Rising Flames

Page from the personal journal of High General North Wind, supreme commander of the Knights Adamant

Before the Saints arrived, I had one job: secure our borders by crushing any and all threats. It felt good to win, to shape our victories and mitigate our losses. But maintaining the entire nation is different.

For two years now, I’ve been stepping carefully on a tightrope walk between extremes. If I demand too much obedience, dole out discipline too harshly, no matter how necessary it might be, ponies say I’m overstepping my bounds, seizing too much power. But too little of either, and the fresh blasphemies hiding in the shadows ingrain their tendrils deeper into once good ponies.

I thought I’d become perfect for the job after all this experience, dozens of sleepless nights. I thought wrong. The return of the Saints, while most glorious, has undermined my careful balancing act. And I do not know how to feel.

I am in awe of their benevolence. My Saint Rainbow Dash specifically, as she has deemed me fit enough to continue leading her order, and the Diarchy, in their stead. Yet, while I am still in charge on paper, in practice, this is rapidly changing. Some Knights have become even more inspired to please me now that I have their explicit blessing. Others are practically ignoring me, instead chasing after the guidance and direction of the Saints directly.

It is disheartening. Is this truly for the best? Are the Saints changing things too quickly? Can we still count on their wisdom, despite the era in which they learned having long passed? Can the very figures from our scripture possibly be wrong to act as they have?

This day, I pray for answers to these questions, and I pray for forgiveness in asking them.

With the cold air beneath her wings and the simmering fire of determination burning within, Sunset soared.

Rather than just flying straight and fast, she and Oak Chips had been taking a circuitous route, stopping at every settlement vaguely south of the Empire. Gravetide could have taken any path, and no village was too small to overlook for potential leads. Their best guess was that he’d try to return to Zebrica, but even if they headed him off, there was no telling how much damage he’d do before he arrived, or which coastline he’d go to for transport.

So far, they’d had no luck.

They flew a few feet above the snow-dusted evergreens, far from any beaten trail to avoid being seen. Thick clouds, heavy-laden to come, loomed overhead. Oak Chips had graciously taken the lead in the form of a broad-winged pegasus, and she was able to conserve energy by staying in his slipstream.

“You know, Princess,” Oak began, dispersing the long quiet, “Perhaps with more sets of eyes on the ground, we could have picked up on some sign the two of us alone missed.” His tone was more passive-aggressive than most ponies had the guts to use with her.

Sunset understood where he was coming from, but they’d already gone over this before they’d left. “You’re still bringing this up? Isn’t it a bit late to get more Knights?”

“We could stop and wait,” Oak Chips insisted, peering over his shoulder. “I just want to make sure you get out of the Diarchy in one piece.”

While not angry, Sunset was getting tired of his protectiveness. “I appreciate your concern, really, but tactically a whole squad still isn’t the play here. Again, the Resplendent aren’t exactly inconspicuous, and neither are Discordant if you put a dozen of them in one place.

“And even if we did stay under the radar as a group,” she continued, “they’d be in huge danger the moment we actually get to Gravetide. The more creatures show up, the more liable he is to lash out.”

“What in Tartarus is radar?” Oak muttered under his breath before sighing in resignation. “I concede those are mostly good points, but I’m holding onto my objections. I just have to hope I’m still capable enough on my lonesome to protect you.”

“I trust you, Oak,” Sunset confirmed with a small smile. “Don’t be so self-deprecating!”

His only response was a gruff snort, and he put his eyes back onto their course.

Sunset did so, too, and soon found her mind wandering again, despite the once novel activity of flight keeping her body occupied. Her friends were in the thick of it, having likely met with the Saints in both New and Old Canterlot the day prior. Had it gone well, or poorly? She couldn’t help but be concerned; it was in her nature to care.

However, she had to focus on the task at hoof, deal with one problem at a time. Gravetide first, Saints and Paladins second.

Let’s see… time of day, current speed, starting from there… “We should be coming up on Dunshire soon,” Sunset said. “It’s the largest town in the area, so hopefully someone has seen our kirin recently.”

“Yeah,” Oak Chips grunted, “except the reason it’s so well populated is because the Diarchy built a fortress right next to it on the riverbank. The place will be crawling with marines, so we’ll have to be careful.”

“It’ll be fine, we’ve gotten good at this by now,” she reassured him. “You’re just paranoid in your old age.”

He pulled back a bit, smacking Sunset in the face with his tail. “Hey!” she exclaimed, flailing for a moment. “It was just an innocent little jab!”

“You’re the one who could stand to be more cautious, Princess,” Oak emphasized. “There are activities where being headstrong serves you well, but espionage in enemy territory is not one of them.”

“I know, I know,” she confirmed, taking a deep breath of the brisk air. “We just went over this. I won’t get you killed, I swear. I know this isn’t a Chains Bond novel.”

“Of course not,” Oak deadpanned. “At least we’ve got a proven strategy.”

“We do,” she confirmed, stowing away the map in her bags as she flapped. She had just been trying to lighten the mood, but no longer. Especially for a changeling who didn’t appreciate it. “I’ll save the fun and games for later.”

