, but at last we agreed that we weren’t sure what was going to happen in the near future, and it couldn’t hurt to make sure she was prepared to defend herself. So, digging up both equipment and memories from my time training under Ultraviolet, I set up a training area in the field outside town. I would teach Applebloom to fight. In addition, the other two kids had continued to hang out with her after the meeting, and upon hearing the news from Applebloom, Scootaloo immediately found me and asked to be trained alongside her.

I wasn’t sure at first whether or not it was a good idea to do so; not that I didn’t want to. I had seen firsthand that this kid had potential and natural skill to spare, and I would have loved nothing more than to perfect his fighting, but I felt obligated to obtain permission for both of us first. After he begrudgingly took me to his house one evening, I had all the answer I needed. I wasn’t sure what had happened leading up to this point, but now he only lived with his stepdad, and this guy probably couldn’t have cared less. I won’t go into great detail about the meeting, but he wasn’t a terribly likable person.

Halfway because his stepdad didn’t seem to care, and halfway just to spite him, I went ahead and took Scootaloo under my wing as well. Soon the three of us were meeting at the field almost every afternoon of the week to train. I had expected to teach Scootaloo all my fully-arial techniques on top of everything else, but I quickly found a small wrinkle in that plan. His wings- to put it in its simplest terms- didn’t fully work right. They weren’t useless: he could still glide just as well after jumping from a high point, but unless he caught an updraft, he couldn’t rise. Basically, he was capable of bringing them to full bear (if he did it slowly), but couldn’t move them fast enough to flap and actually fly with them. I wasn’t sure if he had hurt them too badly for them to recover when he was younger or if they just grew in wrong, but they were good and crippled, and didn’t show any signs of getting better.

I felt pretty bad for the poor kid, having wings but not being able to use them, and I think he knew. But he impressed even me with his determination: every time he felt like he was being looked upon with pity for his disability, he just pushed himself that much harder to prove everyone wrong and become great. It also seemed like that whatever wind energy would have been given to his wings was instead transferred into raw wind magic, as he had control over it like I had never imagined.

I quickly grew quite fond of the boy, partly I’m sure simply because he reminded me so much of myself, hold five hair colors. Since he didn’t hold much allegiance to his own home to begin with, he soon started practically living at my place. I let him use my brother’s old room after moving some furniture back in (I had brought in a mattress for Phil earlier, but since Scootaloo was getting more use out of it, I brought in some other second-hand stuff) and I quickly found myself filling Ultraviolet’s shoes in hanging out with him.

One night, around a month after meeting Xekora, I lay sprawled across the sofa in the den, Scootaloo asleep in the other room. I wasn’t tired myself, but lay with my eyes closed, foot moving to a song stuck in my head. I clutched a mug of coffee between my palms, letting it warm me in the chilly weather. I was just contemplating trying to sleep when a knock, not particularly rapid, sounded from my door.

Shrugging off the sleep surrounding my head, I got to my feet and opened the door. On the threshold stood Trixie, looking dressed for travel. I saw that she was heavily equipped as well. “Dash, I need to talk to you.” was all she said before entering.

Chapter Forty-seven

Chapter Forty-seven

Rainbow Dash

The first thing I did the next morning, after seeing Scootaloo off, was to arrange a meeting with the leader of the Silver Arrows battalion, Octavia. I figured I’d have a chance to fill in the other members of the resistance later, but knew that it was important to keep someone as high-ranking as her informed and on our side. I made my way to the inn where the majority of the battalion were staying, and was met at the door by Lyra.

She told me that she and Trixie had discussed the matter of her leaving at length already, and Lyra knew I was the first person she’d ask to take her place. Since she hadn’t heard otherwise, she had anticipated that I had accepted, and both she and Octavia were prepared to meet me. Impressed by her deductive reasoning skills, I shrugged and allowed her to lead me to Octavia’s room. She stopped in front of a door, not at all different from any other in the hotel, and motioned for me to enter.

I wasn’t sure why Lyra seemed so bent on keeping tight security around her superior- it wasn’t as though anyone in this town would be interested in attacking- but decided not to press the issue. Shrugging again, I pushed open the door, and saw the Battalion Commander absorbed in crafting some kind of sketch, on a standard sheet of paper. She sat behind a small wooden desk, facing the door, but didn’t seem to have noticed anyone entering: the door was very silent, but I figured it was more to do with how focused she was.

I had to admit, though, the drawing looked pretty good. From where I stood, I could make out that it depicted four people, gathered around some kind of ledge. I didn’t get a chance to try and recognize the other two figures, but one might have been a younger image of Octavia herself, and the other could have been a young Lyra.

“Lady Octavia.” The tomboyish soldier behind me said, drawing her attention. “We were right. Rainbow Dash has accepted Trixie’s offer. He’s come to tell you, I imagine.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m here.” I confirmed. “That’s a pretty good drawing. Who all’s in it?”

I thought it was an innocent enough question, but Octavia seemed embarrassed that I had seen it, and covered it up with some other official-looking documents quickly. “Er...” She started, seeming- for the first time since I’d seen her- flustered. Admittedly, I hadn’t known her for long, and still didn’t know her very well, but it seemed out of character for someone as well-presented and proper as her. “Is there any chance I could get you to forget you ever saw that?”

“Uh, sure.” I answered. It seemed pretty important to her, and wasn’t very much so to me, so I dropped the issue. “So, Trixie bent my arm and convinced me to take charge of this thing; is there anything I should know about it that I didn’t before?”

“Not really.” She said casually. “We’ll probably want to have another meeting pretty soon, but you and Lyra can round up everyone for that without too much trouble. Beyond that, you won’t have too much else to worry about until wartime.”

I shook my head, still amazed that we were talking about war. All my life had been leading to this, but it was still incredible: we were actually making preparations to fight back against Eclipse. The thought was a lot to get my head around. “Alright.” I said finally. “Just yell if you have something else for me. I’ll be around.”

Octavia nodded, and I left the room without any further delay. Lyra followed close behind, hands in pockets, and spoke as we exited the building: “You’re still curious about that drawing, aren’t you?” I nodded, once again impressed that she had read my mind. “Well... don’t tell her I told you anything, then. It’s really not much to hide, just a picture of the two of us, her old boyfriend and his dad. We were all pretty close back in the day, but those two guys have been gone forever. Personally...” She stretched back tiredly. “I think she’d be better off letting them go. Far as I can judge, they aren’t coming back, shame though it is. They were great people, could solve problems without much fighting, but... they both dropped off the face of the earth years ago. She’s just having trouble letting him go.”

Something about the way she said it struck a cord in my mind. Dropped off the face of the earth... Just like Spitfire? No, that’s not it. Something else I heard... I shook my head, unable to remember what I was sensing, and nodded simply to Lyra. “That explains it. Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.”

_______________

For a week and a half, nothing unusual happened, but my thoughts always returned to that strange bit of information. Octavia’s boyfriend and his father vanished... but I could never figure out why that bugged me. I helped finish the harvest in the mornings, and trained the two kids (the three of them had decided to call themselves The Crusaders, a name I was somewhat jealous of for not thinking of it) in the afternoons. Sweetie Belle, feeling somewhat left out, decided to seek out training as well, and Lyra took sympathy with her and began teaching her some light-archery techniques.

Lyra’s style was one I never would have imagined possible: her crossbow was not loaded with a single bolt and string as most, but was equipped with five separate strings. Furthermore, it was fed ammunition by a clip full of bolts, positioned in a slot at the bottom of the weapon. By pulling the trigger, five shots would be shot off in rapid succession, and by pulling a lever back, all five would be restrung. The clips were large, and carried twenty-five shots apiece, so the weapon could be fired five times before needing a proper reload.

In addition, the ammo wasn’t even true crossbow bolts: it was nothing more than twigs at times, random but similar-sized pieces of junk loaded into the clips. By focusing a decent light spell- Ellight was Lyra’s preferred choice- on the clip, the twigs became magical bullets that rent through armor and tore through enemy lines. A completely ingenious and deadly weapon, shared with very few people outside of it’s creator, Lyra herself.

But she had decided to teach Sweetie Belle the light-enhancement technique for her own archery. In addition to learning these skills from Lyra, the third Crusader learned right alongside Fluttershy under Octavia, and I could tell from a distance that the two students were growing close. It seemed like part of the Silver Arrow’s grand plan was to help train those who needed it in town, so that when the inevitable war broke out, we would be ready to defend ourselves. Following this logic, I took even more interest in training Applebloom and Scootaloo to be able to fight.

At last, though, we reached a point at which we could relax: a huge meteor shower was predicted at the end of the week, and we were all more than ready to kick back and enjoy it. We all planned on making a party out of it, complete with food, music, and of course an all-natural light show. I returned home from Applejack’s place for only a minute, to grab my better jacket and head for the bluffs, where the view of the night sky would be best. I paused on the way out, eyeing my broadsword. There’s no need to bring a weapon, it’s not like there’ll be any fighting. Shaking off the idea, I left it where it was and made my way to the meeting place.

The whole town had gathered at the bluffs already, seated on blankets dotted around the grassy area. Everyone had their own supply of food, but sampled out of other people’s casually. Night had already fallen, and the sky glittered with stars, none of which were shooting across the darkness just yet. Looking around, I saw Applejack’s family all gathered around one blanket: the two sisters, Granny Smith, even Mac had decided to come. For the first time in years, I could see a glimmer of his old self in his face, making the occasion all the more festive.

Scootaloo was already seated near them, playing an old guitar with some success. I made my way over to them, taking a seat and a handful of cookies. About fifteen minutes passed before the first of the shooting stars began to fall, and we all scrambled closer to the edge to get a better view. Seeing the other two kids sitting on the shoulders of their sisters, and Scootaloo trying to jump to get a better view, I sighed and grabbed him by the legs, pulling him onto my own shoulders. He yelped in surprise as it happened, but realized what I was trying to do and relaxed.

Everyone’s eyes were locked on the sky as the meteor shower really picked up. The tiny pinpricks of light blasted across the vast space, in such numbers as to illuminate those of us standing on the ground in flashing radiance. The boy on my shoulders, as well as many others around me, ooh’d and ahh’d appropriately. I smiled, then a thought hit me and I turned to Applejack.

“I just realized.” I began, drawing her attention. “Isn’t this kinda familiar? Wasn’t there a shower just like this when we were little?”

She thought for a moment, then her face lit up. “Yeah, I remember! We were right on this bluff too. Only I was on Mac’s shoulders, and you were on Vi’s...”

“And now we have kids on our shoulders.” I finished, laughing. “Time sure flies, doesn’t it?” I shook my head, still chuckling, and turned back to watch the sky. Just as I did, though, I felt her arm slip in around mine. I closed my eyes for a moment and dropped that arm to hold her hand, the other still holding onto Scootaloo’s leg. The moment seemed perfect, surrounded on one side by my partner and best friend, on the other by the two who would likely take our places, and on all others by good company.

Of course it couldn’t last. From somewhere behind me, I heard Lyra’s voice: “Who are you? What are you doing?”

My attention snapped away from the spectacle in the sky and tuned in to the noises behind me, and I heard a male voice say: “Please, I need to speak to Sweetie Belle. It’s of the upmost importance. I swear I mean no harm... You can even hold me at crossbow point if you have to, I promise there’s nothing underhanded going on. But please, I have to speak with her immediately.”

“Scoots?” I started, but he didn’t need to hear any more. “Put me down, Dash. We need to see what this is.” I smiled in spite of it all, once again reminded an awful lot of a younger me. I set him down and turned to see what was going on...

My mind froze, and I suddenly wished I had grabbed my sword on the way out the door. Lyra led a lone figure through the crowd, but that didn’t stop him from striding purposefully towards us. I couldn’t see his face, or any other part of him, because he wore a heavy, dark cloak that shrouded every inch of his body. And while it was not midnight black as the other like it I had seen, there was no mistaking the design.

This person wore a cloak of The Order.

Chapter Forty-eight

Chapter Forty-eight

“You... you want to talk to me?” Sweetie Belle asked as she was lowered to the ground, confused. All the people around her had taken their eyes off the skies, and were eyeing the newcomer warily.

The Order member walked up to her slowly, lowering himself to one knee. “Man, your friends weren’t kidding when they talked about you in this time...” He said. Judging by his voice, he seemed around my age, but it was hard to tell with so few details. “They will have said you always had been a looker. You’re just as cute now as you will have been then.”

I assumed what he said was a compliment, but it was really hard to tell. Whoever this guy was, he made absolutely no sense. Sweetie Belle blushed slightly all the same, and he continued. “Anyway, aside from that. I believe you may have misplaced this at some point.” He reached into his pocket and placed something into her open palm, and when he took his hand away, I was alarmed to realize it was the Icarus Charm. Both she and Rarity eyed it, surprised. “Found it in a ravine near here, figured you’d want it back.”

“But, wait...” Rarity began, and, only adding to the already hopelessly confused situation, pulled out another Icarus Charm form her pocket. As far as I could tell, both were exactly accurate. “I have the Charm right here! Is... is one of them a fake? What is this?!” She finally decided to just try and get some answers out of him.

“No.” He said with certainty. “Neither is a fake. Of that I am certain. This obviously means that yours will be taken at some point in the near future, and the one I found will be returned later to this day for me to find and return to you... I wonder, do I send it back? Anyway, treat this new one as a replica, until you loose yours. Then the new one will be uncontestedly the real one. So, misplace neither, and they will go where they need to.”

Nearly everyone was shaking their heads, unable to understand what he was talking about, a fact not helped by his quick, low voice. Finally he looked back from where he had been facing the Icarus sisters, and made a single step towards the back of the crowd. “Sorry for my intrusion. Please go on doing whatever you were doing.” With that, and everyone too stunned and confused to stop him, he strode away from the crowd.

At length, I turned to Applejack. “Keep an eye on Scootaloo for me. I’m not letting him get away just like that.” I could tell she wanted to come along, but nodded in understanding. The fewer people to get mixed up in this, the better. I’m going alone. Without another word, I blasted out of the crowd myself in pursuit of the boy in the Order cloak.

At first, I couldn’t tell where he went, though there were few enough surroundings around here. I didn’t see him going back into town, so the only place he could have gone was... the small footpath leading further into the bluffs, where I knew there were some other cliffs. Nodding to myself, I set off quickly down the path. I didn’t see him walking in front of me, but I did see some dust kicked up in my path, while the rest was still looking as though it hadn’t been trod upon in years. Confidence bolstered, I continued.

Coming to the end of the path, a steep cliff rose into the air before me as the trail disappeared. Tall grass covered it up until the rocky edge, and silhouetted against the moon and falling stars, stood the boy. His arms were folded, his back to me, and didn’t turn to face me as I climbed to reach him. He did begin to speak again, however. “It’s quite a night for a convergence of destinies, don’t you think? Stars falling form the sky, a hazy outline for our being together... This place... so many memories, floating aimlessly on this cliffside, thoughts that hadn’t crossed my mind in years... Tell me, Rainbow Dash, do you see it too? Do memories of your childhood abound in this place?”

I froze, wondering how he knew my name, or that it was me behind him. “Uh... No. If you’re asking if this cliff was a special place for me in the past, then no... But I know what you mean. I do have special memories in places like the Acres.”

“I see...” He said, rubbing his chin. “So it’s only me who has old memories here, me and...” He trailed off at this point, and I felt like I hadn’t made any ground. For some reason, I didn’t feel like I shouldn’t have told him about the Acres. “So, Rainbow Dash. Tell me this. Was it your boundless curiosity that led you to pursue me, your desire to discover the new things in the world... Or was it your insecurity, your need to know exactly what happens in your world, that wouldn’t let you allow me to leave without justifying my presence?”

I paused, confused by his question. It was obvious he was testing me, but I couldn’t tell how. After some thought, I answered: “I make it my first priority to guard this town, and the people I love, from any threat that can be avoided. Coupling the facts that a member of The Order showed up right now- and I’ve not had good experience with them in the past- and just waltzes in, talks nonsense and leaves: pal, I’d be surprised if anyone in my position didn’t follow you and try to figure out what you’re about.”

“Hm... good answer.” He responded quietly, as if admitting defeat. “I can’t blame you for being wary of the telltale Order Cloak- I am too- and I suppose I did sort of make for the odd spectacle, I’ll concede that much. I wear the Cloak only as a precaution- it acts as a cloaking device for members of The Order, and will hid my presence from them. Make no mistake, I do not ally myself with them in any way.”

I felt like I was finally making some progress, so I decided it safe to press him further. “Who are you?” I questioned simply.

He laughed, a sound as strangely comforting as it was concerning. “I could go on for hours about my life story, of all the places I’ve been, people I’ve met, things I’ve done, and then you might have some glimmer of an idea of who I am... but I’m guessing you were more in the market for a name?” He turned slowly as he spoke, lowering his hood. A mane of lightning-blue hair fell dramatically to his shoulders, and a pair of black sunglasses covering his eyes reflected the falling stars. “It’s Scratch.”

“Alright...” I said, once again having to pick up where he trailed off. “How do you know my name? And while we’re on it, what were you going on about with the second Icarus Charm, and all that ‘will have been’ nonsense? Just how do you know all this?”

Scratch turned to face me fully, back to the tumulting skyline. “Do you truly wish to know?... Very well. I am, in best description, a time traveller. I come most recently from a time six years or so in the future, but I’ve been just about every-when. I know your name, and your basic history, by what history has to say about you. And ‘will have been’ is simply perfect grammar for something that has happened in my past, but will happen in your future, which, in this case, would be her friends telling me of Sweetie Belle’s enduring cuteness.”

I was torn between my desire to try and get more information out of this guy, or just let him sit and stop him from confusing me any further. I decided to press on, and commit the details to memory to be deciphered later. “So do you come from a time when time-travel has been invented? And, if history has something to say about me, then what is it? What will come of this revolution that’s brewing?”

“No...” He began. “As far as I can tell, at no point in time will normal humans ‘invent’ time travel for general use. If they did, you’d see plenty of other ‘time travelers’ running around. No, I simply find myself in possession of an ancient artifact dating all the way back to The Crash, that allows its user to travel. It cannon be duplicated or learned from, only used. It has traded hands... Twice now? My teacher’s teacher was it’s first user, then my teacher, then me. But anyway, back to your other question...

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you.” He finished. I deflated. I had been so close to learning whether what we were doing was the right thing, or at least I thought I was close. “Point is, if I were to tell you, that would be knowledge you were never meant to have. You’re meant to find your own way through this war, and do what you think is right, not what someone tells you is right. That shouldn’t be too out-of-character for you, right? I will say this, though: you will play a large part in Moonlight, and, indirectly, a part in the conflict I now find myself entwined in...”

“Moonlight?” I questioned, but I felt like I was beginning to grasp at what he spoke of.

“The revolution. Wait, did... did you not give it a name yet?” I shook my head, and Scratch laughed lightly. “Oops... well, there’s a paradox for you. Now you can walk away saying you caused a paradox. It will be called Moonlight, and now I see it’s because of me. Heh...” Scratch then did something unusual (a term largely useless at this stage, but it was still odd): he unzipped his dusky-grey Order cloak, shrugging it off and allowing it to fall to the ground. Underneath he wore long, baggy pants and a better fitting long-sleeved shirt. The pants were black, but with a streak of white snaking up from the bottoms of the legs all the way up to the torso, where they curled back slightly and stopped. His shirt seemed to have a similar, reversed pattern on its back: black at the end, coming to two points over each shoulder. But his low shirt collar- and the sleeves of his shirt- were both red.

“If you’re wondering, I only wore the cloak to avoid detection while returning the Charm to it’s owner, but now I desire the opposite. A member of The Order will surely have just been alerted to my position, and will be rushing to meet me. Before I leave, it’s important that I meet them here.” He lowered his voice, mostly talking to himself more than me. “Now it’s just a question of when they will arrive, and who it will be... I suppose Seven is still a possibility, but I don’t find that very likely. No, it will likely be either Three or Six, though I’m confident that if it does turn out to be Six, I can take him myself. Best case scenario would be if it’s Three, and I can avoid a fight altogether. I need to tell her something anyway...”

“Hold up.” I said, cutting off his fast-paced ramblings. “What conflict were you talking about earlier, and who’s to say I’ll only be an indirect part of it? Why not direct?” I was quickly growing weary of Scratch’s mannerisms, but felt like he had more information to spill, hopefully something useful to me. But being a few statements behind him as I tried to get an explanation wasn’t making it easy.

“Do you believe in fate, Rainbow Dash?” He asked abruptly.

His question came out of the blue, so it took me a moment before answering: “No, I can’t say I do. To me, fate implies that I have no real control over my actions, and that gives way to being lazy and letting whatever happens, happen. I believe I am in full control of my destiny, making it that much more important to do what I think is right.”

Scratch considered this. “Again, good answer, but... I’m afraid that view is not quite correct. As one who travels through time, I can tell you that there’s no changing what was fated to happen, as whatever has happened in history has already taken your actions into account. If I were to lunge forward and try to kill you, for example, something would cause me to fail, because history did not record you dying this day. No matter how hard I may try, you did not die today, and that cannot be changed.

“Just the same with the conflict taking place six years from now. History thus far has not had you make a direct move to fight as I am, but your actions leading up to it will help me insurmountably.”

“Two things:” I started, sorting all my remaining questions into two. “First, why is it you’re so open to speak to me? It’s not like you’re in a position where you have to answer to me. And second, I don’t believe you when you say I can’t play a part in this new conflict, whatever it is. I’m plenty strong enough, and I doubt I would just sit back and let something bad happen without trying to stop it.”

Scratch sighed, almost annoyed sounding, but then softened. “Well, I’m mostly talking to you because I have to wait for the Order member to arrive and meet me, and I don’t feel like chasing you off. See... I’m not exactly a good time traveler. I’m not as emotionally detached as one in my position ought to be, and... I get lonely sometimes. Jumping from time to time is a solitary business, and sometimes I just feel chatty. Nothing personal with you, but you do seem like a cool person.

“And I’m not saying you’re not strong enough to take part in the conflict, I’m just saying you don’t. You seem to be preoccupied at the homestead, but it’s not impossible that you lend a hand by the end. Still... I think it would be better if you remained here, as we’ve already involved a fair amount of people who didn’t have much to do with this anyway.”

“There you go!” I exclaimed. “In the end, it’s my choice, isn’t it? If I’ve still got a chance to help, I will, without a second glance. But you don’t think I’m strong enough to do it, do you? Trust me, I’ve been around in combat, and I know ‘keep as few people involved’ is just an excuse to get the weak guy to stay out of the way!”

Scratch shook his head, and said somewhat testily: “You really don’t get it do you? Well fine, you want me to believe that you can change your fate and take on The Order? Then prove it! Fight me, and prove you’re strong enough!” He reached behind his back, then threw out his arms, two metal objects clutched in his hands threateningly. They resembled a skeleton of a wheel; a steel circle with two bars crossing the diameter of it, meeting in the middle. Four small blades glinted in the starlight on each, positioned equally around the outside of the circle.

I made a move to draw my blade, only to remember I didn’t have it. “You’ll find a sword in the grass about a foot behind you.” Scratch barked, his patience clearly broken and not recovering. “No trickery about it this time, I just noticed it on my way up.” Not turning my back from the now imposing figure, strange weapons drawn, silhouetted beautifully by the meteor shower raging behind him, I moved back slowly until I caught the glint of the blade he spoke of.

My hand darted down to grab it by the handle, and I sprang back up quickly. The sword wasn’t rusty, but hadn’t been polished for a time. It had excellent balance and weight, but the blade was somewhat dull. The steel was thin at the edge and almost round at the top, about three inches in width, the handle unadorned. It was nothing fancy or spectacular, but it was an easy-feeling weapon, and I felt like I could use it.

I twirled it in my palm, showing I was ready, and Scratch raised his arms to the sky. The weapons spun in the air, the outer rims of the steel quickly building up a luminous blue flame. Scowling, Scratch caught the weapons as they fell, and shot like an arrow down the slope, straight at me.

Chapter Forty-nine

Chapter Forty-nine

Starswept Cliffside

Rainbow Dash

I brought up the unfamiliar blade just in time to parry Scratch’s first strike, a wide sweeping hit with his right-hand disc. An overhead strike was coming from his left, and I rolled out of the way to the right as it swung. Popping to my feet behind him, I brought my sword into a blocking position as his right arm struck out at me again. He’s fast, I’ll give him that. He’s ticked off, and definitely not playing around. I’ll have to be careful.

I backflipped up the slope, coming to a slide feet first towards the blue haired, blue flamed warrior. My sword spun above me, and he had to dodge out of the way to avoid my confusing attack. As fast as he was, and as effective as his weapons seemed, he didn’t seem all that strong physically. If I could get in close...

Rolling to my feet again, I charged headlong at him, bearing down from one side with both hands. He moved to block with both weapons, and I flipped the blade around to slice at his other shoulder, a farce. He brought one weapon up in time to block this strike, but my other hand grabbed his free arm before he could attack. Using up the rest of my momentum, I brought my knee up into his stomach, hard.

He toppled over in front of me, rolling backwards but scrambling quickly to his feet. Glaring at me from behind his shades (which he still wore, in spite of it being dark out), he dusted himself off and gripped his weapons. However, he didn’t make the same mistake he already had and try to charge me again. He kept a good distance from me, circling slowly, contemplating his next move.

I didn’t expect what he did next, obviously. Twirling the weapons at his sides once, Scratch lit them up with his strange blue fire, and tossed one at me like a deadly frisbee. I slid out of the way just in time to dodge the projectile the heat flashing past my face, but also just in time to catch the second one across the length of my left arm. The fire seared at my skin, the blades drawing a bloody line around which the burns radiated. Biting back the scream forming in my throat, I only gripped the sword tighter in anticipation of his next move.

Sure enough, Scratch ran at me full-speed, expecting me to be preoccupied with my injury, but I was more ready than he thought. Using my good arm, I batted away the wide punch he threw at my head, ducking under his predictable followup strike, and sliced at his leg. He didn’t see it coming, and I sliced through his black and white pants easily, drawing blood, but not doing any lasting damage. This sword is too short. I’m used to my other one. That could have dug into his leg if I had just an inch more...

It was enough to sting him, and he dodged back before I could land a better hit. Even worse, I saw that the two discs were making a return journey of their own accord, without flame. He caught them expertly, staring me down as I jumped to my feet, daring me to move. The discs seemed to act as boomerangs as well, returning to him a time after they were thrown, assuming they didn’t get caught on anything. It wasn’t too hard for me to imagine: it was a pretty simple wind spell that gave objects that effect, and I had it on my own sword. But not this one... I reminded myself, once again hitting myself mentally for not thinking to bring the broadsword.

However, staring him down from across the darkened grass, I realized I did still have one weapon he couldn’t match. I took a single step back, then leapt forward, throwing Scratch off for about half a second. He raised his weapons to block, but was aiming at the wrong place. Unfurling my wings midair, I launched clear over his head and came to a skidding halt close to the edge of the cliff, my wings a dark silhouette against the falling-starry sky.

We jumped at the same time, and I glided down to meet his strike. My sword collided with both of his discs, and it became a test of strength. The blade bore down on him, and his guard began to painstakingly slip lower and lower. I could see him sweating. We both knew it, I had him beat when it came to raw strength. Realizing this, he hopped out of the way quickly, and my sword bit into air.

Biting his lip, he decided on a new tactic. He hefted the weapons at his side and ran in a wide arc, around me and to the edge of the cliff: but more importantly, higher ground. I dug my heels in, unsure of what he was doing, but not going to make the first move. A moment later I saw it: he held out the discs in front of him, the flat edge towards me, and a powerful spell began collecting at the edges. They glowed with blue light, but I realized that it wasn’t fire this time, but lightning.

This guy’s a pretty skilled mage on top of everything... I thought abysmally. It looked like he was readying a powerful blast to fire at me, and he wasn’t about to miss. I dashed across the field, but his sights remained on me perfectly. I’m not going to shake him, and something that big is going to hurt... I can only think of one way out of this... Shaking away the doubt in my mind, I thrust the sword forward, ignoring the blistering pain from my left arm, and began spinning the blade rapidly. It formed a fan before me, and the blurry circle began to glow with a pale green energy: raw wind power. If I couldn’t dodge Scratch’s attack, I would meet it head-on with one of my own.

I wasn’t sure if this plan would work in any way, however. I had tried for attacks like this in the past with limited success, and I wasn’t sure how long I could hold it up even if it did happen to work. If this doesn’t fire right or backfires, I’ll need to be ready to do some fancy flying, and fast... In that department, at least, I was fully confident. I prepared my wings for a quick takeoff, but didn’t stop charging the wind attack.

Scratch’s weapons were positively exploding with energy, stray lightning arcing around him, casting a bluish glow onto his already pale features. It was now or never, and I was as ready as I was going to be. Casting aside any doubt I still had, I thrust the blade forward powerfully.

We fired at the same time, blue colliding with green, reacting violently at the midpoint. Neither could move past the other, and bolts of lightning arced away from the point of impact impatiently. I knew that it was a matter of who could hold their end up longest, as they were evenly matched, and I began to have second thoughts. My magic, while powerful in its own regard, was not one of my strong points. If it was a test of endurance, I would likely give out first.

I began to sweat, but knew I couldn’t give in now. Still, I flared out my wings behind me, ready to dodge. I had to keep pushing as long as I could, in the chance that he began to give (not very likely), but I knew that when it became apparent I was about to fail, I would need to get out of the way, fast. My good arm began to shake from the pressure and force of the magic channeling from the sword, and my injured arm was worse than useless. My attack began to waver, and I tensed in anticipation of running...

I didn’t need to. Just as my wind blast gave out, Scratch’s lightning attack had pattered out as well. I hadn’t noticed with him on the other end of the light storm, but he looked like he had been sweating too. We both stood, shoulders to each other to make smaller targets, panting heavily. As good as he was, I was only just barely holding back his attack. He was pouring a lot more into his attack than I was, and was just as worn out as me.

Scratch looked like he was preparing to speak, but was cut off by a slight hissing sound that ended as soon as it began. We shot each other a confused look, both in the dark about this strange noise, and jumped back in surprise as something large and blue sailed in from my right, embedding itself in the ground between us. Viewing the object at rest, I saw it was a large, double-sided battle axe, with navy-blue blades and longish handle. It must have been thrown with considerable force, because a good foot of metal was stuck in the ground.

Something struck me about this weapon, but I couldn’t immediately place what it was. There wasn’t anything unusual about it, nothing that would give me this uneasy feeling, but I felt... I felt as if I had seen it before, but couldn’t guess where. Whatever it was, something else drew my attention away from it and to something else new: a voice, from the direction the axe flew from.

“Now will you two stupid kids quit fighting?! I’ve been trying to get your attention for ages!” It was a strong, feminine voice, but I couldn’t judge how old its owner was. As with the axe, I had a tiny voice in the back of my head telling me there was something about this voice, but I still couldn’t think of anything to match. I couldn’t tell much else about her either, because as I turned to see her, I only saw a tallish figure...

... Draped in a stark-black Order cloak. The only other detail I could see was that a huge pair of yellow-feathered wings sprouted form her back, at least an eighteen foot wingspan. “Scratch... what happened?” Her voice dropped slightly, and I thought she might have been scared.

My opponent, Scratch, only laughed the tension away. “Number Three. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.” My mind was working in overtime, so I drew what conclusions I could. Three. This is the one Scratch said he didn’t have to fight. I guess that’s something, but... this person is definitely a member of The Order. Friend or foe to Scratch, I need to be careful.

“I wish I could say the same, kid.” Number Three responded. “What is happening, that you’re here? You must have come from a couple years’ time from now, with how old you are now. Scratch, what made you come to this time? What’s happening? And where’s Four?” Four. That’s... wait, that’s the one Lucius, Number Five, said disappeared all those years ago! So Number Four was with Scratch?

“... I’m so sorry, Spitfire. He’s dead.”

And just like that, my brain went from hyperdrive to totally shut down. I couldn’t think. I could barely breathe. Did I hear him right just now? Spitfire?! I wasn’t sure whether I wanted it to be true, but as I looked around, all the pieces suddenly came into focus: the heavy blue axe was the signature weapon of Spitfire, charismatic leader of the Wonderbolts, no doubt about it. The large yellow wings and voice of this newcomer only added to the picture.

My only thought was: It’s true... Spitfire’s here... She’s alive... My second thoughts were more along the lines of: WHY IS SPITFIRE A MEMBER OF THE ORDER?!

I could only imagine she had adopted a hurt expression. “What...?” She croaked out. “Four’s... dead? How did this happen...” I could swear she was close to tears, despite the fact that she remained standing strong. It seemed to me that she was someone who was used to having control of the situation, but couldn’t find anything to grasp at here. Oh, also SPITFIRE.

“You’ll like this even less.” Scratch said, not showing any signs of going easy on her. “But I don’t mind saying it was Number Two that did it.”

“No!” She cried in anguish. She couldn’t accept what she was hearing, and I only barely heard it over the sounds of my racing thoughts. Scratch seemed like the only one in control of his emotions, but he still spoke quietly of the death of this ‘Number Four’. “That can’t be... Two, Four... no... guys...” She was ready to cry, I could tell, but I couldn’t let the situation stay out of my control any longer.

I managed to focus my thoughts into one lame word, but it got my message across. I squeaked out her name, “Spitfire...?”, and brought both of their attention’s to me. Scratch had completely forgotten I was standing there as soon as Three, Spitfire, had arrived, and she had only acknowledged my existence the moment she confronted him.

“Oh, way to go, Scratch!” She said, channeling her anguish into anger. “You blew my cover right in front of... Who even is this guy?! Scratch, you’re doing a pretty crappy job of honoring Four’s name here!”

“Sorry.” Scratch said, realizing he had used her name by accident. “This is Rainbow Dash. I got bored waiting, and didn’t feel like trying to shake him, so he got me talking. Then we fought for a bit. I didn’t spill anything important.”

“Except my name.” She retorted bitterly. Sighing, she reached up and removed her hood, and brilliant flame-orange hair spilled out elegantly over her shoulders. It continued well past that, billowing all the way down past her waist, but it was far from unkempt. Her bronze eyes glittered with barely suppressed tears in the light of the sky (the meteor shower was still going, but was beginning to wane by now), and in that moment, any doubts I had were blown away.

Standing before me, in the garb of the sinister and enigmatic organization called The Order, was my childhood hero, leader of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire.

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty

“Start talking, Scratch.” Spitfire ordered. “What is happening? What could possibly motivate Two to kill him...? Has he betrayed The Order?”

Scratch chuckled harshly, ironically. “No, he’s not betrayed The Order. If anything, he’s one of the few who’s stayed completely loyal to them. Spitfire, there’s a load of stuff you don’t understand yet, but the bare-bones of it is that The Order isn’t what it used to be. I’ve... I’ve gathered what it used to be like, don’t get me wrong, and I understand your position; but it’s gone straight to hell, Spitfire. Surely you’ve seen the beginnings of it already. Well, six years from now it’s absolutely fallen apart.”

Spitfire ran her and through her hair, trying to compose herself. It was beyond strange to see someone like her- a pillar of strength as she had been- shaken so badly. Whatever had happened, it looked like she was very distressed to hear that Four died, and Two was responsible. When she remained silent, Scratch continued: “I came because I needed to do one of two things: make sure Six was taken care of before he gets to my guys, or make sure you were on our side. My team just can’t keep going like this... But now that I’ve caught up with you, I think we’ll be okay.”

Spitfire sighed, then looked him dead in the eye, almost like someone greeting an old friend after a long absence. “Six too?... No, yeah, that I can see... Alright. What can I do from this time?”

“There’s a lot I need to fill you in on, and it wouldn’t be smart to hang around here the whole time. More people will show up before long. Let’s meet again... At base B, three days from now?” As he spoke, he reached down and donned his own cloak again, but wore it like a cape. He sheathed his weapons again, and from his pockets he withdrew two tiny objects, which grew in size and floated at his fingertips. I couldn’t tell much about them from where I stood, but they were some other kind of disc, a meter or so in diameter apiece.

“Three days? Sounds good. See you then. And... I’m sorry for Four’s death too. For you.” Spitfire said quietly. Scratch probably closed his eyes for a moment, thought I couldn’t be sure with his shades still on, and his fingers began playing across the surface of the new discs rapidly. A series of small, luminescent green symbols appeared before him, between the two. They was like no other characters I had ever seen, and I couldn’t guess at their meaning.

Scratch gazed intently at the strange figures, apparently trying to get them just right by doing whatever he was doing with the discs, and finally looked up. I could tell that if I didn’t act now, I wouldn’t have another chance. “Wait...” I managed to say, drawing his attention away from his devices. “Tell me one thing before you go. This conflict you talked about... What should we do? Are we in any danger? Can it be stopped?”

“No.” He said simply. “It cannot be stopped. This was going to happen sooner or later. But don’t worry about it. Your uncle Scratch has this under control. Just do what comes natural to you, and focus on your own conflict coming up. You’ll know what you have to do when the time to act comes.”

Nodding once to Spitfire, he then touched the largest symbol. A flash of light blinded me for a moment, and when I regained my vision, Scratch was gone. I stood, dazed, dizzy from the ever-present pain of my wound. Still, I wasn’t going home just yet. I still had a golden opportunity here: I had somehow found the legendary Spitfire, and didn’t intend to let my chance get away.

She turned to me and spoke, tired. “Well, Scratch kinda goofed in letting you get tied in with this, so I guess I’m going to have to clean up after him... So, I guess I’ll have to cut you a deal: You’ve probably got a bunch of questions after his nonsense, and I’ll agree to answer them to the best of my ability if you can keep it to yourself. Deal?”

“Ah...” I began lamely, still somewhat stunned. “Sure. I guess this first one would be obvious, but... You are the same Spitfire who led the Wonderbolts up until ten years or so ago, right? What happened? Where’d you go all of a sudden, and if you’re alright, why didn’t you ever come back?”

“I’m actually surprised I don’t get asked that more.” She responded. “Not a lot of people realize it’s me under this cloak, but even then. Well... Ever since I was little, I’ve been living kind of a double life: one with my pals of Equestria, Soren and Misty and the other Wonderbolts, you know. Then, there was another, with two other orphaned kids like me: I won’t say their names now, because they now go by Numbers Two and Four. It all worked out for many years, living both lives separate from one another, but once The Order came around, and we became some of its founding members, it became harder and harder to keep up both, and...

“Well, The Order needed me to do more, and I had to give up one life for the other. It was the hardest decision of my life, but I had to say goodbye to the Wonderbolts, and my old life in Equestria entirely. Only Soren knew what was happening, since I had confided in him all my life. I gave him the responsibility of leading the group in my place, in the hope that he could handle it, but... he took my leaving harder than I had thought he would, and just couldn’t handle it by himself. The team started fighting with each other, and the Wonderbolts just collapsed in on itself, each member going their own way. If I had known, I never would have left. The world needs heroes like that, like we all used to be...

“I had to disappear to do what had to be done for The Order, so I tried to never show my face again. It was partly to keep a low profile and dedicate myself to my work, but... I guess part of it was out of shame. I couldn’t bear to face my failure here, so...”

Spitfire trailed off, and I decided to change the subject slightly to keep her from getting too upset. “You said you, Two and Four were the founding members of The Order... Spitfire, if you don’t mind telling me, what is The Order, really?”

She recovered herself quickly. “Well, the three of us were some of the founding members, yes. As you can probably guess, Number One was the one to bring us all together for it, so he was the real founder. Five and Six joined at the same time, and the six of us formed the original core of The Order. Now... Well, how much do you know so far? What did Scratch tell you about us, what have you heard?”

I dug around in my memory for everything I had heard thus far. “Not much... I had a run in with Number Five, Lucius, seven years ago in Manehattan. My brother killed him. He spilled everything he could before bleeding out out of spite, and told us The Order were the followers of the Goddess, and that Number One was the only one who could talk to her anymore. Then I heard Number Four disappeared with someone, I think it was supposed to be Number Thirteen, and wasn’t found since. But now, it looks like Two found him and killed him. I wonder what happened to Thirteen... Oh, and one of my friends, Spike, ran into another member, who had a pair of pink and blue swords... That’s all I know.”

“Right. That guy with the swords would be Number Two. Lucius was kind of a prick, so not many people cared when he got himself killed. He was trying to bring you back, though, wasn’t he?” I nodded. “He wasn’t nearly as stealthy as he thought he was. We guessed at what he was doing, but it didn’t make much difference to any of us at the time. Now I’m glad he failed. You are clearly meant for greater things than being another slave to The Order. Now, you asked about Thirteen? Well, it was never made official, but before Number Four took him away from Number One’s grasp, Scratch was the one to become our Number Thirteen.

“See, Four got it in his head long ago that The Order was rotting from the inside, and when Scratch... arrived, he decided to make his move. Using the same time-travel abilities that Scratch now possesses, Four escaped us and vanished from the face of the earth for years, raising the kid as his own. But now it looks like Two turned on the friendship they once shared, and killed him... now Scratch has full control of that power.

“So, The Order is basically what Lucius said: we follow the Goddess, who still exists on this earth. At least, that’s what it used to be. I’m starting to think that Number One has his own agenda, and now I think Two is in on it too, who knows how many others. I’ve been having doubts about staying loyal to Number One, and now with all this... I’m hoping Scratch will give me some answers in three days, like he said.”

I took a moment to process all this information. Most of it didn’t mean much to me, but I wanted to have all this sorted out for my own peace of mind. “Scratch said something about a conflict going six years from now, and The Order falling apart at the same time... I guess it’s one and the same?”

“Probably...” Spitfire agreed sadly. “I need to figure out which side I’m going to be on, now. But like he said, you shouldn’t worry too much about it until it happens. You’ve got a revolution to do. I know this may seem like the bigger problem, but bottom line is Celestia still needs to be stopped.”

I tried to think of something else to ask, but nothing else was coming to mind. “Spitfire... if you’re having regrets, why not come back? We could really use your help! And I can back you up if you need it.”

“Sorry kid... I can’t. I know that you probably looked at me like a hero before, like so many others, but... I’m just not that kind of hero anymore. I’m not the kind of hero that comes to the rescue... The kind you can count on to do what’s right. But I believe you can be that kind of hero, if you put your heart into this. Still... I’m glad you pulled me off to the side here. Now I know there’s something going on that I wasn’t aware of, and I need to find out what’s going on. I’m going to get to the bottom of this and keep One and Two from hurting anyone else. So... Thanks, kid. I really owe you one. I’ll pay you back someday.

“Now, you probably want to get back to town. You’ve been bleeding all over the place this whole time, and you’re going to want to get that wound dressed quickish. Later, kid.” I looked down to my arm, my stomach twisting at the sight of all the blood and burns. Realizing Spitfire had already disappeared, I turned around and stumbled slowly away from the cliffs, clutching at the wound desperately. I hadn’t noticed in the thrill of meeting my childhood hero, but the pain had gotten worse, and I began to feel sick to my stomach.

I nearly tripped several times, but I managed to make it down the path leading back to the clearing, where hopefully someone would still be hanging around. The shower was over, so most would have gone home, but I imagined Applejack would have stuck around to make sure I was okay, and I definitely wasn’t. My vision began to blur, but I fought to stay conscious and make it back. It wasn’t an easy fight, though: Scratch’s attack had done more damage than I had first thought, and while it didn’t seem like it was anything permanent, I really should have dressed the wound properly long ago. Now all the blood loss had turned it into something worse than it should have been.

Shuffling into the clearing, I felt my head go light, and I knew I was going down whether I liked it or not. Just as I fell to my knees, I head someone scream my name, and sensed several people running towards me, before everything went dark.

______________

“Hey kid. Got yourself banged up pretty good, didn’t you?”

My eyes shot open at the sound of his voice. He couldn’t have picked a better time. I scrambled to my feet, all traces of weariness erased, in the hazy plains of my mind. As usual, I could make out no details of my surroundings, and the land was little more than a white wrap around in my vision.

Standing over me, hands on his hips, hopelessly long hair billowing behind him, was Ultraviolet. I had awoken in my dream world, my mind already in turmoil at all the new information, and he had chosen now to drop in and pay a visit. This couldn’t be more perfect.

“Vi, did you catch any of that?” I asked, facing him eye-to-eye. Being dead and all, he hadn’t grown an inch, while I was nearly as tall as him now. Still, he was just tall enough to be able to look down at me. “The fight and all the crap about The Order?”

“I noticed you meeting with Spitfire.” He replied. “Didn’t catch most of what that Scratch guy said though. Believe it or not, I found something to occupy my own time. I think I finally pieced together why I still exist. But first, get me up to speed. What did you get into a fight for, and what did you learn about The Order?”

I spent what I assumed to be around half an hour telling Ultraviolet everything I had heard: of Scratch’s claims of time-travel and a greater conflict in years to come (and of not being able to help in solving it), of the strange relations between the members of The Order, and of course our progress in the resistance movement, which I had decided to go ahead and call Moonlight. It just felt right somehow.

“So tell me what you’ve found out.” I demanded. “I can’t make heads or tails of most of this. I trust Spitfire completely, so I guess what Scratch said must be true, but... It just doesn’t make much sense.”

“Right.” He responded, stretching. “I’ll try and make this fast. As little sense as Scratch makes, you ought to trust what he says. You might not know what he’s talking about, but he does. Spitfire trusts him, and you should too. But as long as he told you to just focus your efforts on the Moonlight Resistance, then go ahead and disregard ever meeting him. That’s the main concern: taking out Celestia.

“And at that is the heart of my existence. For some reason, when I died... I couldn’t move on. Couldn’t get off this world and into heaven, or hell. At first I thought I was stuck in some kind of limbo with others like me, but... As it turns out, I had ended up in another place, on this earth. Now I’ve found the truth of it after all these years: I’m a phantom, unseen by normal people, stuck walking the earth after death by some divine intervention.

“However, I’m not going to sit around and be all ghostly for eternity. The way I see it, I’ve been given one last shot at taking revenge, and I intend to take it. See, I think I’m alive because I won’t be satisfied and able to move on, until the world is safe from the queen. I think that when she dies, I’ll be able to leave this world for good. But until then, I’ve allied myself with someone who can see phantoms like me, and will help me to get my last shot at her. So mark my words, kid. When the final battle rolls around, count on me being there. I’ll find a way back to Equestria, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure we win.”

I felt a huge burst of morale. Ultraviolet was still alive-ish, and was going to find a way home to help fight. If that was the case, we’d be that much more powerful, and I knew he was serious. “That’s good to hear.” I responded simply. “Now, do you know anything else about The Order? I think I’ve pieced together what they’re about, but... are they a bad group?”

“Well...” He started, unsure of what to say. “Not all of them are bad. Don’t get me wrong, some of them are nothing but evil, but just as many are having second thoughts. Spitfire is one of them, and Four knew it was wrong from the beginning. I think some of the junior members, the numbers seven through twelve, are beginning to doubt their cause as well. I only know what I do because of what I’ve heard from others, but I think that much is true. I can’t see the future, but I’ll bet this new conflict has everything to do with that. But if you run into another member, just be on your toes. You’ll have to judge for yourself whether or not you can trust them.”

I nodded, but my vision shook slightly, and I was beginning to loose focus on my lack of surroundings. Vi shook his head, annoyed. “Looks like you’re coming to. Crap. I don’t know when I’ll be able to contact you again, but just do like I said: stay focused on Moonlight, and be wary- but not hostile towards- The Order. Good luck bro! Oh, and, nice work with that Scootaloo kid. Reminds me of you. Keep it up!”

_____________

My senses returned to me a moment later, or at least it seemed that way. Judging by the daylight filtering in through the windows, I must have been out longer than I thought. The first thing I noticed was all the people standing over me: Applejack, Applebloom and Scootaloo were all at my bedside, though they wore an expression of mixed worry and curiosity. Upon seeing me awaken, their faces eased, but they still seemed curious.

I received several hugs from both of the girls, though Scootaloo just stood awkwardly at my side. Upon closer inspection, I seemed to have been moved to the town hospital, and my arm was completely bandaged. “I tracked the guy down.” I explained. “We got into a fight, and he gave me this nasty wound on my arm. He wasn’t part of the Order though. Seems like he’s opposed to them. He claimed to travel through time, but I don’t think I buy that. Anyway, after we got through fighting...”

I stopped for a moment. Spitfire wanted to remain off the map. I can’t tell anyone I saw her... “A real Order member showed up. I couldn’t figure out who it was, but she explained some things to me. It seems like not all of them are bad, just the ones we met so far. This one was nice at least. I didn’t get a whole lot of helpful information, but I think we should be careful: we might just run into some more Order members before we’re through, and we need to be sure to figure out who’s side they’re on.

“Oh, one other thing.” I remembered. “You know how we wanted to figure out a name for our resistance, for when we’re ready to rally and make a move? We’ll call it Moonlight. Spread the word.”

Chapter Fifty-one

Chapter Fifty-one

My arm hurt like no other for quite a time after that, but in the end, it was just a flesh wound. Painful, maybe, but it recovered. The most important thing at the moment was to make sure I didn’t get sloppy while recovering. As much as Applejack wanted me to, I didn’t slow down with the kid’s training. In addition to helping them grow in skill, I found it helped me keep my own skill level from dropping, inconvenient as it was.

Yet, hard as I tried to keep from it, my mind kept wandering to the events of that fateful night. Sorting through the garbage of it, I came up with these facts: Scratch, a renegade and born deserter from the Order, claimed to be galavanting across time to fight them. Spitfire was alive and well, and might be doing something against the ambiguous organization as well. Lastly, Ultraviolet still had some kind of presence in this world, and was trying to get back to Equestria to get one last shot at his murderer, the queen Celestia.

When I got right down to it, I realized that I could do nothing about the Order situation. With this in mind, and my brother’s mission as my own goal, I set aside the issue of these black-cloaked individuals altogether, and turned my full attention to running the resistance that had come to be known as Moonlight.

There was more to it than I had thought, and I realized then why I hadn’t seen much of Trixie before she left. Lyra and Octavia were both originally from our town, so they were able to help, but it mostly fell on me to help rally the townspeople slowly to our cause. We were met with mixed results: plenty of people wanted to help in any way they could, though most didn’t possess much battle ability, while just as many wanted nothing to do with it. This second group had to be dealt with carefully, but most of the time we were able to avoid alerting them to what was going on, and the ones that figured it out agreed to keep their mouths shut. In this town, very few people actually supported her fully, and those who wouldn’t join us never took up against us either.

One of our prime concerns was Twilight, who was still officially in town at the bidding of Celestia. She could be called back at any time, and I remained unsure whether I could trust her fully. I wanted to trust her- I really did- but with as confused as she was about who to ally with, I couldn’t be sure she would be able to hide what was happening here if Celestia questioned her. If that happened, we were doomed, so I made sure to keep a close eye on her.

Things had calmed down somewhat after my run-in with Scratch; but as is the usual for my life, things started picking up again just as I was beginning to relax. Having given myself a well-deserved day off, I was just messing around in the town square, killing time with an old game Vi used to play. It wasn’t hard to figure out: just get a medium-sized rubber ball, a sword-sized stick or other blunt instrument, and see how many times you can hit it while keeping it in the air. I had decided that one way or another, I was beating my brother’s record, and my performance had begun to attract a crowd.

I leapt into the air to catch the ball before it came back down to normal height, and it flew still further upwards. I was floating on my wings now, eyes to the sky, watching the target arc upwards. By my count, I was seven hits away from Ultraviolet’s record. On the ground, I heard Pinkie talking to someone, though I was too intent on the game to see who.

What I heard from the ground from her was this: “Dude, come get the ruler, check this out... Dude, no. You’re holding it wrong... quick, he’s escaping from above! No, you got to flip it turn-ways... Gimmie that.”

I whacked the ball as it descended, but it was somewhat off and flew off to the side. I dove for it, hitting it from below with both hands. I watched it go again, but noticed that I had a guest in the air. Kyle, the soldier serving in the Silver Arrows, was hovering a few yards away, supporting Pinkie from behind. She held a measuring stick of some kind, and seemed to be guesstimating how high the ball was making it in the air. I wondered how she intended to do that with only one short ruler, but knew she’d figure it out. It was futile to try and understand the things Pinkie did, and was much more fun to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I hit it twice more before launching it higher into the air, then followed through and jabbed it point-first with my wooden bat. It didn’t give the ball much of a push, but it kept it in the air long enough for me to give it one final shove into the air, and into new-record territory. Tensing for my final move, I pulled back and launched the bat clear into the air, spinning end-over-end towards the target. They collided, and the ball achieved a bit more air before falling. I had been going for an hour now trying to beat Vi’s record, and was satisfied to leave it at one point better.

The bat fell to the ground and landed on one end, balancing for a split second. The ball hit the end pointed towards the sky, and both clattered to the dirt. I floated to the ground quickly, taking a quick bow to the other people gathered to watch. Kyle and Pinkie touched down a moment later, and high fives were exchanged. I grabbed the equipment off the ground, and was preparing to drop it off at home, when someone called for Pinkie and I from across the clearing.

Turning to face them, I saw that it was a small group of people, led by Twilight. Spike, Rarity and Applejack were already behind her, and she was motioning for the two of us to join them. Looking to Pinkyie and shrugging, I set off towards the group. It wasn’t easy reading their expressions: the girls all seemed to be pumped for something big, but Spike looked utterly distracted.

“Looks like the six of us are back in business already.” Twilight explained. “I’ve just received a message from Eclipse, and it seems a rogue dragon of unknown origin has just done some major damage to Manehattan, and situated itself atop the mountain in the distance between here and there. All attempts so far to reason with this dragon have thus far been fruitless, and it seems to be in some kind of berserker rage. The Elements of Harmony have been charged to confront this fearsome creature and get rid of it, one way or another.”

I see. I thought to myself. This is probably perfect for Twilight’s state of mind. There’s a threat to be taken care of, and it’s mutually agreed upon by both parties. This is a universally good mission we’re being sent on, so Twilight knows what she’s doing is right. She needs this; to be sure she’s doing the right thing and have her friends all back her up. There’s just one thing...

“Alright, sounds like a plan.” I said. “But could you do me a favor first? Could I take a look at the message you were sent?” She shrugged as though it didn’t really matter either way, and handed over a sheet of rolled up paper. I unrolled it quickly and scanned the scrawling text for anything hidden between the intended message, but found it said more or less exactly what Twilight had told me.

I found what I was looking for at the very bottom, however, in the signature. The handwriting was very similar to that I’d seen in other royal documents, but instead of the queen’s own signature signing off, I saw the signature of Princess Luna. Luna of all people would want to support any resistance out there, in any way she can. Twilight’s probably figured that out too, but she’s realized this mission needs done for the safety of both sides anyway. But Luna clearly intended for me to make the connection that she wants me in on this. Is there something else about this dragon she’s not telling us...?

“Here.” I handed the scroll back, and Twilight stowed it in her jacket pocket, looking all kinds of determined. “I’m in. But that mountain is kind of a trip from here. When did you plan on leaving?”

“Around an hour from now.” Was her answer. “We’ll set up a camp halfway, and reach the mountain midday tomorrow. I’ll go let Fluttershy know, the rest of you get your things ready. I hope it doesn’t come to it, but it’s likely that we’ll have to fight this dragon, so bring some weapons and armor.”

“I know the letter only said for the Elements to go...” Spike began. “But I’m tagging along too. I’ll transform if I have to and see if I can’t get through to him, as a fellow dragon. And anyway... There’s always that slim hope...” I saw that Spike had gone on to talk to himself, and decided not to push the issue. Whatever he was planning off by himself, I knew we’d see if it came to anything.

I made my way home quickly and took inventory of everything I wanted to bring. I never wore overly heavy armor, and even if I had any I doubt it would see much use. I preferred traveling light, to be able to fly faster. I left on my jeans and T-shirt, but needed a jacket for the frigid mountain air. My favorite cloth jacket had been ruined when Scratch burned the left sleeve clean through, and I had made do without one until now, but I had to make a compromise.

I grabbed my brother’s sexy brown leather jacket, and it fit perfectly. I also slipped on my recently fixed buckler and sheath for my broadsword, and took some food rations. I wasn’t sure if Twilight had already told someone else to grab food, but I decided to play it safe. Lastly I dug out a basic sleep roll, and sheathed my weapon on the way out the door.

I met with the other six I’d be traveling with at the gates to town. Most of them had dressed with similar intent in mind as I had: warmly, and with decent armor. Without much more discussion, as we were all preparing for the fight ahead of us, we set off across the fields towards the towering mountain. We walked for hours, taking decently spaced breaks. I stayed in the air much of the time, partly to scout around and make sure the way was clear, but partly just to lose some of the tension.

We eventually made camp near a rocky overhang, and made a campfire to cook dinner over. I warmed up some coffee first, and we all warmed ourselves over the steaming mugs. My thoughts were on the challenge ahead, as I’m sure they were for everyone else. I had fought a dragon exactly once in my life: the river-dwelling one the six of us met on our way to Castle Dawn. He had been in a rage, much like this new one, and we had managed to snap him out of it. I hoped against hope that we’d be able to do the same again.

Still, it had been a brutal fight all the way, and the river dragon hadn’t even been at full strength. I knew this one would be much tougher, and we had to be on guard. I was suddenly very glad Spike had decided to come along, and hoped that whatever he had in mind would work.

Chapter Fifty-two

My pitiful and one-time attempt at writing something scary. Whee.

Chapter Fifty-two

Northern Fields

Phil

The mix-matched duo, rogue black mage and deserter apprentice, sat side by side on an overturned tree trunk, gazing up at the stars. Since both had considerable control over fire magic, neither felt a very pressing need to get a fire going. A pile of firewood was gathered before them, but neither was very motivated to light it.

“...That could have gone better.” Trixie said, breaking the silence. Phil nodded glumly. The pair had been quite successful in the town of Firefly, and had managed to establish an independent resistance faction there. The small town they had visited first didn’t have enough people willing to fight to stand alone, but the fighters had agreed to follow them to join in with Firefly’s forces.

With boosted morale, Phil and Trixie switched back somewhat- heading further north but back eastward- towards Trottingham. The local noble house wanted nothing to do with any resistance, however. Hard as the Moonlight missionaries had tried, they could do nothing to convince the lord governing the city to join their cause, and they left as outcasts. While they had encountered a few sympathizers to their cause, they were forced to leave them and come up with a better plan.

“You know, the port town of Emberton is only a day or so’s trip from here.” Phil commented. The pair had set up a very basic camp in the Northern Fields, a largely unused swatch of land in the northeast region of Equestria. From there, they could easily make the trek to anywhere in the northern areas of the kingdom, and they had set in to discuss where they should go next.

“I noticed.” Trixie said, nodding thoughtfully. “That’s the town House Leo governs over. I wonder if we could get some points by mentioning Rarity to the right people...”

“Probably.” Phil answered, yawning. Moping over their losses wouldn’t solve anything, he decided, and they had to keep looking forward. “Besides, I think Leo did go ahead and reforge that alliance with Trottingham’s house. If we ally ourselves with them, we might be able to go back and get more support.”

“Right. Sounds like a plan.” Trixie said, with renewed energy. She reached out with her broomstick staff, generating a lazy spark and lighting the campfire. The pair were soon surrounded by the warm light of the fire, and a pot of coffee was set over the flame to boil. The camp was already pitched, as it only consisted of a tarp thrown over their packs, and two sleeping cloths unrolled on either side of the fire.

As the two began to unwind, recovered from the rejection they had received in Trottingham and preparing for a new task ahead of them, sleepiness began to set in. Night had already fallen, and the stars glittered overhead unobstructed.

A twig snapped behind them. It was almost drowned out by the crackling of the fire, but it definitely came from behind. Phil tensed slightly, unsure of whether to call it a threat. He turned to Trixie slowly, and was met with a terse nod. She had heard it too. Gripping her staff tighter, but not making any other indication of suspecting anything, she gazed intently into the fire.

If there’s someone there, Trixie wants to keep some element of surprise on them. Phil reasoned. We can’t let them know we heard them. He remained as he was as well, but folded his arms as though shivering. In reality, he was beyond the point of noticing the cold. Within his jacket, he fingered at the hilt of a knife hidden from sight.

Another noise sounded slightly to the side, but still behind their line of sight. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway: while the stars were bright and the skies clear, a hazy mist shrouded the fields, obscuring sight on the ground. Someone could get within feet of the fire without being noticed. Keeping this in mind, the pair stood slowly and spun around as one, expecting to see... something. Someone. Anything out of the ordinary.

They saw nothing. The fog rolled past lazily, and there was no-one before them. Even an animal of some kind would have been a relief to see, to answer the snapping twigs, but there wasn’t so much as a squirrel to speak of. Squinting through the haze, Trixie swung her staff out experimentally, a bright flame lit upon its tip. It served as a great torch, cutting through the fog like a knife through butter, but gave no answer. Whatever had been there, no longer was.

Phil’s heart was moving faster than his mind, but his mind was telling him not to worry. He had always been a logical, down to earth person, and he knew it was probably just a small animal that got spooked and ran away when they turned. As much as it seemed like someone was sneaking up on them, he knew it was highly unlikely.

Beside him, Trixie seemed to be trying to rationalize the situation as well, but he wasn’t sure how well she was doing. She, on the other hand, had been under the care of the slightly deranged Xekora for far longer than Phil had, and had seen things that seemed utterly impossible at the time. Many still made no sense. She was a warrior at heart, and had learned not to rule out any possibilities or impossibilities in a dangerous situation. Instead of letting herself slip into panic, she was bracing herself for whatever fight was about to approach.

Phil turned his head to look for confirmation of something- anything- from Trixie, but she remained with her eyes locked in one direction, trying to pick out movement in the fog. He turned his gaze back as well, and tried to find something to focus on.

A sharp, quick hiss was heard behind them, followed by silence and darkness. Phil spun around frantically, and saw that someone had killed the fire, but could still see no-one else in the area. He stepped forward, ever so cautiously, and crouched next to the scorched firewood, and saw that a thin layer of frost had already set onto the branches. It’s cold out, but not nearly that cold. Something froze the fire... He backed away slowly, and nearly ran into Trixie. The flame on the end of her staff was the only thing to light the darkness encroaching around them.

“Watch yourself, kid.” She whispered quickly. “I don’t know what’s out there, but we need to be on guard. Get out whatever weapons you’ve got, and stay close. And calm down, you won’t do any good if you’re freaking out on me.” Phil nodded quickly, calmed his breathing as best he could, and drew the knife from his jacket. It had a fairly large blade and a sturdy leather handle, and he felt fairly confident in his ability to use it. Still, if it came to that close a range, he’d be better off with a fire punch. His best chance would be to spot the assailant from as far a distance as the fog would allow, and hit them with long-range magic.

Phil lit a small controlled flame in his right palm, keeping the knife balanced in his left. It’s times like these I’m really glad I’m ambidextrous... He thought. He cast a cautious hand out before him, hoping to catch something in the dull light, but with expected lack of results. The two moved slowly around their campsite, back to back, hoping to catch the assailant off guard and give away their position.

Something shot past their heads, too fast to make out clearly. Phil nearly jumped, but just barely kept it together. Whatever it was, it had been small and fast. Another whizzed past a bit further away, from a completely different direction, then another from a third direction.

“Show yourself!” Trixie barked, but Phil could tell she was acting stronger than she felt. As dissimilar as she and her sister were, there were some things that stayed the same through and through. “They’re attacking now. Get ready, kid, they’re going to come at us pretty soon... Ah!”

Her train of thought was cut off abruptly, as was her flame. Spinning around, Phil could just make out a third figure in front of Trixie, and saw that a few vestiges of ice still clung to the end of her staff. He saw the silver blade of a large sword swing in from the darkness, clanging noisily against Trixie’s broomstick weapon, the metaling sound filling the silent air menacingly.

Trixie shoved the metal pole forward roughly, the blade of the assailant pulling back quickly. Trixie cursed as she tried to light a fresh flame, the ice remaining and negating any fire magic. The sword came back around from the right, and Trixie had just enough time to pull the staff around and block. A fire spell lit up at the other end of the pole, and for a moment Phil could see a tattered brown cloth where the darkened figure’s feet might have been.

The fire froze as soon as it had come on, and the two were left in near-darkness again. Phil looked to his hand, still channelling a flame that gave the only remaining illumination in the field, and the thought crossed his mind that he should put it out quickly. As much as he desperately wanted to be able to see, it made him a huge target.

The assailant had similar thoughts in mind, it seemed, because the next ice blast came right for him. Phil raised his hands to block, and the flame was extinguished sharply. With mounting horror, Phil realized that the attack had done more than put out the flame: his entire light-hand was encased in ice, too thick for him to retain any movement in his hand. Even worse, the frigid prison seemed to be slowly, painfully crawling further up his arm.

Phil began to panic, but came to his senses quickly enough. Generating another fire spell, he saw the ice begin to satisfyingly steam and sizzle. I can melt myself out easily enough, looks like. He kept the spell going idly, the ice dripping to the ground, and turned his attention to the pale form of Trixie. She was still battling with this mysterious ice mage, the sounds of steel meeting steel breaking the eerie silence of the night.

Trixie spun the broomstick staff expertly around her shoulder, blocking another heavy hit from the large steel blade. It struck like a snake, darting out of the cloudy darkness to attack, and retracting before it could be pinned down. The assailant itself had yet to be seen clearly, and remained a shade in the haze. But as long as Trixie could pick out the slightly darker swaths of fog, she could tell where her opponent was and fight back, or at least protect herself.

The fact remained that whoever this was, the assailant was a well trained and confident fighter, and had startling control over ice magic. Ice was an outcast type of sorts in magic: any Equestrian was physically able to learn its ways- even Children of Earth- but it was notoriously difficult to pick up, let alone master. There wasn’t a doubt in Phil’s mind that his and Trixie’s assailant was a master of the craft.

His hand flexed stiffly, freed from its icy prison at last. He readied himself to light another fire spell, but didn’t just yet. He needed to wait until just the right moment. The knife in his hand was in a death grip, cold sweat covering the leather handle. Phil was scared to death of this shadowy killer, but he was somewhat relieved by the fact that whoever it was- whatever it was- it was working alone.

Trixie was wearing down, but adrenaline wouldn’t allow her to rest. Gritting her teeth, she lunged forward with her staff, but met only air. Cursing in anger and fear, she made a move to pull the weapon back, but met resistance. With mounting horror, both realized that the assailant had a grip on the other end of the weapon. Trixie gave one final yank on the pole, and the shadowy figure could be seen- painfully slowly- sailing towards the black mage, sword arm cocked back menacingly.

Like an angel of death, a huge pair of wings erupted from the shade’s back, obscuring Phil’s view of what was going on, but the sounds were enough to send him over the edge. First came the sound of the blade swinging down, then a cry of pain from his friend. A sharp crack, the sound of ice hardening, followed, then the process repeated. Phil was ready to run for his life, to scream and run as far from there as he could get and never look back, but he knew he couldn’t leave Trixie to die.

The assailant jumped back, flapping its wings once, and utterly disappeared from view. Catching his racing breath, Phil nearly tripped over himself running to Trixie’s aid. To his relief, she was alive, but his sense of calm didn’t last. Both of Trixie’s arms were frozen solid, along with most of her upper body. She fought to keep her chin up above the sharp, icy thorns encroaching on her head, and while her mouth was twisted in an enraged grimace, Phil could see her eyes were alive with panic in the dim starlight.

“Phil, get out of here!” She ordered. “We can’t kill this thing! I’ll be alright, but you need to run for it! It’s going to come after you next!”

Phil stood quickly, barely able to stand still, but he remained by Trixie’s side. She was silent, and Phil chose to believe it was because she could tell he was trying to pinpoint any telltale noises of the assailant approaching. He didn’t dare look down and risk seeing the alternative: that the ice had already frozen over her mouth. Either way, the fields had lapsed back into silence.

He closed his eyes, every instinct and nerve in his body screaming against it. He knew that with his eyes closed, his other senses would be bolstered somewhat, and he needed hearing far more than he did sight. As it stood, he could barely see an inch in front of his face anyway, and every anomaly in the fog could have been the assailant. No, the night was perfectly silent, and when he heard something off instead of seeing it, it could only be the mysterious shade.

Then he heard it. Another twig snapping. No... it seemed to him that the assailant had stepped on the campfire. The sound was much louder than before. Supercharged on adrenaline, Phil spun around towards the dead fire, lighting and throwing the knife in one move. The small blade sailed through the air, slicing the darkness and fog around it, until it stopped short with a sickening thump.

It wasn’t so sickening to Phil when he heard a gasp of pain follow suite. The knife had found its mark, and had hit the assailant. He couldn’t tell anything about them by the sound of the gasp- it could have come from anyone- but it felt pain. It wasn’t something supernatural, and could even be another human. As comforting as this was, Phil still knew this human was armed and extremely dangerous, and was trying to kill him and Trixie.

Considering this, Phil didn’t allow the assailant to slink back into the shadows to lick its wounds and come back at him. Lighting up both fists with a potent flame, shaking with fear and anger, he unfurled his own wings and dove at the shadow. He launched both flames towards it, and for the first time caught a glimpse of what he was dealing with. The figure was draped in a tattered brown cloak, the hood over the eyes, a pale mouth frowning slightly just before the flames hit.

They both slammed into the assailant’s chest, and another gasp escaped as it was launched backward. The shadowy figure wasn’t expecting such resistance, and was taken off guard, but recovered quickly. It dove back into the shadows, cloak smoldering, the smoke blending with the fog around them. Phil corkscrewed after the assailant, but it had already changed directions in the haze and had become lost once again.

Phil waited for the longest time, breath held, sure he could finish the assailant if it came back for him, but all was in silence. His confidence began to wane, fear setting back in again. He pushed the thoughts out of his head quickly. He was on the winning side now, and had to keep it together.

He stood stock still where he was, palms open at his sides, ready to burst into flames at a moment’s notice. He could see nothing, hear nothing, but he could still feel the eyes of his assailant on him, watching. He was just beginning to think he should go back and try to thaw out Trixie, as she was probably fading fast, but a horrible sense of dread kept him where he was. Behind him, he could feel the air chill, a few flecks of frost forming on the back of his neck, and he heard a tiny whisper of a noise that he never would have caught if he wasn’t so pumped with adrenaline.

Fear gripping his system, he almost didn’t react in time, but he was able to spin around just as the steel blade shot forward, impaling the air he only just inhabited. Following through, he grabbed the blade with his gloved hands and pulled forward. He pulled one hand back, lighting it with the strongest magic he had ever attempted: a single-handed Arcfire. Screaming a bloody battle cry, he shot forward and slammed his palm into the chest of the brown-cloaked assailant, sending it sailing backwards. A short, pained cry escaped its lips, before it collapsed to the ground.

It was still in action though, and Phil was too far gone with rage and blood-freezing fear to stop now. All his thoughts had long since slowed down, and he was running on sheer bloody-minded survival instinct. He ran towards the assailant, grabbing Trixie’s discarded broomstick staff on the way, and brought the weapon down on the shade’s head, hard. It fell to the ground, unconscious but alive. The hood fell back on the way down, and Phil realized that it was a woman, with pale blue hair and light colored feathered wings.

Whatever this meant, Phil didn’t have time to analyze. He retrieved the knife from where she had discarded it, jammed it through some of the loose cloth of the cloak and through the hard packed dirt below, then rushed over to Trixie’s aid.

Chapter Fifty-three

Chapter Fifty-three

Trixie was in rough shape, but wasn’t too far gone. Phil set to work immediately thawing the ice off her body, working first on the frost encroaching on her head ever-so-carefully, then working faster on her arms and chest. She remained conscious through the whole ordeal, not allowing the ice or panic to take over her mind. Phil wasn’t sure whether she was perfectly in control of the situation, or too determined and bloody minded to accept the gravity of the situation- that she could well have died just then- but he was glad all the same. Trixie may have been hurt, but was in far better shape than Phil mentally.

He was still in full overdrive mode, constantly looking over his back for any signs of the assailant’s stirring, or any possible further attack from anything else out there. Trixie was holding it together much better, but she was worried just the same. After being thawed out completely, she stood and started digging through her and Phil’s packs. It was slow work, since she was still freezing from her icy prison, and the cold air wasn’t helping. Shivering the whole time, Trixie retrieved several lengths of loose cloth from her bags, and handed them to Phil.

“I c-can’t count on having a s-steady hand like this...” She explained, rubbing her arms, annoyed. “I need you to t-tie her up. Once she c-comes to, we’ll try and g-get some answers.”

Phil gingerly took the cloth strips, then cast out a hand and re-lit the fire. “Get warm.” He said simply. “I’ll take care of it, you just focus on staying warm.” Phil didn’t wait for discussion. He gave Trixie a gentle push over to the log seat, then turned and set to work on their captive. She remained fully unconscious, but not knowing how long it would last, Phil worked quickly.

He started by jamming her sword deep into the ground a few yards away from the campsite, then wrapping several lengths of cloth tightly around the blade. Her hands were bound behind her back and to the sword, and the cloth already on the sword would make sure she didn’t cut her bonds away in secret. It was clear she wasn’t going anywhere like this. With the hilt as close to the ground as it was, it would take a mighty effort for her to even stand up, so he felt confident leaving her legs unbound. Phil then tied another cloth strip around her eyes: it was only fitting that since she had attacked when his and Trixie’s vision had been next to null, he would take away her vision in turn.

Satisfied that she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, Phil returned to the campsite. Trixie was hunched over the fire, still shivering violently, with her sleep roll and a spare blanket draped over her shoulders. She heard him approach and looked quizzically up at him. “I got her.” Phil answered. “If she wakes up and tries to leave, we’ll know.” She nodded thankfully and turned her attention back to the fire. The coffee pot was again set to boil, and soon both clutched a pair of steaming mugs close to their chests.

Despite the caffeine, Trixie still could barely keep her eyes open. Muttering something close to a ‘goodnight’ to Phil, she pulled away her sleep roll and laid it on the ground next to the log, close to the fire, and curled up tightly within the spare blanket. Within minutes she was asleep, cocooned in her sheets, but still shivering slightly. Phil, on the other hand, knew he would get no sleep that night. His nerves were shot, and he didn’t feel at all safe any longer without a watch. And with Trixie still recovering from being frozen, probably unable to avoid catching a cold because of it, he knew he had to stick it out and keep watch alone.

Phil remained dutifully awake through the night, keeping both a close eye on his prisoner and a close watch over his friend’s condition. For the most part, neither stirred the whole time. He kept the coffee pot filled, a fresh mug in his hands every hour or so. Phil remained on full alert the whole night, jumping at every tiny sound, but nothing else tried to kill him.

Eventually, he became calm and tired enough to ease himself off the log seat, and sat against it, closer to the fire. He stroked Trixie’s hair back from her face gently, and could tell she had obtained a fever. Phil remained there the rest of the night, guarding over his friend loyally. As much as he wished he could get some sleep, as tired as he got, and as confident as he was that the two were safe from any further harm, he remained awake until dawn.

The foggy haze that had covered the land and created the arena of fear and mystery the night before finally settled, covering the grassy fields in thick, cloudy dewdrops. Phil gave a mighty yawn, stretching his arms wide. It had been a very long night, and he had never been so happy to see the sunlight above him.

Trixie coughed beside him, already pushing herself to a sitting position. Phil made a move to stop her, but she waved him away impatiently. “I got it, kid.” She insisted. “...Look. I’m not dumb, Phil. I’ve noticed your attitude towards me... your desire to stand up and be the hero as best you can, and protect me... Whether it’s just because you’re that kind of guy, or you’re substituting me for my sister- I don’t care. You’re a good ally, but I can handle myself without help.”

Trixie’s words stung. Phil almost fought back, but realized glumly that there was some truth to them. He missed Twilight already, and wished she were here with him. But as much as he wanted her to be, Trixie was not her sister. A little shaky still, Trixie sat upright, looking around blearily. “We’re in rough shape right now, Phil... We should get to Emberton as soon as possible, but I don’t know how fast we can safely go in this condition.”

Phil nodded wordlessly. “If we’re in no rush, then we could probably get there by tomorrow night. We’ve got enough supplies to last until then-”

He was interrupted by a noise a short distance from the campsite: their prisoner was stirring, trying to figure out what had happened. Realizing she was blinded and bound, she thrashed around for a bit before settling, defeated. Phil motioned for Trixie to stay where she was, told her she could whip up some breakfast if she felt up to it when she complained, and made his way over to the cloaked assailant. Phil was drowsy from lack of sleep, but he was still in better shape than his partner; he would handle the interrogation.

The prisoner must have heard his footsteps as he approached, because she raised her head as though to face him. Blindfolded, though, it was an act of futility. As he stood over her a short distance away, he knew she was running through her remaining options.

“Who are you?” Phil began. “And what was all that last night?”

“I could ask the same thing.” She spoke, with a strong voice belying her defeated position. “You’re the one with the wings, and fire magic, aren’t you? How do you have both? I’ve only ever known one other person with that kind of power, and... I kind of doubt you got yours the same way.”

“I’m not really in a position of owing you answers.” Phil answered cooly. His confidence had returned; he was once again in control of the situation. “Now talk.”

The prisoner sighed heavily. “I’m ashamed. Fact is, I was trying to incapacitate the two of you and steal your stuff. Didn’t want to kill you at first, but it kind of became that towards the end... Ah man, how I’ve fallen... Used to be, the whole world knew my name and face. I was a hero. I’m nothing more than a common thief now...”

“That performance last night was nothing I’d expect from a common thief.” Phil stated. He hadn’t meant any compliments by it, though. He needed to know why such a powerful warrior was reduced to thievery, and still wanted her identity. “I’ll ask again: who are you? While we’re on it, where’d you pick up such powerful ice magic? That’s not something an average pickpocket would have the ability to use. Seems like you pulled out all the stops for us: why?”

The mysterious assailant looked away, abashed. She didn’t speak for a long while, seeming to be considering her answer. “Like I said, I wasn’t always this desperate. I was once a hero: one of the legendary Wonderbolts. Name’s Misty.” Phil raised his eyebrows in surprise, forgetting that she couldn’t see him. He had the fleeting thought that Rainbow Dash would be so jealous that they had met a Wonderbolt, but she continued:

“But now... ever since Spitfire left, times have been tough. We fell apart pretty quick under Soren’s ‘leadership’, and I went my separate way from most of them. I didn’t know ice magic at the time though; it was a parting gift from our team’s mage. It’s a horribly brutal form of fighting, and I wouldn’t use it at all if I had a choice, but... I felt it necessary.

“Because you’re the queen’s apprentice, aren’t you? The ‘human phoenix’, right? As soon as I realized that’s who I was dealing with, I had to step up my game and try to take you out. I don’t know who your partner is, so I just held her down, but I was trying to kill you. If I’m going to do anything more with my life, I wanted to strike out against the queen, just to spite her. It’s nothing personal, really, just- I don’t like her. Seems like she’s got too much power, you know?”

Phil let out a relieved breath. She’s on our side. I need to get her to understand that. She’s too good an ally to pass up. “Well, yes, I am the human phoenix.” Phil admitted, setting the bait. “But you might have heard on the streets that I went missing all of a sudden? Truth is, I ran away. Defected. My partner and I are traveling from town to town right now. See, I share in your philosophy: I’m against the queen as well, but more personally.”

Misty’s eyebrow rose fractionally, her curiosity piqued. “That right?” She said, trying to sound disinterested.

“We’re trying to garner support in different cities and towns.” Phil explained. “To get a real resistance going. Let me say this: if you were attacking us because of my apparent allegiance to the throne, then you have nothing to worry about. Further...” He turned back to look to Trixie, who had been listening intently to the conversation. She gave him a confirming nod, and he turned back to Misty: “If you truly want to strike out against Celestia, we’d be glad to have you, and will free you immediately.”

Misty gave the idea some thought. “And if I refuse?” She inquired, though the tone in her voice told Phil she didn’t really intend to do that.

“Then we’d be better off leaving you tied up here, wouldn’t we?” Was Phil’s simple answer. She nodded slightly, conceding the point, then sat up straighter.

“Well, I guess my choice is obvious then, isn’t it? I’m in. Now please untie me. I’m starting to cramp up already.”

Phil smiled and moved behind her to release her. “You probably already know my name- Phil. My partner, who I might add is now sick thanks to being frozen, is Trixie. Good to have you, Misty.”

“No hard feelings.” Trixie chimed in. “Just business, I get it. I’ve always been a fast healer. A better night’s sleep than tonights’ will probably be enough.”

“Sorry about that.” Misty said sheepishly, as her blindfold fell off her eyes. “But I guess you should count yourself lucky you didn’t get frostbite from that. That, unfortunately, happens most of the time when people get frozen that bad. If you’re still feeling bad when we arrive at... Where are we going? Emberton? Yeah, House Leo’ll probably heal you. Me and Lord Blake have spoken a few times, I’ll put in a good word for you.”

Chapter Fifty-four

Chapter Fifty-four

Eastern Field

Fluttershy

She slept peacefully, dreamlessly, through the cold night and into the earliest wisps of dawn. A light mist snaked through the air above the ground, a foot away from her horizontal form. It was at least an hour before the time Twilight had agreed to wake and rouse the others, and Fluttershy had fully intended to sleep right up until the last minute. The party had made a fair trek already, and were only halfway to their destination so far.

A gentle shaking brought her from sleep an hour before dawn. For a moment, Fluttershy forgot where she was, and looked around confusedly in her dazed, tired state. In the next moment, she remembered that she and the rest of the group were camped out beside a low rocky overhang in the Eastern field, the space between their town and Manehattan. The tall, jagged mountain that was the team’s objective loomed on the horizon, a black silhouette just barely visible against the dark sky, but unmistakable even from a distance.

Her eyes were heavy with sleep, and seeing the sun hadn’t risen just yet, she pulled her blankets back over her head and tried to get back to sleep, but whatever had shaken her awake before persisted. Suddenly alert, she jumped up quickly, scrambling to grab her bow.

“Woah, calm down.” Spike whispered, holding up his hands apologetically. His long, deep violet hair was still tied up in the same single braid as yesterday, and was messy and unkempt. She could tell he hadn’t slept well. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”

Spike often appeared at first glance to be a dangerous and unpredictable person, due mostly to the tattoo-like violet birthmark snaking from the back of his neck to around the left side of his face, coming to a rest above his eye. The ever present twin knives at his belt and almost bandit-looking vest and bandana didn’t help his case either. The more time Fluttershy had spent with him, though (and she had spent a fair amount of time with him already), the more she realized it was all a show, and he was a kind hearted person who sought to avoid violence whenever possible. Much like herself, Fluttershy noted.

She was calmed almost immediately, but remained curious all the same. “What is it?” She asked, also in a whisper.

Spike balanced on the tips of his toes, his legs folded in front of him, and spoke in a hushed but serious tone. “I need to ask a pretty big favor of you, Fluttershy. See... This dragon we’re fighting... I think there’s more to this whole situation than we know right now. Princess Luna gave a short description of what it’s supposed to look like in her letter. It didn’t say much, so no-one else would have given it a second look. But I think she put that in for me to find. I think this dragon might be the one I’ve been scouring the earth for since I landed in Equestria: I think Luna may have tracked down Fenrir for me, and wants me to get to him first.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened slightly, and she gave a small gasp. This was great news. If the dragon they were after was Spike’s old friend, then they could avoid a fight for sure. In addition, if she remembered correctly, Fenrir was supposed to be a great fighter, and- while Fluttershy wasn’t looking forward to serious combat at all- having another Goldoan on their side could only be good news for Moonlight.

“There’s a problem though.” Spike went on. “Luna said that this dragon went on a rampage and did some serious damage to Manehattan, all apparently without provocation, and wouldn’t hear any peace talks or negotiations. I recall her using the term ‘berserker rage’, which is completely insane if we’re talking about Fenrir. He might be a great fighter, and I have no doubt that he was capable of wrecking Manehattan like that, but he’s slower to anger than anyone I know, save maybe you. So why would he just destroy half a city like that, and not be able to be talked to his senses?

“Basically, I can’t be completely sure it’s him.” Spike concluded, sounding as though he had gone over the problem dozens of times in his head. “But if it is, something happened to him- something bad- and it’s clouding his judgement. I can’t imagine what could do that to him, but if it turns out it’s him in there, I know I can get through to him. Even if it isn’t, my request of you would be the same.”

Spike paused, as though debating whether to tell Fluttershy what he needed to say. “When we get up there, I’d like you to sing to the dragon. With the heron’s song, we can calm it out of it’s rage, and I can talk to it. If it turns out to be Fenrir, then I’ll get some answers out of him, and hopefully we can get him some help. If it’s not him, then we can just convince it to get lost. Either way, I think this will be the easiest way. Do you think you can do that for me?”

Fluttershy didn’t answer at first. She, like most others in the group, only had her encounter with the river dragon in the EverFree forest to go on, and she had been scared stiff. She felt more confident in her own abilities now, and was reassured by the fact that Spike would be with them this time, but this dragon would be much tougher in turn. She had no real idea what to expect, but knew to be afraid.

“It would mean a lot to me.” Spike commented quietly. “I think there’s a good chance my friend is in trouble up there, and I want to do everything I can to help him out of... whatever he’s gotten into.”

Fluttershy shook away her doubt. Someone was in need, and was helpless against the forces hurting them. If she had a chance to help them, she was going to do everything she could. That was the view she took when it came to the animals in the forest she so often cared for, and- more recently- her friends.

She nodded, though somewhat apprehensively. “Okay. I’ll do what I can.”

_____________

The party of seven made their way steadily forward, reaching the base of the mountain just before noon. The near-black rock rose steeply skyward, the craggy tips seeming to claw at the clouds. Shorter mounds of rock flanked the tall pillar of stone, forming a semi-circle of unattractive, squat rock, with the mountain on one end and the grassy plains on the other.

Atop this mountain was where the team needed to be. If their report was correct, some fearsome beast of a dragon had sheltered itself in a cavern at its peak, and was capable of leveling half of a city as big as Manehattan in a matter of an hour.

“I’m scouting ahead.” Rainbow Dash announced, already in the air. He didn’t wait for discussion or someone to try and stop him, and shot up the base of the mountain quickly.

Rarity ran a hand through her hair, sighing. “Well, we’re not doing any good down here either.”

The others murmured in agreement. Twilight consulted a small map for a moment, then pointed to a clump of brush slightly to the right of the front of the mountain. “There should be a footpath of some sort around there.” She explained confidently. Pinky nodded and bound over to the scrubby plants, then began to scale the rocks hand-and-foot. She leapt to another slightly off to the side, then called back: “It’s pretty faint, but it’s here.”

Twilight used a weak fire spell that made short work of the brushes, revealing the beginnings of a tiny, long-since abandoned dirt trail. It disappeared around a corner quickly, and Fluttershy guessed it probably wound around much of the time and switched back frequently. Spike led the way up the path, followed closely by Twilight. Pinky continued to climb over and around the path, perfectly balanced and coordinated despite the harsh, steep rock. Rarity picked her way carefully along the path, and Fluttershy followed just as warily. Applejack held up the rear, but moved confidently like Pinky.

Fluttershy’s thoughts raced every which way as the group ascended. She felt marginally reassured by the bow slung over her shoulders, and the quiver of short arrows at her hip, but doubted how much damage could be done by such a small weapon. If it came to combat, Applejack’s battle axe or Twilight’s magic would be a much better weapon. Rarity’s light magic and rapier could potentially slip under its scales and do some damage, and she had no doubt Dash and Pinky would find a way to hurt it.

That was, of course, if it came to combat. Fluttershy knew that Spike wanted to avoid it as much as she did, and likely as much as everyone else. She would do her best to do as he asked and sing to calm the dragon’s mind. From there, the show was all his. She dreaded to think of what would happen if their plan of negotiation failed.

Despite the constant switchbacks and winding pathways of the trail, the going was still steep. For the first half of the trip up, tight walls followed both sides of the trail, but the sight of the sky above helped somewhat against the claustrophobia. Soon, though, the outer wall fell away into a steep cliff, and Fluttershy suddenly found herself missing the lack of maneuverability.

The path became harder and harder to make out, and quickly the group began to wonder if they had taken a wrong turn. Spike shook his head, insisting that there had been no turns since they began, and the path had just become a clearer section of rock, just the same as everything else on this mountain. Fluttershy felt as though the bleary grey surroundings were getting to everyone, bringing their spirits down.

As though on cue, Rainbow Dash chose the exact moment this thought crossed her mind to drop in from above. His hair had become a little dusty, but it was still a welcome splash of color. His pants were a bit dirty too, but his leather jacket was immaculate. “He’s up there all right.” Dash reported. “We came up at a good time, seems like he just settled in for a nap. I sure hope we don’t have to fight him, though. He’s pretty big.”

“How close are we to getting there?” Twilight inquired, somewhat impatiently.

“Oh, not far. Path kinda disappears for a bit around here, but it picks up again around the corner. We’re not twenty minutes from the peak. Follow me, I’ll lead the way.” He strode over to what looked like the ledge of a cliff, then turned around a near invisible corner. Pulling a hand back into sight, he motioned for the rest of the group to follow suite, and one by one the team disappeared around the narrow cleft.

Approaching cautiously, Fluttershy saw that a tiny cave ran through the length of the mountain, which wasn’t terribly far at this height, and joined another ledge on the other side. She could see a more obvious path on the other end, and she slipped into the crevasse. Behind her, Applejack grunted slightly at the tight space, her more broad shoulders making the trek through all the more difficult. The cavern wasn’t very tall either, and the tip of Fluttershy’s bow scraped against the ceiling a few times. Fortunately, cracks in the rock above and on the outer wall let in ample light, and the group had no difficulty seeing their way through.

All the remaining six came out the other side as dusty as Rainbow Dash had been. They paused for a few moments to brush themselves off, then set off again. The sun was beginning to hang low in the sky, and they needed every minute of daylight they had left. Rounding a few more corners, following the trail as it finished spiraling upwards around the mountain, the group found themselves at the peak.

The majority of the peak was unusually flat and level in comparison with the rest of the mountain, and Fluttershy estimated it to be about a quarter-mile across. At the far side of the peak, the mountain continued upwards for a ways, though the remainder was unscalable in its steepness. At the base of this outcropping was the mouth of a large cave, completely darkened. No-one could guess at how far back the cave ran, but it must have been at least as large as the plateau they now stood on.

“You’re sure he’s in there?” Spike asked warily.

“Positive.” Dash confirmed vehemently. “Not easy to mistake something so... distinct. I only popped into the cave for a minute or two, but I’m sure that our dragon is in there.”

“Right.” Spike said under his breath. “I’m going in. As safe as we are while he sleeps, we can’t gain any ground that way either. I’m going to wake him up and bait him outside, where we’ll all have the advantage of being able to see. Get your weapons ready, but don’t attack unless I give the O.K. Fluttershy, you ready to try and calm him? I guarantee he won’t be happy to be awoken either way.”

She nodded quickly, her heart pounding from anticipation. The others in the party looked curious as to what the two were planning, but none inquired about it. They were all too anxious themselves. Spike nodded to the group, then set off determinedly into the darkness. Each passing second afterwards felt like minutes, each moment in which nothing happened, torturous. Each teammate kept their gazes locked on the cavern mouth, waiting for Spike to return.

A mighty roar broke the awful silence, seeming to shake the foundations of the mountain itself. Weapons were gripped tighter than ever, and sounds of something barging around the cavern echoed viciously off the walls and into the air around them. Fluttershy moved in closer to her friends, as did the rest of them.

Finally, Spike ran full speed out of the cavern, eyes wild, knives drawn. He barked one order at them, the one they all knew they would hear but hated hearing: “He’s on the way! Get your weapons ready, we’re going to have to fight!”

Chapter Fifty-five

Chapter Fifty-five

Rainbow Dash

I held out my broadsword before me, ready to block an incoming attack. I gripped it with both hands, though my left arm was still a little stiff from its recovery. Spike tripped ungracefully in running back to the group, but wrapped it up nicely into a roll to his feet. He seemed panicked, ready to fight but extremely loathe to do so.

The noises of clatter echoing darkly from the cavern increased in volume. The dragon was on its way, fast. I turned to Applejack, nodding tersely. We were as ready as we were going to get, but my heart was hammering inside my chest. The noises continued to rise in intensity for a few moments, then stopped abruptly. The cave remained dark.

Before any of us could wonder what had happened, a jet of blood red flame erupted from the opening before us, and we dove to the side to avoid the attack. I popped to my feet quickly, my wings catching the heated, smoky air and lifting me into the air. I stabilized as quickly as I could, surveying the battlefield while I had a chance. The others had all escaped the first attack easily enough, though now we were divided. Rarity and Applejack had ended up on the same side of the plateau as me, with all four of the others on the opposite end.

With mounting horror, we all watched as the dragon, scales as blood-red as his flame, dragged himself out of the cavern. He was a great deal larger and more monstrous than any dragon I’d ever heard of; with foot long fangs and horns, giant flat orange spikes running down his spine, and soulless yellow eyes. He squinted in the waning sunlight, accustomed to the darkness of his cave, and I knew we had until his night vision wore off to make a move.

“Spike!” I yelled. “If you’re going to do something, do it now! This won’t last long!”

He looked up at me upon hearing my words, bewildered, but nodded. He was back in control. “Dash, cover Fluttershy for me! Everyone else, help me keep him occupied! Don’t do any serious damage, though, just enough to distract him. I don’t believe negotiation will be out of the question once we calm him down!”

Finishing his orders, he stepped forward and threw his arms back, exploding into a mass of light and emerging as another dragon. He looked more-or-less the same as I remembered Twilight described him as: Purple scales, green spinal-fins, barbed tail. While twice as tall as his normal human form and much heavier set, he was still rather insignificant in comparison with the red dragon.

Spike stomped forward, arms outstretched, looking like he intended to wrestle the other dragon. Finally regaining his sight, our opponent watched Spike curiously for a few moments, then lunged forward at him, jaws open wide to reveal several rows of dagger-like teeth. Spike had little chance to dodge, as he was a great deal slower in this form, but his arms shot out quick enough to brace against either side of his opponent’s mouth, holding it open.

