Rising Flames

Recording of a conversation from one week prior to Princess Sunset Shimmer’s arrival at Fort Limestone, captured by a nanomachine bug planted in Master Inquisitor Temerity’s office.

“Ah, Lady Crucible. What brings you here at this busy hour?”

“I was hoping to hear your take on all this. Everything’s moving quickly, too much so for my liking. First what happened with Steadfast, and now this? Something smells, and it isn’t daisies.”

“Oh, you’re very right about that. I’ve caught that scent as well. Did you really even need to ask? You are the same rank as I, you’ve perused all the same records. The real ones. And they don’t add up with what we’re seeing. Something is amiss, that is for certain.”

“Obviously. But what’s our course of action? Has the Grand Master issued you any orders?”

“Not yet. If she did, I believe they would be delivered with the strictest of security protocols. For now, I’m merely… making preparations. Putting contingencies in place. Speaking with Knights in the order who know better than anyone what this discrepancy represents.”

“I came to the same conclusion. For now, we watch them. Carefully. Gauge their intentions. If their motives are pure, well, all the better. We can capitalize. But if they overstep their bounds, then…”

“Exactly. We’ll intervene, no matter what that entails. For the Diarchy and her ponies.”

“For the Diarchy. I appreciate your shared insight, my friend.”

“Likewise. And take care. You never know who might be listening.”

Rarity froze, staring uncomprehendingly at Heartwing. “What?” she whispered.

The word repeated in Rarity’s head: War. An avalanche, barreling down upon her. Screams ringing in her ears. The cloying, coppery scent of blood. A torrent of grief, for those named and nameless, friend and foe. Fruitless pain. Sensations she’d pushed to the back of her mind, hoping never to experience their like again. And yet the nightmare was on the verge of returning.

And she wasn’t the only one grappling with such cold anticipation. Rarity felt the waves of condemnation and fear swept through the cave, ponies bristling with fight-or-flight instinct. Cactus Flower’s face paled. Cadance stiffened.

However, others were already reacting, and when Rarity raised her ears, a cacophony of voices combined with powerful hoofbeats reached her.

Heartwing, composed and stern: “—want every civilian remotely near here evacuated per code—”

Saint Pinkamena, confused and shocked: “—have no idea what he’s—”

Ninelives, deadly calm: “—not make any hostile moves unless—”

Saint Fluttershy, angry: “—didn’t you tell us if you were going to—”

Cadance, voice shaky: “—word back immediately to prepare for an imminent—”

It was immensely difficult for Rarity to process it all, and it only got harder to tell who was addressing who as blood pounded in her skull and more shouts joined the tumult. Knights streamed in and out like leaves in a storm, following the rush of new orders. Terminus’ wings lay half-open at his sides, eyes steely and grim as he moved closer to Heartwing protectively.

The only creature who did not seem to be reacting visibly was Saint Twilight. She simply stared in silence, stone-like even as Paladin Ten stepped closer to shield her. Cobalt did the same, steppling close to Rarity’s side, as did Cadance’s pair of Resplendent.

Chills running down her spine, Rarity reflexively turned her head backwards, to Emberglow. She was shivering, looking as distraught as Rarity felt. An equally worried Topaz stepped backwards huddled close to Lofty, who ushered her away, keeping his body between Topaz and the Paladins. Emberglow’s head whipped back and forth, torn between retreating with them or rushing to Rarity’s side. A pang of guilt struck her merely knowing it was partially her own fault Emberglow was in this situation to begin with.

The overlapping shouts of nearly everyone at the table grew louder, joined by fresh shock, anger, and panic from the spectators. Rarity tensed at the cries for the Saints to be expelled, or worse. Some of the Discordant rapidly tightened their perimeter around the stage, ready to intervene despite their lack of weapons in case the Saints decided to try something. Meanwhile, the rest moved to control the crowd, spittle and vitriol flying from mouths as limbs waved in the air even as the rest of the Knights remained steady and herded them away, pushing back any who tried breaking through the cordon.

Those at the table were much calmer, relatively, which helped Rarity stay centered. Saint Fluttershy was watching them carefully as Saint Pinkamena frowned in dismay. Heartwing was gesturing for calm with two raised hooves. Empress Cadance’s stiffened with dismay.

Much like Saint Twilight, Grand Master Turquoise didn’t seem put off by the revelation in the least, her stern gaze simply bouncing between the Saints for direction. What the Paladins thought, Rarity couldn’t tell, for their faces remained covered. Only their body language indicated their readiness to react if need be. But none of them moved.

However, Rarity couldn’t get lost in her thoughts. She had to take command.

“Knights Discordant!” Rarity exclaimed over the din. “Do not attack our guests unless they raise weapons first!” she ordered. Most of them nodded in confirmation.