“Good,” he replied, shooting her a brief approving look over his shoulder. “How’s our route progress looking?”

“There should be a road running parallel to the river coming up soon, we should land and get ready,” Sunset said, recalling the last time she’d glanced at their map.

“Aye, ma’am,” he acknowledged.

Sunset kept her muzzle shut as she continued flying, scanning over the treetops for breaks in the forest, or any other airborne shapes larger than a hawk.

They located a gap in the tree line, and Oak gestured downwards towards a small clearing carved through the underbrush by a fallen tree, the mushroom-covered wood slowly decomposing into mush. If Rarity was here, she’d probably complain about it, but Sunset snapped out her wings for a slow, vertical landing. She had bigger worries than getting a bit of dirt stuck to her hooves.

Oak Chips landed next to her, his touchdown as silent as an owl’s. Without preamble, he immediately shapeshifted into a light green earth pony colt of around age eight, wearing cute little overalls. He eyed Sunset expectantly with his normal taciturn manner, which looked almost comical on his tiny face.

She followed suit, igniting her horn and concentrating on herself for a moment. A shifting wave fell around Sunset, starting from her horntip and spreading downwards. She felt the illusion take hold and shivered as it passed. She’d never gotten used to that feeling. Afterward, she gave herself a once-over. Her hooves were blue, as well as both hues in her mane. She couldn’t see them, but her eyes had turned red.

Sunset had never been the best at illusions compared to other unicorns of her caliber - she usually preferred magecraft with more direct applications - but she could certainly manage a basic color inversion like this for hours.

Finally, Sunset covered her horn in a veil of partial invisibility. Combined with her outfit, a traveler’s vest over a basic white shirt and slacks, she looked the part of an ordinary pegasus pony of the Diarchy… just as long as nopony took too close a look at the way her mane settled over her forehead.

Still, this combo of young “Landscape” and his mother “Deep Blue” hadn’t failed so far. Few ponies suspected a mare with a child of being a spy. Sometimes, the best tactic was to hide in plain sight. The only downside was that casting any more spells would instantly reveal her true nature.

“Time for you to channel your inner child,” Deep Blue said, peering down at Landscape. “You’ve still got one, right? Didn’t burn it out?”

“Of course I do, I made toys for Luna’s sake,” he groaned. “Silly mare. And whatever happened to no more jokes?”

“Sorry, sorry,” she replied. Clearing her throat, she got into the role. “Alright, come along now, son.”

“Ok, mommy,” Landscape squeaked, his voice now changed into a much higher register.

Nodding in approval, Deep Blue led the way out of the clearing, walking at a measured pace through the foliage until she and Landscape reached the road. Thankfully, nopony saw them exit, and they took the beaten path of clay-heavy dirt towards Dunshire.

After about twenty minutes of walking, the first buildings peeked into view, cabins built from solid, dark logs. It was go time.

Closing the distance, she couldn’t see too many faces out and about, and those who were met hers with suspicion, quickly turning away to return to their business. Other ponies spoke huddled close in hushed whispers, ignoring them entirely. Was this because they were new faces to the tight-knit town, or was something else going on?

Before she committed to approaching anyone to ask, Deep Blue glanced down at Landscape. His own eyes zipped about with the quickness of a curious foal, or one trained in observation. After a beat, his gaze settled on something off to their right, and he spun to gallop in that direction. “Mommy, look!” he exclaimed.

“Don’t just run off, sweetie!” she shouted after him before matching his pace with a canter. He seemed to be beelining towards a medium-sized stump with a lumberjack’s hatchet resting atop it and a pile of firewood close by.

What was so unusual about that?

When he reached the stump, he picked up something small and dark out of the nearby grass. She would never have spotted it. Covering for any onlookers, Deep Blue said “Don’t touch that, it’s sharp! And impolite to touch things that aren’t yours.”

“Aww. I thought we could use it,” Landscape pouted. However, at the same time, he held up the object in his hoof for her to see. And she froze.

It was half of a black inhibitor ring. Crystal Empire make.

Her pulse accelerated. Gravetide had been here. But was he still in Dunshire? Moreover, was he even still alive?

They needed to find out.

Quickly stowing the broken ring in her bags, Deep Blue dragged Landscape back to the main road. But how best to approach this? Well, probably how the average Diarchy citizen would react to a kirin in their midst. With fear.

Deep Blue trotted up to the first pony she saw who didn’t seem too preoccupied with something else, her colt practically stepping on her hooves. She was an earth pony mare, just old enough to start getting wrinkles on her face, carrying two buckets of water from the river on the ends of a pole draped across her back.

“Excuse me, ma’am, could I trouble you for a moment?” she asked. While not her most natural personality, it never hurt to be excessively polite, and after two years of high society functions, Sunset had plenty of exposure. Still, she didn’t tamp down on her rising concern at all, as it would only help her act as she amended their cover story.

The mare, who had already turned to face them as they approached, only stopped moving and furrowed her brows.

“Why isn’t she saying anything?” asked Landscape gormlessly.

The mare snorted. “I don’t recognize you. Go home,” she demanded.