I shook myself out of my intense focus on the scene, gripping my weapon. Spike seemed to know what he was doing, even if no-one else did. I looked around wildly, and spotted Fluttershy hovering above the plateau a short distance away. She looked worried, but determined in whatever she was preparing to do.

Gritting my teeth and nodding silently to myself, I flew over to where Fluttershy was floating. My broadsword twirled idly in my right hand, and I began charging a disc of wind energy in my left. I kept my eyes locked on the enemy, but I could feel Fluttershy’s nervous eyes on my back. I watched as Spike threw off the jaws of the other dragon, diving to the side clumsily. Pinky darted around in front of him, holding his interest.

Behind me, I heard Fluttershy clear her throat, then she began to sing. I couldn’t understand a word she was saying, but they had a calming effect all the same. I quickly realized she was using the song that calmed people’s minds- the ‘Heron Galdr, as Spike called it- to try and pacify our enemy. Good idea... I guess this is what Spike was planning. I’ve got to make sure Fluttershy has enough time to finish the song.

In both good and bad fortune, the giant red dragon heard the song loud and clear. As good as this was, since he had to actually hear the music for it to work, he didn’t seem to want any part of it. He swept his clawed arm forward angrily, swatting aside Pinky and Twilight like insects. Applejack clung for dear life on his scaled limb- one hand grasping for a handhold, the other on her battle axe, the head sticking fast beneath the scales.

The dragon whipped its head back heavily, then brought his gaping maw down to bear on Fluttershy. Another jet of fire blasted out of his mouth, headed straight for us. I clasped my sword with both hands, the wind in my left leaping onto my blade, and threw it as hard as I could towards the attack. The weapon spun lighting-fast towards the center, the powerful wind rallying around it dispersing the flame as it went. Fluttershy’s voice wavered, but the song continued.

We were about halfway through the Galdr, and the dragon was focusing his full efforts on shutting Fluttershy up. The other four members of the team quickly pieced together what was happening. Rarity dove forward, launching a beam of light past the dragon’s face. His attention momentarily drawn, Applejack yanked her weapon out of his arm, and he reacted by snapping towards her. She leapt backwards, landing roughly but out of the path of danger.

I caught a glimpse of something darting around behind the dragon, going unnoticed in the commotion before him. Not stopping to catch her breath, Pinky swung onto the dragon’s back, wrapped her arms around one of his neck-spikes, and pulled back mightily. The dragon yelped in surprise, and tried fruitlessly to shake her off. His arms were too short to reach her, and she was to high up on his head for him to be able to bite at her.

Spike had recovered his balance by now, and threw himself at the enemy dragon. He landed on the beast’s back, behind Pinky’s perch, and was heavy enough to pin the dragon to the ground. He struggled brutally, but gained no ground. Twilight and Rarity both stood a fair distance away, each a powerful spell charged above them, aimed threateningly at the dragon. Applejack limped away from the battle, weapon hefted over her shoulder, and came to stand near me and Fluttershy.

“You alright?” I asked her, but didn’t take my eyes off the action.

“I’ll live.” was her simple answer. “Looks like the real show’s about to begin...”

Somewhat shakily from the violence, Fluttershy’s song finally concluded. We were able to watch as the blind rage in the dragon’s bright yellow eyes faded away, to be replaced by softer dazed ones. He struggled feebly against the other dragon holding him down, but there wasn’t much energy in it. Spike slid off his back, decidedly relieved, and trudged around to face him. Pinky followed shortly, but backed away to join Twilight and Rarity on the other side of the plateau. Whatever Spike was planning to do next, no-one else seemed to want any part in it.

As he walked, Spike made the short transformation back to a human. He walked around the dragon’s dejected, confused body, approaching him fearlessly. Spike slowly reached out with one arm, the dragon sniffing tentatively. When no hostile move was made, Spike went as far as to put his hand on the dragon’s snout gently. In a voice almost too quiet to catch, Spike addressed him: “So I was right... Fenrir, old friend, what has happened to you...?”

Fenrir? Wasn’t that... Before I could finish putting this new piece of the puzzle into place, the dragon began to respond. While he spoke in deep, gravelly tones, barely understandable, it was definitely human speech. From where I was, I couldn’t understand much of what he said, but I caught Spike’s name at the beginning. I also heard ‘Celestia’, ‘Guardian Dragons’ and ‘weapons’, none of which came as much surprise. He spoke for a long time, and while the rest of us understood very little of it, Spike was hanging on his every word.

“That’s insane...” Spike exclaimed once he had finished, stunned. “But... I don’t doubt it for a second. But how did she... No. No way.”

“It is as the king feared...” The dragon, Fenrir, said clearly enough to be understood by all. “She has brought the cursed drug back from the dead.”

“No!” Spike screamed, panicking. “How could she possibly have known about that?! And she’s been using it on others?! Agh, Goddess Ashunera help us all...”

“Spike, what’s he talking about?” Twilight asked, worried.

“We’ve got to get you back to normal, Fenrir.” Spike said, ignoring the questioning gazes of the others, myself included. “I don’t know what we’ll do after that... but we need you to be able to tell everyone what’s happened. Fluttershy can use the Galdr, but only knows bliss... if we can find someone who knows the words to rebirth...”

“Spike!” Twilight yelled, finally drawing her guardian’s attention. “What’s happening?”

“Sorry.” Spike said, wringing his hands nervously. “I’m having some difficulty accepting all this myself... This dragon is Fenrir, the very same shipmate we lost almost seventeen years ago. Apparently he was washed out to sea when the Longsword sunk, and drifted for several days, until royal soldiers from Eclipse found him. They realized he was another Goldoan Dragon, and could be another valuable addition to Celestia’s forces, so they brought him in.

“But they didn’t tell anyone what they had found. The soldiers brought him directly to the queen, and none of us were told he had been recovered. Celestia hid him away for a time, but then...” Spike stopped, choked up, and I knew something terrible was on the way. “It seems as though the queen has lied, and has had some previous contact with Tellius. She has, one way or another discovered something that should have remained dead and buried after all these years.”

“A horrible drug, used by the Mad King and his advisors in the wars eight hundred years ago, has somehow fallen into Celestia’s hands. This drug was used turn ordinary Laguz into super-soldiers, called the Feral Ones, but at a terrible cost. The drug destroyed the mind and warped the body, making any being afflicted by it a horrible shell of a person, living only to kill and sate their bloodlust, until they were consumed by its effects and collapsed. It was used a few times on Beorc as well, with still worse results.”

My jaw had long-since dropped, as had Fluttershy’s and Twilight’s. “And the queen has her hands on that?” I asked, just as stunned as Spike. If this was true, what he was saying would have cataclysmic implications.

Spike nodded, yet shook his head in wonder at the same time. “I don’t know how the formula survived its supposed destruction after the war, but there’s no mistaking it. The queen of Equestria has put the Feral One’s back in action. It seems she gave Fenrir here a triple-dose of this new, improved version, and you can see the result. He’s become more powerful than any of us could imagine, but you saw the bloodlust in his eyes before the Galdr calmed him. It’s been a slower process, but his mind is rotting away, and the time he’s used to tell me all this has been a struggle.

“It seems like she wanted to turn Fenrir into another living weapon. But when he became too strong and lashed out, escaping into the world with her secret, Celestia wanted him dead at all costs. She was blinded by this desire, and didn’t think when Luna offered to send for us. The young princess clearly wanted us to reach him and do what we can to help him. But... I’m afraid Fenrir is not the only one who has been subjected to this.”

That was what I was afraid of hearing, but knew I would hear. If this disastrous drug was a regular part of the queen’s arsenal, our mission just went from difficult to near-impossible. Spike continued, despite my silent willing for him to stop. “Celestia has apparently been working on this drug for years, trying to perfect its effects. She seems to have gotten what she wanted quite recently, and already a toned-down version has been used to enhance her soldiers’ abilities. We’re not sure if she has- or plans to- make anymore super-soldier weapons like Fenrir with it, but it has already taken root and boosted her soldiers power beyond normal human limitations.”

“This is terrible...” I managed to breath out. That was more than I could say for any of the girls, as they were all in the same awestruck silence I had been in a moment before. “If the queen has a weapon like that... how can we hope to stop this?”

“There’s gotta be a way to reverse it or somethin’...” Applejack muttered.

“There is one,” Spike confirmed, “but I’m not sure how we’re going to get it. Another heron song, the Galdr of Rebirth, is capable of a full reversal of the drug, in a nice calm environment. Problem is... We don’t have that song, and the only people who do, the Heron Clan in Tellius, has been known to guard the lyrics zealously. I can’t imagine how we could even get to them to ask, let alone convince them to teach Fluttershy. There’s no known way from Equestria to Tellius, so we can’t exactly reach them.”

“We might be able to.” Pinkie said suddenly. All eyes turned to her, to hear her idea. “Don’t we know an extremely convincing information gatherer, who can teleport?”

Chapter Fifty-six

Chapter Fifty-six

EverFree Forest, House of the Hylian; Two days later

Fluttershy

“Ugh, what do you blokes want now...” Xekora’s voice echoed from inside his hut. Spike and Fluttershy stood alone on the threshold, waiting for him to come to the door. While Xekora’s strange accent had dropped steadily during the ‘storytelling session’- probably for need to be as serious as possible- the full dialect had returned at this point.

The wooden door swung inward, behind which stood the tall, dark haired historian. His black eyes lingered curiously on the pair. “Ah. ‘S you two... So, what did you want?” He said, not actually seeming to care.

“We’ve got a problem you might be able to help us with.” Spike stated simply. “But it might take a bit to explain it all.”

Xekora watched him for a moment longer, then shrugged and moved aside. “Make yourselves comfortable, then.” Spike nodded and ducked into the cozy shack, Fluttershy following close behind. As much as she realized Xekora was likely the only one who could help them, she was still very uncomfortable around him. A powerful dark aura lingered about him, and he seemed a bit distant at times- likely a result of him being a dark overlord from thousands of years before arriving in Equestria, she realized. Fluttershy could catch momentary glimpses into people’s hearts and minds as a side effect of inheriting her heron abilities, and only saw unmitigated chaos ruling both for Xekora.

She and Spike took a seat on the battered couch on the far side of the room. Xekora sat upon a wooden chair across from them, wearing an impossible to describe combination of taciturn, curious and bemused expressions on his face. Spike shook his head clear, and began to recount what the team had discovered. Xekora, as a historian himself, didn’t need to be told about the harrowing details of this feral drug. Fluttershy was thankful for that; hearing it once was hard enough.

“We were forced to leave Fenrir and return for help.” Spike explained. “He gave us a few bloodied scales as fake proof for the queen that we killed him, and he’s agreed to let us bind him up in that mountain cave for as long as it takes. I didn’t want to do it, but... we have to keep him hidden until we can reverse his affliction.”

“I see...” Xekora mumbled, mostly just to confirm he was listening. “Now, as interesting and sticky a situation this is, I’m afraid I don’t quite see why you’ve come to me about it. I may be alarmingly multitalented and can fix many a problem, but I know very little about this drug. It was eradicated three-hundred years before my arrival, more or less, and I never dug around for the formula, or that of any existing antidote.”

“There is no consumable antidote.” Spike corrected. “Never was. Of that, I’m certain. The only way to heal it was in one of the strongest heron Galdrar, one that only the royals were ever taught, the Galdr of Rebirth. Good news is, my dear friend Fluttershy here can use Galdrar as such. Bad news- we don’t have the lyrics to the song. We’d need to convince the heron royalty to give them to us to help our people, even if we found a way to Tellius, which we can’t do to begin with.”

Spike stood, emboldened by his words so far. “That’s where you come in. You can teleport, correct?”

Xekora stood to face him, beating Spike in height by a few inches. “Yes, I can teleport. Even with Tellius on the clear other side of the planet, I can reach them without much trouble. I suppose your plan is to have me meet with the heron royals and convince them to write down the lyrics for you.”

“Er... yes.” Spike stuttered, the words having been wrenched from his mouth.

“Right. Suspected as much. Well, here’s my deal. I’m trying to remain uninvolved in this war, to the best of my ability, and I really don’t feel doing a direct favor for the ‘Moonlight Resistance’ would be very in the spirit of it, aye?”

“I expected that.” Spike countered, taking his seat back next to Fluttershy. He wasn’t done yet, she knew. “We wouldn’t expect you to hand out favors to people you barely know, but what about doing business with them?”

Xekora’s curiosity was piqued- it showed in his face. Spike continued confidently: “Before they left, both Trixie and Phil said you describe yourself as a merchant of information, is that right?” The historian nodded slowly. “Well, if we were to give you a juicy bit of information, surely you could be persuaded to get this piece- some song lyrics- for us?”

Xekora’s eyes lit up, the prospect of business intriguing him. “Yes, I might be persuaded. What information have you that I haven’t already got my hands on, though?”

Spike grinned evilly, reaching into the small pack he had brought along. From within he withdrew a heavy tome, borrowed from the town library. He placed it on a coffee table next to the couch, then retrieved and placed a few more loose sheets of paper from the bag. He patted the stack proudly. “Ancient wind textbook that I had to barter with the mayor to let me check out. There’s likely some very old, now unheard-of spells tucked away in those pages.”

Xekora sauntered over to the table, scooping up the textbook and flipping through the pages casually, probably more so than a book as old and battered as that deserved. “I’ll admit that my knowledge of wind magics is a bit... lacking.”

“I’ve also called together a lot of little-known history from Tellius; important but overlooked figures in the wars, mostly. Everything I could remember that you wouldn’t find in the history books, I wrote down on those bits of paper.” Xekora took the papers in turn, and perused them with minor curiosity. Finally he nodded and set the book and papers down again.

“Acceptable payment.” He stated simply, taking his seat once more. “More than enough, in fact. I’ll find your song, that’ll remain my number one priority. However, if there’s something else you feel you could use, I feel I could take a detour to pick that up as well.”

Fluttershy shared an excited glance with Spike. This was going better than they first expected. Fluttershy however knew next to nothing about Tellius, so this remained Spike’s show. He thought for a long minute, wracking his brain for anything else he could request. Finally he looked up, his eyes bright with an idea. “Sending stones.” He said.

Xekora’s eyes widened slightly, but there was a smile on his face. “Brilliant. I’ll bring back any that I can get my hands on.”

“What are sending stones?” Fluttershy asked, ashamed that she wasn’t sure where the bargaining was going, but too curious to remain silent.

“Long-distance communication devices.” Spike explained excitedly. “Someone with a strong magical resonance can send words and mental images through them to someone else with another stone. They’re not easy to come by, though. Goldoa has a few, and used them for diplomatic missions. The herons might have a few as well, and any others are probably scattered around in the hands of competent magicians.

“In Equestria, Children of Fire have worked out something similar, with a spell that can transport letters to another receiver, but it’s still rather slow. The letters spend a day or two in... whatever space it travels through, before reaching it’s destination, and no-one’s been able to shorten that time frame. But with sending stones, the messages can be much more precise, can’t be intercepted, and are delivered instantaneously. I’ll bet a skilled Child of Fire could adapt and use them easily enough, and you can imagine what even two of these would do for the resistance.”

Fluttershy nodded. With devices like these, the different factions of Moonlight could stay in contact without fear of runners being intercepted and interrogated, and they could organize joint actions much faster, and hopefully stay a step ahead of Eclipse’s armies. One thing didn’t quite add up, though. “Spike, shouldn’t there be a sending stone already in Equestria?” He raised his eyebrow, so she elaborated. “You said Goldoa used stones for diplomatic missions- shouldn’t there have been one sent with you on your pilgrimage?”

Spike looked away, but she could tell he understood. “Yeah, there was one. Captain Irath had it. He kept it in his quarters, but... Well, one way or another, that stone is at the bottom of the ocean now.”

Fluttershy apologized immediately for bringing it up, but Spike shrugged it off a moment later. He stood and addressed Xekora, who had busied himself with stuffing some supplies into a pack. “So the stones are just to bring back if you can find them. We need at least two for it to be of any use, so if you can’t find more than one, just leave it.”

“Right.” Xekora confirmed. “I’m going to make myself an absolute pest to the heron royalty at this rate. I’ll chat up ol’ dragon king too, let him know you lot are waylaid here. Who knows, he may try to send some backup?”

“No.” Spike countered instantly. “No, tell him not to send anyone else. Don’t let anyone send anyone else. We seriously do not want any countries of Tellius involved in this. If they do, they’ll try and get a piece of Equestria for themselves as payment for helping us with our own power struggle. No, this is a civil war we’ve got going, and I’d like it to stay that way. But... you can tell the king what became of us. Just make sure he understands that we have to handle the situation by ourselves.”

“Fair enough.” Xekora responded cautiously. “No-one else will know of this, save for him. And I’ll tell him you’ve got the situation under control. Sound good?... I can’t say how long I’ll be gone. Depends on how cooperative these people decide to be. But if I had to place an estimate, I’d say... At least two weeks, but I doubt I’ll be longer than two months. That’s about as finite as I can get.”

Spike sighed, but nodded in understanding. “I guess that’ll do. If you’re sure you can’t be back sooner... Alright.” Xekora nodded, stepping outside the hut with his pack. He seemed to have already grabbed everything he felt he needed, because when he stepped outside, a flash of black enveloped him, and the historian was no-where to be seen when Fluttershy and Spike stepped out after him.

“I guess he must have already left for Tellius.” Fluttershy commented under her breath.

“Good. We need him back as fast as possible. I mean, even if he does it in the absolute minimum amount of time he gave us, two weeks is still longer than I thought it would take. I figured Fenrir would only have to stay up there like that for a few days... I’ll probably have to bring him food every couple of days. There was a spring on the other side of the mountain that he should be able to reach, so water isn’t a problem, but there isn’t anything for him to hunt up there.”

“I could help.” Fluttershy stated simply. “There’s no shortage of fruit and other plants in the forest, and I know what’s edible and what isn’t. Plus, I’m sure Applejack could send some crops from the Sweet Apple Acres. I might even be able to get some bigger birds to fly up there with the food and drop it off, so we don’t have to be traveling all the time.”

She looked proudly back to Spike. If he was impressed by her first two offers, he was downright dumbfounded by her third. “You... Are you serious? You can get animals to transport the food? Can you, like, speak with them?”

Fluttershy held her hands behind her back and looked to the side sheepishly. “Well... yes. When I use that song, it calms animal’s minds just the same as everyone else. Once they’re in that calmed state, it’s not hard to give them direction to do basic tasks. You just need to give them simple suggestions that they can understand- like, for this, I would first draw their attention to the food, then point them in the direction of the mountain, then at a pool of water. They would take that information and fly off with the food, and drop it off near the spring at the mountain. Then, without any further instruction, they would just fly back home.”

Spike’s only response was to stare in disbelief and wonder. Fluttershy averted her gaze, but her heart swelled with pride. Finally, Spike found his voice. “That’s... That’s amazing! Fluttershy, you’re the best.” He stepped forward and wrapped her up in a wide, gentle hug. Her face flushed, and while she made no move either way in the short time his arms were around her, she was grateful for this show of affection.

He separated a moment later, motioning for her to follow as he strode happily away from the clearing. Fluttershy considered saying something before he left, but decided against it and followed in silence.

Chapter Fifty-seven

Chapter Fifty-seven

Emberton Town Square

Phil

Phil and Trixie, now accompanied by the former Wonderbolt, Misty, trudged through the gates standing at the entrance to the port city of Emberton. The buildings weren’t terribly tall in this town- two stories was typically the tallest building’s limit. The port itself was clearly visible, the tall masts of various vessels bobbing gently on the waves in the distance. The air carried a distinct salty odor wafting in from the sea, and buzzed with chit-chat from the numerous stalls dotted around the port area. While it may not have been a terribly large city, it was a lively one, and despite the rapid approach of winter, the ports and market were still as active as ever.

Trixie sniffed, still somewhat under-the-weather. Phil yawned mightily, still having some sleep to catch up on. Misty remained morosely silent, aware of her position as half-ally, half-prisoner. The past two nights had not been kind to anyone in the group, and they were all stiff, sore, and grumpy.

“Well, we’re here. Obviously.” Misty stated. “So, I guess our next move would be to contact Lord Blake. If we’re going to make any progress in this town, we have to start with him.”

“Right.” Trixie muttered. “And, if I recall, that would be your job.”

“Yeah, yeah. I got it. It’s been a while since we last met, but I bet he’ll remember me. Just... I don’t know, just stay behind me or something. It’d be pointless to have you two rent a room at an inn, ‘cause he’ll probably give us a place to stay at the manse.” Misty looked around for a moment to get her bearings, the set off through the streets. Phil and Trixie followed silently.

While they walked, Phil went over a mental checklist of what they had to do next. Once they met with Blake, they would need to convince him to not only give the support of House Leo and anyone else willing to fight in Emberton, but to have him contact his allies in Trottingham and convince them to do the same. They were asking a lot of the young leader, and Phil had no idea what to expect. Rarity’s description of Blake painted him to be a level headed, kind, but passionate person: still, her description could well have been biased. He had to prepare for anything.

Soon the party of three cleared the busier part of town, and the houses became somewhat more eloquent looking- bigger, and better put-together. At the end of their line-of-sight, a large building spanning all the way across the street stood, surrounded by a tall, solid-looking iron fence. The mansion, same as all the other buildings in town, lacked much height. It appeared to possibly have a second floor, albeit a small one, but the low-set windows and concrete foundations let on that it had more space underground.

“Not exactly a soaring palace.” Trixie commented dryly. Her wide-brimmed hat was pulled tightly over her head, shading her eyes from the bright, but not particularly warming sun. She gripped her staff in her right hand, using it as a walking stick, with her left hand shoved in her pocket.

“Doesn’t look like it from the outside.” Misty agreed. “It’s more of a typical lordly mansion on the inside, though. I’ve only been in there once, when the Wonderbolts did a show in town, but it was pretty nice.” Throughout the whole arbitrary conversation, Phil remained silent, calculating.

The group came upon the doorway set into the gate, and were met by a single soldier in lightweight leather armor, emblazoned in several places with the lion signet of House Leo. He made no hostile move towards them, and didn’t even appear to be heavily armed. Clearly this town, and its soldiers, weren’t expecting any trouble anytime soon.

The guard in question was leaning casually against the inside of the fence, half asleep. When Trixie walked up to the slightly rusted iron grate, jangling the bars slightly, the guard awoke with a start, then turned to address the group. Even after having been woken up, he yawned and scratched his head tiredly, obviously not threatened or alarmed by the newcomers.

“Yeah?” He asked. “You bunch need something?”

“We’re from out of town.” Misty explained professionally. She spoke in a kind, but to the point, manner: “But we have somewhat pressing business to attend to. We need to arrange a meeting with Lord Blake as soon as possible. Can you get him out here, or bring us in?”

“Uh...” The guard started awkwardly, unsure of himself. “No, sorry. I’m afraid I can’t. Lord Blake has taken ill lately, he’s been bedridden for at least a month. He’s- he’s alright, of course, it’s not life-threatening or anything... but he isn’t well enough to see anyone.”

Alarms started going off in Phil’s head. He had heard this spiel before: when the head of a royal house was ‘sick and bedridden’, it usually tied into some kind of ulterior plot by someone aiming for their seat of power. “Please, this is important.” Phil stressed. “Are you sure there isn’t anything you can do?”

The soldier shook his head, exasperated. “Ugh... Look. If it’s that important, whatever it is, I can try to get his uncle to talk to you. That’s the best I can offer you. Blake really can’t see anyone.”

Phil looked to Misty, who just sighed and shrugged. “Fine. Get him out here then.” The soldier cast one last doubtful glance at the group, sizing them up. His gaze flitted over Trixie, as she was rather unassuming- if eccentric- in her classical outfit. He spent an extra few seconds on both Misty and Phil, seeming to be trying to place where he had seen the two before. Misty hadn’t actually made any effort to disguise herself, and was simply unrecognizable as she was. Her hair hadn’t been tended in a good long while, and her clothes were a step above rags in this stage of their life.

It wouldn’t have made much difference if anyone recognized Misty, though- she wasn’t wanted by the capitol. Phil, on the other hand, had to be careful not to be spotted by the wrong eyes. Xekora had helped him with that- he had been suited up with new-ish clothing, his trademark leather jacket traded for a darker, lighter-weight one. His messy flame-orange hair had been trimmed slightly more neatly, and his wings were tucked warmly and out-of-sight beneath his jacket. He was virtually unrecognizable, but there was always the off chance...

The soldier shook his head clear and walked back to the doors to the manse. Phil sighed in relief. The three weary travelers were left to wait nervously by the gate, unsure of what their next move would be. Phil was still doubtful about what was really going on with Blake, and he guessed that his uncle would be the one to know about it. The problem would be to get him to share what was really going on, especially if it was some kind of grab for the throne orchestrated by the uncle himself.

Phil shook his head, in part because he was still somewhat sleepy. I’m being paranoid. He told himself. This uncle was supposed to the the nice one in the family. I seriously doubt he’s trying to take over Leo. Still... I also doubt that Blake is actually sick at all. No, I know there’s something else going on here. I’m just not sure what... I can’t rule out any possibilities. We’re approaching wartime, and being paranoid of everything is the better way to survive. I don’t want to believe there’s some kind of plot going on, but... I just can’t be sure yet.

At long last, the great doors swung open again, and another figure strode outside. Unlike the soldier that had been ‘guarding’ the entryway, this man meant business. His hair, roughly the same color as Misty’s, was cut rather short and combed neatly, and he wore a fancier version of the leather armor the guards used. A scimitar- House Leo’s trademark weapon- hung at his back, but it looked more ornamental than lethal.

The man walked alone, not electing to have a soldier or two escort him, but Phil could tell that this must have been Lord Blake’s uncle and advisor. Judging by his expression, he seemed interested, but not threatened, by his visitors. This observation was strengthened when he pushed the gate open and stepped through, to address the three properly.

“I was wondering who would drop by unannounced like this, utterly without warning, and try to get an audience with the head of the house, and by extension, the city.” He commented, but was not hostile in his tone. “I certainly wasn’t expecting a visit from one of the great Wonderbolts, but I suppose it is your style of doing things, isn’t it, Misty?”

“Good to see you again, Rilken.” Misty said, as though greeting an old friend. “I didn’t plan on being here myself, but even then, I don’t have much grounds to make arrangements like these. I’m nothing anymore. I pretty much hit rock bottom not too long ago, and got bested by these two kids. They’re the one’s in charge of this operation, I’m just along for the ride at this stage.”

Rilken Leo turned his attention to the other two. It took him a moment, but realization dawned on his face. “Ah, the human phoenix. Again, far from what I expected today. Well, what brings you here, and in the company of Misty the Wonderbolt, and a textbook Black Mage?”

Phil was worried for a moment that Rilken revealing him might have been heard by someone else, but was relieved when he saw no-one else around. “Well...” Phil started, knowing he had to play carefully until he knew he could trust Rilken. “We’re here on a mission given to us in part by the Lady Rarity. I know that she and Blake are close, so I hoped to be able to speak to him. It’s strange to hear that he’s fallen ill...”

Rilken held Phil’s gaze steadily, not hostile, but definitely pressing. Phil didn’t back down. They stood off for several seconds, neither making the first move. Finally, Rilken blinked. “You all are opposed to Celestia, aren’t you?”

The question had come out of nowhere, and Phil had no idea how he had drawn that conclusion. Phil took a moment before confirming quietly that this was the case. Rilken nodded knowingly. “Thought so. Don’t worry, you needn’t worry with me. The Queen has done her share of damage to this city by the sea over the years, just the same as others. Now, if only to satisfy your curiosity...”

Rilken looked around quickly, double checking that they weren’t being listened in on, but even then spoke in a hushed tone: “You’re right in assuming that Blake is, in fact, perfectly well. He’s also not even in town. Blake has left to personally join a small resistance faction called New Dawn. I can’t tell you anything else about it, but suffice to say Leo is behind them.”

Phil let out a relieved sigh. Rilken, and House Leo, were already on their side. And Rilken already trusted Misty enough to know he could say these things to Phil and Trixie without risking the throne finding out. In a low voice, Phil quickly explained the situation so far: his deserting the throne, the mounting resistance against Celestia, his and Trixie’s mission to bring together resistances from other towns and cities, Misty joining their cause after her surprise attack, and their request that Leo join them to help them bring in Trottingham.

Rilken nodded thoughtfully at each new piece of information, remaining silent until Phil finished. Finally he spoke up again: “Well, I suppose you’ve come to the right place. Leo doesn’t have a very large standing militia, but we do control the ports. And we have ships. This coast will be safe when things start getting crazy. And, I will do all I can to convince the lord and lady of Trottingham to join the cause. This, I’m afraid, is all I can offer you. We need every able-bodied person we have to defend the town if shots start flying, so I can give you no soldiers.”

Misty nodded solemnly. “I understand. This is a rather central city, and if anything, you could use some troops lent to you. We’ll see if we can send some more men your way after we leave. We appreciate what you’re doing for us.”

The two shook hands firmly, like the old friends they appeared to be. “I can offer you one other thing, though. There’s been a... gentleman in town recently,” He seemed to be using the word gentleman in an extremely loose sense, “and he may be able to offer you some assistance himself. I believe you can find him at the pub on the side street down by the market at this- or any- time of the day.”

“Alright, who is it? What’s he look like?” Misty inquired.

“Oh, you’ll know him when you see him.” Rilken assured. “Go ahead and do that now if you’re going to- I’m going to arrange for some accommodations in the mansion for you three. I’ll want you in town a few days to make sure we know all we need to- and I’m sure you’re all travel-weary, anyway.”

Chapter Fifty-eight

Chapter Fifty-eight

Emberton, Market Street

“Looks... quality.” Trixie commented sarcastically. She, Phil and Misty had wandered into market in no particular hurry, purchasing a few supplies on the way, and had located the pub Rilken had spoke of. It didn’t exactly look like the most well-kept place- with a faded sign advertising the bar, a plain wooden exterior with paint peeling in several places, and better-looking buildings around it making it look worse in comparison. However, business appeared to be good regardless.

“So, our guy’s in there?” Trixie asked, mostly to herself.

“Yup.” Misty confirmed. “Why is it always in the messy bar that the resistance contacts hang out? I mean, I know no-one would really want to go in and look for criminals conspiring against the government, but... would it kill anyone to meet somewhere nicer?”

They stood on the street corner for a few moments more, no-one making a move to enter. Finally, Misty shifted uncomfortably and started towards the door. “Well, we’re not getting any younger.” She stated. “You two coming or what?”

Phil and Trixie turned to each other quickly and nodded, then followed the Wonderbolt into the pub. To their relief, the interior of the building was better-kept than the outside. It  still wasn’t anything fancy, to be sure, but it was cozy. Tables were lined neatly all around the wood-paneled walls, fully outlining the room. Only a few of these were occupied. Several larger round tables were in place in the center of the room, ironically bolted into place to make angry drunk people look stupid when they tried to flip them over.

These centered tables were much more lively. People who didn’t seem to be in a group or even know each other well sat together, trading jokes, stories, or drinks. The room was filled with laughter, pleasant aromas from steaming lunches being delivered, and the somewhat sour smell of alcohol. The atmosphere of the pub was happy, if somewhat oblivious.

“Alright, where’s our... Oh.” Misty started, then ended with a definite note of disdain and annoyance. Following her gaze, Phil saw a figure slumped over the actual bar, seeming to be sleeping or passed out with a bottle of something still clutched in his hand. He was muscular, but wore a heavy coat that his most of his features. His hair was a mess of dark blue, almost black, and came to jagged points over his shoulders and eyes. Misty sighed. “Yeah, that’d be our guy. Dammit, why’d it have to be him...?”

“Someone you know?” Trixie asked. “He seems-”

“Don’t-” Misty cut her off. “-even start. I would just as soon not know this slacker. Still... If he’s all we’ve got... at least he can hold a spear. Gimmie a minute.” She moved over to the drunk guy, and Phil noticed she was gathering a tiny ice spell in the palm of her hand. In one swift move, she yanked his head up by the hair on the back of his head, slapping him on the back with the ice palm. He yelped in surprise as his stool tumbled forward and he was sent sprawling backwards on the floor. The bartender, and the rest of the bar’s occupants, watched with disinterested humor. Phil and Trixie stared in stunned silence.

The drunk spluttered, disoriented. “Get up Soren, you lazy ass.” Misty barked at him. “Somehow I’m not surprised to be dragging you out of a bar like this.”

Soren’s eyes cracked open, and he took a moment to focus on Misty. He groaned, and his head fell back to the floor. “... Thought you were her...” He mumbled incoherently.

Misty brought a hand up to her face. “Ugh, do we really have to do this...?”

“Who is this guy?” Trixie asked, as she and Phil made their way to Misty’s side. The man, Soren, was obviously awake now, and was trying to shake the drunken-ness off of himself.

“Soren, the Wonderbolt’s number two. He’s the idiot that let us fall apart when Spitfire disappeared.”

“Hey!” Soren interjected indignantly, pulling himself to a sitting position on the ground. “First off... Can you blame me for not being -hic- as good as Spitfire? Who could ever replace her?! And I know I did a -hic- a sucky job at trying, how many freaking times do I have to say I’m -hic- I’m sorry?”

“As always, at least one more than you have already.” Misty replied tersely. Phil was worried that these two were going to jump at each others throats at any second. There was obviously more bad blood between these two than just their team breaking up. “Anyways, I don’t feel like arguing about this with you again. Rilken told me you’d be here, and you’d have some help for a resistance. That right?”

She helped Soren to his feet, but he stumbled away a few steps, just in case she was going to hit him again. “Why? You decide to take a side again?”

Misty quickly introduced him to Phil and Trixie. She then explained what the two had already told her and Rilken. “I’ve got nothing left to lose in this life, not much to live for, so I decided to cast in with them to spite Celestia. By the looks of it, you don’t have much left either. Why’re you trying to get involved in a resistance?”

“Heh...” Soren laughed bitterly. “Don’t you remember? Part of why we fought all the time was because I -hic- I always wanted to go against the royal army’s actions, and help when they wouldn’t. -hic- Maybe even show aggression towards them. Misty, my -hic- my dear, I’ve always been against the Queen.

“But you’re right...” Soren finished, trying to shake his head clear. “We don’t have much to lose. But that isn’t to -hic- to say we have nothing to live for. We were heroes... Let’s be heroes again. Let’s make this a world worth living in... -hic-.”

Misty couldn’t stop herself from chuckling. “Wise words from a drunken idiot. As much as I can’t stand you sometimes... I missed you, Soren. You’re not tied down to this town?”

“Nope. Just... just passing through.”

Misty stopped, and looked to her companions. Trixie shrugged. Phil wasn’t as sure. He still wasn’t positive he could trust Misty, and if Soren joined the party, she would have evened the odds if she intended to turn on them. Even if she didn’t, he wasn’t sure what good a hopeless drunk like him could be anyway.

Still, they did need backup. If she thought she was getting a personal partner out of him, he’d probably be more of a detriment than a help, and Soren could be useful if on their side. Phil nodded in confirmation to Misty. She smiled in thanks and turned back to Soren. “Then join our group. We could use a bigger traveling group, and maybe... just maybe we’ll run into one of the other Wonderbolts. Maybe we can put the team back together before this thing is over.”

Soren grinned widely. “I’d -hic- like that. But... this time, you lead.”

“Sure thing.” Misty replied, clasping his shoulder, finally looking like she was greeting an old friend. “Now sober up, we’re staying at Leo Mansion.”

___________________

Time passed as the slowly growing party stayed in Emberton. Since the goal was to ally the city fully with the Moonlight Resistance, they found that it worked on multiple levels to help out and befriend the citizens. When the first snowfall of winter rolled in shortly after their first night, freezing up the waters at port, Phil and Trixie used their fire magic to melt away most of the frost, so the last ships could set sail.

It had been almost a month since they arrived. Things were moving slowly; House Leo had been quick to join in with the resistance, but Trottingham was still taking some effort to convince. Plus, with unpredictable snowfalls covering the northern fields, the party decided to remain in town until the weather calmed down.

Upon one night, crystal clear as opposed to the cloudy tumult they were used to, Phil lay awake in his room at the mansion. He hadn’t slept well the past few nights, though couldn’t guess why. It just felt like there was something urgent he needed to do, or was about to happen, but nothing ever came to pass during the night.

Phil lay motionless, back to the door, staring up at the stars. He still felt it: something was going to happen- something bad, or good, he didn’t know- but he needed to figure out what it was and be there. Tired, but denied sleep, he stood and walked over to the window, looking out on the craggy, rocky expanse to the north of the city. It was like this for most of the furthest north in Equestria: once you got past the northern cities, it was nothing but rock, then ocean.

Phil didn’t really expect to see anything, but as he stared out dully, he thought he caught a glimpse of something green. When his eyes darted to where he thought he saw it, however, it had already disappeared. He waited a few seconds, then saw another further to the right. It seemed to be glowing lightly, but he still couldn’t get a good look at it.

There’s something moving around down there. He concluded. It’s all the way down there, though, and I can’t see it from here. Maybe... maybe I should get a closer look. Eager to have something to occupy his mind, Phil slung on his jacket and made for the exit. When he retrieved his jacket, however, he noted that Trixie’s cloak was already gone. Did she just step out for some fresh air? Or did she notice this too...?

Shaking his head, Phil stepped out of the mansion and into the frigid night air, going through the iron gates and around the fence to the barren fields beyond. Every once in a while, he would spot another of the green lights, but could never focus on any single one of them. There was a small pathway winding deeper into the fields, but it was often snowed over or buried in rock, so Phil had to fly a good portion of the trip. But he knew that the path was the right way to go, because the ever-present green lights continued along in the general area of the trail.

He came to a rest in a small patch of level ground, surveying his surroundings. Emberton was a small group of flickering lights in the distance, and the craggy fields around him were illuminated solely by the light of the stars. As Phil was scanning the area for any signs of... anything out of the ordinary, anything that would give him this strange feeling of dread, one of the small green lights passed by much closer, and he was finally able to get a good look at it.

It wasn’t a light at all, but some kind of tiny winged creature, not even as big as Phil’s fist. It was perfectly round, with a blue coat of fur and a glossy pair of butterfly’s wings sprouting from what must have been its back. The luminescence was coming from its green eyes, half as big as the creature itself. Phil only caught it for a moment before it zipped off further down the path, set on whatever destination it had in mind.

Thoroughly confused, but just as determined to get to the bottom of things, Phil shrugged and flew off after the creature. As they traversed the faint trail, Phil noticed more and more of the luminescent beings making their way in the same direction. Their coats were greatly varied in color- blue, yellow, red, white, brown- but their eyes always remained the same bright, glowing green.

As the insects- as that was what Phil had decided to classify them as- began to slow, Phil stopped in his tracks. Before him was some kind of ancient ruin, unlooked upon for countless years, crumbling with age. It might have been some kind of temple, as the architecture was fancy for such a small building. Four great pillars once stood at each corner, but only two still remained upright. The ceiling had collapsed upon the ground, but the pieces looked to have been gradually cleared away, revealing the centerpiece of the altar.

A great stone slab, smooth and clean in every way, an eight-pointed star imprinted on its surface, lay in the center. Upon it stood Trixie, dressed fully in her black mage ensemble, the green-eyed creatures flitting about her excitedly.

A knife was in her hand... held to her own heart.

Chapter Fifty-nine

Chapter Fifty-nine

Somewhere in Tellius

Xekora

The dark clad historian strode out of the swatch of trees confidently, pack laden with treasures. Above, several bird-tribe Laguz turned back to their home, having successfully confirmed the stranger was on his way. As he walked, he made a mental checklist of what he had been out to get, and what he had managed to gather.

Galdr of Rebirth? Check. The Heron royalty were very grateful, if saddened, to hear of the fate of their fellow who died in Equestria. However, they were intrigued to hear of the existence of this Fluttershy girl, one who not only was chosen as worthy of inheriting their abilities and becoming an honorary Heron, but also was the result of a new Galdr composed by the lost princess. As such, they actually gave me all the Galdrar, under the condition that I give her one of the sending stones and put her in contact with the royalty.

They were also quite generous with their sending stones, seeing as they actually had more of the things up their sleeves than Spike had thought. Between the old dragon king and the heron Queen and Prince, I managed to snag a total of seven, not counting the one I have to give to the lovely lady Fluttershy. My dearest Trixie should have one, and Twilight will probably be charged with communications as well, so that leaves five stones to be given around Equestria.

Xekora could have teleported back home at any time, but he didn’t feel like leaving yet. He hadn’t been in the land of Tellius much in his time on this earth, and wanted to cruise around for a while and enjoy himself. It had been a full month since he left, but he was sure they could wait another hour or two. He started by kicking off the ground and zipping off towards the Grann Desert, an incredibly vast wasteland of sand in the dead center of the continent. Dark energy held him aloft, and he moved too fast to take in any of the surrounding trees, lakes, or towns below.

Soon only yellow dunes rolled beneath him, and the air grew distinctly warmer. There wasn’t much to look at, but it was a great place to take a joyride. Xekora slowed his flight to a halt near a slight rocky overhang, placing his pack underneath the shelf for safekeeping. Satisfied that it wasn’t going anywhere, he leapt into the air wildly, soaring on breaths of hot desert air, flying solely on dark power. He held out his arms like stabilizing wings, and simply allowed the wind to carry him wherever it would. He knew exactly where his things were, and wasn’t worried about being separated from them.

At last, Xekora decided to set down and rest for a moment, then return to Equestria. He began to cruise back to the place where he had left his pack, hitting the ground and rolling when he was almost there. He made a show of dusting himself off, despite the fact that his clothes remained spotless, and strode confidently up the side of the dune, over which he knew the pack would be.

He stopped short when he reached the peak. Over the rolling sands and before the rock, standing next to the pack, was a figure clad in an extremely ill-fitting black cloak. In a gloved hand was a single sending stone, obviously taken from the pack. The figure tossed it into the air once, the stone remained in the air for longer and twirled slightly more times than was physically possible, then fell back into the figure’s hand. The hood of the cloak was down, but the opening was faced towards Xekora, and he could sense the challenge there.

Xekora, however, did not feel fear from this man. He folded his arms, smiling, bemused and surprised, but not afraid.

The figure spoke in a low, dark-chocolatey voice, using precious little effort and yet having no difficulty being heard. “Xekora, old friend. It has been far too long.”

“Indeed it has...” Xekora agreed, stepping forward. “Now... what is it you’re calling yourself these days? Number One, was it?”

_________________

“Trixie, what are you doing?!” Phil shouted, alarmed. The green-eyed creatures buzzed all around the clearing, but the space between the two was clear.

Trixie turned to Phil slowly, not at all startled by his appearance. The knife she held against her chest didn’t move either. She smiled weakly at him, her eyes half closed. “Do you know where we are, Phil?” She asked calmly. “Do you have any idea what ruin this is?”

Phil shook his head reluctantly. “Trixie, whatever this is, let’s just talk about it... Put the knife down.” He spoke as calmly as he felt, and as such, his words carried no real force.

His companion seemed to not even hear him. She continued speaking without lowering the weapon. “This ancient temple is more than six hundred years old, dating all the way back to The Crash, the cataclysmic event that gave birth to the world as we know it. This altar was a forgotten asset of the system governing the worlds back then. And this stone slab upon which I stand... Is another Quest Bed. This is a portal straight to Godhood, Phil.”

Realization hit Phil, hard. What he had been sensing in the nights before was Trixie sneaking away from the mansion to dig this artifact out of the ground. And now... Does she think she’s going to kill herself on that thing?! “Trixie, listen to me.” He said, his voice becoming more level. “I know the resistance is in a bad way right now. I know we need more power, and it might seem like a good idea to try and give yourself more. But please- you can’t risk your life like this! That thing probably doesn’t even work anymore!”

Mercifully, Trixie lowered the knife, but her eyes did not waver. She raised her other hand slowly, motioning to everything around her. “Do you see these bugs, Phil? The parasprites- a rare breed, scarcely seen away from the EverFree forest. And yet, here they are, gathered around the Quest Bed, longing to fulfill their ultimate destiny and lead the chosen hero to godhood. In each world there exists a creature similar to them- small, flying and luminescent, and they always gather when this grand destiny is about to be fulfilled.”

“Trixie, just think about this.” Phil pleaded. “Even if it did work, and you got that kind of power- what then? What kind of life would that be after the war? We can’t fight gods with more gods, Trixie- that’s the whole point of this thing! We have to free ourselves from the eternal rulers, and find another way to win!”

“Phil...” Trixie said, shaking her head, seeming disappointed that he was talking like he was. “Don’t you get it yet? We can’t afford to be the knight-in-shining-armor here. We can’t win if we try to keep the moral high ground. Celestia’s too good for that. If we want to beat her, we’re going to have to step up our game to her level, and if that means sacrificing myself... so be it. I don’t have any plans to rule after this- Hell, Xekora’s doing just fine with his immortality, so who’s to say I couldn’t do the same? And... if it really is that bad after we finish, then you can kill me afterwards. It would be a just death, it would work. But we need someone to take on this power, and I’m the only one who can.”

“Trixie, will you wake up?!” Phil shouted, hands at his side. Unbidden, they began to glow with blazing energy. The parasprites flitted here-and-there excitedly, fired up by the sparks flying between the two young missionaries. “You can’t throw your own life aside for this! We’re all risking our lives for this war, and you’re doing plenty! Don’t you want to see the world we will create when it’s over? Don’t you want to try and repair the life she took from you instead of only living to get revenge?!

“And anyway, remember what Xekora said? The Quest Beds don’t work properly anymore! None of them do! If you took your life now, it will have been pointless! Please, don’t do this! Just... Just come over here and give me that knife.”

For the first time, Phil saw the shadow of doubt flicker over Trixie’s face. She made no move, however, and simply lapsed into a moment of silent thought. Finally, she brought her eyes back to bear on Phil, a look that sent shivers down his spine. “It’s true that the normal godhood never went into effect, and a single person cannot any longer use the Quest Bed as it was meant to be used... But, we’ve seen that the Dual Godhood works just fine.”

Phil’s eyes widened in alarm, his jaw nearly dropping. Suddenly he felt very exposed atop the rocky ground. “If we take each other’s lives now, Phil, we can both become gods. Come down here, Phil. Join me, and together we can save this world, then watch it recover from Celestia’s wounds. We can be the guardians of the new world.”

“Trixie...” Phil began, hoping to help her see reason, but she was too far gone. Trixie was possessed with this singular desire, obsessed with seeing it through and seizing immortality. Without waiting for another word, she leapt at him, knife ablaze with fiery energy. Heart racing with fear, anger, and most of all sorrow at Trixie’s state of mind, Phil raised his own arms to his sides. His palms flared to life with a potent spell, and the twos’ eyes met, yellow and violet, a moment before they collided with each other.

_________________

“How is it that you are here?” Xekora inquired. “By all accounts, you should still be sealed away.”

Number One merely chuckled, as though at a joke only he understood. “As you have likely already gathered, my old friend, I am not completely free. What you see before you is a shadow of myself, but I speak through it directly. Were you to remove this cloak, you would find little more than a ghost. However, several individual events have led up to me having enough power to do this much.”

“Do tell.” Xekora prompted, stalking over to the figure to retrieve his pack. While quite tall in his own regard, the cloaked figure had the height advantage over him by a few inches. “I may well have to use your techniques sometime in the future.”

“It began about eighteen years ago, with the birth of three children. One of them you may well know, the others you’re certain to not. My seal was gradually weakening over these centuries, but when one of these children was inducted into The Order- the group of like-minded individuals I have heralded together in recent years- my prison began its final downhill slide. As you can guess, when those fated weapons- the Elements of Harmony- took on new bearers, the seal took another considerable hit.”

“And by that logic...” Xekora concluded, “It’s in your best interest that the Moonlight Resistance succeeds. Because when Celestia ceases to exist, so too does her seal on you. Well played indeed.”

The shadow of Number One nodded in cheery confirmation, glad that Xekora understood. He stepped back from his pack slowly, coming to rest by the side of an adjoining sand dune. He folded his arms, and stated simply: “I want my sword back.”

Xekora cocked his head curiously, confused. “I’m sorry? You lost it? Well, I don’t have it.”

“It regrettably slipped from my grasp during mine and Celestia’s final battle, and in quite an oversized state too. I was sealed away before I could retrieve it and was lost, buried in both time and dirt. So much raw power was stored within that blade, though, it could not have remained lost forever.”

Xekora shook his head, sure that he didn’t know where the weapon was, but stopped suddenly before he could say anything. Number One lowered his head slightly, as though to grin mischievously, and cast out his hand. A thin, hazy smoke began to coil up around his fist, and it soon solidified into the form of an oddly shaped weapon. Three blades sprouted from its thick handle- one an axe, two like the blades of a scimitar or scythe.

Xekora recognized the weapon instantly. While the copy Number One held was smoky grey and somewhat insubstantial, he knew what the actual weapon looked like- blood red and abnormally large, the size of a two story building at its height. No normal human could use it in its state if it hadn’t been infused with the energy that it had, but Xekora knew that it had found it’s way into human hands. It was none other than the cursed Weapon, used by Macintosh of the Apple family.

Number One registered the revelation on Xekora’s face. He might have grinned wider. “Yes indeed, you know exactly where my sword is. As I said, I want it back.”

“It’s being used.” Xekora answered honestly, but vaguely. “I can’t just go up and take it from him. What do you think I’m going to do?”

“I don’t mean for you to do anything.” Number One answered, chuckling all the while. “I just wanted to tell you that I’ll be having my weapon back, and there’s naught you can do to stop me. I know exactly where it is just as well as you do, and by the time this cute little uprising is over, it will be back in my hands.

“Of course, I will be making no move to take it by force myself. You know as well as any that’s not my style. No, I just feel I should let you know, so you can watch helpless as I pry it from that farm boy’s already dead hands.” Number One finished, laughing as though he had told quite a funny joke.

Xekora’s mind was racing with possibilities, but one was at the front of his thoughts: Keep a close watch on that Macintosh boy. I can’t let him retrieve his weapon that easily. Xekora decided to change the subject, to hopefully prevent Number One from making any further promises. “So, this Order of yours. Tell me, what is it, really? I’ve been told you follow the Goddess, but... To be honest, mate, she doesn’t strike me as your type. What is this you’ve got going this time?”

“What point would there be in me telling you that, Xekora?” Number One teased. “You’re very observant to think there’s something going on behind the scenes, I’ll give you that, but I don’t think it would be very sporting for me to tell you exactly what I’m doing, don’t you agree? No, I’m not here to tell you my plans, but to send you on the way to some very important events getting ready to unfold... And also, an interesting tidbit for your precious history books.”

Xekora cocked his head, though was fairly confident that Number One had no new information for him that he hadn’t pieced together himself. The next thing the leader of The Order said shattered that confidence completely. “I’m going to tell you the deepest secret this world holds... How it came to be in the first place.”

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty

Northern ruin

Phil

Phil leapt back just as Trixie’s attack reached him, sending her knife plunging into the hard-packed earth below. It didn’t stay there long, and Trixie cartwheeled as she pulled it out, spinning wildly towards Phil. He glided away rapidly, backpedaling into the air and away from her uncoordinated swinging strikes. Her long, snow white hair whipped about behind her as she moved.

She skidded to a halt, arms crossed threateningly before her, knife waving in Phil’s direction. She was baiting him down from where he hovered, just out of reach. For a moment that dragged on forever, neither moved. Then, Trixie lowered her arms and began charging a fire spell on the tip of the knife.

Phil charged down, faster than Trixie could react, and slammed his elbow into her chest. He aimed to disarm her and get her away from the Quest Bed, then try and talk some sense into her. He knew continuing to fight her would only be exactly what she wanted. Trixie could see that he was holding back, though, and took advantage of that knowledge.

She ran forward, slashing rapidly, but more controlled than before. Her strokes were short and fast, keeping both a good offense and defense. Phil dodged each swipe, keeping his flaming fists up in guard. He had trained for exactly this type of enemy- ones with a crap ton of speed and not much reach. The ideal strategy would be to get some distance and use longer range magic. However, that added element of insanity, unpredictability and bloody-minded determination was something they always warned him about, and he had to be extra careful.

Phil leapt back, landing on his hands and completing two consecutive backflips. Trixie was right on his tail, but he was ready for her this time. As he came to a rest, he brought his hand up- still flaming- and grabbed her by the coat collar, taking advantage of the leftover momentum to pick Trixie up off her feet and throw her clear over his shoulder. She hadn’t seen the move coming, and collapsed in a disoriented heap behind him, the front of her clothes smoldering slightly.

Phil flitted away rapidly before she could get to her feet, dancing backwards until the back of his foot hit the edge of the ancient ruin. He couldn’t help himself- he took a moment to apprise the structure, wondering if everything Trixie had said was true. If this forgotten altar to some forgotten god was in fact a portal to godhood, dating all the way back to The Crash, then it was probably one of the oldest man-made objects in Equestria.

He didn’t have much time to speculate about the structure, though. Phil jumped atop the rubble and hopped back a few more steps before throwing a fire attack straight for Trixie. She had scrambled to her feet only a second ago, and just managed to dodge the first spell. Another was right on its tail, and this one slammed into the ground only inches from her feet. She stumbled forward and ran straight for Phil again, and Phil had to duck and dodge her crazy attacks to charge another round of fire magic.

Trixie dove to the ground, then pushed off her hands and spun low, locking her legs around Phil’s ankles. He was unable to stop himself from falling to the ground, and his shoulder slammed into the jagged rubble. Phil had to push aside the pain from the bone-jarring impact, and rolled to the side as Trixie’s weapon swung down to strike. The knife clanged noisily against the stone where Phil’s head had been only a moment before.

The phoenix scrambled to his feet, but he was disoriented from so much rapid movement at once. He stumbled back a step, his back colliding with one of the fallen pillars of the ancient ruin. Trixie wasn’t letting up, and she charged forward angrily, the tiny blade of the knife glinting with firelight. The luminescent eyes of the multicolored parasprites danced around Phil’s vision, but he kept his eyes on the orange-red of Trixie’s next attack.

He ducked to the side just as the knife flew forward, digging into the pillar and sending a shower of sparks flying. Phil was amazed the steel hadn’t broken yet, with all the beating it was taking against the centuries-old brick. He sprung back to full height, then delivered a palm-strike that sent Trixie reeling. All thoughts of disarming his opponent were gone by now; Phil had switched over into full survival mode.

He leapt forward, catching Trixie off guard, and wrestled her back down to the ground. He held her knife hand in a death grip, and struggled to force her to drop the weapon. Snarling, Phil lit a fire spell in that hand, scorching the ends of Trixie’s cloak and the skin on her wrist. She let out a suppressed scream, and the knife clanged noisily but uselessly to the ground.

Following through, Phil’s arm darted forward and retrieved the tiny blade from where it lay behind Trixie. He flicked it into the air once, then caught it and held it forward, against Trixie’s throat. He made no further move, and didn’t have to. He had her cornered and with no room to maneuver, and had essentially won the battle. She was pinned underneath him, one arm still smoldering and in too much pain to use, the other held in a vise-grip to her side, her legs trapped under his.

The black mage looked up at Phil with wild, possessed eyes, still burning with anger and fear. Careful not to disturb the now somewhat dented steel held to her neck, she rose her head slightly and barked: “What are you waiting for? Do it! Kill me!”

The phoenix still didn’t move to kill her. The knife didn’t waver, but the fighting spirit had gone from his expression. His golden eyes bored into hers, intense and still pumped with adrenaline, but no longer threatening to kill. “For crying out loud, we’re so close!” She continued. “Finish me off! We’re both so close! Phil, just finish me! Finish us both, and we can save this world! Come on, don’t you want to be able to stay alive and watch the world recover and grow?!”

Phil let her carry on for a minute or so, before she finally calmed down and stopped struggling. Only then did he himself speak: “Trixie... This is wrong, and I think you know it. The rebellion needs strength, but giving up our humanity isn’t the way. It’s the only thing that separates us from our enemy. If this is going to have a lasting impact, we need to prove that we don’t need gods to guide us and dictate our every move. We need to act as people, overthrow the Queen as people, and- most importantly- live on and rebuild as people.”

Phil rolled off of her, getting to his feet and dusting off his pants. Trixie didn’t move. Phil stalked over to the edge of the ruin, then turned back. “And anyway...” He continued softly, “I’m more than happy to live out whatever comparatively small lifespan I’ve already got, because I fully intend to do it with Twilight. Whatever time I have left to live on this planet will be worth it, because I’ll actually be living. The life you talked about would be nothing more than surviving.”

Trixie closed her eyes, defeated. At last, she pulled herself off the ground and stood, eyes shaded by the snow-white hair thrown out of place by the battle. The two stood off once again, neither making the first move, but the fight was gone from both. Trixie took a tentative step forward, then nearly tripped in her rush. She threw herself at Phil, wrapping her arms around him tightly, her face buried in his jacket and burning with tears.

Phil took a step back, surprised. Of all the things Trixie could have done, he hadn’t imagined her running up and hugging him. Awkwardly, he slowly put his own arms around her. She was trying hard to stop crying, but wasn’t having an easy time of it. “I...” Trixie started, “... I’m sorry... I...”

“It’s alright...” Phil spoke quietly. “You were confused, that’s all. Excited by finding this place, and, you just weren’t able to see straight. You’re alright now...” Truth be told, Phil was still greatly concerned for Trixie’s state of mind. She had been fully willing to end her own life, and someone else’s, to get more power. He may have stopped her this time, but he was terrified that she may find some other way to gain more power that put her life at risk, and he wouldn’t be able to stop her again. It seemed Trixie was almost completely consumed with thoughts of revenge and power, and he didn’t know if he’d be there to snap her out of it again.

“I’m... I’m going to be there too.” Trixie said, almost absently. “You said you’d live your life with Twilight... That’s what I’ve been fighting for all this time. I’m fighting because that life is what Celestia took from me... Well... after this, maybe I can get it back. Maybe I can live on after the war with you two, too.”

Phil’s answer was to squeeze her tighter for a moment. He knew she meant what she was saying. She was going to make an honest effort to try and stay alive, and that meant she would probably be wary of potentially fatal weapons like the Quest Bed in the future. Still, Phil felt he should keep a close eye on her anyway. If she couldn’t stop herself and got tangled up again, would she be able to get out again without him? Worse still, would Twilight forgive him if he failed?

Phil’s thoughts were interrupted by an odd sound off to the right, almost resembling wind howling through a canyon or between buildings. He turned, as did Trixie, and the two saw the vague outline of a pillar of dark energy, around seven feet in height, just beyond the ruin. It swirled black, violet and blue for a few moments, before a tall, disheveled figure stepped out from within, a bag dangling limply from his fingers.

“Xekora!” Both exclaimed, turning to face him but keeping an arm around the other’s waist.

“Hey, you two.” Xekora mumbled, shaking his head, before stumbling to the ground.

He was still conscious and moving, but they saw that his clothes were cut in several places, drying wounds visible beneath. Phil and Trixie ran to him and dropped to their knees, supporting him as he shook his head again. “Xekora! Are you alright? What happened? What are you doing here?”

“I’m alright... Just a little winded. Had a run in with an old friend, told me some... interesting stuff... Ah-” Xekora then looked up, taking in the surrounding rubble, craggy rock, and finally the two missionaries for the first time. “I could ask the same of you! What’s happened here? And... Is that a Quest Bed over there?! You found another one?!”

“It’s alright.” Phil assured the historian. “There was a bit of a fight, but the Bed isn’t getting used. Don’t worry. Now what happened to you?”

Xekora stood, taking another moment to survey the scene. “It’s strange...” He said to himself. “Nothing from the Crash survived in either of the other continents... Why only Equestria...? Er, anyway, no worries. As I said, just had a slight run-in with an old colleague. Some blows were exchanged, but neither one of us walked off any worse for wear.

“He gave me a rather disturbing prediction for the future, however.” Xekora said, facing the two. “And he’s been known to be very accurate about this sort of thing. If you two have finished almost-killing each other over whether or not to actually kill each other, I need to teleport you to Manehattan posthaste. I can only guess you’ve got some belongings stored in that little port south of here, so I’ll let you go grab it, but then we need to move.”

“We’ve expanded our task force a bit.” Trixie explained, once again confident and in-control. “There’s two more people we want with us- could you make a second trip to bring them too?”

“Fine.” Xekora agreed. “But let’s please try to hurry. I don’t know how much time we actually have, but I know it’s not much. Next few days at most, and Manehattan’s a big city. You’ll need all the time you can get.”

Phil, Trixie and Xekora soon set off back through the rugged, rocky terrain and followed the faint path back to Emberton. As they walked, Xekora seemed to suddenly remember something, and reached into his bag. “Almost forgot. Trixie, I got you a present of sorts from my recent trip.” He pulled his hand out, a translucent white stone half the size of his fist clutched between his fingers. “Sending stones, for the resistance to stay in contact over long distances. I got one special for you, since the field agents need to stay informed most of all.”

He handed Trixie the stone, and she took it as though it were a precious, fragile object. She took a moment to appraise it’s surface by dim firelight. “You’ve told me about these... You were in Tellius getting these?” Xekora then told them of the events that had befallen Twilight and the others since they had left- a call by Eclipse to rid the land of a berserk dragon, the discovery that it was Spike’s lost shipmate, and the revelation that Celestia had resurrected the horrible feral drug used in the Goddess War in Tellius eight hundred years ago.

“My main mission was to procure the lyrics to the Galdr of Rebirth so they could help their dragon mate,” Xekora explained, “and the sending stones were more of an added bonus. I got ‘em both, but when I was preparing to leave, I was waylaid by none other than the leader of this blasted Order that was bothering the Elements all those years ago. Turns out the leader was someone I’ve had a run-in with before, and he sure remembered me. Now I’ve got quite a bit to be worried about, and I’ll need you to cover one of them for me.”

“Sure thing.” Phil said, though he didn’t fully understand everything Xekora had said. While his father had come from Tellius, he wasn’t very familiar with workings far across the sea. There was next to no knowledge of the continent outside of Xekora, and most denizens of Equestria didn’t even know the place existed. Queen Celestia had kept knowledge of life outside Equestria at a very down-low tone, and it wasn’t just Tellius either. Ivoire- a country far closer to Equestria, just to the west across the sea- was also rather obscure to the average person, and while they may have known of it, they didn’t really know much about its peoples.

“Well, here’s what’s happening.” Xekora continued. “There’s going to be an execution in Manehattan. I don’t know when it will be, except that it’s within the week. I’m also not sure exactly who it is, but it’s someone of significance. You need to be there to try and stop it any way you can, or- failing that- be there to hear this person’s last words. They have knowledge that could be detrimental to the throne, if you can manage to get it.”

Chapter Sixty-one

Chapter Sixty-one

Library Annex

Twilight

Twilight lay alone in the darkened room, utterly defeated. She hadn’t left the library itself for weeks, and had barely left her own room save for when it was absolutely necessary. Which was to say, when she had to use the bathroom or stockpile more food. No one needed her for anything more serious than that anymore.

She was an absolute wreck, and had been since almost the moment after the party had returned from meeting Fenrir. That mission was everything she needed to get her life back on track- she knew it was right no matter who she asked, and it had felt so good to be doing something for the greater good, without having to worry about this horrible storm brewing between the throne and the people of Equestria... until it all went to hell.

Meeting that Goldoan dragon had just been another giant nail in the coffin. Fenrir had revealed that Celestia had somehow been in contact with Tellius in the past- another example of everyone being blatantly lied to- and brought back a horrendous drug that drove people insane, turning them into empty-minded killing machines. She had attempted to use it on Spike’s lost shipmate, probably others as well, and had likely used a muted version on the general public of her army. It was a terrible revelation, an inhumane tactic, and... and Twilight could barely believe any of it.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to try, but she just... couldn’t. All her friends had seemingly taken up arms against the Queen, and against her if she didn’t join them. It seemed like her life had completely fallen apart ever since the Lunar Festival, almost half a year ago. She wanted nothing more than to join her friends and fight alongside them, but... it wasn’t that easy. All her life, she had been raised by the Queen, for the Queen, believing the Queen was good. Celestia had given her everything in life- a world to roam, a proper father figure who cared for her and a brother who she loved now more than ever...

Then her perfect life had been... dashed. Ever since she met Rainbow Dash, everything she had ever known had been thrown into question, disarray, and complete chaos. Right off the bat the two had never gotten along- Dash was headstrong and arrogant, totally sure of himself but doubtful of everyone else. Were it just him, she could deal with it and move on... but then it turned into Applejack and Rarity alongside him. Then Pinky. Even Fluttershy. Then her own long-lost twin sister, and the foster family she had cared for all her life. One by one, everyone who had stood by her was leaving her alone in a world no longer inviting.

Twilight had retreated into herself to try and sort everything out. She couldn’t imagine what she was supposed to do, though. She would never turn on her new friends, but she doubted she could ever turn against Celestia either. Twilight owed her so much, and no matter how hard she tried to reason with herself, she couldn’t bring herself to think of the person who gave her so much in life as the enemy. She wished there were someone there to help her through, but as the days melted into weeks, she became more and more alone, and more depressed. More than anything she wanted Phil back by her side to hold her, to comfort her and tell her everything would be alright again...

She often wondered if Spike even noticed anything was happening. Surely he had picked up that she wasn’t leaving the library much, but Twilight doubted he realized how much she was suffering. He was far too busy hanging out with Fluttershy these days to notice Twilight much anymore. She didn’t hate him for it. She was happy that he was happy, even if she had difficulty imagining a serious relationship between the two going very far. She only wished she could be happy too.

At the very least, Twilight was glad she had holed herself up in a library. Without any people around to comfort her, she was thankful she could retreat into the world of books she had known before. Many of the books available in this library were the same as the ones in Eclipse’s own gigantic library, but just like at home, there were always those few  old, obscure, impossible to locate writings that could only be found in one place. Twilight dedicated herself to finding anything of the sort in her new home, and at last had some success.

What she found was a mention of an ancient hero of Dawn, an Arcmage called Jonathan. Apparently he hadn’t been much of a typical ‘hero’: he was rather short, wore glasses, was constantly buried in books, and spoke to almost no-one. Almost immediately Twilight felt a deep connection with this boy. It wasn’t clear exactly what Jonathan had done, but she began finding more and more references to him in the older tomes. He had, for whatever reason, enlisted in the army of Dawn during the Equestrian Civil War, and eventually climbed the ranks to sergeant. While he wasn’t portrayed as someone who particularly liked fighting or violence, he was described as a brilliant magician and tactician.

His story came to a climax during one of the later battles of the civil war, a bloody border clash between old Eclipse and Dawn. Jonathan had accompanied the Dawn forces into battle that day, but leading the charge for Eclipse was one of their own most accomplished mages: the great sorcerer Starswirl. The two mages’ armies clashed brutally, both led by a tested tactician, and eventually the magicians themselves were thrown into a chaotic duel. The magics used blasted apart the already war-torn town, and those who witnessed the clash and lived to tell about it said the light show above was unlike anything made for entertainment.

Twilight couldn’t find anything about Jonathan after that battle, nor anything at all on Starswirl. The book that described the battle said both men made it out alive, retreating to their homes to nurse their wounds, but neither was ever mentioned again. Twilight was determined not to loose this friend from long ago, this boy who she felt would have understood everything happening to her. She couldn’t find anything else about him, but her imagination went wild picturing all the adventures he must have had before and after the war.

It wasn’t quite enough to help her out of her slowly worsening depression. Whenever she wasn’t thinking about Jonathan, or something else she had been reading about, she was brought back to the horrible reality of the situation she had been thrown into. She knew she had to work it out somehow, but it was so much easier to just try and not think about it at all. This night was like any other, but she just couldn’t shake off reality this time. As much as she wanted to escape into her books, it was too dark outside and she didn’t want to waste too much lamplight this late. She wanted to fall asleep and dream, perhaps to join Jonathan and quest across the old Equestria, but sleep didn’t come to her.

She just lay awake in bed, her mind unable to stay away from what she had hope to avoid dwelling on. She just wanted to do something positive, but nothing was working anymore. Everything she could have done would have been bad for someone, and she felt cornered and alone. More than ever, she wished Phil were there with her. Tears began to form at the pit of her eyes, and she cursed herself for being so weak. Unbidden, something Phil had said to her before floated to the surface of her memories: Strength isn’t cutting off all your emotions- it’s controlling and following them that counts. It’s not-never needing help, it’s about being able to ask for help when you need it, and having friends there for you that will give it. Well, what good was that to her now? These emotions were tearing her apart, and she couldn’t see a way out. She sure as anything needed help now, but she had no-one to turn to for help anymore...

“Twilight.” An all too familiar voice sounded from across the room. Twilight sighed heavily and turned away from the window as Rainbow Dash threw aside the curtains and slipped inside.

“I don’t have the energy to deal with you.” She commented dryly. “Would it be too much to ask for you to just get lost and let me be?”

“Yeah.” Dash replied. “It would be too much to ask. Look, I know we don’t tend to get along much, but I can see you’re hurting.”

“You think?” Twilight shot back. She didn’t mean to be obnoxious towards him, but she really didn’t feel up to putting on a nice face. “I seriously doubt you’re going to make me feel any better right now.”

Dash took a moment before responding. “Twilight... For whatever reason, by whatever strange circumstances we got thrown into... I seem to be able to call you a friend. And it’s my policy to not let friends suffer like this, no matter how much they may get on my nerves. So... Just want to let you know you’re not alone here. I’m not the only one to notice you like this. Everyone’s worried about you, and we’re all willing to be there for you. We’re all going through a lot lately, and you don’t have to face it down alone.”

Twilight didn’t answer or turn to face him, but she heard everything he had said. She could feel him linger in the room for a few moments, then he bade her a stiff farewell and slipped back out the window.

_________________

Eastern peak, the next day

Fluttershy

Spike and Fluttershy had been traveling non-stop towards the mountain the moment after Xekora had returned to town, a notebook full of ancient music to show for his efforts. Spike was thrilled that Xekora had managed to get so many different songs, as most could prove useful later on. Fluttershy was just glad she now had a way to help the poor soul who had been warped by the feral drug, but she wasn’t sure about having to contact the herons across the ocean. Luckily, Xekora had told her the heron Queen was very understanding of their plight, and said she didn’t have to contact them until after things calmed down.

Even though it was dark out, the pair knew they had to move fast and cure Fenrir as quickly as possible, so they set off almost immediately after receiving the lyric book. By torchlight the two traversed the now frigid fields, reaching the towering mountain by daybreak. Stopping only to eat a light breakfast, they continued along the same path they had used before. Fluttershy was exhausted from lack of sleep, but barely showed it. She knew it was finally time for her to shine and do what she could to help someone in need.

Soon Spike and Fluttershy rounded the final corner and came back to the plateau atop the mountain, the cave gaping at them from across the stone darkened even more by the early morning shadows. Fluttershy stifled a yawn as Spike moved over to the entrance, jangling the heavy chains now binding his old comrade. He danced back quickly as the huge dragon dragged itself out of the cavern, also too tired to put up much of a fight. Spike turned and nodded encouragement to Fluttershy, and she flipped the notebook open to the first page.

The lyrics were difficult to read. Even though they had been translated into characters Fluttershy could understand- as opposed to the ancient Tellian language they were traditionally written in- the pronunciation was still strange. It took her a few minutes to read the words aloud and figure out how she needed to say them when singing. Finally, she pocketed the book and approached the dragon cautiously and began floating a foot or so off the ground.

She clasped her hands together in front of her, and began to sing, slowly and clearly. At once she could feel power behind these complex, ancient words, reaching beyond herself, the mountain and even the world. As each syllable left her lips, she could feel a change in the atmosphere, and an unreal calm befell her and the two dragons.

As she neared the end of the song, a strange light began to envelop Fenrir, almost aura-like. It started as a faint glow, warping the light around the mountain and giving it a painting-like quality, but soon it became so bright Fluttershy had to squeeze her eyes shut. The light reached its peak intensity just as the song finished, but it lacked any threatening element. It was more of a cleansing light, Fluttershy mused.

A few moments later, it began to fade, and Fluttershy cracked her eyes open to see what had happened. At first, it seemed like the dragon had vanished altogether, or perhaps retreated back to its cave, because the plateau was once again near-empty. But as the last of the unnatural light faded and gave way to the dull morning glow of the winter sun, she was able to make out another humanoid figure stumbling around the edges of the cavern.

It moved suddenly, making a run for Spike, and Fluttershy was about to arm her bow and try to stop him, before he tackled Spike in a giant bear hug. She was able to see him more clearly now that he had left the cave: he was rather short, at least a head shorter than Spike, but very muscular. He had a tangled orange beard and hair that was tied back carelessly behind him, and had on what was left of a very battered set of leather armor. As daunting as he could have been, he had a big smile on his face and continued to deprive Spike of air in his hug.

“Ah, kid! I knew you’d come through for me!” Fenrir said, finally releasing Spike. Spike stumbled to the ground, out of breath, clutching his chest as though Fenrir had broken one of his ribs. “Took a bit longer than I would have liked, but hey, I’m back better than ever now!”

“Yeah... Sorry about making you wait...” Spike replied, catching his breath. “Our guy we sent back to Tellius to get the song... took a little longer than expected.”

“Oh yeah, that Xekora fella’ you were telling me about. You ever figure out what his deal is? He just seems too powerful and outlandish to ignore.”

“I thought that too, but I can’t get in his head. He came back to drop off the songs and some sending stones, but he left again in a hurry. I think he ran into someone in Tellius, and now he’s all frantic to do... something. He wouldn’t tell me what though.”

“Ah, just as well. I’d just as soon let all those super-powered guys beat each other to death and keep to my own level of business. Trust me, it’s no fun being up there with them.” Fenrir then turned and took in Fluttershy for the first time. “This must be the heron-powered girl you like telling me about so much! Geez, you could be a regular heron princess, no problem!”

In spite of herself, Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle slightly. She had only just met him and already she liked Fenrir- as soon as he had been cured, he had assumed a happy-go-lucky attitude somewhat unbefitting of someone as strong as him. He thrust out his hand, and Fluttershy flinched away, afraid he might try to hug her next. When she saw he was merely holding out his hand for her to shake, she relaxed and obliged him. He made a show of being overly gentle about it, and Fluttershy giggled again. A bit eccentric, maybe, but Fenrir was a likable person so far.

The three soon made their way back down the mountain, stopped for lunch at the foot, and packed up to head home. Spike had already arranged for a place for Fenrir to stay in secret. As the party began its trek back, which would see them home just as night was falling, Fluttershy stole a glance in the opposite direction. The direction of Manehattan, her original home. She didn’t feel homesick very often, but she found herself wondering how her older sister was doing, or what she was doing. She’ll probably enlist as soon as the resistance hits Manehattan. Fluttershy mused. I just hope she doesn’t hurt herself.

The trip back was uneventful but lively with conversation, mostly the two dragons making up for lost time, and filling each other in on little details of what had happened since their parting. Spike was hesitant when he told Fenrir that two more dragons had been killed in the line of duty since arriving, and they shared a moment of silence to honor them again. During the whole walk back, something was weighing heavily on Fluttershy’s mind, but she didn’t want to bring it up with Fenrir around. She barely wanted to without him around.

As the sun began its descent in the sky, the shadow of town became visible on the same horizon. The three approached the gates, but Fluttershy stopped short before entering. She just couldn’t wait any longer to get this off her chest. “Um, Spike...?” She started, drawing the guardian’s attention. “Can... Can we talk for a bit?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, sure. Fenrir, the inn’s just to the right off the main street, room 16. See you later.” Spike waited a moment to see Fenrir off safely, then turned back to Fluttershy. “What is it?” He asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Now that she had finally pulled him aside to talk, Fluttershy had no idea what to say. It took her a few moments to speak up again, blushing the whole while. “Um... I-I need to ask... Spike... How do you... feel about me?”

Spikes eyebrows raised marginally, and he appeared both surprised and... sad that she had asked. He closed his eyes and sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking away. “I was afraid you might ask that eventually. Because... I really don’t have a good answer for you...”

Fluttershy’s voice caught, but Spike continued before she could come up with a reply. “It’s not that I don’t like you, that’s not it at all. The problem is... Well, the problem is that I do. A lot. I... Ah, Fluttershy, I want nothing more than to be able to... to be with you... But that’s just the problem.”

Fluttershy’s spirits lifted, but didn’t get too high with Spike speaking in such sad tones. All she could think to do was to ask “Why?”

“We’re practically from different worlds, Fluttershy. Not just in terms of countries, but of life as a whole. I’m five-hundred years old for pete’s sake, and you’re only eighteen. Even if we ignored the facts of how strange that would look, I age way slower than Equestrians. I would barely look any different fifty years from now, and you would age on ahead regardless...”

Spike lapsed into silence, but a thought sprung into Fluttershy’s mind before he had even finished. It was more of an opinion, really, and not a very nice one, but for the first time in her life, Fluttershy couldn’t stop herself from speaking her mind. “Spike... I’m sorry, but... That’s kind of selfish of you.”

Spike turned to her, and she was surprised to see tears in his eyes. She wished she hadn’t said anything, but knew deep down that it had to be said. “Fluttershy... It’s not like that. I’m doing this for you, not me. I just want you to be happy, believe me, but... It really would be better if you were with someone of your own kind. It might seem like we could overcome, but... I don’t want people looking at you strangely for being with me.”

“Spike... I wouldn’t... I wouldn’t care.” All of a sudden, all the doubts she had had were thrown aside. She knew she was loosing, and had to change strategy quick if she wanted to win. “I... I’ve never cared, what other people think of me. You can’t let that kind of thing get to you... I’ve always done what I knew in my heart was right... And just turned the other cheek to people who say bad things about it. Spike, I... I just want to be with you.”

Fluttershy had moved forward slowly as she spoke, and now put a gentle hand on Spike’s shoulder. A sad but hopeful smile was on her face, but Spike only looked at the ground. After a painful silence, he cleared away the tears in his eyes and looked up at her. The two gazed into each others eyes, green and violet, for another long moment... and they kissed. There wasn’t much energy in it- both barely moved- but it felt right. It was such a simple gesture, yet it spoke levels.

The kiss lasted for several seconds, then the two separated slowly. Spikes eyes were closed, and he smiled fondly... then he seemed to come back to himself. He half-sighed in anger at himself and punched the wall of the gate in frustration. “Agh, dammit... Fluttershy, we can’t do this. It doesn’t matter how much either of us wants to, we just can’t! Just... forget that just happened. Please, just... don’t get hung up about me.”

Fluttershy wanted to say more, but no words came to her. Spike walked away slowly and put his hand on the gate, then stopped. “I’m... I’m sorry. Really. I wish things could have been different... But it just wouldn’t work.... I’m truly sorry.” With that, he left for home, leaving Fluttershy feeling more alone than ever before.

Chapter Sixty-two

Chapter Sixty-two

Manehattan, side street

Phil

“So... What now.” Trixie said, summing up the situation nicely. The black mage, human phoenix and two retired Wonderbolts all stood in the shade of one of the towering buildings of the big city, obscured from view in the pale morning light. A frigid wind blew through the alley. Phil tightened his jacket idly, keeping his head down. Now more than ever, he had to keep a low profile, since there were proportionately more royal sympathizers in Manehattan. In addition, there had been an alarming amount of soldiers around since they arrived hours previously. If what Xekora had said was true- that an execution was getting ready to take place- then it only made sense that there would be tighter security.

“Does anyone have any money to check out a place at the inn?” Misty asked hopefully. She sighed disappointedly when she got no response. “Figures. Fine, we’ll have to set up camp outside the city borders. Great. That won’t draw any attention at all.”

“That should be the least of our worries.” Phil stated. “We’ll figure something out for sleep later. Our prime concern should be figuring out who’s getting killed, when it’s happening, and if there’s a way to stop it- all before Celestia shows up. By then it’ll be way too late.”

“Problem is actually doing that.” Soren concluded. “We have no contacts in this city, so we don’t have anyone to ask. It won’t exactly be easy going up to random people and asking about one of their guys getting killed. That just screams outsiders and interference. Still...” He stretched mightily. “If I’ve learned anything over these past few years, it’s that people are far more willing to talk when drunk out of their minds. I’ll take it upon myself to find the nearest tavern, and get right on that.”

Soren tightened his own jacket and strode off, leaving Misty shaking her head in annoyance. “Some people never change... but he’s got a point. I know from interrogating him while he’s drunk. Anyway, let’s just split up and see what we can find out by ourselves. Meet up by... That statue over there, around sunset. That’ll give us plenty of time to find something and get back with it.”

______________

The other three missionaries set off across town to try and find some leads, but were met with little success. When they found someone who wasn’t in the vicinity of one of the grey-and-silver armored soldiers of Eclipse, they were unable or unwilling to provide any substantial information. Phil wished they could provide even the tiniest detail he could latch onto- what happened, where, when- who it was that did whatever happened was a bit much to ask for, and he would have taken anything- but came up frustratingly empty.

Halfway into the day, Phil sat slumped up against the wall of a building, across from the statue in the center of the district. He waited silently for the others to arrive and give their hopefully-better status reports, and he couldn’t help but let his mind wander. The usual idle thoughts filled his head: trying to plan the group’s next move, calculating possible routes of escape and field advantages should a fight suddenly break out- but missing Twilight was right up there too.

He sighed glumly. In addition to things again and again not going as he had planned for the group, Phil had his own personal problems to deal with. Namely, his current life cycle coming to an end. He’d done an excellent job of hiding it so far, but that last fight with Trixie had taken a lot out of him. By his calculations, he had about two weeks to go before becoming next-to useless, and another month from there to be reborn good-as-new. While resting against the building, he decided he’d bring it up to his allies as soon as he got the chance, so they could be prepared.

Phil’s attention also lingered on the ancient statue at the center of the square. It took him a moment to place, but he soon realized that this statue was the very same described by Rainbow Dash- the one he, his brother, and Fluttershy and her sister had passed by seven years ago. Curiosity piqued, Phil stood and moved over to the statue for a closer look.

It was worn with age, the once dagger-sharp details now hazy, but the general picture of the fierce warrior was still there. As Dash had described, she was depicted with shoulder-length hair, alert but not unkind eyes, and the distinct armor belonging to only the highest-ranking soldiers of old Dawn. In her left hand was a long katana, and her right was in a sling before her. Phil bent down to brush his hand across the plaque beneath her feet, the words written in the ancient language that was disused almost immediately after the civil war.

“What did he say this said... General Madeline, was it?” Phil stood and backed up a few paces, viewing the statue with silent honor. Despite how precious little memories remained from before the war, General Madeline remained an influential figure in the region that was once Dawn. Old heroes die hard, he supposed. Madeline was a brave warrior- a terror in battle, but a compassionate and generous person in life. It’s exactly that kind of person that should be leading us... I wonder if we can use her as a rallying point for this city...

“Phil.” A voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see Trixie walking up behind him. “Find anything?” Phil shook his head glumly, and she sighed. “I couldn’t get much out of them either. Whatever happened, it’s being kept down low... It hasn’t been easy avoiding all these royal soldiers, either. I think some people might know what happened, but they’re too scared to talk. Phil, I think this town needs us more than anyone. Once we’re done with this mission from Xekora, whether we stop it or not, we need to stick around and...”

Trixie paused to make sure no soldiers were listening in, but Phil already was nodding knowingly. “I thought that too. We won’t leave them to suffer, don’t worry. And I think General Madeline here might be able to help us.”

Trixie looked up at the statue, and her eyes lit up. “Brilliant... I think you’re right.”

The two waited for a few minutes, still waiting on the Wonderbolts to report back on their progress. Eventually, Misty approached them quickly, Soren in tow. When she reached them, she stopped short, and Phil noticed she was hiding the fact that she was catching her breath. She may have wanted to remain inconspicuous, but she was excited about something, and also looked a bit worried.

“Did you find something out?” Phil asked, leaping to his feet.

“I didn’t. Soren did. Finally found a good use for his constant drunkenness, eh?” Misty dropped her voice as she approached the two younger fighters. “Let’s not talk about it here though. Too many unfriendly ears. There’s a good spot half a mile or so from the city where we can camp out for the night and discuss things.”

_______________

“What!” Trixie exclaimed, after the group had made camp and gathered around a campfire. The sun had only just set, and Misty was confident no royal soldiers would be this far out after dark. The news the two Wonderbolts had to deliver, however, made Phil wish they were just up against some soldiers.

“The execution’s tomorrow afternoon.” Soren confirmed. “We’re a little late. I don’t know where that Xekora guy of yours gets his information, but it was a bit stale, and we don’t have many options left to us if we’ve got to save this person.”

“Do we have any options left?” Trixie countered dryly. “It’s only a little better that it’s happening in the afternoon, that gives us a tiny bit more time, but I don’t know what we could do with it. Do we still not know who it is that’s getting killed, or what they did?” Everyone shook their head, and Phil’s heart sank just the same as Trixie’s must have. “Then I just don’t know what to do.”

“They always keep their top-priority prisoners in some unused building, instead of the local prison.” Misty commented. “Y’know, in case people like us come along trying to mess it up. That’d be fine and dandy if we weren’t in a huge city like this. We could look and look all day tomorrow and never find the place- and even if we did, the odds of actually finding it before the prisoner is moved out are slim to none.”

“Then we’ve been screwed over before we even began.” Trixie concluded, putting her head in her hands. “Xekora, what did you think we could do...?”

Phil remained silent, the gears turning in his head. Xekora thought they could do something about this execution, and Phil had no doubt that there was still something left to be done. He couldn’t figure out what it was though... It seemed like the only chance they had was to somehow locate where the prisoner was being kept, but with how tight-lipped the city’s people had been already, he knew that would never work. Something was nagging at the back of is mind, some tiny detail he had uncharacteristically overlooked, but he couldn’t place it.

Reluctantly, the group decided that nothing could be done for the night, and they’d have to try their luck with locating and escaping with the prisoner tomorrow. It wasn’t much of a plan- no-one thought so- but it was all they could currently do. With lowered spirits and foul tempers all around, they all turned in for sleep, or at least silent rest. Phil couldn’t find sleep, and he doubted anyone else was having much luck either.

He turned over in his sleeping bag, his eyes open fractionally. He noticed Soren holding something above him, viewing it idly in the moonlight. Phil opened his eyes fully to see what it was. Soren held it above him with both hands, but Phil could see it was some kind of crystal, with eight identical, symmetrical faces, shaped like a diamond. A dull yellow light pulsed in its center, and the moonlight shone through it and cast small shards of refracted light onto the ground.

“What’s that?” Phil asked quietly, only loud enough for Soren to hear.

The older warrior stiffened, not expecting the sudden question, but relaxed immediately. “Oh. Didn’t think you were still awake, kid. This? This is, uh... Well, it was a gift from Spitfire. Y’know, before she... Before she left. Anyway, it’s a pretty nifty thing to have. Not sure where she got it, but it’s an ancient artifact imbued with a kind of healing spell. It takes some practice to use right, but anyone can use it.”

“A healing spell that anyone can use...” Phil repeated, storing the knowledge away. “Man, that is useful to have... Hey, wait. Do you think... Could we use that to help stop this execution? Like, could we use it to save the prisoner?”

“Er... I’m not so sure that’s a good idea, or if it could even work.” Soren replied, and Phil’s excitement was shot down. “See, it’s not your typical kind of spell. This one has some give and take to it. Like... Oh, try to think of it like cookies. Now bear with me here- you’ve got a bunch of cookie dough, and you’ve just used a cookie-cutter to cut out a bunch of shapes. Now you’ve got all the leftover dough spread out with a bunch of holes in it. So whad’you do with it? You roll it all up and spread it out again, so you can get a few more cookies out of it.

“Well... this spell is like that, only with life instead of cookies. This spell takes all the leftover lifespan in a person who’s hurt, then uses it to heal them. Please don’t ask me to explain that- that’s just what Spitfire told me, and I just left it at that. I guess it means the life that person was going to live? But the exchange isn’t exactly equivalent either. When the person is healed, a good chunk of their lifespan just got shaved off, and they’re going to have to die sooner. Their aging rate is adjusted as well, so they’ll age just like they were going to, only over a shorter period of time.”

Phil stared in wonder and slight horror, and Soren chuckled ironically. “ Like I said, give and take. It can fix you, but it’s a pretty steep price to pay. That, and the fact that... I haven’t actually used it yet, and don’t know if I could, makes me think it wouldn’t be a great idea to count on this spell to get us through.”

Phil agreed that it was too risky to use, and turned back over to dwell on his own thoughts. He had heard of spells like that- ones that were the very essence of a particular spell stored within a crystal, usable by anyone. They were hard to make, though, and not very practical, so they were disused and the technique to make them forgotten long before the civil war. Phil supposed it only made sense that a few had survived all this time, but once again he was in wonder that he was in the presence of such an ancient artifact.

He wasn’t sure about the awful drawback about the one Soren held, though. None of the other crystals were said to have a draw from them, but he couldn’t think of a reason Soren would lie. Someone had to have purposefully set up the spell to work like that- but what horrible mind would be willing to give men the ability to monkey around with people’s lives?

________________

The group woke up before dawn the next day and set off for the city again, taking their valuables but leaving camp set up where it was. They needed every second they had at their disposal to try and find the prisoner, and began as soon as the local guards opened the gates to the city. By magic light the group searched, scouring the least used parts of Manehattan, searching desperately for any sort of royal stronghold. They soon found it to be tricky business, to seek out the royal guards while avoiding them at the same time.

Phil and Misty had formed one party, while Trixie had partnered up with Soren to search the opposite side of town. Misty led Phil through a district featuring several warehouses, the obvious place to start looking for a makeshift prison. However, if there were any royal guards around, they didn’t make themselves obvious. Both took to gliding through the streets, gradually ceasing to care who saw and gave them odd looks, gradually growing more and more tense.

Phil was getting desperate. He still didn’t know who they were supposed to be saving, but Xekora said it was very important that they save them. And while Xekora was usually exactly the type to over stress things, Phil had never seen him in such a rough shape as he had two nights ago. He knew it must be a matter of life or death that he find the prisoner and help whoever it was escape, and he felt like the world was closing in as he ran out of time.

Growing close to panic, he and Misty rounded another corner, and breathed a sigh of relief, then tensed more than ever. A full platoon of royal soldiers was gathered in the street, preparing to march. A few more knights emerged from the cellar of an adjacent building, leading someone outside and to the center of the platoon. That’s got to be it! We’ve found the prisoner... but there’s no way the two of us can take on a whole half a platoon apiece.

Phil’s mind began to work faster and faster as he tried desperately to put together some kind of game plan, but he couldn’t see any good way out of this. The guards led the prisoner out of the cellar fully, and Phil was able to get a good look at her for the first time. She was in pretty rough shape, with horribly messy, untrimmed hair, dirty and dusty clothing, and wings that were missing a good chunk of their feathers. Both her hair and wings were once brilliant gold, but now were dulled by the dirt and lack of sunlight. Her eyes were blocked by a black blindfold, and her hands bound behind her.

All of a sudden, something clicked in Phil’s mind. He realized exactly what it was he had been forgetting all this time, the one detail missing from the equation. Fear gripped his heart, and he knew now how important it was that he do anything possible to stop this.

Because the prisoner being executed was Creiddylad, Fluttershy’s older sister.

Chapter Sixty-four

Chapter Sixty-four

That night; Dreamscape

Fluttershy

Where... is this? Fluttershy thought, shaking her head clear. She had awoken only a moment before, sprawled out on some kind of dusty plain. She couldn’t see more than five feet in front of her face, as a thick fog floated all around her field of sight. I was asleep in my bed only a minute ago... Am I dreaming?... If so, this is kind of a dull dream. I guess it’s lots better than a nightmare, but... I thought I had more imagination than this.

“There’s nothing here because you’re not in full command of this dream.” A voice echoed across the expanse, causing Fluttershy to jump and scramble to her feet. “We’re both in equal control, but neither of us can do anything without the other’s consent. Such is the nature of the Dreamscape.”

“Wh-Who’s there?” Fluttershy stuttered, looking around wildly to try and pinpoint the voice.

“Don’t be scared, kiddo.” The voice said, much more sympathetically than before. “There’s nothing here that could hurt you, even if I wanted to. It does take some time to get used to, but I promise we’re safe here. I was a little scared too when I first got here, but I know enough now that I can show you around myself.”

Fluttershy stopped turning, and stared in wonder out into the featureless expanse. She recognized the voice now, and as she gazed into the distance, the form of its bearer began to take shape. “Creiddylad?” She whispered. “Big sis?”

“Sorry I couldn’t get to you before now, and in a better way than this.” Said Creiddylad as she walked into plain view. “But I’m here now. We’ve... We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”

“Creiddylad, it is you!” Fluttershy said, running up to her sister and giving her a hug. “So... What is this? Are we sharing the same dream? And this place- what was it you said, Dreamscape- what is it?”

“Uh... sort of. We’re both in the same dream, and it’s our unconscious minds talking to each other, yes. Well, let’s just start from the beginning, alright? The Dreamscape is kind of a central launching point for all dreams, in each person. This dreary place we’re at now is what it looks like when there’s no active dream going in the person’s mind. No-one ever sees this place under normal circumstances, because it’s just a diving board for the real dream. But if the person is getting visited in their dreams to receive a message from beyond, then the dreamer and the entity sending them the message will meet up here. From there, they can explore all over the place to discuss things.”

Fluttershy nodded thoughtfully, taking in all the information given to her. “I think I get it...” She said. “So, I’m seeing you because you need to tell me something? But... how are you doing this? Can anyone go into another person’s dream? Could I visit someone’s dream like this?”

“Er... no...” Creiddylad started, unsure of what to say. “See... Oh, Fluttershy, I’m so sorry about this... But only spirits, blessed by the graces of the Goddess, can do this. People sometimes have dreams in which a relative who’s passed away visits them and gives them guidance in times of need- well, this is how that happens.”

“I see...” Fluttershy mumbled. “But then... how...”