Gradually, the ruckus around them died down as more and more of the creatures of Angel’s Rest were ushered away, replaced by a weighty chill in the air, born of fresh urgency.

Clarity struck with something like the chime of a bell in Rarity’s head. She had plenty more questions to ask Saint Twilight and her subordinates, now, as long as the negotiation had yet to completely collapse.

If there was any way she could still resolve this peacefully, she would take it.

Once it was quiet enough, Saint Fluttershy broke the silence, placing her forehooves down onto the table with a wooden thump. “We did not order a war,” she said, heat in her voice.

“That is correct,” echoed Saint Twilight.

There was a long pause. Everyone straightened, including Rarity. Blinking and retracting her wings, she joined her peers in leveling her stare at the mare. The crystals set in front of them remained unlit. They were telling the truth, Rarity realized with shock, albeit in differing fashions.

But if that was the case, then why was the Diarchy’s army on the move?

Rarity felt weirdly lightheaded, as though she might float away on the wind at any moment. She glanced at her allies on either side, doing her best not to appear as confused and anxious as she felt. Cadance’s muzzle was schooled into an expression of composure. Heartwing’s brow furrowed in thought, calculations swirling in his eyes. Terminus remained stoic. Cobalt snorted through his beak. Ninelives crossed his hooves. The mayor was terribly rattled.

“Of course they didn’t,” Turquoise said, shaking her head. “As if those with divine providence would ever stoop to such a barbaric deception as to attack during parley. Your foolish spy obviously just misinterpreted events.” She smiled with no small amount of confidence.

Heartwing narrowed his steely stare at her. “No, I do not think that is the case. We train them much better than that, Grand Master,” he replied, managing to keep the venom out of his voice.

Saint Pinkamena pursed her lips, glancing sidelong at Turquoise in something Rarity could only interpret as disapproval, but she didn’t seem to notice.

Cadance nodded to him and Rarity. “I have full confidence in the Discordant information network.”

“Thank you,” Rarity said, glad to have their faith in her relatively fresh leadership. She cleared her throat. “Our agent wasn’t mistaken. If they say there is a force marching on the Empire as we speak, then there is. So who, then, gave the order to muster?” she pressed.

“A valid query,” said Saint Twilight, her auroral robes shifting in the magelight. “Allow me to further address this development. To reiterate, we did not order any attack on the Crystal Empire. That would go counter to my optimized strategy of gradual cultural takeover. Probability dictates it was most likely one or more ponies in the marine corps.”

The marines? Rarity hadn’t spared them much thought recently. She had so many other things on her plate.

At that moment, at the edge of her vision, Rarity noticed Emberglow return to the plaza, now with a medkit draped across her back. Lofty and Topaz were no longer with her, and she stood further back behind the perimeter with a determined gleam in her eye, just in case. For an instant, she and Rarity locked eyes before she refocused on the negotiations.

“The Diarchy’s Marines serve at the command of North Wind,” stated Heartwing, steepling his hooves under his chin. “And I was under the impression he now served at your behest, Saint Twilight. So how could an invasion have been authorized without your input?”

“Until all have accepted Enlightenment, we cannot supervise the actions of everypony in the nation. It seems I should have been monitoring them more closely, in addition to the Knight orders.” Saint Twilight sounded only mildly disappointed. “Their zeal must have outweighed their subservience, prompting a crusade. Curious.”

Surprise swept over those assembled, Rarity’s comrades mulling this over to various degrees. Even Saint Fluttershy and Saint Pinkamena looked taken aback at this development.

Rarity supposed that was a plausible explanation; she’d seen just how violent a Diarchy zealot could become with her own eyes. Also interesting was that the other Saints didn’t seem to be nearly as in the loop as Saint Twilight was. She was clearly the mare pulling the strings. Rarity simply needed to use her own expertise and untangle them.

Still, Saint Twilight’s continued nonchalance at the prospect of war breaking out made Rarity’s skin crawl. The real Twilight would not never have remained so callous at the prospect of war, regardless of the reason.

“If that’s the case, can you stop it?” Cadence glared sharply. “If you truly mean to employ a ‘cultural takeover’ as you say, and not a hostile one, surely you would overrule whichever pony orchestrated this and halt the attack on my people before it begins, yes?”

“Why should they?” interjected Turquoise with a snort. “Your ‘people’ are all heretics. We’d have to purge them one way or another eventually.”

“Watch your tongue,” insisted Top Brass, his hostility obvious but contained.

“Do not speak for me,” commanded Saint Twilight. She did not so much as glance sideways at Turquoise, nor did she raise her voice, but there was an edge to the order all the same.