Now to hope the story she’d just spun up worked. “That’s just it,” Deep Blue began, “our village was attacked by some sort of mad creature! I was afraid it might come back, and that my son would be safer here near the garrison until we know it’s gone for good,” she explained, projecting desperation, wings clutched at her sides.

Immediately, the mare’s demeanor shifted, suspicion partially giving way to sympathy. “You too? The whole affair was dreadful. I’m trying to put it out of my mind.”

Deep Blue gasped theatrically. “It was here? Is everypony alright?”

The mare was hesitant to answer, opening her mouth briefly before shutting it and eying the two of them in turn. “Could be. And… no. The screams…” she shuddered.

Landscape’s ears lowered as he flinched. Deep Blue bit her lip, pulling him into a protective hug.

“Those still in their homes were the ones who got off easy,” the mare continued, looking away, grief written on her muzzle. “The ones hit by evil magic are in the fort right now.”

“A-Are they okay?” Landscape tentatively asked.

But the middle-aged mare was already carefully trotting away with her water pails, not willing to pay them heed anymore now that they’d broached a sensitive subject. “Go see for yourselves, if you care so much.”

Well, that wasn’t ominous at all.

“Thank you, and take care!” Deep Blue exclaimed towards her retreating form. Pulling her hooves away from Landscape, she looked down at him. “Let’s go, honey. We’ll be safe in the fort.”

He nodded, glancing around at the other townsponies. Sunset followed his gaze. All continued to keep their distance, and seemed to have ignored their entire exchange. None of them were likely to appreciate being pressed for more information. No other foals were at play, windows on some of the houses were boarded up, and everypony on the streets moved with anxious purpose, quickly pulling carts to and fro. Nopony was relaxed in the least, the tension from Gravetide’s attack apparently quite pronounced.

The people of Dunshire were shell shocked, and Sunset understood they needed space to mend. She certainly wouldn’t poke at their wounds any longer, as she had another mission on her plate.

Their best bet for more information on Gravetide’s current whereabouts was the fort and its Marines, who were more likely to be used to such crises. So that was where they headed, deeper into town.

She kept her strides short so Landscape could keep up. “I wonder if the army ponies will actually help us,” he voiced.

“They will,” she insisted, both to ‘reassure her child’ and to bolster her own confidence.

They said nothing to one another after that, sticking close and observing everything carefully as the dirt paths became more compacted and the cabins closer together in the town’s heart. Despite this, Sunset noted it didn’t get any less quiet. Even for its size, there was less activity in Dunshire than she’d been expecting. Ahead of them, much of the forest had been cleared away, leaving an open field.

Beyond the field, Fort Limestone loomed, with all the imposing walls and utilitarian crenellations of a castle but none of the majestic splendor. Either the name was just a coincidence, or the Diarchy got the qualities of somepony connected to one of the old Elements perfectly for once. Sunset had met human Limestone before, and she was just as uninviting on the surface. Even the gray stone matched, though it probably wasn’t actually limestone, the rock.

About halfway across the field, a short exterior wall wrapped around on three sides, the river serving as the fourth. The gate facing Dunshire was currently being watched by two marine colts with rifles hanging from their sides. Why only two? Sunset asked herself.

Deep Blue approached slowly, with a measured pace. The marines eyed her and Landscape with cautious expressions despite their age. They looked barely old enough to be in uniform, around fifteen or sixteen. She wasn’t an expert, but she was pretty sure the absence of insignia signified they were conscripts. One had a brown mane, the other red. Only when they saw Landscape did their expressions soften slightly.

She stopped far enough away so as not to provoke them but close enough to be heard. “Um, excuse me, sirs, but I heard there was a unicorn attack here in Dunshire recently. Ours was attacked, too, and I was hoping my son and I could take shelter with the others.”

“The beast could be anywhere, right? I wanna stay in there, where it can’t get us!” Landscape said, pointing through the gate.

Good, Sunset thought. He was subtly probing for confirmation as to Gravetide’s survival.

“Only victims of the creature’s spellcraft and their families are being allowed in,” said the colt on the left, the brown maned one, as he studied them with a critical eye. “The General won’t allow any nonessential personnel on base. For security and safety reasons.”

The red-maned private seemed a bit more sympathetic. He hummed in consideration, adjusting his cap. “Wish I would help ya, but orders are orders. Both of you seem fine. Your best bet? Go get a room at the inn and pray the monster doesn’t come back. Trust me.”

Deep Blue nearly bit her tongue. Well, that was that question answered, at least. Gravetide’s death would have been tragic, but it also would have been the last avoidable loss caused by his desperate actions. With him still at large, she also needed to know where he’d gone to prevent an incident like this from repeating elsewhere.

And that meant they needed information from those who actually encountered Gravetide: the ponies inside. Where had he escaped to?

Deep Blue frowned, letting her true urgency bleed out. “Some ‘security’, then, if you’d leave a mare and her foal unguarded. There could be more unicorns ready and waiting to invade in the night! My poor baby could be hurt!”

Landscape let out a squeak, shaking on his hooves.