“How am I here?” Creiddylad finished sadly. “...Yeah... Oh, dear, I... I’m so sorry... I am a spirit now. Fluttershy... She got me. I’m... I’m dead.”

Fluttershy gaped at her. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but also couldn’t think of any reason why her sister would lie. But... She had to be lying! “What... Creiddylad, you... you can’t mean that... Sis, what do you mean you’re dead?! You can’t be serious...”

Creiddylad closed her eyes with an expression of extreme sadness. “Oh, sweetie, I really am sorry... But it’s true... I was executed just this morning... I did everything I could to stop Celestia, but she got me...”

Both sisters were close to tears. “No...” Fluttershy whimpered softly, her head hung low. “Sis, you can’t... You can’t be gone...” As the first tear fell from her eyes, she stumbled forward and threw herself at the spirit of her older sister, and wrapped her arms around her as tightly as she could.

“I’m sorry...” Creiddylad repeated, laying her head down on her sister’s. “I didn’t want to go out like this... But I’m glad that the Goddess gave me this chance to see you one last time... Fluttershy, after this, I’m moving on. You might not see me again... I don’t think I’ll be able to come back again. This is a very special circumstance, and I probably can’t leave heaven once I get in... But, listen now- I’ve got something important to tell you. All your friends- the other Elements- are also meeting people from their past right now, because it’s time you all found your roots and embrace your true power.”

________________

Rainbow Dash

“Give it to me straight bro.” I said before Ultraviolet even came into view. “How screwed are we right now?”

“Fairly screwed.” He agreed, striding into sight. “But no more than you were before.”

“Hey, I was meaning to talk to you next time you dropped in.” I said, approaching him. “Our last meeting kinda got cut short.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll have to make time for that later. I’m not here to answer your questions this time. I got a very lucky break in being able to talk to you right now. Normally they would have sent someone already in heaven to talk to you, not a phantom lingering on the edge of existence, but I begged enough and got this chance.”

I coked my head curiously. “Begged who? Who could possibly send people in heaven to deliver messages to people?”

“The Goddess, bro. The same one The Order is all crazy about. Get this: they aren’t kidding. She’s real and out there. She’s playing a part in this war by sending a message to each of the Elements of Harmony, one that tells you what you need to do and where you need to go to get strong enough to take the Queen.”

“The other’s are having a dream like this now too?” I asked. I was somewhat surprised: I thought only I had dreams like this, in which Ultraviolet was able to contact me from wherever he was, half-dead. To hear the others were experiencing the same thing... it was both good and bad. On one hand, they would have a chance to see someone close to them again and share their experiences and what they never could while they were alive...

On the other hand, they would probably have to say goodbye all over again.

“Yeah.” Ultraviolet answered. “Someone close to each of them is coming back- when it’s possible that is- to deliver this message. AJ’s probably being met by her mom, and... Ah, man, being a phantom sucks. I’m not omnipotent like this, I forget who all is on your team. Rarity? She’s probably seeing her mom too. Twilight and Pinky... I don’t know. They might just hear a voice that says where they need to go, and not get anything else. I don’t think either of them have lost anyone close to them.”

“And Fluttershy?” I asked, concerned. Fluttershy was a fragile person, and I really didn’t want this to be painful for her. I hoped that whatever happened, she would be okay.

“Hard to say... Maybe that heron princess that she and her sister sheltered? Sounds like she and Fluttershy were pretty close. See, the Goddess didn’t really give me a lot of outside information for this... She just gave me what I needed to tell you, then sent me on my way.”

_______________

Twilight

“Travel deep within Eclipse, to the place long forsaken by the Queen.” The omnipresent voice echoed across Twilight’s Dreamscape. There hadn’t been much pretense about this meeting, if one could call it that. Twilight got her bearings in the empty dream world, a voice told her she would be receiving information, and then it began unloading on her. “In the swamps west of the capital city, there exists an ancient ruin. It is here that you will find the last testament of your ancestor, who fought valiantly in the civil war of Equestria. This remnant will lead you back here, where you will receive from this ancestor the skill you will need to move forward.”

Twilight’s mind was working fast, faster than it had been for so long. She had fallen so far down lately, and was so lonely... She didn’t expect to be approached with a way out in a dream, but she was ready to accept the word of this omnipresent voice and move forward. It had brought up another detail from before, something Xekora had told them. He had said they would one day be sent searching for their ancestors, who would give them something that would help them... fight the Queen.

Despite what it implied, Twilight was ready. She wanted to find herself, and part of that could well be finding who she was descended from. That, and... This ancestor fought in the civil war. So did Jonathan the Arcmage. Could there be a connection? Could Jonathan possibly be her ancestor? There was only one way to find out, and Twilight was ready to take it. She was finally ready to burst forth from her depression and forge her own destiny again.

___________________

Rarity

“The Castle of Dawn?” Rarity asked, confused. Her mother walked with her through the nothing, arm around her daughter. “But that’s neck-deep in the EverFree forest... Here I thought I’d never have to set foot in that horrid part of the forest ever again. This person I’m looking for, my- well, our, I suppose- ancestor- How could we be descended from them if they spent their time in that place?”

Cybel laughed warmly. “I thought that too at first, believe me. But let me say this: five hundred years ago, Equestria was a different place. The EverFree forest was barely more than a little backwoods-y area, and the kingdom of Dawn was such a grand place... Ah, if only I could show you. Regrettably, I do not have that much influence here... Our ancestor does, however, and I have no doubt she will use the power of the Dreamscape to show you the land she knew.”

“She? So it was a woman...” Rarity stated.

“There were three of each on the team of six that aided Nightmare Moon in the original rebellion against Celestia, yes.” Cybel explained. “One of each came from each old country. I imagine you’ll be traveling two to a team towards your destinations, as the six fighters were quite close by the time they died, and likely were laid to rest near each other.”

“Only teams of two?” Rarity asked. “Is this something we can’t bring others along with us to?”

“Well... there’s nothing that says you can’t bring backup. But I wouldn’t advise bringing the whole standing force of Icarus, that would only slow you down.”

“No, I didn’t mean that. Just Opal, and maybe someone else depending on which other Element comes with me.”

________________

Fluttershy

“The last will of our ancestor...” Fluttershy repeated, wiping her eyes dry. Creiddylad kept a sympathetic hand on her sister’s shoulder as she spoke, getting her head around all the new information. “He left it at the ruins of the capital city of Dusk, so that’s where I need to go?”

“That’s right.” Creiddylad confirmed. “I know a fair amount about him, but I’ve been asked not to say much to you now... He probably wants to tell you all about it himself when you meet his spirit, and he teaches you his skill. But I will say this: it’s because of him that we were raised with knowledge of the Goddess, the same that The Order worships. Our ancestor always claimed he met her in person during the war, and that story was passed all the way down to us.”

Fluttershy nodded. Creiddylad continued, her voice dropping a level. “But back to the topic... The ruin of Dusk isn’t exactly an inviting place. I’d just as soon not have you set foot in that forsaken place, but we don’t have much option... So I want you to be ready. There are some creatures there- mindless, bloodthirsty beasts- and they unfortunately won’t be placated by your song. I know you’ve been training with a bow and arrows, so I want you to bring all of that and any armor you have; and since there are no rules against it, try and find some extra backup to come with you. Another of the Elements will make the trip with you, but I’d feel better if you had a party of three rather than one of two.”

“A-Alright...” Fluttershy stuttered, nodding. “Sis, I... I just don’t know about this... I know I’ve been training and getting better, but... I still hate fighting. I don’t know if I could actually use the bow if it came to a serious fight, and I never want to use it to take a life... Oh, Creiddylad, I just wish you could be there with me...”

“I know, kiddo.” Her sister whispered, giving her a final hug. “But you’ll do fine out there. Those creatures aren’t human, or even technically alive- they’re apparitions of darkness and live only to fight, so there isn’t any moral problem in destroying them. And don’t worry- I’m sure whoever comes with you will be able to watch your back and do most of the fighting.

“And... I wanted to say this before I leave... I’m really proud of you, sis. You’ve been so strong since you moved from home, and I’m glad I let you. That poor Scrabbit kid from Ivoire, Angel- you’ve done so much for him since you found him in the woods, and you’ve almost been like a mother to him when you’re so young yourself... I’m so proud to call him my weird brother-nephew... thing. And you’ve been so helpful to your friends even when not fighting, and got the rest of the heron music to help heal the people Celestia corrupted with that awful drug, and... I’m just really proud of everything you’ve done, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy felt herself begin to tear up again involuntarily, but Creiddylad gave her a gentle shake. “No more tears, okay? You’ve got a job to do, kiddo. I’m going to go ahead and take off and let you get some sleep, but listen- you may not see me again, but I’ll always be with you. Okay? As long as you keep me in your memory, I’ll always be there with you in spirit.”

______________

Rainbow Dash

“Well, that was pretty much what I was going to ask you about anyway...” I said after Vi had finished. “Xekora had mentioned that we’d hear about our ancestors, and I wanted to ask you if you knew anything. Slipped my mind last time, since we were rushed, and now you’ve answered it already.”

“Funny how that happens, isn’t it?” He confirmed. “Anyway, now that we’re done with that, I wanted to say one other thing. I tried last time, but you woke up too soon. It’s about that Scootaloo kid you’ve grown so fond of. It’s... It’s really a great thing that you’re doing for him. The poor kid’s had a rough life so far, and I think it’s great that you’ve taken him under your wing- so to speak, perhaps literally in the future, but anyway- You’ve been like a real big-brother to him when he really needed it.”

I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. “Uh, yeah, thanks... I learned from the best, I guess. Uh, where are you going with this?”

He closed his eyes and chuckled in spite of himself. “Man, I’m bad at this. Point is, I just wanted to say I’m proud of you for taking care of him when no-one else would and... I dunno, just keep up the good work... Heh. Later bro!”

______________

Fluttershy

Fluttershy awoke back in her darkened room, almost in a cold sweat, and immediately noticed the dried tears that had fallen in reality during her dream. For a tiny fleeting moment, she wanted to believe that it had been only that- a horrible dream- but knew it wasn’t. It was too real even now. She had to go to Dusk to find the remaining will of her ancestor. The whole team of Elements was to do the same.

Creiddylad was gone. Dead. She would never see her again.

Just as she felt herself begin to tear up once more, she let her gaze travel over to the window, where a thin ray of pale moonlight filtered in, illuminating the room in a ghostly glow. Crouching before the light at the foot of her bed, tall ears perked up curiously, was Angel. Squinting through her watery eyes, she could see his large yellow eyes looking at her with concern, and he seemed generally tired and worried.

“Fluttershy, are you okay?” He asked in a whisper. “You were rolling all around and crying in your sleep. I thought you were having a nightmare. I tried waking you, but you wouldn’t wake up, so I just stayed here until you woke. Are you okay?”

Fluttershy shook her head, both in shrugging off the issue, and saying no I am not okay. “I... I had kind of a vision in my dream.” She explained quietly. She decided she’d try to tell Angel what had happened so he knew what she had to do tomorrow, but break the news gently. “I saw... I saw Aunt Creiddylad there. She told me that I have to go to the old capital of Dusk, to find something left behind by our great-great... some big number of great’s grandfather. But... She said that she... She’s gone... Celestia...”

Fluttershy’s tiny voice was cracking as she spoke, and Angel stared in concerned wonder as she spoke, then pulled himself to his knees and crawled further up the bed. Her eyes were closed, so she only felt it as he pulled himself under the sheets and snuggled up comfortingly next to her. She started slightly at the sudden action, but soon realized what Angel was doing. He might have been surprised by this haunting news, but he was putting on a brave face for Fluttershy and giving her a shoulder to cry on.

She beamed at him, amazed at how compassionate the tiny rabbit-boy was being, and wrapped her arms around his fluffy form thankfully. She realized that Angel probably knew exactly what she was going through, since he had lost his whole family all at once as well. Fluttershy may have only lost one person, but other than Angel, Creiddylad was the only family she had ever known. Both were alone, but together, and she felt somewhat stronger for it. She was still wracked with sadness over the truth of her sister’s death, but she was at least able to finish the night’s sleep with another kindhearted spirit there with her.

Chapter Sixty-five

Chapter Sixty-five

Town Square

Rainbow Dash

I barely slept through the rest of the night. My mind was running over all the information Vi had given me in his last visit to my mind. I just ended up tossing and turning most of the time, occasionally blacking out for an hour or two, but waking up more tired than I had begun with. Finally fed up with trying, I just whittled away the final hour to dawn by sharpening and cleaning my broadsword. I hadn’t used it for serious battle for quite some time, so the edge benefited from the attention. However, my battle skills were sharp as ever, since my training with Applebloom and Scootaloo had kept me on my toes more and more lately. The two were getting stronger, and I looked upon them proudly as they gradually begin to change into a serious force, especially when working together.

As soon as the first rays of daylight began to filter in through the window affixed to my wall, I stood and made my way out the door, searching for the others. I figured they would gather in the obvious place- town square- so that’s where I went. It was just about as early as possible for me to be starting, and I was still dead-tired, but I knew trying to get sleep would still be pointless. At least my destination was far enough away that I would have been forced to camp once, maybe twice on the way down, so I would have another chance to get some sleep before engaging in any combat.

I trudged into the square, squinting to see if I had guessed right and- if so- if anyone else had come yet. At the edge of the square, I saw what I was sort of looking for: Twilight was also awake and ready to go, sitting next to her belongings at the front step of the library. Spike stood next to her, arms crossed in concentration. I could tell the two of them were talking, perhaps arguing, and I decided it best to linger at the other end where I was until things died down.

“Twilight’s angry at Spike.” I almost jumped, and Rarity walked up behind me, dressed in full armor. If she wasn’t well-rested, she didn’t show it. “For not being there for her when she was so upset, I mean. On the plus side, it looks like she might be starting to recover, but she’s realized that Spike should have been there.”

I nodded solemnly. Twilight had been in rough shape these last few weeks, and all her friends- surprisingly including myself- had been worried for her, but didn’t know what to do about it. I had made the single visit first to try and tell her that we were all on her side, but I probably wasn’t the best person for the job. Fluttershy and Pinky had also paid her a visit later, but I hadn’t yet had a chance to ask how it went.

“You listen in on them?” I asked, somewhat surprised. It certainly didn’t sound like something Rarity would do.

“Nah, that was me.” Another voice said, and Rarity’s cat girl companion Opal strode in behind us. She wore some basic armor herself, a small knife strapped to her belt. Otherwise, she carried no weapons. “Wouldn’t want something like that on Rarity’s conscience, so I usually do the dirty work like that.” She stretched and smiled. “Ah well. May as well do what I love, and love what I do, right? I’ve always been the stealthy one in Icarus.”

“So, Dash...” Rarity started. “Er... would it be alright for me to ask how things went in your dream last night? I mean, that’s why we’re here, right? Because we all had dreams about it?”

“Yup.” I answered simply. “Don’t worry, I’m not offended or anything. My brother was the one to deliver the message. I’m heading off to the capital of Dusk. Not sure who’s coming with me. You?”

“Mom.” She said, dropping her voice. “We’re heading back to the Castle of Dawn- that is, me, Opal, and whichever other Element is headed there too.”

“Twilight’s going somewhere in Eclipse, if you were wondering.” Opal added cheerily. I didn’t speak for a moment. So that’s Twilight and Rarity not on my team. That leaves Pinky, AJ or Fluttershy to join me. I nodded as happily as I could considering what we were preparing to do. I wouldn’t mind any of the three I had remaining to be stuck with, and I wasn’t really sure which I would have preferred. They were all great company, and I had traveled with Applejack all over already, plus I knew I could count on her when it came to fighting or an honest opinion. Pinky was reliable when it came to fighting as well, but I wasn’t nearly as experienced with fighting alongside her. If it ended up being Fluttershy, I would have to take care to safeguard her, but having her with me wouldn’t be bad either; we would just have to be more strategic regarding her abilities.

“Hey, we’re... we’re done.” Twilight called tersely from across the square. Opal, Rarity and I nodded silently and crossed the clearing. Rarity sat next to her on the steps, but Opal and I remained standing awkwardly. Spike looked like he’d rather be anywhere else right then.

“Are you alright, dear?” Rarity asked. “We’ve been worried about you...”

“I’m still confused as hell...” Twilight muttered bluntly. “But I’m done hiding from the problem at least. We’re going on this quest in part to find ourselves, through our ancestors, right? That’s exactly what I think I need right now. I need some profound truth to follow, and I have a feeling I’ll find it out there.”

I nodded at her, giving her a small smile. We may not have gotten along very well, but I still thought of her as a friend. Seeing her starting to recover herself still made me feel better myself, even if I couldn’t stand her sometimes. Despite the argument the two probably just had, Spike and Twilight both agreed that they should travel together. The five of us waited around for several more minutes, until we were joined by Pinky and Applejack. Neither Twilight or Pinky had been visited by an actual person, and I realized Vi was right: neither of them had ever known any of their real family, and were only delivered the message by a voice.

Applejack had been visited by her mother, who had died of sickness six years previously. She seemed affected by this sudden revisit, both overjoyed that she had a chance to speak with her again, but sad that it would probably be the last time. I wished I had been traveling with her, but her path had led her with Rarity and Opal back to Dawn. I could tell she wished she was going with me as well- or anyone but Rarity, the two were about as different as physically possible- but digressed and moved her things next to her companions’. The voice that visited Pinky had instructed her to go to the same swamp in Eclipse that Twilight was headed for, so that left Fluttershy for my group.

“Geez, I’m anxious about this...” Pinky said. “I... I haven’t ever met anyone related to me. I had a family, yeah, but I’ve never had any kind of ancestry even one generation back. At least Twilight could find her parents if she wanted to, and she did run into her sister... I have no idea what to expect, but I’m sure excited to find out... Hey, completely unrelated to the topic, but... You know that boy from the Silver Arrows- Kyle?”

“Yeah.” I answered. “You know he’s totally in love with you, right?”

“Was that supposed to be a secret?” She responded with a chuckle. “Of course I know that. I’m just waiting around for him to admit it. I wanted to check to make sure I wasn’t the only one... Fluttershy?”

I turned as Pinky mentioned Fluttershy, following her gaze back to the entrance to the square. Sure enough, she stood, head down, at the entrance, with Angel at her side. Both looked ready to go, with Fluttershy’s bow across her back and quiver at her belt, as well as some heavy clothing. In addition for the need for armor, it was quite cold out, and away from the natural heat of the town, it would be even colder. Angel wore some admittedly cute winter gear, but still held his comparatively huge scythe beside him.

My eyes widened and I jogged over to her when I realized she wasn’t moving, and looked like she had been crying. Angel stood defensively by her side, holding her hand lightly, but I mostly ignored him. Spike was there a moment later, followed by everyone else. She was asked what was wrong, but remained silent, too upset to speak.

A horrible thought occurred to me just then. Rarity and Applejack both got visited by their mothers, and they are on the same team. Twilight and Pinky were only addressed by a voice, and they are traveling together as well. I was visited by my brother, and Fluttershy is going with me, so... “Oh no... Fluttershy, did... is it...?” I took a step back respectfully. “Creiddylad?”

Fluttershy shivered slightly, then nodded once. “She... She’s gone... It was the same as your brother, Dash...” I averted my eyes and glared at the ground. Celestia took another one... She has to be stopped, now more than ever. Especially for hurting Fluttershy. I noticed Spike move over and embrace Fluttershy comfortingly, and she finally broke and began to cry into his chest. I also noticed a distinct look of annoyance and distrust cross Twilight’s face, but she righted herself quickly.

With everyone gathered, and after Fluttershy had recovered and insisted that she would be alright, all nine of us set up on the steps to the library to make an action plan. Each team had decided to bring an additional ally with them for backup and reassurance, and Angel was tagging along with my group. I wasn’t sure I particularly liked the idea, since Angel was technically still a kid and not as skilled with his weapon; but Fluttershy was confident that he could hold his own, so I supposed I didn’t have much else to say. I had a feeling he was coming more out of emotional support than tactical, but he wouldn’t slow us down much either way.

“Alright, Fluttershy.” I said, after the three groups had broken off to form their own individual plans. “Dusk is pretty far away, but we lucked out with who got put on this team. We should be able to fly the whole way and really cut down on travel time. Angel’s small enough that he can ride on my shoulders, so bringing him isn’t a problem. Still, it’s at least a full day and a half to get there flying, so we’ll need extra rations. Now for when we get there, you should both just leave most of the fighting to me. You’re getting better, and Angel’s not half bad himself, but I should lead the way.”

______________

“Castle of Dawn’s just like we left it.” Applejack stated. “So’s the path to it. Which means we’re still gonna have to take the backroads, since the main road got collapsed last time. I can’t guess what we’ll find in that ruin that we didn’t find last summer though.”

Rarity responded thoughtfully. “My mother didn’t say it was in the castle exactly; she only said it would be at the capital of Dawn. Is it possible what we’re looking for is in what is left of the outlying city?”

“A thieve’s paradise, I’m told.” Opal mused. “That is, when there aren’t supposed dark overlords holed up in the castle. We’ll have to dig for it, if it’s out there.”

______________

“So, here’s what we know so far...” Twilight said, laying out several maps and other papers on the steps. “I know exactly where this swamp we’re visiting is: right here.” She pointed to a place on the map. “Now, I’ve never been there myself, but I’ve never heard of any kind of hidden stronghold in this area. This either means that the base is extremely well hidden... Or not much of it exists anymore.”

“Uh... I just had a thought...” Spike started. “I’m not sure that used to be a swamp back when people would have been using that stronghold. What would we do if it’s underwater now?”

“That is a possibility...” Twilight thought, rubbing her chin, mind in overdrive with thought. It may have been a grim affair, but having a problem like this and the chance to solve it again was somewhat exciting. Twilight was back in business. “But I don’t think we’re being led on a wild goose chase. Even if the base is submerged now, there must be a way to get into it, or the part we need to be in at least.”

“Maybe there’s a way to get it un-drowned?” Pinky offered. “Like, maybe it’s some of that old technology that they don’t use anymore. There might be a switch or input device or something that drains the lake to different parts of the swamp, or raises the rock under the base!” Pinky felt proud of her idea, but just got strange and bemused looks from Twilight and Spike. “What? It could happen! Maybe we’ll even have to play a song to do it! I’m telling you, it could totally happen!”

_______________

With what little pre-planning we could do already done, the three teams set off for opposite ends of town, preparing to begin the full journey. We were in the region that was once Dawn already, and Applejacks’, Raritys’ and Opals’ trip would be the shortest; only around a day at max. Dawn stretched around the eastern edge of Equestria, reaching all the way to a slim finger at the northern edge. Old Eclipse made up the large north eastern section, reaching all the way from Dawn’s border to the opposite coast. The swamp Twilight’s group would be traveling to was situated to the central-west of Eclipse, so their trip would take two days or more on foot.

Dusk made up the largish southwestern region, and it’s former capital city sat rather close to the edge, but not at seaside. This made my journey the longest distance-wise, but since we could fly, Fluttershy and I would be able to make the journey in half the time. The three of us- two children of air, one Scrabbit from a land far across the sea- stood at the western gates to town, our belongings hanging at our belts, and some carefully situated between the joints of our wings.

“Hop on, kid.” I said cheerily, dropping to a crouch so Angel could find a place to sit on my shoulders. He cast a furtive glance at Fluttershy, who nodded reassuringly, then scrambled up my backpack and onto the small of my back. I stood again, using one hand to help him keep balance, the other hand on my belongings on my hip. I turned to my companion, we nodded silently, and kicked off into the air.

Chapter Sixty-six

Chapter Sixty-six

Western Fields

Rainbow Dash

Fluttershy and I skidded to a halt near a large tree, in a mostly grassy but barren swatch of field. Unlike the northern fields, the western fields were heavily occupied in several places, since the grassy expanse made up more than half of what used to be Dusk. Several towns of varying sizes were constructed in the field, usually next to one of the rivers cutting through, but a sizable area remained as it was.

We were about halfway to the old capital of Dusk, and we had left the last town behind a few leagues ago. From there, only the remains of the western fields remained, and ruin. None of the towns beyond that had been rebuilt after the civil war, since they had to live off of Eclipse’s handouts for a time, and needed to be closer than that to have any hope of survival.

“We should camp for the night.” I stated, putting down my passenger and supplies, giving my arms a good stretch and allowing my wings to flop down limply behind me. “Sun’s almost down, and we can easily make it to the capital ruin by tomorrow afternoon.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Okay. I was getting a little tired anyway. I think we could all use some sleep... Especially after last night...”

“I agree, I didn’t get much sleep either. I’m too tired to be up thinking now though.” I ended with a chuckle and began unpacking the essentials for the night, then stopped and added: “Hey, uh... About what happened. You know that I know how you feel right now, so... I don’t know, just, don’t feel like you’re alone.”

I shrugged and went back to unpacking, but Fluttershy managed a sad smile and said simply: ‘Thank you, Dash’. I had to agree with my brother on this one: neither of us was very good at sentimentality. I had packed light, and didn’t need to take much out of my pack for the night: a blanket for sleeping, some food for supper, and a tinderbox for making a fire. After these were laid out, I immediately set out to gather firewood from the  few, but large, surrounding trees. I noticed that Fluttershy had packed a bit more comfortably, but decided she had a right to. This wasn’t going to be an easy mission, and she wasn’t the strongest of people to begin with, so if she wanted to bring a few extra belongings, I wasn’t going to stop her.

Since we were out in the open, a fire was a necessity. Besides the fact that it was freezing out, and the sky was cloudy with a fresh snowfall waiting, we had to be able to see if anyone was approaching. Fortunately, not much snow had fallen in the Dusk region yet, so all the loose branches littering the ground were dry. I made several trips to nearby trees with armloads of wood, though there weren’t many larger logs to be had. I dumped the last of the firewood onto the pile I had started, then surveyed the surroundings again.

“Can you two get the fire going?” I asked.

Fluttershy nodded, but was slightly confused. “Sure, but... why? Is there something else we need to do?”

“I don’t feel like getting snowed on in the middle of the night.” I answered simply. “I’ve got enough juice left in me to get up there-” I pointed skyward- “and clear away the clouds overhead. Shouldn’t take more than ten seconds, but I figure we need every minute of sleep we can get.”

_______________

[BbRarity

Rarity, Opal and Applejack sat around a campfire ring of their own in silence. Traveling had been somewhat rough so far, as there was still barely any path to follow through the EverFree forest towards the Castle of Dawn. Memories of their first trip through assailed Applejack and Rarity, and part of their silence was on account of this. They had trekked all the way through the thickest part of the forest already, and were once again taking a rest in the clearing where Pinky had dueled against the shade summoned by Nightmare Moon.

Rarity was somewhat disappointed not to see the dragon dwelling in the river again. The three had waited for what was an appropriate amount of time, but were forced to leave without finding him. Whether he was just elsewhere, or something had happened to him- Rarity wondered if she would ever find out.

Their silence was more because of the constant clashing between the two Elements than it was memories. The two were about as opposite as possible- farm girl and noblewoman, plus almost bored cat girl- and there had been disagreements at every turn. Opal probably should have been acting as a mediator, and might have been trying, but wasn’t terribly good at it anyway.

Applejack cast a glance skyward, basking in what was left of the sunlight. “I’m tellin’ ya, we could still make some more ground tonight. There’s plenty of places to hunker down further in, and we need to save time so we can get back to town. I’m sure you can get that: we’ve both got little sister’s that’ll get stir crazy and might even come lookin’ for us if we’re gone too long.”

Rarity sighed, her arms folded stubbornly, but had to admit Applejack had a point. She slipped the Icarus Charm, which she had been toying with idly, back into her pocket. “Well... I suppose you’re right about Sweetie Belle. The last thing I want is for her to have to tromp out here too. It’s bad enough I have to do it again...” She stood in a huff. “Fine, we’ll keep moving for a while longer. But things will be just as bad if we aren’t well rested, so let’s not keep going too much longer.”

Both Applejack and Opal nodded and stood, ready to go, and the three made their way out of the grey, leaf-barren woods and back onto the familiar path leading to the ruin of the Castle of Dawn. The forest soon gave way to the barren cliffside and wide rocky canyon, over which spanned the rickety wooden bridge repaired by Rainbow Dash. The Castle of Dawn loomed in the distance, still as ruined as ever.

The party stopped short as they approached the bridge, and Rarity couldn’t help but stare in slight wonder. The last time she had been here, a seemingly endless night sky had been overhead, and the castle had seemed a dark and threatening entity. However, now she saw it in the sunset, and found it was quite a sad beauty. The decrepit towers and crumbling walls, the moss that climbed all over the ancient cobble and on the ground beneath, the occasional sparkle of the discarded weapon that hadn’t rusted over completely, and the beautiful sunset acting as a backdrop gave the whole thing a picturesque, surreal quality.

“There’s barely anythin’ left of the upper town.” Applejack commented, casting her arm wide to encompass the wreckage of the city surrounding Dawn. “But back behind the castle there’s more city, further down a hillside. Far as I could see last time we were here, a lot of that is actually still intact. I dunno who our ancestors were, but I know mine was probably in town more than they were in the castle, so we’re probably gonna want to look there too.”

“Plus,” Opal began, “If we’re going to spend the night further in, our best bet would be to find a house that hasn’t caved in and stay there. And anyway...” She looked back the way we came, and Rarity’s spirits sank when she saw a clump of angry storm clouds inching past the tree line. “We’ll want a roof. The forest was too bare to protect us much anyway, so this looks like the best option...”

Rarity sighed, not looking forward to spending the night in a building that hadn’t been touched for hundreds of years, but supposed that if it had held up for that long, it could survive one more rainstorm. Considering it was that or sleep in the open and get soaked, she decided it was a pretty simple choice. The group set off one at a time across the wooden bridge, passing the point at which Rainbow Dash had fought against three of Luna’s minions, who he claimed were additionally turned feral by Celestia.

“You know, it’s really a shame both the Children of Air ended up going off by themselves.” Rarity commented. “We might be able to just get rid of the storm up there instead of hiding from it...”

Applejack was halfway to a comeback, but stopped and sighed. “I gotta agree with you there. Dash could destroy that storm, easy.” They lapsed into silence again as they trudged over the dusty road, past the pitiful remains of the upper section of the city. Little more than a few stone walls and discarded weapons remained now, but there were places were the overgrowth lapsed, and Rarity could envision the buildings that must have once stood there, so long ago.

________________

Twilight

Despite how tense things had become lately between Twilight and Spike, the group’s travels to the swamps of Eclipse had been rather enjoyable thus far. They mostly had Pinky to thank for that; her eternal cheerfulness had begun to wear on the two sore friends, and eventually the two joined in with the simple travel songs Pinky had an unlimited amount of. Not one of the three was a particularly good singer, but there was no-one else around to hear, and they all had a good time being terrible.

Twilight had gone ahead and plotted a route that would lead the group around all the major cities between them and the swamps before they left town, though they had made a stop at a smaller town to take a short rest and refresh themselves. Otherwise, they had been off the roads and traveling continuously all day towards the mysteries lying in the swamp. As the sun began to set on the horizon, the first signs of their destination began to take shape.

A wide swatch of trees loomed before them, the peaks much taller than any they had seen thus far. The ground had become quite hard-packed in the places where it wasn’t solid stone, and while the air was still frigid due to the winter weather, it managed to grow a few degrees warmer as they approached the place before them. Twilight shaded her eyes against the sunset as she gazed into the darkness of the swamp. There was still a bit of daylight left, but the shadows cast by the towering trees obscured any light that might have made it in.

“At least the skies are clear.” Pinky commented. “You wanna camp out at the edge of the swamp for the night, then explore tomorrow?”

Twilight nodded and adjusted the straps on her backpack. “Yeah, sounds like a plan. I have no idea what’s in that swamp, but anything that’s left in the winter can’t be good. There’s probably a few snakes left... We don’t want to go trekking through there without being able to see something like that.”

Spike merely nodded and followed behind the two girls as they made their way to the fringe of the swamp, then the three dropped their supplies and began setting up camp. A single low tent was erected, one with room for two people. The group had agreed before they left that while two members of the team slept, the third would provide watch, and they would trade off every few hours until dawn. After they made a fire and ate a simple but filling dinner, a coffee pot was set to boil, and soon Pinky bade them goodnight and went to sleep.

Twilight and Spike remained by the fire, lost in thought. Spike had volunteered for the first watch, but Twilight had decided to stay up for a little while to talk to him. She didn’t want to start arguing again, but she still had some things to get off her chest. As she gazed into the fire, she cleared her throat silently and asked: “Spike, can... can I ask you something?”

Spike leaned back and stretched, but Twilight could tell he was reluctant to answer. She could tell he was tired of arguing too. She decided she’d start somewhere else first, then work her way up to what she wanted to talk about. “How do you think Phil’s faring right now? I wonder where he even is...”

Spike chuckled fondly. “I’m sure he’s fine, as is your sister. He’s like you, and knows to plan ahead and avoid unnecessary danger. He can take care of himself, and knows his limits... Come to think of it, I suppose he must be on the waning phase of this life cycle, so he’s probably set himself up somewhere safe to wait it out.”

“Yeah...” Twilight said, thinking fondly of her oldest friend. Especially that last night she had seen him... “Um... There’s something I was meaning to tell you about that... Well, me and Phil have been like brother and sister for all our lives, right? Well... what would you think if we started being... more than that?”

He looked to her with an expression of pleasant surprise. “Are you more than that? I would actually be rather happy about that, if you two were happy together.”

Twilight couldn’t help but beam at him. “Well... Yeah, I think we are. I mean... it took me a little while to think about it, but that was part of all my confusion. But I think I know now.” She squirmed happily in her seat, and in a quiet voice said: “Did you know we kissed that night he left?”

Spike broke into a big smile and ruffled her hair affectionately. “I’m happy for you.”

Twilight nodded. “And, I just wanted to say... I know you feel the same way towards Fluttershy. And- before this becomes another argument- It’s okay. I’m not mad about you spending time with her instead of me anymore. It’s... in the past. I’ve put it behind me. And while it might be a bit weird that you’d be going out with someone my age, not to mention a friend of mine already... I wouldn’t mind. I’d be just as happy for you both.”

Spike sighed, sounding conflicted. “I appreciate it, but... It’s more complicated than that. You know that I’m so much older than I look... We wouldn’t age at the same rate, and I’d almost not age at all throughout the rest of her lifetime. I care about her, yes... But I can’t do that to her. I want her to have a normal happy relationship, and I’ve realized... It just can’t be with me.”

“Oh, Spike...” Twilight put a comforting arm around her guardian, and after a moment he returned the gesture. The two sat almost motionless, gazing into the fire, a team once again. Twilight’s eyes closed happily, as it felt like piece-by-piece, she was putting her world back together again. Soft music filled her head as she imagined the possibilities... until she realized the music was not in her head. It was coming from the swamp beyond; almost too quiet to hear, but just audible enough to draw her attention. She nudged Spike out of his similar trance, and he strained to hear.

“You’re right... Is there someone in there?” He asked, standing.

“Keep a watch on the camp.” Twilight instructed him. “If there’s one person, there could be others, and I don’t want to be robbed. I’ll just run in and check who’s there, then come back.” Without another word, Twilight bounded off into the darkened swamp, a fire spell burning before her to light the way.

________________

Rainbow Dash

“What’d I tell you?” I asked proudly as I descended to the ground, Fluttershy and Angel staring in awe. “Ten seconds flat, and we’ll be dry for the night. Dinner going alright?”

“Yes.” She answered. “It’s actually close to being done. I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t use any meat...” I waved the issue aside. I understood that Fluttershy was probably a vegetarian, since she spent so much time with animals anyway. I had to give her credit though, the meal she prepared was a good one. She had brought most of the ingredients used, but had managed to harvest some of them around the fields.

After we ate, Fluttershy and Angel turned in for bed, and I was left contemplating whether or not to do the same. Ideally we should have a watch set up... But I don’t want to have to wake up either of them. Angel’s just a kid and needs sleep, and Fluttershy... I want her to just be able to rest as well. But man, I’m tired already, and I don’t want to stay up all night again... Know what? There’s no one in these fields. We’re already beyond civilization. No-one’s going to steal anything, even if we had anything worth stealing. So screw it, I’m sleeping too.

Satisfied with my decision, I moved over to my blanket and, using my jacket as a pillow, rolled myself up and prepared to sleep. Just as I was about to drift off, I heard Fluttershy shift slightly near the other side of the fire, and she spoke quietly. “Um... Dash?” I mumbled in response, and she continued. “Um... I know this is strange to ask but... I mean, it’s so cold out, and Angel...”

It took me a moment to figure out what it was she was trying to ask in my drowsy state, but eventually I guessed it. Sighing, I threw loose the blanket over me and patted the ground. “Come here.” I said, faking a resigned voice. “Angel too... Bring whatever blankets you guys have, mine isn’t very warm either.” She released a bated breath and thanked me in a whisper, then flopped down next to me a moment later, Angel wrapped up snugly in her arms. She snuggled in tightly next to me, with three layers of blankets on top of us, and at that point I could barely move.

To be frank though, I didn’t feel like moving anyway. I smiled as the three of us lay close enough to the fire to be warmed additionally by it, and the other two were asleep almost instantly. I couldn’t help but think about Fluttershy as I was drifting to sleep, and admire her for everything she’d done. I had never heard the full story, but I had gathered that she had found Angel only a few days after she came to town, about a year after I first met her. He had been the sole survivor of his family, who were Scrabbits like him, travelers from Ivoire, and she had taken him in and raised him herself, even though she was just a kid herself. Angel must not have been older than four or five at the time, making him only ten or eleven now. And yet he was so devoted to the girl that had saved his life and raised him like a mother, that he was willing to cast his lot in with us and risk his own life again on this mission for her.

The thought crossed my mind as I was about to pass out, if little Applebloom felt the same way about me.

Chapter Sixty-seven

Thumbs up to anyone who understands the reference at the end.

Chapter Sixty-seven

City of Dawn Ruins, Central Road

Rarity

The group sped up gradually as the twilit sky began to darken with rainclouds, soon dashing towards the crumbling ruin of the Castle of Dawn. Applejack led the way, swinging around the side of the crumbling ruin with Rarity and Opal in tow. Rarity cast a glance into the castle, and saw that still nothing had changed since their last trip here. The towers were still all but collapsed, with the one Nightmare Moon had destroyed still laying sprawled across the ground, and moss and weeds lived unimpeded throughout the cracks in the stone. The only difference was that the stones that once housed the dormant Elements were missing, stored away in Eclipse Castle.

Applejack stood at the edge of a steep hill, hand on what was left of an outer wall for balance. The other was above her eyes as she peered down into the valley. “Yep, the rest of the town is still down there, and in pretty good shape. We should be able to spend the night down there and search for clues in the mornin’.”

“That’s a rather steep drop though...” Rarity commented, shivering slightly, feeling the onset of the storm close behind her. “Where’s the road that led down there? The citizens of Dawn had to have some way down there that wouldn’t be too out of the way, so where is it?”

“Overgrown, probably.” Opal answered. “The grass is all dead back before here, but weeds have sprouted up all over down here. Unless the road was cobble, which it doesn’t look like it is, the dirt road was probably swallowed up ages ago.”

“But the roads in the lower town are cobble.” Applejack pointed out. “I can’t see why they would use cobble for just that and not... There!” She pointed further to the left, where the thin remains of a stone road were visible. A collapsed handrail seemed to be laying on the ground next to it, and the going was much less steep there.

“Let’s go...” Rarity said, already moving for the road. “I think the rain’s already started...” Her companions both nodded and followed right behind as Rarity descended into the lower city. A few stray raindrops fell from above, very slowly picking up in intensity, and she sped up in turn ever so slightly. She skidded to a halt at the foot of the sloped road, allowing the others to catch up. “Where now? Most of these houses look like the roof has caved in, and it’s just the walls that are still standing...”

“I saw a couple over this way.” Applejack answered, leading the way further into the complex of ruined homes. Moss had gone wild with these structures as well, but it wasn’t nearly as severe. The grey brick walls and remains of the wooden roofs were still visible as they were, not yet overtaken by green. But as Rarity looked on, she began to think that these buildings were slightly too well preserved. It almost seemed as though... someone had been through and cleaned them in the somewhat recent past. She also saw no discarded weapons or armor laying about the streets as she had in the upper city.

“Rarity, weren’t you the one who was complainin’ ‘bout the rain in the first place?! Hurry up!” Applejack called back tersely, snapping Rarity out of her thoughts. She shook her head clear and followed the sound of Applejack’s voice, until she reached the other two at the front of a house that was still better preserved than the others, the roof only having a few holes instead of being one big hole. However, a good chunk of the front wall was missing.

Applejack motioned to the gathering room inside. “This good enough? It’s either this one or the one across the street, and it’s in about the same shape. ‘Long as we stay against the far wall, we ought’a stay dry.” Opal nodded gratefully and moved in, dropping her pack on the broken and lightly grassed floor, and began unpacking. Applejack strode in next, followed by a reluctant Rarity. She knew staying in this building was better than roughing it out in the rain, and one more storm out of a thousand it had already weathered wouldn’t send the ancient building collapsing on them... But she still felt uneasy in the ruin.

Rarity worked quickly to set up her own belongings; A simple sleep roll, but she set up a small tarp hanging over it for additional defense against the rain, which had finally started coming down heavily. Applejack and Opal just made a point to sleep under a more complete section of roof and called it done. They unpacked some food for supper, but they didn’t want to risk a fire in the wood-roofed building, so they ate cold.

“Mm... I dunno about you two, but I think there’s somethin’ to be had from the dried smoked beef.” Applejack commented between bites. “A little chewy, but the taste kinda grows on you after a while...”

“Blech.” Opal said, carrying Rarity’s full feeling on the subject in that simple non-word. “I’ll eat the stuff if I have to, but I still can just about stand it...” Suddenly her head jerked up, her slightly smaller than average nose twitching curiously. She seemed to be trying to pinpoint a smell, but Rarity could only smell the pungent scent of the rain outside. Opal continued sniffing the air around her, then began moving about the room slowly. “Does anyone else smell coffee? We didn’t bring coffee... Did you, Applejack?”

“Nope.” Applejack said as she shook her head, swallowing the jerky the had working at. “I actually thought I smelled somethin’ like that a bit ago, but thought it was yours.”

Rarity, thoroughly confused and curious by this coffee-related development, stood from where she sat and looked around, but was unable to find any trace of the smell herself. She was just about to give up on the pursuit and just finish her supper, when she noticed something outside their shelter. She thought she had seen something in the house across the street, but as she stared intently out the broken window, she almost decided it must have been a trick of the rain... Then something moved again, this time definitely behind the curtain of water and within the other house.

“Is... Is there someone in that house across the street?” Rarity asked, loud enough for her companions to hear, drawing their attention immediately. As she watched, stock still, she began to pick out that there was a flickering glow in the house, as though from a small fire, but the house’s infrastructure looked completely sound. She stared intently towards the glow, searching for another movement... There. A figure, clearly a human, moved right in front of the window, not appearing to be doing anything in particular, just pacing around the house.

“... Oh, damn.” Applejack swore, making a move for her axe. Rarity cast a judgmental look at her gruff companion, but Applejack didn’t even see it. “Grab your weapons too, y’all. See that black cloak on that guy? Yeah. That’d be the Order cloak. I know Dash told me some of ‘em weren’t evil... But after that owl creep, I’m not takin’ any chances.”

Rarity’s eyes widened, and she turned her attention back to the figure in the opposite house. Indeed, he wore a heavy black cloak with a hood that shrouded all features. The person in the Order cloak faced the glow in the other house for a few more moments, then turned for the window and twitched, startled. Rarity could feel that the eyes beneath that cloak had just locked with her own.

The Order cloak stared for a few more moments, then stood and moved over to the door. Applejack’s axe was on her shoulder, and she faced the doorway threateningly, ready for battle. Opal held a knife in her hand, balanced carefully. Rarity’s sword was at her side, but she did not draw it yet. The opposite door opened, and the person in the Order cloak held something up for them to see. Rarity squinted and her hand went to her weapon when she saw it was a quiver full of arrows, a longbow held next to it.

But the black-cloaked figure did not equip the items; instead, he made it clear what they were, then placed them against the wall within the house. He then grabbed something else from inside, then a large board that he held above his head as he stepped outside. He walked slowly and deliberately into the center of the street, a metallic object in his free hand. Adding to her already considerable confusion, but solving one question, she saw that what he held was a coffee pot.

“Hello!” He called, somewhat over-cheerily. “May I come over to speak to you? It’s a bit hard to hear anything in this rain.” Obviously, he received no response, so he held up his coffee pot. “I thought I might share some of my coffee, too! Trust me, I’ve travelled the world, and I can say this is the greatest coffee in existence.”

Applejack looked to Rarity, her eyebrow arced. She obviously didn’t buy a word coming out of this boy’s mouth. Opal didn’t seem to be trusting him much either. But Rarity was curious. “Should we allow him over? I mean, he’s unarmed. We can keep a watch on him and try to extract information...”

Applejack wanted to object, but didn’t have much of an argument. “Fine, tell him to get in here. But I’m not takin’ my eyes off the guy.” Rarity nodded and moved over to the door where the Order member could see her, and motioned for him to come over. He nodded gratefully and approached.

Under the watchful gazes of all three, the boy ducked into the mess of a house, placing the coffee pot on the ground in the center of the gathering. He also dropped his hood, so that he didn’t appear so mysterious and threatening. He had a mess of fluffy grey hair atop his head, but it wasn’t grey with age- he wasn’t a day over eighteen- but was a more creamy, smooth shade. His eyes were brown, large and innocent, yet also sparking with intelligence. Rarity fancied that he was actually somewhat handsome.

“Please, help yourselves.” He said, motioning to the coffee pot. “I apologize for showing up all of a sudden- I honestly hadn’t realized you guys were going to be here today too... I won’t be bothering you if you don’t want me to, though. I’m just here to pick up some artifact, then I can be on my way...”

“Alright, cut the crap.” Applejack interrupted, but Rarity could tell she was the nervous one here. “Who are you? Why are you here? You’re with the Order, ain’t you?”

The boy sighed, holding his arms behind his head. “Yeah, I’m with the Order. How’d you figure out about us?”

“You remember Lucius?” Applejack spat. “We killed him. That’s how.”

Strangely, the boy didn’t take any offense to her words, and instead gave her a thumbs-up. “Good for you. No-one really made a fuss when he didn’t come home, he was kind of a jerk. Not that I was old enough to have any experience working with him then anyway. I’m the Order’s Number Ten, so I’m one of the junior members. Anyway, why I’m here... Ugh, basically I got in a fight with one of the other junior members, and we both got punished for it by being sent on this dumb filler mission. I dunno where she got sent... But anyway, you don’t have to worry much about me. I’m not like Lucius was. I’m not like most of the members of the Order. Unlike them, I actually have interest in this Moonlight Resistance, and I’d like to see it succeed. If I can help with your mission here...”

Rarity decided to speak up, on the side of this boy. “We’re here searching for clues about our ancestors. If we’re all looking for ancient artifacts here... Why not work together?”

Applejack’s protest was immediate, but Rarity ignored her. The farm girl was basing her perceptions of this boy solely on her experience with another Order member, one this newcomer had openly denounced. She could understand her mistrust, but didn’t want to turn against him without giving him a chance. He nodded excitedly. “Really? Well, I’m sure we could cover more ground as a unit. It’s my pleasure. Now let me see... Lady Rarity, Lady Opal and... Miss Applejack, right?” Rarity’s eyes widened slightly, surprised that he knew their names already. “The Order pretty much knows everything. You guys are becoming quite famous, actually. Anyway...” The grey-haired boy held out a hand in friendship. “You may call me Tug. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Chapter Sixty-eight

Chapter Sixty-eight

Eclipse Swamps; Outer Edge

Twilight

Bright fire spell lighting the way before her, Twilight stepped carefully through the swamp, her boots sticking to the wet earth and making her progress slow and noisy. A pungent smell filled the air, and the foliage above was so thick that Twilight could see absolutely none of the night sky, the only visible light coming from her palm. The darkness that surrounded her felt like it was closing in on her, holding countless unknown dangers just beyond her line of sight...

But the one thing that kept her going was the sweet sound of music, still emanating from somewhere deeper in the swamp. She was able to tell that it was from some kind of string instrument, and as she wandered in the muck, she was slowly gaining ground and finding herself closer and closer to the source. Unfortunately, she had lost all her other bearings, and wondered how she was going to find her way back to camp after she pinpointed the music. She took another step forward... and her foot caught on a root, sending her sprawling across the ground, the fire in her hand extinguishing.

Panic immediately gripped her heart, and as she tried to get to her feet, the music came to an abrupt halt, as though alerted to her presence. Her eyes widened in the perfect darkness, hoping to see anything that would light her way and get her out of the swamp, but she was still blind in the night. She struggled with the words to her spell, trying to re-light her torch.

Another song began, and as far as Twilight could tell, it was coming from the same place as before. But the tune was different this time; while the last one seemed to just be wandering around musically, stepping from beat to beat, never staying in the same place for too long, this one was generally calming, slow and sweet, almost like a lullaby... and it sounded familiar. As Twilight stood, listening to the music in the blackness, allowing the tune to seep into her mind, she knew that the song was something she had heard before. There was something about the calming melody that wormed its way into her mind, absolving all worries and allowing her to think straight...

That’s it! Twilight thought, snapping her finger in victory. A new fire spell roared to life in her palm. I know where I’ve heard this. It’s Fluttershy’s song, the Galdr of Bliss... But who is the musician? Who else could possibly know this song? She nodded purposefully, ready to continue and get to the bottom of the issue, and stepped forward carefully.

She made a bit more progress before the source seemed to switch directions suddenly, but she hadn’t sensed any movement nearby. She looked around, the tune sounding much closer now, but saw nothing. Only a large-trunked tree stood next to her, and there was nothing else visible on the ground... Twilight looked up, and started. Just above her, leaning against the tree trunk with legs crossed, sitting on a large branch, was the musician.

A small blue stone, glowing with magical light, illuminated him dimly in the night. He wore simple clothing- jeans and a white T-shirt- and had his eyes closed as he strummed on the large blue bass guitar balanced in his lap with bare fingers. Twilight couldn’t see much more about him from where she was and with the limited light, but saw that out of the back of his shirt sprouted a large, grey pair of wings, and he had messy blonde hair that was occasionally flecked with black.

He brought the song to a simple yet elegant close, the moved his arm to grip the branch he sat upon. Exhaling slightly, he dropped from his perch and landed right in front of Twilight, who stumbled back a few steps. His deep blue eyes watched her with detached curiosity, the guitar still slung across his front, and the blue-tinted magic light held in his palm. Twilight’s own flame-light still burned in her hand, and she recovered herself quickly and pointed it at the boy.

“Twilight.” He said simply. His very voice seemed to carry some of the musical quality of his guitar. “I thought you wouldd arrive soon.”

“Wha-” Twilight stuttered. “Who are you?! Why are you just sitting around in a swamp, and... Well, I guess it makes sense that you know me, but how did you know I’d be here? And why did you know that song?”

The boy watched her calmly, his eyes half closed as though he were just bored, but remaining locked on Twilight. She still felt the effects of his- Fluttershy’s- song, and began to calm as he stood unthreateningly. “My name is Max.” He said at last. “I am sitting around in this swamp because I knew you would come here, searching for clues to your ancestor. Another of the Elements should be around here somewhere though...”

“Um, back at camp.” Twilight answered. She was no longer intimidated by Max, but thoroughly confused. “How did you know? And, aren’t you cold only wearing a T-shirt?” She hadn’t meant to, but she couldn’t help but notice how flimsy his shirt looked... and that he was fairly well-built beneath it.

Max looked away sheepishly. “A little. It is hard to play guitar in my coat though. And I knew... because a friendly time-traveler told me. I knew you were coming here to find the fortress tucked away here somewhere, and decided to come myself, to provide backup and assistance. I have no idea where it is, but felt you might appreciate having an extra set of eyes.”

“Uh... Yeah, that would be nice...” Twilight shook her head clear. She was getting distracted. How could she trust this boy right off the bat like that? Like he wanted her to... Like she wanted to. “But why? I don’t even know you, you don’t owe me anything.”

Max took a moment to respond, but finally turned his back to Twilight and took a step forward, speaking all the while. “There is another reason... I want to meet your guardian, Spike the Goldoan. You asked earlier why I knew the song I was playing- the Galdr of Bliss- it is because I was born and raised around such music. I am a lower-class heron, you see, and possess the ability to use the minor Galdrar. I have since traveled the world, and when I heard there was someone else from my home continent here, I wanted to seek him out and meet him... But do not get me wrong, part of it is still just for the sake of assisting you.”

From behind the tree, Max pulled a black cloth of some kind, and draped it over his shoulders as he approached Twilight again. She saw that it was in fact a coat of some sort, the sleeves too big for his arms and the tails dragging against the ground, though Max was not short himself. Twilight rubbed a hand on her temple, once again having lost focus. “Alright... I guess I’ll ask the rest of my questions there. Follow me back to camp, and Spike and I can sort this out...”

She began to trod back the way she had come, Max following in a light gait. Twilight knew that she wasn’t thinking clearly, but decided that the best thing to do was to get Spike in contact with this boy. He could figure out what Max really wanted, then she could get to sleep and recover her proper mental speed. He said he’s a heron, but a lower class one. I don’t think he knows about Fluttershy then, especially if he’s been away from home for years. Strangely, with her newfound confusion came a different sense of clarity, and Twilight had no trouble finding her footsteps in the marshy ground and retracing her steps.

Their progress was still slow, but Max was not impatient, and followed dutifully behind her. She may have lost her way a few times, but recovered quickly enough to hide the fact. At last, the night sky began to poke in through the treetops above, and Twilight could make out the faint glow of the campfire just beyond the fringe of the swamp. She picked up the pace slightly, finally sure of where she was going, and soon the two emerged from the humid air of the inner swamp and back into the frigid breeze outside.

Spike still sat by the fire, waiting for Twilight to return. As he heard her approach, he turned and stood to face them, but adopted a confused and concerned expression when he noticed Max. “You found the source of the music, I see...” He commented. “But you brought him back here?”

“This is Max.” Twilight said simply. “I’m not entirely sure... but he says he knew we were going to be here, and came in order to help us. Also... he says he’s a heron, and knows the Galdr of Bliss at least to prove it. As such, I’m tempted to believe him.”

Spike took a long moment to observe the mysterious newcomer, leaving Twilight feeling a bit awkward. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Pinky was already sitting at the edge of the tent, listening to the proceedings without being seen. Twilight was somewhat glad of that, at least they wouldn’t have to explain Max’s presence a third time.

Finally, Spike nodded. “I believe you. To be honest, I can smell the Laguz on you. I’m sure that since you knew we’d be here, you know of my own Laguz blood. You’re a heron all right, and as such I have not a doubt in my mind that your motives are true. But that still leaves the questions of how and why.”

“How I knew to be here exactly now? I asked my time-traveler friend, who owed me a favor. How I intend to help you... Because there are monsters and ancient booby-traps in this swamp, and I am good at sensing them before setting them off. It will be much safer to have me on your team. And why... I don’t know. I felt like it. I like to go with the flow, much like music, and my heart led me here. I guess it might have been that I was just bored, too. But you need not worry, you have got my full support and attention, regardless of reason.”

Spike didn’t move for several seconds, then just shrugged exasperatedly. “I can’t imagine what you’d hope to accomplish if you’ve got ulterior motives, but I also can’t understand why you’re here in the first place... Agh, whatever. I hope you don’t mind that you’ll have a close eye kept on you, but I guess it’s alright if you stay.”

Max nodded gratefully and took a seat by the fire, placing his guitar to the side, and shrugged on his coat for warmth. Spike looked on for a moment longer, then his eyes widened in alarm. “That cloak... You’re with The Order!”

Max looked up, showing for the first time a genuine expression of surprise. “I am. You have heard of us?”

“I’ve had the displeasure of clashing with one of you. Suffice to say I’m a bit distrusting of your true motives now. All I’ve been informed of about your group is that you follow some Goddess, and the one I met was willing to go to insane lengths to get what he wanted. The only other I’ve heard of wasn’t much different.”

“We serve the Goddess.” Max corrected. “Of anything an Order member tells you, believe that. Our Goddess exists. Now, I suppose you have heard of Number Five, Lucius, from the three Elements who met him in the past. Correct? Whom did you meet personally?”

Spike shook his head. “I don’t know. I never got a name, or a look at him beneath his cloak. He... He used two glowing swords, one pink and one blue.”

“Ah, that would have been Number Two. He is... He is a determined one, to be sure. But let me say that not all of us are like Two or Five. Very few are, actually. I worked very close with Lucius... He was my teacher, actually. But I was able to tell that what he was doing, and how he went about it, was wrong. You need not fear from me actions reflecting theirs.”

Spike nodded again, still suspicious, but willing to take the answer for the moment. Max told them that he would see himself to bed in a while, wanting to sit by the fire for a while, so Twilight and Pinky both retreated to the tent until one of their turns to watch. Twilight inquired as to Pinky’s opinion on the boy, but she didn’t have much new to say. ‘He seems nice. Kinda handsome too. I trust him. And as long as we keep an eye on him to make sure, I don’t see any reason not to let him help.’

Pinky fell asleep shortly after that, leaving Twilight awake and somewhat confused. It was only her common sense of caution keeping her from trusting Max now; everything Pinky had said was true, and she had a natural inclination to believe what he was saying. She fell asleep soon after, sure that she didn’t have anything to worry about.

Chapter Sixty-nine

Chapter Sixty-nine

Southern Fields

Rainbow Dash

Morning seemed to come too soon, but at least I was able to get a good night’s sleep. I carefully removed myself from the cocoon of blankets the whole party of three had slept in, successfully avoiding waking up Fluttershy or Angel, and sat silently at the edge of camp, deep in thought. I had spent the whole night snuggled up nice and cozy next to those two... Why was that a problem? I hadn’t meant anything by it... Had I? Fluttershy was a fantastic friend, and I really liked her, but I still wasn’t sure I wanted anything romantic between us.

Besides, I saw how she and Spike had hugged before we left. I was fairly sure that something was going on between those two, and the last thing I wanted to do was get in the way of that... Yet sleeping alongside Fluttershy, just as we had so many years ago, had felt so right... I shook my head. There were more important things to be worrying about right now. We had a dangerous job to do, and I had to be at top focus throughout the whole thing. I could worry about my feelings later.

I stood guard at the edge of camp for at least another half hour, kept company only by my thoughts and the silence and mist of the early morning. My eyes were locked on the opposite horizon, where the capital of Dusk stood out of sight, an eerie reminder of the destruction that went hand in hand with the civil war. What would be left of the place after all this time, when precious few had even laid eyes upon it for the last five hundred years? What could we hope to find that would link us to our distant ancestors that called it a final resting place?

Finally, Fluttershy and Angel both awoke groggily, and we ate a light breakfast before packing up and taking to the skies once again. The fields of green zipped past below as we tore through the grey morning, and we occasionally had to take a detour around a storm cloud to avoid getting soaked and frozen. Angel’s fluffy form still sat on my shoulders, gripping my jacket tightly whenever I sped up or made a sharp turn. Fluttershy stayed close by my side, perhaps a bit closer than she had yesterday, keeping her own flight in sync with my own. I noticed that her wings had become stronger than they were when we had begun, back at the Lunar Festival, and was somewhat proud of her progress.

The morning didn’t get brighter in the hours we were flying. By noon, we had to bank and land because of the vicious winds raging above, and it had become a struggle for me to keep the area above us clear. However, on the ground, I was able to keep a concentrated umbrella of wind energy above our heads, since I wasn’t using up as much effort with flying. Progress may have been horribly slowed, since we were only jogging and occasionally gliding over the fields now, but it was made up for with the fact that we were getting close anyway. Another hour or so’s travel would see us at the final remains of Dusk.

“There it is.” I said in awe, as the three of us stood at the peak of a short hill, overlooking the irregular shadow on the horizon. It mostly looked to be a pile of rubble on the ground, but a fair number of structures seemed to still be intact and upright. Several unusual shapes stood side-by-side with the buildings, almost resembling trees, but with measured identical branches that sprouted from the top and formed an X where they sat. “That must be the capital city ruin. Keep on your guard, my bro told me there’s something dangerous in there.”

“I heard that too...” Fluttershy said, standing next to me with arms crossed for warmth. “Some kind of unthinking creatures, that I won’t be able to sing to... I hope we don’t run into too many. Um... What are those towers in the city? They almost look like giant pinwheels...”

“You’re right...” I mumbled, folding my own arms as we examined the outline of the city. “I can’t imagine what purpose they would serve, especially way out here. Maybe we’ll be able to get a closer look when we get down there.” With a final check on our belongings, and after we had equipped our weapons just to be sure, we set off quickly once again. My broadsword was hefted over my shoulder, ready for action, and Angel held his scythe over his with one hand, holding onto my back with the other. Fluttershy kept her bow before her, but did not yet load an arrow.

Soon, we stood before the collapsed gate to the city, and I was able to see just how ruined the capital of Dusk really was. The stone archway itself had fallen outwards, and we had to step over the chunks of brick to continue. Most of the buildings were also made of brick or stone of some sort, with a few rudimentary installations of metal supports here and there. The whole city appeared to be built on a sturdy concrete foundation, and we had to step a foot off the ground to enter. As a result, plant life hadn’t gotten very far into the city as it had with Dawn, and moss only clung to the outer walls. Most of the structures in the city were mostly intact, if a little weathered out of shape.

Curiously, the oddly shaped towers seemed to only be built near the center of the city, and their looming forms were just as mysterious as before. I let Angel off my shoulders as we began our trek into the city, and we stalked forward, all ready for whatever else was in these grey stone streets. Fluttershy held an arrow against her bowstring, but was having a hard time keeping her hand steady. After a minute of walking through the dead streets, she spoke in a low, unsteady voice: “Dash, I... I should tell you I’ve never actually had to fight anything, so I don’t know how I’ll do... I’m just glad it’s monsters we have to fight, just because... I doubt I could ever take a human life.”

I gave her a sympathetic smile and nod. “Don’t worry about it. Just stay behind me and remember your training, and you’ll do fine. And I guess that is an advantage of having inhuman opponents... Fluttershy, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll let you in on something... I’ve never killed anyone either.”

Her eyes widened at me, partly out of surprise, but I could see respect and approval in her gaze as well. “Really? But, you’re a mercenary, right? You get paid to fight, to protect people from monsters and bandits.”

I nodded. “I know. But when I fight other people... I always just wound them and let them escape- sometimes within an inch of their lives, sure- but I always let them live. All five years I’ve been in this line of work... I’ve never taken a human life, and only ever finished off monsters.”

Fluttershy smiled at me warmly, a new light of confidence in her eyes. She jumped in surprise when the sound of a brick colliding with the ground echoed from somewhere ahead. My grip on my sword tightened as well; I was just as nervous to see for the first time what exactly it was we were up against. We both fell silent, listening for any further signs of our enemy. Silently, I motioned for her and Angel to follow me, and stalked forward through the streets and around the next corner.

We were just in time to see something dash from one side of the street to the other, too fast for much detail to be seen. I was able to tell that it was a rather tall creature, at least seven feet in height, bipedal and shadowy, but beyond that I could see nothing of it. Fluttershy gasped as it passed, more out of surprise than anything. I looked back at them tersely, nodding to both her and Angel in turn, hoping to bolster their confidence, and started forward again, in the direction the form had gone.

When we turned the next corner, there was still nothing to be seen. Wherever the form had been heading, it had gone in a hurry and was already somewhere else in the city. I released a bated breath, glad that we didn’t have to face the thing down yet, but my heart was still pounding with anticipation. We would have to find that thing, and likely others, sooner or later, and I knew Ultraviolet was dead serious when he said they would do anything to kill us.

I was about to turn and suggest we go back a few streets to get to safety, then climb a building to get our bearings, when Angel spoke up softly. His tall rabbit ears were raised, twitching slightly to catch any sound. “I hear something... Down that way.” He pointed towards an alleyway further down the newest street. “It sounds like... someone fighting. A lot of people.” I nodded to him, trusting his word, and looked to Fluttershy. Swallowing my fear, I nodded tersely to her as well, then turned back to the dead street and crept forward towards the alley.

I didn’t see anything further down the alley, except that it led further into the city. Overhead in that direction, I could see the strange pinwheel-like towers looming over the cityscape, showing that we were getting closer to the core of the city. A sudden sense of purpose filled me; somehow, I got the feeling that something was waiting for us at the center, but I could not judge whether or not it was our ancestor’s last will, or the center of our enemies’ operations.

However, as we moved forward slowly through the narrow street, I began to hear what Angel was speaking of. The distant sound of metal clanging against metal, or some other hard surface, just barely reached us where we were, and in quick succession. I could tell that whoever was fighting who, one side was seriously outnumbered. I don’t know who’s fighting here, and we might not want to help either side... But one is guaranteed to be the monsters that inhabit this place. Even if we end up staying on the sidelines, it’ll be handy to know what we are up against, and see their fighting style.

We turned again to the left and into a small plaza, and I had to duck back around the side quickly, pulling Fluttershy with me. The plaza was heavily occupied with pitch darkness, several of the figures we had seen before swarming around the center. I chanced a peek around to get a closer look at them, but as soon as I did my mind went dead.

The shadowy figures were all too familiar to me. Excessively tall, with long limbs ending in long, sharp claws, with glowing yellow eyes and a zombie-like shamble, swarming towards their target mindlessly with claws blazing... These were the same creature the owl-man Lucius, The Order’s Number Five, had summoned seven years ago to fight us. The capital of Dusk was apparently swamped with the things, which I could think of as meaning one of two things; either Lucius was calling them from here... Or they came here after he died.

The crowd of beasts was too thick to see who they were fighting, so it was impossible to judge whether or not it would be within our best interests to help them. Still, I knew one thing; these creatures were our enemy, and we had to take them down. I pulled back around, holding my broadsword close, and spoke quietly to Fluttershy and Angel. Fluttershy’s eyes were huge with fear, and I could tell she recognized the creatures as well. Angel’s own steadiness was shaken as a direct result, but I hoped to pull both of them together. “Alright, so that’s what we’re fighting. Those guys. The’ve got someone in that plaza, and I vote we fight them off. I don’t know who they’ve got in there, but no matter whose side they’re on, these creatures are still evil.

“I’m going to move in first, since I’m the senior most fighter and can defend myself best. Fluttershy, stay back here and pick them off best you can. Angel, stay by her side and make sure none of them get to her.” Without waiting for a response, I inched over to the edge again, then, confident that I still had the element of surprise, I charged from my hiding place. My broadsword came down quickly, slicing straight through one of the shadowy creatures. It disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, just the same as they had before, and as had Luna’s dark summons.

I spun around quickly and whacked another across the head with the flat of my blade, then thrust forward into a third. Some of the creatures began to notice my presence, but as they turned around, one was hit in the dead center of its chest by an arrow, then evaporated. Fluttershy had found her mark perfectly, and was already loading another shot. I never stopped moving, my sword slicing through the shadows one after another, sometimes two or three at the same time, but it still took a few solid minutes of holding my own against them before the crowd began to dwindle.

My arms were aching by that point, but I kept going. The heavy sword sliced straight down the middle of one of the creatures, then picked up as it approached the ground and sliced through several ankles. Another arrow shot past my head and pegged one behind me, while I saw Angel’s scythe lop the head clean off of another one. I spun around wildly, searching for a new target, but saw none of the creatures remaining. However, a single figure still stood in the center of the clearing, shorter than the beasts, but still dark and clawed...

My sword came up faster than ever, my heart racing and my mind running through any and every possibility of combat or escape. Before me was a person draped in the trademark cloak of The Order, shorter than me by a few inches, with a shiny set of silver battle-claws dangling from the baggy sleeves. As always, the hood was up, all features shrouded from view, but when the figure turned and spoke to me, I was at least able to tell it was a girl.

“Not bad, man.” She complimented me. Her voice was on the lower and scratchy side, and she generally sounded bored, but her words let on that she actually wasn’t. “I heard you were a mean scrapper, and you sure didn’t disappoint. Those two...” She looked beyond me and towards Fluttershy and Angel “Well, they could use some work, but I guess they aren’t terrible either.”

I lowered my eyebrows at her, trying to gauge her intent. “Yeah, thanks... and in their defense, they aren’t used to fighting. One of them is in training, the other is already as good as he can be expected to be at his young age. Now, who are you? You’re a member of The Order, right? What are you doing here?”

“Slow down. I can only answer so many questions at once. Yeah, I’m in The Order. I’m here because this is what happens when you tick off Number One. I got into one little fight, and I get sent on this dumb artifact recovery mission in the middle of butt-crack nowhere.” She sighed, scratching the back of her head, careful not to accidentally impale herself with her claws. “At least there’s a challenge here with these shades. I get to kill something while searching. Now, you’re here for...?”

“We’re also here for an artifact, of sorts.” I answered simply. “The last testament of two people who lived during the civil war.”

“Ah yeah, that whole ancestor deal... Oh, don’t look so surprised, The Order knows everything. Anyway, so you’re here to find some old relic... And this is your whole team? Geez, that may not have been the brightest idea. Why’d you come all the way out here into shade territory, where the only things alive want you to stop being alive, with the equivalent of maybe two skilled fighters?”

I was about to make a comeback about that obvious insult towards Fluttershy and Angel, until I had a sudden realization... What she just said was almost the same as what I had been thinking six months ago, all the way back at the Lunar Festival. I had questioned Twilight’s decision to bring the party she had, when only a few of us at the time were fully confident fighters... But now I understood. It wasn’t all about battle ability anymore- it never had been- because the two of them each had their own abilities that made them not only useful, but have their own purpose and right to be here.

“I knew exactly what I was doing when I brought them and only them.” I answered confidently, leaning on my sword. “Now, I believe you still have one question on the table; Who are you?”

She gave a small laugh, harsh and sarcastic, and reached her hands up to her hood. “Well, I guess if you must know...” The black hood fell, followed by a mess of spiky yet light snow-white hair. A pair of piercing golden eyes were locked on me, the left one of which was at the center of some kind of strange grey, flame-shaped birthmark or tattoo. “It’s Gilda. And don’t you worry, I’m not here for you, so you won’t hear me trying to cause your group any trouble as long as you stay out of my way.”

Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy

City of Dawn

Rarity

The rain abated sometime later into the night, but the newly-grown party was too fast asleep to pay it much notice. Faint morning light filtered through the gaps in the walls and ceiling of their makeshift shelter, tickling at Rarity’s weary eyes. She still had the delicious taste of Tug’s coffee- undoubtedly the best she had ever beheld- on her lips, and the vestiges of sleep and dream on her mind. Her eyes twitched in the light, and she indignantly turned over to shield herself from it and buy a few more minutes of sleep.

She heard a slight noise outside, like the scuffling of boots on the cobble ground. Must be Applejack leaving to use the bathroom... She concluded, not bothering to give the noise a second thought. Still, she continued to hear something moving outside, and just as the vaguest sense of alarm began to creep into her mind, it was far too late.

“On your feet, all of you!” A thick and booming voice barked. “Your weapons have already been removed from your persons. On your feet, and hands in the air, now!” Rarity’s eyes flew open, and she immediately confirmed that her weapons were gone, and her light armor as well. When she turned her face to try and see who was assailing them, she came face to face with the business end of a heavy-tipped spear. She rose slowly to her feet, along with Applejack, Opal, and even Tug.

“Aw, damn...” Applejack swore, defeated. “Look’it their armor...” Rarity cast a confused glance at the armed men holding them at spearpoint, and immediately saw what she meant. It was the unmistakable make and model of the royal soldiers of Eclipse. Rarity’s heart sank; they had been found and stopped before they even had a chance to begin.

“Don’t get down too soon.” Tug spoke, low and quick. “Take a closer look. Notice anything else about the armor?”

“Shut up!” The lead soldier shouted, and Tug straightened up sharply. Rarity did as he said, and her hopes began to rise ever so slightly. That armor is filthy... What royal soldier would let it get that dirty? And a few pieces are mismatched, it seems. Could it be... That these people are only wearing this armor as protection, and not as a denotation of their allegiance?

“The four of you. What is your purpose here?” The leader asked warily.

Rarity started, but wasn’t sure where to begin. “We... We are here searching for a certain artifact here. We were not aware there was anyone else here. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to explain yourselves and make this easier on everyone? We wouldn’t want trouble even if we could cause it...”

The ragged-armored soldier cast a glance at his comrades, as though questioning whether to say anything. Despite herself, Rarity found herself at a loss in her mind. Actually listening to the prisoner? As good as that is for us, it’s a rookie mistake! These people can’t be royal soldiers with that attitude. But who are they then...?

“You are two of the Elements of Harmony, correct?” The soldier-ish person asked. “Where do your allegiances lie in regards to the Queen?”

“We’re against her.” Applejack put simply, and Rarity winced. She was hoping to draw more information from them before giving out any of their own. “At least, three of us are. The guy in the cloak is neutral, I think.”

“Yeah.” Tug confirmed. “Comes with the territory of being a meddling bastard. Gotta be able to adapt to any conflict. But if it keeps me from getting impaled on that thing, then sure, down with the Queen.”

“And I take it you are as well, considering where you are and the armor you’re using.” Rarity concluded. The four other guards that were still behind the leader lowered their weapons slightly, clearly relieved, but the lead soldier had a sudden burst of efficient leadership.

“Keep your weapons steady!” He barked, and they snapped back to position. “That may be, but you’re still in way over your heads.” He addressed Rarity and her team. “But you seem to not even know where you are... Alright, I’ve made up my mind! We’re to take them prisoner until further notice. Men, get behind them and lead them to the old library. No funny business from any of you, you hear me?!”

Rarity roller her eyes, but allowed one of the soldiers to get around behind her and lead her away from the group’s temporary camp. The leader scooped up the remainder of their belongings and walked behind the group. The group walked briskly in the still morning through the ruined streets, down another slope and into another district of town. At first, nothing appeared to have changed, the buildings were still as wrecked as ever...

Except they were not. Several of the buildings were completely intact, though the mortar and wood of the walls did not appear to match in places. It almost looked... newer, like someone had been through and done repairs in this district. Dirty soldiers and fixed-up ruins? What is going on in this city? Rarity found herself wondering, but always came up empty. Not all the buildings were fully repaired, but numerous holes were patched up by tarps and cloths. Once or twice, Rarity thought she saw something moving in the homes, a set of eyes glinting in the weak sunlight and watching them, but she was unable to turn her head to look closer without angering their captors.

Soon, however, they were approached by another soldier, this one in stark clean but neutral armor. He had a light brown jacket under the steel, and had the hood up over his eyes to shield from the cold, but Rarity could tell it was a man by the slight stubble on his exposed chin. He stood in the path of the guards leading them to the library, his jaw clenched, utterly silent. Finally he stepped forward, and the soldiers reacted in turn by standing up straighter. Whoever this newcomer is must be superior in rank to these men. Rarity concluded.

“What is the meaning of this?” He questioned, his voice kept low and balanced. “What are these people doing here, and what pray tell are you doing to them?”

“Sir! We located these four holed up in a house uptown. Two of the Elements of Harmony are among them, along with-”

“I know who they are.” The commander retorted. “Except for the one in the cloak...?”

“Tug.” He answered simply. “A rogue ranger, just out searching for an artifact that’s supposed to be around here. And you, my friend?”

The commander of the scruffy soldiers pointedly ignored the boy and turned back to his men. “At any rate, I did not ask who they were, but their business here. Think you can do that for me lieutenant?”

“Yes sir. Sorry sir. The whole party claims to be here on an artifact recovery mission, and deny any knowledge of us. They also insist opposition to the throne. I planned to detain them at the library until further notice when we could bring in a superior.”

“Well, you’ve got a superior to deal with them now. Drop their belongings, and all of you, front and center.” The soldiers standing behind Rarity and the others hesitated a moment, before all five men shuffled in behind the commander. The lieutenant did not look pleased with this new development, but he remained silent. The commanding officer held his hands behind his back and stalked forward, pacing to and fro before the group, and something about the motion began to tickle at Rarity’s memory.

“Well then, you four. Speak for yourselves. Do you know where you are? ... No? In that case, let me simply ask you this, Lady Rarity, Lady Opal, Madame Applejack and Sir Tug. Do you truly oppose the Queen? Would you separate yourselves from the sidelines and actively take up arms against her, given the chance? Would you give everything you have to destroy her tyrannical hold on Equestria?”

Before she answered, Rarity began to sense something behind her, and realized that more people had arrived. More soldiers, or not... She didn’t need to turn to face them, because she could feel each of them holding their breath, waiting for her response. “Yes. Celestia must be stopped. More than neglect us entirely, she has often taken up arms against us for defending ourselves in ways that displeased her. I cannot abide by this any longer, and we are here searching for the tools to give us the strength to fight back.”

Rarity showed the utmost confidence in what she was saying, not only because she truly believed it, but because she believed the people here did too. The commander stopped in his tracks, stared at Rarity for a moment, then broke out into a wide grin. A genuine and jovial laugh escaped his lips, and the tickle at Rarity’s memory intensified immediately. She knew this person, if only she could just place him...

“Well then, milady, if it’s the strength to fight back you’re looking for, then you’ve come to the right place! Men, back to your posts, now! These people are not only no threat to us, but shall be our honored guests!” The soldiers all moved out quickly, their reactions hidden, but the lieutenant once again showed that he did not approve of his superior’s actions. Either uncaring or oblivious, the commander stood up straight, addressing the group but facing Rarity alone. “Well then, in that case, my dearest friend...” As he spoke, he reached up to remove his hood, and Rarity’s eyes widened in surprise. A mess of dark blue hair spilled out onto his shoulders, and his soft brown eyes sparkled with mischief and excitement behind his wire-rimmed glasses.

“Welcome to New Dawn.” Said Blake Leo. Rarity wasted no time in dropping everything and jumping at her old friend, embracing him tightly and being held gently in return.

“New Dawn...” Tug repeated, as though coming to an obvious realization. “So this is where the group is. Not bad, good sir, not bad at all.”

Rarity separated herself from Blake, Tug not acknowledging the affectionate reunion at all, Opal smiling slightly, smugly, and Applejack just scratching the back of her head awkwardly. “What is New Dawn?” She asked, more than a little curious.

“Ah, to answer that now would take far too long. But as I said, you shall be our honored guests here, and I will arrange only the best for you! First, I should show you around properly, and not at spearpoint. Then, you shall meet the man in charge of it all, and he will explain it much better than I ever could.”

He allowed the four to retrieve their weapons and armor, ordered two soldiers to move their other supplies to a safer place, and began to lead the group through another part of the city. Rarity stayed close by his side, smiling fondly. “Why are you still talking so... properly? You’re only talking to friends here.”

Blake chuckled again. “Sorry. Force of habit. Being the sole representative of House Leo in this place kinda demands it. Alright, let’s see... I guess I can try to give you the basic rundown of what’s happening here while we walk. New Dawn is essentially the only real underground movement operating large-time in Equestria... or at least it was, until this Moonlight Resistance thing started up. Until then, everyone who Celestia had harmed in any way over the years- family or friends executed, neglect, or just a desire to end her rule- they all ended up here at some point or another.

“Our leader saw what was happening, and decided that a bigger move was necessary. We set up base way out here, where Celestia would likely never find us, and took in anyone and everyone that desired a second chance and was willing to fight back. Of course, we still house people that only seek haven from Eclipse, but it’s fighters we really need. We’ve provided training to everyone who was willing to receive it, but they could only get so far without a professional fighter there to teach them; that’s part of what I do here now, is train people to fight.”

“How’d you end up here in the first place?” Applejack asked. “You’re from Emberton, right? Sounds like you would have had a perfectly swell life just stayin’ there.”

“I get that.” Blake answered with a level voice. “What’s the point though? Honestly, I would find that just a waste of an existence. Celestia needs to be destroyed, and I intend to do everything I can to facilitate that. I’m doing everything I can here, and my uncle Rilken is holding down the fort back home. You can bet that most of Emberton will be behind us when the time comes. Anyway, we picked this place for our home not only because of its ideal location, but because we had already adopted the ideals of old Dawn for our philosophy. It’s taken some work, but our little tent-city we started with has started to resemble the actual city of Dawn now, since we’ve been slowly repairing homes with new materials and recycled ones from other parts of the city.”

As they walked, Rarity was able to easily see what he was talking about. As with before, some of the houses were repaired with discolored mortar and wood, serving as obvious but effective patchwork that rendered the houses completely usable again. Also as before, Rarity noticed more and more people surrounding them looking out from their homes, some going as far as to step outside and watch their passing when they realized they were not a threat. Blake had put his hood back up for warmth, but it was clear everyone in the woodwork of Dawn City knew him and trusted in him, and were somewhat less nervous around their guests.

Rarity was surprised by the variety of the people gathered there. Most were either clad in worn and threadbare clothing that was very ill-suited to the weather, or hand-me-down armor in the case of the soldiers going about their cautious patrols. However, the variety came in the age range of all the people; She most often saw people ranging from her own age up to people of thirty or forty years, but some were still older and did not look capable of holding a weapon, while still others were nothing more than small children.

“We take in all kinds of people in New Dawn.” Blake explained solemnly. “Directly related to the fact that Celestia has done wrong by all kinds of people. We’ve been active for many, many years, and a lot of people have come here over the years, most never leaving even with all the choice their own. People have grown old here, children born here... For too many people, Dawn City is their whole reality, until we get a chance to take back what was theirs.”

“So leadership must have been passed down a couple of times then?” Tug mused, hands in his pockets as he walked, his eyes darting around with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness.

“You’d think.” Blake answered. “But nope. We’ve had one leader, and while he’s getting along in age nowadays... he still leads us just as he did before; enigmatic, passionate and strong for everyone who needs to borrow from him. I’m guessing that once he steps down, his daughter will be the one to take over.”

“One leader through all those years?” Opal repeated. “I can hardly believe any person could stay standing that long... Unless...”

Blake turned back to her and flashed a knowing smile. “No normal person could, you’re right. The HQ is this way, then you’ll be able to meet him for yourself.” He continued to lead them through the streets, the buildings becoming better and better kept and repaired as they went. In addition, Rarity noticed an increase in the amount of scrappy soldiers, as though the whole city was radiating from a point ahead of them.

On the horizon was a larger structure that seemed completely out of place in the semi-ruined city, most likely constructed after New Dawn moved in. It resembled a small fortress, complete with two towers at the far-left and front-right corners, archer and javelin positions on the roof and sides, and reinforced brick and steel supports. “That’s the place.” Blake stated. “Our center of operations. Until you get up close, it looks just like the rest of the city, and if someone is this close in it’s really too late to worry about stealth anyway. It’s the best place to hold out during a siege, and it links right to an underground shelter for civilians to hide in in the event of any danger. But during peacetime, it serves as our HQ, where our leader can be found most hours of the day.”

Anticipation and unease filled Rarity’s heart as the group of five approached the headquarters-fortress. What kind of man would be there waiting for them? He must have been a decent enough gentleman to get this much of a following, and for such a noble cause. But if he was still running after so long, he must have been ancient, or... age slower. Could it be that he was like Opal, and was a Laguz from far across the sea? And Blake had said he had a daughter...

A girl of about eighteen or so stepped out tiredly from within the fortress as they reached it, and Rarity suddenly was very sure of her theory. The girl wore the same worn-out clothes as everyone else around, with some additional leather armor for good measure, and her hair, several different shades of brown, was tousled messily as it fell just past her shoulders. What drew attention though was her ears- pointed and positioned atop her head much like Opal’s- and the extremely fluffy tail poking out behind her. Laguz, definitely, but instead of being catlike as Opal was, this girl seemed more like a wolf- or perhaps a tired puppy.

She looked up at the group, eyebrows raised in surprise of the newcomers. Her eyes, large and shiny silver colored, scanned over each one, especially interested in Opal, and the tiny space in between Rarity and Blake.

“Lord Blake.” She greeted him. “Are these the newcomers the men have been telling me about? It seems you are good friends with them...” She eyed Rarity in particular, the light of challenge in her eyes. Her voice carried an odd drawling accent, almost identical to Applejack’s, but she made a point of speaking properly in spite of it.

“Hey, Winona.” Blake said, giving the wolf-girl a slight nod. “These people are all on our side, don’t worry. Two are Elements of Harmony, while the others are their friends and allies who are along for the ride. I thought to introduce them to your father and ask his opinion on whether we assist them in their own mission, and how we go about it.”

The girl, Winona, nodded after a moment. “Seems about right. I should not need to tell you to be careful, though. Be sure you can trust each one of them before giving them anything else.” With that, the girl strode off to somewhere else in the city, leaving the party watching her with mixed reactions.

Opal was the first to respond, saying simply: “Isn’t it a little cold out to be wearing so little clothing?” Tug could be heard in the background, reminding himself over and over: “I have a girlfriend. I am not single.” Applejack made no comment about Winona herself, but did comment idly on what Tug was saying. He responded: “Well, not really girlfriend, per se, but I have someone that I want to be my girlfriend. And I shall not allow myself to be distracted by that alarmingly attractive wolf girl, physically improbable as it may be.”

Rarity turned to Blake and raised an eyebrow. He laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. “I think she might have a little thing for me. Can’t say I think of her as more than a friend though. Anyway, let’s go talk to her dad and get your situation sorted out.” Rarity shrugged and allowed Blake to lead the group through the arching entryway to the fortress HQ, passing by several more soldiers going about their early-morning business. An unassuming wooden door sat at the far end of the dark-stoned, torchlit building, and Blake moved ahead to open the door and poke his head in.

“Sir, we’ve a few guests to New Dawn.” Blake stated. “They were to be taken prisoner, but seeing as I know two of them personally, two of the Elements of Harmony are among them, and I believe them fully when they say they are sympathetic to our cause, I thought to bring them directly before you instead.”

When the voice from within the room spoke, deep but calm, with the same accent Winona had carried, the rest of the fort fell silent. “Two of the Elements of Harmony, you say? Pray tell, which two?”

“Miss Applejack and Lady Rarity, sir.” Blake replied. “They are accompanied by the Lady Opal and another gentleman by the name of Tug.”

“Not the apprentice to the Queen or the energetic young baker, then?... That is a shame. I have much to say to both of them. But I digress. Please, all of you, step inside.” Rarity cast a glance at Blake for confirmation, and he nodded back to her as he walked into the room. Behind a heavy, well-used desk stood a single man, the owner of the voice, the leader of New Dawn. He stood facing the window on the far wall, hands clasped behind his back, above the fluffy grey tail that brushed against the ground idly. His hair, and the fur on the back of his pointy animal ears, was the same shade of clean, steely grey. When he turned slowly to face the group, they saw that his eyes matched the color as well, and his skin showed signs of being tanned by sunlight when it was strong enough.

“Welcome to New Dawn, ladies and gentleman.” He greeted, adopting a small smile. “We have much to discuss. Please, call me Vomora.”

Chapter Seventy-one

Chapter Seventy-one

Eclipse Swamps

Twilight

Morning seemed to come too early the next day, a thick fog rolling into camp from the direction of the swamp. Twilight emerged from the tent rubbing her eyes, feeling as though she had only just gone to sleep after her watch. Pinkie sat by the fire, poking at the embers idly with a stick. Spike and Max stood at the edge of camp, looking on at the heavily wooded swamp with arms crossed, and necessary supplies for the day packed up behind them.

Twilight suddenly felt much more awake, her heart speeding up in excitement of the day’s task. Somewhere in that swamp was a hidden stronghold, untouched for five hundred years, holding the last testament of her ancestor. Somewhere out there lay the answers she had torn herself to pieces seeking out, a distant part of the family she had never known, the beginning of the path that was the right one for her to take. More than anything, she would be able to find herself out there, to do what’s right and have things go back to as close to normal as they could be.

The party of four feasted on a breakfast of dried fruit and meat, bread that was neither fresh nor rock-hard stale, and plenty of coffee. Max had some with him that was better than anything Twilight had ever tasted, a blend that he said was a gift from a friend of his. Spike still seemed extremely suspicious of The Order member, but said nothing to him. Soon afterwards, the four packed up the rest of the supplies they would need for the day, leaving the tent and a few other provisions where they were for the time being.

“The ground is pretty level from here until about half a mile in.” Max explained as the group began to trek through the marsh. “Past that it starts to get rocky, with plenty of clefts underneath the rock and miniature cliffs where a secret passage might be. If there is a hidden fortress in there, starting there is our best bet.” The grey-winged heron boy led them through the muck and humid air of the swamp without much more conversation, Twilight trusting in his ability to lead them to where they needed to be.

The remainder of the trip was spent largely in silence, as the very nature of the swamp tended to put people in a sour mood. The air, thick and humid despite the chilly weather outside the tree line, made everyone uncomfortable in their heavier gear. The bottoms of their boots kept sticking to the marshy ground, and several times one of them had to stop to pull their shoe back on and tighten it when the force of the swamp was greater than their stride.

Twilight kept her head high the whole time however, her mindset unmovable. She was dead set on her goal, on the next piece of the puzzle that would make the whole bigger picture make sense again, and would not let any minor inconvenience stand in her way. She almost didn’t notice when the ground began to grow more solid, sticky mud giving way to mossy rock. She was brought back to reality when Pinkie grabbed her roughly by the arm, preventing her from unwittingly stepping off of a sudden, almost unseen drop.

“Thanks.” She said awkwardly, then turned back to face the area ahead of them. The ground in this area formed a bowl-shaped depression, at the bottom of which festered a small, disgusting, frozen puddle of algae-filled water. Scaling down the bowl were rows of stone jutting out this way and that, almost seeming to form a natural staircase the whole way around.

“Looks kinda like a stage.” Pinkie commented, tracing around the area with her finger. “Like, the stones all around almost seem like places where people could sit, and the center would be the actual stage part, if it weren’t just ice.”

“I see what you mean...” Spike started, rubbing his chin. He had been almost totally silent throughout the whole trek in the swamp so far, and Twilight began to think he had something on his mind. “I think it’s just a coincidence though. Why would there be a stage way out here? As far as I know, there was never anything here, except this mysterious stronghold...”

“Time travel shenanigans if I ever saw them.” Max said quietly. Twilight raised an eyebrow at him, and he continued: “Like I said, a friend of mine in The Order has weird time travel powers. Considering there was never anything here in the past, and judging by past experiences with the subject, I can only guess that there will be a stage here in the future at some point. Sometimes, when a location is exposed to a lot of temporal energy, nature can reshape itself to resemble forms that don’t yet exist...” His explanation, complicating things even more than they were before, was met only with two sets of skeptical and bemused glances, and one completely amazed one from Pinkie.

“I never claimed time travel made the slightest bit of sense.” Max stated in his own defense. “I stopped trying to understand it years ago, and just accepted my friend’s explanations without much argument. Much fewer headaches that way. Or, you know, it could just be a weird rock formation.”

“Anyway, let’s get searching.” Twilight said, bringing everyone back on topic. “Max was right, there could easily be an opening in between some of these rocks. Everyone take a corner and start looking.” The four carefully picked their way around the edge of the depression, then began to work their way downward while testing each stone, peering into each crack and crevice, and generally looking for anything out of the ordinary.

Twilight took another cautious step backward, the moss that crawled over each and every surface providing perfect traction. She lowered her hand to the next rock, then used her other to light a fire spell. She peered in through what had at first appeared to be just another small crevice, but her heart skipped a beat when she could not see where it ended. Excited, she searched around for a moment, then grabbed a loose pebble laying on the rock and jammed it into the crevice, and it fell somewhere below for a solid five seconds before she heard it hit the ground.

Twilight spun around quickly to shout for her friends to see her discovery, but just as she came to a stop, the moss underneath her fingertips tore away from its place on the rock. It’s become brittle in the cold... Why didn’t I think of that before?! The thoughts raced through her mind in a matter of seconds, but she was unable to move as her whole body fell backward away from the rocky wall, her arms pinwheeling at her sides in a desperate attempt to retain her balance.

The few seconds that it took for her to fall seemed to stretch out into an eternity. For the longest time, she was weightless in the air, free-falling past the cold rock and moss. Then, reality snapped back into blinding focus when her left wrist slammed into one of the stones on the way down. White hot pain lanced up her arm, and she was temporarily blinded, recovering just in time to see the frozen swamp water below rushing up to meet her. In the background, she could hear the faint cries of her friends calling out to her in surprise. Twilight closed her eyes in anticipation of the impact, knowing that it was too late to stop her fall.

The impact did come a moment later, but it was not nearly as jarring as Twilight had expected. The ice around her shattered cleanly, and instead of being drenched in freezing, filthy water, she fell through a few more feet of air before coming to a rough- but not serious- landing. Biting back the pain from her arm, she cracked her eyes open to see where she had ended up, and her racing heart skipped a beat. Directly above her, sunlight streamed down lazily from the hole left in the ice- no, not ice, but glass stained to look as such- and all around her grew thick, springy grass that helped to cushion her fall.

Beyond the fringes of the grass and the light cast by the sun overhead, she could see nothing but darkness, but it hardly mattered. She had inadvertently found exactly what the group was looking for. She was sure that this was the stronghold, buried directly underneath the swamp, and that somewhere beyond her line of sight would be the last will of hers and Pinkie’s ancestors.

“Twilight!” She heard Spike shout in alarm from above. Putting together immediately that he would jump down the same portal Twilight had fallen through, and still lay directly underneath, Twilight used her uninjured right hand to drag herself out of harm’s way. Her left wrist still burned with pain, and tears began forming in the pit of her eyes, but she held herself together. There was no time to lie around and be hurt. She’d let the others get to her, treat her wound properly, and then they would move on.

Sure enough, Spike was the first through, diving feet-first through the meter-wide hole and landing shakily a few feet away. It only took him half a second more to get his bearings and locate Twilight lying in the grass, then run over to her and deftly scoop her up in his arms. She whimpered slightly, involuntarily, when her injured arm’s position was shifted. She cursed herself for not being able to hold it together and making Spike worry.