It was the first time her control over her people had clearly slipped. This, combined with Turquoise’s behavior, painted a different picture behind Rarity’s initial impression.

Rarity wasn’t sure what this meant.

“Everyone, please don’t let your emotions cloud your better judgment,” interjected Saint Pinkamena, with a tone meant to be placating. “I understand that, at some level, such things are inevitable. People are not machines, nor should they be. But do not give in to your impulses. We all want this negotiation to bear fruit for all involved, right?” She turned to her Grand Master.

Even when directly reprimanded from her Saints, Turquoise didn’t react as if chastised. She only frowned deeper. Beside Rarity, Heartwing also appeared to notice, his own concern growing on his muzzle.

In contrast, the three Paladins remained perfectly, unnervingly composed, their stances unchanged.

Still, Rarity could agree with Saint Pinkamena in this instance. “Yes. That said, given this new issue is far more charged than the previous, it must be resolved immediately. We cannot maintain civility on a war footing: either you send a message calling this invasion off now, or we go our separate ways,” she finished, gauging their reactions.

Terminus nodded in approval behind her. But Rarity’s grim mood was overturned ever so slightly as the Saints stayed put. Saint Pinkamena exhaled.

Saint Twilight got back to business, facing Cadance and Rarity in turn. “Princess, Empress, yes, I could stop this attack. But to do so would not be optimal for preventing casualties.”

“What does that mean?” Heartwing immediately pressed, his tone on the edge of a growl.

Rarity, too, couldn’t contain her disbelief. “What sort of reasoning is that? Of course stopping a war will stop casualties! War is the cruel disregard for life in its purest form.”

Empress Cadance’s eyes zipped to and fro in thought. “And if you do refuse, you would be knowingly contributing to the loss of lives in the Crystal Empire,” she said, voice low. Then, she pulled out a fresh dragonfire scroll from her dress and tossed it onto the table in front of Saint Twilight. “Order a cessation and retreat within the next five minutes, or I will leave to defend my people. And you wanted to speak with me, didn’t you?”

Rarity nearly jolted in her seat when she remembered: Sunset Shimmer was away on her own quest. What had once been an odd but reasonable logistical update now filled her chest with the seeds of terror. She pictured the full savagery of the Diarchy unleashed upon her unsuspecting charges without herself or the others to protect them. Is that why the Saints had wanted the Empress present? Did they have some other scheme at work?

Before she could ask, Ninelives simply said “Please, elaborate on your refusal.”

And Saint Twilight did, not flustered by the increase in pressure. “To fully convey the extent of my logic to you would take far more time than I intuit you would be willing to give me in this situation, which you clearly feel to be tenuous.”

Rarity huffed in indignation. How insulting! “Oh, so you won’t even try to explain? Either you simply don’t have one we would accept, or you are quite wrongly infantilizing us.” Her eyes narrowed, glaring daggers at the Saint.

Curiously, some of those on Saint Twilight’s own side seemed to be reacting differently now. Paladin Ten had shifted their weight, head turned to study the mare dead-on. Saint Pinkamena’s brow dipped slightly in confusion.

“Exactly,” said Heartwing, scrutinizing the mare. “I think you’re just making excuses to retain some sort of internalized moral high ground.”

Meanwhile, Cadance inhaled deeply, looking across at Saints Fluttershy and Pinkamena. “Alright. I see. Does Saint Twilight speak for all six of you?” she asked gravely.

“She does,” Saint Fluttershy confirmed, face neutral. Saint Pinkamena, despite her prior shift in expression, nodded.

“That being the case, I have an alternative proposal for averting this crisis,” noted Saint Twilight placidly, her posture unchanged and face still betraying no real concern as she made eye contact with Cadance and Rarity. “Simply surrender the leadership of your Empire to me. Together, we can convert your equine citizens to the Faith and relocate the rest, thus removing the motivation of the invading soldiers to harm any of them. Once all of my planned policies are enacted I will be able to keep the Crystal Empire, and the rest of this world, safe forever after.”

“No,” uttered Cadance, with overwhelming disdain.

“Also no,” Rarity confirmed, her brows lowering. Leaders needed compassion, and Saint Twilight, unlike the dear friend she was mimicking, had demonstrated none, merely unsettling logic.

“It’s our country, not yours,” added Mayor Cactus Flower.

Saint Twilight hummed at that, peering at each of them one at a time. “I would ask that you reconsider. In the event you do not, we will be moving to join the assault on the Empire to present a unified front and significantly reduce the overall losses on the Diarchy side.”

Rarity blanched, her heart racing. Around her, everyone - from Terminus and Cobalt to Saint Pinkamena and Saint Fluttershy - similarly recoiled at the admission. Cadance’s ears fell. Heartwing tensed, pulled taut like a bowstring. The Knight Discordant perimeter bristled, so too did Emberglow and a few other reserves behind them.