The private on the left was unmoved. “So could we. The sick ponies inside are contained to prevent whatever this is from potentially spreading. In that case, ma’am, you’d be better off where you are.”

Red glanced at Brown in alarm. Evidently that hadn’t occurred to him. He looked like he was about to say something, but clenched his jaw instead, turning back to her and Landscape.

“But I wanna be in the big fort anyway!” Landscape exclaimed, stomping a hoof. “If something bad happens I wanna be with the army ponies!”

“Too bad, kid. Rules are rules. Come back in a decade and join up like the rest of us,” said Brown, his voice devoid of pity.

With a huff, Landscape walked off a short distance and plonked his butt on the grass, facing away.

It was clear, their visible status alone wasn’t enough to warrant entrance. So it was on Sunset to come up with something more convincing. What could be a good reason without being liable to blow up in their face?

After a moment, the answer came to her. Taking a small, shuffling step closer, Deep Blue lowered her ears and her voice. “Look, I didn’t want to bring this up in front of my son, but… there’s also a high chance my brother is among the victims. He was living in town but I couldn’t find him anywhere.” She sniffled. “P-Please. I need to see. I need to know.”

The pair stared at her for a beat, and she was unsure if they bought her acting. It didn’t matter if all the victims had been identified already or not; the odds those other than the medics knew either way was slim, given how these two seemed to be in the dark about most details.

Before Brown could get a word in, Red nodded in understanding, his mouth set in a line. “I’ll signal our CO, but it might take a while.”

“T-That’s fine,” Deep Blue said gratefully.

Nodding, Brown reached for a pole beside him, attaching some colored signal flags before using a pulley to hoist them up such that they’d be visible over the wall.

She trotted over to Landscape, feeling very proud of herself and doing her best not to show it. She pulled a small rubber ball out of her bags and passed it to him. As he made a show of burning the energy of youth and alleviating boredom by kicking it, cantering over, and kicking it back, she simply watched, ordering her thoughts and plotting out possible courses of action to take once they were inside.

Since this wasn’t a Knight facility, and this General was already letting in locals, it was unlikely they’d be scanned for illusions with a gauntlet, which was nice. Having multiple platoons of highly trained, armed ponies who all knew each other was enough of an infiltration deterrent by itself. They’d mainly be worried about a changeling trying to pass as an officer and access classified documents or steal weapons.

They would never expect an alicorn to waltz right in under their noses. Especially with all this waiting.

After a supremely uneventful half an hour, a firm voice suddenly echoed through the wooden gate, making her jolt back into alertness. “Let them in! With the Mystics here nopony will try anything.”

Sunset cursed internally. Of course there were Knights Mystics visiting Fort Limestone to investigate the strange magic at work.

She could only hope they were preoccupied with other matters and wouldn’t interact with her and Oak. If they did? Well, that could be bad. But this was far from the worst position she’d ever been in. Besides, she was an alicorn now, with a lot more firepower.

“Aye, sir!” replied the red-coated marine, who then pulled open the gate.

As Landscape collected the ball and sidled up back next to Deep Blue, keeping his own reaction under wraps, the brown-coated private gestured them forwards. “I’ll escort you two. Move fast, and don’t impede anyone on the way.”

Landscape nodded in an exaggerated manner, pantomiming zipping his lips. Deep Blue replied with an easy “Of course.”

With that, he led them inside, marching. They stuck close, Deep Blue picking up Landscape and resting him on her back. Inside the wall, the grass was churned up in places from the repeated impact of countless drilling hooves.

The stallion who’d given permission was high-tailing it back to the fort, evidently quite busy. And not just him, given there were no ponies galloping in laps today. Instead, they all were working hard, lines of soldiers rapidly hauling crates of supplies out of Fort Limestone and into armored wagons that faced a gate on the north wall. No, not mere supplies, ammunition, as following the crates came mortars and heavy machine guns. And there were already a ton of barrels piled high at various points around the fort.

As they passed, the thud of each impact as they were deposited and the constant barking of orders from those controlling the process reached her ears. Far from impassive, many of the soldiers had expressions of excitement or fear. All were obviously anticipating something unusual to come.

A single rogue kirin wouldn’t prompt this level of preparation, nor this level of emotion. Not to mention the Mystics. Just what were these Diarchy soldiers up to? And why?

Deep Blue nearly tripped when it came to her. No. It couldn’t be.

She and Landscape locked eyes. The concern in them was surely a mirror to her own.

This was bigger than one stallion, bigger than anything she’d expected to learn here. What would have happened to the Empire if they hadn’t uncovered this?

She couldn’t do anything about it now without drawing suspicion. Best to simply observe passively for now and send a message via dragonfire later.

They wouldn’t be mustering for a while, yet, but if the Diarchy truly was preparing for war, she’d have to abandon pursuit of Gravetide and return to the Empire’s defense. They needed more information.

Still, this revelation heightened her focus. She kept her eyes on the private escorting them even as she tried to pick out more details from idle chatter among the marines. Unfortunately they were disciplined enough that there wasn’t any. She frowned slightly, unable to keep the petulant look entirely off her face. It never went this way in movies or games.