Pinkie dropped through a few moments later, then Max slipped through and floated to the ground, gracefully but with appropriate speed. Spike was already examining Twilight’s arm, careful not to jostle it and cause her more pain. “I guess we’re just lucky you didn’t get hurt any worse...” He mumbled after a minute. “Looks like it’s only sprained. We should put it up in a splint right away, but it should be alright otherwise. If we can just find a way out of here so we can get back to camp...”

“No.” Twilight stated with all the strength she could muster. “We can’t leave yet... We’ve only just found the stronghold. We have to keep moving.”

“But Twilight, your arm-”

“I’ll be alright, Spike. Let’s just get a splint on it and move on. We’re too close to go back now.” She stared stubbornly into his concerned eyes for quite a while, until he broke and sighed in defeat.

“Fine. We’ll keep moving, but if it looks like it will take a while, we’re going back to rest. This place isn’t going anywhere. Max, you can get out of here easiest, go get some sticks for a splint.” Max, pausing only for a moment, possibly slightly annoyed at being ordered around, nodded and leapt back up to the entrance portal, scrambling up through the hole. “Just need a cloth now...” Spike said, looking around for anything to use. At last, he moved his eyes to try and look directly over his head, then removed the white bandana covering the top of his head. He shook his head to put his long violet hair back into place, but it still looked strange without his ever-present accessory.

Max returned a moment later with a bundle of branches, more than Twilight’s injury could possibly need, but he dropped most of them in the halo of light as he approached her. “These ones looked best for a sling,” He explained, “but I found more to make torches out of. I doubt there will be any more windows deeper in the stronghold, so we need light sources.”

Spike nodded tersely, then gently lay Twilight back onto the tough grass and went to work on her arm. Her wrist still throbbed with pain, but she did her best to bite back the urge to cry out as he tied the branches together and put the makeshift sling over her head so that her arm rested in front of her. Almost immediately, some of the pain began to recede, and she was able to sit up using her uninjured arm and look to the rest of her party. Pinkie simply stood where she was, a concerned and helpless look on her face, and Max was much the same. “I’m alright, really.” Twilight insisted. “Let’s make those torches and get searching. Who knows how big this stronghold is...”

Max nodded uncertainly and knelt down for the remains of the bundle of sticks. He used some of the tough grass growing all over the ground to wrap around the tips of the torches, a suitable burning material. For the first time, though, Twilight cast a confused glance around at her surroundings. “How... How is there so much grass down here?” She asked. “It’s still winter, so how has this all survived in the cold?”

Spike looked critically at the greenery as well. “Come to think of it, the temperature is higher down here too. Water could probably drip through from above and be absorbed from below and keep it alive. But... Why is it warm enough for that here, when it’s so cold just outside?” For once, no one had an answer to that fact, not even Max. A few minutes passed while the torches were put together, and the group prepared to set out into the darkened stronghold.

At last, Spike and Max both took one of the torches, electing to take the front and rear of the line respectively. Twilight closed her right hand around each of the torches’ heads, lighting them quickly and efficiently. After a few moments of searching the outer edges of the sunlit room, they located a passage in the middle of the wall to the south, and the four began their slow, cautious trek through the cavern-like underground fortress. It was definitely more fortress than cave however; the walls were almost totally flat, the corners exact. Twilight wondered how the original builders of this place could have dug out a passage so uniform, but she soon realized that the walls were not natural rock, but extremely weathered brick, almost indistinguishable.

“How old do you think this place is?” Twilight said quietly, the sound echoing up and down the passage. “Was it originally above ground... or was it constructed like it is now? And by who...?”

“I think this was always a swamp.” Max stated. “Hard to say when I am just going on Celestia’s version of history and what I’ve picked up from my friend, but I think it was always like this. So, this stronghold was most likely built as an underground fortress. Probably as a place hidden from the Queen during the war, but by who... It’s really hard to say. Some ancient resistance faction?”

Twilight shrugged as best she could without jostling her injured arm, and the team continued through the passage for a ways, until they came to a dead end. “Oh, no...” Twilight groaned. “Did we miss a turn or something?”

“I did not see anywhere else to go.” Max argued. “This was literally the only pathway in the entire place. This cannot be a total dead end.”

Spike closed his eyes and leaned against the side of the passage, tapping his foot thoughtfully. Pinkie, however, moved over to the far wall, examining it closely, her whole head darting here and there to check each tiny crevice in the ancient brick. “I’m feeling something about this wall...” She muttered. “Like... it shouldn’t even be here, or something...” She stood back for a moment to appraise it from a distance... then pulled her arm back and slammed her fist into the wall.

Twilight cringed, sure that the bones in Pinkie’s hand would have been shattered, but she opened her eyes when she heard a much louder crack. In fact, Pinkie was merely rubbing her hand as though it were barely hurt, and half of the wall had cracked, sand falling gently to the ground. “It’s sandstone.” Pinkie confirmed. “A fake wall. We’re supposed to break through.” Nodding with a sense of accomplishment, she unsheathed her spear and began jabbing at the wall, shattering the weak sandstone foundation and causing the dead end to soon disappear.

In place of the wall was soon nothing more than a pile of sand for the group to climb over. Beyond the mound was a larger room, only slightly smaller than the one the party had started in. Spike shook his head in amazement. “Irregular temperatures and sandstone that’s that fragile... What kind of place is this stronghold?”

“As I said earlier...” Max stated, stepping forward. “Time travel shenanigans. Now, I think we might be close here. I see some light filtering in from above. Seems like an important room.” He nodded, confirming the thought to himself, and stepped carefully over the pile of sand obscuring the doorway.

Pinkie scrambled over next, and Spike motioned for Twilight to follow. “I’ll be right behind you, in case you have trouble with your arm like that.” Twilight smirked at him, accepting the challenge, and clambered over the mound on three limbs. She lowered herself down the other side more carefully, but came to a rest on clear stone without any problems. Spike trudged in a moment later, the light of his torch dancing across the walls and leaving the preceding corridor dark.

As Max had said, a few cracks in the ceiling above allowed some faint rays of light to filter through, thick dust from the freshly disturbed room plainly visible in the air. Max and Pinkie stood at the far end of the room, his torchlight illuminating a large grey object centered against the wall. Looking more closely, Twilight could see that it was a life size statue, the figure depicted looking armed to the teeth. Two katanas hung at her hip, staves crossed across her back, and various depictions of other weapons equipped all over her body, which was clothed in a simple long-sleeved garment.

However, the strangest thing about it by far was the statue’s face. Pinkie took a step back, her eyes squinted nervously. “It... It looks just like me...” While the statue’s eyes were shut, the resemblance to Pinkie was undeniable. The shape of her face, the cute fluffiness of her hair... The only thing missing was a smile. “I’ll be honest, I’m getting a little creeped out...” Pinkie continued, speaking to herself. “What does it mean...?”

Twilight shook her head, unsure of what to tell her. Before she could speak, a pale yellow light began to emanate from the statue, so suddenly that all four members of the group jumped slightly. The glow continued for a moment later before fading out, then the eyes of the statue shot open, shining with golden light. The party stepped back again, Twilight backing right into the wall, but Pinkie making a decision and stepping forward. “Pinkie, wait! You don’t know what that thing’s going to do!” Twilight shouted, to no avail.

The situation didn’t get any better, because with a low grinding noise, the statue actually moved forward a step, slowly at first, but its stone limbs were clearly operational. It came to a stop after a few steps, staring down Pinkie with its luminescent yellow eyes, and slowly drew its stone swords from its belt. It held them backhanded, dropped into a battle stance, then stopped, preparing to pounce. The tension in the air was palpable.

Pinkie had just enough time to draw the spear from the sheath on her back and settle into a sloppy battle stance before the statue leapt at her.

Chapter Seventy-two

Chapter Seventy-two

City of Dusk; Midtown

Fluttershy

“Wait.” Rainbow Dash said as Gilda began to turn away. She did. “You said you’re here for artifact recovery? Look, this place is still crawling with those beasts, most likely. We’d be better off if we stuck together, don’t you think?”

Gilda raised an eyebrow at him, clearly suspicious. Fluttershy shifted uncomfortably, worried about what was happening. Right from the beginning, when she first saw the black cloak on this girl, she had been afraid. She still remembered every second when she was being attacked by that monster Lucius seven years ago, and did not trust Gilda any further than she did him. She tugged once at Dash’s sleeve, and in a whisper, she spoke up: “Um... Are you sure about this, Dash...?”

He cast a curious look at her. In an undertone, he asked: “You don’t trust her?” After a moment’s uncomfortable hesitation, she shook her head. He nodded solemnly. “Me neither. That’s exactly why I’m suggesting this, so I can keep an eye on her. Don’t want her screwing up our mission or anything.” Fluttershy nodded in sudden understanding, but a long moment passed before Rainbow Dash broke eye contact with her. When he turned back to face the Order member, Fluttershy’s eyes fell to the ground. What was that...? It’s like he was trying to make me feel safer without saying anything... Her mind was a bit preoccupied with everything going on in the ruined city to ponder this, but something was definitely off about it.

Gilda unfolded her arms, and walked back over to the group. “Travel together for a bit, you mean? Search all over for everything and cover each other’s butts from these creatures of darkness?... You know, I can see your point there. There’s strength in numbers. Fine, I’ll stick with you for now, but only as long as we’re going in the same direction. If I need to take off, don’t try and stop me.”

She moved over to the edge of the plaza clearing, then pointed to a road leading deeper into the city. The strangely shaped pinwheel towers loomed overhead like skeletal trees. “I know what I want is that-a-way, and your ancestor’s thing for you is probably there too. This city is basically radial, and the most important buildings and stuff is at the dead center. So that’s where we go.”

She set off without another word, and with a look back and a nod to Fluttershy and Angel, Rainbow Dash followed. Fluttershy took Angel’s hand and followed suit. Ahead of her, she could hear Dash and Gilda talking idly as they walked: “So, Gilda, what do you know about this place? What are those weird looking towers everywhere, and these creatures running around?”

“I’ve been here a few times, yeah.” She answered. “See, the people of Dusk were very industrious, and were founded by the Children of Air. As such, they didn’t have a load of magic to power their stuff like Eclipse did, so they turned to raw technology instead. Those towers? They are windmills- ancient machines that harvested turbine energy from the very wind itself that powered this city. Unfortunately, most of them are rusted over from lack of maintenance now, and haven’t been gathering any power for years. And the creatures... I duuno, really. They’ve been here, as far as I can tell, as long as the city’s been abandoned by humanity.”

“It’s just...” Dash started. “Back when we met Lucius, he summoned things just like these. I wondered if there was a connection.”

“Oh, you guys were the ones who killed him? Hah, don’t worry, don’t worry, it’s cool. He was too careless, clearly. Order’s better off without him. But yeah, I think he was calling them from this place when he summoned them, which is why there was never a shortage.”

She’s able to wave away the death of one of her partners that easily?! Fluttershy thought, alarmed. That’s crazy! I really don’t feel good about this... We shouldn’t be trusting this girl...

“Anyway...” Gilda continued, “I’m not sure what they’re doing here in the first place. It’d be nice to figure it out, maybe get find a way to get rid of them someday. This place was supposed to be really nice back when people lived in it.” The party continued through the streets for another few blocks, each moment growing more tense with anticipation of an attack from the terrible creatures of darkness, and soon passed through another plaza on their way. Gilda seemed not to find anything of interest in the plaza, and was already walking through to the street on the other side, but something on the far right edge had caught Fluttershy’s eye.

It was a building made in a completely different style than the uniform grey of the other buildings, with extremely weathered and splintered wood making up the majority of the walls. The roof sat a bit lower than the rest of the plaza as well, but it was wide enough to take up the whole of the edge by itself. Shattered windows that seemed to have once been stained glass ringed the empty spaces in the walls, and a sign that probably advertised the place lay discarded on the ground, none of the paint remaining to give a message any longer. Judging by the general shape and appearance of the building, Fluttershy guessed it was likely a tavern or restaurant.

While this didn’t strike her as terribly unusual, or even interesting, something did make her pause and stare at the building. She couldn’t quite place it, but something definitely seemed off. Maybe it was how out-of-place the woodwork was among all the stone, or perhaps it was something more... Perhaps this was where she was meant to be. Angel was the first to notice her pause, since he was right next to her, followed only a moment later by Rainbow Dash. He tapped Gilda on the shoulder to alert her to the situation as well, and she turned around impatiently.

“What’s the holdup? You see some creatures in there?” She stalked back over and peered in for herself, readying her battle claws, but Fluttershy shook her head quickly.

“No...” Fluttershy muttered, taking a cautionary step forward. “Not them. But... I feel something strange about it... I think we should take a quick look inside, just to be sure.”

Dash nodded, but kept his sword at the ready. “I think gut instinct is a good thing to trust at times like these. But mine is telling me that we shouldn’t let our guard down even for a second in this place. We’ll move in, but stay close and careful.” He crept forward with blade held out before him, eyes meticulously scanning every opening in the building. Fluttershy watched motionlessly for a moment, struck by his steadfast determination to keep her and Angel safe, and felt a slight blush. She shook her head clear a moment later, putting her mind back to work with the situation at hand, and she moved forward behind him.

When they breached the door and crept inside the building, she noticed that it was not in much better shape than the exterior. All the tables had long since fallen to the ground, their legs rotted out from under them, but she could tell where they once had been. A bar ran along the length of the far wall, confirming that the building was once a tavern. Evidence of parlor games were scattered about: the remains of a billiards table along with two or three balls in the corner, a few dice laying around here and there, and an open chess case with most of the pieces still remaining.

Fluttershy looked around the room for a long minute, unsure of what she was supposed to be seeing, but she couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. She was about to turn around and apologize for wasting time with the tavern, when she caught sight of something- someone- standing at the far end of the bar and jumped nearly a foot into the air. Her racing heart was able to slow down marginally when she realized it was not a living person, but a statue that had gone unnoticed in the rubble of the building. She took a moment to calm herself, her nerves shot from the terrifying nature of the city, then examined the statue more closely.

The figure depicted looked like he would have belonged in this tavern were he alive though. His clothes consisted of a loose vest over a basic shirt, nondescript pants, and an alarmingly fashionable fedora atop his head. His hair fell past his shoulders messily, and even as a simple statue his stubble was apparent. At his belt hung some sort of short, rodlike weapon.

“Who’s this guy?” Gilda asked, a hint of curiosity creeping through her wall of boredom.

“It seems really out of place in this building...” Dash commented. “Could... Could this be what we’re looking for? Is this guy one of our ancestors? But if that’s the case, how does this statue help us at all?”

Fluttershy took another cautious step towards it, her mind racing. This man could well be her ancestor, and the gift he had left her could be just a few more feet away. Her heart was going a mile a minute already, and when she stepped forward, Dash called out in warning: “Fluttershy, wait! There’s something wrong with it!”

She looked back at him, then back to the statue, confused. Her eyes widened when she realized what he meant; the whole grey figure was beginning to glow with a dull red light. Fluttershy took a cautious step back, then froze up when the light reached its peak and sputtered out. A long painful moment passed in which nothing happened, then the eyes of the statue flew open, glowing red, and it began to walk towards her with stiff, jerky movements.

Fluttershy stumbled backward in fear from the moving statue, her hands shaking too much to draw her weapon. The statue reached to his belt and retrieved his odd-looking weapon, and spun it around in his palm once. It snapped up suddenly, extending to two feet in length, and an oddly shaped spearhead flipped forth from somewhere within the weapon as well. It almost looked like a spade suite that would be found on a playing card.

Dash and Angel finally got their wits about them and leapt forward, cutting off the path of the possessed effigy with weapons raised. Gilda appeared to still be by the door, eyes locked on the statue but not leaping into the fray. The statue stopped as the two stood in his path, then shook his head and attempted to wave them aside. With that, Fluttershy knew without a doubt it was her he wanted, and that he was most likely the image of her ancestor, not Dash’s.

She locked eyes with it, hoping against hope to be able to reason with the thing, and shook her head vehemently. “Please, fighting isn’t the answer!” She pleaded. “I know it’s me you want, but fighting me won’t do anything either! I can’t fight you!”

Dash started, looking back at her out of the corner of his eye. “Fluttershy, what are you doing?! This thing can’t understand you! Let us take care of it!” Despite Rainbow Dash’s words, the statue had actually stopped, and seemed to be trying to register what had been said. A brief hope filled Fluttershy’s heart, as it appeared there was some measure of intelligence within the effigy. It reached forward with both arms and shoved both boys aside powerfully, sending them stumbling to the debris-covered ground, but then it sheathed its weapon in a clear declaration of ceasefire.

Fluttershy watched with a mix of fear, confusion and curiosity as the statue folded his arms, looking for all intents like he was mulling over the situation and trying to find another solution. Dash and Angel both scrambled to their feet and Fluttershy’s side, but all of a sudden she didn’t feel the need for them to stand between her and her ancestor. At last, the statue unfolded his arms and raised them dramatically as though lifting something from the ground, and the ground underneath the rubble, between the two began to shift. Sections rose in squares, all at different heights, forming two odd formations at either side of the space between Fluttershy and her ancestor’s effigy.

She lowered her eyebrows at the formations, trying to figure out what their purpose was, until the statue cast his arm over it with a flourish. On his side, several glowing red shapes leapt into being, standing upon the square tiles, and on her side, identical blue ones formed. The statue finished by reaching to the ground, picking something up and tossing them to her; three normal playing dice.

Her eyes widened, everything seeming perfectly clear. “The game!” She stated excitedly. “The one we played when we were little, Dash? The one I still play with Angel? This is just a huge version of that! Wait... That game was passed down through the family, Creiddylad told me. Could it... My ancestor probably was the first one to play! But that means I’ll be playing against the creator of the game itself...”

“Is this seriously happening?” Gilda asked in annoyed disbelief. “Are we really staking our whole mission and the fate of the country on some children’s game? Ugh, I thought that only happened in books...”

“I dunno, I think I see what her ancestor means by this.” Dash stated, standing up straighter and dusting himself off. “This is war, but battle isn’t all about fighting. If Fluttershy can conduct these troops against him, then she’ll have proven herself capable in a whole different way. Tactics is a big part of battle too.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Gilda complained. “Just seems kind of time consuming on her part. We’re going to have to hold down the fort here until the game wraps up, with those creatures running around this city just waiting to pounce on us. I hate staying in one place for too long in something else’s hunting grounds.”

Dash shrugged and moved over to the door, standing guard alongside Gilda, and Fluttershy set to work scanning the miniature stone battlefield constructed for the tiny soldiers. It didn’t look like it was anything fancy, just several layers of ground connected in various places by stairs, with all the soldiers placed up highest on the back rows. It all looked very haphazard, but she could see potential sniper spots for archers and mages on both formations. The space between the two was flatland, but a grid of light showed where the tiles were.

The statue motioned courteously for her to take the first move, and she nodded. The forms of the soldiers had completely solidified into colored figurines, no longer glowing with the magical energy that had created them, so she was able to touch them and move them all by hand. She started by moving all the heavier-hitting units- armored knights, axe men and spearmen- to the lower levels, with the swordsmen and flyers just above them, ready to dive in and hit weaker points in the enemy’s formation. Mages, archers and the single healer all waited behind the front line, ready to assist from afar.

The statue nodded thoughtfully, then sent his troops forward as a whole and off of the formation. Curiously, he kept the heavier units to the side, with the faster and softer-hitting spear and sword users in front. The mages, archers and healer were still kept in the center of the approaching mass of soldiers, but Fluttershy found his approach to be a bit backwards and confusing. He invented the game, though. He knows what he’s doing, now if only I knew too... Why put the weaker soldiers up front?

Fluttershy used her next turn to finish organizing her own troops, placing each soldier at the perfect position to strike where she thought her ancestor would move his troops. His next turn brought him directly before her makeshift fort, and his myrmidons and soldiers collided with her wall of heavy fighters. The dice flew, and she was surprised to see herself taking more damage than he was. By focusing on one heavy soldier with more than one light troop, he was able to outmaneuver them and their slow speeds to rip them apart. One was destroyed on the spot, with another severely damaged.

Fluttershy’s next turn rolled around, and she first had her healer bring the heavy knight back to full health. Next, she used her magicians and archers to bombarde the light fighters of her enemy, successfully destroying two of them. Her own swordsmen and lancers rushed out from behind the line and cut down a third and wounded a fourth, then braced themselves for impact from the impending enemy. The heavy soldiers were just out of her own reach, and she did not want to move her human wall for fear of exposing the weaker long-rangers.

Her ancestor’s troops blasted forward, his mages and archers a flurry of projectiles that cut down three of her four light fighters. His heavy fighters marched forward in wake of the storm, crashing into her wall and downing the two knights and leaving her with only one axe user and a swordsman, plus her two archers, two mages, two flyers and healer. His forces still consisted of a lancer, plus all four of his heavy fighters, two flyers, healer and long-range specialists.

Fluttershy frowned with concentration, trying to find a way to pull the match around. Her ancestor had gotten very lucky so far, but it would take an awful amount of luck for her to push things back into her favor. She started by collapsing her line and moving back a full step, just far enough away that his troops could not reach hers in his next turn, and placed her magic users and flyers directly behind the line. She had a last-ditch plan to try, and hoped that he wouldn’t see it before it was too late.

Her heart flared when he took his next turn and marched right up the slope, right into her trap, only making one attack with an archer and hurting her swordsman. Her healer patched the wound up a moment later when her turn came, and she sprung her trap. The mages let loose upon his defenseless heavy troops, wounding them, and her flyers swooped down to finish both of them. Her archers then focused their fire on his lancer, destroying it as well.

Three kills in one turn! I might just stand a chance after all! She kept focused on the game, cringing when the remaining two heavy soldiers crashed into her line once again, killing the swordsman and nearly bringing the axe user with him. His archer’s and mages launched projectiles over her line and finished off one of her flyers and hurting an archer. Her retaliatory attack shot both of his flyers clean out of the air with her archer’s advantages over them, but her line was too weakened to continue to hold that position. Her troops moved back another notch, backing up into the very edge of the battlefield.

Her ancestor’s troops kept up the barrage, the two heavy soldiers managing to barrel through and cause some more damage before collapsing. Now it was only her axe user and flyer, both mages and archers and healer against his archers, mages and healer. It looked like she held the upper hand and would pull through, until her ancestor’s archers and mages let loose another volley, striking down both her axe user and healer.

Frowning again, she directed her remaining troops to take out his healer, and managed to wound one of his archers in the process. Now it was four on four, an even match, and neither could repair the damages they sustained. A true pretend fight to the death. The dice continued to roll, soldiers falling one by one on both sides, the numbers dropping to three a side, then two, finally ending in a one-on-one showdown between her archer, and his mage. Her palms sweating with anticipation, she cast her dice to the center of the battlefield, her ancestor’s falling a moment later. They both bounced around for a moment, then fell in almost slow motion to their final reading.

A six for Fluttershy, and only a one for him! The perfect roll. His mage was removed from the field, leaving her archer the last man standing. She had won. But... What did that even mean? She looked up to the stone effigy of her ancestor, still gazing with his pupil-less red eyes upon the miniature battlefield, then nodded in satisfaction. He stepped back, the figurines and game area disappearing and returning the floor of the decrepit tavern to normal. Fluttershy’s eyes widened in fear when the statue drew his weapon again, but instead of moving towards her, he took a step backward... and drove the weapon into his own heart.

Or, where the heart would have been. As it was only a statue, there was no visible damage to speak of, but it paused and began to fall back as though it had actually been stabbed. As it collapsed, a bolt of magical energy, the same filling the effigy’s eyes, began to leap across its surface, hit its forehead, then jolted away from the statue entirely, arcing through the air... towards Fluttershy. She didn’t have time to dodge away before the bolt raced up to meet her, striking her directly between the eyes, completely scrambling her vision and making her extremely light headed.

Strangely, she didn’t feel pain or wounded from it, only very sleepy. As though through a filter in the background of the tavern, she head Angel and Rainbow Dash shout her name, and was vaguely aware of being caught in her fall to the ground, and then everything went white.

Chapter Seventy-three

Chapter Seventy-three

New Dawn

Rarity

“Vomora?” Applejack repeated, confirming the name. The half-wolf leader of the New Dawn resistance nodded. “You’re that same guy that were tryin’ to take out Twilight, Phil an’ Spike seven years ago! The same guy who was usin’ Pinkie as a human weapon!”

Vomora sighed regretfully, then nodded again. “I am the very same, yes. That is why I was disappointed to hear none of those people were here with you. I truly do wish to apologize to each of them for my actions. I did not imagine that there was a spark of hope so close to the Queen in the form of the Goldoan, and that his influence would put the apprentices in the perfect mental state to become turncoats. I truly underestimated him, and the true potential of young Twilight and Phillip.

“But most of all... I absolutely need to apologize to the poor girl I wronged so horribly. What name did you say she took after her escape? Pinkie? The crimes I inflicted upon her are beyond any justification, and perhaps I myself am beyond any redemption... But I still feel the need to make her aware that I do regret my actions.”

Rarity frowned, and Vomora turned back to his window. “You know, good sir...” She began, “If you wanted to try and make it up to them, you could help us in our mission here. They would surely appreciate the favor, and be more willing to listen.”

Vomora remained silent for a moment, then spoke again. “Indeed, I suppose it would. First, I must inquire to the nature of your mission; is it something that could jeopardize the safety and security of New Dawn? I cannot be too cautious in that regard.”

“It shouldn’t.” Applejack stated. “What we need is somewhere in Dawn, so you could keep an eye on us and make sure we don’t do anythin’ you don’t like. There’s supposed to be somethin’ left behind here for us to find by our ancestors, and it’s supposed to help us get strong enough to take on the Queen. Sounds like somethin’ you’d be interested in.”

The wolf leader of New Dawn turned, his eyes bright. “This does indeed interest me. Some sort of weapon hidden away beneath my very nose... Do you currently have any idea where these mementos are located?”

Rarity shook her head sheepishly. “Only ‘in Dawn’, I’m afraid. However, I’m fairly certain it is not in the castle. We... Also don’t know exactly what it is we’re even looking for...” Rarity trailed off, embarrassed at her lack of information and research, but Vomora picked up the conversation regardless. The prospect seemed to have excited him.

“This does not change things too drastically, miss Rarity. We will simply have to be more attentive in our search. Blake!” Beside her, the boy snapped to attention. “Organize the men under you into three parties and have them scan the north, south and east districts of the city. Leave five additional soldiers to join yourself and the Element’s team here in combing the west district.”

Opal frowned and stepped forward. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to send one of each of us per party?”

“Do you trust me enough to separate you all, surrounded by people loyal to me?”

Rarity interjected: “I trust Blake completely. And he trusts you, and my friends trust me. I don’t believe you’ll try anything against us.”

Vomora rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then nodded. “Very well, Blake, form four parties of the same size. You four may chose whichever party suits your fancy.” The resistance leader and blue-haired youth gave each other a final salute, and Blake led the team out of Vomora’s office.

Blake strode out the door to the fortress, surveying the morning landscape of the half-repaired city, and Rarity moved to stand beside him. Idly, he spoke: “It’s not going to be an easy task finding something when we have no idea what we’re looking for...”

“That’s why we needed to split up.” Rarity stated, though she wasn’t fully confident that her plan was a perfect one. “I believe that Applejack or I will know when we see the thing our ancestors left for us. If we’re in different groups, then we have twice the chance of finding one, and then we might be able to find the other easier.”

Blake nodded in simple confirmation. “Makes sense. I think I’ll be heading up the group combing the south. Would you like to come with me?”

“Of course!” She said enthusiastically. She adjusted the sword at her back, and waited for Blake to call together his troops.

_________________

Twilight

The possessed statue, identical in appearance but vastly differing in combat skills to Pinkie, leapt forward and collided with her spear. The stone swords seemed to be just as sturdy as any steel. With a mighty push, Pinkie spun her spear out of the statue’s grip, sending it reeling back again. It landed with a heavy thud, but remained on its feet, and launched itself at Pinkie again, faster this time.

Again and again the identical fighters clashed blades, plain rock against gleaming steel, Pinkie holding her own against the emotionless effigy. Soon, another mighty shove sent the statue crashing into the wall at the end of the cavern, but it rose again, unfazed by the attack. It seemed to shift something behind it without moving its arms, and a moment later, a great set of stone wings erupted from its back. Somewhat comically, a few feathers fell loose as though they were actual wings, the tiny stone plumes dropping straight to the ground.

Without missing another beat, the two went right back at it, an unspoken, unrehearsed dance of blades that both knew by heart. For all its apparent weight, the statue was extremely fast, but Pinkie matched the speed easily. However, as the two continued their duel, the effigy began to pick up speed, and Twilight could see Pinkie begin to sweat.

She didn’t let up, though, and the battle continued. Twilight didn’t dare try to join in the fight herself; in addition to being crippled by her sprained wrist, she was downright scared of the statue’s insane skill, and didn’t want to inadvertently hit Pinkie by launching a ball of fire into the fray. They were just moving too fast. Spike and Max seemed similarly conflicted, and Twilight’s mind was in disarray; she wanted so badly to just jump in and help her friend, but could think of no way to do that that didn’t just make things worse.

As the duel progressed, the statue became more and more aggressive, attacking not only with its blades, but with the tips of its wings, and Pinkie soon had to work twice as hard and fast to keep up her defense. However... as though a light had clicked within her, she began to speed up almost too fast to be normal, and Twilight began to think she was blurring, as she thought she saw double for a moment, a shadow of a second form blocking somewhere else. At first she shook the thought aside, but then it happened again, then again right after.

For all appearances, it seemed that there was something else in the battle, a second form dueling right alongside Pinkie, but occupying the same space as her, like her shadow. Twilight took a moment to consider what was happening, but all of a sudden everything clicked. Chaos! That dark side that Pinkie was going on about back at the Lunar Festival! It’s coming back around again... It seems like whatever it is, it comes about whenever she’s in a really intense fight, like some kind of personal guardian spirit... I wonder what it has to do with Pinkie’s apparent abilities.

With the aid of Chaos, Pinkie was able to get back on the offensive, matching the perfect dual-wielding symmetry of her opponent with twice the lightning-fast spearsmanship. Twilight was beginning to become disoriented, though; Chaos had the exact same shape and build as Pinkie, though it was only a shadowy form, and the statue’s appearance was almost identical as well. It seemed as though there were three Pinkie’s running around.

As they fought, Chaos began to diverge more and more from Pinkie, becoming more and more well-defined, and together the two managed to push the statue back further and further, eventually driving it back to the wall once again. Beside Twilight, Spike and Max were watching with equal intensity, silently cheering Pinkie on. As one, the twin fighters spun forward, finally knocking aside the stone katanas once and for all, then drove their spears forward into the chest of the statue. The effigy froze up completely, a sure sign that they had one, but as soon as Chaos stopped moving, it disappeared once again. That left only the stunned statue and Pinkie, panting and sweating, but with a definite look of triumph on her face.

The yellow light faded from the statue’s eyes, and it looked like it had died for good, but just as the last sign of life faded from it, a bolt of lightning arced straight from the effigy’s stone forehead into Pinkie’s, sending her flying backward and collapsing to the ground. The statue shook violently and fell to pieces a moment later, and the three remaining members of the party rushed over to Pinkie’s lifeless body. Twilight hurriedly checked for a pulse, then sighed in relief when she felt a strong heartbeat still going.

“She’s only unconscious.” Said Twilight. “What do you suppose that was?”

“If I had to guess, I would say it’s the whole reason you are here.” Max said, rubbing his chin and speaking quietly. “That was not a clone of her, but someone who simply resembled her. And since you are here searching for your ancestors, I think that the statue might have been of that ancestor.”

Twilight nodded thoughtfully. “That does make sense... And now she’s asleep, so she probably got sent back to the Dreamscape to actually meet her ancestor. I wonder how long she’ll be...”

_______________

Rarity

At least two hours passed as the four groups branched off to search the semi-ruined city, for anything out of the ordinary that could lead Rarity and Applejack to their ancestors. Blake made for good company, even though their search was mostly fruitless. Opal had gone along with the wolf-girl heir, Winona, and Rarity wondered if the whole cat-dog rivalry thing would make itself apparent in them. Applejack had ended up in the same group as the grumpy lieutenant that had captured them that morning, but Tug seemed to be without anyone familiar in his group.

Eventually, the team led by Blake was forced to return empty-handed, with Rarity feeling rather dejected about their lack of progress. She was very excited to learn more about her ancestor, and knew that she was most likely already a noblewoman in her own time.  The group of around twenty soldiers plus them returned to the central building before any of the other three, but it wasn’t long until Opal’s group joined them. One look between the two adoptive sisters confirmed that neither had found anything worth mentioning.

The troops of soldiers soon dissolved back into the city, off to resume their normal guard duties and training regiments, leaving the three old friends and wolf to themselves. Opal went into more detail about their search, as did Rarity, but in the end they still had found nothing. A few minutes later, they were joined by Tug, stalking back alone, but not unhappily.

“We didn’t find anything regarding your ancestors...” The boy began, “but that’s not to say it was a pointless journey. I personally found loads of interesting stuff, little hidey holes where troops could take shelter in the event of an attack, sniping positions, some interesting defensive and offensive instillations completely invisible from a distance; New Dawn has it set here, in my opinion.”

“From a tactical standpoint, you are right.” Said Winona, nodding softly. “But in terms of living conditions, we could be better. We have ample living space, but keeping everything in repair has been a challenge. In addition... it isn’t easy getting food here, as the ground for miles is rather infertile.”

“Yeah, I can see that being a problem...” Tug said, putting it rather lightly. “So how do you get food here?”

“We have a few farms, closer to the coast.” Winona answered. “Far enough away that they will not be found, but close enough to be at easy access. Sometimes, though, it’s just not enough...”

Rarity listened, half-interested, to the conversation, still wondering what they were to do about their ancestors. She was very deep in thought, and didn’t notice the footsteps from the street behind her until their owner was very close at hand. When she finally did register them she turned and stood. “Oh, you’re back too- Applejack!”

The lieutenant who had been leading the fourth group had returned to the clearing, the rest of his men dispersing behind him, but Applejack was unconscious, slung over his shoulder. Rarity ran up to take her from him, joined a moment later by Opal, Blake and the others. “What happened?” Opal demanded.

The lieutenant massaged his shoulder as he spoke, seeming to have carried Applejack a distance. “I’m not even quite sure. We were just going along, looking for whatever it is we were looking for, and Applejack here noticed something in one of the buildings. We’d seen the thing a million times, but this time there was some statue there- hadn’t been there before. Before we could get a good look at it, the thing started glowing light blue, almost white, and came to life! It started shooting ice everywhere, but Applejack handed the thing’s ass to it. The thing collapsed under her axe, but not before knocking her out with a bolt of lightning... She’s been out like a light ever since.”

“What did the statue look like, out of curiosity?” Tug inquired. “I can’t exactly go for a look myself, since you said she broke it.”

“I don’t know, I didn’t get a good look at it. Seemed to be of some kid though, kinda short, with longish hair and glasses. Carried a spell book, but never once looked at it.”

_________________

Dreamscape

Fluttershy

Ugh... what? Where- Oh, I’m back at the dream world again... Which means... Fluttershy sprang to her feet, or imagined herself doing so, and looked around. Everything was exactly the same as when she had met Creiddylad two nights ago- dusty white and featureless- but this time her sister was nowhere to be seen.

A fresh wave of sadness hit Fluttershy, as she had simply avoided thinking of her older sister these past days. She was still gone... But as Fluttershy began to feel bad again, she noticed something- someone- else in the Dreamscape. He was identical to the statue she had mock-battled with, though she could tell he had some color to him now, and was truly alive. His blond hair flowed out behind him from under his fedora, and he kept his hands in his pockets as he watched her with shaded eyes.

When he spoke, it was in an accent not unlike Xekora’s: “Well, my dear lass, you’ve made it. I’m glad to finally have the chance to meet you in person.”

“You’re... My ancestor?” She stammered. The man was not in any way disconcerting, but she was still nervous of him. After all, he was technically a ghost.

“Indeed, I am. Yours, your sister’s, and one other bloke... who really ought to be here right now, I thought I told him today was the day we were doing this. Where is he...”

“Who is it?” Fluttershy asked. There was another person out there descended from this man... Almost like a long-lost family member, perhaps. But how far back were she and he related?

“I doubt you’d know him. While he is a Child of Air, he hasn’t spent a day in Equestria for years. Too busy tromping around the lands of Tellius or the islands of Ivoire... Ah, here he comes.”

Fluttershy turned to where her ancestor was facing, and began to see the outline of a third figure running through the fog towards them. A few seconds later he came into view, nearly tripping on the empty ground, and held up his hand as he panted to catch his breath. “Sorry, sorry... I’m here... No worries...”

“Mate, there is no space in the Dreamscape. Or breath. Why did you run in here panting?”

The newcomer paused immediately and looked up. “Oh, uh... Force of habit? You know I love the theatrics.” Fluttershy took a moment to get a good look at him. His clothes boasted that he traveled a lot, as they consisted of sturdy looking jeans and a trench coat, with all kinds of pockets and equipment stored about it. A rounded hat sat atop his head of graphite-colored hair, and his skin was somewhat tempered and tanned by the sun. When he looked up to view Fluttershy, she saw that he had rather large, red eyes, and saw a few orange feathers out of place behind him. He bowed to her, removing his hat. “Ah, you must be my distant relative, the esteemed Element of Harmony. It’s a real pleasure to meet you.”

Fluttershy blinked a few times, then curtseyed back. How is this person here? Did he fight a statue too? Are we both going to learn from my- our- ancestor? The ancestor walked up to the two, putting a hand on both of their shoulders. “Well, let’s get the introductions out of the way so we can get down to business, aye? Fluttershy- Daring Do. Daring- Fluttershy. Fluttershy, Daring...” He pointed to himself. “Ace. Savvy?”

Chapter Seventy-four

Chapter Seventy-four

Dreamscape

Fluttershy

Fluttershy nodded to both of the people standing with her in the Dreamscape. Daring, her apparent distant relative who didn’t even live in Equestria anymore, stood with hands in pockets, ready to begin and seeming not at all worried. He appeared to be about as old as Fluttershy. Ace, on the other hand, looked to be around his late twenties. “Um, alright, so...” Fluttershy began. “What do we do now? Oh, and um... Why both of us? If Daring is somewhere else in the world, why is he here? Will he even be able to fight Celestia?”

“Nah, I don’t think I’ll be able to get there in time to be of any use.” Daring answered. “But thing is, the ancestors of all six Elements only got to stick around to watch over their descendants, and teach them their skills before having to go back to the afterlife. Ace isn’t going to get another chance to meet either of us, so he brought us both here to teach us at once.”

“I see... But then, how did you get here? I didn’t think he could send more than one of those possessed statue things into our world...”

“I can’t.” Ace answered, reasserting himself in the conversation. “That wouldn’t stop me though. We just had to work a bit more cleverly. You see, the Dreamscape can realistically be accessed by anyone, with enough practice. And with Daring sleeping almost twenty hours a day, we had plenty of time to experiment.”

“Never did I say I was a competent adventurer.” Daring answered, somewhat sheepishly. “But hey, sleeping a bunch leaves me wide awake when I have to dive headfirst into some ancient temple, right? Anyway, yeah, me and Ace have been working on this for a while, and I figured out how to get into the Dreamscape pretty much whenever I want. So I’ve been asleep all day waiting for this to start.”

“That’s the general plan with all six ancestors.” Ace continued. “To teach all their direct and living descendants their skill, not just the Element of Harmony. We weren’t meant to do that, but we decided to go ahead and do it anyway. It’s pretty easy when the people who aren’t the Element are just their sibling or something, because then there’s enough of a mental bond to just knock everyone else out on the spot. But for more distant relatives like you two, we have to get creative.

“Well, at any rate, let’s not waste any time. Fluttershy, do you remember the technique your sister oft used in battle, Chaos Suite? That technique is the very same one that I shall be passing on to you. I never intended for her to learn it, to be honest, but she managed to do enough research of her own and discover a whole load about me, including that skill.”

“Oh, the randomized skill with the game die? She did always say it was a technique handed down through the generations... W-wait, wait, hang on. She also said something about our ancestor... meeting the Goddess before the final battle of the civil war?”

Ace’s eyes lit up as she finished, and he nodded slowly, with the weight of memories. “So, history managed to remember that, eh?... Yes, it is true. I have laid eyes upon the Goddess who watches over our world, exchanged words with her, even received her personal blessing before our battle against the demon Discord... Only once have I seen greater beauty in all my years, alive or dead, and that was of course my beloved wife Posy... Who, I suppose, pretty much looked just like you, Fluttershy. So, that would put the Goddess at third place...”

Fluttershy took a moment to take in Ace’s comment, then decided that he had given her a compliment and blushed appropriately. She looked back up and brought up another question that had been nagging at her: “My sister... The die she used for the technique; was it special? Do I need to get it back to use the skill?”

“It was an unusual die, yes, but you don’t need that one specifically, no. I have more, and will give you both one, plus some other neat stuff.”

“Um... I was meaning to ask something else...” Fluttershy held her hands in front of her, wringing them nervously and not looking her ancestor or relative in the eye. “I... I don’t know about this. I hate fighting... I don’t know if I could be of much use on the battlefield even with this skill... I can’t imagine fighting to take another human life, except for the Queen... What I really wish is if I could become a healer instead, to help my friends instead of hurting my enemies...”

She didn’t see him until he had walked up to her, but her ancestor moved over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Ah, buck up, my dear. That goal might not be as impossible as you think.” She looked up, and Ace flicked his hand eloquently, revealing four playing cards, aces of each suite. “Your sister only had half of the technique, you see. The die determines the power of the attack, but the cards allow for all kinds of different attacks on top of that.

“They are divided by color, with black being physical and red being magical. Clubs delivers a scattering shot, useful when fighting a whole load of enemies. Spades and diamonds do essentially the same thing- a powerful piercing attack- but one is like a spear and the other a bolt of lightning. Depends on what you’re aiming at for which you’d be better off using. But hearts...” He held up the hearts card dramatically. “Well, I should think it obvious that hearts is a healing spell.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, and Ace nodded in satisfaction, then reached into his pockets. He retrieved two sets of four cards and one six-sided die, then handed one each to Fluttershy and Daring. Daring seemed pretty clueless about what to do with the game pieces, and was obviously a little disappointed that this was the great technique he came to learn. Fluttershy, though, more or less knew what they were in for, and was excited to follow in her sister’s footsteps.

Ace continued, retrieving a set for himself for demonstration. “Right, so you know how your sister did that whole ‘battle cry’ thing whenever she used it? Well, it was pretty much unnecessary, except to strike fear in the hearts of your enemies... Which is respectable, of course, but pretty bad for stealth. So if you’re aiming to be all heroic and whatnot...” He looked towards Daring for this part, “You’d want to use the battle cry ‘Cards of fate, guide my hand, Chaos Suite!’ as you raise your weapon to the sky, then roll the die and draw your card or whatever. But if you’re aiming more for stealth... Just holding up the cards and die will activate the skill too.”

The next hour or so (or at least it seemed like an hour, though Fluttershy was not sure if time was even relevant in the Dreamscape) was spent with the two descendants testing out the technique against each other, becoming used to each different attack. Physical damage also did not apply in this place, so Fluttershy and Daring were able to unleash their most powerful attacks on each other again and again, and never leave a scratch or get hurt in the slightest. Fluttershy fought with her bow and arrows, of which she had an unlimited supply, and Daring fought with an effective combination of a pocket hatchet and whip.

At last, both felt they had learned all they could from the training session, and Ace stepped in from where he had been standing, watching with approval. “Well, my children,” He said, clasping his hands together. “it seems we’re done here. I regret that we will not be able to meet again... at least, I will not be able to meet either of you again. Who knows, fate may have you two cross paths in the real world someday... But I digress. For me, this is farewell. And, for what it’s worth... I apologize to both of you for the losses you’ve suffered recently.”

Fluttershy looked over to Daring, surprised, and he looked to the ground sadly. “My old man.” He stated simply. “In our line of work, though, we both pretty much expected it. He lived, and died, honorably... Anyway, I guess I might see you later?”

Fluttershy nodded. “I’d like to meet you in person, yes. But maybe when all this is over?”

Daring laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I don’t really feel like getting tied up in a revolution, as fun as that sounds. I’ll stick to hunting down ancient stuff, thanks. Well, I’m out. Later, maybe.” With that, the young adventurer took a step back, then vanished. Fluttershy blinked a few times in confusion, wondering where he went.

“He woke up in the real world.” Ace explained, sensing her puzzlement. “Like I said, he’s got Dreamscape all figured out, and can come and go, just like that.” Ace closed his eyes and looked towards the sky, though it was the same dusty white as everything else. “I suppose this is goodbye. I certainly will miss the world of the living... Ah well, my time came and went. Nothing to do now but let the new generation have a chance at living. Farewell, young Fluttershy...”

_________________

Twilight

The group remained in the clearing after Pinkie had been knocked unconscious, mulling over their options. Spike was still in favor of retreating to camp to tend to everyone’s wounds, though there was still no practical way out of the stronghold. Max and Twilight both favored staying where they were until Pinkie came to, but Twilight could tell he was antsy to get moving again further into the fortress.

Finally, though, the girl began to stir. As soon as she was fully conscious, her eyes flew open, an excited light glinting in her pupils. She scrambled to her feet, leaning on her spear for a moment, but not having much difficulty. Whatever the reasons for her being knocked out, she was able to recover quite easily. “Guys, it worked!” She said. “I was in the Dreamscape again, and the person that the statue was of was there too! Turns out she just really looked like me, but she’s really my ancestor.

“She was a ninja, an assassin from Eclipse. She didn’t really have an actual name because of that, just like me, so she was just called Surprise. Anyway, there wasn’t anyone else from my family there, because our skill is very special... But she did tell me that I have other relatives somewhere. But there was one other person there, and it’s the last thing I would have expected. It was Chaos! In the Dreamscape, we were able to separate and be two totally different people, and Surprise explained everything about her.

“See, when I was born, somehow my spirit was sort of... fragmented. It broke into two pieces, and for a while- the first few years when I was being held by that Vomora creep- I didn’t have any sort of personality at all. I was just kind of a shell of a person... But then both pieces began to grow, and one became the dominant force- me- while the other one just kinda sheltered in my heart, but comes out to defend me when I’m in trouble. So at this point, it’s like Chaos is a whole second spirit within me, and- get this- Surprise taught me how to release her and give her a physical form, even off the battlefield!”

Twilight’s eyes widened. She should have known that this strange shadow form of Pinkie’s would get some light shed on it here. Her ancestor must have known about it... and now Pinkie could control Chaos completely, even release her at will. She hoped that some light would be shed in turn on her own family by her ancestor, whoever he or she was...

_________________

Rarity

“Applejack, you’re finally awake!” Rarity exclaimed in relief. After the lieutenant had lugged Applejack from where she had been knocked out all the way back to the main part of the city, they had moved her to the medic station inside the HQ building. Twenty minutes passed in which she remained unconscious, but then she awoke good as new. Rarity, Opal and Blake were all gathered in the room, waiting for her to awake.

“Ugh, yeah, I’m up. Aw man, that was weird...”

“What was?” Opal asked curiously.

“When I got knocked out. Before I did, I fought with this statue thing, and basically wiped the floor with it. But then this bolt of lightnin’ hit me and I passed out... and I woke up in that dream world again, the one my mom used to tell me to come here. The guy that the statue was built after was there instead, but... The weird part was, Applebloom was there too. Our ancestor said that he’d be training ev’rybody descended from him... But the thing is, Mac wasn’t there. Our ancestor said that he should’ve been able to bring him there with us, but couldn’t.

“Anyways, he eventually just decided to teach me and Applebloom. He was a mage in his time, and not much in the close-combat department, so he taught us both the only thing he could think of...” At this, Applejack held up her hand dramatically, as though to grasp something in the air, and soon crystals of ice began to collect around her hand. When a fist-sized mass of frozen energy had collected, she threw it forward and watched as it collided with the wall and knocked some dust loose. “So now we know some ice magic! Never pictured myself knowin’ any kind of magic, but hey, I sure don’t mind it now.”

“Wait...” Rarity started, “You said he was to teach all his descendants... Don’t you have all sorts of cousins and relatives in other cities?”

“Well, yeah, but they’re all on my dad’s side. My mom was the one descended from him, and her side of the family’s pretty small. So that just leaves us three and Granny Smith, and she’s in no shape to fight anymore.”

Blake nodded thoughtfully and stood, pacing the tiny room as well as he could manage. “Well, that settles that at least. The last remnants of your ancestors are statues depicting them, and you have to defeat them to learn their skills. That means there’s another statue around here somewhere that is waiting for Rarity... but the only statue I’ve ever seen in this city is... Hang-hang on, could that be it?”

“What’s that?” Rarity asked, standing with him. Blake rubbed his slightly stubbled chin, deep in thought, and Rarity decided not to question him until he had pieced together whatever problem he was working on. However, before he could finish, the sound of commotion and panic spread in through the main room of the building and into the medical station. All eyes turned towards the door, and with a nod all four leapt up and rushed out into the commons. Applejack seemed to have already recovered completely.

Several soldiers were milling about, dragging Vomora from his office on one side, and dragging a beaten, half-conscious prisoner from the other. The prisoner’s dark blue hair hung bloodied over his face, and his clothes looked both unassuming and dusty with travel and combat. Ruffled midnight blue wings hung at his back, also damaged. He was supported by three soldiers, as he was rather muscular, and a fourth carried a spear that must have belonged to him.

Rarity had never seen anyone like this man, but Applejack seemed to recognize him. She started forward, motioning for the soldiers to move aside. “Soren? What’re you doin’ here? And what happened to you?!”

The bedraggled warrior looked up at the sound of her voice, his eyes darting around in an attempt to get his bearings once again. They settled on Applejack a moment later, and Rarity could see the gears turning in his head. “Who- wait, wait, ah... A-Applejack! That’s your name, right? I remember you! We beat up a bunch of bandits near that one town!”

“Yeah, I gotcha.” Applejack assured him, then turned to the guards. “What’s going on? Why’s he all... bleedin’?”

Vomora stalked up to join the group, confronting Soren. “It is the default response for our soldiers to take any trespassers prisoner, if it is impossible to remain undetected. Your friend must have resisted peaceful capture.”

“I didn’t resist your damn soldiers!” Soren shouted, struggling against his captors. “I was trying to find you to return one of your agent’s weapons, because she wanted it back here! But as soon as I touched down, I got attacked. Now if you’d be so kind as to have your guys let me go, I’ll give you back the thing and be on my way.”

“I’m afraid it is not that simple.” Vomora said through clenched teeth, asserting his authority quite effectively. “If I just release you right now, it would be far too easy for others to find out about this place, and eventually word would get back to Eclipse and the Queen herself. So I’m afraid that while I will have my men unhand you...” He nodded to the soldiers holding Soren still, and they backed off. “I must ask that you remain here for a time.”

“Right... Thanks so much for that...” Soren complained, rubbing his shoulder, then taking his spear back. “Anyway, here.” He reached into the pocket of his jacket and handed something over to Vomora, which was taken and looked over with a mix of surprise and disbelief, then sadness.

“Creiddylad... One of our best agents, gone... What happened to her? How did you come into possession of her weapon of chance?”

“She was executed in Manehattan two days ago. She tossed this into the crowd for the people who attempted to free her- my team- to catch, and etched the initials of New Dawn into the die. I figured here might have been the place to look for you, so I flew non-stop to get here. Now that I’ve found you, and given that back, I should return to my group as soon as possible, but I understand your need to keep me here for a while. Let’s just not make it too long...”

“Wait, wait...” Blake started, his eyes showing his alarm, though he managed to keep his voice level. “How did you know we were here, and how did you already know what we were called?”

Soren looked confused, though it may have been the blood on his face obscuring his vision. “Celestia made a comment about it, as did your uncle Rilken.”

“Celestia knows about us?!” Vomora exclaimed, anger and panic obvious in his voice. “How could this happen... How did she discover our existence... Creiddylad would never hand over that information, and we haven’t had anyone leave for some time... Who could have... It doesn’t matter now. She already knows everything. Which means it’s only a matter of time until...”

“AAAGGHH!” A scream erupted from the streets outside, and several more soldiers came running in. Tug was among them, and while he didn’t as panicked as the others around him, he wore a look of incredible thought, determination and battle-readiness. “Lord Vomora! Lord Blake! On the horizon, only a mile or so from the city! They’re coming, they’ve found us! A whole battalion of soldiers, at least six hundred, all under the flag of Eclipse!”

Chapter Seventy-five

Chapter Seventy-five

Ruins of Dusk

Rainbow Dash

Time was running out. Gilda still stood at the door to the tavern, her claws ready, but she had told me that she thought she heard some creatures lurking outside. We were in for another fight, and Fluttershy was still unconscious. I stood over her in the back corner of the bar, waiting desperately for her to awake, my sword held at the ready in case she didnʼt make it in time for us to flee. Angel also stood at her side, ever the silent sentinel.

Mercifully, she finally began to stir before anything terrible happened, and I was at herside in an instant. I wanted her to wake up so we could get a move on, sure, but I was actually more worried about her than I was us. I didnʼt know what had caused her to be knocked out, and was very concerned about her safety. As her eyes cracked open, I breathed a sigh of relief, and helped her to sit up from where she lay on the ground. Angel, a load taken off his shoulders, gave her a little hug, and she gave him a loving pat on the head in return.

She shook her head to rid herself of her sleepiness, then noticed the look of concern on my face and giggled lightly. “Iʼm okay, Dash. That was supposed to happen... I had to goto the Dreamscape to meet my ancestor in person. I... I also got to meet another person descended from him, an explorer thatʼs out somewhere away from Equestria... His name was Daring Do, I think...”

I frowned slightly, confused. “Daring Do? ... Fluttershy, I think he was using an alias. Daring Do was a book series. My brother read every one to me when I was little.”

Gilda spoke up from where she stood. “Yeah, Iʼve been reading ʻem too, whenever Iʼm bored and fighting stuff doesnʼt cut it. Might explain why Iʼm only on the second one. Actually, I might... might have it with me, hang on... Yeah, here you go. But letʼs try to hurry, ʻkay?” She tossed a small book our way, retrieved from somewhere in the folds of her oversized black cloak, and Fluttershy picked it up with a confused expression on her face.

“This... the person on the cover of this book... It pretty much looks like the boy I met, too. I wonder if he based his outfit off of them too, as well as his fake name... Or is it all a coincidence? Oh, um... I guess it doesnʼt matter much right now. We need to find your ancestor now, Dash.”

I nodded, suddenly a bit apprehensive. Iʼd have to do some fighting, and even when I won, I had to be knocked out. Fluttershy seemed cheerful enough, so I guessed that it didnʼt hurt too much, but it still wasnʼt much to look forward to. I stood, helped Fluttershy to her feet, and the three of us moved over to the door where Gilda was waiting. After she took her book back, she nodded silently and led the way out the door and back into the streets.

“Be really careful.” She whispered. “These guys are good at tracking people, but they arenʼt perfect. Thereʼs still a chance we could cover some ground before they find us...” I nodded tersely, and our team dashed forward through the dead streets, Fluttershy and Angel sticking close to me, and me keeping not far behind Gilda. The windmill towers loomed overhead, closer than ever, and I knew we were nearing the center of the city. However, I could also make out the near-silent scampering of the creatures of darkness just beyond our line of sight, and my heart raced as fast as my feet.

Up ahead, I noticed that the cobble path was ripped apart, and had been for a long time, but only in a small area. It almost seemed to be a line that cut directly across our path, but it wasnʼt too high that we couldnʼt get over. Strangely, though, it seemed the innermost part of the city was on raised ground as opposed to the rest of the city, because past the damaged zone, everything was at least a foot higher up.

Naturally, I was a bit curious about this, but we didnʼt have the time to stop and wonder about it. As soon as we hit it, Gilda and I vaulted over the ledge, then I stopped for a moment to help Fluttershy and Angel scramble up, and we continued on. The scratching and smashing of the creatures was growing in intensity, and I knew we had maybe seconds remaining before they were on us. Regardless, we pushed on for a few more meters before swinging into an open-doored building and readying our weapons.

Upon closer inspection, the room we now found ourselves in looked to be a meeting place of some kind, judging by the large table in the center and all the chairs scattered around. However, all kinds of strange, ancient-yet-futuristic equipment lined the walls, having once done who knows what, but now succumbing to rust and cobwebs.

Whatever it was once supposed to do, we simply didnʼt have a chance to look into it. The split second after we settled into our battle stances, the beasts cascaded fourth from every side street like a black tide, and we were fighting for our lives once again against the swarm.

Gilda and I alternated holding up the front door, cutting down each one that threw themselves at us and switching out every minute or so to prevent fatigue or fatal screw-ups. Fluttershyʼs arrows sailed over our heads, striking down a fair number of their troops as well, until she ran out of ammunition. Since the forms just evaporated after being killed, each and every arrow could be recycled, but we had to wait until they were all slain to retrieve them. Angel remained by Fluttershyʼs side, unable to get a decent vantage point from which to fight.

Gilda and I fought brutally against the oncoming waves of creatures, the swarm seeming endless, but after several hard minutes of solid fighting, large gaps began forming in their ranks. A little time passed, and the gaps became more common than solid masses of creatures, and as we continued our relentless defense, the numbers dwindled further until the whole group had disappeared.

“Where do they come from?!” I exclaimed, shaking my head in dismay. “There were more in that batch than should have been able to even fit in the city!”

“Theyʼre practically the essence of the city.” Answered Gilda sharply. “They re-spawn soon after being killed, because whatever malevolent force brings them to life is still in effect. You wanna kill them all and make them stay dead, youʼre going to have to kill that force, but no oneʼs ever tried. No one even knows where to start. By the time you get in here to research it- too late, youʼre dead.” She sighed, then took a step out the door. “Well, weʼve got some time to work with now. Where else is there to look...?”

“Is there anything special in the very center of the city?” I asked curiously. “And... What is this room? What did all these controls do?”

“Never checked the dead center, to be honest.” She answered. “Dunno what any of this stuff does, but there's a couple of stations like it in this central district. Anyway, they don't do anything anymore. There's no power feeding to them, and they're all rusted over anyway. Let's just get moving to the center, shall we? Even if we don't find anything there, we could use it as a vantage point to see the rest of the city and plan our next move.”

I nodded with newfound determination, and allowed Fluttershy and Angel to pass before leaving myself. Angel cast a wary, confused look back at me, and I tilted my head in question. “Dash... Do you feel okay?” He asked me.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, then shook my head. “Yeah, I feel fine. Why?”

“You're acting kind of weird.” The rabbit-child stated bluntly. “Fluttershy too. You've been all... Friendly.”

“Aren't we always friendly though?” I replied, jogging alongside him to catch up with Gilda. Fluttershy was only a few paces ahead of us, keeping her distance from the Order operative.

“More than usual, I mean. It's just weird is all...” Looking across from me, I could see that Fluttershy had heard what Angel said too, and she looked just as confused. However, after a moment's thought, I realized what he was talking about. Ever since we'd set off on this journey, I had been a lot closer to Fluttershy... half the time I didn't even notice it. I could hardly help it though... Fluttershy was still upset about losing her sister, just like I had lost my brother. I understood what she was going through, and wanted to be there for her, to provide a shoulder for her to lean on. And she seemed so innocent and helpless, and beautiful...

I shook my head clear once again. What am I thinking? This is no time for that, even if Fluttershy wasn't spoken for! Or at least... I think she's spoken for... Well, even if she isn't, I don't have time for that right now. We're fighting for our lives, and I have to be focused on surviving, finding my ancestor, and getting out of this place. I can worry about feelings later.

Still, the thoughts were hard to shake, and as our group continued our trek to the center of the capital of Dusk, I couldn't help but continue to think of Fluttershy... We rounded another corner, and my thoughts were instantly drawn from the girl I may have been rapidly falling for. In the dead center of the city, directly before us, was some kind of huge cylinder, with filthy but intact glass shielding a defunct crystal from the effects of nature. Several pipes, wires and cables ran from the thing, going to other sets of machinery like the one we had seen earlier, or running off further into the city.

“Now... what is this?” I asked, feeling a little stupid for knowing so little about this place.

Gilda shook her head and sighed. “I don't know. Some kind of power generator. Crystal inside looks like one that stored magical power, and there's a bunch of conduits leading from it... Might hook up to the windmills, and all the control stations that do... something.” It occurred to me that while Gilda may have been to this dead city before, she really didn't know much more about it than I did.

“So there was a power station at the center...” I concluded, mostly to keep the conversation going. “I'm going to take a look up top and see if I can find a place where that other statue would be. Be right back.”

I backed up a few paces, then took a running start and launched myself into the air. My wings carried me up and around the cylinder, and the grime obscuring the glass gradually became less thick. The crystal within, spanning from top to bottom of its container, was a dull grey, but was discolored in places due to what I guessed was magic stored within over the years. However, no resonance could be felt from it now, as everything in the city had long since gone cold.

I alighted with the top of the cylinder, and froze in my tracks (save for my wings keeping me aloft, of course). Standing in the dead center of the round platform was another statue, face towards me. What are the odds...? If I hadn't come up here to look for it elsewhere, I never would have found it... I decided to land atop the platform to get a closer look at this effigy of my ancestor. My sword was still held firmly before me, in case it came to life before I had a chance to examine it fully.

The hairstyle my ancestor wore was more or less similar to mine- which is to say none at all, just shoulder-length and horribly unkempt- but the structure of its face and eyes were a dead giveaway that it was a woman. She wore an unusual set of body armor, which didn't seem able to decide whether to be fully iron or leather, and instead settled for a mix of both. She held a sword close to her, at an angle to the ground, but the design of the weapon was unlike any I'd ever seen. It was about the same size as my broadsword, but had a large slit running down the length, making it resemble two back-to-back katanas rather than a broadsword. I wasn't sure what practical purpose having a split blade served, but I had to admit, it sure looked cool.

Before I could examine her statue further, the same light that had come over Fluttershyʼs opponent began to radiate from her, but in more of an orange-pinkish color. I braced myself for combat, staying a few feet away to improve my own chances of a successful reaction. Beneath me, I could hear the others calling my name, anxious and worried about what was going on beyond their line of sight. Without taking my eyes off my soon-to-be opponent, I shout down to them. "Ancestor's statue is up here! Don't worry, I'm going to fight it up here. Just sit tight!"

I fully expected my ancestor's statue to come to life and attack me, but I couldn't have anticipated the insane speed this hunk of rock was packing. Literally as soon as the light had receded to its eyes and brought it to life, I found myself blocking an overhead strike by the winged warrior. I barely had time to blink. Where did she come from?! How does a statue move that fast? Man, I'm really going to have to push to keep up now...

I wasn't about to let that stop me though. This statue may have been fast, but so was I. I slipped from the parry and sidestepped my opponent, then spun around to whack it from behind. The statue was already on the move again, dodging back from my strike, but I used the momentum to launch a frenzy of strikes against it, forcing it to retreat from my whirling blade.

My ancestor wasn't to be deterred, either. As she reached the edge of our dueling platform, she leapt nimbly around me, her wings flaring out behind her and carrying her around my attacks and back on the offensive. She sailed towards me in a vicious stab, and as I parried her strike and shifted the position of her sword, she delivered a punch right to my gut as she flew past.

It was all I could do not to collapse right then. Getting punched by a rock tends to be painful. Still, I held my ground as she righted herself for another attack, and I wasn't prepared to give up yet either. We faced off on opposite sides of the arena, each daring the other to make the next move. Her possessed sunset-colored eyes locked with mine in an obvious challenge. Gritting my teeth in determination and gripping my sword until my knuckles turned white, I let out a bloody battle cry and charged towards her.

She waited until the last moment to react, making things even more trying for me. She brought up her blade to block my attack from the left, but just as she was preparing to block and counter, I ducked under her weapon entirely and whack away at her legs. It seemed to do some damage, as she momentarily fell to her knees, but her drop also brought her elbow down right onto my head, and I was slammed into the ground. She then proceeded to kick me across the makeshift arena, and I rolled for several yards before coming to a stop.

"Rainbow Dash!" I vaguely heard Fluttershy cry from below. I cracked my eyes open and saw through the red my ancestor stalking towards me for the kill. I put my hand to my throbbing head, and it came away bloody. I was an absolute wreck, but I knew I couldn't give up yet. As real as the pain was, this was only a test, and I had to succeed, or I'd never be able to defeat Celestia. As I struggled to my feet in the face of my impending doom, two more figures skidded to a halt between me and my ancestor, and she stopped short.

"F-Fluttershy? Gilda?" I said, somewhat astonished, but more annoyed. The two girls had flown up to the arena as well, and were keeping the statue from getting any closer. "You two! Get out of here! I have to kill this thing alone."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't seem to be working too well for you, does it?" Gilda retorted. "Not much point in letting you get killed because of your petty honor."

"This isn't about honor!" I shouted, desperate to get them out of the line of fire. "I'm supposed to be the one to defeat my ancestor, and I have to do it alone. It's a test of my own strength, and it won't count for anything if I don't prove myself alone."

"Not quite." An unfamiliar female voice stated. "But you're close." All four of us standing atop the platform froze, including the statue. This proved to be the worst thing it could have done, as a moment later, a large projectile hit it in the back of the head, powerfully enough to send the heavy effigy sprawling across the ground. The projectile continued on its path for a few more feet, sticking fast in the ground, and when it came to a rest, my eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat. Gilda's reaction was of momentary shock, then anger.

It was none other than the giant double-headed blue battle, trademark of the legendary Wonderbolt Spitfire.

Chapter Seventy-six

Chapter Seventy-six

Eclipse Swamps

Twilight

“There is another passage over there.” Max stated, getting to his feet. He pointed to the right side of the battle-torn room, where another passage of about the same size as the last one was situated. “And there are no other tunnels throughout the entire stronghold so far, so I am guessing that is where we are going.”

Spike, Twilight and Pinkie all turned from their conversation, following Max’s gaze. Twilight nodded and moved to stand beside him. “I’m ready. My ancestor is waiting somewhere through there.” As she spoke, though, she realized something that shook her confidence. She would most likely have to fight a statue of her ancestor just as Pinkie had, but her wrist was still in a splint! How was she supposed to fight in this condition?

She swallowed hard, suddenly very apprehensive about their next move, but balled her good fist at her side. No sense in worrying about it, she thought, We can’t go back now, we have to finish this. I’ll just have to find a way to fight with one arm... Grimacing slightly at the prospect, Twilight stepped back to allow Max to pass and illuminate the hall with a fresh torch, then followed silently behind.

This passage was much the same as the previous one, with dusty, weathered bricks in the walls and the occasional root poking through the ceiling. However, this one seemed to grow subtly wider as the group trekked through, and soon the cramped tunnel only big enough for a single file line had more than doubled in size. At last the party came to another clearing, and was forced to stop short. A glass window, similar to the one Twilight had fallen through earlier in it’s appearance as dirty ice, allowed pale distorted light to filter into the room, and illuminated three other passages branching off to other parts of the stronghold.

“Well, that answers that anyway.” Spike stated. “We just came in at the far end. This must be the main part of the fortress.”

“But... Which way do we go now?” Twilight asked. “I don’t want to split up again, not when we don’t know what else is in this place... but I don’t want to be in here longer than we have to either.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s just us in here, Twi.” Pinkie pointed out. “But I’m not sure how big this place is, so splitting up isn’t the best idea... I say we just keep going the way we were going, and use that passage right across from the one we came from. If it looks like there’s nothing down there, we can come back here later.”

Twilight nodded, Spike and Max both shrugged, and the party continued in the same direction. This passage was about the same basic width as the first one, and unlike the last one, it stayed that size the whole time they traveled through it. However, in a few places, there were mysterious defects in the walls; large scratches here and there, loose brick, and in a few cases, large holes leading to tiny caves beyond the borders of the fortress. Twilight eyed all these features warily. What could cause something like this? It looks like something dragged itself through this passage, and ended up breaking a lot of it... I sure hope whatever it is, isn’t still in here.

“Woah, stop.” Max cautioned a few minutes later, coming to a sudden halt. Twilight stopped as well, but then crept up behind him to see what the issue was. As soon as she did, she took a step backward again. The passage had ended just as suddenly, giving way to a huge chasm with no discernible end in any direction. Max’s words echoed off into the space, and Twilight could tell it was a long way to the ground.

“Well...” Spike began, peeking over the drop himself. “I guess that’s one dead end. I wonder what caused this... Maybe an earthquake or two over the years... Ah well, I really don’t think the statue will be down there. Let’s head back and take one of those other tunnels.”

Twilight nodded, but her eyes lingered on the chasm for a moment before following the others. That thing that came through here... must have gone this way. But I wonder if this hole was there at the time, and if it’s down there now...? Shaking her head clear of thoughts of some huge beast, she turned and jogged back to the others.

After retracing their steps and coming back to the crossroads, they decided on another path, and set off quickly to avoid burning any more of the daylight hours than was necessary. This hall was much shorter, and ended in what must have once been the living quarters for the stronghold’s occupants. The remains of some rusty weapons were visible in one room, traces of a dining hall in another, the remains of tiny sleeping rooms through another small hallway. There was scarcely anything left now, though, and no trace of Twilight’s ancestor-statue could be found.

Near-despondent, the group trudged back through the halls and to the crossroads, then through the fourth and final passage. Frankly, Twilight was tired from the long search, her arm still ached horribly, and would have loved nothing more than to just return to camp and come back later. Spike certainly wouldn’t have been opposed to it. But partly out of her own determination to finish the job quickly and efficiently, and partly out of sheer stubbornness on the subject, she remained silent.

This hall, unlike any of the previous ones, featured various twists and turns, though never diverged into another path. The torchlight danced upon the walls, shadows looming around each new corner, but soon they came to a large stairway that descended far into the darkness. The party gazed down, knowing that they had to descend, though much of the stairs were crumbling and broken, even in the small halo of light.

Twilight gulped and followed cautiously as Spike led the way down. The stairway gradually twisted to come to a full ninety-degree turn by the time it let out in the vast basement. The orange light from the torches bounced like water over every surface in the room, from the craggy walls and ceiling, the smoothly-eroded ground... and the statue just visible on the edge of their line of sight.

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat, and she lit a fire spell herself and took several steps forward to see the depiction of her ancestor’s face. Spike bid her caution, but she scarcely heard him. The statue wasn’t terribly tall, much like Twilight herself, and wore the same stark, long coat and wizardly that Trixie often wore; the classic Black Mage ensemble. He carried no weapon, but his hands were held at a tense and battle-ready position, and Twilight could imagine him snapping to a battle stance and letting loose some powerful spells at a moment’s notice. The hair atop his head was close-cropped and well-kept, but the beard upon his chin was another story.

Her heart sank slightly. She had still held out hope that Jonathan the Arcmage might have been her ancestor, but she supposed she’d still just have to make the best of it. As she was examining the statue, the same light that had appeared for Surprise began to form around this one, but in a dark violet. She backpedalled to the rest of the group, her good arm held cautiously before her with the basic thunder spell already charged. The light concentrated and thrummed with energy until the whole room seemed to be shaking, then dispelled as soon as it had come. A moment later, the eyes of the statue flew open and sparked with violet energy.

The statue’s legs ground against it as it slowly lumbered to life, and it took a few steps forward before coming to a stop, possessed eyes locked on Twilight. She waved the others aside, knowing she had to complete this challenge alone, then held up her hand to the statue to stop him from attacking. She then motioned to her injured arm, showing in as clear terms as she could think of that it would be useless in battle. The statue seemed to frown slightly in thought, then shrugged. He brought up his right arm above his head, and an unusual blue light began to course around it. Twilight could see that it was magical in origin, but did not carry the same qualities as an ice spell, or any other for that matter. It ebbed and flowed gently around his palm, and carried a pulsing light. Twilight couldn’t guess as to its power, but it seemed to be generally neutral.

She gasped when the statue chopped down on its own left shoulder, and the arm fell heavily to the ground, breaking off several fingers. The fact that it was solid stone didn’t do much to make things any less horrific. Her ancestor had removed his own arm to level the playing field with her! She was glad for that, of course, but the fact that her opponent was willing to remove one of his own limbs so easily...

The remaining arm was leveled back down to Twilight, and the blue energy began to fluctuate again. It was clear that this one was an attack meant for her. Twilight raised her good arm at him, and quickly began speaking the ancient words that would call upon her most powerful spell, ArcThunder. With a grimace, she thrust her arm forward and fired the spell, just as the statue launched his own attack, and the two collided violently in the center of the chamber.

Twilight could sense the others flinch away from the sudden explosion of light and sound, but she remained completely focused. It was a test of both power and endurance, and she had to hold up her attack longer than her ancestor to defeat him. His strange blue energy was much more powerful than she had anticipated, and her thunder was easily matched.

Arcs of blue and yellow magic jumped away from the center, scorching the rock all around them. Twilight kept her eyes glued on her opponent, just as he kept his magically-possessed eyes on her. The light from the clash illuminated the two duelists’ faces flickeringly. Twilight’s arm began to shake, and a bead of sweat formed on her forehead, but she just gritted her teeth and pushed even harder against the onslaught.

At last, the two beams both began to waver, and the stray bolts became more and more frequent and wild. Thunder scorched at her ancestor’s stone cloak, and whiplashes of energy stung at Twilight and her friends. With one last bloody cry, Twilight put all her energy into one final push against her opponent, and his resolve shattered. The spell broke, and her lightning rammed him in the chest and sent the statue reeling. As it fell on one foot and teetered on the heel of its boot, beginning to fall, another tiny bolt of lightning arced from his forehead. Twilight didn’t flinch, as she knew when that bolt hit, she would be sent to the Dreamscape to learn the truth about their world, and herself.

With open arms, Twilight allowed the bolt of energy to strike her in the head, and didn’t struggle when consciousness left her.

______________

She awoke seemingly only seconds later, on the same dusty plane on which she had been instructed to travel to the swamps. She scrambled to her feet excitedly, but saw nothing besides the dust. She did notice, however, that in this dream world her arm was as good as new. She frowned, obviously disappointed in the lack of scenery, until she noticed another figure face down on the ground beside her.

“Trixie!” She exclaimed, running over to help her sister to her feet.

The Black Mage shook her head groggily as she rose, leaning heavily on Twilight. “Hey.” She said simply. “What’s up? Our ancestor give you much trouble?”

Twilight chuckled. “A little, but I took care of him. How are you here though?”

“I don’t really have much of an answer for you.” Trixie answered. “Our ancestor seems to want to teach both of us his technique, but only needed the Element of Harmony out of the two of us to fight him. I just passed out in my hotel room a minute ago and woke up here.”

“Hotel room? Where are you right now? Oh, and how’s Phil doing?” Pressed Twilight.

“Ugh, don’t you get started too. Phil’s been more and more of a lovesick wreck these days. It’s getting annoying. We’re still held up in Manehattan, trying to stir up some resistance there. He’s getting ready to end this life cycle, though, so it’s mostly just me actually doing anything. But yeah, he misses you and stuff.”

Twilight nodded gratefully. Soon, she and Phil could be reunited, though in what circumstances, she couldn’t guess. Things were finally starting to look up. Twilight took another look around the expanse, searching for any sign of the two girls’ ancestor, and managed to spy another figure striding through the dust towards them, silhouetted in his black mage outfit. As he reached the two, Twilight was finally able to see what he truly looked like, not just a depiction of him in stone.

He looked much the same as his statue had; not particularly tall, but not outrageously short, with no weapons to speak of, and walked with an air of confidence. There was a completely non-possessed spark in his eyes, such a shade of brown that they almost looked yellow, and his hair and scraggy beard were a salt-and-pepper color, clearly having been on its way to becoming gray before his demise.

“Right, let’s try to make this quick.” Their ancestor said, his voice carrying a scratchy, taunting quality. “Twilight’s going to nee this skill pretty quickly here, because I think that Hydra I somehow neglected to kill is still lurking around the stronghold... The name’s Starswirl.”

“Woah, seriously?” Trixie responded immediately. “Same guy who was the big hero of Eclipse during the civil war?” Twilight’s own eyes widened in surprise as well, as she had heard of Starswirl before in her studies. He was apparently Jonathan’s equal and opposite from the enemy state of Eclipse, so it seemed that Twilight had actually become interested in what could have been her family’s greatest enemy.

“The very same.” Starswirl answered. “And the skill would of course be the ridiculous spell I invented just for the war. Now listen up you two, because like I said, we don’t have a load of time.”

Chapter Seventy-eight

Chapter Seventy-eight

City of Dusk

Rainbow Dash

I saw her, black cloak fluttering in the dry wind, hovering on fiery wings at the edge of the generator room. Her hood fell once again a moment later, her equally fiery hair falling well past her shoulders, and she dove elbow-first towards the platform to slam my ancestor’s statue back to the ground.

“Spitfire!” Gilda and I both exclaimed, though while my voice was filled with relief and wonder, hers basically screamed ‘what the hell do you think you’re doing’. Fluttershy soon added her own rendition of the name, sounding as amazed and disbelieving as I had when I first saw her. Spitfire rolled over the struggling stone body of my ancestor and retrieved her axe, then turned to face the statue.

“Agh, what are you doing?!” Gilda barked. “You just couldn’t resist meddling, could you? This is supposed to be my punishment, remember? What are you even doing here?!” As the stone effigy struggled to its feet, Spitfire turned a glance back to me, Gilda and Fluttershy.

“You, I’ll deal with later.” She practically growled, addressing Gilda. It seemed like they were moments away from leaping at each other’s throats. “I’m fully aware of what you’ve been doing here, and I’m fairly sure I already advised you against that. Now take the girl and get off of this platform, this is about to get hectic.”

“W-wait!” I said, rising shakily to my feet. I was still a bloodied, bruised mess from dueling this rock, but I was able to muster up enough strength to stand. Fluttershy was right by my side a moment later, doing everything she could to help me stay on my feet. “You can’t. This is my battle to fight. I have to fight her alone.”

“Again, not quite.” Spitfire corrected. “The ancestors can only be defeated by, and will then impart their strongest skill upon, any and all of their descendants, provided that the chosen hero of their Element of Harmony is among them. However, the hero does not in any way have to go alone if the situation offers otherwise.”

My mind was a bit of a slur at the moment, so I had some difficulty piecing together what she was saying. “Alright, but... My brother was the only other person related to me by blood, and he’s... not here.” She raised an eyebrow to me, and after a few moments my own eyes widened in alarm and amazement. “No way...”

“You got it, kid. It’s pretty distant, but it turns out we have a common ancestor in this warrior. Funny how life works out that way, isn’t it? So you’re not going to have to fight alone this time. We’ll both use this skill to aid the resistance.”

I found enough strength to separate myself from Fluttershy and take a tentative step forward. “Wait, wait... I’m seriously related to the leader of the Wonderbolts?”

“Very distantly, but yeah.” She answered, moving her eyes back to the statue. “Now look sharp, kid! Our ancestor isn’t even close to finished yet. Girls, get off the platform before it starts up again-” Before Spitfire was able to finish, the statue leapt angrily at her, and the split stone broadsword collided mightily with her giant battle axe.

I turned to the others to make sure they were leaving, and while Gilda was already over the edge, Fluttershy was retrieving something from her pocket. I was about to say something to insist that she leave, but paused when she pulled out what looked like a normal playing card and held it toward the sky. A faint white light shone around me for a moment, then disappeared as quickly as it had come. I was still rather bloody, but the wounds themselves had completely healed.

“Part of my ancestor’s gift to me.” She explained quietly. “It’s all gambling based, which I could probably do without... But it comes with a healing spell, so I wouldn’t pick anything else. Now... Just be careful this time, alright? Don’t get yourself almost killed again.”

I chuckled slightly, doing my best to laugh it off for her sake. Of course, Spitfire was here now. I had absolutely nothing to worry about. But Fluttershy was still concerned, made even more evident when she embraced me in a tight hug. At first I was a little surprised, but then I smiled fondly and put my free arm around her in turn. I gave her a light pat on the back as reassurance, then regrettably separated myself from her and turned back to my opponent. I trusted that she’d get herself to safety, and launched myself forward on newly energized wings.

Spitfire dodged to the side as I approached, sending our ancestor off balance from it’s parry with her, and I was able to rend across its side and skid to a halt behind it. As it turned to face me, Spitfire dove to the ground and swung at its feet, sending it reeling. There was no question about it, the tides of the battle had finally turned. Spitfire and I nodded to each other wordlessly, and launched as one toward the statue.

Our combined fighting was like a dream. Both symbolically- since I had wished since I was a young boy to one day fight alongside this great warrior- and literally. Our ancestor didn’t stand a chance. We slashed past each other, flying in deadly arcs around the statue, delivering blow after blow to it and rapidly creating a spiderweb of cracks over the whole surface of the stone.

Instinct had practically taken over at this point for me, and most likely for her as well. We both leapt into the air, blades cutting at nothing before us, spinning in sync with stray blue and orange feathers trailing in our wake. We soared into the sky, then spun straight around and came in for a dive bomb on the platform. The very air seemed to bend around us, unable to comprehend or contain the amount of awesomeness that was coursing through this final attack. Though our surroundings continued to zoom by faster and faster, time inexplicably seemed to slow down to a snail’s pace in my mind.

Just as my mind was about to come to a complete halt, my ears popped.

_____________

Fluttershy

Fluttershy watched in wonder from the ground as the battle progressed, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire now on a successful offensive. Fluttershy had also been a fan of the Wonderbolts when she was little, though not nearly as avidly as Rainbow Dash, and knew that Spitfire had supposedly disappeared without a trace. Yet here she was, alive as ever, fighting alongside Rainbow Dash against their common ancestor. Gilda glared up at the battle, clearly mad about something. There was obviously some bad blood between her and Spitfire, but Fluttershy couldn’t guess what could have caused it.

Angel stood beside her, eyes wide as the two winged warriors sailed into the sky, then dove down once again.  Fluttershy frowned thoughtfully as they approached the makeshift arena again, as the air and light around them seemed to distort to slow their descent. Besides it simply being highly unusual, the picture was strikingly familiar. Then she realized what it was she was remembering: Rainbow Dash preparing for the exact same attack seven years ago, when fighting the owl-man Lucius. She realized what was going to happen next a split second before it happened.

It was even more beautiful and explosive than the first time. The Sonic Rainboom, the extremely colorful shattering of the sound barrier, done only once before by Dash himself, though this time was different. It seemed that since Spitfire had done the same, it had made the attack yet more powerful, and the shockwave of rainbow energy seemed to be on fire. As it raced across the sky in every direction, sound and light seemed to distort slightly where it passed, and the sky was alight with every color imaginable.

Beside Fluttershy, Gilda swore, more as a statement than an exclamation. “So much for cover. All of Equestria will have seen that in a few minutes. Celestia’s totally gonna know Dash is here, and that you guys are up to something. If I were you I’d seriously hurry up and get home, because she’s not going to wait for you.”

Fluttershy swallowed nervously, turning her eyes back to the arena. Gilda was right, and the group had to hurry to get out of this city. The two warriors, now positively glowing with energy, skidded to a halt at opposite sides of the top of the massive generator, though she couldn’t see what had happened to the statue from where she stood. A moment passed in which nothing happened, then the familiar arc of lightning shot forth from the center of the platform and struck both Dash and Spitfire, dispelling their energy immediately. The two began to sway, and Fluttershy’s heart skipped a beat when she realized Dash was about to fall off the edge of the platform, a whole story and a half to the ground.

She launched into the air quickly, and was able to reach him before he fell backward, then eased him down to the surface of the platform. She remained where she was for a moment, Dash’s unconscious body sprawled out before her, his head in her hands. You know... He looks so peaceful when he’s sleeping...

“Agh, crap!” Gilda exclaimed, flapping up to the platform a moment later with Angel slung under her arm. She dropped him as soon as possible next to Fluttershy, and readied her battle claws. “They’re back. The stupid dark beasts are coming in for another stab at us already, and we’re down a man. We’d better just stay up here until they come to...”

Fluttershy looked up sharply, and scrambled to her feet, easing Dash’s head to the ground. Her bow and an arrow were in her hand a moment later when she heard the telltale clangs and bumping around of the shadow creatures approaching from all sides of the generator room. Fluttershy supposed that they would be safe atop the generator until the others woke up and they could make an escape from above, but the thought didn’t make things any less terrifying. Gilda kept her eyes outward, flitting from one exit to another, arms raised slightly in readiness. Angel looked extremely uneasy, and kept his scythe at his side, holding it close to the blade.

_______________

Dreamscape

Rainbow Dash

My eyes cracked open, and I was once again surrounded by the dusty expanse that had been the home for many of my dreams for years, ever since Ultraviolet had first appeared to me after his untimely death. I was already used to the feeling of fatigue that accompanied entrance to this strange realm, so I was able to scramble to my feet feeling as good as ever. I looked around, expecting someone else to be around to greet me, but all I saw was Spitfire getting to her feet, thoroughly disoriented, a few feet away.

I moved quickly over to her to check that she was alright, but she waved me aside. “Thanks, kid, but I got it. Now... where are we?”

I raised an eyebrow, hardly believing I had been given this opportunity. I knew something my childhood hero didn’t. Now I could explain everything to her and look awesome. “Ah, this is... Dreamscape, I think is what it’s called. Anyway, this is sort of a middle ground between minds, or the living and dead. Our ancestor should be able to come here as she was when she was alive and talk to us, and teach us whatever it is we’re meant to be learning. My... My older brother also uses this place to contact me, since he’s kind of halfway between living and dead.”

“Huh, that right... Makes sense, I guess. And, wait, what do you mean ‘halfway between living and dead’? What does that mean?”

“I’m... I’m not even positively sure. He was executed by Celestia seven years ago, but came to me in this place shortly afterwards, not knowing what was happening to him any more than I did. Recently, he said that he had become a ‘phantom’, and is still stuck in this world even though he’s dead. He says he figures it’s because he can’t move on until he’s avenged or something, and that he’s allied himself with someone who can see and interact with phantoms to try and get back to Equestria.”

Spitfire gave me a slightly skeptical look. It was only when I finally told someone out loud that I realized how strange Ultraviolet’s last update sounded. “I’ll admit, it does seem odd. I didn’t think Phantoms were a thing before, either. But I believe him. I know he’s out there somewhere, still fighting to save Equestria. Even if I know now that I have to say goodbye, and he has to move on... I know that he’s not all the way dead yet.”

“Uh... You sure it’s not just a figment of your imagination your subconscious thought up to help you cope with his death?” I blinked. The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. Was I even capable of that? I kind of doubted it.

“No, yeah, he’s actually right.” A second female voice stated. I turned, and saw the shadowy figure of our ancestor stalking through the haze towards us. Her sword was visibly strapped to her back, and her wings were folded behind her, though they were about as unkempt as her hair. “His poor bro is stuck halfway between life and death, and will be until his mind can be lain to rest knowing the threat of Celestia has ceased to hang over Equestria. I’d bring him here to show you, and teach him this skill too, but... The way he is right now, that’s not a possibility. There isn’t much growing someone who’s already dead can do. I can’t impart this upon him now, nor can I bring him here at all.”

She stepped into view, and I could see that Spitfire was right about her being ancestor to both of us. There was definitely some resemblance that had survived over the years. Her armor and wings were the same sunrise- orange color as her statue’s energy, and her hair was a slightly darker blue than my own wings. “Though it’s not like there’s much to teach you two, either. You went and used the very skill I was going to teach you to kill my statue. All I gotta do now is teach you to be able to use it at will, not just when your adrenaline is running high and you let instinct take over. Anyway, the name’s Firefly.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Like the town?”

She raised an eyebrow right back. “Town? Wait, you... You mean Celestia actually did that? Man, I didn’t think she was serious when she told me she’d name something after me. Huh. That was nice of her. Won’t stop me from teaching you two how to kill her, but still, nice.”

_______________

Fluttershy

Fluttershy winced as the creatures continued to pour in, jaws gaping full of pointy teeth, jumping and clawing fruitlessly at the platform, trying desperately to get to the three hiding just out of reach. She wanted to badly to open fire among them and stop their insane charge, but she knew she didn’t have nearly enough arrows to kill them all, and once she ran out, she wouldn’t be able to retrieve them or shoot anything else their way.

Gilda’s foot tapped against the ground as she watched them, licking her lips every once in a while. It was obvious she was itching to be rid of them too, or to do anything productive instead of just waiting. Angel had stood from where he crouched at the edge, and was pacing in short little lines nearby. There was something nagging at his mind, Fluttershy could tell, but he had been unresponsive when she asked him about it. She decided to let him think, and knew he’d share with her as soon as he pieced it together.

“Gilda...” He started, and she turned to him.

“Huh? What do you want? You know, I think this is probably the first thing I’ve even heard you say this whole time...”

“Why are you here?” he asked, though not curiously. It was actually more like an accusation.

She gave him a bemused smirk. “You forget already? Thought I already told you I’m here for an artifact recovery.”

“You haven’t looked for anything since you joined us.” Angel stated.

“Have I had a single chance to do that?” she retorted. “We’ve been hounded by dark beasts or waiting on someone to wake up since minute one. You tell me how I’m supposed to look for anything like that.”

“You don’t seem like someone who’d help others before yourself.” Angel fought back, clearly driven by his thought. “You just wanted to come because we were going in the same direction, but you’ve just been helping us this whole time. I think you forgot about what you were supposed to be doing and got caught up doing something else, and Spitfire is angry at you for it.”

Gilda smirked smugly and put her hands on her hips, careful of her battle claws. “Yeah? Well then, smart guy, enlighten me. What is it you think I’ve been so caught up with? Or have you not gotten that far yet?”

Fluttershy wanted to jump in and break up the conflict, to lay into Gilda for speaking so rudely to Angel, but the Scrabbit was not deterred. He took a step forward and tapped his head with one of his tiny, furry fingers. “You said earlier that Lucius was careless, but never said you thought he was wrong, and you knew what he was doing. He was trying to bring Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy into the Order, and I think now you’re trying to do that too. Plus, those two have been acting really weird since we got here, like they really like each other when I know things aren’t actually that serious. Your plan was to somehow mess with their minds and distract them from their mission, then bring them back to the Order like Lucius was going to.”

Fluttershy frowned, doubting the conclusion Angel had reached. Even if Gilda had that kind of sway over people’s minds- which if she did, she had failed completely to mention it- would anyone really go as far as to fabricate such strong feelings between two people just to get something they wanted? She was sure that that couldn’t be the case, until Gilda shook her head in slight awe, chuckling quietly to herself. “You’re smarter than you look, kid, you know that?”

Chapter Seventy-nine

Chapter Seventy-nine

Dreamscape

Twilight

“Right, so basically it boils down to this.” Starswirl explained, pacing up to the twins. “What I invented was a vastly superior form of magic, one that forgoes the traditional use of natural elements of nature to channel power, and instead utilizes one’s own spiritual energy into a raw, unfiltered attack. Much more efficient and powerful, though difficult to master. I’m positive that if Celestia hadn’t gone and killed me, effectively sealing away knowledge of this technique for five hundred years, it would have caught on and made elemental magic totally obsolete.”

“Oh man, that sounds cool.” Trixie commented. “A whole ‘nother breed of magic... I’m ready. You, Twilight?” Twilight nodded wordlessly. That must be what he was doing when we fought. she thought. His magic was unlike anything I’d ever seen, and it seems to match this description. She was eager to learn this obviously powerful skill, as was her sister.

Starswirl nodded, and took a step back, focusing his mind. For some time, impossible to fully identify in the Dreamscape, he bombarded the two girls with mental images brought about by the nature of the dream world, showing them in the simplest terms possible how to utilize this skill. It was almost as though he were sharing his own thoughts with them, making it as second-nature to them as it was for him. Afterwards, he challenged them to a friendly duel for practice, and the three launched themselves at each other. Each had a different color of energy- Trixie’s was a deep violet, while Twilight’s was a translucent magenta, and Starswirl’s was still the same plain blue it had been for his statue.

At last, he stepped back slowly, and nodded in satisfaction. “Seems you’ve both got the hang of it. I’m afraid that’s about all I can do for you, aside from wish you good luck. I suppose I’ll just let you regain consciousness now...”

Trixie nodded gratefully and closed her eyes, and Twilight watched curiously as she faded out of sight. Twilight, however, remained in the empty expanse, still having some private questions to ask. She took a step forward to address Starswirl, but he closed his eyes in sudden annoyance and cocked his head slightly. He then put a hand to his temple, and seemed to be trying to formulate a rather complex thought. Under his breath, just loud enough for Twilight to hear, he began to speak.

“What do you want, kid? This isn’t exactly a great time to try and contact me... What?... Kid, that is stupid. Crazy. Why would I even consider something like that, and why would you for that matter?... I do not care if she’s a fan, she’s not your descendant. I cannot allow you to do something so pointless and illegal... Oh, you just had to point that out. Ugh... You know what, I don’t feel like arguing with you. Just try to make it quick, she’s got a Hydra to kill.”

Twilight tilted her head curiously at her ancestor, and he shrugged with an air of annoyed defeat. “The ancestor of your farm-girl friend wants to speak to you. Can’t imagine why, but then, I never know what’s going on in his head... At any rate, I’m going to have to take off for the afterlife now and leave you to your business. Wake up ready to run.” With that, Starswirl closed his eyes and cast his head back, fading out from existence much the same as Trixie had.

Applejack’s ancestor? What could this possibly be about? Hm... For a few moments, Twilight began to feel lonely, all alone in the dusty expanse of the Dreamscape, until she noticed the silhouetted form of another figure walking towards her. She could see a long cloak whipping about at his feet, and he kept his arm still, shoved into his pockets. When he drew closer, she could see that he was barely taller than herself, though he appeared to be several years older, had blond hair that ended scraggly at shoulder-level, and wore a small pair of wire-rim glasses.