As they continued, Deep Blue spotted a distinct shape parked behind a supply warehouse: an airship. Judging by the massive starburst painted on its hull, it was how the Mystics had gotten here.

Yet there was something odd about it. That antenna poking out of the top clearly wasn’t for radio; it was far too chunky, a huge segmented tube wired with multiple large horseshoe magnets. She could probably figure it out if she could get close, but there was basically no chance of that happening. Their mere presence here inside Fort Limestone was risky enough.

As her thoughts returned to the fort, the marine had led them to a side entrance, the colt opening the thick door for them. “Hurry up, no dawdling.”

Filing all this away, Deep Blue wasted no time following instructions and trotting through into an unmarked corridor, Landscape shifting between her folded wings. The private paved the way through a maze of twists and turns, designed to confuse would-be intruders. But her memory was exceptional, and she noted each hallway and intersection as they went. One particular room stood out to Sunset due to its solitary position at a dead end and that fact it had a small, single door instead of a wide double door or open entryway like all the others. A war room, or general’s office?

This part of the fortress was bereft of other marines. However, she did see many more stacks of barrels in odd locations, each with a red symbol painted on the side. Just how much supplies did they have?

Regardless, they didn’t encounter anypony else until they reached their destination. The brown colt flung open the door and announced their arrival. “Two more for you lot,” he announced.

“We’re hiding!” Landscape explained guilelessly.

There were many details to take in as multiple ponies looked their way, three of whom were wearing the large red hearts on their jackets that signified their status as army medics.

The room was roughly divided into two halves, though there were no partitions of any sort between them. One was a treatment area for the wounded, the other a storage area for related equipment which had been partially converted into a lounge. A single small, open window let in fresh air and sunlight above.

Deep Blue stepped inside, schooling her face into displaying embarrassment rather than worry at the attention.

Now that they were inside, the private adjusted his rifle and left without another word, swinging the door shut with a slam as he raced back to his post. Sunset was glad he didn’t bother explaining why they were let in. She supposed the frenetic status of the fort was working in their favor.

Medics aside, there weren't any soldiers on alert in here, only other common ponies. The latter fell into two categories. The first were clearly ponies like Deep Blue and Landscape, who were taking shelter out of fear. They sat at mesh metal tables, passing the time reading or chatting amongst themselves. One earth mare was pacing back and forth anxiously. A group of fillies played with dolls in the corner, brushing faux manes and pantomiming actions. Many were watching the new arrivals with naked curiosity.

The other category included those being tended to by the medics, reclining on linen-wrapped cots. She wanted to ask them some questions first anyway, and get a closer look. The medics and refugees alike were haggard and worn, the former from exhaustion, the latter from their ordeal. Postures were slumped, and tails hung low.

As if sensing her intent, Landscape hopped off her back and ran straight for them, eying the uniformed mares with unfettered curiosity. Deep Blue chased after him as he got straight to business, asking “Are they okay? What are you doing?”

She pulled away from the stallion she’d been examining the right eye of, magnifying scope in hoof. As Deep Blue pulled Landscape back with her hooves and apologized, the medic nonetheless answered him. “Physically, the ponies who were attacked by the unicorn are fine, but something’s very wrong mentally, and we don’t know how to fix it.”

“I feel fine,” the stallion in the cot said, his dull green eyes betraying no relief. Or insistence, or much of anything, really. “I would like to leave soon. The crops require attention.”

Deep Blue couldn’t hide her stare. It was as if his face was as neutral as possible, more akin to a marionette than a flesh-and-blood pony. With Pinkie’s sisters on the brain, he reminded her a bit of Maud, but even she showed hints of emotion beneath her flat, awkward affect.

In this stallion, though, there was nothing.

“Your wife still insists you aren’t, ever since that thieving mutant worked his sorcery,” the medic said, exasperated, rubbing her temple as she gazed sidelong at Deep Blue. “Would you believe he’s one of the lucky ones?”

“We don’t blame you one bit for sheltering here,” chimed in one of the other medics, who had her mane tied in a tight bun under her cap. “Just look at this poor soul. Nothing I’ve tried has roused him. All I can do is keep him breathing.”

Deep Blue looked at the pony to whom she was tending. This stallion was even more well-built than the first, with a truly muscular lumberjack’s physique that would make him formidable in a fight. Yet his glassy eyes and drooling, half-open lips betrayed an utter lack of awareness.

Part of her had known to expect this, but… shit. Yeah, this was definitely Gravetide’s work. Despite her wealth of mystic knowledge, there was nothing Sunset could do for a pony disconnected from their soul. At least not all of the victims were complete vegetables, though still she couldn’t say if that was better or worse for their family and friends. Whatever his values may have been, nopony deserved this.

Time for the real reason they were here. Deep Blue nodded solemnly, facing the bun-sporting medic. “I appreciate your non-judgment. In truth, my son and I weren't planning on staying long. We’ll go home as soon as we know it’s safe again.”

“Yeah, monster or not, staying cooped up in here sounds really boring, no offense,” said Landscape.

“None taken,” the medic cheekily replied.

“In that case, you should probably go talk to the others,” said the second medic, who pointed to the villagers idling away in the storage/lounge area. “We’re working here.”

“My apologies,” Deep Blue said, inclining her head. “We’ll get out of your manes.”

She turned, nudging Landscape away from the cots with a wing as she went over to the group of temporary refugees. As heads turned towards them, she introduced herself properly. “Hello, everypony. I’m Deep Blue, and this is my son, Landscape.”

“Don’t recognise ye,” grumped an old pegasus over his book, about as amiable as the rest of the ponies here. “I know all the faces ‘round these parts. You somepony’s relatives or somesuch? Saint Dash as my witness, you sure picked a rough time to show up for a visit.”

“We sure did,” she confirmed.

A surprisingly cheerful cream-coated mare with pigtails that nearly brushed the floor alongside her dress waved once. “Hello, Miss Blue, and hello little Landscape! I’m Half-n-half, but most folks call me Halvsies.”

Deep Blue pointedly maintained eye contact. “It’s nice to meet you, Halvsies, even if this isn’t the most pleasant of circumstances.”

“Ugh, all this grown-up talk is already getting old. I’m gonna go play with those fillies, if that’s okay?” Landscape asked, interrupting.

“That’s fine, honey,” Deep Blue said, dismissing him.

He ran off to insert himself into what the other foals were doing. Was it awkward knowing he was actually a grown adult? Yes, but probably not nearly as awkward as it was for Oak to keep up appearances. He’d likely make some excuse and rejoin her in short order, once he’d organized his thoughts, maybe field recommended next steps.

“He’s got the right idea,” Halvsies said. “Make yourself comfortable, while you can. Don’t want to take any blessings for granted, after all.”

Deep Blue hummed, glancing back at the occupied cots before forcing the words out. “Yes. Thank Saint Rarity they’re still alive.”

Sunset made a mental note to apologize to her fellow princess later.

Halvsies closed her eyes. “And thank the Diarchs for their intervention in driving the monster away. I bet the clergy will be using this story to set an example for decades,” she noted, rolling her eyes. “As if we need another one. We’re already model citizens of the Diarchy, being kind to our neighbors while rooting out blasphemies. Who needs monsters when there could be sin bubbling up anywhere, right?”

Including directly in front of you, by Diarchy doctrine, Sunset mused. Oh, the irony.

“Speaking of, I know we just got here, but you wouldn’t happen to know which way that… horned cretin went after he fled, do you?” Deep Blue asked. “Preferably, I’d like to usher my only foal in the opposite direction.”

She chuckled at that. “Fair enough. Personally, I’d rather grind him into a bloody paste with my bare hooves for what he did to my sister!”

Deep Blue blanched a little at how nonchalantly she admitted that. Okay, cute in the kinda innocent way, and a smidge unhinged. What are the odds she’s the reincarnation of Sour Sweet?

“But yes, I was there,” Halvsies added, her eyes going distant. “I remember it vividly; he ran south-east down Trader’s Road. Most of the local traffic crosses the river at the bridge first, so there’s only so many places he could head to from there. Alas, I can’t chase after him, otherwise my folks would be too sad,” she added with a sigh, gesturing with her tail to a despondent couple in the corner behind her.

Perfect. That was more than enough information to plot an interception intervention for Gravetide. That just left whatever was going on here in the fort. Deep Blue looked away to hide her satisfaction, peering at the rays of light coming in through the high window. “I’m sure the Knights Adamant will track him down soon enough.”

Not sooner than she would, Sunset hoped. Her eyes wandered back to the medics, and the ponies they tended.

“No foul beast can escape their wrath for long,” Halvsies confirmed. “It’s a shame they don’t station any here because of this fort. We only ever get Jubilants out here in the sticks.”

Hmm. Guess she doesn’t know about the Mystics, then? Curiouser and curiouser.

“I’ll be marrying age, soon,” Halvsies continued, “and I was hoping to find a dependable noble scion to—”

However, Landscape interrupted, running back up to them. “I need to use the bathroom,” he declared.

Outwardly, Deep Blue frowned and said “Already? You should have gone earlier,” but inside she was cheering. He must have overheard that she’d just gotten what they needed, and this would be a great excuse to do some extra snooping before they left.

“Sorry, Mom,” he said, ears drooping.

“It’s fine,” she insisted, before addressing Halvsies. “Do you know where it is? Does he need an escort?”

“In order: yes and no,” she said. “It’s the next room down the hall on your right. Just don’t go anywhere else, or the marines will not be happy.”

“I’ll take him, make sure he doesn’t get into trouble,” Deep Blue said. “And thank you.”

“No problem; we’ll chat more when you get back!” Halvsies exclaimed.

As she led Landscape back out of the room, shutting the door behind them, they traded pointed gazes. He flicked his tail in a pronounced manner, and she nodded, understanding his intent. With that, he slinked off not to the right, but back the way they came, to the probable war room. She followed on his heels.

Reaching the intersection, she was about to move past him, but he held out a leg to stop her and shot her a look, as if to say “I’m the changeling, I can literally be a fly on the wall.” If only she knew all the relevant code gestures, this would be easier.