He bore a small smile at her, and gave her a short bow. “It’s a real pleasure to finally meet you, miss Twilight.” he stated. “I understand you’ve become a rather devout follower of my accomplishments during the civil war. I thought you might fancy the chance to speak to me in person, and I know I’d like the chance to speak with you as well. My name is Jonathan... though most of my friends insisted on calling me Jack for some reason.”

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. She had managed to speak with him after all, even if he wasn’t her ancestor. This was the same boy that had been there for her through the written word in the hardest time of her life, seemingly the only one who could understand what she was going through, and probably kept her from doing anything drastic in her depression. Now she finally had a chance to talk to him, to thank him for everything he unintentionally did for her, and possibly just to chat with someone who was so alike to herself.

“Now I’m not here to tell you exactly what to do.” he continued. “That ought to be Starswirl’s job, but then, I kind of doubt he’s going to do that either. But somewhere deep down, I think you do know what you have to do, and I’m sure events will soon unfold that will make it apparent to you as well.”

“Oh... Alright.” Twilight nodded after a moment’s hesitation. “And... Thank you. I know you didn’t really try to do anything, but reading about you really helped me out a while ago. I was in a very dark place, and just felt so alone... but reading about you in some of the books in the library made it feel like you were there with me. And even though I still don’t know what I’m going to do... I feel much more confident thanks to you.”

“Well, you’re very welcome!” said Jonathan, giving Twilight a small but sincere smile. “Though I never expected to be fulfilling that particular role when I was alive. I was always the one just buried in books, almost never giving a single care to the outside world... Until the war, of course. Even then, I didn’t really want to fight. I found the whole thing rather stupid, actually, but I enlisted for my own reasons. See... I sort of had unexpressed romantic feelings towards one of the top-ranking warriors of Dawn, General Madeline, and thought that if I became a soldier and climbed the ranks, it would get me noticed. Eventually it did, and we got to talking, but... things just didn’t work out between us. I headed back home for a while, not sure what to do next, and soon she came and found me, and presented me with a request.

“She had recently joined with the two young heirs to House Apollo, none other than Celestia and Luna, as well as the assassin Surprise and my most bitter enemy Starswirl from Eclipse. They had discovered that there was one singular driving force behind the entire war, a demon called Discord, who was nigh invincible without some seriously heavy weaponry. Madeline knew of one of Dawn’s most treasured possessions, the Elements of Harmony, and thought that we could potentially use them against him. I had no idea if we even stood a chance against something so powerful, but I decided to go with her anyway and find out.

“We were soon joined by three more from Dusk: Firefly, a guard captain of the capital city; Ace, a gambler with some strange delusions but a powerful drive; and a strange loner apparently from another world by the name of Xekora. Together, we managed to find and utilize the Elements, plus, unfortunately, find that artifact Xekora referred to as the Quest Bed, that made the sisters immortal, and after an incredibly desperate struggle, we managed to seal Discord away. Shortly after, though, things turned sour again. Celestia ascended to the throne of Eclipse through some highly questionable, though sadly unquestioned, means, and for some time made every effort to repair the relations between the three countries.

“Then the invasion orders were issued. It was fast, brutal, and utterly brilliant. In the span of only a month and a half, Celestia had crushed the standing armies of Dusk and Dawn, encompassing the entire continent into one empire. She had lost her mind, and her poor sister Luna went and contacted all of the Elements once again to help free the people of Equestria from this new threat. Of course, we all had families by this point- the families that would eventually give way to you and your friends- but we all knew we had to act, and suited up once again. But this time... we were all slain in battle, with Luna sealed away much the same as Discord.”

Jonathan sighed, then chuckled slightly with a definite blush on his face. “Oh... Sorry. I sort of dragged on there, didn’t I?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, no, that’s quite alright. Xekora had told us much the same story a few months ago... but it was nice hearing it from another perspective. But...” She sighed, a lump in her throat. “I guess it’s true then... even you think Celestia is evil, and... I can’t really even deny what she did in the past...”

Jonathan nodded sympathetically. “I’m afraid so, Twilight. One cannot deny all the damage she has done to Equestria. I know she’s given you the whole world, and never done anything to harm you, but you must understand that she is evil. The question you must ask is whether you will stand against her or stand aside, because I think you know it’s too late to stand with her.”

Twilight nodded sadly, knowing in her heart that Jonathan spoke the truth. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, then took a step back. “I guess I should let you get back to reality.” he told her. “Good luck.”

“Wait, wait. I forgot to ask Starswirl, but what was this stronghold I’m in even for? Who made it?”

“It was used as a rebel base for a while. Celestia doesn’t know where it is, thankfully. I don’t know what it was for before that, but it’s been around pretty much forever. Anyway, good fortune to you.”

______________

Twilight’s eyes fluttered open, and she rose sharply to a sitting position, ignoring the rush of blood from her head. “We need to move. Now.” She stated simply to her concerned and confused party. “My ancestor has informed me that there’s a Hydra running around here, and we need to get out of the swamp before we run into it, or it runs into us.”

Max brought a hand up to his face. “Ugh, a Hydra! That is what that was... Agreed. We need to find an exit to this place immediately. I recall there being a portal in the hub room back upstairs and down the hall. We should be able to make it easily.”

Twilight could see Spike’s and Pinkie’s faces pale, but they both nodded and the group took off back up the stairway. Pinkie scrambled up on all fours, managing to pick up more speed than the others and stay just a few feet ahead. Spike kept a hand forward to steady himself, the other holding his torch, which flickered wildly with the air whipping past it. Max’s dusty-colored wings were out behind him to stabilize him as he shuffled rapidly upward, and Twilight was left to simply move as fast as she could and hope to retain her balance. With a sprained arm, there was little else she could do.

As they neared the top of the stairwell, a deep rumble echoed throughout the cavern, and the ground shook ever so slightly. Pinkie stopped mid stride to turn around and yell simply “Be careful! It felt stronger up here!”, then turned around and kept going. Max took a running leap to the top, using his wings to glide in the slightly expanded space, and came to a rest just behind Pinkie. Twilight was directly behind Spike as he ran for the main floor, but as they reached the top, a much larger-scale tremor rocked the whole stronghold, and something not far behind them caused the bottom of the stairway to seemingly explode, sending newly-loosened mortar and rocky dust scattering around the passage.

The quake caused Twilight to momentarily lose her balance, and she cursed herself in anticipation of this newest fall, but Pinkie managed to grab her good wrist before she tumbled down the wrecked stairway. “I told you about the stairs.” She said with a slight forced grin, then pulled Twilight up the last step and put her back on her feet. With a single silent nod between the four, they took off running down the winding passage.

Twilight’s heart was racing and her breath came in short bursts, as every few seconds another tremor, whether light or tunnel-breaking, rocked the stronghold. The tunnel felt like it was collapsing behind them, pushing them to move yet faster. At last, they burst into the crossroads from earlier, and looked up at the cleverly disguised glass allowing faint afternoon light to filter into the ancient room. Twilight wasted no time in launching a short blast of energy at it, shattering the glass and brightening the room immediately.

Pinkie raised an eyebrow, curious about Twilight’s new ability, but no-one had time to question it. Another deep rumble, one of the biggest yet, nearly threw the group off their feet, and they moved quickly over to the portal. Max slid over to the center and grabbed Pinkie around the waist, then flew up and helped her out of the stronghold and back into the chilly late-winter air outside. He then hovered back down and did the same for Twilight, then Spike. Even when she wasn’t connected to the ground, the sounds of the foundations of the stronghold rumbling told her that this Hydra was close.

Twilight shivered once she touched ground outside, both from the shift in air temperature, and a sudden apprehension that could only come from knowing they were about to be attacked. Not five seconds after Spike had touched ground and they started running, the ground behind them exploded into a cascade of dirt, flecks of mud and moss, and rather large chunks of stone that luckily managed to miss all members of the party. The four skidded to a halt at the edge of the nearest hill and turned, all hands shaking in anticipation of the battle ahead, weapons and energy at the ready.

In the crater where the main entrance to the stronghold once lay, the Hydra loomed. It stood at least three stories tall with it’s necks craned straight up to the sky, and was covered in brown scales the same color as the dirt and stone around it. The heads all gazed at them with hungry, wild green eyes, just below which glistened razor-sharp fangs. It currently only had three heads, though Twilight knew that removing one of them would bring back two in its place. However, since the only weapons in their party were a spear, two knives, and magic, she didn’t think they would be able to behead it anyway. The key would have to be getting in close enough to strike it in the heart.

Twilight gulped, not at all prepared for this newest threat.

Chapter Eighty

Chapter Eighty

City of Dawn

Rarity

Only a few moments after Tug had fired the first shot, the enemy across the ravine exploded into action, as did the comparatively scrappy soldiers of New Dawn. Arrows and magic sailed back and forth between the two sides, the crashes of thunder, cackle of fire and whoosh of light, plus the occasional roar of the three naval canons, failing to drown out the yelps and screams of the stricken soldiers on both sides.  Rarity was nearly deafened by the noise, and the sky above her hiding place was cluttered with arrows sailing just overhead and spells arcing back and forth. A jolt of lightning struck just beyond the edge of the ancient stone barricade, causing the grass to be immediately scorched and nearly making one of the other soldiers jump in surprise. Luckily he did not, as it surely would have ended his life.

Rarity gripped her rapier tightly, suddenly regretting volunteering to join the frontline troops, but knew there was no way she could pull back now. Any movement that gave away her position would have her shot. Instead, she charged the medium powered spell Ellight on the steel of her sword, squeezed her eyes shut, and thrust it backward over her head, in the general direction of the enemy. The spell shot forth from the blade like a beam, though she had no way of knowing and no desire to check if it had hit anything. She pulled her hands and sword back behind the cover quickly, heart pounding, and began to charge another.

This was surely a very inefficient way of fighting, but Rarity felt powerless to do more. Beside her, and indeed all around, the soldiers of New Dawn were in similar predicaments, crouching behind their cover with scowls on their faces, waiting for an opportunity to return fire. Celestia’s troops had them pinned down, but every once in a while their covering fire lapsed, and the volunteer soldiers were given a few precious seconds to launch a counter-attack, striking several soldiers at a time before they had to duck back down again. Tug continued to lead the soldiers bravely, never letting up on his own assault and filling those around him with hope.

“Hey, are you gonna actually do anything?” One of the soldiers beside Rarity asked gruffly, nocking another arrow in his bow. “You aren’t hitting much besides the cliff face behind you that way.” In one rushed move he stood and turned around, fired his arrow, then ducked back down with hands over his head. On her other side, a mage was reading under his breath from a spell book, the ancient language conveying a fire spell. For simple convenience, most mages now simply memorized the ancient words for one or two spells, never needing to use another, but for new users of the craft and those who needed a wide array of spells, tomes such as these were still in use. Rarity only knew the two most basic light spells, as that was all she ever needed to use, and Twilight seemed to be able to remember four or five potent spells off the top of her head, but this mage still needed to read straight from the book, once again demonstrating the novice level of skill throughout the troops of New Dawn.

Rarity shook her head. “I apologize. I’ve... I’ve never been in a fight this large scale, nor under such heavy fire, or needing to fight at long range...”

“Hey, you think any of us have?” The archer responded. “Most of us’ve never been in a fight in our lives. You just gotta understand that our very way of existence is at stake, and adrenaline’ll take over for you.” After a moment’s hesitation, Rarity nodded, and the soldier went back to firing the occasional arrow over the line at Eclipse’s soldiers. Rarity continued as she was, charging magic along the blade of her rapier, but now she took a split second to peek around the edge of the barricade and do a little more to aim her shot. She didn’t know if this was actually making a difference, but it certainly felt better.

“Blast, they’re still pushing through!” Tug yelled over the din of battle. Rarity chanced another look at the enemy line, and saw that several large wheeled wooden structures were being pushed into position. Bridges... “Alright men, keep going! Kill as many as you can manage! The lumber is probably enhanced with magic, making it difficult to burn... But that doesn’t mean we can’t try!”

Tug’s continued words of confidence boosted the morale of the troops, and with a mighty battle cry, New Dawn continued to fight even harder than before. With every opening available, mages launched fire-based attacks at the enemy bridges, hoping to burn and disable them, but as Tug had feared, a magic resonance made their attempts all but useless. The wheels creaked ominously as the bridges moved forward, then stopped as they met air. They were on the way over the gap, and no amount of fire seemed able to set them ablaze. The covering fire from the soldiers of Eclipse seemed to slow, and that of New Dawn only intensified.

As the first of the bridges connected to the other side of the ravine, Rarity felt a sudden rush of warm air brush past. Confused, she looked to the sky, and gasped. Above, completely dominating the once cloudy horizon, a brilliant shockwave of rainbow energy was rending through the sky, rippling behind itself like a multicolor flame. All the clouds in the sky were torn to pieces, and a sudden gush of rainwater poured down upon the troops, ending as soon as it had begun. This caused anyone who hadn’t noticed the spectacle before to look up at it, virtually ending the crossfire for a precious moment.

Could that have been the Sonic Rainboom again? Rarity wondered. I can’t imagine it could be anything else, but I only barely saw the first one... I guess Rainbow Dash did it again. Though as soon as all the soldiers of Eclipse were preoccupied with gawking at the sight, Tug stood and frantically waved back the troops of New Dawn. He needed not say anything, as they were ready. As one they stood, released whatever they had loaded or charged upon the enemy front, and made a beeline back for the Castle of Dawn.

After a few seconds of clarity, the troops of Eclipse got their wits back about them and opened fire upon the retreating mass of scrappy soldiers. Rarity practically squeezed her eyes shut to avoid having to see what happened next, but she could still hear the tortured and quickly silenced screams of several soldiers as the fell where they stood. She nearly tripped multiple times, but was always able to merely pour on the speed and recover herself. At last, she and several others turned the corner behind the once mighty stone walls of the castle. She stopped next to Tug, who was leaning up against the wall to catch his breath, but with eyes still locked on the door as more New Dawn soldiers rushed in.

“Be honest...” Rarity breathed, also out of breath. “How bad are we doing...?”

“Well... I’ve seen better. Of the eighty-some troops we came up here with... We’ve lost at least thirty. Maybe forty.”

“Half our men, already?!” Rarity exclaimed. “How can that be...? How can we win now...”

“We’re not finished yet.” Tug insisted. “We’ve got a lot more troops waiting down below. Plus, I’d say that thanks to that surprise attack, we may have taken out as many as a hundred of their troops already. Just keep your head on straight, and we could still walk away from this alive. It’s just a shame we had to leave the canons behind... But at the very least, we managed to set off all the detonation spheres before we left. They’ll be all but useless to the enemy, meaning we at least haven’t gained another disadvantage.”

Rarity nodded, unable to find her voice and do more. Things looked absolutely abysmal, but Tug still seemed so sure that they could pull through. Rarity was having difficulty sharing in his optimism, but made no move to flee as the remaining troops poured into the castle to catch their breath. Tug gave her a reassuring nod and moved to address the men. “Alright, as soon as you catch your breath, get into position at the western wall. The Eclipse army will be marching on us with no cover to speak of, and this is our best window of opportunity to really smash their numbers. You! Run down to the lower city and alert the commander of the second wave of troops that Eclipse has breached the ravine!”

The troops remained relatively silent, but as one nodded in fierce determination. Rarity was amazed at these incredibly brave men and women, who were not willing to give up even in the face of almost certain demise. They had very little else to live for, and were willing to give their whole beings into fighting Eclipse back from this last stronghold of hope. A smile broke out on her face, as she felt utterly inspired by this determination, and she gripped her weapon and turned to the opposite wall to prepare for the next phase of the defense.

However, as she made an about-face to find a hole in the west wall to fire from, her eye caught something atop the grand entryway gate. She couldn’t say what it was she thought she saw, but something made her take another look. When she did, it didn’t matter how far away she was, she knew exactly what it was she was looking at. Atop the great stone archway, standing like an ancient sentinel to her dead city, was a lone statue facing inward to the castle, seeming to be looking right at Rarity. She didn’t need to question it further. She knew that she had found her ancestor, but at the absolute worst time imaginable.

As she looked, unable to wrench her gaze from it, a hazy lilac-colored light began to shine from around the statue, then clicked back off after a few seconds. As though everything had snapped into focus, the statue sprang to life and leapt from its perch, slamming powerfully into the ground and rushing forward to meet Rarity head on. She raised her rapier before her in a desperate attempt at defending herself. The statue came to a skidding halt just a few feet from her, and she was able to use a few seconds to get a good look at her ancestor.

She hardly needed to. This was a statue that could have been found anywhere. The high-rank Dawn armor, the abnormally long katana, her right arm in a sling... No question about it, it was none other than General Madeline. Rarity couldn’t help but grin smugly, satisfied immensely that her ancestor was a person of such fame. The thrill faded when she realized Madeline was still swinging her stone katana, still razor-sharp, mere inches from her face.

“L-listen, my lady!” Rarity stuttered, trying her best to win the attention of what may or may not have been the conscious spirit of her ancestor. “I cannot fight you right now. We’re in a war zone, against the soldiers of Eclipse! I know you want to help me grow stronger to fight them, but if I stop fighting now I’ll never get that chance!”

Oddly enough, the statue stopped in its tracks, and jerked its head to the side so it could see the oncoming troops. It took a look back at Rarity, then another glance at the men under the flag of Eclipse. It then simply shook its head in dismay, then did an about-face   and marched straight out the gateway to the castle.

“W-wait!” said Rarity, running after the statue. “Please, don’t leave! Just give me some time to make sure New Dawn is safe!” She came to a stop just beyond the gates, much to the protest of Tug and several other soldiers, but could only stop and stare when she emerged. The statue had also come to a stop a few meters away, her stone katana raised high over her head in her left had, with her back to Rarity. Before her was the whole of Eclipse’s army.

“Wha...” Tug started, but trailed off. He approached quickly behind her, and tried to pull her back into cover as soon as he got his wits back about him. “Is... Is that your ancestor? The famed heroine of Dawn? And is her statue about to face off against the whole army by herself?”

“Yes.” Rarity beamed, already getting a chance to tout her new family fame. “And... yes, it seems she is going to do just that. You think they have any weapons that can destroy a statue like that, especially one that can move so fast?”

Tug’s face lit up a moment later when he fully grasped what was happening. “By the gods, we’ve got an invincible soldier who’s going to win this battle for us... But in terms of morale, the troops need to think they won, not got saved. I’ll let your ancestor severely weaken them, then we can send in the whole army to mop up the resistance. If we’re lucky, we may even rout them and buy us a whole lot more time to prepare for a future attack.”

He dashed back further into the castle to round up the long range troops who remained, while Rarity was left to watch in wonder as the statue of Madeline stalked forward towards the charging troops, without a trace of fear. The soldiers of Eclipse kept up their charge for several more seconds, then began to slow as the front lines caught a look at her. Out of sheer confusion, most froze when they saw a figure made of rock moving slowly toward them. Rarity could imagine the statue of Madeline issuing a fierce war cry, though no such thing came from the silent effigy, and it launched forward in a venomous spinning arc.

The stone katana, sharp as any steel, crashed into the very front line of troops, cutting through their armor like butter and dropping the soldiers to the ground. A wave of panic and anger spread through the army, and even from where she stood Rarity could make out their cries, as they referred to this strange new enemy simply as ‘the golem’ and tried to concentrate their fire upon it. Their efforts all amounted to nothing, though. It was Rarity’s ancestor, and only Rarity could defeat it, so anything it decided to just ‘clean up’ was helpless to do anything about it.

“Open fire!” Tug yelled from atop the castle wall, though Rarity had no idea how he managed to get up there. A battle cry issued from the troops of New Dawn, and the barrage of magic and arrows resumed from their side alone. Rarity scrambled away from the courtyard where the virtual slaughter was taking place and found a perch on one of the broken walls to view the carnage better. Her heart was set aflutter, as the chaos caused by Madeline’s sudden attack had thrown the soldiers of Eclipse into a major, spiraling disadvantage. Plus, without a leader that hadn’t been shot by Tug’s arrows already, they had very little keeping them under one course of action. Everyone was trying to focus their fire to stop the possessed rock slaughtering their own, and their efforts came to nothing.

“Charge!” A second voice sounded from elsewhere on the battlefield, and Rarity spun around to see the other side of the castle. From the lower city, the second wave of troops had already arrived, led by the wolf girl Winona, Lord Blake, and Applejack. With another mighty battle cry, then charged forward as one towards the enemy ranks. Still being bombarded by the New Dawn long-range troops and the avatar of Madeline, the front lines crumbled like paper under the weight of the emotionally charged soldiers. Elsewhere in the charge, the blurry white form of Opal in beast form could be seen darting about, rending through the Eclipse armor with her fangs and claws, and Blake, using the Leo Charm, fought with much the same ferocity. Winona had transformed as well, rushing around the enemies’ blades and using her superior canine fangs to punch painful holes in their leggings, and Applejack smashed through any armor she encountered with her now icy battle axe.

However, New Dawn wasn’t without casualties either. While the soldiers of Eclipse were thoroughly disoriented and confused, they were far from helpless. Their blades cut and slashed at the hastily armored men and women of New Dawn, the ground becoming littered with the bodies of both parties. Rarity scowled, her hand shaking at the sheer scale of the bloodshed, and slid down from her perch. No one was on the central ground floor of the castle anymore. Everyone who could do long range combat was at or on the western wall, and anyone else was right up in the crowd, fighting back Eclipse tooth and nail. Rarity, though terrified, was determined to join them and help deal this powerful first blow against Celestia.

In one fluid movement, she removed the Icarus Charm from the pocket within her armor and slid it over her head, then readied her rapier at her side. The large crystalline butterfly’s wings sprouted from her back a moment later, and she launched into the air to dive into the fray. Below her, the statue of Madeline was still wreaking total havoc, and with a single rapid flutter of her wings to gather speed, she dove down with blade first to land beside her ancestor. Her sword sliced through a set of chain mail, and she spun around to trip up the second soldier who was getting ready to attack her with a heavy poleax.

Madeline’s stone sword and Rarity’s rapier cut in vicious circles around them, dropping the soldiers like flies. Rarity didn’t give it a second thought: she couldn’t, otherwise she would have frozen up right after the first kill.  When this was over, she could worry about having blood on her hands, but for now she had to remain focused. The fire from overhead continued to cascade upon the ranks, and the soldiers of New Dawn were fighting with seemingly inhuman strength and rage. Soon it seemed that the gap between the numbers was beginning to shrink, causing the soldier to push yet harder.

Soon, the soldiers of Eclipse began to take notice of this, and poured on the offensive in turn. Rarity could feel the sheer weight of their numbers damaging New Dawn, but the troops did not give up easily. With Madeline rushing forth and slicing apart the lines, Eclipse hardly stood a chance. Almost an hour passed in which the numbers whittled themselves down, and soon both were on the verge of retreat. Neither would back down, but both would be destroyed before long.

At last, though, Eclipse began to show signs of panic, and some of the soldiers made a move to flee. They didn’t get far, though, as Tug’s practiced archery skills allowed him to stop them from escaping from quite a distance. Since it seemed they were going to win, Rarity knew they couldn’t afford to let a single soldier escape and bring word back to Celestia. Both sides seemed to be about at equal numbers, and with support from above on their side, New Dawn’s victory was now assured one way or another.

Rarity didn’t intend to let it be a close victory though. She wanted Eclipse’s army to be wiped off the face of the earth, and her ancestor seemed to agree. The two noblewomen hefted their swords once again and charged forward, slicing apart any opposition, and soon were fighting exclusively fleeing soldiers. Tug let out a harsh, brutal laugh, then gave another war cry that soon spread throughout the whole remaining company. As one, New Dawn surged forward, bombarding the fleeing troops with arrows, magic, and steel. Whenever any single soldier managed to get ahead of the pack, he was immediately put down by Tug, and the greater mass of troops remained a huge but rapidly shrinking target.

And just like that... It was over. A few more arrows flew, a few more blades fell, and that was it. Just like that, the battle was over, and the ground littered with the six hundred bodies of Eclipse’s forward army. A few moments of stunned silence hung in the air, then an uncontrollable cheer erupted from New Dawn. People cried out and shed literal tears of relief and joy. Rarity gave a weak smile, truly too stunned to do anything else. The first battle of the revolution, and they had won. She had a lot of blood now on her hands... but considering it was the blood of Eclipse, she was able to swallow it a little easier.

She made a move to turn back to the others and pat them on the back, but behind her was the statue of Madeline. Her guard had not lowered, and the stone katana was still held at the ready, her gaze leveled on Rarity. With a start, Rarity realized the battle was not yet over for her.

Chapter Eighty-one

Chapter Eighty-one

Dreamscape

Rainbow Dash

“So the Sonic Rainboom- or, whatever it’s called when Spitfire does it- is our skill?” I asked Firefly, trying to tie everything together.

She nodded. “Yeap. It’s just too awesome a skill to wait to be discovered, apparently. Just kind of manifests itself upon people sometimes. So, you both ready to be assaulted with mental stuff that’ll make it a thousand times easier to learn this?” Spitfire and I both nodded, and our ancestor closed her eyes to focus. Of course, it was mostly pointless, since everything was based on the mind in the Dreamscape.

In the next few moments, my mind was filled with foreign memories, images and strings of phrases that at first meant nothing, but soon settled themselves deep enough within my subconscious that I could comfortably ignore them. I could feel their effect though: they were implanting the very instinct of the ability to perform the Sonic Rainboom at will, and the unnecessary memories soon dissolved themselves as soon as their job was done, probably so I wouldn’t have some kind of identity crisis in the future.

“Right, so... we good?” She asked, sounding slightly winded. We both nodded. “Alright then. Wanna hear some backstory then? I’ve got a good hour of dream time left before I have to get back to the afterlife. That’s like... I dunno, half an hour in regular time?”

I shrugged, and Spitfire nodded. “I would like to figure out some things about this city.” I admitted. “There’s a lot of mystery surrounding it, and I’ll be wondering about it for a while if I don’t figure it out.”

“Right!” Firefly clasped her hands together. “Well then, have either of you two ever heard of the city of Cloudsdale?”

“Huh? Yeah, that’s the one they always talk about in fairy tales. Why?” I asked. Firefly acquired a smug grin and raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for her message to sink in. At last, my eyes shot wide open. “Wha-... No. No way. You’re telling me... First Spitfire, now this? Why is my life so awesome today?!”

“You got it, kid. The capital of Dusk was none other than the great city in the sky, Cloudsdale, though now it has simply become the stuff of legends. Anyway, back when it was a city worth living in, the central city was the part that was in the air, while the outer city remained on the ground and offered passage to the upper city. Since we were based in the sky, we had a bunch of windmills set up that harvested the constant wind at that altitude and used the energy to keep the city aloft. It’s a little paradoxal, when you think about it: as long as we stay in the air, we maintain the ability to stay in the air... Always got me.

“Anyway, I served as a city guard for Cloudsdale for most of my life, and by the time the civil war rolled around, I got promoted to captain just because we were so short handed. In the process of taking care of the city, I managed to make myself an arch enemy: a gambler and frequent disregarder of the law, Ace. Still, when the battle came knocking at our doorstep, we put aside our differences and raised our weapons under the same banner, the then righteous sun of Apollo, with Celestia and Luna.

“Some weird otherworldly interloper joined our party as soon as we’d rounded up the Elements of Harmony, some self-proclaimed god of shadow from a place called Hyrule. I trust that he already filled you in on everything that happened next?” I nodded, but Spitfire was still clueless. “Ah. Right. Well, as an Order member, you probably know some of it already, but I’ll try to give you a condensed version so I won’t waste your time. Basically... Xekora, this Hylian guy, was totally right about everything, and soon the same process used to bring him to the ‘god tier’ was used by the royal sisters to give them enough power to seal away the demon threatening the land. After that, power went to Celestia’s head, and we had to pull together to fight her next. We lost. Luna got sealed away, we all got killed, and Xekora- the smart one who didn’t take up arms again- went into hiding.

“So. Now that that’s out of the way, I have a request for you both. I can’t imagine you haven’t seen all those dark beasts lurking around Cloudsdale, making a total mess out of everything. I have no idea what they are or what they think they’re doing there, but on behalf of everyone who used to live there, I want them gone. You’ve got to do everything you can to purge those bastards from the city, and I’m going to tell you how to do it. After that, you can go home and face off against Celestia, but if you do nothing I’m sure she’ll find a way to turn this against you. In the vault, a building in the north section of the inner city, there should be a huge energy core just brimming with light magic in high security. Even now, I can tell there’s enough for the job in there, and those creatures can’t have found a way in. Get that to the engine room, plug it in and fire the whole city up. The massive flare of light should be enough to permanently destroy all of them.”

______________

Cloudsdale; Engine Room

Fluttershy

“W-what?” Fluttershy stammered, hardly able to believe her ears. She can’t be serious... There’s no way she could have gotten into our heads and made Dash and I... like each other... could she? However, as much as she would have loved to deny it to herself, Gilda was openly admitting to the act.

“I hope you’re proud of yourself, kid.” She chided, a snarky grin on her face. “And here I thought I was doing pretty good at this whole ‘stealth’ and ‘tact’ thing. Ah well, what can you do? Of course, plan B was pretty much destroyed when Spitfire showed up, and apparently she knows I’ve been doing that already, too... Shoot. What do I do now... Eh, I guess I can just take off now and leave you two for dead, unless you wanna come with. We could probably even custom-make a little Order cloak for you, kid. And trust me, I know it seems like I’m being all evil and trying to kidnap you, but the Order isn’t really that bad a place, or evil at all. We’re just... well, I dunno how much I’m supposed to say to outsiders. We just want what’s best for the world, and we think we know how to get it, and you’d all make great additions to our team...”

“Are you insane?!” Fluttershy blurted out, but while her voice did lower, she didn’t back down afterward. “You go around messing with mine and my friend’s minds, making us think we were in love, and then think we’ll just forgive you and go with you to your stupid organization that tried to take us away from our families years ago?!”

Gilda took a long look around. “You and the bunny gonna stop me?”

Fluttershy nodded grimly and nocked an arrow, pointing it directly at Gilda’s chest. Any other person, she would never have been able to shoot, but for such a horrible person as Gilda, she thought she could do it. Angel hefted his scythe to balance the blade just over his shoulder. Gilda sighed and ran a hand through her hair, a feat considering she never removed her battle claws. “I don’t want to fight you. It’d just be a waste of time...”

“Well, we have no intention of going with you.” Fluttershy stated, and though her voice was quiet, she was quite adamant that she was going nowhere. The three remained motionless, all daring someone to make the first move. Fluttershy’s arm was starting to get a little sore from holding back the string of her bow, but otherwise she never wavered.

The stalemate promptly ended when from the center of the platform, Rainbow Dash sprung to his feet, incredibly alert for having only just been unconscious. Spitfire followed a split second later. Gilda sighed heavily and dropped her arms. “Well, that’s that isn’t it.”

“Yeah.” Spitfire confirmed, hefting her axe over her shoulder threateningly. “That would indeed be that. Now... Shoot, we’re surrounded aren’t we?”

Fluttershy nodded, as Gilda had lapsed into an annoyed silence. Fluttershy sincerely hoped Spitfire would punish her appropriately. “We were going to wait for you two to awaken, then fly out of here.”

“Well... We’ve had a change of plans.” Dash stated. “We can’t just leave this city like this. My- our- ancestor told us how to save it, and begged us not to let it remain this way. We have to clear out this wave, then go to the vault in the northern part of town.”

“Ugh, why do we have to do that? I’d much rather just leave now that the whole point of coming is bunk, and just take my punishment...”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, clueless as to what she was talking about, and Spitfire smirked. “Well guess what? Your punishment starts here. You’ll help us save this place, and your overall punishment may be less severe. Of course, you still haven’t worked off your last strike for starting a fistfight with Tug, so we’ll have to add that into account too...”

“Hey, I told you already, I didn’t start that. Maybe I enjoyed it more than I should have, but he threw the first punch.” Spitfire shook her head, and she and Rainbow Dash moved over to the edge. At once, they started frantically throwing shapeless masses of wind and fire magic down upon the dark beasts. The inhuman cries of the monsters echoed off the rounded walls of the chamber, and sooner than Fluttershy expected, they began to die down. At last, the flailing arms of the two proper warriors began to slow, and they paused to survey the damage.

“That should buy us a good twenty minutes, at the very least.” Spitfire stated. “We have until then to get to the northern section of the inner city, break into the vault and find that huge light core. By then, I expect we should just hold tight until we can take out the next round, then work our way back here.”

Fluttershy tilted her head. “Huge light core? Vault? Um, could someone please explain?”

Dash leapt on the opportunity. “Basically, our ancestor Firefly told us that there’s a huge energy core stored in the high-security vault for the city, and it’s still brimming with light magic after all this time. She says that if we plug it into the engine here and turn everything on, the blast will be enough to purge the dark beasts from the city forever. And, since this turns out to be the legendary Cloudsdale, we have to do everything we can to set it right.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened marginally. “Really?” She asked. “My sister used to tell me stories about great heroes who hailed from there- or, rather, here I guess.” She kept her voice completely calm and interested in what Rainbow Dash was saying, but something was tugging at her mind. Dash still seemed really eager to help me... Oh no, no one ever told him about what Gilda did! He still thinks he’s in love with me... As she thought this, she couldn’t help an involuntary flutter of her own heart. It hasn’t worn off of me yet, either. Either Gilda can’t or won’t just dispel it manually, so we’ll probably have to just wait it out, but... Ooh, how do I break it to him that he’s not really in love when it’s this... realistic?

“Right. We’re burning daylight, people. Let’s move!” Spitfire yelled, jumping off the platform, followed shortly by a morose Gilda. Rainbow Dash turned back to her and nodded, then leapt off like he was diving into a body of water, his wings flaring out behind him. Fluttershy looked to Angel, and he cast her a look.

“You need to tell him...” he stated, and she nodded. “And... I’m sorry. That can’t have felt good...”

Fluttershy shook her head. “It’s okay, Angel, don’t be sorry. Yes, it... it did hurt a little, especially since I still feel like I want to be with him, but I know it’s fake... but it would be much worse if I didn’t know. I’m glad you said something, and very proud of you for putting all that together and standing up for me and Dash. I’ll... I’ll tell him as soon as I get the chance.”

Angel nodded in satisfaction and scrambled up Fluttershy’s leg, so that she could hold him in her arms. She gave him an affectionate nuzzle for a second, then unfurled her wings and floated back to the ground where the others were waiting. As soon as she touched the ground and set Angel back on his feet, the party set off once again through the streets.

The grey roads were utterly silent, save for the echo of the five sets of footsteps against the cobble. Fluttershy’s mind raced faster than the team did, and she went through countless scenarios of ways she could break the news to Rainbow Dash, none working particularly well. She knew she had to say something, but wanted to spare Dash’s feelings as much as she could. After everything was said and done, they were still great friends.

It didn’t take the group long to reach the vault, but actually getting in was another story entirely. The door was sealed tight enough to keep the dark creatures out, which meant it was plenty tough enough for normal humans to get in. Gilda was able to grudgingly pick the initial locks, though a heavy blast shield was all they met afterward, with no doorway visible. After a few futile minutes of trying to find a legitimate way around, Spitfire decided to take the quick way, and she, Dash and Gilda all put their full weight behind their shoulders and managed to smash it backward.

Just behind the wall was the energy core they needed. Though a thick layer of dust covered the entire empty room, including the glass sphere that was practically as tall as Angel, a pale radiance could be seen emanating from it. Rainbow Dash nodded and moved over to the core. “We just need to get this back to the engine room, and plug this baby in, then we can head home.” He stated, then crouched down facing away from it and hefted it up on his back. “Yeah... Yeah, I can get this by myself.”

Spitfire shot a glance outside, and shook her head. “If we started off now, we’d be ambushed halfway through. Let’s just buckle down and defend this building until the next wave is over, then head back.” The others nodded, and Rainbow Dash put the core back where it was, then unsheathed his broadsword and moved to the door. Fluttershy brought forth her bow once again, and the team waited in silence for several minutes. It almost seemed to be too long, until the telltale rumblings from elsewhere in the dead city began.

Only a few moments later, the beasts attacked, more savagely than ever. Though they focused their efforts mainly at breaking through the front door defenses, several took to slamming themselves against the walls, trying to claw their way through, and generally doing anything they could to get closer to the inside of the vault, to both the intruders and the device of their demise. Fluttershy could tell that they knew what the core was capable of, and that they would all die if they did not stop it from being activated.

The assault lasted much longer than any of the previous ones. Fluttershy felt a shiver run down her spine, as she knew the creatures had stepped things up. They knew their time was nearly up, and she knew they wouldn’t make it easy. As soon as the crowd had been destroyed and not a moment afterward, Rainbow Dash hefted the core back onto his back, and the team quickly exited the vault and made a beeline for the engine room. Their progress was somewhat slowed by Dash’s cumbersome load, but they still made good progress. They were able to cover a whole block before the rumblings started again.

“W-what?!” Fluttershy stammered, looking around frantically. “It hasn’t been even two minutes yet! How have they re-spawned already?”

“They aren’t waiting to die, obviously.” Gilda stated, pulling back her sleeves slightly. “And I don’t intend to wait around for them to kill us. Keep moving! We’ll cover you Dash! We have to get the the engine room before these mindless beasts get a better idea on how to foil us.” Spitfire nodded in determination and adjusted her axe on her shoulder, and Fluttershy and Angel followed in worried silence. As they rushed as much as they could through the streets, the sounds from all around picked up in intensity, until everything suddenly fell silent once again. The term ‘calm before the storm’ came to Fluttershy’s mind.

The beasts attacked, from every conceivable direction except down. They poured in from the adjoining streets, leapt from the tops of buildings, and soon would overwhelm the group if they did not cut down their numbers. Spitfire brought down her battle axe heavily upon the mortar, sending out a shockwave of flame that tore through the flimsy bodies of countless creatures. Gilda danced back and fourth on light feet, her arms darting out whenever an opening presented itself to stab or slice at the exposed beasts with her claws. Fluttershy kept her bow trained near Rainbow Dash, and shot down any that tried to attack him in his defenseless state, and Angel used the superior reach of his weapon and tiny size of his body to flit around her and cover her back.

“Keep it up! Only two blocks more!” Spitfire shouted encouragingly. The group continued to push through the creatures, progress slow but not at a total standstill. The beasts had flooded almost all the streets, and showed no signs of stopping. Angel seemed to be tiring, and though he kept fighting as hard as he could, the group was forced to draw in closer in order to protect themselves. The two fighter girls tore through the beasts brutally, and would likely have been drenched in blood had these things been able to bleed. The thought didn’t exactly appeal to Fluttershy.

Everything seemed to happen at once. Angel must have missed a beat somewhere, as when he ducked low to slice apart the creature’s legs, several of them jumped clear over him to sail towards Fluttershy. Fear lanced through her system, and she was practically unable to scream as she raised her bow to try and shoot them before they reached her. The gap was too small already though, and she didn’t have enough time...

Rainbow Dash’s broadsword sailed just over her head and sliced the creatures apart. It shortly boomeranged back and landed in his outstretched hand, the light core held aloft by a powerful concentration of wind. He gave her a nod and reassuring smile, then dropped the core back onto his back, his sword re-sheathed. Fluttershy was intensely thankful, but silently cursed herself all the same. The more heroic stuff he does like that, the harder it’s going to be to tell him... I just hope I’m not too late or anything...

At last, the engine room came back into view overhead. The team gave one last push, cut through the beasts blocking the entrance, and ran through. Strangely, none of the creatures had yet occupied the spacious room, but nothing was stopping them from pouring in once the party had entered. They ran up to the clouded glass of the engine, and Gilda was the first to launch into the air to the relative safety above. Rainbow Dash quickly handed off the core to Spitfire, who rose next, and he turned to Fluttershy and Angel as the beasts approached from behind. In the nick of time, he threw Angel over his shoulder, grabbed Fluttershy’s hand, and rocketed into the air. The dark beasts clawed at the glass below, fruitlessly.

When the three reached the top of the platform once again, Spitfire was already trying to break through the lid by cutting a jagged hole with her axe, with some success. The lid was made of some kind of plastic, and had degraded somewhat in the five hundred years it had just been sitting. Rainbow Dash and Angel both joined in with their longer-bladed weapons, and soon a rough piece of the plastic fell through to the bottom, large enough for someone to squeeze through. Spitfire jumped down and fiddled with the original power crystal for a moment, then simply kicked it off of it’s stand, shattering the glass wall on one side.

Rainbow Dash then moved the light core over to the gap, where Spitfire was waiting with open arms. She caught it deftly and floated back down, aware of the dark beasts trying to get in, but cutting themselves to ribbons on the jagged glass, and set it on the pedestal where the crystal had sat. A series of hoses was connected to this, and in a few moments everything had been set up. She then floated back up and came to a rest atop the platform.

“The power switch.” she stated vaguely. “Down there, on the control panels. Must be that big one there. That should turn everything on if we hit it.”

“All the way down there, where the beasts are?” Gilda asked. “How do you propose we do that without getting eaten?” Fluttershy, however, was half listening. She had locked eyes on the lever Spitfire had specified, and was considering their options. It wasn’t that far away. Maybe...

She unclipped her bow and nocked an arrow, stepping forward to cut off everyone else. If this fails, I’ll still have a few more shots, too. But these beasts might see me shooting at it, and try to destroy it, and then where will we be? No... no, I have to make this in one shot if I can. Fluttershy took a deep breath, then raised the bow to the necessary position and angle. The lever was right in her sight, and if she hit it dead-on, it would easily flip. She did her best to slow her breathing and steady her heart, as commander Octavia had taught her, and released the arrow.

Her aim was true. Either that, or she got lucky. Regardless, the arrow sailed forward and struck the switch, flipping it over to the opposite position. The light core immediately started to glow, and for a moment all the monitors and lights of the control room lit up, ready to perform their intended functions, until the massive amount of light energy overwhelmed their circuits and caused them to burst. All around the city it seemed, a similar process was taking place, and as soon as the control devices were broken, light began shining forth, illuminating the dead city of Cloudsdale until no one could stand to keep their eyes open.

Even then, when the explosion of light reached its peak, Fluttershy had to throw an arm up over her eyes in addition to closing them. However, as soon as she did, the light died at once. Cracking them open once again, she saw that the control rooms and windmills had all been destroyed, doing a bit of damage to the actual city, but the streets were quiet. It was no longer a menacing, fearful silence in which one never knew when they would be attacked next, but a peaceful, yet mournful silence. They had done it. Cloudsdale was still empty, but free.

Chapter Eighty-three

Chapter Eighty-three

Eclipse Swamps

Twilight

Twilight rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and rose to a sitting position. At some point in the previous night, she had fallen asleep while laying next to the campfire. Her injured arm was still a bit sore, especially after being kept in an awkward position the whole night. The others were all gathered around the fire ring, except for Spike.

“Good morning, Twilight.” Pinkie greeted her. “Spike stepped out for a minute. Said he thinks he dropped something out on the path in the swamp.”

Twilight nodded and stood, the pleasant aroma of a warm breakfast cooking over the fire permeating the air. She retrieved a bowl and helped herself to some. “So, Max...” she started, pausing to take a bite, “what are you going to do now? We’re going to head home after this, and after that... well, war will probably follow before too long.”

“Well... I thought I might stick around for a bit longer. Not too long, since the Order might need me for something. Plus my girlfriend my miss me... But I’ll hang around a little longer, if it is alright with you.”

“Oh, no, that’s fine!” Twilight said with a smile. “You’ve been a lot of help to us so far, plus being pretty good company. We’d be happy to have you for as long as you care to stay with us.” Pinkie bobbed her head in agreement. “Well... I guess we’re not really in any rush to get back anymore. We can take our time, and instead of pushing hard to make it by dark tonight, we could arrive comfortably tomorrow afternoon. I’ll wait until Spike gets back and ask him, but I’m pretty happy now. I say we can wait another day to get home.”

_______________

City of Dawn

Rarity

“For their insurmountable bravery in battle, brilliant tactics that saved countless New Dawn lives, and simply for standing by us in one of our greatest times of need, I would like to recognize these individuals.” Vomora said animatedly. The combination of his smooth, proper accent, excellent ovation skills and the attitude of New Dawn as a whole made for quite the speech. “Ladies Rarity and Opal, Sirs Tug and Soren, Miss Applejack, and of course the ever-loyal Lord Blake; I have not the words nor the gold to properly thank you for all you’ve done. I can award no medals or currency, I can bestow no titles. All I can do is express how deeply thankful each one of us is to you. All these people before you owe you their lives, myself included.”

A cheer erupted from the crowd, and Rarity saw it fit to give a slight bow, not of pride, but of kind greeting. Seeing this, Blake did so as well, followed shortly by all the others. She then raised her hands to call for silence, and after a full minute of cheering she was able to speak. “Ladies and gentlemen of New Dawn! I can say that I neither expect or desire any reward, only that you stay alive to carry on this fight. Today marks a great day in history as one of the first victories achieved against Celestia’s forces for more than five hundred years, but mark my words, it shall not be the last! All across Equestria, the people are growing to see the truth behind her lies, and more and more pockets of resistance are forming each day. Now that this battle has been won, once word gets out across the country, the people will finally rise up from under the Queen’s thumb! And on behalf of the Moonlight Resistance, I will do everything in my power to see that you are given home and work as you once had, as long as you continue to stand up for your beliefs, for what is right!”

Another massive cheer. Rarity smiled and turned to Blake. “Please, come back to town with us, as a representative of New Dawn, and as my friend. You can help us work out an agreement between our two groups, making the resistance that much stronger. Plus... if we’re going to be at war, I’d rather have you by my side than anywhere, or anyone, else. I know you’ll watch my back, and I’d love nothing more than to watch yours in turn.”

Blake nodded warmly. “I agree. In all honesty... we kind of got lucky yesterday. We’ll have to stick together if we’re to survive.”

“If I may...” Another voice started, and Winona approached the two from behind. “I would like to come with you. My father must remain here to lead the troops of New Dawn, but I am most qualified to speak on his behalf.”

Rarity nodded, then turned to the black-cloaked ranger. “What about you, Tug? Will you come back with us? We could surely use a skilled tactician helping to direct us.”

“If at all possible.” he answered. He held up something from the folds of his cloak, what appeared to be a rusty medallion of some kind. “I found the artifact I came here to get, and I’ll need to bring it back to the Order before I do anything else. But if I can excuse myself again, I will return to aid you as soon as is possible.”

“I think I’m going to go ahead and see myself off now.” Soren said, stretching his newly healed and slightly stiff wings. “My guys are probably wondering where I am, since I was supposed to be back by now. With any luck, we’ll see each other again in better times.” He gave a farewell wave and leapt from the platform, flapping his wings and rising high into the sky.

Soon the party of five was back on the road again, over one of the Eclipsian bridges and through the EverFree Forest, homeward bound.

______________

Southern Fields

Rainbow Dash

All through the night, the three of us had pushed through the darkness, well into the tiniest hours of the morning, to reach home as soon as possible. Spitfire and Gilda had both already departed for home, the undisclosed location of the Order, and I had no desire to follow them. As curious as I still was about this shifty group, I wanted no part of it. Besides, I had a feeling I’d see Spitfire again. She seemed to be slowly showing herself more and more, and I knew it was only a matter of time before she revealed her existence to a greater group of people than just me and a few others.

I pulled myself from the ground the next morning, still remarkably awake for having slept a maximum of four hours last night. Fluttershy and Angel were still sound asleep by the remains of the fire, snuggled up against each other. I smiled and shook my head. It’s only like three hours back to town now, since we made such good progress last night. We can afford for those two to sleep in a little. Besides, they deserve it. I dug into my pack and retrieved what was left of our coffee stores, and set to work rekindling the fire.

It was about an hour before the others woke up, and another thirty minutes or so before they ate breakfast and fully prepared themselves to set off. Angel scrambled up onto my shoulders, I grabbed his little furry hand, and Fluttershy and I launched into the air once again. In the growing light of dawn, we soared across the beautiful countryside, the tendrils of winter beginning to recede and give way to a green spring. We were buffeted by a slightly chilly breeze as we flew, but it wasn’t enough to set us off course. In a few hours, we would be home.

____________

Eclipse Swamps

Twilight’s group was finally preparing to leave the campsite. Their supplies were packed and hefted over their shoulders, and their sights set on the southern horizon. As Twilight gazed out into the distance, Spike cleared his throat, somewhat hesitantly. “Twi... I think there’s something I still need to do here. Alone.”

She turned to him, one eyebrow raised. “What’s that? We can wait for you.”

“No, no...” He shook his head. “It’s nothing serious. I just need to... to meet someone. It might take a little while, though. You three should go on ahead back home, and I’ll be right behind you as soon as I can.”

Twilight frowned, but nodded. “Alright, I guess... Be careful?” He nodded, and set his supplies against a nearby tree. Twilight turned to Max and Pinkie. “Shall we be off?” They both nodded, and the three stepped forward onto the path which would eventually see them home. Max cast a look back, then held up a single finger for the girls to give him a moment, and stalked back to the Goldoan.

“Spike...” he started, “What is this? You almost seem afraid, and... sad.”

Spike shook his head. “I forgot, you’re a Heron. You can see the flow of my thoughts... I’m sorry. I can’t tell you what’s about to happen, because even I don’t know. But I have to stay here, and face my fate.”

“A Goldoan mantra if I ever heard one...” Max commented, showing his seldom-used sense of humor, and Spike chuckled weakly along with him. He then turned to the younger Laguz with a different look in his eyes.

“Can you do me a favor, Max? As a fellow Laguz, and man in general. I know you were going to already, but... See those two home safely. Make sure they’re alright. Can you do that for me?” Max nodded, and Spike clasped him on the shoulder. “Good man. Now get going. Things are going to get exciting back at town pretty soon.”

The heron nodded and glided off to rejoin the girls, with one final look back at the Goldoan. Spike sighed and reached into his pack, retrieving an ink and quill, and a sheet of paper. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, he began to scrawl a message upon the paper.

_______________

Rainbow Dash

It was just into the evening when we skidded to a halt at the gates to town. Not a lot of people took notice to us, since we hadn’t exactly told anyone about our mission, though we did get a few ‘hello’s’. I still felt like a hero walking into town though. I turned to Fluttershy with a smile on my face. “I guess I’ll be seeing you soon, huh? And... thanks.”

“For what?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

“For what I’m getting ready to do in a few minutes. Don’t worry, I’m sure everyone in town is gonna know about it before too long.” I gave her a quick friendly hug, and glided on the tips of my feet back to my home. I had one thing I had to check first before I set my plan into action. Ultraviolet had a secret hiding place underneath one of the floorboards in his room, one I had discovered several years ago when I saw him taking something out of it. For the longest time I simply lacked the strength to get into it, and once I had gotten strong enough, I had stopped caring about it. But now, I decided it was worth a look for something specific.

I walked into the room that used to be his, but that now housed Scootaloo a good portion of the time, and got to my knees searching for the slightly out-of-alignment board. After a minute of searching, I found it and practically ripped the board clean off. Only one thing was still inside: an opened envelope containing a single piece of paper. My hand darted within the space and retrieved it, then I stood and unfolded the letter contained within. My eyes darted over the words written, stained slightly with age and a few stray drops of ink, and my heart soared. This might be even easier than I thought... I couldn’t help but muse.

I carefully folded the paper and placed it in my pocket, then dropped my weapons at the door and left the house. I had to consciously force myself not to run the whole way. I made my way through the streets to the eastern gates of town, where the EverFree Forest loomed, and smiled when I realized I was just in time. From within the forest, several figures could be seen walking towards the town. They soon came into the light of day, and I was able to see that the group was led by Rarity, flanked by Opal and Applejack, and two people I didn’t recognize.

“Applejack!” I yelled, waving to her. This is going to be the coolest thing I’ve ever done, I swear. Gotta do it right though. The whole group perked up and picked up the pace slightly to meet me.

“Dash! Hey!” She greeted back. “You sure seem happy. Guess it all went well?”

“What? Oh, yeah, the ancestor thing. Yeah, it went awesome. Got a captain of the guard, learned to do the Sonic Rainboom properly, then saved the wrecked city of Cloudsdale. Just a day in the life!”

“Congratulations!” Rarity said, patting me on the back. “Almost as good as mine. I got General Madeline of Dawn as my ancestor. Soul Release will once again grace the battlefields. Oh, except... I think Celestia might be on us pretty soon.”

“Yeah, yeah, I probably didn’t help that along either. She’s bound to put together that I’m on the move, since I did the Sonic Rainboom again out there. But that’s alright, because we’re ready for her now, right?” She nodded confidently in confirmation, and I turned back to Applejack. “Hey, um... Would you mind taking a walk with me through the Acres? There was something I needed to talk to you about.”

“Oh, uh... well, sure, I guess.” she answered. I nodded gratefully, and the two of us set off for the vast fields of her home. Luckily, we met no-one on the way, as we had all only just arrived and the kids wouldn’t know we were home yet. This was good, as I needed at least a few minutes. AJ and I walked step-for-step through the fields until we hit the orchard, in relative silence, but not an uncomfortable one. We didn’t really need to say anything, as we were just enjoying each other’s presence.

“So...” I began, “how’d it go for you? Happy with what you learned?”

“Yeah, I can’t complain much.” she replied, scratching the back of her head. “Me and Applebloom’s ancestor was this sorta-famous mage from Dawn, and he taught us a little ice spell.” I nodded, happy for her, and silence overtook the air again for a time. Soon, she saw fit to break it again. “Um, Dash... Why’d you wanna have me out here?”

I took a breath, willing my heart to slow. This was it, and I couldn't afford to screw up this time. “AJ... When I was out there, fighting for my life, some things occurred to me. I... I guess some of them came at the right time, but a lot of them were things I really should have realized a long time ago. They kept... working at my mind the whole way home, and I decided I couldn’t be at rest again until I figured it out.”

Applejack nodded slowly, listening intently. “When I got home... I got into Ultraviolet’s hiding place, for the first time in years. It must have been before you left for Manehattan that I last looked in it, because what I found... It was the letter you wrote me. The one I never got. Vi tucked it away, because he knew you didn’t need for it to get to me right away, because you were already coming home... but left it for me to find someday.”

A definite blush overtook her face. “Er, uh, I-I was really broken up the night I wrote that... I don’t think I was all the way thinkin’ straight...”

I held up a hand to silence her, my eyes closed and nodding knowingly. “It’s alright. If anyone hasn’t been thinking straight, it’s me. I... man, am I stupid. I mean... I can’t believe it took me this long, all this time passing and finding this letter, for me to realize that... that you feel that way about me. And, even more... I can’t believe it took that much all together to make me realize... I feel the same way about you.”

AJ’s cheeks were about as red as the apple that hadn’t yet started to grow off of the trees around us. A stunned, amazed smile graced her lightly freckled face, only serving to make my own smile a tiny bit wider. This was about the stage where any further planning completely left my mind, and I simply decided to let instinct take over. In one graceful move, I spun around behind her, swept her off her feet with an arm and a wing behind to catch her, and kissed her.

A moment that lasted a lifetime passed, then she reached up and embraced me in turn. We stood almost motionless in the field, the occasional breeze blowing through our hair and sending the loose petals of early-blooming flowers twirling through the air. At long last, we separated and stood up straight, though still held each other close in a loose embrace.

The remainder of the day seemed to pass by in a blur. We walked through the orchards aimlessly for a solid hour or two, making mostly idle chat and simply enjoying the time together. Somehow or another we ended up at the old clubhouse, though it would be a misstatement to call it ‘old’ anymore. The Crusaders had really managed to fix the place up in the few months they had had possession of it. The outside had been fully repainted and weather-proofed, and the inside filled with all kinds of stuff, including a few old pieces of furniture and toy swords.

We then did the only sensible thing in the situation and fell asleep inside, snuggled up underneath whatever blanket was laying around like we had done so many times when we were younger.

Chapter Eighty-four

Chapter Eighty-four

Eclipse Swamps; The Next Morning

Spike’s eyes cracked open in the early hours of dawn. He shook his head, not having meant to doze off, and smoothed out the paper clutched in his hands. Scanning over the contents one last time, he retrieved his quill again and made a slight addition at the end. He nodded with a mixture of approval and sadness, and neatly rolled the scroll and placed it in his pocket. Spike stood shortly afterward, his eyes closed, waiting silently for something- anything- to happen.

The faintest hint of a shadow flitted over the ground just before him, and his eyes opened again. Heart heavy, but pounding in anticipation, his hands hovered near his hips, where his twin daggers were sheathed. As he waited, a small white form floated down from above just beside him, and his eyes flitted over to see it as it hit the ground.

A white feather... he thought, and placed his hands on the hilts of his weapons.

_____________

Sweet Apple Acres

Rainbow Dash

I awoke late the next morning, and briefly wondered where I was. The last thing I remembered was being in the dead city of Cloudsdale. A moment later, I felt Applejack shift in her sleep next to me, under a worn blanket in the old clubhouse, and the last day’s events were able to catch up to me. I was finally able to realize how we felt about each other- something that really should have been obvious from minute one, looking back- and confessed these feelings to her.

A wide smile spread across my face, and I hugged her a bit tighter. So... what now? What does this even make us? We’ve been childhood friends since forever, but her family adopted me back when Vi died, which technically makes us siblings, but... Ah, screw it. I love her, she loves me, who really gives a crap about anything else.

AJ stirred and awoke a few minutes later, and blushed sweetly when she became aware we were still snuggled together. The sunlight from the window in the side of the clubhouse fell upon us and bathed us in a nice sunny warmth, and neither of us really felt like moving. We remained as we were for a time, in no hurry to wake up fully. War may have been on the horizon, but that wasn’t going to stop me from enjoying this time we had together; if anything, it would make me enjoy it even more while I had the chance.

“Hey, Dash...?” AJ asked quietly, and I shifted slightly to face her. “Ya ever think... we might’a grown up too fast? I mean... I only turned eighteen a month ago, right?”

I nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I get where you’re coming from. I’ve still got three weeks until I’m technically an adult, and here we’ve been working as mercenaries, fighting tooth and nail to keep ourselves- and in part, your family- fed for years.”

“Yeah, yeah! Like we’re already adults takin’ care of others, but when ya take a step back... we’re just kids ourselves.”

“I know... Well, think of it this way. When all this is over... once Celestia isn’t ruling over us anymore, and all the people she’s taken from us have been avenged... we won’t really have to worry about it anymore. We’ll be like heroes, and we’ll be able to do whatever we want... and the royal army will finally be able to pick up the pace, so we won’t have to work protecting the town from brigands and monsters.”

Applejack snuggled a bit closer. “Mhm... that’s soundin’ pretty great...” We stayed in the clubhouse for a while longer, then removed ourselves from the battered sofa and began the short walk back to the entryway to the acres, and the house. We kind of left everyone hanging yesterday, and would need to confer with the rest of the members of the team to decide our next move.

_____________

Town Square

Kyle

The young archer of the Silver Arrows leaned up against the wall of the bakery, the wind ruffling his hair slightly. He had spent the better part of the last day this way, and was fully content to do the same today. Four of the six Elements had returned the previous day, meaning that Pinkie’s group couldn’t be far behind. He understood why she must have left without telling him, as he would have insisted he come with her, but respected that she had to do it alone.

Still, Kyle eagerly awaited her return, so that he could hear all about her adventure and continue to protect her. He had already made the difficult resolution in his mind about what he would do if- nay, when- war broke out. Abandoning Celestia was something he was perfectly prepared to do, but he would desert the Silver Arrows as well if he had to, in order to remain with Pinkie and watch out for her.

As he waited, he noticed his commanding officer Lyra moving quickly through the streets. Her hands were in the pockets of her jacket as always, and her feet dragged on the ground, but she was moving far too fast and nervously for it to be normal. Something was very wrong. Lyra spotted Kyle where he stood a moment later and rushed up to meet him.

“Kyle, there you are.” she said, out of breath.

“What’s happened?” Kyle asked, suddenly all business. “What’s wrong?”

“Well, would you like the long version first or the short?... Alright, short version is we’re boned. Long version is on this paper. Here.”

She handed over a medium sized scroll, and Kyle heart skipped a beat when he saw the royal emblem on it. He tore the message open and scanned over the contents quickly, then again more slowly. His face paled, and jaw dropped. Lyra merely nodded solemnly. “I know. This is bad. Really really bad.”

“W-what are we going to do?!” Kyle stammered. “We can’t possibly go through with this!”

“Of course we’re not going through with it. Use your head for a second. Commander Octavia’s already given me her orders, and she say’s we’re going to act as though we were following these orders up until the specified date, but only to Celestia’s face. Meanwhile, we’ll be getting ready to turn on them, and we’ll spring the trap when they arrive.”

Kyle thought for a moment. “Will that work? Will Celestia buy it?”

Lyra sighed. “No. She’s probably already figured in that we’ll desert. Surprising a five-hundred year old entity is not going to be easy, but we do have a few things she doesn’t know about. The first is, of course, the Elements of Harmony, and their recent power-up. She won’t be counting on facing the abilities of their ancestors again. The second is Fenrir, that total beast of a Goldoan they dragged back here a while ago. With him and Spike on our side, plus who knows how many others of the nine in the other resistance factions, we should stand a fighting chance. Lastly- she may even know about this one, but it hardly matters- is that Macintosh guy and his huge-ass sword. With him and the dragons at the head, we should have a really solid defense.

“Even then... we’re really going to have to push ourselves to our limit to make this work. Everyone in town has to be ready, so we’re to go to the square and announce it for everyone to hear, as well as the Silver Arrows’ intentions. Then we can begin training them to defend themselves.” Kyle nodded, and separated himself from the bakery wall. Pinkie would understand that he had to do this first. The two dashed through the streets for the town square.

_______________

Rainbow Dash

The first one to notice us leaving the Acres was Applebloom, who immediately ran up and tackle-hugged us both. We all laughed and hugged, and when we separated, the girl had the biggest smug grin on her face. “What were you guys doin’ out there?” she asked through her smile.

“What do you mean?” I asked, smiling right along with her.

“The others all made it back yesterday, but said you two ran off the first chance ya got! What were you guys doin’ out in the Acres all night by yerselves...?”

“Aw, don’t you worry about it, kiddo.” Applejack said, ruffling her sister’s hair. “Nothin’ that concerns you... C’mon, let’s head into town. We better let everyone else know we’re back.” I nodded in agreement, and the three of us set off to meet the others. I’d like to find Scootaloo while I’m at it and let him know I’m alright, and tell him where I went in the first place. He’s probably pretty ticked I left him behind... but I didn’t really have a choice.

We entered into the town square, but stopped when we saw a rather large crowd gathered there. I couldn’t tell who was directing the thing, but I could tell someone was at the center gathering attention before they spoke. Um... Somehow I doubt this is good.

“Hey, Dash!” I heard a familiar voice call, and turned to see Scoots picking his way through the crowd towards me. He reached where we stood a moment later, and at first seemed glad to see me again, then frowned. “What gives, Dash? Why’d you leave me here instead of taking me with you? I could have held my own just fine! And I saw that Sonic Rainboom you did all the way back here, don’t you think I would have liked to have a front-row seat for that?”

“Hey, someone had to look after the town while I was gone, right?” I responded. “Besides, there were countless dark-beasts out there that acted just like a hoard of zombies, and even I had some trouble keeping everyone covered. Besides, it was just a grey stone city at the end of the day, nothing much interesting to look at.”

I may have understated things a little bit for his sake, but Scootaloo seemed mostly satisfied with this answer. He stood next to me, Applejack and Applebloom while we waited for something to happen in the gathering of people. Several minutes passed in which nothing happened, and I was just about ready to leave, when someone called for attention. I frowned in thought when I realized it belonged to Lyra.

“Please, people of this humble town, listen to me! The Silver Arrows have just received a transmission from the Queen herself, and it’s something you really ought to hear. It reads as follows: ahem ‘Battalion Commander Octavia, your status reports’- false status reports meant to mislead the Queen into thinking everything’s fine here, mind you- ‘have been very helpful to me. As of now, and as a result of these efforts, your orders have been changed. The terrorist group of New Dawn has already been located, and I have sent a battalion of soldiers to deal with these insurgents already. Now we must strike to finish off resistance against the throne in this country at it’s heart, and that leads us to the ever-troublesome Elements of Harmony, who I understand have been conspiring against me, one and all.

“ ‘In two week’s time, another brigade of one thousand soldiers will be dispatched to the town in which you are stationed, and do no less than wipe them off the face of the earth. The Silver Arrows will be expected to join this reinforcement bank upon arrival and help to destroy the town from within, then return immediately to Eclipse. An example will be made of these miserable insurgents to anyone else in this country who thinks to rebel against the throne.’ Now, I’m guessing a lot of you are thinking ‘well, what are we gonna do about it? You’re not going to do what she says, right?’ You’re damn right we’re not! The Silver Arrows are going to stay with you until the very brink of destruction, and fight Celestia alongside you all the way. Why? Commander Octavia and I are both from this town, so we’re just as obligated to fight for it as any of you. Plus, it’s obvious Celestia has to be stopped, and we intend to start here!”

This speech was met with an instant uproar from the entire crowd, but I was simply too stunned to move. How... How has this happened? Who could have possibly told her this?! She can’t have put together the Sonic Rainboom thing yet, nor should she have word that her battalion was defeated at New Dawn. Nothing either of our groups did could have tipped her off, so she must just be jumping to this conclusion, unless... Unless...

My hands formed into quavering fists at my sides. No... That can’t be... But there just isn’t any other explanation. Someone had to inform her of this, and Twilight’s the only one who could have. They were right there in Eclipse anyway. I can’t believe this...

I cast my glare to the northern street. “AJ. Do something for me?”

I could tell she heard the anger in my voice, and answered slowly. “Dash... I know this looks bad, but please don’t do anythin’ hasty...”

“Just... Just watch out for these two, alright? Make sure they’re safe. This... this is something I have to do.” Without waiting for an answer, I tore through the edges of the crowd in the direction of my house. Upon reaching it, I slammed the door open, grabbed my broadsword and buckler from where they lay, then shut the door behind me again. I then set off for the northern entrance to town, jacket and hair whipping about in the wind behind me.

_______________

Eclipse Swamps

The figure descended seemingly directly from the heavens, the perfect representation of an angel of death. The sun shone at her back, silhouetting her large wings, flowing hair and painful-looking sword, notched on both sides to the point of resembling dagger-sharp teeth. She shortly alighted with the ground gracefully and looked up, her gaze locking with that of the Goldoan.

“Celestia.” Spike stated neutrally. He gripped his daggers lightly, his heart racing, but kept his demeanor calm.

“Spike.” Said the queen, emulating his lack of emotion.

Spike shook his head, shifting one foot slightly. “We both knew it would come to this someday, didn’t we, majesty?” He asked. “Ever since I learned of this place, I knew it was too good to be true. I knew a place couldn’t stay that peaceful with each other when they have differences. People of such variety only ever unite under one banner when they have something to rally against- an outside threat, or one from their own head of state. I’ve seen it enough in the history of my own nation of Tellius. I knew that since Equestria wasn’t at war, that you were probably doing something to unwittingly keep the people tied together against you, and I was right.

“I never imagined I’d be one of the people finally doing something about it, and maybe I was right about that too. But I can rest easy knowing that I helped prepare the people who will see your doom, and you were the one who helped me do it. Those two kids you took away from their families and gave to me to watch over- Twilight and Philip, the two I loved like they were my own children- and taught them about the world as I saw it, too. They understand you are evil, and will be the instruments of your demise.”

“Is that so?” Celestia said, almost toying with him. “What you speak of is far more serious than even you imagine, Goldoan. I am quite literally holding this land together. Should someone manage to strike me down- a minimal chance at best- the aftermath will be far worse, this I can promise you. But you needn’t worry. I am confident that all your efforts will amount to naught, as what rebellion could possibly kill a god?”

“It’s been done before.” Spike answered confidently. “Need I give you a history lesson on the Goddess War of Tellius eight-hundred years ago? The wicked goddess of order, Ashera, thought herself invincible much as you do, and had a similar sense of vanity, of holding the world from the brink of chaos. Heroes arose to stop her and succeeded, and now heroes are mounting once again here. Soon, my dear, you will meet the same fate, and there is little you can do to stop it.”

The Queen laughed, a sound that would almost have been genuine and pure had it not come from her. “Well then, I suppose I’d better say my prayers then! I wonder, what would a god pray to? That silly Order group seems to worship a Goddess, perhaps I should look into that?” Spike didn’t seem as amused, and she shook her head to him. “Regardless of what comes to pass in my future, I think you should be more concerned for your own life, don’t you? You do realize I can’t have something as powerful as a rogue Goldoan running around, do you not? Now that I know you are a traitor to me, I’m afraid I am obligated to end your life, useful as you were to me.”

Spike took this as a signal and drew his knives, spinning them at his sides and catching them in battle-ready position. “I’m well aware of that, yes. I’m also aware that I probably can’t deal any lasting damage to you, but I intend to show you now that we will not sit by and let you control us any longer. Even if it costs me my life, I will fight you as long as there is life in my blood.”

Celestia smiled and raised the Blade of Light against him. “If that is your choice, then please, allow me to oblige you!”

_____________

Kyle

Kyle sighed and moved away from the town square, his thoughts racing. Fate had caught up to them, and war was very close on the horizon. Lyra had recommended that anyone with a young family seriously consider escaping the town altogether and hiding somewhere until things died down, but requested that anyone who could and would fight remain. How many townspeople would stay to aid them in the end? Kyle couldn’t guess, but he knew where his path lay. Pinkie would never abandon her friends, or her home, and he would never abandon her. If she were not at stake, he might have considered leaving the Silver Arrows to flee to Ivoire or some other place for his own safety. But as long as he had her to protect, he would remain.

He began walking towards the northern gate, to continue waiting for her to return, but didn’t have to wait long. As soon as he approached, she dashed through and rushed up to meet him, then delivered a tackle-hug that nearly sent him sprawling. He hugged her back awkwardly, and the two began walking away from the gates. “We’re back!” she said happily. “Twi and Max, this friend we made out there, were right behind me, and should probably get here in a few minutes. I just wanted to run ahead to reach you sooner!”

Kyle chuckled along with her. “Wow, uh... thanks! I mean... you did?” Pinkie held up her hands, effectively communicating that she knew what he meant. “So, how did it go? What kind of stuff did you learn? ... Pinkie?”

The girl had frozen in her tracks, her eyes locked on something before them, exactly where Kyle hadn’t been looking. He turned, and saw another girl standing in their path, with fluffy brown hair and a tail and pointlessly little clothing. Neither she nor Pinkie moved, only continuing to stare each other down. Finally, Pinkie broke the silence, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. “You... Winona...”

“It has been quite some time, my friend. Your name is now Pinkie, correct?”

“Shut up!” Pinkie yelled, startling Kyle but not phasing Winona. “What right do you have to call me your friend?!”

Winona made no hostile move, and spoke slowly and deliberately. “I understand your frustration. What was done to you in the early years of New Dawn is absolutely unforgivable. Had I known any better when we were young, I would have confronted my father about it immediately. But do you not remember the few good experiences we had together, as isolated friends? We were inseparable. Do you not trust me when I say that not only I, but my father and everyone else who could have done something, are truly sorry? I know it is not enough to make it up to you alone, but you must know that we regret our actions and would take it all back given the chance.”

“How can you honestly expect me to trust you?” Pinkie shot back. Kyle felt overwhelmed, as he had no idea what the two were discussing, but it was obvious Pinkie was not fond of this girl, at least not anymore. “You kept me as a prisoner, taken away from any family I could have known, treated me like something less than human, used me only as a human weapon! How can I possibly just take your word for it?!”

Winona broke her gaze. “I did not do any of those things. My father and his associates did, and you can take my word for it that they regret it.”

“Well then, why don’t they come here and tell me that to my face?” Winona said nothing, and years of bottled emotion and rage possessed Pinkie beyond her own common sense. She unequipped her spear, dropping it on the ground next to Kyle, and launched herself at the wolf-girl.

______________

Rainbow Dash

“Twilight.” I said, as soon as she came within earshot. Pinkie had passed through only a few moments ago, and I knew Twilight would follow shortly. She stopped short when she saw me, obviously sensing my rage all the way from where she was. I noted that her arm was in some sort of makeshift sling, but didn’t pay it much heed. My grip tightened around the sword at my side.

“Dash, hey.” She said, trying to sound casual. It was clear I had already thrown her off though. Good. Let her be awkward. It’s just like when we first met, but Spike isn’t here to save her this time. “What’s up?”

“Like you don’t know.” I stated flatly. She gave me a confused and concerned look. “Celestia’s just sent a message to the soldiers stationed here. She’s declared war on us, on our whole town.”

Twilight audibly gasped. “Oh, no... Under what grounds? How long do we have?”

I nearly spat, but decided against it. Acting hostile and acting like an idiot were two different things. “Well, wouldn’t you know it, but apparently she knows exactly what we’ve been doing this whole time. She knows about the Elements, and all the efforts we’ve been taking to prepare ourselves to defeat her. Now that she knows we’re this far along, she’s seen it fit to stop us in our tracks. Now, I wonder who could have told her about this? I wonder how she could possibly know all this about us?!”

Realization dawned on Twilight’s face, and she took a cautious step back. Good, she’s afraid of me. “Rainbow Dash, I... I understand what you’re thinking right now. I get it, I’d be angry too. But please, try to calm down and see reason. I know how it must look, but I swear, it wasn’t me. I didn’t say anything to her, I haven’t even given her any real status updates since I got here! Please, Dash, please don’t jump to conclusions...”

“I don’t want to hear it.” I said, waving her aside. “I knew I shouldn’t trust you from minute one, but I had let myself get complacent. All this time that passed, and I was almost ready to trust you, almost ready to really call you my friend. Then you stabbed us all in the back.”

“Dash, please, I swear it wasn’t me-”

“Shut up!” I yelled, my temper broken, and lifted my sword over my shoulder. “You expect me to believe that you got that close to Eclipse, returned to Celestia beginning a campaign to destroy us all, and you want me to believe it was someone else’s fault?! You’re too dangerous to let live any longer! Even if I let you go, you’ll just go running back to her and tell her whatever you haven’t already spilled. It’s over Twilight!” Before she could put up any further argument, I flared my wings out behind me and launched at her, sword spinning in vicious arcs behind me.

Chapter Eighty-five

Chapter Eighty-five

Eclipse Swamps

Spike brought up his knives just in time to parry an overhead strike from the Blade of Light. He made a move to continue the block with one dagger while removing and stabbing forth with the other, but Celestia whipped  across and brought all three to the ground before he could make a move. He dodged back quickly as she brought up her weapon and began a series of mad slashes at him, the tip of the blade again and again slicing just an inch from his body.

Spike could feel the thrill of war coursing through his veins, the ancient lust for battle buried in the dragon’s very nature clouding his mind. With this came clarity as well, and his thoughts were on naught else but the enemy before him. When Celestia’s next swing came, he used one knife to bat the sword away and pin it to the ground, then lunged forward with his other. The distance between the two was just a hair too far, but Spike did managed to make Celestia flinch and pull herself back.

The Goldoan grinned devilishly and spun his weapons in his palms, then rushed forward.

______________

Kyle

Pinkie’s fist shot forward, her other held before her defensively. Winona brought up both arms quickly to block. Kyle stood by, helpless to do more, but was analyzing the battle in his head. Pinkie could probably have impaled this girl by now if she were using her spear, and its superior range. But she went for hand-to-hand combat instead. She doesn’t want this girl dead, only to rough her up. I don’t know what this is about, but it seems like Pinkie just needs to fight out this bad blood between her and this Winona person. So... I guess I have no room to interfere.

Winona continued to fight strictly defensively, catching each of Pinkie’s punches and occasional kicks on her forearms or simply dodging them. This seemed to be more difficult than one would imagine, as Pinkie’s strikes were coming almost faster than the wolf-girl could block. She was forced further and further back, unable to hold her ground with all the dodging, but began to turn after a few seconds of this. Winona was soon almost backed into a wall, but turned around and sped up in her retreat.

Pinkie remained right on her tail- literally- until Winona leapt up at the wall and scrambled up a few feet, using a window sill and some loose bricks and hand-and-footholds. She then kicked off over Pinkie’s head, landed gracefully behind her, and spun on her hand to trip up her attacker. Pinkie fell with a yelp, but brought down her elbow upon Winona’s back on her way down, causing both girls to collapse in the dirt.

Winona attempted to roll to the side, but Pinkie had managed to get her pinned down. Pinkie struggled to her feet, keeping one leg and arm on the girl to keep her where she was, and prepared her other fist at her side. She was still practically shaking with anger, but Kyle decided he had better intervene before someone got seriously hurt. He stepped forward half a step with hands raised, and began to say ‘Pinkie...’ but was just a moment too late to stop her.

She brought down her fist into Winona’s side, causing her to flinch, but the wolf-girl was trained enough not to show pain. Kyle winced in empathy, and twice more Pinkie delivered solid, unimpeded strikes to Winona’s side. Just as the third punch hit, though, a canine growl escaped from Winona’s throat, and with a flash of golden light, she was able to throw Pinkie off and to the side completely. In her place was now a full-blown brown wolf, slightly bloodied on its side, teeth barred.

Pinkie shortly scrambled to her feet, but stayed crouched low. She rubbed some dirt from the side of her face, and raised her arms before her in a ready stance. With another growl, Winona leapt at her.

______________

Rainbow Dash

My wings carried me all the way across the distance between Twilight and I, and my sword swung in for a vicious uppercut. The apprentice leapt back not a moment too soon, her hair whipping around her panicked face, and I landed on my feet just before her. Our eyes met, and I knew that she understood the time for rhyme or reason was over. She still seemed extremely unwilling, but her gaze hardened ever so slightly, and her arms raised by her side almost on reflex.

I didn’t feel like waiting for her to get ready for me, and swung forward with both hands. Twilight skipped back again, but I noticed an unusual pink energy around her good palm. What the- how’d she do that? She didn’t even say anything! Ugh, that’s probably the skill she learned from her ancestor. Why’s mine got to be such a final-attack deal? I shook my head slightly, unable to do anything about it, and powered up my broadsword with a wind spell instead. I moved in for an overhead strike, but Twilight brought up her hand to stop it instead of dodging again.

At first, I thought this was a grave mistake for her, and that this would be over much faster than I had thought, but my sword stopped moving much too soon. Twilight smirked, and I saw that the energy had protected her hand entirely, and she had successfully caught the blade on its way down. I gave her a mixed look of surprise and anger, and pulled the sword back shortly. The wind energy giving me much greater speed, I followed up with a series of slashes, slices and stabs, all blocked by Twilight’s handheld energy.

Growing more frustrated by the second, I leapt back and rocketed forward towards her on a gust of wind. Twilight wasn’t able to just bat away that one, though her energy was able to take the brunt of the hit. Still, it was enough to knock her off her feet and onto the ground, her magic dispelled. I skidded to a halt behind her and did a quick about-face, my sword held high. Twilight scrambled to her feet a moment later, muttering the words for a weak fire spell as she did, and popped back into her battle stance to face me. Her eyes still seemed reluctant and pleading for me to give her a chance to explain, but I still wasn’t in the mood to hear it.

I stalked forward carefully, while Twilight backed up at the same pace, throwing the fire from her palm at me and calling up more. As the first approached, I spun my sword once and sliced straight through it, dissolving the attack. I continued like this, blocking every attack, and the only result of her efforts was that part of the blade of my sword began to glow orange with heat. Twilight chanced a quick look behind her, and continued her retreat, though she stopped trying to hit me with fire. Instead, she began muttering some other words under her breath, and while I couldn’t tell exactly what she was saying, I could guess that it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

I elected not to let her finish, and charged forward with my lightly-heated sword. She sidestepped quickly, only managing to avoid the sword by an inch or two, and continued her incantation. My sword slashed at her a few more times, and each one she was just barely able to dodge. The last one cut through her clothing across her side, but didn’t hit her skin. At last, her spell completed, Twilight held up her good hand, and it began to spark with electricity.

She grimaced and thrust her hand forward. The lightning arced towards me, and I held up my sword to block on instinct, too late realizing what a stupid idea that was. The spell hit, and the spell traveled through the steel of my sword to my hands, sending shockwaves of electricity rushing through my whole body. I was paralyzed for a few solid seconds, and dropped to my knees as the shock began to wear off. My entire body felt numb, and while my vision was pretty blurry, I could see that Twilight wasn’t moving. After a moment, she began to speak, as though from a great distance.

“Dash, please, just end this.” she said. “I understand you’re upset, and so am I. I promise I’m not your enemy... I’m not even going to be mad at you, if we just stop this pointless fighting before someone gets seriously hurt...”

“S-shut UP!” I yelled, my own voice a little fuzzy as well. Everything was still tingling, so forming words was difficult, and I didn’t bother saying anything else. I began to rise to my feet, vaguely aware of my broadsword in my numb palm. Twilight got back into a defensive stance, but didn’t move to stop me as I tried to stand. However, just as I was struggling off the ground, I became aware of a soft melody playing nearby, probably on guitar. A moment later, a very familiar voice joined in.

_____________

Eclipse Swamps

Celestia dodged out of the way just as Spike’s dagger shot forward, slicing into the space she had only just occupied. Her multicolored, pastel hair flowed behind her, distorting the pure white of her body armor, and the Blade of Light rose quickly behind her for another attack. Spike’s ears rang, and he could feel the adrenaline tightening its grip on his mind. He continued to lance forward, dancing around Celestia’s blade with knives spinning around him.

He grinned menacingly when he heard the satisfying grinding noise of metal on metal. His knife had hit home and cut across her armor, and even if it didn’t do anything, it still might help make her sweat. She scowled at him as he swung past, and picked up the speed herself, her huge white wings flaring out behind her and blotting out the light of the sun. She launched forward again, swinging her weapon in mad arcs, and Spike continued to evade gracefully. The vicious and deadly dance between the two continued for at least half an hour straight, both darting away from the other’s strikes while sneaking in their own.

The Queen leapt into the air and sliced down for a mighty jump attack, the tip of the sword cutting close enough to cause Spike’s eyes to involuntarily cross, and it shortly slammed into the ground at his feet. Spike audibly growled, gripped his knives, and dashed forward. Celestia didn’t have time to re-ready her weapon, and was only able to sidestep out of the way with even less room than she had given Spike. He skidded to a halt behind her, and her eyes widened with anger. Her hand came up to feel her cheek that had narrowly avoided being sliced open, and her fingers came away with a small amount of blood.

Spike grinned devilishly. It had only been the most glancing of hits, but he had made her bleed, the first blood taken from her in more than five centuries. Her eyes flared with fury, and a mighty light spell came to life on her sword. Spike merely rolled his head to crack his neck muscles, daring her to attack again, then took a jump back. His fists slammed together when he hit the ground, and a huge, inhuman roar echoed forth from the bright light that engulfed him shortly afterward. When the dust settled, Celestia was left facing a large purple dragon almost twice her size, still jeering at her with barred teeth and wild eyes.

With an enraged battle cry, the Queen shot forward and attacked.

_____________

Kyle

At the last possible second, Pinkie dropped down a full foot, and uppercutted the wolf in the chest. Winona yelped in surprise and tumbled back onto the ground, but rolled to her feet promptly and stood off against Pinkie again, growling menacingly. Kyle had had enough, and didn’t want either to be hurt any further. He stepped forward and held out his arms, separating the two. “Enough! Enough of this! Both of you, just calm down!”

The two remained where they were, panting and out of breath, glaring at each other from beyond Kyle but not making a move to attack each other. “Look. I don’t know what happened between you two, but there’s nothing to be gained from killing each other, alright? Can we please just make an effort to talk it out?”

A long few seconds passed, but eventually Pinkie lowered her fists. Winona transformed back into human form by the same flash of light that had turned her into a wolf, and she stood facing Pinkie wearily. Pinkie looked away for a moment, then simply muttered ‘I’m sorry’.

Winona nodded, and took a step forward. “I understand, Pinkie. You have every right to be upset, and... I just want to do what I can to make things right.”

Pinkie didn’t move for a moment, but then walked past Kyle with her head down. She looked up to the slightly taller wolf-girl, paused for a moment, then offered her hand. Winona smiled and took it, and the two shook hands, almost as though they hadn’t just been fighting.

______________

Rainbow Dash

I was helpless to do anything but listen as the heron song echoed through my dizzy, electrified mind, a duet of gentle strings and the beautiful voice of Fluttershy. Almost at once, my rage began to subside, and every time the thought of getting to my feet and attacking Twilight occurred to me, the thought was replaced by the pleasant music and a soft golden light. At last, the song completed, and I felt totally complacent, but was also confronted with a sudden wave of guilt. I had let my emotions get the better of me again. In all likelihood, Twilight really was innocent, and I had just tried to kill her.

I felt someone help me to my feet, and my senses slowly began to return to me. Fluttershy’s arm was around me, keeping me from falling over again, and I was able to see a fourth figure standing nearby to Twilight. As my vision returned to me, I made out that he was carrying the guitar that must have accompanied Fluttershy’s song, and wore the black cloak of the Order, something I was getting distressingly used to seeing. He had sandy blond hair and dusky gray wings, and I guessed that he might have been a heron himself, and had the same powers as Fluttershy.

Twilight continued to stand silently, defensively, across the field from me, eyes wary but concerned. The presumed heron boy stared me down cooly, and seemed ready to jump in to stop me if I tried anything again. I turned slightly, and saw Fluttershy giving me a pleading look. “Please, Dash... stop this. Twilight didn’t betray us, I would feel it if she had.”

“As far as you can trust the word of a member of the Order, I can say she was in the swamp the whole time.” The boy stated. “Besides, if she went to the capital, don’t you think they would have had their crack-team of medics fix her arm?”

I was left without a comeback. Twilight chanced moving forward slightly and speaking, but I was no longer in any shape to attack. Weary and guilt-ridden for jumping to conclusions, I didn’t see any point in continuing this battle. “Dash... as I said, I’m not going to hold this against you. Our town is about to be attacked by Celestia without provocation, and I’m just as angered about it as you are.”

“Our...?” I asked, my voice wavering. Her saying that was just about the final nail in the coffin for me.

She nodded. “Our. I don’t know if I can fight alongside you, but I know now that I do not belong with Eclipse. This is my home now. At the very least, I will remove myself from the conflict entirely. But I would like to do what I can to help prepare for what is coming while we wait.”

I sighed, and managed to stand without aid. “I... Alright, alright. I’m sorry. But Twilight, listen. I... I don’t think it’s even safe for you here. Let’s look at the facts that I used to rationalize my rage: Celestia’s attacking with inside knowledge, and you’ve been here for almost six months now on her leave. Now I understand you had nothing to do with this, but if people see you walking through the town now, they’re going to draw the exact same conclusion, and you’ll be in trouble. They’re desperate for someone to blame.”

“Oh, I... I hadn’t thought of that...” she said, eyes downcast. “But... I still want to help here. I can’t just leave yet, not when I still have friends here!”

I held a hand to my head, trying to steady my thoughts. “Twi... it’s not like we have many options to work with. Ah... If you’re going to stay here, you’re not really going to be able to do much in public, and there’s not many places we could hide you. The... the best we could probably do is pretend to take you prisoner, but not show anyone your face in case they decided to harass you. You’d have to stay there under some kind of surveillance most of the time, but you’d be close enough at hand that you could be filled in on what the latest is. And by the time Eclipse’s army rolls around, you could either take up arms with us or slip out in the chaos. I’m sorry, Twi, but that’s the best I can do.”

The girl sighed heavily, and took at least a full minute to answer. Finally, she spoke up in a small voice: “A-alright. I’ll do it. If this is the only way... I’ll stay with you all until the end.”

_____________

Eclipse Swamps

Celestia rushed forward and sliced at Spike's side, and in his larger form he was helpless and unable to avoid it. However, the normally fatal hit was little more than a scratch on his scales. He snarled and released a jet of flame from his jaws, narrowly missing the Queen and singeing a few of her wings’ outer feathers. She swung around his other side, cutting a large gash across his back, and continued to glide around him until she was near his front.

Spike lashed out with his bare arm and caught the Blade of Light before it could hit him again. With Celestia stuck trying to retrieve her weapon, Spike reared back and unleashed another wave of fire upon her, and she was forced to dodge out of the way and release the sword. With an ungraceful snarl, she pulled her hands back and quickly charged up a large sphere of fire and light magic, almost a solar-flare like attack, and launched it point-blank at the Goldoan.

The blast hit him square in the chest, and was enough to knock his massive frame back a few feet. He lumbered forward again, preparing another flame deep in his throat and holding up his arms defensively before him. The Blade of Light lay on the ground between the two combatants, until the Queen dove for it, scooped it up, and lunged forward at Spike in one fluid movement. He caught it between two palms, and struggled to keep it a distance away from himself.

The sword slipped closer, and Celestia adopted a devilish grin. She quickly launched a blase of light magic forth from the blade, striking him hard in the chest. Two more followed in quick succession, and Spike was forced to release his grip on the weapon. Celestia followed up with several more hard-hitting slices and uppercuts, cracking and rending aside countless violet scales. Blood spilled, and Spike was forced to revert back to his human form in order to staunch the bleeding.

The Queen didn’t slow, and continued to assault Spike with the blinding speed of her weapon, and while Spike blocked as many hits as he could with his daggers, he was taking serious damage. At last, Celestia leapt back, flared out her wings, and slingshot towards him. The sword arced behind her, and in one vicious strike cut straight across his chest, cutting fatally deep. Spike was launched back several feet, and collapsed in a heap on the ground. He didn’t move to get up.

“Let that be a lesson, and a statement, Goldoan.” The Queen said icily. “This is what will become of your cute little resistance, each and every one of the fighters who thinks to stand against me. Let despair fill your heart before you leave this world.” With that, her wings flapped mightily, and the Queen soon disappeared into the distant sky.

Spike coughed, blood rising to the surface, and cursed himself. I waited too long. I pushed to hard... I sure hope I have enough energy left for this one... last... With difficulty, he reached into his pocket, and retrieved the scroll he had written earlier in the day. With another curse, he realized he had left something out, and with an extremely shaky hand, he scrawled a few more words at the bottom of the page. A few words began to pass through his lips, and the paper began to glow. For some time, he had been learning the words to this one spell, the one that would allow him to send messages from place to place, and now on his apparent deathbed he would be using it for the first, and last time.

Holding back another cough, he was able to finish the incantation, and the page was sent on its way. Spike gave a weary smile, then dropped his head to the ground, motionless.

END OF PART THREE

Chapter Eighty-six

Chapter Eighty-six

Rainbow Dash

Less than two weeks. That’s all we had before Eclipses army marched to destroy us. Twelve days was all the time some of us had to live. Only two days had passed since the announcement was given, and already a good third of the town’s population had fled, with more leaving every day. The remaining populace, however, was determined to stay and fight. Still, as determined as they were, most of them had much more determination and bravery than they did skill or experience. It fell upon those of us who already knew how to fight to make sure they could keep themselves, and others, alive.

Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie and I, plus numerous members of the Silver Arrows and the dragon Fenrir were the main people in charge of training. We would need every able-bodied fighter we could get, since between the Silver Arrows and the standing force of House Icarus, we only came up with a total of around four-hundred soldiers. While this wasn’t a bad start, we would definitely need more than that to stand up to Eclipse’s massive central army.

Twilight had been stealthily moved to a cell that was hidden enough from view that she wouldn’t draw attention, but could be kept up to date on what was happening around her. I felt somewhat bad about throwing her in jail like this, even if it was only for accommodation purposes and she would otherwise be treated nicely, but she didn’t seem to take much offense to it. I couldn’t help but be impressed and touched by how good a sport she was being through all this, and there wasn’t much doubt left in my mind that she really was allied with us and wouldn’t betray her friends. Until she pledged herself to the resistance, though, it just wouldn’t be safe to let her roam free.

On the second day, I found myself wandering aimlessly through the town, checking up on all the projects we had going to help defend the town. A nasty setup of iron was going up around the walls, with pikes and spears, and a painful looking web of barbed wire. This would be our last line of defense, as well as having numerous crossbow instillations up on the roofs of the buildings closest to the outer edge of town. We would do everything we could to stop them before they got to the streets, though, as we had some heavy weaponry they would have difficulty matching. Two Goldoan dragons and Mac’s demon sword would surely keep them well-occupied.

I frowned slightly as I walked. This would be the case, provided we had all three of those things. Fenrir was still with us fully, so I knew we’d have him at the very least. However, I realized talking Mac into fighting could prove difficult. We were finally fighting back against the force that had taken his best friend from him, so I didn’t think it would be impossible by any means, but he was always so stubborn about everything else.

Another thought was that I hadn’t seen Spike since Twilight’s party returned. She said that he had a bit of business to attend to before he left, which quite frankly sent up some red flags in my mind, but I seriously doubted Spike was our traitor. I had seen how he cared for both Twilight and Fluttershy, and I didn’t believe for a second that he would betray either of them. That still left the question of where he was though.

You know, it had almost slipped my mind, but Phil and Trixie are still out there somewhere, recruiting people for the resistance from all over Equestria. I wonder if they know what’s going on... We still have those sending stone things Spike bartered off of Xekora, and never used them. We could use those to set up a communication link with them, and the other big factions, and make sure we’re all on the same page for this. They shouldn’t send any reinforcements here... but once we repel the initial attack, we need to be ready for a full-on counterattack from all sides.

Starting when the leaders of New Dawn- Rarity’s old friend Blake, and daughter of that wolf guy from Twilight’s flashback- arrived and began cooperating with Midnight Resistance, leadership in town had been a bit less than perfect. Prince Belenth was still technically the head of the Silver Arrows’ chain of command, though Octavia and Lyra both took a much more active roll in leadership. Blake did most of the talking for himself and Winona, and Belenth seemed to have hit off a sparking rivalry with the young lord. In addition, I was still supposed to be responsible for the citizens of the town, though getting anything done with such a complex web of leaders was no easy feat.

I made my way to the base of operations for the resistance, the same library in which Twilight had previously been living. As luck would have it, most of the other leaders were present, with the exception of Lyra. They turned to me as I walked in, and I quickly proposed my idea of trying to set up communications. Lyra, Blake, Rarity and Belenth all agreed, and, after wrapping up the discussion they had going, the prince moved to retrieve our town’s sending stone.

______________

Manehattan Safe House

Phil

Phil stood against the wall of the resistance’s secret meeting place, eyes shut in the midday sunlight, hands in the pockets of his jacket, a pleasant breeze ruffling his hair and feathers. In such a big city as Manehattan, it was always necessary to be fully on-guard, and that was exactly what Phil was doing at this time. Within the otherwise empty building behind him was the headquarters for his and Trixie’s small faction of the resistance. Phil sniffed, his bones aching slightly, as he did not have long until his current life cycle ended and gave way to a fresh one. He just hoped it would be in time before Celestia tried anything drastic.

Progress had been slow with recruitment in Manehattan. Things had been getting a bit more tense here, and in other large cities, and the royal army had stepped up patrols and security, so talking to anyone about it had become somewhat difficult. They still managed to get the word out to a fair amount of people, but many were unwilling to help, partly out of their own security, partly out of lack of motivation. Celestia hadn’t harmed them personally in any way, so why should they care? It was all Phil could do not to grab them by the collar and shake some sense into them.

Other than Misty and Soren, who had just recently returned from his successful trip to New Dawn, the resistance had recruited several old acquaintances of the late Creiddylad, all willing to fight and fairly well-trained to do so. In addition, several spirited young men and women had enlisted, desiring the fall of Celestia and a safer world, and with help from the others, they learned about combat quickly. Skill was not an issue here, merely numbers.

As Phil stood, not really waiting for anything, he heard the door beside him open, and Trixie stepped outside. “Hey. How’re you holding up?”

Phil sighed. “I’ve been worse, I suppose. Just... you know. Bummed about our lack of progress. Seems like absolutely nothing has moved forward since we got to this city.”

Trixie grinned. “Well, in that case, I’ve got some good news for you.” She pulled something out of the pocket of her mage cloak, and Phil’s eyes widened slightly when he saw that it was the sending stone Xekora had given them, and that it was pulsing gently with light. “Seems someone’s trying to contact us. Come on inside so we can try it out, I’ll get one of the other guys to stand guard for you.”

Phil nodded in interest and plodded after Trixie, while another volunteer a bit older than him moved to take his place outside. The interior of the safe house wasn’t much more decorative than the outside, and the only things around besides bunks and sleeping rolls, were the weapons belonging to the limited troops. A table sat in the center, and the two pulled up a single cot and sat side-by-side to answer whoever was using one of the other seven stones. Before long, the two former Wonderbolts wandered over in interest.

“This is Belenth, connecting with any and all other leaders of Moonlight.” a voice from the stone stated. "Repeat, this is Prince Belenth, requesting communications with any other leaders of Moonlight. This is an urgent matter."

Trixie tapped into the stone with her own magic, and spoke: "This is Trixie, I hear you loud and clear. What's the problem?"

"Trixie. You're the head of the group that's been traveling around, right? Excellent. Please get anyone else you can to join this conversation, I'd rather not repeat myself. I will continue to do the same." Trixie nodded, then realizing Belenth could not see her, she confirmed verbally. She then began broadcasting to all the other stones across Equestria.

The chief mage of house Leo was the next to respond, and Rilken's cheery voice could be heard in the background. Next, somewhat surprisingly, was a team from Trottingham, and Rilken confirmed smugly that he had finally gotten through to them. Following was the representative from the town of Firefly, then the western city Baltimare, which Rilken had also managed to sway. The final stone hadn't yet found a home, and still lay dormant in Trixie's pack.

For a few minutes, the magical communications relays were used for idle chat, as the various people present got acquainted or reacquainted. The most prominent was between Rilken and his nephew Blake, who was also present with Belenth. Soren also took the opportunity to chat with Rainbow Dash for a while, as well as introduce him to Misty. Trixie smiled, as the ambiguous group of New Dawn had finally come forth to join the resistance movement. At last, Trixie broke the relative silence. "So, Blake. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Though it seems you ran into some trouble recently, as my teammate Soren tells me."

"Ah, so you're the one he was so eager to get back to. Yes, I'm afraid things have become rather frantic on our end. A whole battalion of troops launched an attack on our base of operations, and New Dawn suffered a fair amount of loss. However, thanks to the valiant efforts of your friend, two of the Elements of Harmony, and a strange but brilliant young tactician that left as soon as he came, we managed to completely annihilate the attacking force. This would normally mean we bought ourselves some time before Celestia got curious and decided to look into some six hundred troops vanishing off the face of the earth, but... She didn't feel like waiting, it seems. Through the Silver Arrows, who are turning coat against her, we have learned we have until two weeks from two days ago until the full force of her army marches upon this town, seeking to obliterate New Dawn, the Elements of Harmony, and hope of any resistance."

His words were met with a spontaneous uproar of shock and disbelief from the other leaders gathered, including from Trixie herself. Phil's jaw tightened, as he knew the rest of his family was still in the line of fire. He placed his hand on the stone, and spoke to the others: "If she's going to try and eliminate you all, then odds are good she'll use the full force of her central army! I seriously think it would be better if you just tried to get out of the way, or countless people will die."

"Don't you think that thought was the first to go through my head?" a new voice asked, and Phil recognized it as Rainbow Dash. "If we just picked up and left, she'd keep going, looking for us, and even more people would die in her path. No, we've got to stand our ground and fight, no matter the risk. Point is, we need to formulate a plan of action as to what we're going to do after the attack is over. With her central army weakened, or at the very least occupied, we need every other fighter we can get to strike back right at the heart, the capital city of Eclipse.

"In addition, I'd like to make a suggestion for each of you, if you hadn't already thought of it. One of our main points of defense is going to be the two Goldoan dragons at our disposal, and we all know there are more dotted around. One of Celestia's key mistakes was instating the guardian dragons all over the country, and I believe we could talk the remaining eight into assisting us if we try."

Phil's eyes widened, and he nodded in agreement. The Goldoans would be a great boon on the battlefield if they could be convinced to join. Misty spoke up to the group gathered in the safe house. "I know there's a dragon in this city, by the name of... Fafnir, I think. He's supposed to be younger, so talking him into a resistance might be a bit easier. I have no idea where in the city he is though."

"Right. I see what you mean." Rilken stated. "Well, I know that forces will be weak with such a large force occupied with fighting you. I wish you the most luck in the world that you survive, of course, especially since my own kin is among you. While defenses are weak at Eclipse, we must strike them down, and my own troops can help with that."

"You've got whatever support we can offer from this end, too." Trixie confirmed. "We may just have a few tricks up our sleeve that'll really make Celestia sweat.” Phil raised a quizzical eyebrow at her, and she turned so that only the people present in the room could hear her. “I found a couple of old scrolls for some deadly looking spells. The one of them, I don’t even think was written in Equestria. If I can get any of ‘em down, that’s one more weapon we’ve got against the Queen.”

Over the next several hours, a definitive plan was drawn up. Upon the day of the attack, someone would quickly send a signal through the sending stones alerting all the other rebel factions that the war had begun. Approximately two hours after receiving this message, all the troops would move out for other targets near to them and seize control. Once the central army had been dealt with, if the combined force of Icarus, New Dawn and the Silver Arrows was still operational, they would move out for Fortress Apollo, a midpoint between their town and Eclipse, and the perfect place to launch another attack. In addition, taking over the fortress that once served as Celestia’s family house would be a massive shift of morale in the resistance’s favor.

Shortly afterward, the communications ended, and Phil leaned back on the cot. “I sure hope they’re alright...”

Trixie put a hand on his shoulder. “Twilight?” He nodded. “Yeah... I’m worried for her too. I’m sure she’ll be alright though.”

“Uh, guys...?” said the uncertain voice of the guard outside. “I think we might have company...”

____________

Twilight

The young former apprentice sat in the corner of her temporary room, head resting on her knees and behind her folded arms, lost in thought. Outside her cell, Fluttershy stood partially as an obligatory guard, but mostly as moral support. A generous tray of food sat next to her, almost untouched. Twilight was ever-aware that time was running out for her to make up her mind on what she was to do. The fight had begun to fade out of her mind, and while she wanted to try and protect her friends, and knew she could not side with Celestia, she wasn’t sure if she could bring herself to fight at all.

As she sat silently, eyes locked on the opposite wall, she became aware of a vague tingling in the back of her head. After a moment, she realized it was the familiar signal of a spell being activated, and she looked to Fluttershy quickly. “Fluttershy. I think someone’s trying to send me a message. Do you mind if I open up a little portal to receive it?”

“Oh, um, no, I don’t really mind. But, um... I think I should probably read it too just to be sure. Ooh, I don’t know why they had me be the guard, I don’t know what I’m doing...”

Twilight chuckled. “That’s okay. I prefer your company anyway.” Twilight shifted slightly and held out a hand, then spoke a few words to complete her half of the spell. A short flash of green light followed, and a slightly crumpled roll of paper materialized in her hand. She held it up for Fluttershy to see, then scooted over to the bars of her cell so the two could read together. Fluttershy stooped down with hands on her knees, and both girls’ eyes began scanning over the words written.

Dear Twilight

When you receive this letter, I’m afraid it is very likely that I will no longer be alive, or at the very least won’t be for much longer. I’m so sorry I can’t continue to guide you any longer, but take some comfort. I’ve lived my life with few regrets, especially after the moment we were brought together. I feel like I’ve done everything I can to prepare you for the storm to come, and for the rest of your life afterward. I believe that you know deep in your heart what is right, and while I don’t want to tell you how to act, I think it only fair to know what will have happened to me.

Celestia has become aware of all of us, of all the efforts we are taking to prepare ourselves to combat her. Most of all, she has become aware that the actions I have taken have led to some of the greatest forces of opposition to her, and she is aware that I remain at this swamp. Had any of you remained here, I’m certain you would have been killed for obstructing her path to me, and so I remained here to buy you all some time from her. By the time you read this, though, it is likely that she’s already declared a state of war.

I trust that your heart will be in the right place at the time you receive this. Do what you know is right. Fight for your friends, to protect them and save this country.

As the two read through the letter, both of their eyes’ widened, and Twilight had to fight to keep her hands from shaking too heavily for her to read. Her heart was racing, and while she of course didn’t want to believe it to be true, it was undeniably Spike’s handwriting, and she knew he would never kid about anything like this.

Most of all, fight to make sure that you and the ones you care about stay alive to see the end. And remember, it’s been both an honor and a pleasure to be with you all these years. Of all the things I’ve done, I will never regret being a father to you. Stay safe and brave, Twilight. I love you.

~Spike.

P.S.: Please tell Fluttershy that I’m terribly sorry, and that I love her too.

Upon seeing the last part of the message, barely legible with the shaky hand that wrote it, and slightly stained with blood, Fluttershy lost any composure she had left. She snatched the letter from Twilight quickly and began scanning over it again, eyes rapidly tearing up. Twilight didn’t need to read it again. She knew it was real, and was fighting the urge to cry, once again staring at nothing. Spike is gone... The closest thing I ever had to a father, and... And Celestia took him from me...

Tears began to sting her face, and her hands began to tighten into fists. Just beside her, Fluttershy was struggling not to break into sobs, completely unable to speak. The two turned to each other after a few tense seconds, then hugged each other as best they could from opposite sides of the cell bars, crying onto each other’s shoulders. They didn’t try to hold back their tears any longer, as they knew they had both been equally crushed by this loss. For several minutes they remained this way, emptying all the tears they had, until Twilight saw the blurry form of someone else approaching from down the hall.

“What’s going on? What happened?” Rainbow Dash asked, almost worriedly.

Twilight paused, then gently separated herself from Fluttershy and stood. She locked eyes with the rainbow-haired mercenary, and in the strongest voice she could muster, said simply, “I want in. I’ll kill her.”

Rainbow Dash stayed motionless for a few seconds, reading the look in her eyes, then smiled and moved over to the cell door, hand in his pocket. He promptly retrieved the key and swung open the door, then held out a hand to the former apprentice. “Good enough for me, Twi. Welcome to the resistance.”

Chapter Eighty-seven

Chapter Eighty-seven

Manehattan Safe House

Phil

“What? What do you mean company?” Phil demanded, pressing himself up against the wall beside the door. Trixie moved in beside him.

“I mean, there’s a group of people outside, just kind of standing there, and it seems like they know we’re here. There’s... I count five of them, six if you count the unconscious guy one of them is holding. The one with him is wearing this heavy black cloak. Then one of them is just wearing regular old civilian clothes, and the other three have on what looks like some kind of uniform.”

“Out of my way, let me see.” Soren demanded, striding straight through the door, almost anxiously. With a glance shared between Phil, Trixie and Misty, the three promptly followed. As soon as he saw the small group of people gathered, he paused in thought. The uniform the watch had said three were wearing was almost identical to the ones he had seen in both Soren’s and Misty’s belongings, the official uniform of the Wonderbolts. Standing before them was a tall figure draped in a pitch-black cloak, which, with a sinking feeling, Phil assumed must have been the same that members of the Order were known to wear.

As soon as Phil noticed who was held in the figure’s arms, his thoughts abandoned him, and he found himself tripping forward. “S-Spike!” he shouted. “Oh no, oh man, what happened?!”

The black-clad figure spoke quickly, but deliberately. “I was lucky enough to find him on my way here, after passing over the swamps of Eclipse. He’s been badly wounded, but as luck would have it, he’s not quite dead yet. He’s lost a lot of blood in the time he’s just been sitting there, though, so we’re going to need to work fast if we’re going to save him.”

Trixie stared in shaky determination, gathering her thoughts. “But... but we don’t have a healer.”

The Order member shook her head. “Maybe not, but if I’m not mistaken, Soren should still have that crystallized spell thing, am I wrong?”

Soren, jaw slightly agape, nodded silently. Phil stuttered for a moment. “B-but that spell is supposed to cut your lifespan!”

“Calm down, kid, and think for a second. This guy’s a Goldoan dragon, and his lifespan was insanely long to begin with. He’ll still have some life left to live once we use the spell, don’t worry. Plus, that may be the only way we can keep him from slipping away, because we don’t have a lot of time on our hands.”

Phil’s eyes were stained with tears, but after a moment he nodded. “Right... Right. Please, Soren, just... use the spell. Make sure he’s alright.”

“Just let me handle it.” The Order member stated, grabbing the crystal from Soren as she passed. “I’m notoriously much better at it than him.” She moved into the resistance safe house quickly and shut the door behind her, leaving the rest of the group to stand stunned outside.

“What... what could have happened to him?” Phil asked, to no-one in particular. As he stood, another figure from the new group moved over and put a hand on his shoulder. Phil looked up, and did not immediately recognize him. He was about half a foot taller, and had what seemed to be a quiver of arrows on his back. He wore his olive hair fairly close-cropped, save for a lock that hung over his right shoulder.

“She said that he fought with Celestia in that swamp.” the stranger stated. “I suppose we should consider him lucky that he’s even alive at this stage, and that he was found in time. Still... no matter what happens, it’s probably not possible to erase these scars Celestia gave him.”

Phil lowered his eyes. Celestia may have claimed yet another victim... Oh, please let this work... “So... who are all of you? Were you traveling with her, that... I guess she’s a member of the Order?”

“Order, huh... I guess so. Never heard of them. These three,” He gestured to the others of his party, “are none other than half of the original Wonderbolts. They were all gathered already when they came knocking at my door, asking me to join the resistance. I was reluctant at first, but when I saw that my old friend Spike was in trouble... Well, my decision was made for me. I guess you’re one of the two kids he raised ‘for Celestia’?” Phil nodded silently. “Name’s Fafnir. It’s good to finally meet you.”

Soren was still in open-mouthed awe, and Misty moved in next to him, eyes wide. “Was that...?” she started.

“Yeah...” he mumbled. “I... I think it was. And look... the whole gang’s all here...” A vague smile spread across his face, and the two slowly walked over to the other three Wonderbolts, all greeting each other after their long absence. Trixie moved over to the phoenix and the Goldoan after a moment, scratching her head.

“So...” she started, “what does that give us now? Two Goldoans, and five Wonderbolts, plus the rest of the guys we recruited?”

Fafnir shook his head. “Sorry, but only one Goldoan at best. I’m only sticking around until I know Spike will be okay. After that... I’ve got some extremely pressing business to take care of, that I should have done years ago. Spike should stay here though, because he’ll be safer off this way. I’ll fill in for his defense at the other town, because that’s where I’m headed anyway.”

Phil nodded, and made a move to go inside to check on Spike. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, the woman in the Order cloak shouted back at him: “No. There’s barely enough space for me to work in here to begin with. Stay outside for a few minutes while I fix him.”

For several long, agonizing minutes, the now larger party stood awkwardly outside their safe house. The original four of the resistance team were most anxious to re-enter, though Trixie’s motivation was simply to be less obvious. Phil was deeply worried about Spike, and both Soren and Misty both seemed anxious for the other newcomer to re-emerge. At long last, the black-cloaked figure pushed open the door, and leaned in the frame wearily.

“Well, good news and bad news.” she said. “Good news should be obvious: he’ll live. Bad news is... well, as a Goldoan, before, he had something like five-hundred more years to live? Yeah... I’d give him about fifty now. His aging rate has been rounded off as well, putting him at... around the same aging rate as any normal Equestrian, I suppose.”

Phil exhaled in relief. It may not have been quite the same, but his adoptive father was alive. “Can I see him?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, no problem. He should be waking up any time now.” she said simply, stretching her arms. Phil took a grateful step forward, but stopped when he heard Soren speak up.

“Is... is it really you? Spitfire?” The cloaked figure sighed heavily, then reached up and removed her hood.

“I really missed you guys.” she said through the smile on her face. She, Soren and Misty all ran forward and embraced each other like excited children. Spitfire was knocked back by the force of the other two colliding with her, and began to lose her balance, resulting in her tipping over and hitting the ground behind her. She didn’t seem to be hurt to badly though, and was still laughing in joy. Phil smiled, decided to let the three catch up on their own, and stepped inside.

Spike was just pulling himself into a sitting position on his cot, his tattered shirt sitting behind him. A large scar was plainly visible across his bare chest, something that it seemed the spell was unable to heal. He looked up when he heard someone enter, and a smile graced his weary face. “Hey, kid! So, this is where I ended up...” Phil sat down next to him, and Spike gave him a comforting pat on the back. “Glad to have made it. To be honest with you, I didn’t think I was going to survive that... I had my will all written up and sent off and everything. Didn’t count on the lovely Spitfire finding me and getting help though.”

“So, you pulled through, did you?” said another voice, and both turned to see Fafnir leaning on the doorway. “Good. Almost lost my best game-mate there.”

“You still here?” Spike teased, then stood and gave Fafnir a firm handshake. “It’s been too long, old friend. So, tell me, did Spitfire say what the damage was? I know I can’t have as long as I used to anymore.”

“You’ve got about the same lifespan and aging rate as anyone else now.” Phil informed him. Spike’s eyebrows rose in interest, which wasn’t the reaction Phil was expecting.

“Really? Well... interesting. This is good... Oh man, if I can survive this, then me and...” A wide, excited grin spread across Spike’s face. “Oh, this is just perfect. Wait... hey, Fafnir, I had something rather pertinent to ask you.”

“Don’t bother.” Fafnir stated. “I know. You figured it out. I messed up, big time. I was just on my way to town to... I don’t know, try and make things better. I know I can’t make them right again, I missed my chance for that a long time ago. But maybe I can keep them from getting worse?”

Spike nodded and clasped the slightly younger Goldoan on the shoulder. “You do that. I think they’ll be open enough to give you a chance. I should warn you though! We did find Fenrir, and he’s there in town. If he finds out, oho man, I can only imagine what’s going to happen.”

“Ha, no way! You finally tracked him down? That’s great news. Nah, I honestly think he’ll probably go for it, once I fix things. Anyway... Don’t want to waste any more time than I already have, right? I’m off. See you when things are over.”

The three began to walk outside. “I think I’d better stay here...” Spike stated. “I’m still feeling a little stiff, and probably in no shape to travel... Besides, I think it better for Twilight to have a reason to fight. Plus, I want to keep the element of suspense on my side. Just think, after everything is over, and then I show up out of nowhere when they still think I’m dead? I can only imagine...”

“Heh, true. Well, I’ll be seeing you, my friend.” With that, Fafnir stretched the muscles in his neck, then brought his fists together before him in the familiar move to transform from man into dragon. When the light faded from him, though, the form he had taken was vastly different than Spike’s. He was almost serpentine, with much larger wings and a more elongated body, and scales the same olive green as his hair. With a final wave back with large claws, he launched into the air and soon soared out of sight.

“What... were you two talking about?” Phil asked curiously. “Him needing to fix something in town...?”

Spike chuckled vaguely. “Don’t worry about it, kid. This is his business to work out, and I trust that he’s going to do what he can. Nothing much else we can do, or that we need to do. Right now...” He took a long look around at the small but growing resistance group around him. “We’ve got a rebellion to run.”

_____________

Rainbow Dash

“So... you’re saying you’ve decided to desert and join us?” Lyra asked. Twilight and I stood before her in the library, as I thought it would be best to let everyone know where her allegiances were.

Twilight nodded. “I wasn't sure before, but my mind’s been made up for me now. Celestia took my father from me. I’m going to make her pay.”

Lyra nodded. “Good, good. I mean, not good that you’ve lost your dad, I’m very sorry for that. But it’s good that you’re with us. Between you and me, Celestia didn’t include any special orders for you in her transmission. Either she expected you to join with the central army, as she did with the Silver Arrows, or found it perfectly acceptable for you to be destroyed along with the town.”

Twilight shook her head, annoyed. “She never really... I’m sorry for being so dense before. She was using me from minute one.”

“It’s alright.” I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “You couldn’t have known any different. What’s important is that you got things sorted out before it was too late.”

Lyra spoke up again, though kept her voice low enough for only Twilight and I to hear. “We do still have something of a problem though. Even though we all know it wasn’t Twilight, we can’t deny that Celestia has an informant around here somewhere. She can’t have pulled all this information about the Elements and our actions here out of thin air, unless she just planned to do this regardless.”

“Actually,” another voice interjected from the entrance to the library, “she more or less can.” All three of us turned, and my eyebrows raised when I recognized the tall, dark-haired figure standing in the doorway.

“Xekora? What brings you all the way into town?” I asked. “You finally decide to fight with us?”

He strode over to us. “No. I’m still to remain technically neutral in this conflict. My apologies, but I simply see this for the best for all involved. However, as I also believe I said, I’m not above giving a bit of advice here and there. I had come into town simply to keep track of everything going on. Now, I think it’s probably in your best interest to know that Celestia has no need of an informant."

Eyebrows raised, and he continued. "Remember, Celestia is in the God Tier, so she has a lot of nasty tricks up her sleeves. However, I am also at this level of power, and have been for a slightly longer time, so there's nothing she has that I'm not aware of. I'm afraid that after a time, the God Tier affords some powers that will really make things difficult for you, that apply by default to most any god. One of these is a certain degree of awareness beyond one's self, and she was most likely able to predict your actions in their most basic form without any eyes or ears to physically inform her."

I sighed in anger. That's just great. The last thing we needed was more crazy powers on the enemy's side. Now we can't even do anything without her knowing about it. Do we have any element of surprise left?

Xekora continued, and my spirits began to raise again. "Fear not though, for her abilities such as these have their limits. She cannot see the future precisely, and can only predict larger-scale events. She knows about the war, and most likely knows that you shall put up a resistance to her army in this town. She may even know of the planned counterattack, but only of its existence. She knows not where it will come from or any more precise details, believe me on that. And during the chaos of war, her sixth-sense will be dulled yet further."

I nodded in understanding. "So, you're saying she can know of future battles, but can only guess at the details. In that case, we'll just have to try to use techniques that will catch her off guard, such as Big Mac's Demon Sword and Fenrir."

"Right, er," he started, "about that large crimson weapon your friend uses. If I may, I'd like to keep a closer eye on that, and request that you do the same. Another of our enemies, not necessarily allied with Celestia though, seeks to take it. This would not be in our best interests, as should be obvious. This enemy will not make a direct move to attack young Macintosh or take the weapon, but is certain that the Weapon will fall from hands to hands in due course. I'm afraid this does not bode well for Macintosh, so keeping an eye on him to make sure he, and his Weapon, stay safe is advisable."

I nodded again, and Twilight spoke next. "Please, Xekora. Tell us anything else you know about Celestia, and the battles we are preparing to engage in. We must know our enemies inside and out if we're to stand a chance."

The historian shrugged. "Not much else to tell that you don't already know by now. You'll need to pull out all the stops and use the skills your ancestors gave you to have a hope of winning. Remember, you'll do even better if you combine these strengths and create deadly combination attacks. Also remember that Celestia's godhood is not whole, and that she relies on Luna to stay immortal, and vice-versa. If all else fails, go for the younger princess instead."

Twilight gasped. "You mean... Kill her? Sacrifice her to kill her sister?"

"No, no! You misunderstand. I mean recruit her to your own force, and have her use her own God Tier powers to help you. She dislikes Celestia as much as you do, after all. Besides, I always had a soft spot for that poor girl, I could never advocate bringing her harm."

Lyra shook her head tiredly. "That's all well and good, but are you sure you won't take up arms with us? Having a god on our side would certainly level the playing field."

It was Xekora's turn to shake his head. "Can't do it, lass. I am sworn to half-hearted neutrality. I shall help to prepare you for the coming storm as best I can, but when the time comes, I must remove myself from the equation. In the mean, I could offer up my services as a merchant of information, and supply the troops with some rare and powerful spells, if you like?"

Chapter Eighty-eight

Chapter Eighty-eight

Rainbow Dash

The next day came fairly quickly. I couldn’t help but make a mental check on the number of days we had left until war, even if I really shouldn’t have been keeping my mind on it. We were down to eleven now, but we had made an ally out of Twilight, and an advisor at best out of Xekora. I was glad that things seemed to be getting a tiny bit more promising, rather than a whole lot worse.

I sat up from my bed and ran a hand through my hair. There was still one problem that had been bugging me, and that was of the young boy asleep in the other room. I knew Scootaloo was pretty good with a spear, and phenomenally skilled with wind magic, but that was no excuse. He was only twelve years old, and did not belong in a war zone. While it wasn’t in my jurisdiction to decide or to take him somewhere else, I still felt like I should consider getting him away from here until things calmed down.

In the end, there wasn’t much I could do about it for the time being. When war drew closer, I would try to do something to get him to safety, but he would probably be safer by my side until then. The two of us made our way from my house to the fields outside of town, where the day’s training session would take place. The class that had been just Scootaloo and Applebloom a week ago had expanded to almost two dozen townspeople, and I wasn’t able to give the two kids the kind of attention I used to. I gave the whole group the most basic but useful overviews of skills I could, and tried to slip in some extra practice for my original pupils whenever I got the chance.

Luckily for us, Twilight had volunteered to assist in the magical training. We did not have an extraordinary number of Children of Fire in our town, but that may have been a good thing in itself, as those we did have received more instruction, and would be better prepared when the time came to fight. And of course, multiple members of the Silver Arrows were training up some additional archers, as they would be invaluable during defense.

My group trained well into the afternoon, alternating between practicing new techniques and sparring against each other to improve their reflexes and reaction times. There was a limited amount of skill I could pass onto these people in a two-week timespan, but they were learning what they could quickly. When the shadows began to stretch longer on the ground, signaling that the day was already half-gone, I dismissed everyone to get lunch and rest for a while. Scootaloo and I then made our way back into town, and grabbed lunch from our favorite sandwich shop.

Halfway through my sandwich, I felt Scootaloo tugging at my sleeve, and he pointed to something high up in the sky. I squinted, and after a few moments of searching, saw what he was motioning at. It was hard to tell from so far away, but it looked nothing like a bird. It almost seemed like a snake slithering through the sky, and I realized with a start that it seemed to be heading towards us.

“What is that?” I asked, standing and beginning to back away. The form above began to grow rapidly, making a straight drop for the ground. I put a hand on Scootaloo’s shoulder, ready to run if necessary, but sheer curiosity held me in place. The form rapidly approached the ground, and I could make out a distinct green color, as well as a heavy pair of leathery wings. Another dragon, perhaps? But what’s it doing here?

Sure enough, when it was about to hit the ground, the dragon tucked into an aerial roll and gave off a quick flash of light, and a human figure finished the descent to the ground in its place. He landed with one hand on the ground, then rose shortly and looked around at the dwindling people who had also paused to watch. He waved to them cheerily and, upon seeing us, strode over to Scootaloo and I.

“That’s... Fafnir, right?” Scootaloo whispered to me. “At least, I think that’s what Spike said he looked like...”

“I think you’re right...” I responded, then turned to the man approaching us. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be the Goldoan Fafnir, would you? What brings you all the way out here?”

He nodded. “That’s right, glad someone remembers me. I lived here for almost nine years before moving on to Manehattan. I returned for two reasons: the first is to join up with the resistance here, and help defend the town.”

My eyebrows raised. “Really? Wow, that should be a huge help! But... why? Unless you just want to help because you came to think of this town as home, which I can fully understand.”

Fafnir chuckled slightly. “Yeah, you... you might say that. That brings me to my second reason for returning. I’ll need to speak with the ladies of House Icarus. All three of ‘em. You got any idea where they would be this time of day?”

I scratched the back of my head. “Well, Rarity is in charge of one of the training groups, and should be off doing that, probably right in the house grounds. Opal is most likely helping with that. As for Sweetie Belle... Scoots, you got any ideas where she might be?”

“Uh... I guess she’s probably getting in some extra practice with Lyra and her training group. If not, then either at home or at the clubhouse with Applebloom, but I think she’s training too.”

I nodded. “Right, well, we’ll get them all rounded up for you. You want to just wait here for a few minutes while we find them?”

Fafnir sighed, then shrugged. “I suppose that’s fine. I’m certainly not going anywhere.” Scootaloo and I both set off, with him heading for Lyra’s group at the other edge of town, and me for Icarus mansion. It took about ten minutes to get from the sandwich shop to there when I wasn’t in a huge hurry, and I took the chance to look around at the streets around me. They all looked exactly the same, with everything in the same place... except a good chunk of the people. Only three days had passed, and yet so many people had already evacuated. How many more would follow? How many people would even remain to defend their home, and how many would simply find it better to uproot and leave for their own safety? I didn’t blame them, of course, as they most likely had family to care for. But if too many left, we would not have much of a chance to survive.

I arrived at the gates to the Icarus mansion, and quickly managed to get the attention of the two girls leading the training session. I then explained that Fafnir had requested an audience with them, and Opal laughed harshly. “Fafnir’s here? He finally decide to man up? Oh, this ought to be good. C’mon Rarity, you’ll want to be there for this too. Someone go to get Sweetie Belle?”

“Scootaloo’s got it covered.” I answered, a bit confused at Opal’s attitude. It seemed like she already knew what Fafnir was going to say, and wasn’t impressed by it. Rarity seemed mostly as confused about it as I did, but there was a note of curiosity in her eyes. Fafnir had been with her for a short time when she was just a baby, and had killed her mother’s killer, so she probably looked forward to meeting him in these more favorable circumstances.

I led the two back to the sandwich shop, where the Goldoan still waited. He perked up when he saw us approach. Opal folded her arms, and he sighed. “So, Fafnir...” she began. “My words finally get through to you, after seven whole years of sitting? You finally decide to come back? Hate to tell you, but you might be just a little late.”

“I know.” Fafnir said, holding up his arms apologetically. “I should have returned the moment she passed... nay, I should never have left at all. I was stupid and let my pride rule my actions. I know I’m too late to make things as they should be, but I thought that I might try as best I can to make them better, as right as they can be.”

I didn’t understand at all what the two Laguz were talking about, and by the looks of it, neither did Rarity. Opal closed her eyes, and after a pause said: “Well, you’re mind’s in the right place now, at least. Not really my call though. Whatever she decides, I’m willing to at least try and work through it.” Fafnir nodded thankfully, and Rarity cast the most confused of glances at her older sister. “Wait until Sweetie Belle gets here, everything will get explained one way or another.”

A few minutes of waiting passed, then we saw two of the three Crusaders quickly heading our way. Scootaloo moved back to stand by my side, and Sweetie Belle slowly paced over to her sisters, keeping her curious eyes on Fafnir. I put a hand on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “I’m not exactly sure what this is, but it seems like a private matter. We should let them have their space.”

He frowned, but allowed me to lead him away from the place where the four were gathered. As we walked he looked up to me expectantly and asked, “We’re going to listen in from a distance, right?”

I chuckled. “Was there ever any doubt? Let’s just go behind that building, and you can do the windy thing to amplify the sound to us.” He nodded, and we both swung around to the opposite side of the nearby building that I had specified. Scootaloo’s hands began glowing with a faint green energy, and after a moment I was able to clearly make out the voices of the three girls and the Goldoan dragon.

“So, you’re Fafnir, right?” Sweetie Belle asked. “You saved my mother way before I was born, and helped my sisters to fight that Rytas guy... I guess I should be thanking you!”

“Don’t worry about it, Sweetie Belle.” Fafnir said. “I guess you were told those stories somewhere along the line. I’m glad you mentioned that, actually, because that’s part of why I’m here. See... remember how, when our team of Goldoans first made port in Equestria, and your mother had already been with us for a time? Well, I was lucky enough to get stationed to this town, where she lived, when Celestia dispatched us all across Equestria. By then... a connection of some sort had already been made.

“I stayed here for almost nine years, meeting with Cybel in relative secret. See, because of how things were back in Goldoa where I grew up, I didn’t really want to be seen around with her much, because it seemed like people would disapprove of it at the time. A noblewoman like her being seen with a nothing like me, a Laguz no less? Instinct just told me that would not be a good idea. Even if it was perfectly acceptable here- and I can see that well enough now- I just couldn’t do it back then, and only met her in secret.

“Well... eventually, something happened, and I couldn’t stay here any longer. It was that same Goldoan upbringing that did it, really, and I now know I should have stayed... but I just could not remain out of pointless shame. If I was still here when people found out, they would know I was with Cybel for sure, and that would destroy her reputation; at least, that’s what I thought at the time. Because, what happened was... well, she had become pregnant.”

I heard a sharp intake of breath from at least one of the girls, and my eyebrows raised in interest. If he left almost a year before Sweetie Belle was born, then that can only mean...

“Do you understand what I’m saying, Sweetie Belle?” Fafnir asked. “I... I am your father.”

“Ah...” Rarity exclaimed, “I see... that was why you were so upset when you saw what Rytas had done to our mother... it’s because you loved her. But why on earth did you leave again when your daughter needed a parent to take care of her?”

“Like I said, it was my stupid unwarranted pride and shame. ‘If I returned now, everyone would know what happened between Cybel and I, and what’s more, they would look down upon me for being to weak to stay’. As you can see, my logic wasn’t exactly the most sound, and contradicted itself a lot. I’ve realized just how wrong I was, and... I know it’s not quite the same as if I had been there from the start, but if you’ll still take a stubborn idiot like me... I’d like to at least try to be a good father to you, Sweetie Belle, and do whatever I can for your sisters as well.”

A few moments passed in which no one spoke, and the most uncomfortable silence filled the air. At last, Sweetie Belle broke the silence: “So, if you’re my dad... That makes me half-dragon, right? Do I get any cool powers or anything?”

Fafnir laughed, much of the tension passed. “I can’t say I know for sure. You seem to age at a normal rate, which is good. Do you have any strange birthmarks or anything like that? I guess your senses would probably be heightened, though that might not be as noticeable...”

“Yeah, I can hear and smell stuff a lot better than most people.” Sweetie Belle said. “I don’t have any birthmarks though...”

“That might be it, then. It’s kind of a hit-and-miss with the offspring of Laguz and Children of Fire...”

“Aw... Phil gets to be a human phoenix, and I just get a good nose and ears... lame.”

Fafnir chuckled again. “Well... what do you think? Will you have me back?”

Another few moments passed before Sweetie Belle answered. “Well... I do wish you had come back sooner, but... I’d still like to have a dad. Okay... Okay, it’s alright with me. We can at least give it a try.”

I smiled, and though I couldn’t see what the four were doing, I could just feel that they had embraced in some manner of group hug. I tapped Scootaloo gently on the shoulder to get his attention and cancel his spell. “I think we’ve got all the juicy stuff we’re going to get. Let’s let them have their space.”

Chapter Eighty-nine

Chapter Eighty-nine

The days slowly ticked by, turning first into a week until the attack, then five days, then a measly two, and finally just one. For those of us that remained, no amount of preparation would be enough, and we used every waking moment we had to sharped our own skills, or swords, and put up more defenses. Luckily, we had the almost unlimited strength of both Fafnir and Fenrir to count on, and the two dragons were able to set up all manner of defensive structures and traps for the approaching soldiers.

Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Twilight and I all walked through the defensive line one last time, making sure everything was in place. Homemade catapults and ballistas, spots for snipers using bows, crossbows or magic to fire from, and plenty of spears and pikes pointed outward to face the soldiers of Eclipse. We would hold them off here as long as we could, then when it seemed like they were going to break through, we would send our close-range troops to crash into them head-on, led by the dragons and Mac, who had finally agreed to put in his Weapon to our cause.

As we stood surveying the defenses, I heard someone running towards us from behind, and turned curiously. I saw Fluttershy picking her way through the soldiers, and frowned. No one’s seen her for days. I was beginning to think she had left town, which really would have put us in a bad spot... but she’s here now. I wonder where she was?

She caught up to us, took a moment to catch her breath, and Rarity asked her what I had been thinking. She kept her eyes downcast as she spoke: “I, um... I took Angel and flew to the west coast, and the port city of Baltimare. I found the nearest ship setting sail for Ivoire, and sent him off to safety. I couldn’t bear to keep him in the line of danger, so I sent him home. And with both Creiddylad and Spike... gone... The only things I have left to lose here are you, my friends. I can focus fully on fighting and keeping you, and myself, safe. It hurt to say goodbye, but... it’s for the best.”

The four of us all gave her a comforting pat on the back. We all understood what she was feeling. All throughout the town, no matter where we went, the feeling of impending disaster hung in the air. It was inescapable, but longing for the day in which it passed was just as bad. None of us blamed her for getting her remaining family to safety, especially since the poor girl had lost so much in so short a time.

It hadn’t been as simple for the Apple family, though. Ideally, we should have moved Granny Smith and Applebloom to safety, since one was too old and frail to lift a weapon, and one was still learning. However, both had stubbornly refused to leave their home, so Applejack, Macintosh and I were left with little option but to fight even harder to keep them safe. I looked up at the darkening sky, my heart both heavy and fast-moving. When did days become hours? Tomorrow, we’re going to be fighting for our lives, and the fate of our whole country...

“Head home, everyone.” I said morosely. “I can’t tell what’s going to happen tomorrow, none of us can. I know it’ll be hard, but try to get as much sleep tonight as you can. I understand if you want company this night, and Applejack and I have already agreed that the doors to the Sweet Apple Acres will be open to anyone who wants to stay with us.”

“House Icarus offers the same.” Rarity confirmed. “Our whole strange family will be there, along with Lord Blake. Our halls will welcome anyone who seeks company.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that...” Twilight started. “I mean... I don’t really have much other place to go, aside from the Acres. Fluttershy, do you want to come with me?”

Fluttershy nodded quickly, also lacking anyone to spend the night with, and Pinkie shrugged. “Kyle invited me to spend the night with just him tonight. And someone’s got to keep him company too, right? I guess I’ll see you all in the morning... And, good luck, everybody.”

We all nodded and bade each other a sad goodnight, then Applejack and I walked slowly away from the defensive walls, hand-in-hand. I stopped just before reaching the Acres and turned to her. “I’m going to run back to my house and grab the things I need for battle. I’d rather not have to rush over there in the morning.” Applejack nodded, and she continued back to her home. I jogged back through the streets for a few minutes until I reached my own house. My sword and buckler were right where I had left them, but I moved past them this time, moving instead for the back room.

The door swung open, and I moved for the shelf in the back. The golden sword and sheath granted to me by the Elements of Harmony last summer still lay perfectly clean and sharp, despite not being touched for half a year. Beside the golden sword was the slightly curve-tipped broadsword once belonging to Ultraviolet. At last, his blade would get the chance to finish its mission and claim its own revenge. I slipped on both sheathes across my back, bringing both swords with me, then fastened my buckler to my wrist.

I took a moment to steady my breathing and heart, then turned to leave the room. Just as I did, though, I heard a gentle knock at the front door. Who could that be? Applejack knows I’m heading right back to the Acres... maybe one of the others forgot to say something before they left, but what could that be? I moved back into the den and curiously opened the door, and my eyebrows rose when I saw Scootaloo standing there, eyes downcast.

“Oh, hey kid.” I greeted, “What’s up? I... I see you decided to stay.”

“Yeah...” he said simply, his voice quiet. I could tell that he was upset about something, very understandably, and might have been crying already. “Um, I just wanted to ask if... if I could stay with you tonight? I... don’t want to be alone...”

I gave him a sad smile and put a hand on his shoulder. “Of course you can, Scoots. But, wouldn’t your stepdad be there if you stayed at home? I know you don’t get along too well sometimes, but he is still family, right?”

Scootaloo shook his head. “He’s... he’s gone. He left town... Just before he left, he offered to take me with him, but... I just couldn’t leave all my friends behind... I told him I wouldn’t leave, and he said he understood, and then...”

I scowled and shook my head. I knew I didn’t like Scootaloo’s guardian from the first minute I met him, but this was just too much. He had essentially left his kid to die without any kind of fight. I stooped down slightly to wrap my arms around the despairing boy, but a random thought occurred to me just before I did. I tossed it around in my mind for a few seconds, trying to figure out what it meant, and my thoughts began to race as the idea put itself together.

“Hey, Scoots...” I started, hand still on his slightly unsteady shoulder, “I just had an idea. I know your stepdad just left, and... Well, that’s just not right. As far as I can tell, or care, really, he’s lost all claim to call himself your guardian. I don’t know if he’s going to come back here again or not, but he doesn’t have any right to you anymore. Now... I know that right now, with him just abandoning you like that... this does technically make you an orphan...”

It wasn’t easy for me to say this all to him, as I could see him growing even more upset. However, just as he shut his eyes and began to cry even more heavily, I put my other hand on his other shoulder and continued. “That being said... What would you say if I told you I wanted to adopt you? If I just... took you home and made you my real, permanent little brother?”

His breathing steadied right away, and he locked me in place with his deep violet eyes,  brimming with both tears and hope. “W-what? Dash, do you mean that?” He was having trouble containing a wide smile, which soon spread to myself.

“You’re already like a brother to me, kid. I’ve loved training with you and watching you grow in these few months, and I’d love nothing more than to keep it up when everything’s said and done. I was going to the Sweet Apple Acres for the night, so you just come with me and stay with us, then just stick with me. I’ll take care of you.”

Scootaloo’s eyes continued to water, but it was now with tears of joy. He tripped forward a step and threw his arms around me, and I wrapped mine, and my wings, around him in turn. We laughed the pain of his stepfather’s decision to leave away, his tears drying on my shirt, and after a minute or two I gently patted him on the back. “Come on, Scoots, let’s get going. We both need to try and get some sleep.”

______________

Kyle

The young couple, archer and baker, sat on the small cushioned sofa in the inn room, arms around each other. Neither had spoken, as both knew each word was precious. Kyle knew that nothing was certain any longer, and everyone’s lives would be at risk, so he had to make his peace tonight. He shifted slightly, drawing Pinkie’s attention, as she had begun to fall asleep on his shoulder.

“Pinkie...” he started, “Come tomorrow, I’m going to fight as hard as I can, and do everything I can to keep both of us alive, I promise. But... just in case anything happens, there’s something I need to say. Even if nothing happens, I should still say this.” Pinkie nodded silently, and he continued, though found himself at a loss for words. “I... Pinkie, if it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I’d be here today. I joined the Silver Arrows at first just to earn some extra money to send home, but now... you’ve given me a reason to want to be here. I might have just gone home to safety otherwise, but... I want to stay here and protect you. I want to fight alongside you and be there to hold your hand when the fighting is done.”

She nodded happily, and Kyle suddenly ran out of things to say. Pinkie closed her eyes with a smile on her face, and snuggled closer to him. Kyle sighed lightly, and allowed his head to rest on hers. Maybe he should have said more, but he was satisfied that Pinkie understood. His own eyes began to grow heavy, though a knock at the door shook him out of his drowsiness.

“Er, come in...” Kyle said, reluctantly separating himself from Pinkie and helping her to her feet. The door to the inn room swung open, and a tall, dark-clad figure stepped inside without further invitation.

Pinkie rubbed her eyes tiredly. “Oh, Xekora... What’s up?”

“Young Pinkie, I’m glad I found you before the battle.” the historian said. “I need to request you do something, not for me, but for yourself. I need you to have Chaos remain with me. I assure you, this is for hers and your own safety, nothing more.”

Pinkie cocked her head to the side. “What? Why would you need to watch Chaos for me? Is she going to be in danger?”

Xekora nodded. “In a sense. Both you and your other side will be in much greater danger during this conflict if you remain together. There is a special danger awaiting you, and you will find that you will be much better equipped to face it alone.”

Pinkie frowned and thought for a few moments, then nodded in acceptance. “Alright. I trust you. You’ve been right about everything so far.” She clasped her hands at her heart, and Kyle watched in interest and wonder as a light filled the room just in front of her. When it faded, another figure stood before her, almost but not quite identical to her.

Pinkie put her arms on the shoulders of her counterpart and spoke softly to her. “Chaos, I need you to do something for me, okay? I know you’re not comfortable in the real world yet, but we have to be separated for a while so you can stay safe. No, listen... I promise you’re going to be okay. My friend Xekora is going to take care of you for a little while, and you can come right back when the fighting is over. He’s very nice, don’t worry.”

Very reluctantly, the girl who was almost Pinkie moved away from her twin and over to Xekora. The historian assured both that he would take care of things, then led the silent copy of Pinkie back out of the room and to wherever he came from. Kyle gave Pinkie an extremely confused look, and with a sigh, she began to explain what she had discovered on her trip to Eclipse, which Kyle had so far only heard in bits and pieces.

“So Chaos is... the recessive half of your soul?” he asked, and Pinkie nodded. “And you felt confident leaving her with this Xekora person?”

“Xekora has done a lot for us already.” Pinkie explained. “He’s been like our guide throughout our battle with Celestia, and I trust him completely. Plus, I can just feel that he’s definitely on our side, and he’s experienced enough to know what he’s doing. If he believes that him watching over Chaos will keep us both safer, then I believe in him too.”

Kyle was still slightly concerned about Pinkie’s divided soul, but she seemed to have fully accepted and embraced it. Instead of treating Chaos like just a broken copy, Pinkie seemed to think of her like a timid little sister. Kyle smiled in spite of himself, once again knowing that Pinkie was a truly kind and wonderful person, and the two flopped back onto the sofa together.

________________

Rainbow Dash

Scootaloo and I made our way back through the streets to the edge of town, one of my arms still around him. We would worry about moving his stuff from his old home into mine later. We both had our weapons and minimal armor with us already, and would be ready for combat when morning came. Soon, the gates to the Acres came into view, and we stopped just before the front door to the house. Scootaloo turned to me, a slightly confused look on his face. “Wait, hang on, if I’m your brother now, and you and Applejack are together, does... does that make me and Applebloom brother and sister?”

I laughed happily. “Don’t worry too much about that, kid. I had the same kind of confusion when the Apple family first brought me in. It’ll pass, and you’ll figure out where you stand without having to be able to explain it.” He nodded in understanding, and the two of us stepped into the house. Before they noticed us enter, I was able to see all three of the Apple siblings piled up on the sofa, offering each other nothing more than their presence and a shoulder to lean on. Mac sat in the center, with an arm around both of his sisters at his sides. Granny Smith was also in the room, though had her eyes closed and may have been asleep in the opposite chair. I could tell some scared tears had already been shed.

“Move over everybody,” I said, drawing their attention, “we got a couple more family members to squeeze in.”

“Scootaloo!” Applebloom exclaimed in relief, separating herself from her older brother and running up to embrace Scootaloo. He flinched slightly as her arms wrapped tightly around him and her face buried in his shoulder. He cast a furtive glance back at me, and after I gave him a nod in encouragement, he closed his eyes and put his arms around her.

A small, happy noise came from Applejack, who had moved to stand beside me. “They really are just like us when we were little, ain’t they?” she whispered. “Your brother was right, that’s just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“They’re even more like us than before, now.” I said quietly. “Scoots is going to stay with me from now on. His stepdad has done me the favor of removing himself from the equation, so I’m making the kid my own little brother.”

I gave her a quick explanation of what had happened, and she smiled warmly at me. “That’s just the sweetest thing... I’m proud of you, partner. You know that the Apple family’ll still do anythin’ for you, and that goes for your new brother, too.” I nodded thankfully, and the two of us curled up warmly on the sofa. Our little siblings soon hopped up on our laps, hugging both us and each other. Mac graciously draped a large blanket over us, then sat beside us and wrapped a powerful arm around the whole bunch.

One by one we all fell asleep in each other’s embrace, hearts aflutter with thoughts of our impending doom, but determined to make the night count.

Chapter Ninety

Chapter Ninety

Icarus Mansion

Twilight

The young ex-apprentice barely slept through the night, coming to full wakefulness in the early morning of dawn. Sunlight, not warm or dim, completely indifferent to the town’s imminent danger, filtered in through the window of Twilight’s guest room. Her heart began to race again as she remembered what was set to transpire that day, and she threw herself out of bed and rapidly began to get dressed. She slung the golden tome of powerful magic under her arm and rushed out of her room, and was somewhat startled when Fluttershy did the same from the room beside her.

Fluttershy had equipped a set of Icarus’s basic leather armor given to archers, with the exception of her golden helmet. She also had a shiny new golden bow slung across her back, and her normal quiver of arrows at her belt. Twilight’s eyes raised at her new weapon. “Fluttershy! Where’d that bow come from? That wasn’t with your helmet when we were fighting Nightma- er, Princess Luna.”

“I think that whatever force gave us these gifts,” Fluttershy explained, “just wasn’t sure what to give me, so it only gave me armor and no weapon. But now that I’ve found a skill that suits me, it’s come back and given me the other half of my gift. Oh, Twilight, where is your tiara?”

Twilight felt the top of her head, and cursed herself silently when she realized she forgot her tiara in her haste. She dashed back into her room and retrieved it from the desk she had left it upon, and gingerly placed it atop her head. She wasn’t sure if the accessory actually helped her battle skill or defense at all, but she felt more powerful wearing it, and would seem more heroic to the people following her. Twilight grabbed her book again, and joined Fluttershy in moving back to the entrance hall.

The twenty-five man strong unit of Icarus’s soldiers were already gathered outside, ready to march, visible through the wide window above the great doors. At the foot of the stairs, making final preparations, were Rarity, Opal, Blake, Fafnir and Sweetie Belle. Rarity’s golden chest plate and rapier were equipped, among a gleaming new set of stark white armor. She turned her gaze up the stairway at the two girls. “Oh, good, you’re both awake. Though it’s hardly a surprise... Oh, yes, please come down here. I’ve got something better for you to wear than those silly plain-looking garments.”

Twilight and Fluttershy looked to each other, slightly surprised, and joined the other three at the ground floor. Rarity moved over to a table beside the stairway, motioning for Fluttershy and Twilight to join her, and Twilight gasped lightly when she saw what Rarity had prepared for them. There was a full set of leather armor, much higher quality and fancier than the standard-issue wear of the Icarus archers, or even the Silver Arrows. Several yellow cloths hung out as capes and tails, and a small emblem of a pink butterfly was emblazoned at the breast.

For Twilight was a deep violet cloak, one that would hang heavily but comfortably over her shoulders. It was long and with many coattails, so that wearing it would conceal Twilight’s arms and legs completely and turn her into a blur of darkness firing magic at the enemy. Like Fluttershy’s, a unique emblem was affixed to the breast, this one a slightly vertically stretched, six pointed pink star.

"I've been working on these sets of armor almost since the night we met." Rarity said. "I put extra care into customizing them to each of your skills and techniques, as well as taking into account the pieces of armor granted to you by the Elements of Harmony. It took some doing to make full plate mail that wouldn't slow down Rainbow Dash or Pinkie, but I think it should hold up. Fluttershy, your armor is also quite light to support your flight, and I've had the leather reinforced to be stronger against long range attacks, which will be your main concern.

"Twilight, your new mage robes should protect you just as effectively, but in a slightly different fashion. The many folds and dark colors of this cloak generates an effective optical illusion while moving, and makes you virtually invisible while stationary. Even if the enemy can get a lock on you, any shots they take will be certain to miss by miles. The garment is also equipped with the same magic-enhancing properties that all modern mage robes come standard with."

Both Twilight and Fluttershy held up the garments appreciatively, and quickly moved to another room to change. The heavy robes draped over Twilight's shoulders, the ends of the long sleeves almost touching the ground, and the coattails dragging around her, but they attracted no dirt or dust. Her golden-bound spell book an tiara were in stark contrast with the black and violets of the cloak, though they seemed to compliment one another.

She stepped back into the entrance hall, and saw that Fluttershy's armor suited her perfectly, yellow and gold matched by the soft pink of her hair. Prepared as they could be, the three Elements, two Laguz, half-dragon and visiting noble all stepped outside and began to march with the gathered soldiers. They continued to speak quietly as they walked: "Are you sure about letting Sweetie Belle come with us?" Twilight asked, "She's just a young girl, and we're facing war..."

"She would be no safer anywhere else in town." Rarity stated ominously, "Besides, it's not as though she can't defend herself. Young as she may be, she has received more training than many others older than her with a bow. I've insisted she stay on the back lines with the other two Crusaders, but I believe that is the best place for them to be right now."

Twilight understood Rarity's reasoning, sad as it was, and decided to change the subject. "So, what is the meaning of these symbols on our armor? I've never seen them before." Rarity's new armor also bore an emblem, though it was on her shoulder piece instead of the golden chest piece, and it was of a trio of blue diamonds.

"Oh, these?" Rarity chuckled slightly, "To be honest, most of them only have fairly vague meanings, but I thought it suitable for the heroes to each have a symbol to go with their names. In dark times like these, the people need heroes and symbols to rally around and give them morale and hope, and the Elements of Harmony are the only ones for the job. Of course, the name 'Moonlight Resistance' begets the memory of Princess Luna and her first rebellion, and we can take hope that this time will be a success."

Twilight nodded, preferring to remain silent for the remainder of the short trip. The group soon reached the northern barricade, where, even in the earliest hour of dawn, the Silver Arrows were already stationed and ready for combat. Commander Octavia and Colonel Lyra stalked back and forth across the wide line, ensuring that their troops were in position and ready for the storm. Pinkie sat beside Kyle behind one of the barricades, comforting him until she was needed as well.

The young baker saw the others approach and waved, but remained where she was. Clearly, some kind of deeper connection had been made between her and the winged soldier. Her golden spear and double bucklers sat at her side. Rarity called over to her, and to one of her soldiers to step forward. The soldier of Icarus brought forth a bundle of some sort, which Rarity took from him and laid on the ground before Pinkie. The cloth covering the contents was thrown back, revealing a full set of magenta armor.

Pinkie's eyebrows rose, and Rarity explained that she had created armor for each of them, then began to explain the details of the armor. "Yours, much like Rainbow Dash's, had to be able to protect you without subtracting from your speed or maneuverability, though at least I didn't have to account for wing holes. It should be able to keep up with all the random attacks you do just as well as the clothes you normally wear into combat. I've also left spaces on the arms for your bucklers."

"Oh, wow, thanks Rarity!" Pinkie said. Coming as no surprise to anyone, she stripped off what armor she was already wearing right then and there, then began fastening on the new armor, soon assisted by the other Elements. Intricately painted on her breastplate was an emblem of a trio of balloons, two blue and one yellow. She bounced on her heels a few times to test the weight of the armor, and smiled in satisfaction. “This must have taken a lot of time to make... and money.”

Rarity held up a hand to dismiss the issue. “Money is no issue when it comes to keeping my friends alive, I assure you. Seeing the finished product shine in glory, and do it’s job and protect you, is reward enough. Besides, I enjoyed making them. It’s an art.”

“Alright, soldiers of Icarus.” Lyra said, the local troops snapping to attention. “Since there aren’t many of you, I want all of you to stay by the barricades. Mages and archers among you, take your places with the Silver Arrows. Everyone else, I want you spaced roughly evenly along the length of the wall for general support: medical evac, assistance reloading, messengers, or fighting close-quarters if the enemy gets that close. By the time that that happens, reinforcements will already be fast on the way, and you’ll just need to hold them off until you can join the bigger fighting force.”

The Icarus soldiers all gave a quick salute and dispersed among the deserter battalion. Two more soldiers left a pair of bundles on the ground beside Rarity before scurrying off to their positions, and Twilight guessed that Rainbow Dash’s and Applejack’s armor was stored within. Octavia strode up and took a few moments to size up the four Elements gathered, deciding on orders for them. “I think it would be preferable if the soldiers could see you among them, so they have a source of morale to draw on. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity, you can all fight at long range, so you should help fire upon the approaching soldiers as much as you can. As for you Pinkie, and the others, you should remain with the troops and offer encouragement and support, then help to lead the charge when the tides begin to shift.”

The four nodded, and Twilight scrambled up to a slightly higher vantage point. She peered out in the distance, towards the city of Eclipse, but saw no sign of their enemy. A few fluffy but gray clouds floated across the sky, but the sun still shone low in the east. She sat for several minutes, allowing the wind to run through her hair and toss her flowing robe about, waiting for something to happen but dreading when it did.

About fifteen minutes after their arrival, she heard several more people approach, and turned around to see Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, and the Apple family. Rarity greeted them as fondly as one could in the situation, and quickly explained once again that she had made equipment for all six Elements. Both the cyan and caramel-orange armor sets were similar in shape to Pinkie’s, only with slight differences in the dimensions, and a pair of gaps in the back of Dash’s for him to slip his wings through. His bore an emblem of a cloud and tri-colored lightning bolt, and Applejack’s a simple trio of bright red apples.

“Rainbow Dash, yours was easily the most difficult to engineer, as I had to make the metal stand up to your potentially supersonic speeds, but I think it should hold. You’ll also find that it’s light enough to fly normally in. Applejack, yours will most likely simply act as any other suit of armor, but knowing that you now have ice abilities, I slipped in some emergency thermal protection. Since your golden arm-guard would not be as noticeable against orange armor such as this, I made sure the design would be different in order to give it distinction.”

Rainbow Dash soon walked over to where Twilight sat, clad in his handsome new armor but with hair as messy and eyes as tired as always, and sat beside her. "How're you holding up?" he asked. "I know you've lost a lot, we all have, but you're going to want to focus whatever rage you have instead of rushing blindly at them. A little rage can be a good thing on the battlefield, though. It'll give you a reason to not give up, and keep yourself alive."

Twilight nodded appreciatively, still a bit unaccustomed to how kind Rainbow Dash had seemed these past few days. Had the pressure of war gotten to him? Or was he like this all along, and Twilight's own perspective had changed? Unbidden, her gaze drifted over each of her friends gathered behind the barricades, as though to test and compare her past and present convictions of them.

Applejack. There was never any secrecy or sugarcoating with her. She said what was on her mind, what needed to be said, and had nothing to hide from her friends. That wasn't to say she was brutally honest, though, and would never say something just for spite. Her relatively simple nature allowed her to see the bare-bones of any problem, and when one of her friends was hurting.

Fluttershy. Even when her own heart was in turmoil, she lived to ease the suffering of others. Using the gift of music given to her by a dear, departed friend, she was able to calm the storms raging in people's minds and avoid countless conflicts that would have spilled unnecessary blood. Her kindness was infectious, and Twilight knew that she would help to calm the violence of the world.

Rarity. Twilight only had to look at the clothes that she and the other Elements wore for a demonstration of her generosity. Rarity had everything one could need in life, and demonstrated again and again that she was willing to give it all away for the ones she cared about. Even if none of the members of her remaining family were fully legitimate- if that- she cared about them all more than anything.

Pinkie. To try and rationalize anything she did was a futile and maddening effort, but once you took a step back and saw her bigger picture, you began to appreciate how good a friend she was. She was in eternally good spirits, and even now- in the face of peril- she was cracking jokes, giving people encouraging hugs, anything to evoke a little laughter. Devoid of any true family, she thought of the whole town as hers to protect.

Finally, Rainbow Dash. Stubborn and short-tempered were words that came to mind in a person who had just met him, and while there may have been some truth in those accusations, he was nothing if not determined. Even for his own safety, he would never back down and abandon the things he believed in. And even to the ends of his life, he would stay loyal to his friends and convictions. Twilight had hated him at first, but now was glad to have met him.

Rainbow Dash shifted where he sat. "There was one other thing I wanted to do, just before all of this starts." he explained. "There are enough clouds in the sky right now that I can play around with the morale of both sides a bit. If I put all of the clouds on their side and get them to rain, the enemy soldiers will be all damp and feel pretty lousy, and hopefully in less of a fighting mood. Meanwhile, our guys will have the sun at their backs, and things will look bright."

Twilight nodded thoughtfully, looking towards the horizon again. No soldiers, and a few clouds, just as Dash had said. "I see what you mean... Are you sure you can make that work?"

Rainbow Dash laughed. "Sure I can! Shouldn't even take more than a minute or two to get everything just right. I'll just need to borrow a few more Children of Air..." as he spoke, his gaze drifted inward to town, and Twilight followed along and saw a new group of soldiers approach, ready to defend the town. "Ah, here's New Dawn's troops. I'll just pull a few from them for a minute." He slid from his perch and began talking with the commander of New Dawn's troops, the Hatarian Vomora. Twilight had been hesitant at first to trust him, since this was the same man that had tried to kill her seven years ago, but she had been convinced his intentions were now pure.

Rainbow Dash launched into the air, three more Children of Air following close behind. A large number of New Dawn troops joined the other archers and mages at the wall, while the rest lingered behind, ready to leap into action. Behind them, Twilight could see the reserve forces of the town's hastily assembled militia, including the Crusaders, who were checking their weapons to make sure they were ready. Applebloom had equipped a pair of short katanas, while Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had their normal spear and archery equipment, respectively. She hoped that they would not have to fight at all, but they seemed ready if push came to shove.

Rainbow Dash skidded to the ground a few minutes later, his face all business, and the three following him showed signs of panic in their eyes. "They're coming." the blue-clad swordsman stated, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Just beyond the line of sight of town. They were waiting too, but they noticed my men and I screwing around with their cloud cover and started shooting at us. Jessie here got a little singed, but otherwise the pot-shots all missed."

A medic quickly began tending to the soldier's wound. Twilight knew that these medics knew what they were doing, since because of them, her once sprained arm was almost as good as new. "How many are there?" Lyra asked Rainbow Dash, just as tense as he. "And how long will it be until they arrive, now that they know we're planning something?"

"It's just as we feared." Rainbow Dash said, shaking his head. "They've brought out the whole central army. In addition, there's a few rather nasty looking light-based summons among them, probably courtesy of the Queen herself. I estimate that, now that they're on the move, we have about thirty minutes before they get within firing distance."

Twilight could not repress a slight shiver. As the soldiers around her all scrambled to finish any last-minute preparations, she kept her eyes glued on the horizon. Her heart leapt when she first saw the mass of enemy knights approaching, the flag bearing the sunrise emblem of House Apollo and Celestia's throne waving above them. Rainbow Dash's idea of setting up a rainstorm for them seemed to be working, a the clouds they were marching under were heavy with moisture, and only needed a small spark to begin their downpour. Gritting her teeth, Twilight charged up a large lightning spell, then sent it racing forward at the clouds. Rainbow Dash gave a nod of approval, and the spell was sent splintering through the clouds, illuminating the approaching soldiers a moment before the rain began to pound on their armor.

“Hold your fire!” Lyra ordered, loading a clip into her crossbow. “Let them draw in close enough that we can hit them with everything we’ve got! It won’t do to let them know the extent of our range!” The gathered soldiers nodded and found their final place to shoot from. Twilight flipped through the pages of her golden tome, found a lightning spell more powerful than any she had ever tried, and read over the ancient words silently.

Five minutes passed, then ten. The soldiers of Eclipse grew ever closer, and hearts all around were racing in anticipation. Twilight could plainly see the soldiers approaching now, marching briskly, but organized, and soon she could even hear the clinking of their armor. Among them were several pure white forms, somewhat resembling Spike’s dragon form, twice as tall as the soldiers they marched with. Just as Twilight was beginning to worry, that Lyra had waited to long to give her orders, she heard the commander scream ‘FIRE!’ from a few feet away. All at once, hundreds of arrows, bolts of lightning and flashes of fire and light launched forth, striking down countless Eclipse soldiers. Several of the light summons were dispersed as well, but only after heavy concentrated fire.

The fire from the mages continued while the archers all reloaded. The soldiers of Eclipse all got their wits about them a few moments later, and began to return fire. Spells crashed into the barricades and splintered off chunks off wood, as well as putting out of commission two ballistas before they even had a chance to fire. Twilight shut her ears from the screams around her, and focused on casting the next spell. Another scattered volley of arrows launched forward into the crowd of enemy soldiers, accompanied by several large ballista bolts and rocks lobbed from catapults spaced along the length of the wall.

Twilight focused on striking down one soldier at a time, not allowing herself to take in any of the other destruction surrounding her. No matter how many times she attacked, there was always another soldier to take the last one’s place. Eclipse’s troops more than doubled the forces defending the town, and while they had suffered noticeable losses already, the long-range defense did not seem to be slowing them down. Magical and physical bullets continued to pound away at the barricades, and those soldiers who could make it to the walls began to strike at it with axes or swords.

“Second wave!” Lyra commanded. “Charge! First wave, direct your fire! Kill the remaining light beasts, then aim for their rear!” With a mighty battle cry, the melee troops lying in wait rushed forward, led by the two Goldoan dragons. Twilight wiped her sweaty brow and swallowed hard. The battle had cost many lives on both sides already, but it was about to get a whole lot worse.

Chapter Ninety-one

Chapter Ninety-one

Rainbow Dash

I gave my dual broadswords a single vicious spin at my sides, wings erect behind me. The enemy had only just arrived, and while I could plainly hear their cries from behind the walls, they had already begun to tear apart the barricades and push through. The archers did everything they could, and I know they will continue. But these men can only be held back by pure steel, and the rest of us will have to do just as much to keep ourselves alive. Splinters and dust shook from the walls with each strike, but still I made no move, and neither did the troops behind me. Far to my right, I could see Applejack doing the same, and to the left, Pinkie, who seemed antsy but willing to work with the situation. We would let them work for it, bleed out every ounce of their strength we could before meeting them in close combat.

The wait was killing me. Each bang against the walls brought more of the wood apart, and each time it felt like the next one would be the one to break through. The people pounding away at the walls were constantly shot down in an effort to buy us more time, and constantly replaced by more and more axemen and swordsmen. A whole section of wood fell, and I could see the white and silver armor of the enemy soldiers glinting in the early morning light. They redouble their efforts when they saw they were almost through, and I tightened my grip on the two swords.

"Second wave, charge! First wave, direct your fire!" Lyra shouted from beside me. "Kill the remaining light beasts, then aim for their rear!"

At once, the second line surged forward, led by the green serpentine dragon Fafnir, and hulking red dragon Fenrir. I did not see Mac anywhere among the men gathered, but I knew that he would arrive as soon as he was really needed, and not a moment before. I let out what I hoped was a mighty battle cry, soon taken up by the militiamen of the town, of New Dawn and House Icarus behind me, and we all surged forward to the collapsing barricades. The enemy finally finished breaking through, but those first ones in were met with the vicious jaws and unyielding steel of the town's defenders.

I rushed forward and swung my right sword, Vi's weapon, at an approaching soldier, and sliced at his midsection with the other when he blocked. He dropped to the ground, and two more soldiers were right there to take his place. Both lunged forward with their lances, and I leapt back, then shot forward on my wings to slice straight through their upper armor. I ducked under the swing of a poleaxe, hooked my legs around his and dragged him to the ground, then rolled atop him and drove my left sword straight into his gut.

Even trying as hard as I could, I could not help but keep a bloody tally in my head. Four human lives were on my hands already. I didn't have time to let this weigh on my conscience, but I knew right away that this was going to stick with me. I was level with the wall now, and countless Eclipse soldiers beyond were scrambling to get through this entryway or create another. Arrows and magic still rained across the battlefield from both sides, and I could see Twilight throwing every spell in her arsenal at the opposing army. The dragons launched jets of flame through the gaps at the soldiers unfortunate enough to be standing near the walls.

Even through the apparent success of our attacks, we were taking heavy casualties ourselves. The barricade wall was falling apart, and all but a few ballistas and catapults had been put out of commission, their operators dead at the mangled controls. Archers tumbled back from their perches, nursing their wounds if they were lucky enough to only be wounded, and close-quarter fighters around me fell to the better-trained blades of the endless Eclipse army. The medics behind the lines worked like bees to heal the wounded and get more fighters back on the battlefield.

I returned my attention to combat, batting away another sword strike and running through its owner. Five. I leapt into the air and smashed to the ground a Child of Air who was trying to fly over the wall, my swords rending through the chain mail on his shoulders. Six. I allowed myself to drop back to the ground when several arrows whizzed past me with inches to spare. When I landed, I was treated to a quick duel with a more skilled swordsman, before I swung around him and cracked him on the head with the hilt of my broadsword. Seven.

Somewhere to my left, I heard the familiar battle cry of my partner Applejack, and out of the corner of my eye caught a large mass of ice descending upon a group of enemy soldiers. I spun around and sliced through an enemy archer’s shirt, then slapped him to the ground with the blunt edge of my sword. It hadn’t enough to kill him, but I knew someone behind me would take care of it. I carefully stepped over the wreckage of the barrier wall, batting away enemy strikes for all I was worth.

Eight. Nine. Ten, eleven. I leaned back, then launched forward into a dizzying full-body windmill attack that took me another several feet into the battlefield. Sixteen. I continued to block and slice against the countless weapons around me wildly, and I had to keep my wits about me to avoid being overwhelmed. Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty. That’s a whole two percent of the central army all on my own. I jumped back and shook my head, trying to silence my thoughts.

I didn’t have much time to try to not think, as the enemy soldiers just kept coming. I braced myself and continued to hold out, backing up until I hit a section of wall that hadn’t yet collapsed. Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six... I could feel myself start to sweat, and even though I was getting cover fire from behind, I still had to push myself to my very limit to avoid getting impaled.

I smashed a spear thrust to the ground, pulling its owner closer to me, and I jabbed my elbow into his stomach and sent him reeling. I parried several sword strikes at once, then released a hasty wind spell that sent the soldiers around me stumbling back a few feet. This gave me just enough time to jump up to the top of the broken barricade and begin fending them off from above. I sent several other Children of Air spiraling to the ground with broken wings, and arrows constantly bounced off of my armor without causing more than a dent.

Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine, thirty. Three percent. A powerful blast of fire magic hit me square in the chest, too fast for me to block, and I want sent tumbling backward over the wall. My armor had taken the brunt of the impact, but was now all but superheated, and the force of impact against the ground had knocked the wind out of my lungs and given me an uncomfortable bump on the back of my head. While I was dazed, I was vaguely aware of a medic rushing over and removing the breastplate to prevent any overheating. My senses soon returned to me, and I used the opportunity to view what was happening on the battlefield from a distance.

It was a horrific mess for both sides. Bodies of Eclipse soldiers blocked off the holes they had created in the shield wall. Injured troops of New Dawn and the Silver Arrows were dragged back from the front line by the men behind them, injured beyond the point of fighting, for the limited number of healers to tend to. I waved aside a medic that had come to check on me, telling her to tend to the others who needed attention far more.

How many of them have we killed? Two hundred? Three? Maybe even four? But our guys are dropping left and right. This does not look good... Nearby, I could see an injured Fafnir swiftly tending to his own wounds, and an enraged Fenrir tearing apart a group of soldiers before him. The enemy seemed to have taken the only logical route and targeted our dragons first, with distressing success. I lifted my weary frame to its feet and gripped my swords again, and took a shaky step back towards the ruined barricade.

A powerful arm gently moved in front of me, holding me in place. I looked up, and my heart soared when I saw Mac standing beside me, the giant blood-red blade of his Weapon resting on his shoulder. He turned to me, and spoke calmly for the situation: "I am a shield for the ones I care about, not a sword. This is what I swore when your brother died. But if I do not act now, I won't have much left to protect. Order the men back behind the walls, and let me finish this."

I nodded silently, then turned around. "Lyra!" I yelled, drawing the mint-haired commander's attention. "Get everyone back inside the town! Trust me!"

She gave me a confused look, then took in the massive form of Mac's Weapon. Her gaze drifted back to me, and seeing the determination in my eyes, she nodded. "All troops, pull back to behind the shield wall! Hurry up!"

Not one complaint could be heard as the remaining defenders flooded back inside the town. I scanned the people rushing back carefully, making sure everyone was still alright. Applejack, Pinkie and Twilight were all still in perfect shape, fighting off troops even as they retreated. Rarity wasn't far from me, her left leg cut through and bloodied, but still functional, and she was being tended to by Fluttershy and her ancestor's healing technique. Elsewhere, I saw the two beast-tribe Laguz, Opal and Winona, among the retreating, and Kyle providing covering fire from a nearby low rooftop. Prince Belenth himself was on he battlefield, using a combination of light and lance to fend off the Eclipse troops, back to back with Lord Blake.

I'm amazed all of my friends have made it this long. Just hang on a little longer, guys, the fight is almost over. The two Goldoan dragons continued to toast the enemy trying to squeeze in, holding back the flow of hundreds of white and silver-clad soldiers right up until the moment Mac reached them. The tall warrior strode forward, Weapon bobbing up and down slightly, and leapt over the rubble dividing us and the enemy. As soon as they saw him and redirected their fire, he swung the Weapon diagonally, then shifted to a horizontal slice, and cut straight through their lines. I could plainly hear a hundred voices cry out in sudden pain, then become silenced. The central army of Eclipse was doomed. I flew up to the edge of the barricade, trying to get a better view of what was happening, as I doubted any eyes were not on Macintosh now.

New orders were shouted from the white-clad commanders: kill the berserker. I twisted around and shouted back to anyone who cared to listen: "Don't just leave him to fight alone! Everyone, give Mac some cover fire, pronto!" Our remaining long range specialists began climbing back up the rubble to open fire at the weakening Eclipse troops, but all of theirs had other ideas. Countless bows set their sights on the man at the base of the massive Weapon, as did the hands of many mages. As Macintosh let loose another brutal swing of his Weapon, slicing several soldiers clean in half and ending countless lives on the spot, hundreds of bullets shot forward, and Mac was temporarily obscured in the wake of the explosion.

I choked back a scream. Even Mac couldn't survive a direct his from so many attacks at once, I was sure of it. But to my amazement, when the smoke and dust cleared, he was still standing, hands on the hilt of his Weapon and preparing for another devastating strike. When he turned around to look each enemy in the eye, I caught a glance at his own eyes, and my heart sank out of my understanding. The Weapon fueled the fires of his heart, and turned him into a virtual killing machine. I could see the fires in his eyes, and knew that that was what was happening. Mac's bloodlust was the only thing keeping him on his feet, or even alive at all.

"Open fire!" Lyra shouted, and a fresh hail of arrows and fire sailed forth unto the dwindling crowd of enemies. The soldiers at the edges were pinned down by the cover fire, and those further in had nowhere to run from Macintosh's next strike. With each swing of the Weapon, a hundred or more of the central army's troops dropped to the ground. In only a few minutes, Mac alone had matched the amount of soldiers the rest of us had killed in two hours. Less than half of the army was left alive now.

Many of them realized that they could not stop Macintosh with all the force of their lives, and either tried to run from the battle entirely, or redoubled their efforts to break the defending forces, while plenty of them continued to throw themselves at Macintosh. I dove down from my perch and stood right beside Applejack, and together we parried and fought back the troops who still thought to try and overrun our home. Using the same teamwork techniques that we had used for years as mercenaries, the invaders didn't stand a chance. I watched her back and she watched mine, and in this, I was finally able to find a little order in the chaos of war.

All of a sudden, I felt a tangible shift in the tempo of the battle. The troops before us were fighting less ferociously, as though they had accepted their own demise, and not a single man came now to back them up. In scores the enemy attempted to run from the battle, and while many were struck down by arrows, magic, or the giant blood-red blade that had doomed them, many were able to successfully retreat. Only when I was sure that the only Eclipse soldiers remaining were corpses did I finally allow myself to relax. We've won... We beat the central army, and saved our town, at least for now. The war is just beginning, but we've won this battle.

Mac stood stock-still in the center of the body-filled battlefield for a few seconds, but his Weapon soon slipped from his grip and stuck in the ground behind him. From where I was, I could feel the energy leaving his body, and he fell to his knees. The same fear from before caused my heart to jump, which was much more composed than Applejack, who screamed and tripped forward to her brother. I closed my eyes, hot tears already forming. Dammit! Not another one... Celestia, it just wasn’t enough for you, was it?! You had to take another big brother from me! From us...

In a daze, I began walking forward as well, until I noticed a distraught Applebloom zipped past me in tears. That got me moving, and I rushed up to the three siblings. When I reached Mac’s unmoving, but apparently still-alive body, both girls were already hunched over him. I didn’t need to get much closer to tell that he just wasn’t going to make it. Most of the arrows that had hit him had been blown off by the magic that had followed, but a few stubs were still there. There were also burns and slashes from other attacks, and there was a lot of blood.

His eyes were still open, though, and wavering with faint signs of life. He looked regretful that he had to go, but not that he had given his life to save us, and to deal a decisive blow against Celestia. He attempted to put a comforting arm around his sisters, but the energy jut wasn't there anymore. With tears in the pits of my own eyes, I stooped down next to the two girls, to be able to hear his last words.

"Try no to be too sad..." he said, "I'm... Alright, spiritually. These last years have been... A shell. I've been living for others for so long... But now... I'll be able to move on, knowing that this world is well on its way to becoming safe, and... That I did everything I could to help. Rainbow Dash... I'm going to tell your brother you said hi for you, when we meet up there."

I swallowed hard. "Mac... You might have to wait a little longer to see Vi. See... He did die that day, but he didn't... fully die." As quickly as I could, I explained everything that had happened to, and regarding, my brother to the dying farm boy and his distraught sisters. I told them that a sheer drive for revenge had kept Ultraviolet's spirit alive beyond his body, and that he was fighting with everything he had left to get back to Equestria to assist the resistance.

Macintosh closed his eyes for a moment. "In that case... You tell him that I said hi, and that I'm waiting for him up above. Now... There're a few more things I want to say while I have the chance. Applejack..."

A few hoarse sobs were all the response that came from her, and she kept her face buried in his chest, but it was obvious she was listening. "Applejack, you are strong. I know it hurts... but you'll pull through, I know it. You have to stay strong for everyone, and see this revolution to its end. Don't... don't be like me, and sacrifice your life for revenge." Applejack said nothing, but gave the slightest of nods. I wanted so badly to move over to her and embrace her, to tell her that everything would be alright and to dry the tears from her beautiful face, but I knew that what she needed right now was space. When the time came that she needed a shoulder to lean on, that was when I would be there for her.

"Applebloom..." he continued, mustering up the strength to brush his hand against hers. "You've got a bright future ahead of you, I promise... Don't let this weigh you down. You can do anything with yourself once Celestia falls. Don't... Don't pity yourself. Okay?" She wiped the water away from her big brown eyes and nodded multiple times. It was hard to tell whether it was her or Applejack who was in worse shape.

"R-Rainbow Dash..." I could hear that Mac's time was running short, so I merely nodded and allowed him to continue. "You're... You're going to have to be the man of the house now. I know it's a big responsibility, but... It'll be easier when this war is all over... T-take care of your sisters, and brother. Fight for me, and Vi, but... mostly for the people who are still alive. Fight so they have a chance, and a reason, to stay that way."

His words were saddening, but powerful, and tears of mixed emotion still stung at my eyes. I put a hand on his unsteady shoulder, and felt each tremble that wracked his body. At last, his eyes drifted shut, and with a few more ragged breaths, he was still. The only sound that filled the post-battle air was of the two remaining siblings crying. I put a hand on each of their shoulders, and Applebloom dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around me tightly.

I heard someone else approaching quickly from the direction of town, but I didn’t bother turning around. Plenty of other people would be leaving in a daze to find their lost loved ones. However, these footsteps stopped right next to us, and the voice that they belonged to said simply: “Oh no... he’s dead?”

I twisted around slightly, and saw the tall form of Xekora out of the corner of my eye. I said nothing, as it should have been obvious what his answer would be. His next question managed to get my attention, though: “Where’s his Weapon? Did anyone move it to safety?”

Curious, I moved my gaze to where Mac’s Weapon had fallen and stuck in the ground, but just as Xekora had said, it was gone. I looked around frantically, and my eyes widened when I saw another figure standing at the edge of the battlefield. The Weapon rested on his shoulders, and the all-too familiar black cloak of the Order shrouded his features. He made not a single movement, merely watching the tearful display unfold.

“Not good...” Xekora started, putting a hand on the sword strapped to his back. “Number One. We cannot let him take that Weapon. You got any fight left in you, Rainbow Dash?”

Number One? The leader of the Order?! He’s got to be invincible... but we can’t let him take the Weapon. I nodded and rose to my feet, detaching Applebloom from my waist and drawing my two broadswords once again. Applejack stood as well, axe clutched in both hands, and she shouted a challenge at the thief: “It’s not enough that my brother had to die, is it?! You just have to steal right from his corpse?!”

Number One pointedly ignored her, instead beckoning to Xekora with a tilt of his head. In a low, condescending voice, he said, “Did I not tell you, Xekora? I would make no move to take my sword back by force, but would be there to pry it from this farm boy’s cold, dead hands. And well, here we are.”

“We can’t kill him.” Xekora stated under his breath. “Not possible, especially not when he’s got that. But he’s weak enough right now that we stand a chance of taking the Weapon back. I’ll need all the help I can get though. You two in for a spot of vengeance?”

Applejack and I both nodded grimly, and Xekora drew his longsword and dagger, both pitch black. I couldn’t help but have second thoughts, as according to Xekora, not even he as a God could truly defeat Number One. We would be extremely lucky to have any sort of victory against him, but I wasn’t going to go home without trying. The three of us rushed forward, weapons at the ready, all while our opponent was laughing as though someone had told a funny joke.

I was the first to reach him, and swung away with all the speed and power I could muster in both swords. Using his left hand alone, he swatted away each hit I threw at him, and showed no signs of feeling pain. Applejack approached more cautiously, swinging her axe for a lower hit, and Number One shifted the Weapon on his shoulder so that the handle blocked her blade. Xekora leapt into the air and brought his two blades down upon Number One, and was treated to being parried by the Weapon itself.

Number One's jovial chuckle turned into an angry 'ha!', and he knocked us all back with one swing of the Weapon. We all used our own blades to block, but I still felt my knees buckle, and I lost my balance and tumbled to a halt almost back where we started. I heard Applebloom give a shout of alarm and run over to my aid, but I was able to get to my own feet by the time she reached me. Applejack and Xekora both had more luck staying on their feet.

Number One raised his free hand and gave us a little wave goodbye, then became enveloped in a swirling mass of darkness, disappearing with the Weapon a moment later.

Chapter Ninety-two

Chapter Ninety-two

Laying the dead to rest was the first order of business in the aftermath of the battle. Macintosh was buried beside Ultraviolet's own grave, as Applejack knew he wanted to be. A mass funeral was held the next day for all the many lives lost, and a eulogy given for each soul who still had someone to give it. The whole remainder of that day was given solely to rest and recuperation, and tribute to the dead. The day after that, though- two days after the unsuccessful siege- communication lines were reconnected and our next phase of action laid out in detail.

I sat in the library alongside the other leaders of the resistance- Lyra and Octavia, Prince Belenth, Rarity and Lord Blake- as well as Twilight and Xekora. The immortal historian had stayed with us ever since Number One escapes with the Weapon, seemingly more concerned about our success than he was before, but still persisted that he could not personally help. I thought I could detect his determination slipping.

Trixie was the first to connect, and also to break the silence when the others joined in. "You guys made it! How'd it go? The fact that you're talking now tells me at least someone survived."

"We suffered pretty heavy casualties," Twilight responded, "but the ones they suffered were a lot worse. Moonlight is still on its feet, and Eclipse should still be reeling from having its central army all but destroyed. If we're going to move onto the offensive, we will not get a better chance than now."

"Twilight!" The relief in Trixie's voice was obvious. "So you're with us after all? I'm really glad to hear it... Phil is, too. He's in bed right now, says his life cycle is about to end and he can't move much, but he's really happy to hear that news."

"So..." I started, veering the conversation back on track, "We should still be in good enough shape to carry out the next phase of our plan. Each of our four armies will need to attack a royal instillation between their current position and the capital, in order to gain a foothold for the final siege. Fortress Apollo is the target we'll be heading for."

"The combined forces of Emberton and Trottingham will move out for Los Pegasus, and overthrow the troops stationed there." Rilken confirmed. "If we're lucky, we should be able to bolster our own numbers there as well."

"The forces from Baltimare and the other western towns will attack the Canterlot Mines." the representative of the western forces stated. "They don't have many troops stationed there, though it is a highly defensible place, so taking and holding it should be a cinch."

"Lastly..." Trixie began, "My team will have to overthrow the troops right here in Manehattan. Luckily though, we've got a few Wonderbolts and a Goldoan dragon here, which should definitely give us a leg up."

"A few?" I muttered. "I wonder..."

"You heard her, kid." I heard Soren say, "You'll never guess who I've got sitting here next to me."

An excited flutter filled my chest. "I don't know, I might have a guess or two."

"What'd I tell you, Rainbow Dash?" a voice that could only have been Spitfire's asked teasingly, "I told you I'd pay you back somehow, way back on the night of the meteor shower. For the next few weeks, consider me out of retirement! And the first thing we're going to do is take Manehattan!"

I smiled broadly. Could it really be that the Wonderbolts were all back together? Still, there was something else much more pressing I had to ask. "Spitfire, can I ask you something about the Order? Your Number One just made off with one of our strongest weapons, a huge blood-red blade. Why'd he take it, and what's he done with it?"

There was a pause, the Spitfire spoke again. "I'm really not supposed to say much about the inner workings of the Order, and even though I don't really care, I don't have the faintest idea what Number One does. As the leader, he doesn't need to ask permission or explain himself for any of his actions. I haven't been home for a few weeks already, anyway, so I have no way of knowing what became of it. Sorry, Dash."

I sighed and shook my head. "It's alright. I'm sure we'll figure it out at some point. Point is, we won't have that for the rest of the war. We'll have to be much more economical with the resources we do still have."

____________

"Eclipse itself is only two day's march from here." Octavia explained after the conference, "but we would be too open to counterattack if we camped halfway between here and there. In addition, there would be nowhere to run in the event of a retreat. Fortress Apollo is a day and a half away from here, slightly out of our way, but will provide both additional cover and a defensible retreat point. Additionally, losing their Queen's original home will be a crippling loss of morale for the soldiers of Eclipse."

Lyra spoke up next. "Unfortunately, we can expect this to be much harder fought than the last battle. It's no secret to Celestia that we're coming, and she'll probably be ready for us, so a sneak attack is all but impossible. There'll be more soldiers, and odds are they'll be given a huge dose of that Feral drug on top of that. She doesn't care about them losing their humanity, just so long as they get strong enough to stop us."

I folded my arms. "Well, when you put it that way, it sounds like we're pretty much screwed."

"It won't be easy, make no mistake about that." She stated, "But not impossible. The Goldoans are still a powerful weapon that Celestia has no match for, save for those lumbering light beasts. What we could really use is some expendable summons of our own..." She cast a quizzical glance at the historian sitting by the stairs, almost a glare.

Xekora sighed heavily. "Make it worth my while, and I'll give you an army of Stalfos. It's becoming apparent that I can't be uninvolved, but I want to keep things strictly business. I'll need the mother of all secrets to record in my books, though."

We all thought silently for a few minutes, then Twilight smiled. "Tell me, Xekora, did sir Starswirl ever teach you the technique behind his energy spell?" The historian's eyes widened in interest, and he shook his head. Twilight's response was to call up a ball of magenta, element-less magic in the palm of her hand.

Xekora remained motionless for a few seconds, then he tossed a small core of darkness into the floor, which began to widen. "Please, someone fight this summon and tell me if it is to your liking." From the pool of darkness on the floor, a pale figure began to rise, and after a second I realized it was in fact a skeleton. Its only equipment was a small round shield and a slightly notched scimitar. It seemed to have similar anatomy to a human, but it was slightly too short, it's skull too round, for it to be true human remains.

Lord Blake stood, his own scimitar drawn, and he and the skeleton circled each other in the dance of a duel. The animated bones lunged forward, Blake dodged around the strike, and he spun around and slapped it on the back with the flat of his blade. The skeleton turned and swung in for an overhead strike, but Blake parried the hit and kicked its chest in, breaking it apart an causing it to fade back in a puff of darkness.

"Not the strongest, but I couldn't expect that." the young Lord assessed, "We don't need strong, just cheap and plentiful."

Xekora clapped his hands together. "Then the Stalfos knights are your men! I can make a dozen of the blokes in an hour. They may not be the most heroic thing to be comprising your army, but it's not like they're monsters. They'll follow orders. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Twilight nodded. “I’m sure my ancestor would understand the necessity. I’ll begin transcribing immediately. How many of these... Stalfos, can you make?”

Xekora shrugged. “Depends on when you’re planning on laying siege to the fortress. I would say that a week would be an intelligent amount of time, for all your human fighters to recover their strength, and it would give me enough time to bring at least a thousand, perhaps fifteen hundred, into temporary existence.”

Octavia nodded thankfully. “Thank you, sir Xekora. In addition to our three hundred and twelve surviving human soldiers, we should now stand a solid chance of victory.”

“Well, you heard him.” Lyra stated. “Everyone take a week to rest, but don’t let your skills get dull. Even with a thousand bags of bones fighting for us, we’re still going to have a rough time of it. I’m going to gather the residents of town and everybody, and tell them the plan.”

Lyra strode out of the library, and I turned to Xekora quizzically. “Are you really trying to stay neutral here? You seem pretty eager to help.”

Xekora sighed heavily. “It’s... more complicated than that. I made a promise, long ago... to the six original Elements of Harmony, to Princess Luna and the old Celestia, and to myself... You would have too if you were responsible for making things much worse than they should have been by getting involved. Had I just minded my own business, Celestia would never have known to use the Quest Bed, and she wouldn’t have achieved immortality... And in addition, I want the people of the future to be ready. They need to be able to live without an all-powerful entity ruling over their lives for all eternity. That is why I will not fight. But I will make an effort to set right the things I set into motion long ago.”

________________

I should have been thankful for the time we were given to recover, as we had all suffered, either physically or emotionally, but all I could do was worry. The hours crawled by as we continued the regular training drills, not allowing anyone's skill to drop in even the slightest. Whatever time I had left over, I spent with what was now unquestionably my family, and we tried our best to enjoy our time together despite the circumstances surrounding us.

No matter how many times I brought it up, neither Applebloom nor Scootaloo would even consider leaving for safety. I convinced myself that it would be better with me watching their backs than them hiding out on their own, and it made me feel a little better. Just as before the siege, the days ticked by as an eternity, but seemed all too short when I looked back. Before I knew it, the eve of action was upon us once again.

All of our most essential belongings were packed up to be taken with us. In the morning, everyone in town would begin marching for Fortress Apollo, and would make camp just beyond the line of sight of their patrolmen, with the army of Stalfos knights a short distance behind us. Helpful, definitely, but it would be hard for anyone to sleep with a bunch of skeletons walking around outside. Everyone remaining in town would come with us, including those who could not fight, as we couldn't afford to divide our forces. The non-fighters would simply stay back at camp. I was glad for this decision for two reasons: it would be much easier to keep everyone safe, and Granny Smith would make sure the army ate well.

"You all ready to go?" I asked the next morning, after a universally sleepless night, and hefted my pack over my shoulder. Everything I needed- a tent for me and Scootaloo, armor, clothing and a few other odds and ends- was stored within. Even so, I had packed light. Applejack slung another pack onto her back and nodded wordlessly. She and I, accompanied by Applebloom, Scootaloo and Granny Smith, made our way out of the Acres and to the fields outside of town, where the rest of the army was waiting.

A few humans had already arrived, but many were still getting ready. A short distance across the field stood the massive troupe of skeletal soldiers, before which stood Xekora. I placed my pack on the ground next to Applejack's, and walked over to him. "So, what's your grand total? How many bags of bones will be fighting for us?"

"Approximately twelve-hundred fifty," he said simply, "give or take a few. This is compared to the six hundred or so professional Eclipse soldiers that ought to be waiting for us at Fortress Apollo. I think you may just stand a chance, if you ask me."

"It is reassuring." I thanked him, "Still, we're going to have to fight smart if we want to have any humans left to take the capital. We need all four resistance factions, a four-pronged attack, to even have a hope of cracking that nut. Plus a bunch more Stalfos knights. Can they be ordered to avoid hurting civilians?"

He sighed. "I can order them to only target people in white and silver armor. If someone's wearing normal clothes in those colors, they'll just have to be intelligent enough to stay out of the Stalfos's way. They are just fake animated skeletons, you see, not much inherent intelligence in them."

I nodded, then moved back to the others. We waited for around an hour before every last person had arrived, and after Octavia gave us some inspiring words to keep our spirits high, we began our bloody march.