Still, Deep shook her head, silently poking the floor with a hoof, signaling to Oak that he should keep watch. For one, who knew what would happen if he tried shapeshifting inside the fort, as there could be alarm wards in place. Really, though, she just wanted to be the one to listen in. Princesses never got to do anything this thrilling normally!

Landscape sighed as he stayed put, looking back and forth for soldiers and Mystics in the manner of a distractingly lost child.

Deep Blue approached the office with careful steps before pressing her ear gently against the varnished wood, and words faintly flickered into hearing. She let her own consciousness fade away as she put everything into memorizing and analyzing this speech.

“—of the readiness and discipline your forces have demonstrated, which is commendable, the fact remains that I was unaware of such an operation being greenlit,” a stallion with an atypically high-pitched voice noted. “You wouldn’t leave me out to dry, would you?”

“I’m sure there’s already a letter on your desk back in New Canterlot informing you of all the details, Master Inquisitor,” dismissed a second with a bass rumble.

“Perhaps so. And yet, it is still rather strange that the High General did not see fit to inform us at the same time, yes?”

“This crusade is a military matter. Admiral Wide Salvo and I have everything well in hoof.”

“I’m not doubting that you do, General Overkill. In regard to combat tactics, your acumen is second to none. But you know that’s not why I’m here. My job is to uncover the secret truths that hide in the shadows, and your shadow has grown long enough to catch my eye ever since the Saints appeared.”

“Just what are you insinuating, Temerity?”

“Oh, I insinuate nothing. I am merely asking you to provide any missing pieces of evidence which might counter my current picture of recent events. I don’t want to coerce it out of you, as you are my brother in faith, but I will if I must.”

“And if I give you that evidence, will you get out of my mane and sail on back home? I have much work to do.”

“Of course, I give you my word. The more knowledge I have, the better I can serve the ponies of Equestria in these tumultuous times.”

After a long silence, there was a heavy sigh. “At the end of the day, does it really matter how high in the chain of command this operation originated?” the general posed after a beat. “At last, we’re crushing the Crystal Empire and taking her ponies back into the fold where they belong! I figured you would be pleased with my initiative, alongside the returned Saints.”

“And the final piece falls into place,” Temerity said, his tone now losing a bit of its cordiality. “Of course, it all ties back to them.”

“Is that doubt I detect, Master Inquisitor? How could you not be thrilled at the fortuitous arrival of the Saints? I thought they were helping you better quell discord within our righteous nation!”

“Doubt is what I do. I’ve already asked them plenty of questions, and now it’s your turn. Have any of the Saints contacted you? How involved is the Admiral in this plan of yours? And who else knows about this?”

“I thought you were leaving,” growled General Overkill. “I gave you what you wanted.”

“Not everything. It’s not unusual, I’m just performing the due diligence required of my station. Perhaps you should prove to me you deserve yours.”

The faint tapping of a hoof against the floor reached her ear. “I figured you might try to have me removed.”

“I don’t desire that any more than you do. I barely know you. But if you continue down this path, I will have no choice but to mete out punishment. When push comes to shove—”

“Ah,” the general interrupted, “but I’m afraid that I’m one step ahead of you, as even if you do, it will be war.”

There was a pause.

It was a lot for Sunset to digest. A Master Inquisitor of the Mystics. Here, investigating near certain insubordination at the highest level, involving what amounted to a secret invasion plan, the true nature of which the general was even hiding from his own ponies!

“And just what do you mean by that?” eventually asked the Inquisitor. “Does it have anything to do with the interloper listening in on this conversation?”

Oh, shit. Deep Blue quickly whipped her head around to look behind her: no other Knights or marines seemed to be coming. Did she make a run for it now or keep listening?

Either way, there was no chance they were staying.

Heart racing, blood pounding through her ears, Sunset broke her disguise to spellcast, pulling out a dragonfire scroll. Though her hooves were twitching, her magic did not waver, and she cast a transcription spell from her days with Celestia to write at the speed of thought, even as she kept one ear to the door.

Landscape’s jaw dropped in shock, and Oak Chips quickly undid his own transformation, limbs tensed to act on her orders at any moment. His immediately turned his full attention on the hallway, making doubly sure none saw her hornglow.

Her first first priority was to get all this information back to the Empire. Then the Empire’s own agents could relay it to North Wing through Grand Master Magenta Mirror or some other intermediary. The scrolls were impossible to intercept, and she trusted her comrades to keep order, even if the worst happened.

While she was doing all that, General Overkill replied. “They’re not one of yours? No matter. I have a contingency in place. You see, I have enough black powder rigged up to level this entire base, and my ponies have standing orders to detonate it if you try anything. If that happens, the destruction will surely be blamed on the Empire.”

As the general let a terrible silence fall, Sunset’s face paled. What the fuck? All those barrels were bombs? This stallion was insane! Even beyond endangering his own subordinates, there were injured civilians in the fort!

“Well now. I certainly wasn’t expecting that,” went the inquisitor, voice now wavering slightly. “So, you wanted to ensure this crusade of yours happened regardless of the cost. But what’s stopping me from simply issuing your marines new orders? I outrank you.”