____________

Manehattan, That Evening

Phil

Another shiver wracked the young human phoenix's body. For almost two weeks, Phil had been all but useless, his current life cycle coming to a close. He had wanted so badly to speak to Twilight during one of the conferences through the sending stones, to tell her that he loved her and would be with her soon, but he simply lacked the strength. However, he could feel that this pain was almost over, and that tonight, just in time, he would be reborn into his most strong and healthy state.

Spike sat by his bedside, having no other duties to attend to, and Trixie made sure to check up on him every once in a while. Things were busy in the small safe house, as the next phase of the rebellion was soon to begin. The numbers in the Manehattan resistance force were still pitifully small, so they had to come up with a different sort of plan. Under the cover of this night, each member of the resistance would branch out throughout the city, stealthily killing any royal soldiers in sight and hiding the bodies. Everyone already knew where they needed to go, and if all went well, the city would be under Moonlight's control by the break of dawn, and its residents would be left wondering whether a fight even took place.

“You alright, Phil?” Spike asked, sensing his discomfort.

"Yeah, I'll be alright..." Phil responded. "Ugh... Feels like it could be any minute now, I feel like crap..."

"Hang in there, kiddo." Spike reassured him. "Well, I mean... You know. You'll be alright, and once your new cycle begins, we'll go show those Eclipse bastards what we little guys- heck, what we Laguz- are made of!"

Phil nodded gratefully, not particularly needing reassurance, but glad that someone familiar was there beside him. He often forgot that he and Spike had a bond that most other people in Equestria didn't: that both knew how it felt to see through the eyes of another, animalistic body, but that was still just as much theirs as their human ones. It was Spike that had taught Phil to use and control this gift embedded in his blood.

Another heavy shiver passed through Phil, and he groaned. "A-alright, get me on the floor. I-I can feel it coming." Spike obliged him and lifted the sickly young boy off of his cot and placed him on a clear patch of ground, where his flames would have nothing to set ablaze. A few other resistance members cast curious and concerned glances at him, but Spike assured them that there was nothing to worry about, and that this was supposed to happen. Phil suffered through a few more convulsions, and with a sudden cry of pain, the human phoenix burst into flames on the floor.

His old body quickly disappeared in the blaze, leaving only a pile of ashes in its place. Just as the last wisp of flame was departing, a fresh, new hand shot up from the ashes, followed by the rest of the boy. His hair and wings once again carried the same shine of life that made them resemble the flames they had just arisen from. Phil hurriedly slipped a set of clothes on, and Spike clasped him on the shoulder.

"Good to see you well, kid. Now, let's go mess up those Eclipse soldiers." Phil nodded with a devilish grin on his face, and the pair moved outside, where the rest of the tiny force was waiting. Spitfire still wore her Order cloak, almost blending in perfectly with the night, and the rest of the Wonderbolts had donned normal street clothes to avoid suspicion. Trixie still stubbornly wore her black mage ensemble, and the other fifteen or so men and women wore the same clothes they always did.

"You two guys ready to help take the city?" Spitfire asked, taking charge. Her iconic battle axe had been switched out for a normal, cheap iron one to stay under some level of cover, but she still carried it confidently and heroically. All the other rebels carried iron as well, or in a few cases, unadorned steel, and minimal armor.

"As we'll ever be." Spike answered, hands on the hilts of his twin knives. The whole group gave silent confirmation that they were all prepared, and the twenty-five rebels all set off in different directions, stealing off in the night to overthrow the second largest city in Equestria.

Chapter Ninety-three

Chapter Ninety-three

Southern Fields

Rarity

The army began to awaken before dawn. The night's watch had reported nothing from any direction, meaning that the large group of soldiers and massive group of skeletons had gone completely undetected; either that, or the enemy had pulled back to Fortress Apollo to fully prepare for siege. Either way, Moonlight now had little else to do but to move out for the fortress just beyond the ridge.

Rarity checked up on her own soldiers first, of which only one had been lost thus far, then proceeded to help move among the larger group of militiamen and New Dawn warriors. Even now, they were getting in some last-minute practice with their weapons, and Rarity could not help but admire them for their determination. She didn't bother checking up on the contingent of Stalfos knights around a kilometer behind them, as they probably hadn't moved since last night. Rarity couldn't deny their efficiency and value in battle, but she was all the same repulsed by summons designed to resemble human remains.

"Are you feeling well?" someone asked from just behind her, and she turned to face Fafnir. "With that remarkable skill of yours, you're just as important a person, if not more so, than Fenrir or I. It's important that you're feeling as fit as you can."

Rarity nodded with a small smile. "I am as well as one can be in the situation, and I appreciate your concern." She took a precious moment to appraise Fafnir again, though found nothing new in his eyes. Hard as she tried, she found it difficult to think of him as a father. He had been with her mother a time after she was born, making him her stepfather at best, but he often seemed to act less mature than Rarity did, and did not look much older, either. Still, Sweetie Belle seemed to be adapting to him well, so Rarity continued to make every effort to accept the Goldoan.

"That's good to hear." Fafnir said, keeping up the small talk. "We have around thirty minutes before we march on the fortress, so if you haven't already, I'd eat something. Nothing's worse than trying to fight on an empty stomach." Rarity nodded appreciatively, and Fafnir jogged over to the front line where he would be needed. She completed her rounds of surveying the troops, then came to the front of the pack, where the others were waiting.

As she stood with the other Elements, idly picking at a loaf of bread, Blake approached her. “Are you ready? We’ll be heading up the second wave right behind the two dragons, after six hundred of the Stalfos knights slam into them and soften their defenses. Most of our melee fighters will be with our group, as well as another two hundred Stalfos. The remaining four hundred will stay with the Silver Arrows at the base of the ridge, protecting them while they give us cover fire.”

Rarity nodded, already knowing the plan, but glad everyone would be on the same page. It would be much more difficult to keep up communications on this larger battlefield, and everyone needed to know their basic orders ahead of time. Around the group of human soldiers, she could see the Stalfos knights branching off into their divisions, the largest of which formed into ranks directly in front of them. Slightly behind her, she could see Xekora standing alone, eyes closed and frowning in concentration, repeating the orders to the skeletal soldiers through some manner of telepathy.

"Men!" Blake shouted, addressing the whole of the sentient army. "We've come this far. Don't let your fighting spirit dwindle now! We're going to march on that Fortress, destroy our opposition and show Celestia that not only will we not cower to her rule any longer, but we will stand up and fight for our freedom with every drop of blood in our beings!" His words were met with a rowdy cheer from the gathered soldiers. "Now come! March with me, to victory!"

He drew his scimitar and moved forward, perfectly in-step with the Stalfos knights before him and the humans behind. Fluttershy had remained on the back lines with the Silver Arrows, but the remaining five Elements of Harmony all surged forward with the second wave. Rarity was aware of the Icarus charm bouncing around in the pocket within her armor, as ready to burst into action as she was.

The mass of Stalfos knights rushed forward once the group hit the hill before them, and Rarity could see that beyond it, the imposing Fortress Apollo stood sentinel. From atop the tallest center tower, the sun-emblem flag of Eclipse waved in warning. Rarity smirked: soon enough, that sun would be replaced with the sickle-moon of the resistance.

The royal soldiers standing guard at the fortress all snapped to attention a moment later, not prepared for a sudden charge of skeletons, and hastily began a defense. Their archers opened fire upon them, but the arrows did next-to-nothing to the living bones. The few mages they had on hand had much more luck, a a single spell of fire or lightning would turn several to ashes. Still, when sheer numbers overwhelmed their long range, and the Stalfos began chipping away at the walls with their scimitars, the soldiers of Eclipse had little choice but to engage them up close.

If things could have been said to be going smoothly before, they stopped shortly thereafter. When the Eclipse-born soldiers crashed into the mass of Stalfos, the bones began to crumble from the impact. The enemy was far stronger than the previous attack force, let alone the mass-produced army of skeletons. Soon the force of six hundred was on the path to being decimated.

"We were right." Blake said solemnly. "These men are barely human anymore, with the massive dose of that drug they've been given. Celestia doesn't intend for these men to live either way, because even if they beat us, they'll just die off from madness soon after anyway. Morale probably doesn't mean anything to them anymore, either."

Rarity gulped. Their battle had just gotten a lot more complicated. Or perhaps it had gotten simpler, she thought. She turned to her companion with a curious look on her face. "If these men have lost their humanity and most of their minds, how closely do you think they'll be able to follow orders? Perhaps we can trick them, lead them into an otherwise obvious trap?"

Blake returned her curious glance, considering the idea, then turned around and jogged back a ways. "Xekora!" he shouted over the distant din of battle, "Change of orders! Tell your Stalfos to begin a gradual retreat, but keep the enemy engaged! Lead them all into the open!"

Rarity did not hear a response from the dark historian, but could see that the Stalfos were obeying this new strategy. The remaining skeletons, less than half of the original company of six hundred, began to back up in retreat, and the unnaturally powerful soldiers of Eclipse followed unfalteringly. Several hundred silver-clad knights moved into the barren fields, weapons slicing apart the dwindling troupe of Stalfos. Rarity could sense the tension of the soldiers behind her, of the bows drawn and ready to fire.

Just as the Stalfos below had been all but destroyed, leaving a considerable number of Eclipse knights out of action as well, the order to fire was shouted throughout the company behind the Elements. A storm of arrows momentarily blocked out the light of sunrise, accompanied by several bolts of lightning or blasts of fire. The soldiers below almost didn't see it coming at all, and were helpless as they were bombarded by the deadly hail.

"Now! Charge, while they're stunned!" Blake shouted, quickly slipping the Leo charm around his neck. The young Lord rushed forward, sword blazing in the early daylight, the rest of the second wave right behind him. Rarity remained alongside the other Elements, Twilight with her element-less magic in both palms, and all the golden weapons glinting beautifully in the waxing light.

The Eclipse soldiers were helpless against the sudden rush of steel, and the outer barrier crumpled under the initial impact. However, they showed no fear or regard for their own lives, and fought back brutally as soon as they realized they were under direct attack. Rarity backpedaled slightly to let the more experienced fighters keep up the front of the group, but even close to the center she found herself almost constantly engaged. She parried several hits from their blades, while launching bursts of light magic into their ranks to cut down their numbers.

An axe strike descended on her from overhead, and she deftly slid it aside, then slammed a palm full of light into the soldier's chest. He stumbled back, and another swordsman was right there to take his place. She parried several fast strikes, then managed to get around his blade and slice across his chest. He remained before her, stunned, until a spearsman dragged him aside to get a shot at Rarity.

With the slightly superior range of his weapon, Rarity could not get close enough to deliver a solid hit, and could only block and dodge his persistent jabs. With the tip of her rapier, she consistently slapped away each hit, the heavy-headed spear kicking up clumps of dirt from the ground below. The soldier was getting impatient, his strikes more erratic and hard to predict, and one of them missed Rarity's face by only an inch. With no room to back up, she was helpless to do anything but keep frantically avoiding his lunges, which gradually came closer and closer to home.

One strike flew straight towards her face, and she had no time to dodge, but something from her right deflected the shot off course. She had just enough time to see that it had been an expertly placed arrow, before another stuck itself firmly in her opponent's head. She twisted around, and saw a familiar grey-haired boy in a dark cloak smiling back, giant longbow in hand. He gave her a quick salute before reaching back for another arrow, and opening fire upon the mass of half-minded Eclipse soldiers.

Tug's come back... Rarity thought, experiencing some marginal relief. We'll need a tactician as good as him to finish this war, and another expert fighter never hurt anyone, except his enemies.

High above, the arrows and magic attacks from atop the hilltop still sailed, striking down the Eclipse soldiers where they stood, though the archers from within the fortress still kept up their own barrage. Both sides were whittling down, and Rarity knew that if no decisive move was made, both armies would be decimated.

A mighty roar echoed in stereo behind them, and the two Goldoan dragons charged forward on either side of the remaining company, a fresh group of Stalfos knights behind them. They must have been fighting hand to hand before, with their normal weapons, until their adrenaline was high enough to be a real menace. Rarity rationalized. The pair unleashed two jets of flame upon the remaining Eclipse knights, and the soldiers of Moonlight made a general retreat as their opponents were set ablaze. Several men from the troops of Moonlight lay unmoving on the ground, but far more Eclipse soldiers were among them, and their numbers grew as the Stalfos and dragons rounded up the stragglers.

Fortress Apollo was not won yet. The archers, mages and remaining knights still held strong behind the walls, giving sporadic fire into the fields, for the most part missing Fenrir and Fafnir, and only striking down a few Stalfos. Though their fire was ineffective at that range, they would do far more damage if Moonlight drew any closer. Once the core force of knights had fallen completely, the whole force fell back out of range, to safely plan their next move. They would not be followed, as that would leave their opponents as easy targets.

Medics scrambled to reach the retreating troops, healing wounds that otherwise would have killed them. Fafnir had sustained an unpleasant-looking gash across his arm, but it was quickly taken care of. Rarity moved over to the other leaders, to confer about their next move. With so few Stalfos left, they would have to make some alterations to their original plan.

"We simply don't have the manpower left to storm the fortress head-on." Prince Belenth stated, leaning on his lance with a look of frustration on his face. "We've only two hundred Stalfos left, thanks to those bloodthirstily super-soldiers the Queen created for us. But since we've come this far, a sneak attack is next to impossible."

"Not as impossible as you seem to think." a voice corrected from behind Rarity, and Tug strode into view. His black Order cloak had been switched out for a mottled green and grey one, so she doubted anyone would recognize him as a member of the ambiguous and dangerous organization. He continued: "If I may make a suggestion, a sneak attack of sorts is definitely a possibility."

Prince Belenth cast a condescending look at the young ranger. "I'm sorry, but who are you? I don't even recall seeing you in training, or our previous battle."

“You would do well to listen to, and respect, this boy.” Vomora stated, folding his arms. “It was because of him that the siege of New Dawn did not end the revolution before it began. His skills with a bow are also unmatched by any I have seen.”

Tug nodded, then gave a slight bow. “My name is Tug. I had to leave temporarily on some pre-arranged business after that first battle, but I’d like to assist you in any way I can to finish this conflict.

“Now, as I said, a sneak attack of sorts is still possible, if we’re careful. There is a back entrance to this fortress, and if we distract the remaining soldiers up top, a small party could sneak around and get inside. From there, they could potentially sneak around and kill them all. The remainder of those skeleton guys you have should probably be enough to provide a diversionary force, and the Elements of Harmony would be perfect for the job of infiltration, plus a few others.”

Belenth begrudgingly gave Tug his attention. "And I suppose you'll be the one to lead this attack, am I wrong?"

Tug nodded. "That's right, I did plan on accompanying this group, considering I know where we're going. If you're untrusting of me, you're more than welcome to come along too."

"I will," Belenth confirmed, "as well as the six Elements and yourself. Colonel Lyra and Lord Blake will also accompany us. The remainder of command will direct the diversionary force of Stalfos knights, drawing out their destruction as long as possible to give us more time."

Rarity was slightly uneasy about sneaking behind enemy lines with such a small group, but knew that the whole campaign had, and would continue to, carry such risks. She tightened her sheath as confirmation of this plan, and the others were quickly gathered up to initiate the attack as soon as possible. Fluttershy was a bit nervous as well, but the others all seemed to agree that this was the best course of action. Leaving Vomora and Octavia to gather the rest of the army for the diversion, the group of ten began moving in a wide arc around the fields, with Tug at the head.

“We’ll have to swing around quite a ways if we want to avoid being detected.” Tug explained, though it was largely unnecessary. “The diversion should begin when we are about halfway there, so most of the enemy troops will be good and distracted once we clear that ridge up ahead, and it should be a clear shot to the rear entrance. If there’s any guards patrolling back there, I’ll take them out before they suspect a thing.”

“I think we’ll do best if we stay in one group as long as we can, then in smaller, compact groups.” Blake suggested. “Two groups of five, or three of three to four. Either way, we’ll be much better off than if we all spread out alone.”

“Three would be best, yes.” Tug agreed. “due to the layout of the fortress, three would be able to wreak the most damage in the shortest amount of time. Blake and Belenth can both lead a group, while I lead the last. Twilight and Lyra, you should split up between the two, so that all three have an expert long-range specialist. The rest of you can divide yourselves up as you see fit, just make sure you have someone that you trust your back to in your group. We are going to be surrounded by enemies before long, after all.”

Rarity moved over to Blake on instinct, and both Twilight and Fluttershy fell into step with them. Naturally, Rainbow Dash and Applejack stayed in the same group, staying right behind Tug. Pinkie and Lyra moved over to Belenth, and all three groups stopped in their tracks when they reached the edge of the slight hill.

Tug poked his head around the bend, and held up a hand to keep the others still. A few seconds passed, and he moved back into cover. “They’ve just given the signal for the Stalfos to charge. We’re right on time. Give them a minute or two to fully draw the enemy’s fire, then we’ll make our move.” He remained motionless for what seemed like a long time, while the distant sounds of battle began to escalate as the two already weakened armies collided.

“Go.” He stated simply, then began to dash across the remaining distance, all while staying low to the ground. The new cloak he wore seemed to blend into the half-dead grass around him, and Rarity had to keep a close eye on him to know where he was. Almost at once, the rest of the strike force leapt up and rushed across the field, staying in their groups. Rarity’s breath came in short gasps, but she kept up the pace with the others.

As they passed the battlefield by, Rarity could catch brief glimpses of the action. The now much smaller wall of Stalfos knights collided with the front gates, working with their scimitars and bare fists to break down the doors, while being fired upon from above. The archers atop the hill provided cover fire, met with additional barrages from the fortress, and neither was able to accomplish much at a distance. The Stalfos contingent was already weakened by the previous round, and could not continue to stand a fighting chance for much longer.

The strike teams swung around the back of the fortress, an imposing grey wall that separated them from victory, and hugged the edges as they continued to make their way to the back entrance. Rarity could see the small staircase that would lead inside, and three soldiers who had not seen them. Tug motioned for everyone to halt, then drew his longbow and released a trio of arrows within the span of a few seconds. Each found its mark and struck down the three guards, silencing them before they could raise an alarm.

Tug dashed over and retrieved the three arrows, only pausing briefly to wipe them clean on the grass, then joined the others at the doors. Rarity exchanged a quick look and nod with Rainbow Dash, and the two used a combination of wind and light magic to break open all the locks on the doors, the same as they had when imprisoned in the Castle of Dawn. Applejack and Pinkie pried the doors open wide, and the teams all stepped in as one, then began to diverge through the halls. Blake led his group of four to the left of the entrance, sword drawn and ready to combat any remaining knights patrolling the halls. Twilight's hands flared with her magenta energy, and Fluttershy had nocked an arrow in her shorter bow.

Nodding in determination to herself, Rarity set her sword alight with a spell of her own, and hurried to keep in step with the rest of her team.

Chapter Ninety-four

Chapter Ninety-four

Fortress Apollo

Twilight

The team of four moved quickly through the torchlit halls of the ancient fortress, hugging every corner, waiting to be discovered as they made their way to the roof to take out the largest remaining group of defenders. Twilight knew that there were more soldiers lurking around somewhere, waiting for a final call to action or a guerrilla attack on the resistance soldiers who would try to occupy the castle. These men had no reason or desire to live, and not much remaining lifespan to live anyway, and that was an extremely dangerous sort of enemy that had to be dispatched before they could wreak any serious damage.

Twilight sidled against the wall beside her and listened for any noise, then slowly moved her head around the corner. Sure enough, a pair of soldiers were standing guard at the base of a staircase, looking slightly bored, or perhaps just absent. She moved back out of their potential line of sight, and turned to her friends. “Two of them guarding a stairway.” she stated simply, in a voice barely above a whisper. “Fluttershy, if you fire an arrow and I launch a volley of magic, we should be able to take them both out at once, and delay alerting them a little longer.”

Fluttershy looked extremely nervous, even if she had already nocked an arrow. “Um, I... I don’t know if I could make the shot... I've never had to shoot a human being before...”

Twilight sighed. “Fluttershy, you know what has happened to these people. Their minds are rotting away, and their bodies won’t last much longer, either. They’re suffering, and... I know it sounds harsh to say it, but allowing them to leave this life is one of the kindest things we can do for them.”

Fluttershy looked even more upset. She seemed to begin to say something, before a loud tone echoed throughout the whole fortress, drawing the attention of the guards. Twilight sighed heavily. “Well, there’s the alarm. One of the other teams must have triggered it. No more stealth! Only stopping them!” She swung around the wall and threw a mass of element-less energy at the two, and the one it hit was sent reeling into the wall. Rarity and Blake both rushed forward, swords at their sides, and quickly dispatched them both.

Twilight allowed Fluttershy to go ahead of her as the group rounded the corner and ascended the staircase to the next floor, shaking her head ever so slightly to herself. I can only hope Fluttershy can bring herself to fight when it really counts. Otherwise she’s just endangering herself by being here.

The second floor was already much more lively. Rarity and Blake’s swords were immediately met with steel from the enemies’ lances, and Twilight fought to strike them down before they had a chance to deal any serious damage. At least ten enraged soldiers rushed at the door, and after two minutes of fighting, ten bodies were scooted out of the way.

"I wonder how the other teams are doing..." Rarity commented. "Probably fine. One has got Tug and Rainbow Dash, the other Pinkie. If anything, it's ours we should be concerned with, and yet we're still meeting with success."

Twilight shook her head. That's very comforting of you to say, Rarity. I'll keep us all alive myself if I have to, but at least you and Blake are holding up.

The fortress only had two floors, in addition to its roof where the archers still fought, but the majority of the troops seemed to be on the second floor. Twilight couldn't tell if the other teams had made it this far yet, as the remaining knights didn't seem to be even slightly winded by battle. Blake and Rarity both slipped their houses' charms over their necks, and after shifting forms slightly, leapt into the fray. The other two stayed right behind them, Twilight bombarding the enemy troops with lightning, and Fluttershy electing to heal any wounds as they arose.

Twilight couldn't help but wonder about the amount of troops still in the fortress. I can understand needing to leave some behind in the case of just such an attack, but this just seems excessive. They could have done much more damage by sending more of these men outside than leaving them to deal with us. So why leave so many on guard...? Her thoughts were cut short as she was yanked back into the battle, and she struck down two more Eclipse knights with a single cast of ArcThunder.

The butterfly-winged lady and slightly feline lord pushed through the enemies, fighting for the cover of another empty passage. Rarity's sword shone with unnatural radiance as it sliced through her opponents' armor. The team of four rushed around the corner, baiting the enemy through the narrow passage for strategic purposes. They were forced to come in two at a time, allowing Rarity and Blake to more easily defend.

Twilight launched another spell over her friends' heads, killing a soldier before he could reach them. The silver-clad troops seemed endless, though they posed little challenge. Just as Twilight and the others were beginning to wear down, and the Eclipse troops began to gain the upper hand, she heard a battle cry from back in the other room. Rainbow Dash! she realized, His group made it! Now we can fight them from two fronts. Her group redoubled their efforts to push through.

Twilight could hear the vicious sounds of combat echo back from beyond her line of sight, of Rainbow Dash parrying every hit, Applejack smashing through the silver armor, and the mysterious but heroic archer Tug picking them off from a distance. She fought for that noise, slamming her flaming palms into the knights when they were within her range, and throwing spells at them when they weren’t. The two swords blazed through, their speed allowing them to effectively block every hit aimed at their teammates. Even Fluttershy fired a few shots into the crowd, though she squeezed her eyes shut tight and probably didn’t hit anything.

Twilight saw someone jump into the air on the other side of the battle, and was able to witness Applejack sail to the ground, axe enlarged by a large casing of ice. Encouraged by Applejack using her final move to clear away the remaining troops, Twilight unleashed a vicious barrage of element-less magic into the crowd. Rarity did not use her final attack, and Twilight realized she had never seen her Soul Release in action, though it sounded like a very taxing technique by how legendary it was.

The crowd had begun to thin, and Twilight could finally see her allies across the room. The seven pushed through the waning mob of silver, and when the two teams were able to join as one, they gave one last shove that brought down the last of the soldiers in the chamber. Twilight turned to the others, who all looked about as exhausted but unharmed as she was. “I’m glad you all made it.” she said, “It was looking a bit bleak back there for a moment.”

“I agree.” Rainbow Dash said, rubbing his shoulder. “We practically had to tunnel our way here through all the soldiers. Why did they put so much effort into guarding the inside instead of fighting us off from outside?”

“I had wondered that, too.” Twilight stated. “They obviously knew we would try this sneak attack, but it didn’t save any of them, or hurt any of us... unless something happened to the third group?” A lance of fear shot through Twilight when she realized the third team had not yet reached their position. She looked around the body-strewn room frantically, and released a thankful breath when she saw the other three limping slightly through the same passage her team had come from.

“Oh, thank goodness! I was beginning to get worried.” Twilight stated, rushing to their aid with the others. Belenth looked worst for wear, but Lyra and Pinkie were both slightly wounded as well. As Fluttershy quickly set to healing their wounds, Belenth offered an explanation.

“We had to take a slight detour to a safe-room in the center of the first floor. There was a weapon worth getting there, but... we got ambushed, and had to fight our way out. Took a lot of damage before we could get our wits about us. It was worth it though, since we’re all still alive, and I was able to grab this.” He held up his hand, and a translucent sun emblem dangled from the chain gripped in his fist. “The Apollo Charm, a weapon Celestia conveniently forgot all about once she reached godhood. But as a distant relative of hers, and a member of House Apollo itself, I should be able to use it, no problem.”

Lyra looked up the staircase at the end of the room. “The last of our opponents are up there. We’ve got to take out the archers, but they’ll have a guard as well. A few of the survivors from this skirmish fled up that staircase.”

Twilight nodded, impressed. "Glad to hear we're at least getting some good news. What does this charm do?"

Belenth grinned, his teeth slightly bloodstained. Twilight couldn't tell if it was his blood, or someone else's. "Why don't we find out? There's at least fifty test dummies right over our heads." Somewhat apprehensively, Twilight followed him and the others over to the staircase. With another devilish grin, Belenth slipped the charm around his neck, then gripped his lance with both hands.

The first thing Twilight noticed was a change in his eyes: they seemed to glow with an unholy, fiery light, until his pupils were no longer visible. The aura evolved into a halo of fire around him, making it appear as though he were engulfed in flame, though his face showed he was alive as ever. With a flourish of his weapon, he seemed to glide straight up the staircase, the other nine in tow.

Before Twilight could even see the enemy, she knew combat had broken out once again. The others adjusted their grips on their weapons, and they charged into the fray as one. Belenth was already ripping through the enemy, his aura of fire setting ablaze anyone who got close enough to touch him, and his lance batting aside any who didn't get that close. The remaining knights, archers and mages were running around in a disorganised mess, trying to fight the intruders, but having no order. Twilight could see the army of Moonlight charging down the hillside, ready to crash into the fortress and finish them off.

Twilight smiled in relief. It's almost over. Just a little more, and we'll have won our second battle, and be one step away from the capital! With newfound energy, she scrambled up the rest of the stairs and leapt into the battle, two lightning spells blazing in her gloved palms. One hand curled into a fist and punched a royal soldier in the gut, while the other palm-struck another in the face. Both soldiers were almost sent flying.

With all ten fighters going at them, and the greater mass of enemies at the gates, the soldiers of Eclipse no longer stood a chance. The line of archers was cut to ribbons and shot right back at, and the knights couldn't stand up to Applejack's mighty axe, Rainbow Dash's lightning-fast swords, or Belenth's blazing fury. Down below, the few remaining Stalfos knights, the mass of Moonlight rebels and two Goldoan dragons blasted away at the doors. Fortress Apollo was finished.

With a glorious flourish, the fighters on the roof slew the last of the fighters from the capital, and an enormous weight lifted from Twilight's shoulders. She saw Belenth grab a soldier's lance from the ground, and tie a cloth from his pocket onto its tip. Twilight realized that the cloth was the sickle-moon flag of the resistance, and he was raising it high in victory, to show that this fortress belonged to Moonlight. She smiled wide as he raised the banner, waving it high and arousing a huge cheer from the rebels below.

The smile vanished from her face when she saw a bolt of lightning from somewhere behind her jolt straight for the unsuspecting prince. She had no time to scream a warning, and could only watch in horror as the yellow streak lanced straight through the armor covering his chest, and out the other side. Tug spun around and shot the half-alive mage who had cast the spell, straight through the eye. Twilight found this incredibly gruesome and appropriate, and wasted no further time before rushing to Belenth’s aid.

She could already see that he wasn’t going to make it. That bolt of lightning couldn’t help but slice open something important where it landed. Belenth stood stock-still for a moment, then fell backward, a stunned look still on his face. Twilight and Blake both made it in time to catch him on his way down and ease him to the ground. His eyes darted around frantically, the last of his life draining away, and he could do little else.

What’s going to become of the resistance now? Twilight wondered. He was the only heir to the throne... at best, this is no longer a coup, but a full destabilization of the royal bloodline. She shook her head and looked Belenth in the eyes, feeling as though he deserved to have someone truly stay with him until he perished.

"Prince..." Twilight managed to say. "What on Earth do we do now...? You were the only one who could accede to the throne..."

Belenth seemed to try and shake his head. His wild eyes locked on Blake to his right, even as the life faded from them and he was still.

Blake passed his hand over the departed Prince's face, shutting his eyes, then stood and shook his head. "I don't understand... Did he mean for me to take his place?"

Lyra stepped forward and put a hand on the young lord's shoulder. "By technicality of the old laws... This would work. The Lord of one of the various noble houses is high-ranking enough to accede the throne in the aftermath of a rebellion. This is how Celestia herself gained power. Belenth saw you as a rival, but also had a degree of respect for you."

Blake's eyes remained on the ground. "I... I don't know... A house of thirty is one thing, but, a whole country...? I just, don't know..."

Twilight allowed her eyes to drift shut in thought, then she moved forward and gave Blake's hand a gentle touch. "You know..." she began, "A... A wise man once told me, 'Being strong isn't never needing help, but being able to ask for help when you need it, and having friends there to give it'. You don't have to do this alone, Blake. I haven't known you for long, but I know that you're a friend, and I, and all the others in this army, will be there whenever you need us."

Blake affixed Twilight with a grateful look, then closed his own eyes, deep in thought. Several times he seemed almost ready to say something, before he lapsed back into thought. At last, though, he turned slightly, and said simply "Rarity?"

Rarity's light eyebrows rose slightly, and Blake continued: "Even... Even with all my friends offering their support, I don't know if... If I could do this, alone. So... I mean... If I were to become king at the end of all of this... Would you be my queen?"

Twilight could hear Rarity's surprised sharp intake of breath. Her stunned look quickly turned to one of utter joy, and she nearly tripped over herself as she ran to embrace Blake. Twilight smiled fondly and turned her back to the couple, giving them their space. She reached down and grabbed the makeshift flag from where it had fallen, and raised it herself to signal to the others that the resistance was still on its feet.

"Thank you, Phil." she said under her breath, "You've put one couple together. But don't be too selfless... I'm still waiting to rejoin you."

Chapter Ninety-five

Chapter Ninety-five

Fortress Apollo

Rainbow Dash

"Happy birthday, partner." Applejack said, and she sat beside me against the wall. We had been holed up in this fortress for almost a week, meaning that a whole month had passed since Celestia's declaration of war. We were biding our time, allowing ourselves and the others to ready themselves for the four-front attack on the capital city. The fact that Applejack still took time to wish me a happy birthday, even with all the final preparations underway around us, made me chuckle happily and wrap an arm around her.

"Thanks, AJ." I said warmly. I was glad she was able to still find things to be happy about, considering everything that had happened, and me being one of the things she could still smile at wasn't bad, either. With the loss of her brother, I expected her to fall into the same sort of depression I had when Vi died. She must have accepted that his sacrifice was his own and that she had to keep going for him; either that, or she was saving her sadness for after the war. I promised myself that I would be there for her no matter what the case was.

Our army had been hurt in the siege, but we actually lost very few human troops. Xekora had overhauled the basement of the fortress into a Stalfos factory, and I could only guess that a fresh batch of a thousand or more skeletal knights was on its way. With them on our side, overrunning the streets of Eclipse city and giving us an opening for the castle, I knew we stood a chance. And with three or four Goldoan dragons providing literal cover fire, plus the whole team of Wonderbolts, Celestia would have to roll out a lot of light beasts to match us.

Ultraviolet would have to hurry up if he wanted to get here while there was still something to fight. I hadn't received a dream correspondence from Vi since before the war started. I hoped this was because he was too busy fighting his way here to contact me.

"I couldn't really get ya much just yet," Applejack said apologetically, "so I hope this'll do for now." She twisted around where she sat, and the two of us shared a long, drawn-out kiss. She fell back on my shoulder afterwards, and with a grin on my face I teasingly said "I guess it'll do."

She and I both stood. "May as well see what the others are up to." I said. "We'll be leaving a few days from now, most likely, so we should see to it that everything and everyone is still in top shape." We walked in step through the torchlit halls, nodding to each of our friends and allies as we passed. At one point we saw Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle pushing a cart full of a random collection of supplies down the hall. When asked, they said they were building something and that it was a surprise.

We ran into Twilight next, who was with a group of mages. The Apollo Charm hung like a bracelet on her hand, as Blake had instructed her to use it in place of Belenth. The house charms could be used by anyone physically capable, and Twilight was the only other mage on hand who could handle its power. In reverence to Belenth, and all the other fallen, she had accepted.

We found Pinkie next, drilling with a small group of swordsmen on how best to handle someone with a spear. When she saw us, she bade her group a five-minute break and moved over to join us.

“Hey, Pinkie, I was meanin’ to ask you...” Applejack began, “I never did see what your skill was. An’ we’re supposed to be able to combine our skills to make ‘em stronger, right?”

Pinkie nodded. “Yeah, I thought we might try that. See... my ancestor’s skill was to give my other half, Chaos, more freedom on the battlefield to make us both stronger, but... Xekora is keeping Chaos safe right now, so I can’t use that. But Xekora was able to set me up with a different one, so we should be just fine!” Pinkie dug around in her pockets and held out her palm, in which sat what looked like four pieces of candy. “He said that eating one would power me up, but that throwing one at Celestia would do just as much. He only had these four, though, so we have to be careful with them.”

I frowned slightly. We didn’t even know what these candies did, and it would be hard to test them in combination with our other abilities if it only had four uses. Several of our skills had been tested in conjunction already, with spectacular success, but we still needed to be sure exactly what we had to fight Celestia with. We would just have to wait until we reached her to try out anything with Pinkie’s ability; but, considering Xekora had given these to her in exchange for her own natural skill, I had a feeling they would pack a punch.

"Just be careful." I told her. "We'll figure it out as we go, so save all of them for Celestia." She nodded and went back to her group of trainees, and Applejack and I continued all the way to the secluded command room.

___________

Manehattan

Phil

The city had been on the brink of chaos ever since the successful overthrow of Eclipse forces a week ago. Phil knew from the start that things would get crazy, that he couldn't predict all of the city's possible reactions, but he still had difficulty keeping up. When the citizens of Manehattan had realized they were at war, countless numbers had tried to flee, and the Moonlight resistance did not have enough manpower to stop them. Even when Phil and the others assured them the fight would be taken away from Manehattan, not brought to it, people continued to flock away. A week later, the city was almost half-empty.

The half that remained, though, was much more devoted. When they saw the legendary Wonderbolts soaring across the sky, headed up by none other than Spitfire herself, at least three hundred Children of Air had signed up on the spot, with more coming in every day. Plenty of other troops had enlisted as well, and once the army raided a weapons depot hidden away by Eclipse, they had more than enough arms for the growing rebellion. A few old war machines- catapults, a ballista and even a naval cannon with several remaining shots- were rolled out and repaired. Phil could hardly have hoped for better. Their tiny resistance pocket had turned into a rebel army almost overnight.

Phil strode into the town hall, which had been commandeered and converted into the HQ when the mayor himself fled town. Trixie was already setting up another communication session with the sending stone, and most of the Wonderbolts were already sitting in the room as well. Spike sat silently in the corner, wanting to listen in and know first-hand what the plans were, but not wanting to blow his cover early.

"This is commander Trixie of the Manehattan army." Trixie said, using her new titles, probably made up on the spot. "Is everyone still well? No surprise attacks?"

"We had a small skirmish with a platoon or two of stragglers two days ago." the commander of the western forces said, "Thanks to the defensibility of these mines, we were able to deal with them and incur only minimal casualties."

"All clear on this end." Rilken confirmed. "Weaponization of everything in Los Pegasus is coming along nicely."

"No signs of an enemy counterattack here, either." Blake stated. "Though I do have a slight update. As... As you all surely know by now, Prince Belenth fell in battle, and appointed me as the new champion to the throne. At first I was of course hesitant, but... I've thought about it long and hard, and have decided that if you will all have me, I will accept, with the Lady Rarity as my queen."

A few congratulations were thrown around, and the general consensus was that Blake would make a suitable new heir and ruler. "So..." Trixie began, "This is it. The moment we've all waited for. Let's talk storming the capital city."

"We've got a whole additional army of expendable dark summons at our disposal." Blake affirmed. "My tactician suggests we have our various Goldoan dragons blast down the gates, then flood the streets with them and mop up any soldiers milling about. Odds are good that most will retreat to the far more defensible interior of Eclipse Castle."

"That sort of plan sounds familiar." Spitfire commented, a smug grin on her face. "Tug, is that you over there? What are you doing?"

A few muffled noises came through the sending stones. "Er, hey Spitfire." another voice answered. "You know, just helping some friends, same as you. Strictly personal business."

Spitfire shrugged. "That's fine, then. I was worried someone sent you to take me back. Then I'd have to kill you, and I'd rather not have that weighing on me. Stay safe, kid."

"You too. Now, like Blake was saying, once everyone else is inside the castle, we'll have to crack that open with something heavier. I count a grand total of six Goldoan dragons between all four armies, so we should try to use their immense brute strength to our advantage."

"We have a few mobile war machines here, and there should be some in Los Pegasus, too." Phil stated. "With the right ammunition, they could be equally effective. We just need to find some energy cores and recharge them with whatever magic we have on hand, and we found enough for ours in the armory."

"I propose we only wait for three more days at maximum." said the leader from Baltimare. "I am aware that the troops need a rest period between battles, but the longer we wait, the longer we leave ourselves open for counterattack. Three days, maybe two, will be enough to gather ourselves and move out for the final stages of the rebellion."

"Three days sounds fair." Trixie agreed. "Our guys can be ready in two, so we'll use the third to get into position and camp out closer to the capital city. The rest of you should already be close enough to launch an attack from where you are."

"One last note." Blake added, "Straight from Rainbow Dash and the other Elements. Celestia herself is to be avoided at all costs, and she is to be left to the Elements of Harmony to fight. Were anyone else to engage her, it would be both pointless and suicidal."

___________

Time passed, and how quickly it did all depended on what Phil was doing. If he had only to wait, it dragged by at a snail's pace, but when he spent time readying the machines or troops, it passed far too quickly. Soon enough, the the dawn of the third day was upon them, and the army of nearly five hundred volunteers prepared to depart. They had to 'borrow' some supplies from various shops around the city to have enough to support the entire army, but they only took what they needed.

At midday, Trixie rose her broomstick staff into the air, a Moonlight flag tied to its end, and lead the march away from the city of Manehattan in the direction of the capital. They traversed the southern fields, the same ground which divided Manehattan, the capital, and the fortress where Twilight would surely be. However, on this journey they veered more to the west, to attack from the southwest while Twilight's party hit the southeast. All the armies would convene in the streets of Eclipse, and strike at the heart in the castle.

Camp was made a fair distance from the city, far enough to avoid detection, but the spires of the castle could be seen in the sunset light in the distance. As he and Soren set up their tent, Phil realized that he recognized this place; this was where he had collapsed in his flight from the capital half a year ago, and Xekora had rescued him. Now he had returned to come back home in full force.

"You having flashbacks too, kid?" Soren asked, and Phil nodded. "Yeah... I remember one of the best shows we ever did was over the capital's skies. I never thought we'd be returning, especially with the whole team back together, to wage war. Destiny's funny like that."

___________

Fortress Apollo

Rainbow Dash

I had a hard time steadying my heart as I sat awake atop the fortress, looking out on the silhouette of the castle. It took an especially clear night to see it from here, but that sight made me realize how close we really were. Tomorrow, we would begin the final battle that would decide the fate of Equestria. Tomorrow, I might finally be able to avenge my brother, Creiddylad, Spike, Mac and Belenth and everyone else Celestia had ever taken from the innocent people of the country.

"Hey, bro." I heard from behind me, and Scootaloo sat beside me. "I was wondering where you were."

“Sorry about that.” I said. “Couldn’t sleep. So, how have you been holding up, kid? The fighting isn’t getting to you, is it?”

Scootaloo sighed. “Maybe a little. But I think I should be alright. The Crusaders and I have been keeping busy with building stuff and moving supplies. Applebloom’s really good at building, too. We put together this cart-thing that I can push around with my wind, and it can hold all three of us easy. We figured we could use it to bring supplies around the battlefield, that way we could help without getting into as much danger. Plus, Sweetie Belle says she can shoot from it.”

I gave him a pat on the back. “There you go. I wouldn’t want any of you fighting right up with the enemy, anyway. This way, you can still help the whole army.” I stood with a hand still on his shoulder. “C’mon, kid, let’s head to bed. Big day tomorrow...”

______________

It seemed like morning came the very second my head hit the pillow. I quickly equipped my armor and swords, then moved out into the hallways of Fortress Apollo. I joined several other soldiers who were silently marching through, headed for the fields outside. My heart was racing even more than it had been last night. Each step I took brought me closer to the capital city, where my blade would finally cross with Celestia’s.

The army assembled diagonal to the fortress, in a direct path to the city. I joined the other Elements of Harmony at the head of the pack, checking to make sure each of them was alright. Both Fluttershy and Rarity seemed especially nervous, though everyone was to some degree. None of them were so scared that they wanted to back down, though.

The company began its march as soon as everyone had assembled, and moved well through the day until the capital city loomed in plain sight. We stopped a short distance from the walls, close enough that anyone could see us if they looked, but far enough away that we were out of any practical firing range. For several agonizing minutes, we stood motionless, miraculously not drawing the fire of the Eclipse soldiers surely inside the city walls.

Twilight pulled her sending stone out of her pocket, and I was able to see that it was glowing. “Trixie, here!” The mage said excitedly. “Manehattan’s army is in position! Just give the word and we’ll thrash these guys!”

“Western forces are camped to the north of your position, Trixie.” The commander from Baltimare confirmed. “I can see your camp over this ridge. My troops await the signal to charge.”

A whole minute passed until we heard from Rilken: “Sorry, sorry! I had a few troops to straighten up. Consider the forces of Trottingham and Emberton ready to charge!”

Twilight cast an excited glance back at her companions, and I flashed it right back with a grin. She nodded, held the stone up to her mouth, and nearly screamed “CHARGE!” I raised my sword in pure exhilaration, and the army surged forward. The battle for Eclipse, and all of Equestria, had finally begun.

Chapter Ninety-six

Chapter Ninety-six

Eclipse; Outer City

Twilight

The Stalfos surged ahead of the human troops, along with Fenrir and Fafnir. The two dragons quickly form-shifted, and threw their entire weight against the walls before them. Twilight could hear the distant sounds of struggle from elsewhere in the city, and knew that the other dragons from the other armies were doing the same. An alarm went up inside the city walls, and the tiny forms of enemy soldiers began rushing about to defend themselves from four different attacks.

The enemy soldiers began to fight back, arrows and magic launching fourth from the rooftops within. The stone walls began to give, but provided cover for the dragons breaking them down. Stones began to fall from the top of the wall, and another flutter passed through Twilight’s chest. Only a few more seconds. With one final tackle, Fenrir and Fafnir blasted through to the other side, and into the city.

“Move, move!” Twilight yelled, signaling the troops to advance. The Stalfos knights were the first to cross the new threshold- after the dragons- and the skeletal soldiers flooded into the streets. Oddly, Twilight heard no screams from the city, no panic-stricken residents of the city, only the sounds of combat.

“I can only assume that there isn’t anyone left to flee from them.” Octavia said grimly. “It was plain to see from minute one that the fight would one day reach these streets. Everyone who was smart must have fled the city as soon as able, and the unlucky ones... We are most likely fighting against the poor lost souls now, as a result of Celestia’s feral drug.”

Twilight swallowed, but this only served to fuel her determination. She did not know if there was any way to save those who had had their minds turned by this drug, so the soldiers Celestia was throwing at them were likely a lost cause. At the very least, she would try to make their ends swift. She tightened her glove and stepped forward. “Enough waiting. Bring everyone in behind the Stalfos, and let them take the brunt of the damage. All snipers and mages should provide cover fire as we rout the streets, then form up at the gates to the castle.”

Octavia nodded and hefted her own bow to bear. The other Elements of Harmony all shared a determined nod, and moved forward as one, the rest of the army around and behind them. They leapt over the broken mortar of the outer walls, then rushed to catch up to the widening line of Stalfos.

The resistance from the royal soldiers was not as strong as Twilight had imagined. They're spread too thin from defending four different fronts. We won't encounter any truly organized and effective resistance until we round them up to the castle. With this in mind, Twilight ran directly behind the Stalfos and began throwing volleys of magic over. In the distance behind her, she could see the ranger Tug scramble up the side of a short building, then unclip his bow and begin firing at the enemy.

The battle seemed to shift slightly. More Stalfos were falling before the defending Eclipse knights, and the mages and archers had to work harder and harder to keep them at bay. They must have figured out that the Elements are all with this group. Twilight inferred. If they kill us, there's nothing left that can stop the queen, and the whole army is doomed. The wall of Stalfos began to thin as it advanced, weakened by constant enemy attack. Some enemies began to slip though, but were swiftly put down by the Silver Arrows.

Soon, however, the human soldiers were forced to engage the enraged knights, as the Stalfos line had become too weak to hold them off. Twilight deftly blocked a sword strike with a palm full of magenta energy, then threw her other palm into the attacker's chest. Another lanced at her from the side, and she rolled under the strike and kicked the legs out from under her assailant. Twilight never would have thought she'd be using her training against the army that had taught her, but they had little defense against the warrior they had created. She threw magic like javelin's, striking down several soldiers before they even had a chance to reach her.

She was spun around when an axe strike from behind only narrowly missed her. A large group of soldiers had snuck behind her, and she barely had enough time to dodge away from the following attacks. She could sense that more were creeping up behind her, but couldn't turn her back on these ones. Her allies were all struggling against them, and while a few attempted to work away at the soldiers surrounding Twilight, they were almost totally ineffectual.

She dodged around their attacks and fought back as best she could, but she seemed to be stuck in a stalemate with these soldiers. She had to continuously block from one side or another, and did not have enough time or space to counterattack. The constant dodging and blocking was beginning to wear on her, and more than once she only escaped being impaled with an inch to spare. Still she danced around the enemy fighters, keeping every bit of space she had left to fight.

A familiar noise echoed from some distance away, and a few seconds later a mass of fire cut right through the knights before Twilight. It brought itself to a halt with great fiery wings, and the image of a mighty flaming bird was left in the minds of the soldiers who were about to meet their doom. Twilight smiled wide, and lit a fire spell in her hands. Phil's here! They're screwed now!

Together, the two former apprentices set ablaze the attacking troops, driving the fight back to a line and causing the remains of the assailants to retreat and regroup. Twilight turned to the phoenix, who promptly form-shifted back into the boy she had known and loved her whole life. Phil smiled, and the two moved forward and shared a brief but passionate kiss. Afterwards, in the momentary safety afforded them by the others holding the line, Twilight rested her head beside his.

"Phil, I... I'm so glad you're okay."

"Of course I'm okay." Phil assured her. "Had to stay alive to see you again, right? Trixie's just fine, too."

She nodded, a few tears in her eyes. "Thank you... You two are the only family I have left, after Spike..."

She trailed off, and Phil gave her a pat on the back. "Hey... I'll let you in on a little secret, if you promise not to tell Fluttershy." Twilight looked Phil in the eye, and he whispered in her ear: "Spike's alive."

Twilight's eyes shot open, and she stared at Phil in amazement. Phil nodded happily. "When he wrote that letter to you, he was sure he wasn't going to make it. He hadn't counted on us saving him. His life might still be shorter than it used to be, but he's as alive as ever."

Twilight practically squeaked in pleasure. "Phil, that's amazing! Oh, thank you so much..."

He gave her another pat on the back. "Like I said, don't tell Fluttershy yet. Spike wants to surprise her. Now c'mon, Twi, let's go finish this. Trixie's bringing the rest of our army around to meet up with this one, so let's make sure we get our fill first!"

_______________

Rainbow Dash

I brought both swords down upon another soldier, and kicked his body aside to make room for the next one. These guys were proving easy to kill, but endless in numbers. Unless I wanted to be there all day, I would need a way to get through them quicker. The answer was as obvious as it was awesome.

I began spinning one sword over my head rapidly, while defending with the other. With my wind magic in effect, the first sword was rotating far faster than what should have been possible. I adopted a devilish grin, and thrust the sword forward, and I could feel the sound barrier shatter before my might. The familiar rainbow shockwave exploded from the space before me, and I rushed forward faster than anyone could follow. I slapped aside weapons and cut through armor so fast, my enemies couldn't even see what was happening before they were on the ground.

As I was fighting, I became aware of another noise, distorted by my speed, but I was fairly sure it was music. Another form dropped in from above, moving almost as fast as I was, ripping through the soldiers with her flaming battle-axe. Spitfire and I nodded to each other, and fell into step back-to-back. Still the strange music continued, until several more figures dropped from the sky to join us. I recognized each one almost immediately: Soren, Misty, and all the other Wonderbolts. The team bard had equipped a new guitar, and was being covered by the others, still playing his music and keeping spirits high.

Our group now numbered seven, and the crowd of enemies could sense that they were in trouble. Some even began to flee, still able to obey their most base instincts of survival. Most, however, continued to throw themselves at us without mercy. We all rose into the air, swatting aside the enemies' weapons like insects, and began dive-bombing the crowd beneath us.

It took me a minute to realize what was actually happening, and it was difficult to keep up my momentum once I did. I was flying with the Wonderbolts. My oldest and most dear childhood dream had just been realized. I let out an overjoyed, almost insane laugh, and began fighting even harder. Those soldiers that hadn't yet died realized that they should seek better cover, and all began fleeing to the castle. We weren't prepared to let them go without a fight, though.

Spitfire backed up slightly, and gave a tiny nod to Soren. My heart fluttered, as I knew exactly what was going to happen next. Spitfire held up he axe, and Soren aligned his lance from behind. A giant core of fire and wind began to form just above the two. The two gritted their teeth, and in unison shouted "Burning Scar!" The missile shot forward, and exploded in the center of the fleeing mob. More than half of them were annihilated, flopping like rag dolls in every direction. The remaining troops managed to escape to temporary safety and headed for Eclipse Castle.

Both supersonic techniques worn off, Spitfire and I floated to the ground. "Not bad, kid." she complimented me. "You fought like one of us."

"I learned almost everything about combat from you." I told her. "Some was from my brother, but he learned most of his stuff from you, too. It's an incredible honor to be able to fly with the whole team."

"Hm..." she mumbled thoughtfully. "Well, anyway, let's rendezvous with the others. We need to get ready to crack through to the castle. Then the queen will be all yours."

We moved back through the streets, empty save for the various ally soldiers walking with us, or nursing their wounds. The Wonderbolts and I moved swiftly back to the others of my army. The first phase of the battle was over; every last soldier of Eclipse left in the country was waiting for us in the castle. When the medics had tended to every wound they could, the army began to move forward to the massive iron gates blocking the city from the castle. It would take more than our dragons to break these down.

"Give me a status report." I asked Lyra and Twilight. "How many do we have left on either side?"

"All four armies are going to rendezvous here, and their leaders have already given me an update." Lyra explained. "Total, we seem to have just under two thousand human troops, as well as a hundred or so Stalfos knights still hanging around. Due to the anatomy of the castle- the fact that it's built into and around a mountain- a multi-pronged attack is basically impossible. But the other armies are wheeling their war machines over to this end, so we’ll at least be able to blast away their existing defenses before making our move.”

“I see.” I said, rubbing my chin. “Once we get in, we’ll have to fight hall-to-hall. I would imagine Celestia would be holed up in her throne room, calling all the shots. It’s also a possibility that she’s got a bunch of light beasts guarding her all the way from the front hall to where she waits."

"It's a good thing you've got me, then." Twilight told us. "I know the castle like the back of my hand. The corridors are made to confuse, but I know exactly where we need to go, and I'll lead us there. Now... Just how are we going to break down those gates?"

"Allow me, mates." Xekora offered, appearing behind us seemingly out of nowhere. " 'S the least I can do. Now stand aside, this shouldn't take long..." He rolled back his sleeves, rubbed his arms together, and began casting what looked like a powerful dark spell. A shadowy radiance began emanating from the base of the gates, all the way around, and Xekora's arms began to shiver. With an audible grunt, he lifted his hands into the air, and the entire fence wall was uprooted out of the ground. He flung his arms to the side, and the fence was sent flying over the walls of the city. "Someone's going to want to clean that up when this is all over." he said cheerily. "Or not, perhaps it'd make a nice tourist attraction a hundred years from now."

The mass of gathered soldiers mumbled excitedly. I turned to Xekora with an eyebrow raised. "Neutral, huh? You absolutely sure about that?"

He gave me a knowing look, and I thought I detected a 'wait and see' element in his eyes for a split second. "Go." he told me. "Find the queen. Give her a sound drubbing. And make sure to keep young Luna safe! Do not let Celestia have the satisfaction of bringing her younger sister down with her!"

_____________

Phil

Soon after the massive iron fence had been tossed aside, the remaining armies from elsewhere in the city arrived, and the various war machines were set into place. In total, Phil counted ten catapults, five ballistas, and three cannons. The weapons were promptly loaded, and awaited the order to fire. Commander Octavia held up her hand, waiting to see if any soldiers from within would risk coming outside. When none did, she dropped her arm, and the war machines all loosed their first volley.

The missiles all collided with the front of the castle, a few tearing through, and most at least knocking something loose. Phil detected sounds of commotion within the castle, and knew that the soldiers were mobilizing again. Perhaps they hadn't expected the resistance to have heavy weaponry, and thought to ambush them on the way in. But now they knew that the fight had been brought to them, and they wouldn't go down without a mighty struggle.

"You ready to go, Phil?" Trixie asked, appearing by his side. "The Elements have their own job to do, and with Spike avoiding his girlfriend for theatrics’ sake- a desire I completely understand- it's just going to be you and me for a while longer."

"You make a pretty good partner, anyway." Phil told her. "One last battle by your side won't kill me, I hope. Anyway, just stick with me, and bring some others with us. I know all the little nooks and crannies of this castle, and we'll flush out any stragglers or ambushers before they get us."

She nodded in confirmation, and the two watched as the next volley of shot floated through the sky and slammed into the castle. Several chunks of mortar fell to the ground or began to crack.

"Now! Move!" Colonel Lyra shouted, and the soldiers rushed forward, with Phil and Trixie near the front. The remaining skeletal soldiers headed up the pack, crashing into the defenders with whirling scimitars. With the first defensive line softened, it was a simple matter for the strong fighters and potent mages to sweep them aside and breach the castle. Even so, Phil knew that unless the Elements met success, their victory against these soldiers would be meaningless.

Phil quickly swung around a corner when they entered the grand hall, and several soldiers followed him. Trixie's broomstick staff was held before her like a spear, the tip alight. Phil led the group around the great staircase, into a corridor that led underneath to other chambers. "The armory is at the end of this hall." Phil explained. "I don't know what will be left now, but we should take a look, take what we want and destroy the rest."

"As well as kill those guys before they kill us." Trixie pointed out, as several knights jumped from their cover and rushed at the group. Phil and Trixie both threw a fire spell into their midst, then readied themselves for close combat. Phil grabbed a clumsy spear thrust and tugged the owner to the side, and he hit the wall. Trixie smacked one upside the head, then brought her flaming staff around to hit another in the side. Phil ducked under a sword strike and punched it's owner in the stomach, sending him gasping for breath.

The enemy was getting taken apart, but they were not willing- or capable- to give up. One swung wide with his axe, and Trixie could only stumble backward to dodge. Phil dispatched him with a punch to the head, and he moved to help Trixie to her feet while the resistance soldiers behind them rushed ahead to finish off the remaining Eclipse knights.

"Thanks." she said, rising to her feet. "Fighting in such tight quarters gets hectic, doesn't it?"

"Yeah... Hey, Trixie, what's this?" He picked up a rolled piece of paper from the ground where she had fallen, and he quickly scanned over it's contents. A look of confusion and fear overtook his face. "Trixie... You weren't planning on using this, were you?!"

"It's that skill I told you about, the one from Ivoire. And if the opportunity presents itself, yeah I'm going to use it."

"Trixie, have you even seen this thing?! It could kill you!"

"Phil, you should know me by now." Trixie countered, moving over and grabbing the scroll. "I think I can handle it."

"Give me the scroll." Phil demanded, grabbing her shoulder. "I'm not going to let you almost kill yourself again. I stopped you once, back at the Quest Bed, and I'll stop you here, too."

"Taking the scroll isn't going to do much. I've already memorized how the skill works, so you may as well take it. But if the situation arises that I have to use this technique, you can't stop me."

Phil tightened his gloves threateningly. "I can try."

Chapter Ninety-seven

Chapter Ninety-seven

Castle of Eclipse; Inner Chambers

Rainbow Dash

I swung around and brought yet another soldier to the ground. The path to the throne room had just been littered with troops, which was to be expected. Celestia would want to wear us down before finishing us off. Twilight estimated that we were about three-fourths of the way there.

We turned a corner, and my heart sank when I realized our previous predictions had been right. Dozens of light beasts guarded the long hall, at the end of which was the great door to the throne. I re-gripped my swords in anticipation, and the other five Elements did the same. It was just us now; everyone else was off fighting elsewhere in the castle. Pinkie, Applejack and I moved in front of the others, pushing forward while Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy fired arrows or magic over our heads.

It was slow progress, but we managed to gradually push through and destroy more and more of the light beasts viciously blocking our path. Their massive claws and teeth occasionally razed across one of us, ensuing in blinding pain in the moment before Fluttershy healed the wound. The horrible summons were tougher than any normal opponent I had ever faced, but after enough slashes they would evaporate back to where they came from.

After at least thirty minutes straight of holding out against them and dispatching them one by one, the last light beast was slain. Twilight took a look around, then released a pent-up breath. "If only for a minute, we are safe. Let's take the time to rest and prepare ourselves for what's ahead."

I nodded gratefully and slumped to the ground. My breath had to be caught before I could fight efficiently again. I looked up at the mighty door to the throne room, and a feeling of pure fear and despair filled my heart. Celestia herself is beyond that door, waiting for us. Can we even hope to beat her? Will any of us walk out of that room alive? Was all this for nothing? I banished the thoughts. Such thinking was sure to get me killed. I had to believe that we could, and would win. Still, I found myself wishing beyond anything else that I knew where Ultraviolet was.

I rose to my feet. I was as rested as I was going to be. Adrenaline would carry us the rest of the way. The others all seemed to agree, and stood with me facing the door. I turned to Fluttershy, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Stay near the back, okay? Your skill was made for long range, and you need to stay safe." She nodded in understanding, and after a nod from each of my allies, we moved forward and pushed open the door.

A great skylight up above allowed the midmorning sun to filter in and illuminate us. Warm tapestries hung on the walls, depicting the royal sun emblem or other relatively meaningless images. A velvet carpet led straight from our feet to the glorious golden thrones at the end of the hall, where stood the white-clad demon Celestia, smiling in anticipation. Beside her, dressed in identical black armor, was Princess Luna.

"I'm... Sorry..." the younger managed to say. I could see a slight unnatural glow from her eyes from where I stood, just for a second.

"You're despicable, Celestia." Rarity said, angrier than I had ever heard her. "It boggles the mind that you find it acceptable to use your own little sister like this." Rarity understood better than anyone, since she was also in command of a number of subjects, and a younger sister.

"Spare me your patronization." Celestia said, her voice carrying throughout the throne room. "I take what measures I must to ensure that I remain alive, and the world remains safe. If those measures prove to be not enough, then so be it. The world does not deserve to remain alive if it cannot remain stable."

"Celestia." Twilight began, and I knew an extremely emotional tirade was about to follow. Twilight was finally able to confront the one who had stolen her potential life. "You talk as though the world you have created is a stable one. This is anything but safe, as the thousands of men and women outside this room will gladly tell you!"

"My faithful student." Celestia taunted. "So this is the path you've chosen. You know that you could be standing on this side of the room, if you wanted. But the fact that you wear the charm of my long forsaken house tells me you would not choose that path now. It’s honestly a shame. You had so much potential... And now, you shall perish with the rest.”

All our weapons were drawn at once. None of us intended to let her follow through on that promise. We all had a reason to fight, a reason to hate her. We were all brimming with power only just beginning to be tapped into. There were any number of combinations we could use as well; the question became, which one should we use first?

Celestia didn’t wait for us to decide. She unfurled her large white wings and launched herself at us, Blade of Light trailing behind her. I jumped forward, broadswords spinning, and blocked her upon approach. We remained motionless for several seconds, neither budging, and she leapt back and floated to her feet. Applejack and Twilight shared a quick look and nod, and quickly moved beside each other.

“Northern Lights!” the two shouted in unison. Mostly just for grins, and partly for theatrics and intimidation, we had come up with a name for each combination attack we were able to try. By being refracted by Applejack’s ice, Twilight’s element-less magic became a potent, colorful laser that Celestia had to leap into the air to avoid. The two kept the attack on-target, and the tips of the queen’s wings and boots were nearly singed. To finish the attack, Applejack leapt into the air and rode the shock-wave right up to Celestia, then brought her axe around and cleaved her across the back.

Celestia hit the ground roughly, but stayed on her feet. Even with a direct hit, it would take a lot to bring her into critical condition, so we couldn't let up. I spun my broadswords over my shoulders and rushed forward, hoping to distract her. A form from the side rammed into me and knocked me off course, and I only just had enough time to block a strike from her great ebon sword.

"Luna!" I said in surprise. "Snap out of it! We aren't your enemy!"

She just managed a slight turn of her head. Celestia's hold on her was too strong. I would have to disable the younger princess myself, then turn my attention to the queen. I hefted my swords and charged at her, my speed easily matching hers. I pounded away at her defenses, the same as I had during the Lunar Festival six months ago, and she was powerless to do anything but block.

I realized that Luna wasn't posing nearly as much of a challenge as before. Maybe it was that Celestia's hold on her was not as strong, since she was also caught up with fighting, or perhaps I had become that much stronger. Either way, Luna could not hold me back. I jumped to the side when she swung at me, and spun around to slash at her back.

She brought up the Blade of Dark to block just in time, but left herself open for my next attack. My swords slashed across her legs, and she dropped to the ground. I continued to attack, breaking apart the 'Nightmare Moon' armor and making sure she was immobilized for both her and our sake. She looked up at me with her large, dark eyes, and I could see innocence in them once again. She wouldn't be going anywhere.

I turned my back to the young princess. The others were still struggling to hold Celestia at bay. I nodded in determination, and flew at her full-force.

______________

Dining Hall

Kyle

Several members of the Silver Arrows crouched behind a makeshift barricade, no more than a thick overturned table. They were being fired upon from further across the room, though luckily there were few mages. Octavia and Kyle both crouched behind the same cover, bows drawn, waiting for a lull in fire from the other side to open fire themselves. Kyle already had an arrow notched in anticipation.

"Kyle..." Octavia started, "I just want to tell you something. I know this probably wasn't what you were expecting when you joined my unit, but you've remained loyal through everything... You're even risking your life staying here with me. I just want to tell you how proud I am to have a boy like you in my group of followers."

"Yeah, that's nice." Kyle responded. "You're a pretty great leader, too, but this isn't exactly the time and place to get sappy. You can tell me how awesome I am once we're not getting shot at."

Octavia nodded, slightly apologetically, and pressed her ear up to the table. "I think they're beginning to let up. Get ready!"

Kyle could tell just as well that the enemy was slowing down in their barrage. They were waiting for the Silver Arrows to pop back up and attack, thereby exposing themselves, and that was exactly what they were going to do. "On the count of three!" Octavia said, loud enough for the enemy across the hall to hear. "One!"

The entire attacking force of the Silver Arrows sprung up at once and began firing upon the Eclipse archers. The enemy was caught off guard, expecting exactly two more seconds before being shot at, and were hit hard by the sudden volley. It took them several seconds to get their wits back about them, and by then almost half their number had been lost. However, as was now in their nature, they would not give in. As soon as they realized the Silver arrows were revealed, they started firing back at them.

Soldiers from both sides fell to the ground, clutching at their wounds if they were lucky. Many were already dead by that point. An archer nearby to Kyle, behind the barricade next to his, fell suddenly, and he knew it was already too late to save him. He brought back another arrow and fired, and the shot hit the very top of another upturned table, an inch from the head of an Eclipse soldier.

Kyle heard a surprised and painful cry from just beside him, and he turned to see a terrible sight. The shaft of an arrow was protruding from Octavia's left shoulder, and she dropped to her knees to avoid getting shot again. Kyle dove for cover as well, electing to help his commander in any way he could. Octavia clutched at her arm, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Rgh... I think... I should be alright." she said, breath coming quickly. "Well... I'll live anyway. Get me some bandages or something, I'll need to remove the arrow and dress this wound before I lose too much blood." Kyle tried to calm his stomach, and nodded. He dug around in his pockets and retrieved a first aid kit, and then a roll of bandages from that. Octavia was already working away at pulling the projectile out of her arm, and Kyle had to look away slightly, as it looked extremely painful.

"Woah, what happened!?" Kyle heard Lyra yell, and soon the green-haired colonel was beside them as well. She looked in alarm to Octavia's wound, then her panic turned to anger, directed at the enemy. She dropped her crossbow to the ground, picked up a discarded arrow in each hand, and began focusing a light spell upon each. Soon the two were longer than spears, and Lyra stood slowly and threw the projectiles straight for the enemy line.

The light forms spun forward like boomerangs, and cut straight through the barricades at the other side of the hall. The screams of the enemy soldiers echoed around the room, as many of them had just been sliced in half. They were not finished yet, however, and the Eclipse archers remaining continued to fire back at the archers of Moonlight. Lyra ducked back down, and surprised Kyle slightly by embracing Octavia around her uninjured side. "Just hang on. I'm going to get you out of here, and get your arm fixed."

"We can't leave... until we secure this place." Octavia stated. "I'll survive, but Lyra, you have to stay to finish them."

Lyra was about to argue, but was interrupted by an energetic war cry from behind the barricade line. Kyle turned in time to see what looked like a wooden cart speeding towards them, then skidding to a halt. Three small figures jumped out from within, and one immediately began casting a wide-area wind spell. Every arrow in the air clattered to the ground, and any the enemy tried to fire were flung back at them haphazardly. Soon, the Child of Air lifted his hands dramatically, and the entire barricade was blown away, and each and every Eclipse archer knocked out or fatally wounded by the impact.

"Seemed like ya' needed some help." Applebloom said simply, moving over to assist however she could with Octavia. The arrow had finally been pulled free, and Lyra was wrapping the bandage around the wound to stop the bleeding.

"You feel okay, Tavi?" Lyra asked, helping her to her feet.

"Not... Not particularly. I'll live, but... I-I don't seem to have much movement in that arm anymore..."

Lyra sighed in sad sympathy. "We should just get you out of here, then. If we hurry, we could get you to a medic and get that healed properly. Kyle, you think you can get her back to the CP outside the castle?"

Kyle hesitated, then shook his head. "With all due respect, colonel, I can't do that. I have to stay and fight, and get to Pinkie if things go horribly wrong. I hope you understand."

Lyra nodded solemnly. "I do. Well... Looks like I'm sitting the rest of this battle out. If it comes to it, Kyle, shoot Celestia once for me, and Tavi." With a nod, the two began to walk back through the captured areas to the safety outside of the castle. Kyle looked over the remaining Moonlight archers, who seemed confused and directionless.

"Don't just stand there!" he yelled, taking charge in lack of a proper acting commander. "There's another contingent of the Silver Arrows around here somewhere! Go give them support!"

The soldiers nodded after a slight pause, and the dining hall was promptly emptied. Kyle turned to the three young children, all armed and ready to continue. Scootaloo approached him and asked simply: "Shall we? This siege isn't over yet. We figured we'd fight our way through, and go to give the heroes some support."

"Sounds like a plan." Kyle said, and followed the three over to their cart. It was mostly empty, and had only a rudimentary steering device in the front. He climbed in with them, and was about to ask how it was supposed to move, when Scootaloo began focusing another wind spell. The currents of the magic launched the cart forward like a sailboat, and the group shot off for elsewhere in the castle.

_____________

Throne Room

Rainbow Dash

The Blade of Light blocked my attack with only an inch to spare. An overhead attack from Pinkie shortly followed, which Celestia could only dodge. She brought up a magic barrier to deflect the combined magic attack from Twilight and Rarity. All of us leapt back, as did the queen.

"Think it's time for another combo?" I asked, and Pinkie nodded. "Right. May as well save what we know works for last. Let's see what those candy things of yours can do!"

Pinkie and I jumped side-by-side, weapons raised. She tossed one of her candies into the air and caught it with her teeth, while I quickly spun my other sword at my side in preparation for another Sonic Rainboom. Allowing instinct to take over, Pinkie and I crossed over each other, then rocketed toward the queen.

The shockwave from my initial attack knocked Celestia off balance, leaving her wide open for the rest of the combo. Pinkie flew as though she had wings of her own, and moved nearly as fast as I was as well. Her spear and my swords seemed to rend through the queen's armor, and though the white gleam did not recede, I could sense that we were doing some degree of damage beneath the surface. It was hard to tell what Pinkie's attack was doing, but her spear seemed to have gained a few extra blades.

Celestia swatted us back with a mighty slash of the Blade of Light. Pinkie and I made a rough landing near the back of the throne room, our armor a little scratched and my stomach a little jostled. We had made some damage against her, though, so I was happy enough to ignore the sensation. Fluttershy and Rarity wasted no time in initiating a third combo, and a rapier and a playing card were raised into the air. Twilight and Applejack were keeping Celestia busy while they quickly readied the attack.

"Straight Flush!" the two yelled. Rarity activated her normal skill, Soul Release, and a powerful radiance surrounded her. Fluttershy drew her bow and began firing at Rarity, beam arrows generated by the diamond card, and Rarity amplified and redirected them to rocket towards the queen. Celestia didn't even see the attack coming until the first one hit, and then she took to dodging around the room to avoid the lightning-fast bullets.

A few struck her in the wings, and several more scorched her armor. By the time the attack was finished, she had been hit at least ten times, and the damage was obvious by her missing feathers. I allowed a flutter of hope to fill my chest. We're doing it... We're really making it happen. We're really going to beat her! I tried to keep my thoughts steady as I launched myself back at her, swords wildly swinging and colliding with hers again and again.

If anything, Celestia just seemed extremely annoyed by us, but not worried. She continued to parry every hit we dealt, all while an unnerving white radiance began to collect around her. I had a feeling she was about to try a special attack on us in turn. When I felt that it would be stupid to stay so close to her, I leapt back to try and defend.

"Cosmic Rays!" she shouted, and the Blade of Dark flew to her side from where it lay, next to Luna's unmoving but alive body. I noticed that she avoided touching the weapon, but brought it and hers together. The energy from around her was channeled through both blades, and lasers of both light and dark magic blasted around our entire side of the room.

It wasn't easy dodging her attack. For me, Pinkie, and Rarity- for whom Soul Release was still in effect- it was easy enough, but we had to make sure the others stayed out of their direct path. As a result, we all got hit sooner or later. While shoving Fluttershy out of the way, I was hit in the leg by a dark beam, and I had to will myself to keep going. When the attack finally abated, we were all a lot worse for wear.

"Fluttershy, give us a heal!" I yelled, "We'll keep her busy! Applejack, let's go!" My partner and I jumped next to each other, and I put my sword up to her icy axe. "Refraction!" I smiled devilishly, as I knew that this was a very similar attack to what Celestia had just used on us. The rays of light from my Rainboom shot through her ice, separating each color and causing it to blast around the room. Each color was a different corresponding element; yellow was lighting, red fire, blue ice, green wind, orange earth and violet a neutral laser.

It was satisfying to see Celestia have to dodge our attack in the same way we had dodged hers, especially when my leg still ached, and there was a painful-looking burn mark on Applejack's armor. The rays had no discernable path, and while the queen was able to dodge many, she took several direct hits. She spun forward before the attack had even finished, and knocked us both across the room. Applejack's ice shattered when it hit the ground, but she herself was able to soften her landing.

"Don't let her get the chance to attack again!" Twilight shouted.

Pinkie and Fluttershy both nodded, and leapt together to begin another combination attack. I didn't even need to wait and see to guess a name for this one: The word 'Joker' sprung to mind perfectly. Pinkie strode forward, two glowing, unshapely objects appearing in her hands, eyes dark and locked on the queen. Softly at first, a tiny noise echoed from her mouth around the whole room: "Honk, honk, honk."

She leapt into the air, glowing clubs trailing behind her, and began rapidly attacking the queen. Pinkie was moving faster than I ever could have naturally, and Celestia was all but helpless as Pinkie smacked her with the semi-transparent clubs. While this was happening, Rarity and Twilight moved together, initiating yet another combination to take advantage of Celestia's low defenses.

"Resonance!" they shouted, and activated their individual skills upon each other. Rarity began glowing and pulsing with a sky-blue energy, and Twilight with her familiar magenta. The two Children of Fire nodded to each other, then leapt at the queen to join Pinkie. Celestia let out what might have been a scream of anger as the two collided with her, and she continued to be taken apart by the three.

When everyone leapt back, it was clear by the state her armor was in that Celestia was on her last legs. Chunks had fallen to the ground, what was left was scratched and scorched, and her once majestic hair had been thrown into disarray. She was still someone off-balance from the attack, and Twilight stepped forward once again. "This is it, everyone!" she shouted. "We have to finish her! Give me everything you've got!"

I smiled devilishly, knowing what was next, and Applejack and I both tossed our golden weapons towards the former apprentice. She caught them both and spun the weapons tauntingly. A black and white energy from Pinkie, a resonance from Rarity and a concentration of sound from Fluttershy. I cast a look over at Luna, who was still immobilized across the room. Are you watching, kid?

Twilight let out a victorious war cry and leapt at the queen. The same attack that had finished Luna six months ago was now finishing Celestia. The weapons tore through the queen's remaining defenses, and she was tossed around like a doll as Twilight unleashed her fury upon the one who had stolen the life she could have had. A bright light began to form around the two, soon so bright it obscured the action, but I could hear Twilight's continued assault all the same.

An explosion of energy seemed to rock the entire castle, and Twilight dropped to the ground, landing gracefully on her feet. Celestia, on the other hand, slammed into the ground on her back. Our weapons were tossed back to us, as the queen remained motionless. Twilight ran a hand through her hair. "It's over..." she breathed, "We won..."

"Rgh, fools!" I heard, and my heart sank. Celestia rose slowly to her feet, bloodied but still as mobile as ever. That attack should have killed her! How is she still moving?!

"How could you possibly have hoped to slay a god? I care not what powers your ancestors give you! I killed them all the same, and I'll kill you with no further effort!" With that, the queen launched forward, Blade of Light blazing, and knocked us all back before we could even put up a defense. A bloody gash was cut straight through my armor, and I slammed into the wall behind me. When my eyes fluttered open, I saw that my teammates were getting taken apart. I struggled forward, hoping Fluttershy could heal me, but not stopping to waste time.

Pinkie glared at the queen from where she stood, and popped both remaining candies into her mouth. Almost as soon as she did, she began to flicker, as though she couldn't control her own speed, and blasted forward. The golden spear tore apart Celestia's remaining armor, parried only a few times by the Blade of Light. The queen became more and more annoyed by her inability to block, and began swatting randomly around with her blade. Still Pinkie lashed out at her, nearly invisible to the naked eye, slashing at her before she even registered the last one.

With a grunt of anger, Celestia thrust her blade forward, and the assault stopped. A bloody grin spread on her face, and a look of pure terror filled each of us on the ground. At the tip of the Blade of Light, Pinkie had been impaled straight through the chest. She looked more surprised than anything, and the only change in her face was that her eyes closed as the blade withdrew and dropped her to the ground.

Chapter Ninety-eight

Chapter Ninety-eight

Throne Room

Rainbow Dash

"Pinkie!" nearly everyone shouted, running forward to our fallen friend, Celestia leapt back to the end of the throne room, gracious enough to let us see what she had done. Fluttershy was the first to reach her, and immediately held up the ace of hearts, casting a healing spell on the inert body. When I reached them, though, it felt like my heart was being ripped apart. I already knew it was too late just by the sight. Though the wound itself was closing, the life was already gone. Blood pooled around our fallen friend. Pinkie was dead. Laughter had gone from our world.

Tears stung at my eyes, and I could guess that I wasn't the only one. Pinkie was gone. What would we do now? How could we defeat the queen if one of us was dead? How could we have even thought we could kill her at all?

"Now do you see the true value of this resistance?" Celestia chided. "This is the fate that awaits each and every one of you. You cannot hope to stand against a god. You never could."

My grief turned quickly to rage, and I turned to the queen with broadswords gripped tight. "Vi, Creiddylad, Spike, Mac, Belenth, and now even Pinkie... Your path of blood ends NOW!" I launched myself at her, activating another Sonic Rainboom almost on instinct, and began tearing away at her with more fury than ever before. I swatted away every block she tried to put up with her blade, and cut as deep as I could into her exposed skin.

I could sense the annoyance and slight fear in her eyes, and this only fueled me further. She had no defense this time. I would beat her within an inch of her life and let her suffer before I let her die. If she really was immortal, then I wondered what kind of excruciating pain I could put her through, before allowing her the sweet embrace of death. Perhaps I would start by severing some body parts? Or maybe pinning her to the wall with her own weapon and leaving her to bleed?

These dark thoughts ran through my head as I fought, but Celestia was ready to be done with me. She gritted her teeth and cast a potent light spell, which struck me right in the head and dazed me. She brought her arm around and hit me wildly in the chest, sending me flying backwards and crashing painfully into the wall. My head hit hard, and I could taste blood in my mouth. My vision began to fade, and as I fell to the ground, a grim acceptance filled my heart. That's it. It's too much... We're finished. Vi... Please forgive me, when we meet up there...

"Not a chance." I heard in my head, in the voice of my big brother. "You're not coming to join me now, no way. Now get up!"

Bro, I... I can't. I'm sorry...

"Don't be sorry, dammit! Be alive! You really want to be like me that much?! Think about Applebloom, and Scootaloo! If you die now, they're going to feel exactly the same way you did when I died. Would you wish that upon them?"

N-no, but-

"And what about your friends? If you die, they're going to feel the same way Mac did when I died. Do you want them to have to go through that kind of psychological torture because of you?"

No, I don't want to hurt any of them, but-

"And what about Applejack?! How do you think she's going to go on living without you?! It's your responsibility to take care of her and her family! You want to leave her more alone than anyone else?! Now get the hell up, Dash! I'm right behind you!"

My eyes shot open. Applejack. I would not leave her, or anyone else, alone in this world ever again. There was still a drop of life left in me, and as long as there was, I would fight to stay alive. Like a merciful angel, I felt Fluttershy's healing spell envelop me, and my wounds began to recede. I was still weak, but I felt much more alive. Her arms wrapped around me in relief, and I gave her a brief pat on the back. The time for sadness would be after this was over.

If you so desire, click here for mood music

I doubted if any of us would see that time, though. I may have survived once, but we were still all just barely hanging on. Celestia seemed unstoppable. The other Elements were all nearby, including Pinkie's body, and the other four looked as ready to drop as I felt. Twilight's robe hung in tatters at her shoulder. Applejack's left arm was bloodied and seemed too injured to move. Rarity had incurred a shallow gash across her forehead, and another across her legs. Celestia stalked forward, bloodied Blade of Light raised, ready to deliver us all our final strike. I gripped Applejack's hand, deciding I'd rather die with her beside me all the way to the afterlife. We closed our eyes.

The door to the throne room flew off it's hinges and smacked Celestia in the face, sending her sprawling backward. Stalfos knights poured in, forming a perimeter around us and dog-piling the queen. Two moved over to Luna and held her arms, making sure she didn't go anywhere. In the wake of the skeletal knight's charge, a familiar tall, dark clad figure strode in, his jacket discarded.

"I came here to kick ass and drink rum." Xekora said with a smug grin. "And all of the rum is gone. All of the rum. All of it."

"You!" Celestia spat, struggling against the bones holding her down. "Decided to show your cowardly face after all, did you?!"

"Chaos!" he ordered, and the shadow of Pinkie leapt to life at his side. "Return to your body, immediately." It nodded, and slid over to Pinkie's inert body. To our immense relief, Pinkie sputtered and gasped for breath, Chaos taking over and bringing her back to life. We all ran over and hugged her, getting out of the way of combat in the process.

"I understand everything now, my dear Celestia." Xekora said, and snapped his fingers. A Stalfos knight clacked over to the discarded Blade of Dark, and handed it to Xekora. "I was brought to this world for a reason. Your godhood states that only an equal darkness to your light can kill you, and only in a heroic or just way. Normally this would be your sister, but the Goddess knew that she would not be strong enough to conquer you. So she 'imported' me."

Xekora took the Blade of Dark, and held it aloft over his head. "Do you see now, Celestia? It is my destiny to kill you. It's time for the dark puppeteer of Hyrule to redeem himself."

The queen shrugged off the last of the Stalfos, gripped her weapon and charged. However, against a fresh and rested opponent, a god no less, she stood zero chance. Xekora batted away every hit, slicing through her defenses and drawing a lot of blood. I released a breath I had been holding. Xekora had saved us all. Celestia would be slain this day after all.

Celestia slammed into the ground, a pool of blood forming around her. She didn't have much left, she stood, eyes on Xekora. He hovered in the air just before her, a wild light in his eyes and a wide grin on his face. The fight was not gone from Celestia's eyes, but hope had left her. She knew she was going to die. However, it seemed she decided not to go down alone. She turned from the historian and ran for her sister, sword raised above her. Luna screamed, but Xekora was having none of it. He slid forward, Blade of Dark ready to stab, and thrust forward at Celestia's charging form.

The queen stopped short, unable to move through the large sword sticking out of her chest. She tried pathetically to reach Luna with the end of her sword, but she was still several feet away. She closed her eyes and sighed, seeming to accept her fate, but then grimaced with anger and effort. She spun the Blade of Light around, the tip pointed at herself, and drove it straight through her own chest all the way up to the hilt. The blade backtracked along the same path the Blade of Dark had taken, and the tip embedded itself firmly in Xekora's chest.

I gave a shout of alarm. Xekora looked at the sword stuck in his chest with a mix of surprise and annoyance. "Son of a... And this is ludicrously heroic, so... Bullocks... Are you satisfied, Celestia? Now we'll get to hold hands on the way down to hell. Well, you lot... looks like this is the end of me."

It was almost distressing to hear how calm he was being. Xekora was going to die too, and he seemed to not even care. "I've lived for several thousands of years, my friends. I've lived my life as much as I want to, and know that I did at least one good thing before it ended. I'm happy. Now, Princess Luna..." He turned to the girl, who had tears in her eyes. "After this, you're going to be mortal again. You'll age, you'll be able to make friends and be a normal girl again. That is all I ask of you. Live a normal, happy life. Please don't feel guilty that I died for you. That goes for you lot, too, the Elements of Harmony. Leave war behind and make Equestria a land of peace. Even you, Queen Rarity. Don't forget the simple joys of life once in a while. Luna, I leave all my belongings to you. My swords, god tier hoodie, and anything else you might want. Let the rest be sealed away in the vault of the castle."

He turned back to Celestia, and I noticed a strange radiance surrounding the two. It pulsed black, then white, and I guessed it was the intense light and dark magics cancelling each other out. "Now, my dear Celestia... I'll see you shortly in hell." The pulsing grew brighter and darker, soon obscuring the two completely. With a final blast that once again shook the foundation of the castle, the light exploded and left almost nothing behind. When our sight returned, only the hilts and shattered metal of the Blades of Light and Dark remained.

Applejack wrapped me up in a big hug, and I returned the favor. It was all over. It was finally all over. We were free, and together. We stood and moved over to Pinkie, who was sitting on the ground, looking at her hands.

"Chaos?" I asked, and she looked up at me.

"It's... It's still me." she explained, in a voice much quieter than her normal one. "I still have all my memories, and experiences, so it's still me... It's just, the other half now. But, oh, please don't tell Kyle! I'll... I'll tell him, when the time is right. I want him to know I'm still the one he loves, no matter what."

I nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sure thing, Pinkie."

Rarity moved slowly over to Luna, dismissing the Stalfos guards. Without Xekora around, the soldiers were practically motionless, having no one to direct them. She helped the young princess to her feet, and placed an arm around her. "It's going to be alright, dear. You're not alone anymore..."

"Even Xekora..." Luna whispered, "That was it... Everyone I ever knew is gone..."

"I know it must be hard..." Rarity consoled her, "but I promise you are not as alone as it seems. You still have friends, in us. And, I have a little sister about your age, as well as her two friends. Maybe you'd like to meet them? I'm sure they would welcome you with open arms."

Luna nodded happily, wiping away her tears. Twilight dusted herself off and gave a stretch. "Let's get out of here." she said. "Just beyond this room, down that hall behind the thrones, is a balcony that overlooks the castle courtyard. Let's go there and announce our victory to the troops."

We all nodded, and began to set off down the hall. I stumbled as I tried to walk, my recently healed wounds making me stiff and sore, so Applejack grabbed me around the waist and helped me to follow the others. The pathway to the balcony had torches lining its path, and a single staircase after a turn. Getting up the stairs proved to be difficult for many of us, but eventually we made it. Beyond the doorway was bright sunlight, a signal of hope. I let my head rest on Applejack's shoulder, and we stepped outside.

We walked right into Celestia's final trap. At least a hundred light beasts stared us down, seeming to float in the air beyond the balcony. I could see soldiers on the ground trying to shoot them, to no avail. There was some kind of magical floor in effect, keeping the beasts aloft and keeping anything from below from hitting them.

Only one word sprung to mind that accurately summed up my feelings on the situation. I said this word, and the other six around me nodded their heads in agreement.

Chapter Ninety-nine

Chapter Ninety-nine

Eclipse Castle; Balcony

Rainbow Dash

After everything, we were still going to die. We staged a resistance. We made it to the capital. We killed the queen. And we were still going to get killed by her last assault either way. The others couldn't reach us in time, and we were too weak to kill one light beast, let alone a hundred. They were too close for us to try running, we'd all be devoured by the time we reached the door again. It was over.

Despite everything, I still had some tears left in my system. One rolled down my cheek, and I grabbed Applejack's hand. "I'm so sorry, AJ... I tried my best, I really did..."

"I know ya did, partner, I know..." She wrapped an arm around me. "I love you."

"I love you too... I'm not going to let Celestia have this victory though. I'm going to go down swinging. Let's kill as many as we can, AJ. Everyone. Let's not give Celestia the satisfaction of seeing us go down without a fight. Let's go down heroes for those that are still here."

Applejack nodded, and we both wearily hefted our weapons. Slowly but surely, the other Elements did the same, even Fluttershy. "Luna..." she started, "I want you to go back. Find someone else in the army. They'll take care of you."

Luna shook her head, crying. "No! We won't let anyone else die for us! Ooh, why does it have to be us... Why can't we just..."

I sighed. "Sorry, kid. I wish it could be different. But you'll be alright. You deserve that much. Now go, get to the others, quick."

No one moved. The light beasts began to stalk forward, ready to kill, and I knew I couldn't do anything to change Luna's mind. Some big brother I turned out to be...

"Hey, wait just a minute!" a quite unfamiliar female voice yelled from behind us, back in the hall. I only turned my head fractionally, but watched as a woman in a pretty white dress and with cute green hair strode past me. I guessed she was around thirty, or maybe forty, and her clothing was occasionally complimented by seashells. She carried herself lightly, but confidently.

"Hate to steal your thunder after that speech, but you're sitting this one out." She cast out her arms, as though to take on the whole mob of light beasts herself. "So step back, and watch the big boys play!"

"Sounds like she's quotin' somethin'." Applejack commented.

"I agree..." said Twilight, "but I don't recognize the words. She looks like she might be from Ivoire, so maybe it's from a foreign book."

A light beast decided to make a lunge for the woman, but she beat it back with an impressive lightning spell. "Sorry I'm a little late." she apologized, "I wanted to make it to get a shot at this tyrannical queen, but I guess I can still help save the day again, anyway." She turned around, giving us a genuine smile with large, bright eyes. "My name's Marona, by the way. Nice to meet you!"

"Wait, ma'am," I started. "You don't mean to say you're going to fight all these light beasts yourself, do you?"

She giggled. "Not quite. Me and my friends will take them!" Marona did a little spin, her hands raised in the air. "Valiant phantoms, aid me in battle! Chartreuse Gale!"

At the word 'phantoms', my heart skipped a beat, and I wasn't disappointed. A conversely very familiar voice sounded from between my head and Applejack's: "What'd I tell you guys? I'd be back in time to take my share, right? And here I am!"

We both twisted around, and I had a huge grin on my face. We were going to make it. Ultraviolet was here to save us. I watched as a blue light pulsed from where the voice had come from, and my brother materialized in it's place. He reached down and took his old sword from my hand, hefted it over his shoulder, and moved over to join Marona. I quickly saw that he wasn't the only one; at least twenty other warriors, mages and a few inhuman creatures moved over and stood with her. The odds looked a lot better now that Vi was here, but that was still almost five light beasts per fighter. Not impossible if they worked together, but they were going to need to be careful all the same.

"Alright, guys, let's make this nice and clean." Marona instructed. "Use teamwork and take one at a time, okay? No unnecessary risks."

Fluttershy shuffled forward a step. "But, I don't understand... Was it your brother's... phantom, that told her this was happening now? How did she know to come here?"

"It was him, and me." yet another voice answered, and the little fuzzy form of Angel scurried into view from the passage behind us. The phantoms had already begun fighting the light beasts, and Angel held his scythe at the ready. "When I reached Ivoire for safety, I still couldn't just leave. I had to try and help. So I found a hero to help us, one that wouldn't want anything in return but to make sure the world was safe. And miss Marona told me she would help, so we came back home!"

"Oh, Angel!" Fluttershy exclaimed in joy, and wrapped him up in a big hug. "You're amazing! You saved us all! Oh, I love you so much, when we get back I'm making you a great big cake!"

"Careful, everyone." Twilight warned. "We're still very outnumbered. Keep your wits about you, we may still need to do a bit of fighting..."

I watched with interest as the battle progressed. Marona was a brilliant leader, never needing to shout very much, and her troops fought efficiently and without complaint. I supposed the fact that they were already dead meant that they didn't have much risk. Ultraviolet had only sharpened his skills since I last saw him, and was holding his own against a light beast all by himself. "Please!" he barked, barring his teeth at his opponent. "I eat horror-terrors like you for breakfast!"

"They're still not enough..." said Rarity, watching as the phantoms struggled against the numerous and powerful light beasts. "We have to get more help..."

"I don't think anyone's that close to our position." I stated. "At least, we'll have to hold them off until the troops on the ground can work their way up, which means we might need to do some more fighting ourselves..."

"Actually..." Angel started, "I think I hear some more people coming up the stairs... Six or seven of them."

I twisted around to see who was approaching this time. The strangest mix of relief and fear filled my system as I saw them all charge up: Trixie, Kyle, the Crusaders. To my surprise, Spike was among them as well, even though he was supposed to be dead. Was he a phantom as well? Their clothes were all slightly disheveled from combat, but they showed no signs of serious wounds. Scoots! Applebloom! What are you doing?! Agh, just get out while you can, please!

"Kyle!" Pinkie exclaimed, running and almost jumping into his arms. A little surprised, the archer caught her, then held her close. I smiled: now that it was just Chaos in there, he would probably have an easier time being her hero. He moved back to the rest of us and gave her a pat on the back.

"I'll take care of them, Pinkie." he assured her, "Just stand back, I won't let them get close."

The Crusaders approached from behind, and moved to defend their older siblings. There was something both comical and touching about this motion. I would have hugged them all, but I knew to save it until after the battle was over. Besides, I would have to properly introduce my older brother to my younger brother.

A light beast had escaped the battle with the phantom troops, and began stalking forward. The limited fighters we had defending us steadied their weapons. However, just as it drew near, I heard a mighty roar from behind us, followed by the glare of a brief flash of light. The great violet form of Spike barreled forward and tackled the light beast, and he tried clamping his jaws down on it's neck. At last, he just shot a blast of fire through it's midsection, and the beast evaporated.

Spike stepped back, form-shifting back into human shape, and I could hear an audible squeak from both Fluttershy and Twilight. Apparently the Goldoan heard as well, because he turned around with arms open wide, and a warm smile on his face. The two girls ran forward and embraced him, and he returned the gesture.

“Daddy!” I heard Twilight say,  and she quickly tried to hide it, blushing profusely. “Oh crap, I just said that out loud, didn’t I… you’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Nope!” Spike confirmed with a grin. “First time you’ve called me that in years, of course I won't forget it!”

"Spike, oh my goodness!" Fluttershy exclaimed, happy tears in her eyes. "I thought you were dead!"

"I thought so too." Spike answered. "I hadn't counted on being saved, thanks to the Wonderbolts and Phil and Trixie. I'm sorry for having you believe I was gone all this time, but I promise I'm not going anywhere, now... And guess what? My lifespan was shortened a little bit when I was healed, because it was a pretty serious wound... But I now have what you'd call a 'normal lifespan', and I will age at the same rate as a normal Equestrian! Fluttershy, you know what that means?"

To answer his own question, Spike leaned forward and kissed Fluttershy, a move which lasted several seconds. Both were blushing. Twilight seemed a bit uncomfortable, but happy. I turned away to give the strange family their space.