“Nothing, by the book at least,” General Overkill noted. “But at the end of the day, they’re loyal to me, not the bogeyponies of the inquisition. Do you really think they would have gone along with such a bold plan if they weren’t?”

As Temerity cursed, Sunset finished writing her scroll, sending it off with a puff of flame. Immediately turning around, she started galloping back to Oak, eyes peeled. She didn’t know what Temerity would do to deal with this treasonous maniac and his plan, but for once, Sunset was glad that those who co-opted Twilight’s Mark were so good at their jobs.

Now, she and Oak just had to book it before the Mystics caught them. What a huge mess this simple infiltration had turned into!

Case in point, Temerity suddenly burst through the door behind her clutching a portable radio in his hoof. Whatever he had been about to say died in his throat when he saw Sunset rapidly fleeing the scene.

The moment extended as Oak raced towards her to meet halfway in the hall, mandibles clenched.

Sunset drew closer and closer with each impact of hoof on stone.

The Master Inquisitor recovered his wits and raised his gauntlet, tracing a rune, and then beginning a second.

The instant Sunset was close enough to Oak, she teleported the two of them six stories straight up, just barely faster than Temerity. Spacetime warped around her, and then a rush of wind.

Immediately, she opened her wings and sprinted through the air, not even bothering to check the direction she was going. “We need to move! This whole base could blow at any second!”

Balking, Oak buzzed alongside her as shouts of alarm reached them from below. “Seriously? What’s going on? What did you do?”

“Not me, the general! He’s crazy!” Sunset exclaimed, watching as some of the marines on watch raised their weapons to shoot. She quickly threw up a shield and kept flying, Oak doing the same. “I’ll tell you everything once we’re out of this mess!”

And what a mess it was. Sunset was clear of the fort proper now and was flapping hard for the outer wall. Adrenaline poured through her, to the point where she knew she’d be shaking the second she stopped moving.

Bullets pinged off of their shields from below and behind, each ping an echo of the gun’s rapport. In her hyperaware peripheral vision, Sunset traced each to grim-faced marine. The sound nearly drowned out the static-filled words of radios blaring to life all over the place.

She whipped her head back and forth so quickly to watch her surroundings that her neck would be sore later. Oak’s motions were more restrained, with all the cool Sunset wished she had. Everything had boiled over so quickly she had zero time to adjust!

A pair of pegasus marines took to the air from a parapet on her right to give chase, an incensed Knight Mystic bringing up the rear. The glare of the daylight reflected off her armor, forcing Sunset’s dilated pupils to contract slightly.

Princess or not, having so many hostiles chasing her led to more fear worming into Sunset’s chest.

Would they really be able to outmaneuver everypony in the fort? Just how many Knights had come in on that airship? Her days of resistance had ended badly precisely because of situations like this where she’d bitten off more than she could chew. Sunset couldn’t fight now, she had to move, and she devoted her whole effort into her flight.

Pushing her speed to its limit, she only barely managed to outfly the marines on her tail, Oak having shifted back into a pegasus himself to keep pace. If they reached her, managed to gang up on her from all sides…

However, as Sunset passed over the rushing river which cut the fort’s grounds, the bullets stopped sending stings into her horn through her shield, even as the tumultuous noise grew. The marines pursuing her abruptly cried out in shock. Sunset flinched. Confused, she spun back around to look.

It was the Mystic. She had attacked the marines, one already plummeting to the earth in an uncontrolled tumble. The other was tangled amidst her hooves, and they traded blows as the Knight tried to clap manacles on him midair.

What?

Uncomprehending and chancing a glance below, Sunset was bewildered at the sight of the place. In less than a minute, it had entirely devolved into chaos.

A handful of Knights Mystic, along with some of the marines, were now trying to keep the rest of the marines away from the explosive barrels by detaining them, or were busy trying to render the gunpowder inert by pulling fuses or dumping water.

She could hardly believe their good fortune. And neither could Oak, going by the look on his face.

The Master Inquisitor was on their side.

Here, a group of soldiers dug in behind a stack of ration bags as makeshift cover. There, Knights hurling concussive bolts. Everything blended together in Sunset’s eyes into a raging morass, and even those fighting seemed to be occasionally attacking those on the same side.

More pegasi whirled about over the fort, some forming rainclouds from the humid air, but none had their attention or fire aimed at Sunset or Oak any longer.

Those who tried were quickly tackled, in turn shot themselves, or blasted with spells from Mystic gauntlets in their moment of distraction.

Finally, a series of smaller, individual explosions were detonating all around Fort Limestone, sending deafening booms into the air and collapsing small portions of the structure.

Sunset gasped, but all she could do for now was hope the civilians were alright. She couldn’t tell which side was winning. All that mattered was that Temerity had prioritized stopping Overkill’s traitorous plot over capturing her, and that his Knights, in turn, were keeping the marines’ attention.

They had to keep moving, before this fresh battle died down. Breathing a huge sigh only to inhale just as deeply to fuel her wings, Sunset rode her adrenaline wave and flew away, Oak covering her back.