Trixie strode forward next, purposefully, staff held over her shoulder. She stopped just before those of us who were not a direct part of the battle. Her black mage outfit showed some signs of a more serious struggle, though she seemed to ignore it. Her eyes were locked on the enemy, and I could see she was preparing to do something big.

"Rarity..." the black mage asked, "I need you to do me a favor. Do you have the strength left to use Soul Release one more time?"

Rarity frowned. "I... I think so. Why? Do you want me to use it on you?"

Trixie nodded. "Yeah. Use it on me. I'll handle every last one of them if you can do that. Please."

Something about the tone of her voice made me hesitate. It seemed almost resigned. Regardless, Rarity began casting her skill once again, and the radiance began to collect around Trixie. Just as it was finishing, I heard a cough from the passage, and turned to see an extremely wounded Phil leaning on the doorway. The corner of his mouth was slightly bloody, ad his eyes were frantic. "Don't... Don't let her do it! It'll kill her!"

It took a moment to register what he was trying to say. Whatever Trixie was getting ready to do, he thought it would be too much for her to handle. While Twilight separated herself from her adoptive father to rush to Phil's aid, I turned back to Trixie to try and stop her at whatever it was she was doing. Unfortunately, it seemed I was already too late. Soul Release had already taken effect, and the strength of Trixie's fighting spirit had been amplified into deadly energy around her. She gripped her staff with both hands, and in a loud, clear voice, began a battle cry.

"Fire of battle..." she started, and I saw Marona's head whip around from all the way across the battlefield. "reveal my heart..."

"Someone stop her!" Marona and Phil seemed to shout at the same time.

"Psycho Burgundy!" the black mage finished. The radiance around her- the very essence of her soul- was set ablaze, and I watched in wonder and horror and she drifted forward, a flaming angel of death. A light beast leapt at her, and with a simple flick of her wrist, a massive fireball tore through it and dismissed the creature.

"Everyone, pull back to the balcony!" Marona ordered, and the phantoms that were still on their feet joined her in retreat. She skidded to a halt nearby, and I could see a look of terror on her face. She must have known exactly what Trixie was doing. "No... No, no, I can't let another battle end this way! I won't let that skill take another person's life!"

Trixie was unstoppable. The light beasts threw themselves upon her, and were all torn to pieces before even making contact. The halo of light surrounding Trixie was enough by itself to set the creatures on fire. With simple gestures and movements, Trixie was able to rip apart the powerful light summons, so when she hefted her weapon in preparation for a real attack, I knew she was serious.

She leapt into the air and slammed her staff into the insubstantial ground, generating a shockwave that obliterated the remaining light beasts. Marona flinched, as that last attack probably cost Trixie a lot of energy, and energy was something she had a very short supply of at this point.

A momentary relief filled me. The last battle was over. The resistance had won. Equestria was saved. However, it all went away when Trixie attempted to return to us, and collapsed on the magic-born ground. Before Celestia's last spell faded, Ultraviolet and another phantom rushed over and dragged Trixie back to us. Phil had recovered enough to move over and check on her. He and Twilight both had tears in their eyes. Trixie's breathing was labored, and I could tell that Psycho Burgundy had taken it's toll on her. Did Celestia manage to claim one more, even after death?

Marona dropped to her knees and put her head to the black mage's chest, searching for a heartbeat. She seemed to have found it, as she proceeded to roll up her sleeves and cast an extremely powerful healing spell. Trixie's pained breathing steadied, and though she stayed asleep, I could tell that she was alive.

"Not again." Marona stated adamantly, sitting upright. "This time, you live. You're not leaving your sister alone, like he did..."

Twilight sniffled. "So... is she going to be alright...?"

Marona sighed. "She's going to be alive, I can tell you that. I don't know if I'd go as far as 'alright' though. The fact is, she just amplified her soul at least tenfold, then lit it on fire. She's very lucky to still be alive, but she probably will never be able to fight again. If anything, that staff of hers will have to serve as a cane now... But she'll be alive."

Twilight sniffed again, and nodded. "That's all I can ask for. We won't need to fight anymore, anyway... Thank you, miss Marona."

She nodded and stood, then surveyed the battlefield. The magical floor had faded, the bodies of light beasts all evaporated. The only sign that a battle had even taken place was the unconscious girl at our feet. The phantom of Ultraviolet moved over to Marona, and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Thanks for bringing me home, Marona." he said, "and for everything else. I'm afraid it's time for me to go."

The phantom summoner closed her eyes and nodded. "You were a good friend yourself. It was no trouble. I'm happy I was able to help you move on."

I looked to my brother as he walked towards me. This was it. I had been spared truly saying goodbye to him when he died, but I had to make up for it now. He put a hand on my shoulder, the same way he always used to. "I'm proud of you, bro. Don't forget that. You did better than I ever could have hoped. Equestria is free thanks to you and your friends. And that weird semi-immortal guy, but you get the picture."

I shook my head. "I couldn't have done it without you looking out for me."

"Sure you could have. This way just makes me look cooler." He gave me a playful punch on the shoulder. "Don't get sloppy now. The fight may be over, but you've got plenty of other stuff to take care of, you know."

I nodded, a lump in my throat. Vi's gaze shifted slightly, and he moved over to Scootaloo, who had appeared at my side. "So, you're the next-in-line, huh? Heh, you've got the right look about you. Just stick with Dash, and you'll do fine."

He moved over to Applebloom next, who was looking upon him in wide-eyed wonder. "Wow, you got big fast, didn't you! Last time I saw you, you were this big!" He put his hand below her knee-level to illustrate, and she giggled. "Same goes for you. Listen to Dash, and your sister. Don't let them get into any trouble, alright?"

Vi approached Applejack next. He put a hand on her shoulder, and said simply: "I totally called it. I knew you and Dash would be together someday. Heh... Take good care of each other."

He returned to me. I had a smile on my face, glad that he still cared about us so much. "Well, kid, I guess I'm off. I've been overdue."

"We won't forget about you, bro." I promised him, an unbidden tear in the pit of my eye. "And hey! When you see Mac and Creiddylad up there, tell them we all said 'hi'."

Vi laughed. "Will do." With that, he cast his gaze skyward, and his form began to fade. Within a few brief moments, he was gone. I closed my eyes, a smile on my face. I knew that a part of him was still here, still with me, and always would be. With that in mind, I knew I would be able to tackle whatever challenges life threw at me next.

"Let's head home, partner." Applejack said, hand on my shoulder affectionately. "I'm startin' to miss Ponyville already."

"Hey, I was meaning to ask..." Scootaloo started, "I'm not even sure why I never did before. But while I remember, the name of our town always made me curious. What even is a pony?"

"No idea." I answered. "Sounds pretty badass though, doesn't it?"

Chapter One Hundred

Chapter One Hundred

Events passed by in a blur. First, we made our way out of the castle, and our wounds were tended to by the best healers in Equestria. As predicted, both Trixie and Octavia were diagnosed as unable to lift a weapon again. In response, Octavia handed over her rank and power to Lyra, who graciously accepted. Kyle was offered Lyra's old position, but he declined, deciding to retire from the military entirely.

However, both the young archer and his beloved girlfriend promised to take up arms again if the country was ever threatened. This was a boon to the young King Blake, who had quite the task ahead of him in ensuring the safety of Equestria. The royal army had been all but decimated, and the Silver Arrows' battalion was the only large group of trained soldiers remaining. Stalfos were out of the question, as their summoner was dead, so the last of them remaining were peacefully dismissed.

To say Sweetie Belle was overjoyed when she realized she got to be a princess was a major understatement. "So, after all of this, that makes me a half-dragon princess... I am the coolest person to ever exist!" Despite her rise to power, Sweetie Belle made sure to stay true to her friends, old and new. She and Luna helped each other along the way, Luna receiving a true, simple friendship for the first time in her life, and Sweetie Belle learning what was expected of her as a princess. The Crusaders didn't stop getting into all kinds of mischief, though, just made room for one more.

I almost enjoyed the moment when Scootaloo's stepfather tried to come back to town. I didn't give him an inch of ground, refuting every argument he tried to make, and made sure he knew that I was going to be the one to take care of Scootaloo from now on. He left town again the same day, with a black eye and a promise for worse if he tried to return. Twilight, the only other one to witness my display, didn't exactly agree with my methods, but I felt very accomplished.

Twilight and Phil were always looking for something else to help with. As the former human weapons of the queen, they both felt they should try and give back to the country in any way the could. Trixie, with revenge out of her mind and a weapon out of her hand, found herself accompanied by an extraordinary boredom. However, after some experimentation, she found that she was a talented storyteller, often reading from the old Hylian stories and legends left behind by her mentor and friend, Xekora.

The Ivoire-born hero Marona stuck around for a while after the fighting ended, wanting to do a bit of sight-seeing, and to help put the country back on it's feet. I got the feeling she was looking for someone while she was at it, but she didn't seem to find them. Regardless, she made for great company, being inherently friendly and kind, and she and her phantoms were all willing to lend a hand where they could. It was also good to hear that Vi hadn't changed at all in the time he spent with her.

The time eventually came in which some of our friends had to depart. Marona hopped on a ship sailing for Ivoire, giving us all her regards. The ranger Tug and Wonderbolt Spitfire also had to leave soon after, headed back to the Order, but Spitfire pulled me aside before they left.

"Hey, kid, I just wanted to thank you again." she told me. "You've done a lot for me, even if you're not aware of some of it. I think I know my purpose now."

"If anyone should be thanked, it's you." I countered. "Who knows where we'd be if you hadn't helped us? I'd be dead twice, maybe three times over, as would Spike, Fluttershy, and who knows how many others! Besides, you let me live my childhood dream. I always wished I could fly with the Wonderbolts, and you helped make that happen."

"Hey, I'm glad you brought that up. See... I'm not going to make the same mistake I did last time. I have to leave again, maybe for a long time, and I can see now that I shouldn't leave Soren in charge this time. But the world needs heroes like the Wonderbolts, heroes to look up on and aspire to. Heroes like I used to be. So, the others and I talked it over, and we agreed that it would be best to ask... Would you like to take my place?"

My jaw actually dropped. "W-what?! You want me... Not just to join the Wonderbolts, but to lead them?!"

Spitfire nodded. "I can think of no one better. You're a pretty great leader, even if you don't think so, and you're one of the most promising flyers I've seen in a long time. So if not for you, then for me: will you take my place?"

Embarrassing as it was in retrospect, I was so happy that I hugged her. I could tell that she was pleased she had made me so happy as well, and didn't stop me. Afterwards, I let her slip over my shoulders her own blue and gold Wonderbolts vest. A few hours later, she and Tug were gone, but I knew that she was still out there somewhere, fighting for what she believed in.

I ended up moving most of the stuff belonging to me and Scootaloo over to the Acres, and locked down Ultraviolet's old house. The two of us, the Apple sisters and Granny Smith were a family now, and we all agreed that it would be nice to live together. I shared a room with Scoots, while AJ and Applebloom bunked together. Similarly, Spike elected to move in with Fluttershy and Angel in their cabin by the woods, and he helped to expand the whole building to make more room. With nowhere else to go, Twilight and Phil made their residence in the library, where Twilight had been staying anyway.

House Icarus didn't go out of business once queen Rarity moved to the capital, though. Lady Opal and Lord Fafnir were left in charge of the house, and the defense of Ponyville as a whole. Sweetie Belle often stayed there when not at the capital. The Goldoan Dragons, their initial mission completed, for the most part elected to stay in Equestria, though Fenrir decided he would accompany the first ship that set sail back to Tellius.

The remnants of New Dawn soon dissolved, the disenchanted men and women returning at last to their old homes and families. At the end, only Vomora and Winona were really left. The two allied themselves with the new king and queen, quickly becoming two of their most trusted advisors.

As for me, I continued to do exactly as I always had: help Applejack with harvest in my free time, and soar the skies when not doing that. The difference this time was that my team was several people bigger. The Wonderbolts were very accepting of me at first, when I was just finding my balance, but none of us went easy on each other. They were all rusty, and it fell on me to make sure they all got back to their former glory. Our first major show was at the royal wedding, and we hit it hard. Aside from the happy bride and groom, we were the stars of the show.

Our next came a few months later, at the four hundred and ninety-ninth Lunar Festival. It amazed me how much had changed in one year. This time, we did it right. The Wonderbolts and I made a huge show of the clearing of the skies, revealing the full moon behind the clouds. Then Luna stepped forward, and used her incredible magic to cast a spell on the moon itself.

The crowd below was bathed in a beautiful blue reflective light. I made a point of kissing Applejack passionately in the light, and I knew I wasn't the only one taking advantage of the moment.

Life was good, in short. Physical, mental and political wounds were healing. Obeying our own moral codes, free of an all-powerful and immortal ruler, we were happy and content. A few questions still bounced around the back of my mind, but as time went on, I accepted that the answers just weren't mine to find. The Order, Number One, Scratch, Spitfire and Tug: the fates of all these people occasionally passed through my mind, but passed back out quickly enough.

I was happy to live the rest of my life on my own terms: simply, yet awesomely.

The End.

???

(Perfectly fitting music)

???

Year 489

???; ???

The world was dark.

This is truly the only way to describe how incredibly dark it was, as any further description would be a massive understatement. While there was light enough to see by emanating from the torches dotted around the mighty old tower, and from the tiny sliver of a moon, the world still seemed draped in an inky blackness. And while the quiet sound of the waves lapping at the shores of this long-unnoticed island were present and obvious to anyone who cared to listen, one subconsciously chose to ignore it in favor of uncontested silence without fail.

To restate, the night was really quite dark.

The sky was shrouded from any additional light by heavy black clouds, pregnant with rain. A thin, pale ray of light illuminated a thin, pale section of beach, upon which trod slowly a thin, pale individual. The hood of his jet-black cloak seemed to have lost any will to put forth an effort to shroud his face, and hung behind him as depressed-ly as everything else this night. His well-kept brown hair looked as though it would have loved nothing more than to whip across his equally brown eyes, though no wind made a move to facilitate this action.

In the crook of one arm squirmed a small child.

He reached the edge of the beach, the very tips of his shoes just barely touching water when the waves climbed the sand, and man and child both gazed out at the ocean. To the child, this was surely a magical thing, as this was the first time those young eyes had ever seen the sea. But to the man, it was quite the opposite. He knew he would never again see these shores.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" a young female voice asked from behind, and the night seemed slightly annoyed that she had broken its perfect silence. She wore a cloak identical to that worn by the man, a size or two smaller yet still a size too big for her. Her hood fell, and her black-and-silver streaked hair fell past her shoulders with a definite sadness. Her piercing green eyes locked with his brown ones as he turned to face her, and the red eyes of the child drifted back and forth between the two.

"I'm sorry." The man said genuinely, the two quiet words carrying the weight of the world. He spoke with a light, soothing accent that alone gave his words an in-control quality, but he was, in reality, anything but in-control of the situation, and his low voice was already close to breaking. "You know that if there was another way, I'd take it." She looked down to her shoes resignedly. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me, Lenora?"

She shook her head before he had finished. "I can't do that. There's too much I'd be leaving behind. I believe there's hope yet in some of these hearts, and I won't abandon them."

The man smiled, an expression emanating his feelings of both fondness and sorrow. He moved over to her in three long strides and wrapped his free arm around her. "That's my girl. I want you to know... I really do love you, like my own d-daughter. I've taught you everything you need to know, and I couldn't be happier with whom you've turned out to be... You might just save this twisted organization yet."

The girl, Lenora, scarcely a day over the age of ten years, fought back the tears forming in her eyes. For the longest time neither of them made a move, just trying to make last this final moment they had together. Neither wanted to admit it, but both knew they would likely never meet again.

Finally, the pair separated and the man walked back to the water’s edge, with the girl in tow next to him. From somewhere within the deep recesses of his cloak, the man withdrew two identical discs, which gradually grew in size until they reached a meter in diameter. They both floated beside him on tiny waves of energy, displaced by a wide cone-like formation at their base. The black vinyl circles on their surfaces reflected dimly the moonlight above.

"Please be careful out there, David." Lenora said quietly. "Don't get yourself killed."

The man nearly choked from the lump in his throat at hearing his own birth name from her, but caught himself and turned it into a light chuckle: partly out of the irony of it all, partly as a cover for the profound sadness he felt. "You too... Take good care of your little brother. He's got the same kindred spirit as you, and... I know he'll do great things if given the chance."

She nodded again as he placed his free hand on the surface of one of the vinyl discs, adjusting it slightly this way and that. The movements corresponded to a bright green holographic figure sitting between the two discs, incomprehensible to anyone but the man in control of them. Satisfied with the first number, he began adjusting the other disc, which corresponded with a series of disjointed numbers underneath the first figure, still displayed in the foreign characters.

"One last thing, Lenora." He said, taking his hand off the disc. He turned to her, and a new light filled his eyes. "When the time comes that you leave this place, go to the desert. A faded memory and old friend will be there to lend a hand."

The girl memorized this quickly, but did not have time to inquire further. The man touched the green figure lightly, and with a small throb of light, man and boy were gone, leaving the girl well and truly alone.

Chapter One

Chapter one

Year 498, Equestria Callander

Town Square

Half the day has already passed. The festival is tonight, and I should probably be seeing if anyone else needs help with preparations, but... the sun is in just the right position in the sky, and to be fair, I’m half asleep anyway... Someone’s bound to wake me up when I’m needed. Yeah, they’ll be fine, with so many people on the job to begin with...

“Excuse me?”

Hm? New voice, haven’t met this person yet...Oh, wait, it’s probably someone from the capital, coming to check on stuff. Maybe she’ll just ignore me... Nah, too much wishful thinking; with my luck she’s probably looking for me anyway. Maybe I can at least intimidate her, make her just check up on things and move on before I say something I’ll regret...

I could hear her footsteps approaching, and prepared my small plan of action. They stopped directly before me and she repeated herself. In one move, I grabbed the broadsword from beside me, spun to my feet, and landed with the blade an inch from her face. She started in surprise and nearly tripped.

Yes! That was so badass. I thought, just as the sword was kicked out of my hand from my right, and a knife pointed at my own face. The weapon skidded across the street, coming to rest near a tree. I turned, seeing a, green-eyed man with violet hair and facial markings holding the tiny blade. His clothes were average-enough looking, aside from a white bandana tied around the top of his head. He showed scarce emotion, except maybe slight annoyance.

“... Well played.” I stated simply, turning back to the girl. She, on the other hand, had much more fancy clothes and hair, and could only have come from the capital city. “You need something?” I asked with record calmness for speaking with a capital person.

“Wha- are... Are you really going to be so casual right after pointing a sword at my face?”

I held back a grin, realizing my original goal had been achieved anyway. “It was to try and unnerve you. This guy topped it.” I pointed to her companion with my thumb.

“Honestly, it’s a bit hard to be intimidated by the guy with rainbow hair.”

“Four things I’ve got to say to that.” I added immediately. “One, I was born with it. Two, girls love it. Three, no one expects the rainbow-hair guy to stab them in the face. And fourth, screw you. Did you need anything else?”

The girl seemed a heck of a lot less emotionally stable than the man, who hadn’t budged an inch yet. “Oh... I was told you were in charge of the weather for tonight? I wanted to make sure everything is in order.”

“Ah. Yeah, I got it under control, stuff’ll be ready by then.”

She looked skyward. “Still pretty cloudy.”

“It takes, like, a minute at max for me to clear a sky like this. I was going to make a little appetizer-type show out of it, to build up excitement for the main event, you know.”

She took a moment before responding. “You’re sure you can do it that quickly?”

“My personal best is twenty seconds, actually. A minute to make it flashy. Yeah, I got it. That all?”

I could tell she wanted to say more, but held her tongue, shook her head and began walking away. Her companion lowered his weapon, gave me an apologetic shrug, and followed. I watched them leave for the upper part of town, retrieved my own weapon, and returned to my nap.

_________________

I can only imagine the rest of the day passed by uneventfully. Hard to tell when you sleep through it. At any rate, I was awoken an hour before I was needed, and flew over to the makeshift, open-roofed building on the outskirts of town, built specifically for the festival. I perched myself atop the wall, to the side of the door, watching the proceedings. Slightly below me, the girl’s companion had struck up a conversation with Rarity’s companion, Opal, but for the most part I couldn’t make heads or tails of any of it.

“Really didn’t expect to find anyone else from back home all the way out here.” She said.

“I could say the same. My shipmates and I washed up here, oh, sixteen years ago now. There were fifteen of us to begin with, but a few died on the way, and one went missing after we crashed, and the remaining eleven of us got picked up by the Queen. There’s only nine of us left now. I got assigned to be the guardian of her new apprentice, Twilight, and that’s the main reason I’m at this festival today.”

“Kinda the same deal with me. I was pretty little at the time, and I had wanted to explore... I stowed aboard a ship headed out for an expedition, and it crashed... I was the only one to make it to shore, and a noble house from near this town brought me in. Rarity- she’s that one over there- She was pretty young at the time too. We basically grew up together, and I know I’ll stick with her ‘till the end. So different from back home, huh?

“Something’s been bugging me, though... Weren’t all the other continents supposed to have been flooded a long time ago? How is it that no-one else has ever found this place before?”

“I’d been thinking about that myself lately. The old Dragon King was alive during the Goddess War, and he always said the Goddess confirmed our old home was the only one left. That was only, what, eight hundred years or so ago? A continent couldn’t get here all by itself in that short a time...”

I separated myself from the conversation to check around the rest of the crowd, making my own rounds to see that all was in order. Seeing that everything was good to go, I made my way up to the stage, and hovered above the floor for a moment. Soon everyone’s attention was upon me. Excellent.

I drew my sword and carefully pivoted to where I was on my back- in my normal fighting stance, but facing skyward. This was easily the hardest part of the technique to master. I dashed straight upward, generating a vortex of wind around me as I went. Clouds crashed into it and evaporated on impact.

Reaching the point where everyone would just be able to still see me, then raised my blade to the sky, creating a huge vortex of wind focused around the sword. All the clouds in sight, save for any directly above me, were drawn in and sliced to ribbons immediately. Lastly, I flew up and around the final cloud that had been above me, and dropped straight downwards with the blade pointed downward.

The cloud was destroyed, and I landed with the sword embedded firmly in the stage. Applause. I retrieved the weapon and fell back into the crowd, finding a place to stand near Applejack. The main event was about to begin.

“You gonna stick around this time?” She whispered to me.

“Mhm... I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine. I wouldn’t risk it when the Queen herself is here, if I didn’t think I could make it. Yeah, I’ll be okay.”

“Huh... Well, you know that if you need to leave, I’ll cover for you.”

“Yeah, I know...” We dropped the conversation at that, waiting for something to happen up on stage. Time passed, and nothing did. “Uh... Shouldn’t something have happened by now...?”

She looked up at the sky, doing what I’m guessing was telling time. “Yeah... They sure are taking their time this year...” Others had also begun murmuring amongst themselves, hardly anyone paying attention to the stage. I glanced up, and had to squint to see exactly what was going on.

“Hey, that’s not supposed to be happening, is it?” I asked hesitantly.

Applejack glanced up at the stage, seeing what I was referring to. Thin, dark clouds were gathering around the stage, not drawing much attention. With perfect silence, they shot into the air, dashed back down, and from the space between them, a black-armored figure appeared.

“Uh, no.” She said simply. “Definitely not.”

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Castle of Dawn Ruins

Eastern Prison Block

Awareness didn’t immediately come back to me- the first thing I could tell wasn’t a dream, was myself being walked down a narrow hall. I couldn’t make out many details, save for what I assumed were the others being brought forward with me, and the dull lights of the torches on the walls.

The next thing I could recognize was lying on the floor, in a small-ish stone room without much decoration. My vision was still hazy, but I could see out into the hallway, though only in a square the size of the wall. Could be bars, too thin to make out like this. Makes sense. So, we’re in a cell...?

I saw a pair of legs walking up from behind, and I heard my name. AJ? With effort, I pushed myself up from the ground, and after the blood got flowing again and my vision stopped swimming, I was able to see more clearly. We were in a cell, and Applejack was talking to me, though I had to focus more than usual to get anything out of it. “... woke up! We were startin' to get worried. Boy, you seem like you took a lot of beatin'- Let’s get you off the ground.”

I took her outstretched hand and let her pull me to my feet, and I could feel my senses returning. My ears stopped ringing, though there was nothing else to hear, and I was able to discern more details of the room. Along with the two of us, Rarity and Fluttershy were also in the cell, both still out cold. Rarity’s expensive armor and weapon- and indeed all of ours- had been taken, unsurprisingly.

“Wait... We’re missing two.” I pointed out.

“Yeah. Can’t say what happened to ‘em. Twilight, I could see her being pulled off to the side, but I can’t think of a reason they’d do the same for Pinkie... Maybe they escaped?”

“Maybe.” I became aware that, while still paining me, all our wounds had been bandaged and the blood staunched. “Hey, they patched us up... Why’d they do that?”

“Gosh, gimmie a question I can answer, why don’t you... Only thing I can think of is she might want us alive for somethin'.”

I thought about that for a while. It’s not like we have completely unique skills here. If she really needed them, she could get someone else easily enough. Sure, Fluttershy’s singing is new, but I can’t see Luna having a need for that. The only thing left is... We’re collateral. The town has something she wants, and she’ll try to trade us for it. But... what?

_________________

EverFree Forest

Forgotten Stream

As the rough bundle of driftwood made its way down the river, the moss began to recede from the towering rock walls- which began to become shorter themselves. Soon the stone was clear, then it was behind them, with only green fields on the sides. Night still hung heavy on the land, though the sun would begin its ascent within the hour.

While Pinkie kept herself alert, the blood flow stopped with a bit of cloth and washed off in the river, Twilight began to tire, and was soon asleep on the shabby craft. Her companion didn’t make a move to keep her awake, instead maneuvering the raft homeward in solitude.

Time passed uneventfully. No-one pursued the duo, and they made their way quietly, though far from peacefully, forward. As the sun began to rise, the irregular outlines of town became visible on the horizon. Pinkie stabbed her spear into the earth, holding fast and bringing the raft to a halt.

“Halfway there.” She muttered. She looked to Twilight, who was still fast asleep. Sympathetically, she pulled her over her back, docked the raft, gripped her spear in her right hand, and set off.

The walk back to town went by uneventfully as well, and before long they had reached the outer edges. A watch seemed to have been established, as various armed townspeople were visible patrolling around the borders. Two caught sight of the pair, and they made no attempt to run as the guards caught up to them and escorted them back.

After conferring with a few others, Pinkie gathered Twilight had been staying in a back room of the town library, and brought her there. As she entered the room, she was spun around from behind, thrown to the ground, and relieved of her companion. When she jumped to her feet, she saw that it had been Twilight’s guardian.

He had brought her over to her bed, and was scanning her for wounds. Sheepishly, Pinkie explained the situation- that the six of them had travelled into the forest to retrieve the Elements, the trials they had passed, and their final battle. “I patched up her bigger wounds as best I could, but it couldn’t hurt to get someone who knows what they're doing to take a look.”

He sat at the edge of the bed, rubbing his chin. “The others, then. They’re still there?”

“Yeah. Way I see it, she’ll keep them alive. She’ll need something to trade for this.” She showed him the Element, which she had kept in her pack and out of sight before. “She can’t destroy any of them without having them all first, and I’d guess she wants to destroy them.”

“Then we’ve got time. I think it goes without saying we’re not trading anything. We’re breaking them out and dealing with Luna ourselves.”

She nodded. “I know a few people around here. We’ll get reinforcements, and she won’t stand a chance.”

“Right. I’d better stay here, make sure Twilight doesn’t do anything else shortsighted like that. But when we march, you’ve got my support. The name’s Spike, by the way.”

Pinkie made her way through the halls of the library, but as she opened the door to leave, she was stopped by a large figure, though he was unarmed. He wore simple clothes- just jeans and a white shirt- and had long blond hair tied in a ponytail behind him.

“What happened?” He asked simply.

“Oh, Mac. I was just about to try and find you.” She said. She proceeded to explain things to him as well. “We’re trying to get reinforcements to storm the ruins, and take the others back. And I figured this was the kind of thing you’d be interested in doing.”

He thought before answering. “I swore years ago that I wouldn’t lift a weapon again unless it was to protect the ones I care about. And my sister is still in there. Yeah, this counts. I’ll go nab my weapon, and whichever of my cousins can fight. Meet here?”

“Sure.” He took off for the ranch near the edge of town, and Pinkie in the opposite direction.

______________

Over the course of the day, Rarity and Fluttershy both came to, and we began discussing in hushed tones what could be done in our current situation. Our options were pretty abysmal- most consisted of waiting until Luna made the first move.

Now that Twilight’s out of the picture for a while, maybe I can try talking to her again. She didn’t seem to even have interest in taking over afterwards. She just wants Celestia to fall. If that’s really it...

“There is another option, but...” Applejack started, looking out the window, blocked off by three vertical bars.

“What is it? If it could get us out of here quicker, it’s worth a try.” Rarity said.

“How deep into the wall d’you suppose the iron goes? How far from the window would we have to get to get solid stone?” She stepped up to the window, testing the bars.

“Actually, I might have a spell for that. Let me see...” Rarity stepped up as well, muttered a few words, then held her hand, which now emitted a dull radiance, up to the wall below the window. She thought for a moment, then tested the top and sides.

“It’s not very deep.” She said at last. “No more than half a foot, if that.”

“We can work with that. Dash, I’ll need you to get in on this too.”

I nodded, then she dug under one of the bunks and retrieved two hand-sized stones, and tossed me one. Seeing the coast was clear, she set to work, using the stone to chip away below where the bars ended. Carving our way out? The brickwork is pretty old, so I guess it won’t be impossible... I went over and, hovering to stay out of Applejack’s way, set to work on the top.

It was slow work, but soon the wall began to chip.

_________________

Back at town, a new team had begun to take shape. In addition to Spike and Mac, Rarity’s companion Opal had joined in, as well as Angel- a creature going specifically to break out Fluttershy. It was bipedal and could speak decently, but otherwise was rabbit-like. He brought with him a scythe twice his size, but seemed able to use it skillfully enough.

Within the hour Mac had returned to the square adjoining the library with two relatives, one with a sword and one an axe. Mac himself had brought what could only be called his weapon. It was gigantic- easily two stories in length, blood red, and had three different blades total. It was a cursed weapon- it gave him the ability to use it effortlessly, but drove him to near total insanity while he used it, and for a time afterwards. Rare was the occasion he used it.

Pinkie had also managed to round up a few town soldiers not wrapped up in guarding the town, and convinced the mayor to pay off a few local mercenaries to join. All in all, when Twilight awoke, their numbers would be up to fifteen. However, Twilight had remained asleep since they had returned to town.

Pinkie re-entered the library, and saw Spike leaning outside the door, eyes closed. He stirred when she approached. “Hey, when you went in, were there any odd spells cast? One’s that might not have done anything at first?”

She racked her brain for something of the sort, but came up blank. “Twilight’s been getting worse. It seems like she’s sick, but she was fine right up until she went asleep, right?”

“Yeah, she was up and running just before.”

“Then I think something got her, a curse or something. But you’re just fine. I can’t help but wonder if any of the others are like this...”

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

EverFree Forest- One week earlier

House of the Hylian

Phil had passed out soon after their trip began, and when he awoke, he was in a spacious but cluttered room, sprawled across an old sofa. He propped himself up, having regained a bit of energy in his sleep, and took in all the various objects in the room.

Most prominent was a large sword against the wall, with a blue handle and gleaming steel blade. Upon a shelf fixed on the wall sat a collection of masks, most notable of which were two- one rather human looking, with face paint and white eyes, and one violet with red and blue markings, whose round yellow eyes stared at him from the shelf. Beneath that were several odd devices, with a handle and trigger, connected to another piece by a chain. The last piece varied- one or two were equipped with hooks, some with blades like those of a spearhead, and a few with three-or-four pronged claws.

Other pieces of interest were present as well- several instruments of strings and wind were neatly organized in one area, while uncounted books were piled in another. Several of the books looked quite old, but cared for, while others seemed to be new blank tomes, filled out with time. Phil could see a door leading outside across from him, while another doorway to his left led into a back room or possibly a basement.

As he was looking around, the man called Link came inside from the front door, wiping his knife clean with an old cloth. “Ah, you’ve awakened. Excellent.”

“Where’d you go to?” Phil asked. “And how long have I been out?”

“I’d say about four hours, if you only just woke up. Upon arrival here, I set you up on the couch, slipped you a bit of red potion, and set off for a prior engagement down at the Castle of Dawn. I wanted to study our dear queenie’s techniques of bull crap, and do a bit of research on the ruins themselves. I think I came off quite well from the trip.” He flashed a small book he had in his other hand.

He came inside and dropped off his weapons, dropping the book onto the pile and lifting another, of comparable size. He flipped through the pages idly. “You’re an odd one, you know that?” He said.

“I’ve been told.” Phil said.

“No, I mean... You don’t match up with anything I’ve ever seen, this world or otherwise. You can formshift much like a Laguz of Tellius, yet use magic like a Child of Air. And yet you use fire magic as opposed to wind, contradicting yourself yet more. Tell me, lad- what are you?”

“I’m actually prepared with something of an answer.” Phil stated. “See, what I think happened was a one in a million chance- a Child of Fire of this land- one who specialized in heavy fire magic- was my mother, while a Hawk from Tellius was my father. Since it was’t a Beorc and a Laguz, strictly speaking, a Branded wasn’t definite. But as far as I can tell, I’m the only one of my kind. I’m a Phoenix.”

Link drew a quill from a nearby desk and began jotting down notes onto a blank page of his book. “Interesting...”

“I’ve got most of the qualities to call me such. I’m at the low point now- which is why I’m so sickly and weak- in another few days I’m bound to burst into flames and come back stronger than ever. But I age normally, for some reason- I won’t be reborn as a baby, but just as old as I am now.”

“Hm... How did you come to be Celestia’s captive, then?”

He took a while before responding. “Same way she got most of her people, I suppose. She became aware of my presence, and sought me out when I was very young. My parents weren’t stupid, and tried to hide me, but... She killed them and brought me in, tried to train me to be her weapon, just like her current apprentice, Twilight. I trained alongside her for years, but while she was willing to give herself over fully to the queen, I just didn’t see it. I took my chance and escaped, but... If I got the chance to take Twilight from her, I know I’d take it.”

“Home-grown soldiers of power... How many others do you suppose she has taken, you two aside?”

“I don’t know... A good number of the higher- ranking soldiers in her army most likely, but I don’t think she has any other real ‘weapons’ like us right now. She’s had others in the past though.”

He finished his notes in the one book and retrieved the first again, jotting town some other notes. “What... What are you writing, there?” Phil asked slowly.

“Oh, pay it no great mind. As I said, I’m a bit of a merchant for information- I’m interested in seeing how the world grows and changes, and I’ve done my upmost to record all that has happened to this world as accurately as possible. Celestia is obviously a big part of history, so I’ve been studying the things she’s done and how she operates carefully. And I’ve tried to give a good biography to all varieties of people I encounter, to predict what the people of the future might resemble, which is why I wanted to learn more about your terms of existence. I’m certainly not regretting bringing you in now.”

Phil felt he had given plenty of information already, and was ready to dig for some himself. “You said something about a ‘red potion’ earlier, what is that exactly?”

“Ah, forget you don’t have chu jelly in this world. It’s sort of a heal-all medicine from where I come from. It’ll pretty much patch up most wound’s you can get, short of fatal ones. No good for sickness though. See, everything you see around this room, save for about half the books over on that pile, are from my home, relics I was able to salvage and bring with me here. I wanted to preserve some of it. Most of these are just that though- relics who’s power has been lost over the ages...”

“And... You referred to this world before, almost as though it weren’t the only one in the equation. What’s all that about?”

“Ah, lad. Surely it’s evident this world isn’t the only one we’re dealing with- I would have thought this civilization was advanced enough to realize it’s a very small part of the grand scheme of things. Of course there’re other worlds out there, but I’m afraid that’s a story for another day. When I tell it, I’ll want it to be to some more people. I’d rather continue focusing on this one.

“What would you say the state of being is in this place, regarding Celestia and the common folk?”

“What, you mean the popular opinion of her? Well... I’d say it’s kind of divided right now. There are plenty of people who aren’t fond of her, and would love to see her fall, some would even go as far as to take up arms against her. Then there’s just as many who she’s captivated over the years, who would give their lives to defend her rule.

But the majority, on the surface, would rather not get involved- just to live out their lives and not concern themselves with the throne, because it would only endanger them, without much improvement on the table in the first place. That’s the main problem the tiny pockets of haters encounter- not enough people are encouraged enough to take a side.”

“I see...” Link said, once again back to taking careful notes. “I’ve seen things like this before... The world isn’t quite ready for revolution yet, but in a few years time, maybe...”

“Wait, revolution?” He asked. “You’re saying there’s a way to bring her down? And we might see her fall soon?!”

“Course there is, kid. No entity is perfect, and I think I’ve got an idea what Celestia’s personal defense system is. Soon as I can prove it, I’ll know how to get her. And if you play your cards right, you might just be able to do it within the next few years here. I’ve seen stranger.

“No empire or kingdom can last forever, lad. This one has been standing under the same ruler for five-hundred years- it’s already begun to soften, kid, and Celestia knows she’s on thin ice. Why’d you think she went through all that trouble with her dear sister? She wants to extend her stay as long as she can. But I have a feeling something new is on the horizon, mark my words.”

“A few more years... Can you help us?”

Link looked genuinely surprised. “I beg your pardon?”

“I can tell just by looking at you that you’re a great fighter- if you were to help us, we’d be unstoppable!”

“Now hang on there, lad. I haven’t fought in ages, and even if I could, I’ve chosen to be an observer here, not to get involved in matters that don’t concern me. On top of that, there isn’t even anything for me to join yet. From your description, contempt is far spread right now- if you’re to have any chance, you’ll need to get together a proper resistance going. Now, did you know anyone else from Eclipse that could potentially help you from the inside?”

Phil, slightly discouraged by Links rejection of his offer, picked himself up and thought. “Well... There was Spike, Twilight’s guardian. He’d never admit it, but I doubt if he’s completely allied with the queen. But I don’t think I’ll be able to budge him from her side- he’s like a father to her, and more of an obscure uncle to me. He’d join in if Twilight did, but I can’t see that happening any time soon.

“...Wait...There was one other, a brigadier commander in Celestia’s army, Octavia. She enlisted when she was my age, and climbed the ranks in a few years with shows of loyalty to the queen. However... I hear she’s surrounded herself with a few friends who aren’t so fond of the throne, and I wager she’s been faking loyalty the whole time. But her leadership is real- and the archer unit under her would follow her orders over Celestia’s own if it came to it. She and I knew each other decently, and I know she’s a potent sniper herself.”

“Now there’s someone you need to stay in contact with, kid. When time rolls around to get the pockets together, you’ll want someone like that, who can lead and take some heads herself, plus get inside information. Now, I’ll house you for a while so you can recover strength, but once you’re good to go, and I’ve given you all the information I can, I’ll set you loose on the world again. I don’t want to get tied in myself, but... I want to see the world recover from Celestia’s scars. I’ll give you the tools you need to make it happen.”

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty Four

Year 498; EverFree Forest; House of the Hylian

Fluttershy

“So the two of us spun around the corner, and we saw four guys, most around sixteen or seventeen, and they were surrounding this girl about my age- at the time, I mean. The fourth guy was all dark and mysterious, couldn’t tell a thing about him. None of them had seen us yet, but we had a good enough view of what was happening. She was against the wall, and...”

Rainbow Dash trailed off slowly, and began turning his head curiously to look at Fluttershy. She tried not to shy away. She knew that he had finally made the connection she made ages ago. Everything was likely rushing back to him, everything that happened that day, seven years ago.

His eyes widened, and he groaned, putting his hand to his face. “Oh, man am I slow... Fluttershy- it’s you! I’ve been hanging around you for more than a month, and I’m only just now realizing you’re that girl we bailed out!”

She nodded slightly. “That’s right.”

“Wait, did... Did you know that this whole time? Well, I mean, I guess you only meet so many guys with rainbow hair, but... Man, why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“It’s... it’s not an easy thing to bring up...” Fluttershy replied, shifting in my seat.

He hit himself silently. “Ah, ‘course. Well, you wanna come up here and help tell this story, or should I just keep at it?”

She looked away slightly, but knew what she had to do. “No... No, this is my story too. I’ll... I’ll do my best.” She stood and walked over to him and Applejack, who had been narrating together so far. Fluttershy turned slowly to face the others, who were looking to her sympathetically. Spike, she noticed in particular, gave me a small nod as she began.

“Well... yeah, so I was stuck... I don’t know what I ever did to them, but they were pretty angry... I’d seen three of them around school, but never talked to any of them. But the fourth...”

________________

Year 490

Manehattan; Back Road

I stood against the wall, trying to make as small a target of myself as possible. I had no idea what I was in for, but it didn’t take a genius to know it was nothing good. The three I recognized were all recent graduates from the same school I attended, but I wouldn’t have trusted any of them for a second. The all had acquired a sword or a knife at some point, and while none of them were being pointed anywhere, they were clearly visible, an active but unspoken threat.

The fourth, though, was a complete mystery. Covered in a black cloak, arms folded, and head down- but I could still feel that fourth pair of eyes trained on me. I couldn’t even tell whether it was a boy or girl- though I could only guess it was another male, judging by his company.

“This the one?” One of them asked.

“Yes.” The hooded figure responded. His voice confirmed he was male. “Fate shone upon her, and luck upon us. She’ll make a perfect addition to The Order. Seize her now, and you’ll have earned your place as well.”

The three nodded solemnly, and advanced. There was nothing I could do- I had no idea how to fight, and they had me surrounded. There was nowhere to go, and all I could do was close my eyes and wait for whatever they were going to do.

“BOINK!” Someone yelled, and I heard a metallic clang of steel hitting something else. I opened my eyes now, and saw a tallish figure with a brown leather jacket, blue-green-purple hair, and large midnight blue wings flaring out behind him. He held a broken metal rod, probably once a building material, in his hand, and one of the aggressors now stumbled to the ground. He cocked his head at the other two, and pulling the rod over his head, brought it down upon the head of a second.

“Bonk.” He said comically as it connected. The first had recovered, the third registered what was happening, and both drew their swords and charged at him. The second clutched his head in pain, crouching on the ground. The hooded figure made no move to help his accomplices, and instead elected to watch the proceedings with interest, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. I tried to inch away from the conflict, but the second figure managed to pull himself to his feet, and scrambled after me, drawing his knife.

“No you don’t!” He yelled. I cried out weakly, trying to back away quickly, but it was clear he was going to reach me first.

Just as he was nearly upon me, another form fell upon him from above, slamming him to the ground, stealing the knife, and putting it up against his throat in one fell movement. His brightly colored rainbow hair settled upon his back, as did his sky blue wings. A loose feather drifted in front of me, and I guessed he must have nose-dived straight down from the building above. He looked to be about my age, but he was obviously skilled in combat already.

“One more move, buddy, and you’re dead.” He hissed at his new captive.

“Now now, Dash.” The first newcomer said, whacking one of the aggressors so hard he flew into the brick wall behind him. “That is uncalled for. You’re more skilled than he is, and you’ve got him helpless. There’s no need to make death threats at him- that’s bullying, and I won’t be having that. Just rough him up a bit and send him on his way.” As he finished, he slammed the end of the rod into the nose of the one trying to get behind him, sending him reeling to the ground with blood gushing down his face.

Sighing, the boy called Dash jumped off the aggressor, but not without giving him a solid hit in the head with the hilt of the knife. He grunted with pain, grabbed his weapon, and ran. The other two seemed to have done the same. The three of us turned to face the hooded figure, who was surveying the situation still.

“You just can’t hire a bunch of muscle-heads and expect them to get the job done right anymore, can you?” He said, throwing up his arms quizzically. “One measly kidnapping is all I ask.”

“Well, what about you then?” The taller figure asked, brandishing his makeshift weapon in practiced arcs. “You gonna try it yourself?”

“Heh. I might be tempted to on a normal day, but this is quite a turn of events, really. I think I’ll pass for now. Don’t go too far, though.” He ended on a slightly musical tone, gave a little salute, and jumped clean into the air, tawny wings erupting from his back. In a moment he was gone.

I finally collapsed to the ground, exhausted with fear, heart racing with adrenaline. Dash just stood, looking around awkwardly, not sure what to do next. The other man walked over and crouched in front of me, putting him at about eye level with me. I met his concerned blue eyes for a moment.

“You okay? I mean- did they hurt you or anything?” He asked honestly.

I just shook my head no, then thought for a moment, then tried nodding, and just ended up squeaking out “I’m okay”.

“Anyway, let’s get you home, huh? I don’t know who else is on the streets right now. ‘Cmon, Dash, let’s get moving. You good to walk?”

I nodded again, and he helped me to my feet. He held my hand lightly as we left the back road, Dash trailing behind silently. He wasn’t angry or upset about anything- I would have felt it if he was- just unsure.

_______________

Rainbow Dash

I kicked at a stone on the ground as we travelled the cobble roads again, but in reverse. I had done everything perfectly- dive bombed that third guy and disabled him in an instant. But this had been one of my first real fights, and while I didn’t show it, my nerves were still wracked. I understood my brother’s point of view- these guys were just hired help, and didn’t deserve to die. They had accepted money to attack and kidnap a little girl, though, and me scaring him like that was punishment enough, and well deserved.

She really was quite pretty, I had to admit. Long, soft pink hair and snow white wings bounced behind her as she stepped softly beside Ultraviolet. What happens now? I wondered. I guess we bring her back home, to whoever takes care of her, and then... reward? Nah. It was nothing. Vi would probably decline anyway. Dinner, at the very least, though- I’m hungry again.

“So, what’s your name?” He asked. “I’m Ultraviolet. And my little bro back there is Rainbow Dash.” She mumbled something that I couldn’t catch from behind them. “Fluttershy? Nice. Suits you well.” He said, apparently having heard it the first time. I’m glad he had, at least- I doubted if I would have been able to make it out very clearly if I was right next to her. “So, where do you live?”

“Um... Down that way.” We followed where she pointed, and ended up in another part of the city, one we hadn’t been to yet. It looked to be a smaller square- not the main one, which we had already passed, but a center for a smaller part of town. A slightly larger than life-sized statue stood in the center, depicting a powerful female knight, with shoulder length hair, large and alert eyes, and a long katana flourished in her left hand. Curiously, her right arm was in some form of sling, but she didn’t look too off-put about it.

But then again, it was a statue.

I stood to Ultraviolet’s other side, who was also considering the effigy. “General Madeline, famed Heroine of Dawn.” He read off of the plaque affixed to its feet. It was written in the ancient language, but Vi had studied for some time, and was able to decipher it easily enough. “If I recall, she was the mightiest of warriors in the whole kingdom of Dawn, if not all of Equestria. Her signature skill, Soul Release, still has a huge influence in fighting today, and many have attempted to emulate it themselves, though I’ve not heard of anyone ever successfully doing it.

“Y’know... This has got to be one of the only statues from back then still standing now.” He commented. “She was a huge part in the war five hundred years ago, and most of the relics from that time are long gone, including the capital cities of Dusk and Dawn themselves. But this statue is well cared for.”

“So this city was part of Dawn, then?” I asked, curious to learn a bit of history. I knew that our hometown had been settled shortly after the war ended, and was well within the territory of what was once Dawn. The original castle and city weren’t even far from it- they were closer to our town than Manehattan was.

“Yup. It went by a different name back then, though. Can’t say I know what it was, unfortunately. This was still a major city at the time, and the citizens decided to suck it up and rebuild bigger and better, rather than accept Eclipse’s handouts and secede completely, and thereby loose their identity like so many others.”

“Fluttershy?” Another voice interrupted. We all turned to face her- a woman looking to be about Vi’s age, with very fair skin, golden blonde hair and wings, and an un-ceremonial lance strapped across her back. “Fluttershy! Oh, thank the Goddess I found you! What happened?”

Fluttershy disengaged from Ultraviolet and ran over to her, getting swept up in her arms in the process. Vi stood from where he was crouched, turing to face her properly. “I guess you know her, then?”

She looked at him, sizing him up before responding. “Yeah, I’m her sister, Creiddylad. Now again- What happened?”

Chapter Forty-six

Chapter Forty-six

Dash’s House

Rainbow Dash

“I don’t have time to build the moment...” Trixie said, taking a seat but not relaxing. “So I’m going to just cut to the chase. We’re skipping town, me and Phil.”

For a moment I didn’t speak, trying to process the information. She guessed what I was thinking and continued: “It’s all well and good that we’re making progress in this town, but we can’t take on the royal army with forces this small. The two of us are going to hit up other towns and spread the word, get the other pockets of resistance communicating, and just try and get this organized better.”

“Why you two?” I asked finally, and with a touch of worry. “You were supposed to be the one leading the resistance here.”

“That’s... why I came to tell you. See, the one thing Phil and I have in common is that we don’t really... belong anywhere specific. Since he’s rejected Eclipse, and I’ve rejected my parents, we’re both free-roaming now, perfect for drifting from town to town and stirring up an army. But... I do realize that leaves your town without a ringleader. I decided to ask you if you wanted to do it.”

“I don’t know...” I answered reluctantly. “Like I said, I’m not much of a leader...”

“You led the rest of the Elements pretty well, as I understand.” She offered. “I think the one thing you fancy yourself bad at is the one you should be bragging about, Dash. Besides, it’s not like we have a load of options to work with. I’d ask Twilight to do it, but we can’t do that until we’re positive she’s on our side. Rarity’s still a valid option, but I figured having someone more tested in combat would be better for morale. Aside from the one fight she told us about, I don’t think she’s seen any action, while you’ve been fighting for years. And we can’t ask Octavia or Lyra to do it, since they aren’t really representative of this town either, and might be called back to Eclipse at any time.”

I found myself agreeing with her at every point she made, but I still had my doubts. “Alright, so that accounts for the people who shouldn’t do it, but I’m still not convinced I’m the best guy for the job. I can fight, yes, and I hate Celestia more than anyone, but... Believe it or not, I can come off as kind of obnoxious to people who don’t know me. I can lead small groups without a problem, and... well, it’s not that I have stage fright or anything, far from it. It’s just... I doubt I could find the right words to get people to follow me into battle. I’m not very inspirational with words, just actions.”

“To be honest, that should be enough.” Trixie assured me. “Lots of leaders suck at public speaking, but they’ve been successful. If anything... I think a lot of people will be pretty sick of their leaders hiding behind words that could mean anything, like Celestia does. Prove yourself with your actions, and people’ll follow.”

I took a long time before answering, but finally said simply: “I understand. I’ll do my best.”

She closed her eyes for a moment and nodded, thankful. “You’ll do fine. Just try not to make too many enemies.” We both laughed, then she allowed herself to relax slightly. She gazed at nothing in particular, seeming to focus on something far away. “I wonder how Phil is doing... I wanted him to come with me so we could take off right away, but... he wanted to say goodbye to Twilight first...”

_______________

Library Annex

Phil

“...Sorry.” Phil muttered, after explaining his and Trixie’s decision as neutrally as he could. He knew it was going to be a tearful farewell, but couldn’t leave without telling Twilight what was really happening. It would be a long time before they met again, and he wanted to make sure he was leaving without having her mad at him.

Twilight stared, wide eyed, utterly speechless. Finally, with a controlled voice, she whispered: “This is really happening, isn’t it...? Celestia’s... There’s going to be war...”

Phil wanted nothing more than to hug her comfortingly, but now wasn’t the time. She needed confirmation that he would find a way to make things right, and that she wasn’t alone. “Twi... I know you’ve had a lot thrown at you lately, and it seems like the world is against you. But you’re not alone, Twilight. You’re smart, and I know you’ll sort out your own feelings, and you’ll have friends there for you when you do, I promise... It seemed like the world was better under Celestia when we were with her, I know. But she’s been trying to shelter people like us so she has soldiers to fight for her. I can’t make up your mind for you, but... I know you’ll do what’s right.”

Eyes downcast, Twilight fought back the tears in her eyes, and managed to speak without breaking into sobs: “I... I don’t know what’s going to happen next... I’ve got a lot of voices yelling at each other in my mind, and... I need time to sort this all out. Until then... I can’t take any sides, with or against the throne. I’m sorry... And... maybe it’s better that you’re going. I mean, I... I care about you now more than ever, but we both need to do what we think is right. And if I’m going to try and find my way, I should do it alone...”

Phil nodded sadly, then lowered himself slightly to put his hand on her shoulder, where she sat across from him. “I understand. Like I said, you’re smart. You’ll sort this out. And... remember what I said about a month ago? ‘No matter what happens, no matter what you decide to do, I’ll find a way to protect you’. I promise I won’t go back on that.”

Twilight smiled, a tear rolling past, and gave a tiny nod. She brought her gaze up to face her oldest friend, who wore a comforting smile behind his piercing yellow eyes. His curly orange hair fell on either side of his face, seeming alive in the dim torchlight. “Phil...” She whispered noiselessly, but the weight of the world was on that name.

Without thinking, the conflicted apprentice leaned forward, and kissed the human phoenix.

The two remained as they were for only a moment, but it seemed to both like a lifetime. At last they separated, averting their gazes from one another. Phil rubbed at an itch he suddenly realized he had on his shoulder, but couldn’t stop himself from smiling slightly the whole time. “Uh...” He stuttered lamely. “I... I didn’t think...”

Twilight stood from the chair, hands in her pockets. “Sorry.” She said, regretting the action almost immediately afterwards.

“No, don’t be sorry.” Phil responded quickly. “It’s... I, I didn’t think you... felt that way about me.” He let his words hang in the air for a solid minute, neither wanting to break the silence. Finally he made a reluctant move towards the door. “I guess I should get going. Trixie’s probably ticked that I’ve taken this long anyway.”

Twilight remained silent, but moved to grab some of the supplies he had left at the threshold. “I’ll see you off at the gates at least.” She said quietly. He nodded gratefully, and the pair moved quickly through the library, then the empty streets. They stopped at the short steel gates meeting the road leading away from town, the black mage Trixie slumped over the edge, bored.

Upon hearing them approach, she looked up and glared at the two. “ ‘Bout time you got here.” She said gruffly, addressing Phil. “You ready yet?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Phil responded, having seemingly recovered from the awkward situation. “Let’s get moving before I change my mind.” He took the remainder of his supplies off of Twilight’s hands, hefting a rolled-up bundle of stuff over his shoulder.

“Be careful out there.” Twilight told him, also stronger than she was minutes before. She gave him a slight nod and smile, and he knew that she forgave him. He returned the gesture thankfully.

“Come on, you two, break it up.” Her sister complained, halfway out the gate and not looking back. “You’ll have plenty of time to yourselves after we’re done killing each other.”

They shared a giggle, knowing that Trixie had been more right with her sarcastic comment than she knew, and Phil gave Twilight a wave goodbye as he strode towards the gate. She remained where she was, watching him walk fearlessly towards his destiny beside the altogether disinterested looking Trixie.

The two wayfarers rounded a hill, leaving the small town out of view behind them. For a few minutes they continued like this, both silent, lost in their thoughts. However, after Phil felt they had travelled far enough, he pumped his fist excitedly, a wide grin on his face. Noticing this, Trixie shot him a questioning glance, to which he responded: “I won. All my caution was totally worth it, because now I know without a doubt that Twilight has feelings for me. Admittedly, she may only just be finding them, but the point is I brought them around before we parted ways, so odds are good that when we meet again...”

Trixie stopped for a moment to whack the ecstatic boy in the back of the head. “You dork. I don’t know, nor do I care, what you’ve been doing with my sister, but please don’t make an idiot of yourself and try to plan everything in advance. You’re just going to end up with your face in the dirt, and everything messed up around you. And if we’re going to have any success, I need you to not have your head in the clouds. Afterwards, by all means, go nuts. But for now, try and stay focused.”

“Right...” He said, rubbing the back of his head where she had hit him. “So, you never did tell me when we were in town, because you didn’t want to be followed: Where did you want to go?”

“Heading this way, we’ll reach Firefly in about five days. I definitely want to go there, since Spike said conditions there weren’t the best. There’s also another town about midway from here to there, a bit off the direct path. Figured we’d hit them up too, get some rest while we’re at it.”

“Right.” Phil agreed. “Let’s keep going for a while, then make camp somewhere. Won’t do us any good to try and travel tired, in case anyone tries to jump us.”

Chapter Sixty-three

Chapter Sixty-three

“Oh man...” Phil whispered. “This is not good...” Creiddylad was led from the cellar to the center of the platoon. She didn’t fight, but Phil could see she wasn’t happy about this. She frowned thoughtfully, and Phil saw mercifully that the fight hadn’t totally left her yet.

“You know her?” Misty asked, her eyes locked on the morose procession before them.

“I know of her. She’s the sister of a friend of mine. Oh, geez, I get it now. What can we do to stop them?”

Misty was silent for a torturously long time. The soldiers had readied themselves to march forward by the time she spoke again: “I’m... I’m not sure, kid. There’s too many of them to take on our own. If Trixie and Soren were here too, we might stand a chance, but not like this. They’d stop up before we could get away.”

Phil felt like screaming, but held it together. The two had to stay hidden still, and he wasn’t ready to give up yet either. “There’s got to be something...” He stared intently at the group before them, facing away, and he could just see Creiddylad between the troops. Desperate and ready to snap, Phil almost wasn’t thinking straight, but then an idea came to him. It wasn’t a huge plan, and it wouldn’t solve much yet, but he felt he had to do something- anything.

He charged a tiny wisp of flame in his hand, and launched it between the soldiers right at Creiddylad’s back. It sailed forward, went unnoticed by all the guards, and burned a hole in the cloth binding her hands. She flinched slightly as the flame came close to her skin, but remained otherwise impassive. She knew she had just been freed partially, but didn’t want to let on to the soldiers. Phil smiled tersely, and he knew Creiddylad knew someone was trying to get her out.

“We follow them at a distance.” Phil explained quickly and quietly. Misty remained silent and watching, nodding to Phil’s plan. “We can’t take them now- they’re already on the way to the execution. We might get another chance a bit further in, but we’ll have to stick close.”

Misty nodded, her hand on the hilt of the sword at her belt. The platoon of soldiers began their deadly march to the dead center of the city, where a platform would be waiting for them. Phil and Misty wove between the buildings, staying close behind but out of sight. Soon the streets became full of people, standing aside to let the soldiers through. They all bore a sad expression, honoring their fellow who had fallen to the hand of Celestia, but unable to do anything but watch. As Phil moved around and past them, he found himself annoyed at their inaction, but was grateful they didn’t do anything to stop him either.

The two pulled into the huge central square, where a crowd was gathering. At the end of the clearing was the telltale wooden platform, where the platoon of soldiers fell into position around. Creiddylad was led up to the center stage, then the two that held her back fell back to the back of the platform.

“Phil, please tell me you found something.” Trixie said, approaching from the opposite side of the square. Soren was in tow behind her, and both looked as despondent as Phil felt. “The thing’s already started. Please tell me you have a way out.”

“Working on it.” Phil answered tersely. “Her hands are actually free already, so we’ve got that. Also... It’s Fluttershy’s sister up there. Don’t know what she did, but now I know why we’ve got to save her.”

Trixie did a double take, looking first up at the stage, then back to Phil to see if he was serious, then back to the stage to see for herself. “You’re right... Oh, man, what do we do?”

Phil didn’t answer, too deep in thought. Trixie was obviously shaken by all the stress, then realizing the prisoner was closer than she thought, and might have been close to panic. Misty put a hand on her shoulder, but her eyes were locked on the platform as well. She may not have been as quick and tactical as Phil, but knew it was all business from here. Whatever was going to happen next, she had to have a part in pushing it the right way.

Phil gazed intently at the stage, running through several different scenarios that the team could try. None were very practical or safe, and they could only do one. If Creiddylad’s wings were serviceable, she might have been able to fly away and meet halfway with the Wonderbolts, then escape- but they were still bound behind her, and in pretty rough shape anyway. He doubted she could get very far on those wings. There were far too many soldiers and people around for them to try a frontal attack- they would be stopped before they began. The skies were clear, and they would be seen a mile away if they tried to fly in and swoop her out of there.

While he tried to figure something out, something in the air caught his eye. He turned his gaze to face it... then ducked down. The figure sailed on snow-white wings, banking slowly and coming to a halt just above the platform. With a final efficient flourish, she touched down, and drew the huge multi-bladed sword from the sheath on her back.

The Queen Celestia had arrived. They were too late.

She was fully equipped in her iconic white armor, her large wings folded like a cape behind her, her pale, multicolored hair flowing in the breeze behind her. The sword of pure light- the Blade of Light as Xekora had called it- was balanced evenly in her hand, pointed towards Creiddylad. Despite being blindfolded and beaten, Fluttershy’s sister stood tall and faced Celestia defiantly, seeming almost unaware of the sword in her face.

From somewhere near the platform, a drum had been sounding steadily, and continued as the captain of the gathered soldiers strode to stand near the back of the stage, behind the prisoner and executioner. He unfurled a scroll of paper before him and began to read, listing the charges against Creiddylad. Phil noted how distressingly long the list was.

“For the crimes of high treason, opposition and murder of royal forces, grand theft, illegal trafficking of wanted persons and unauthorized arms and supplies, sabotage and destruction of royal property, piracy, and conspiring with known and wanted terrorist group New Dawn against the Queen- the prisoner stands sentenced to death.”

Geez, she’s been keeping herself busy these seven years. This New Dawn group- that’s the same one Lord Blake was with, right? And it sounds like Creiddylad was a pretty active member of it as well. But I just don’t see a way to get her out of this... I wish we could have met her before. By the looks of it, she could have been a huge help to us, and we might have even been put into contact with this existing resistance faction.

“Have you any last words?” Celestia said, speaking clearly enough for the whole crowd to hear. She didn’t sound like she expected much of an answer, though, or perhaps she meant to imply Creiddylad shouldn’t give an answer.

The convicted resistance fighter remained silent for a moment, then spoke quietly, with a voice disused: “You’re through, Celestia. Don’t you see? Kill me, and you deal the final hand that ends this game. I’ve lived my life with only a few major regrets, but fighting against you isn’t one of them. I accomplished what I could, and in death, you’ll set into motion the final move that seals your fate.”

“Do you mean to sway your judgement?” Celestia responded icily. “Do you suppose telling me of some grander purpose beyond death will keep me from ending your life for what you’ve done?”

“No. I do not.” Creiddylad answered simply. “I know that my fate is sealed in place, just as yours is. Our lives are lived in chance, and we must move forward with the hand we’re given, but once we receive our cards there is no changing it. Neither of us can fold, and neither of us will win, but I am satisfied that you will lose. And...” As Creiddylad spoke she slowly moved her hands away from each other. One hovered in place, twitching with anticipation, while the other reached warily into her pocket. “I will end my final move by playing the last ace up my sleeve!”

In one daring move, she moved one hand up to her face, ripping the blindfold away from her eyes. Her other hand pulled away from her pocket, a tiny object clutched between her fingers. She didn’t have time to blink in the bright sunlight and regain her sight, but her aim was true, perhaps just lucky. She wound back and threw her belonging, and it shot forward into the crowd.

Soren reached up and caught it swiftly, dropping his hand a moment later to avoid being seen. Phil was curious about what it could have been but didn’t have time to ask. Her final task done, Creiddylad had ceased to move, not trying to dodge away from Celestia, resigned to her fate. The Blade of Light swung in from above, arcing around to finish the resistance fighter. She gazed blindly into the crowd, and adopted a sorrowful smile. “The Goddess will have her justice in the end...”

Phil looked away the moment before the sword connected, as did all three of his companions. Trixie clutched at his arm tightly, her eyes squeezed shut, and he closed his own eyes in honoring silence. He was once again surprised by Trixie’s behavior- despite having such a cold and deadly attitude most of the time, despite being obsessed with revenge and perhaps a bit self-sacrificial, Phil could tell there was a normal, scared girl in there somewhere.

Phil felt a tap on his shoulder, and noticed Soren was motioning for them to see something. Careful not to let his gaze fall upon the scene unfolded on the wooden platform before them, Phil turned to him to see what he wanted. Trixie did as well, but was severely shaken from the sight, and still hung onto Phil’s arm. Misty was on Soren’s other side, and put a hand on his shoulder as she moved to face him. “What is it?” She asked quietly.

Soren held out his hand, and a playing die sat in his palm. “This is what she threw into the crowd. I think she wanted the people who tried to free her to find it. That was you two, wasn’t it?” He asked Phil and Misty, who nodded silently. “She said that this was her final move, giving this up, but... what is it, if it’s not just a normal game piece?”

Phil looked to Trixie thoughtfully, and she nodded. “We heard a story about that girl, Creiddylad, from her little sister and some friends. That die has some kind of enchantment on it, and when she rolled it, it gave her different power-ups based on what number it landed on. If I had to guess... I think she’d want us to return it to Fluttershy.”

“Hey, there’s something on the side there.” Misty pointed out, taking the tiny cube. “Yeah, here on the ‘three’ side. The letters ‘ND’ are etched into the corners.”

“New Dawn.” Phil reasoned. “It’s a weapon, and she wants it to go back to the resistance group.”

“But we don’t know where that is.” Misty pointed out. “Rilken wouldn’t tell us where they were based. How are we supposed to get this back to them?”

“I’ve... I’ve actually got an idea where they might be.” Soren said, drawing the attention of all three others. “It’s not a very sturdy connection, but there might be a place way deep in the abandoned territory that used to be Dawn, that might be suitable for a base. Thing is, I’ll bet anything that this is one secretive, selective group, and they won’t take kindly to a whole party of people showing up at their doorstep.”

“So only one of us should go.” Misty finished. “And frankly, I think we need to do something about this city too. There were plenty of people that seemed pretty scared or just ticked that there were so many soldiers around, and emotions will probably be high after... this. So tell you what- the three of us will stay here, and Soren- you go and try to deliver that die back to New Dawn. I don’t know where it is, and that might be for the best. You can assure them then that you’re the only one who knows, and we’ll be kept in the dark.”

Soren sighed, then nodded and took the enchanted playing die. “Alright, fine. It’s not super far from here, so I should be back... I dunno, within the week? I’m going to get in there and drop this thing off as soon as I find one of their guys, and get back here. Misty, I... listen, I want to tell you something. I don’t full know what’s going on here, but I feel like we should stick together as much as possible. We were the best of friends and partners back when we were in the Wonderbolts, and I feel like we should be using that to our advantage in this new mess. I don’t know about the others, so we’ve got to stick together as much as we can.”

“I agree.” She said. “But we don’t have time to get sappy now. Get going so you can get back, alright?” Soren nodded and backed up a few paces, then launched into the air and sailed off on dark blue, almost black wings. Misty watched fondly as he sailed off in the distance, then turned to the others. “Right. Let’s... let’s get back to camp, huh? We’ll figure out what we need to do next tomorrow, but I think we all need some sleep tonight...”

Chapter Seventy-seven

Chapter Seventy-seven

City of Dawn; HQ

Rarity

Rarity’s knees nearly buckled. Six [Ii]hundred royal soldiers on their way to the city?! How did they find this place? And how could the comparatively tiny fighting force of New Dawn possibly withstand this attack? Around her was mass panic, as none of the others seemed able to answer that question either. Soren had been abandoned by his captors, and limped over to Applejack, Rarity and the others.

“Damn... Sorry guys... I feel like this is probably my fault for coming here at all...” He shook his head sadly, then a hand shot up to his forehead in response to the splitting headache the action must have caused. Soren was still a bloody mess, and was in no shape for combat.

“It’s alright, partner.” Applejack stated wearily. “Like you said, seems like Celestia already knew about this place. You didn’t lead ‘em here, you just showed up at a bad time...”

“Well what are we supposed to do now?” Opal asked over the din of the soldiers. “How are we supposed to find Rarity’s ancestor in the middle of a war zone? And are we expected to stand and fight with them? Either way... I think we’re all pretty much screwed.”

Among the soldiers running around aimlessly in the room, the black-cloaked ranger dodged around and leapt up on the nearest high ground, which happened to be some wooden boxes stacked against the wall. He cleared his voice and shouted down the commotion around the building as best he could, then gazed directly into the crowd and began to speak. “Listen to me! Calm down! Look, I know this looks bad, but panicking will solve absolutely nothing. Now get our weapons ready and assemble yourselves outside and wait for orders.”

“Young sir, might I ask what you think you’re doing commanding my troops?” Vomora asked venomously, though kept his voice at exactly the same level tone he always used. Tug cast a weary glance back at the Hatarian, then leapt down from his perch and stalked forward until he was practically nose-to-nose with him, though neither backed down.

“Look. I can handle this. I live for this. And would your orders have been any different anyway? Vomora, I realize you want what’s best for your men, and want to remain in control and their symbol to rally around. But be honest- do you have any idea what to do right now?”

“I will do what I must to save my people.” Vomora answered coldly. “I will not send them to their deaths against such a large number from the royal army. It would be suicide, and we must live to fight another day. These odds are simply insurmountable.”

“Insurmountable? Why don’t you try taking on a fully stocked, manned and barricaded fortress with only a dozen pirates, a handful of malformed outcasts, a knight, a healer and your own bow- and then win- and then talk to me about insurmountable odds. Compared to that, we’re in bloody amazing shape. We have the high ground, we know the land, and you have me. We can win this yet, Vomora, and besides, if we don’t make a stand now, when will you get the chance again? When will you not be on the run from this army? We have to push them back today, and let Celestia know she’s really got something to sweat about, then formulate our next move. But to win, you need to give me full command of these troops, because I’m the best tactician here, or that’s ever been here. I’m your best hope for victory.”

Vomora held Tug’s gaze for a few more seconds, then dropped his eyes. “I know. There’s nowhere to run anymore. I just don’t see how we’ll be able to win against such a large force, and I’m afraid everything I’ve worked for will be crushed this day.”

“It won’t be, if you give me full command. I promise you, I can and will defeat them if you do. We may cut it close, but I know I can pull New Dawn out of this, and with minimal casualties. I want to see this revolution through, and it’d be a tough ride if Celestia had another victory here, so I won’t let that happen.” Finally, after another pause, Vomora nodded, and Tug did an about-face to address the confused and still panic-stricken soldiers. “Right then. You have your orders! Assemble yourselves outside until further notice. Except for one of the troops that spotted the royal army, I’ll need to talk to you. Go!”

All but one of the troops nodded with renewed purpose and filed out of the building, while one of the scouts remained, and Tug turned to him and Vomora again. “Right, now give me every detail we have to work with. How far off are the soldiers right now?”

“Around halfway through the woods, sir.” The soldier answered. “Estimate they’ll be on our position in an hour.”

“Right then, we don’t have a lot of time to waste.” Tug confirmed. “Vomora, how many of their men would you say your men are worth, and how many do you have total? And what sort of long-range equipment do you have?”

“New Dawn’s standing force consists of one-hundred fifty volunteer soldiers. How many of their soldiers mine could kill before being slain themselves? Well... I suppose it depends on the context of the battle, but... Our training regimens are not as rigorous as the Eclipse ones, and I’m sure their troops are much better trained than ours. However, in terms of our long-range arsenal, we have approximately a quarter of our troops specializing in fire and thunder magic, and enough archery equipment for... another fifty troops, I’d say. Additionally, we are in possession of three salvaged naval cannons, and enough ammunition for ten volleys from each of them.

“Huh... Alright, alright, give me a minute... Got it. Get all that stuff at the ready. That’s eighty troops that can do long range... Yes, I can work with that. Have the rest of the troops form a defensive perimeter around the important part of the city, ready to fend off any sort of flanking maneuver. I’m going to take the long range ones up the incline and to the gorge beyond the castle, where we’ll set up our first line of defense. We’ll cut the rope bridge there so they will have no way to get across, and bombarde them with everything we have, as long as we can. We’ll target any Children of Air specifically, to make it that more difficult for them to cross. If they do manage to get a sizable number over, we’ll fall back to the Castle of Dawn and stave them off some more. If and when that happens, I’ll send a scout back to fetch the rest of the fighting force, and we’ll drive them back.”

Vomora nodded as the plan was lain out before him, and soon Tug left through the main door to relay his orders to the troops waiting outside. Rarity shook her head in dismay. The group’s options were extremely limited now, and no matter what the final outcome of this battle was, it did not bear good tidings for the future. If New Dawn was destroyed that day, it would be a crippling loss of morale for the rest of the country, and they may never muster up the power again to take on Celestia. If any of her troops survived, they would return to Eclipse, and New Dawn would never be able to rest again, hounded by the royal army until the end of their days. Plus, if Rarity or her companions were seen, House Icarus and their whole town was surely doomed. The best case scenario would be if Celestia’s troop were completely destroyed; this would give New Dawn and Moonlight precious time to gather themselves and launch a counterattack. But no matter how she spun it, Rarity was forced to accept that the war had officially begun, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop the impending bloodshed.

She turned to Applejack, Opal and Soren, her voice low. “We have no choice but to help. We must join these brave men and women and defend this place, at any cost.”

“I wouldn’t leave ‘em to die anyways.” Applejack stated adamantly. “We gotta push them back, then find your ancestor out here. Then… Then we gotta head home and brace ourselves, I guess. Things’re gonna get tough from here on out…”

“There isn’t even any chance of running away now…” Soren complained. “Ugh, fine, I’ll stay too. But as soon as things calm down, I need to get back to my own team... I guess I’d better find a healer…”

“We’re mighty grateful to have you though, partner.” Applejack consoled him, putting a hand on the muscular mercenary’s shoulder. “I’ve seen what your spear can do first hand, and it’ll be good to have that kinda’ insurance.” Soren nodded with a slight grin on his face, then trudged off to the medical ward from which Applejack had only just come. “I guess we should go join the other close-combat troops, then. We’ll lead ‘em up the slope if the Eclipse soldiers get that close, and be the first to tear into ‘em.”

Rarity shook her head sadly. “You two and Soren go on ahead to join the others. I can use long range light magic, and I feel obligated to join the front line troops with Tug. I have to do everything I can to make certain we do everything we can to stop those soldiers cold before they have a chance to get to the people who cannot fight. Applejack, I’d have you come as well, but you haven’t had the time to practice your newfound magic. You’ll be much more comfortable and useful with the melee troops right now.”

Opal nodded in resignation, with an arm on her hip. “I wish you weren’t right. I know you’ll do your best to stay out of the line of fire. Just stay safe, and remember we’ll be right up there if things get out of hand.” Rarity closed her eyes and nodded solemnly, then tightened her armor and weapons and jogged after the young ranger. He stood before the gathered soldiers, who milled about uncertainly as he explained his plan in detail, and they were all clearly still fighting to contain their panic. He noticed Rarity approach beside him, the two shared a terse nod, and Tug finished his orders.

“Now get moving! We can’t have more than half an hour to set this thing up!” The selected troops marched quickly through the streets up the incline back to the Castle of Dawn, while the other half of the soldiers spread out throughout the lower city. Rarity was right beside Tug as he followed behind the archers and mages, her hand fingers wrapped around the chain of the Icarus Charm. Tug turned to her as they walked, speaking in tones too low for the rest of the men to hear. “I forget, you’ve been in command of other soldiers before as well. Do you mind if I bounce some of the finer details of my plan off of you before everything starts?”

“It... It was never that many troops.” Rarity insisted. “I’ve only ever led a group of twenty-five trained soldiers at a time. We’ve almost four times that amount in volunteers, so I’d imagine this is quite a bit different.”

“It can be.” Tug admitted. “The key is the same though; knowing the limits of the people under you. These people are fighting not only for their lives and everything they own in the world, but for the sake of the rest of the country too. Their skill might not be top-notch, but their motivation is great, and if we can keep their morale high too, then they’ll be that much more powerful on the battlefield. We’ll have to play this smart though... If we could set up some barricades on our side, or camouflage...”

The procession reached the top of the slope, and the archers and mages began spreading out to cover a greater area of their side of the ravine. Tug raced ahead with a heavy-headed knife to slice the rope bridge that connected the two sides, and Rarity watched with curiosity as the three canons were wheeled into position at the front of the pack. These devices were very rarely used on land, and were almost exclusive to naval vessels, as they were too heavy to move efficiently in battle, left the operator too exposed to magical assault, and were not usually powerful enough to warrant use with these risks. However, for an ambush like this, they could be cleverly hidden and used to break apart the enemy line, while the rest of the troops could keep the enemy mages too busy to target the canons.

Rarity jogged ahead to help some of the other men drag some loose chunks of mortar from the ruined upper city into position at the edge of the ravine. It would serve well enough as cover. The canons were moved into position, with the extra ammunition stored in the corner between brick and dirt where the enemy fire couldn’t get to it. It was slow, arduous work moving the slabs of stone into place, and they had precious little time already, but with this many people working on it at once, a workable barricade was soon set up along a decent stretch of canyon.

“How well do you think we’ll fare, in all honesty?” Tug asked as he and Rarity dragged along another stone.

“I choose to remain hopeful about things.” She answered. “But these men do not have the same experience, skill level and... alterations that the enemy does. I’m afraid that a head-on confrontation using our defenders may be inevitable.”

Tug nodded solemnly. “So you are aware of Celestia’s use of the Feral Ones drug on her soldiers, then. It’s simply despicable, and I can only guess where she got her hands on a surviving recipe... But regardless, it does make her soldiers a lot more dangerous, in terms of strength and sheer unthinkingness... It’d be nice if we could cut their numbers about in half, or preferably down to one third, if possible.”

“Three to four hundred soldiers dead before they cross?” Rarity asked incredulously. “While we only have a fraction of that?”

“I wouldn’t ask these men to do anything I wouldn’t do.” Tug replied confidently. “Without going back for more ammunition, I can kill exactly twenty-five of Celestia’s men at long range. By that logic, two or three from each of them isn’t too much to ask, is it?”

Before Rarity was able to come up with a counter argument, one of the arial scouts shouted down to the rest of the group in a panic: “They’re almost to the edge of the woods! They’re almost here!”

Tug nodded and put one last shove into the stone, moving it into place, then called down the scouts above. “Does it look like they suspect anything?”

“Sir, they come expecting a battle, so their weapons and armor are already at the ready. However, they do not seem to expect any sort of organized counter-attack.”

“Excellent. Everyone get to cover! Now! Fire only when I give the signal, then give them everything you’ve got, but keep yourselves covered and safe.” Once his final orders were given, Tug dashed over to a makeshift cover a few yards from the cliff, his longbow strung taut and an arrow already notched. Rarity dove for the nearest stone wall and crouched behind it with rapier drawn, two archers sharing the cover with her.

She faced away from the woods, but soon she could sense the enemy soldiers approaching, a split second before she heard their footsteps as they tromped through the trees. All the soldiers of New Dawn waited with bated breath as the sound of the approaching army grew louder and louder, and both determined and fearful glances were shared throughout the company. At last, the march came to a halt, and Rarity could feel the gazes of the hundreds of soldiers at her back. It’s all ruins still, just in a different place, she told herself, they don’t know what it’s supposed to look like, and for all they know, things could have been set up like this for the civil war.

From the other side of the ravine, Rarity was able to hear someone, most likely the commander of the group, speak: “They cut the bridge. Cute. Men, move forward as planned.”

Beside her, one of the soldiers swore in a whisper as he peeked through a crack in the mortar. “They’ve brought their own wheeled bridges...” Rarity cursed under her breath as well. Slightly behind her, she saw Tug hold up three gloved fingers with one hand. He dropped one a moment later, then another. He was counting down to the point at which the troops should open fire.

He closed his hand in a fist, then put it back to the bowstring and arrow and rose. He fired off one arrow immediately, then continued in quick succession. Three arrows were already in the air by the time the first struck the commander in the dead-center of his forehead, an instant kill-shot. Upon seeing Tug leap into action, countless others rose from their positions and opened fire as well, and Rarity felt a sudden wave of vertigo. The first shots of the revolution had been fired.

Chapter Eighty-two

Chapter Eighty-two

Eclipse Swamps

Twilight

“Alright, first thing’s first.” Twilight said, taking charge of the situation. “No one cut off any of its heads, that’ll just make a bigger problem. But... considering we only have a few knives, a spear and magic, I don’t think that’s a problem anyway. Just try to... to stab it enough that it bleeds out.”

“I got this.” Spike stated, stepping forward and flexing his shoulders. “We’re going to need some seriously heavy firepower to take out something like this, and I’m about as good as it gets. Stand back.” He flashed a cocky grin at the Hydra, then slammed his fists together before him and let out a mighty, inhuman roar. A bright light flashed for a moment, and when it faded Spike was once again replaced by the ten-foot or so tall dragon, slow moving but with rippling muscles and dagger-sharp fangs.

Max slung his guitar over his shoulder and played a few notes for tuning. “The most helpful thing I can do right now is to bolster your strength, as I am not much of a fighter. My heron Galdrar will be able to keep your spirits high and your energy at its max. Just try to stay safe while you fight.”

Pinkie unsheathed her spear, and mounted it into the ground, closing her eyes in concentration. Beside her, an area of the very air began to darken, like an unattached shadow. A few moments passed in which it seemed to solidify, and it was soon replaced by the familiar form of Chaos... sort of. Instead of being a shadowy but otherwise identical copy of Pinkie, she was now full-color, and there were a few subtle differences in her face. Her hair was a great deal longer as well, and hung heavier and flatter than Pinkie’s fluffy mane. She gripped a spear of her own and kept her eyes locked on the Hydra, which was fortunately still blinking in the unaccustomed sunlight.

Twilight gulped, then managed to tighten the fingerless black glove on her right hand and call up a mass of pure energy as Starswirl had taught her. She didn’t even need to use any words of the ancient language to call upon the magenta magic. She pulled her arm back and took aim, just as the Hydra got its wits back about it and lumbered towards them. Spike lead the charge on the other side, stepping forward and slamming into the massive torso of the beast, snapping his jaws down upon it and breathing jets of fire.

Pinkie and Chaos both dashed forward, moving in criss-crossing zig-zagging patterns to avoid the eager heads just waiting to snap down upon them. They kept running once they reached its sides, except they both shifted to the point at which they were running at a ninety degree angle to the ground on the flanks of the beast, rending through its thin scales with their spears. Twilight threw the energy charged in her palm forward, and it narrowly missed one of the heads. Not to be deterred, she immediately began charging another.

All the while, Max’s fingers danced across the strings of his guitar, the heron songs altering the very pace of the battle, and even if it seemed like the Hydra was taking little to no damage, their spirits were high. Spike still had the front of the Hydra locked down in a tackle hold, and began to slowly push it back. The twin spears-women kept the heads nice and occupied, the four sets of eyes following them back and fourth as they virtually danced around him and dealt the occasional piercing wound. Twilight continued to hurl magical attacks at it from a distance, keeping herself and her injured arm safe but still dealt a fair amount of damage to it.

The Hydra roared in annoyance, slamming it’s foot on the ground and shaking the very foundation of the swamp, effectively throwing everyone but Spike off balance. One of the heads darted down and managed to clamp its huge jaws around Spike’s shoulder. Twilight let out a scared cry, but Spike merely gritted his teeth and pushed his muscles ever harder. Blood welled from his arm, but he put forth so much force that the Hydra began to tip sideways. Two of its heads gave a startled look before the whole thing came toppling down, the torso crashing into various rocks and swamp debris, and the heads flopping down heavily into some actual filthy frozen water.

“Now!” Spike growled. “Hit it with everything you've got!” Twilight nodded and dashed forward, joined by Pinkie and her split-spirit clone... thing. The two kept slicing and stabbing away with the tips of their spears, cutting through the scales as best they could, then leapt back as Twilight approached. She flung bolt after bolt of alternating energy and lightning magic, as they seemed to be equally effective. The Hydra was struggling to get back on its feet, but they were so stubby, and it was so heavy, that it wasn’t accomplishing much except deepening its existing wounds.

“Twi!” Pinkie shouted. “Get up on the Hydra’s back! I’ve got a plan!” Twilight nodded and swung around the side, slamming her palm into the Hydra’s flank to displace the thunder magic she had charged there, and with Chaos’s help scrambled up the side of the beast. She took a single moment to gain her footing, then looked to Pinkie to ask what her plan was. She saw that she was preparing to throw her spear up like a javelin, but was waiting for Twilight to get ready in order to catch it. Looking back behind her, she saw Chaos preparing to do the same thing.

That just might work... if I can power it up just a little beforehand. She held up her hand, a mass of energy forming at her palm, and nodded tersely to signal she was ready. Both spears sailed upward, and she expanded the energy to draw both into her grasp. They hovered parallel to each other, and Twilight called upon the most powerful lightning spell she knew- Arcthunder- to form between them. When the magical triple-spear had been formed, Twilight jumped backward into the air, and launched the formation forward to rip straight through to the front of the beast.

The Hydra gave a sharp pained cry, but in a few moments went silent. Twilight closed her eyes and shook her head, not caring to look at her handiwork any longer than she had to. In the silent aftermath of the battle, the team moved away from the massive body to recover themselves. Chaos, instead of disappearing as soon as the danger had passed, now remained a short distance behind Pinkie, hands held awkwardly behind her back. Spike had morphed back to human form, and nursed his wounded arm gingerly, the cloth of his shirt rapidly turning red.

“Spike, we’d better staunch the blood flow immediately.” Twilight stated.

He nodded, then used his free hand to reach into his pocket. “I know, don’t worry. I have some meds on me too, and they should be enough to help take care of this... Sorry they aren’t enough for your arm...”

Twilight shook her head. “It’s alright, I’ll live. Let me see it, I’ll put it on for you.” Spike handed over the small vial of medicine and a short roll of bandages. After she had spread two fingers full of vulnerary over the wound, at it had already begun to heal, she wrapped the bandages around it to stop any further bleeding. The wound would be fine in an hour or so, but that was still ample time to lose a fatal amount of blood. Spike nodded in thanks, and Twilight turned to Pinkie and Chaos.

“Um...” She started, still slightly confused and Chaos’s new state of existence. “Thank you. For being such a help in this battle. It would have been tough without you.”

Chaos’s eyes broke contact with Twilights’ hurriedly, and she continued to stand as she was, silent and feeling out of place. Pinkie turned to her counterpart and spoke to her in a soft, sweet voice Twilight had never heard. “It’s okay. Twi’s a friend. These people are all friends. I mean, you and I have the same memories don’t we? You remember them.”

Chaos shuffled her feet slightly, and exchanged a silent look with Pinkie. The latter closed her eyes and nodded, and Chaos promptly disappeared. Pinkie then turned to her companions and shrugged. “Like I said... Chaos has a totally different personality than me. She’s never met a single other person, and is really timid...”

The others waved the issue aside in extremely vague understanding, and they began to make their way back to camp.

______________

City of Dawn

Rarity

“Stand back, everyone.” Rarity said, suddenly sounding a lot more confident than she felt. “She’s only here for me.” Her ancestor continued to strafe slowly forward, sword held over her shoulder and pointed right at Rarity. She raised her rapier slowly, deliberately, until it was held in the ready position before her. Her butterfly wings gave the slightest twitch. Both women were ready, and at once the tension snapped and the leapt at each other.

The two blades collided, and a few sparks managed to fly despite one being no more than stone. Madeline’s sword pulled back almost before the hit had landed, and a second diagonal overhead slice was already on the way. Rarity had no time to parry, and was forced to dodge out of the way. The stone katana would have slammed into the earth, except that the statue flipped it turn-ways at the last second and brought it around to slice at Rarity on the ground. She backpedalled a few paces before she was able to get back to her feet.

Madeline was fast and well-trained, but Rarity had received more than enough training from Icarus’s professional soldiers to hold her own. She was only able to hold, though, never able to get enough space to go on the offensive. The two danced across the battlefield, their blades clashing every few seconds, carefully sidestepping the various bodies and discarded weapons. Rarity also took care not to look down at the mess, only to keep her eyes on her opponent.

Rarity continued to back up slowly through the battlefield, parrying each hit as it came, the rest of the people of New Dawn gathered watching in tense silence. Rarity was able to keep up her defense for most of the battle, until she suddenly felt the ground shift beneath her feet. With a start, she realized that her ancestor had battled her straight to the edge of the ravine, and one more step back would send her plummeting over. Her wings might have been able to keep her aloft, but she’d never tested them for such a height, and didn’t want to take the chance.

She attempted to sidestep the statue, to get around and possibly reverse this trap, but Madeline had other ideas. She dropped to the ground and spun, kicking Rarity’s feet out from under her, and Rarity fell backward as she continued to move forward. She hit the ground hard, her head over the edge, and felt a sudden shift under her. With another start, she realized her wings were gone, and that the Icarus Charm had slipped from her neck and fallen down into the ravine.

The statue was rising to its feet, the stone katana in its hand, preparing to move in for the kill. Rarity’s rapier was just within reach, and her hand darted out and grabbed it before her ancestor could stop her. She quickly charged a light spell down its length, holding it close by with both hands, and waited for the statue’s inevitable charge. It leapt at her, the katana arcing high above her head, and Rarity readied her rapier like a pike, thrusting it forward as soon as Madeline was within range. The light-infused steel slammed into her chest, managing to fracture the stone and stop the possessed statue in its tracks.

Rarity freed herself from where she was stuck and backpedalled to a safe distance from the ravine, while the statue remained motionless. A moment later, however, a bolt of lightning shot forth from the effigy and struck her in the head, knocking her out instantly.

_____________

She awoke seemingly only a moment later, in the blank expanse where she had been spoken to by her mother. She scrambled to her feet, and saw that she was now wearing her normal clothes as opposed to her armor, and all traces of sweat, blood, or anything else relating to the battle of New Dawn had been erased. She looked around for any sign of anyone else approaching, and saw a figure slightly too far away to see any details, except that she was far too short to be Madeline.

Applejack said that Applebloom was there with her when she met her ancestor. she remembered. “Sweetie Belle?” Rarity called experimentally. She turned upon hearing her name and ran up to her sister.

“Rarity!” She said happily, then her smile turned to a frown and she took to pounding her fists against Rarity’s stomach. “Why’d you go and leave me behind?! You know I wanted to come with you!”

“Sweetie Belle, I’m sorry we couldn’t bring you or Applebloom along. It was just too dangerous. Even though we didn’t know what was to come, it was too dangerous. We... we found a resistance group held up here. And there was a battle, with a large contingent of Celestia’s forces.”

Sweetie Belle gasped. “You fought Celestia’s army?! So... so we’re in a war now... Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt did you?”

Rarity chuckled to comfort her sister. “No, I’m alright. I had lots of good friends watching my back. Our ancestor hurt me more than the army did. But... I did unfortunately lose the Icarus Charm...”

“That’s alright.” Sweetie Belle consoled her. “That was supposed to happen, remember? Now this one is the real one.” She held up an identical charm.

“I thought I told you to get rid of that.” Rarity stated. “We can’t trust that boy.”

“But he was right.” Sweetie Belle shot back. “And it all makes sense now, doesn't it? Sort of...?”

“Heh... sorry about that.” A third voice said, as she walked into view. “Couldn’t go easy on you, you know. I had to make sure you were ready.”

“Is... Is that our ancestor?” Sweetie Belle asked, eyes wide.

“Indeed.” answered Rarity. “General Madeline, heroin of Dawn. It’s an honor.”

“Thank you.” She stated, the stalked forward. “So then, you two, are you ready? My skill, Soul Release, hasn’t been used correctly since I died, not for a lack of trying. You’ll have to be careful if you don’t want to get swamped by my lingering fans.”

____________

Cloudsdale

Rainbow Dash

I let out a relieved laugh. We did it. Cloudsdale had been saved. There wasn’t much left here to save, but there was a chance that someone, someday might rebuild. Even better, now Fluttershy and I had learned all we needed, and we could return home. I looked to Fluttershy with a mixture of this relief, and wonder. That shot Fluttershy had made that started the chain reaction had to be one in a million. While she looked mostly just glad that the fight was over, and that the horrible creatures of darkness were finished, I was able to detect the faintest hint of a proud smile at the corner of her lips.

“You did great, Fluttershy!” I congratulated her, giving her a quick, warm embrace. Strangely, the smile vanished from her face, and she averted her eyes for a moment. “What’s wrong?”

“Um... I-I think I need to tell you something Dash... I should have said something sooner, but... It’s not real. What, what you’re feeling right now... about me... it’s not real...”

I frowned and furrowed my brow, deeply confused and concerned. “What do you mean?” I asked. Fluttershy proceeded to tell me everything Gilda had done to us- that she thought she could force these feelings for each other on us and use this as a tool to get us into the Order- and I became more and more saddened, and disgusted. The worst part was, it had almost worked. I truly believed that I had fallen in love with Fluttershy, and still felt like these feelings were real... but Gilda and Spitfire both confirmed the story.

“Don’t worry, kid.” Spitfire assured me. “I’ll see to it that Gilda gets what’s coming to her.”

“Like you have any room to be handing out punishments...” Gilda muttered, silenced by a quick venomous glare from Spitfire.

I shook my head in confusion, turning back to Fluttershy and talking low enough for only her to hear. “It’s just so hard to believe... even now, it still feels so real... How can someone fabricate feelings like this?”

“Well...” Fluttershy started, shuffling her feet. “Maybe... maybe some of it wasn’t fake. Maybe she... she used feelings that were already there, but for other people. I mean, some of what I felt was the same as... as what I feel when I think of Spike...”

I raised an eyebrow, and gave this some thought. Is there anyone else...? Certainly not Twilight. Maybe in another life, but not this one. Pinkie? Nah... Not Rarity either. They’re both good friends, but... nah. That leaves... My mind paused, and my eyes widened a tiny bit. As soon as the thought had crossed my mind, everything seemed to snap into focus. Countless disjointed memories flashed by in rapid succession.

“Agh...” I groaned, dragging my hand across my face. “I’m an idiot... Well, I don’t know about you, but I think I’ve got some business to take care of when we get home. Shall we be off?”