‘Cooperate or perish’ wasn’t really much of a choice.

The table was wrapped in a dire stillness. One wrong move, and their delicate balancing act could collapse.

As Cadance unfroze, she flared her wide, pink wings and frowned in grave disapproval. “So you are prepared to face the consequences of your actions. Wage the war you have brought upon my people, if you do not get your way.”

“I apologize for my rare lack of foresight in preventing this situation from arising in the first place.”

Rarity blinked. Was that the barest hint of regret in her voice?

Seeking stability, Heartwing looked to Rarity, the look in his eyes asking ‘What do you make of all this?’

However, the polished scales of Rarity’s will were yet untipped. The part of her who wanted to live up to Twilight and Emberglow’s examples begged her to consider further, try and find some other path, a middle ground. Her other half could only picture the Empire she had sworn to protect in shattered ruins, blood splashed on the snow like spilled ink, firm in the certainty of how she could prevent that future, if only she got her own hooves dirty.

Rarity could not find it in her to be the one to choose.

And Heartwing saw. Nodding, he shot a look of resolve to the rest of the council before facing Saint Twilight; for a moment and quite without warning, Rarity saw the analytical mind that had talked many a Diarchy Knight away from their faith. “How illuminating. So let me see if I have this right. While you do claim to care about our well-being alongside the Diarchy’s, in the end, your greatest priority is control. You refuse to explain the reasoning behind your supposedly ‘logical’ actions. You ask for capitulation without providing stakes. It’s clear you’re still hiding something, and that weakens your bargaining position. Any gifts you offer are tainted by deception and manipulation. If you seek peace, then you must offer something in return, and that would require you try and meet us in the middle with some sort of compromise. I want senseless violence as much as you do: not at all.”

Saint Twilight met his gaze for a moment before replying. “By what leverage will you force us into a compromise? Your own violence? Because I would advise against that. If you do comprehend my nature, then you would understand I’d never choose to fight a losing battle.” Calmly, she looked over her shoulder.

Paladin Seven spoke up for the first time. “Seriously, please don’t. I don’t want to kill anyone here if I can help it,” she admitted, despondent and hard-edged. “But I very much can. Just give her the keys to your kingdom, and you can all keep your lives. Don’t make Gusty and I snuff yours out, too.”

“Look, trust me, you don’t wanna fight us,” Paladin Six - Gusty? - insisted, facing Rarity and company after a loaded glance at Seven. Her voice was playful yet carried a dangerous undercurrent. “I’m very bad at holding back, so there’ll probably be a lot of collateral damage and needless casualties. So’s Firefly, really.”

Saint Fluttershy peeked over her shoulder at Ten. The Paladin continued to watch, thoughts inscrutable.

Rarity barely registered a faint recognition of those names. Biting her lip, she wracked her brain for the best method to use her power to sway Saint Twilight from her current course. But she was drawing a complete blank. From the mare’s own utilitarian perspective, problematic though it was, her reasoning had no obvious holes to slip through.

At her sides, Heartwing, Cadance, and the others seemed equally at a loss for words.

However, the least logical pony at the table had plenty. “Do you see now, as I have?” Turquoise suddenly exclaimed with a fire in her eyes, rising from her seat. Rarity had almost forgotten she was present. “You cannot win this war, for the ones blessed by the Diarchs say so!” she declared with fervent passion.

Drawing involuntarily from reserves of dread she did not know she still had, Rarity realized that Turquoise had heard almost nothing that had been spoken, or had, at best, wildly misinterpreted everything. “Sit down, Lady Turquoise!”

But her words fell on deaf ears, and Turquoise turned to the Angel’s Rest city council with self-righteous fire in her eyes. The gaze that met Rarity’s was filled with rage. Not even Saint Twilight’s sternest look proved a deterrent. “There’s no point in delaying the inevitable with this worthless back and forth,” she cried. “If you won’t surrender to the will of the Saints, won’t listen, won’t follow, then you’ll fall by righteous hooves!”

Rarity’s heart skipped a beat as Turquoise leapt onto the table, zealous fervor on her face. For a moment, impossibly brief, time seemed to hang off the edge of the abyss.

Heartwing whipped his head around. Ninelives reached into his jacket. Cadance flinched back. The whole assembly bristled.

Saint Fluttershy raised her hooves, reaching for the Grand Master. “No, don’t!”

It was too little, too late. With a howl, Turquoise lunged straight for Rarity, her armored hoof reared back for a punch. Rarity was able to get her shield up in time to block, an azure bubble coloring her vision and deflecting her raging strike.

“Rarity!” Emberglow screamed.

But neither of them could do nothing to stop the explosion of motion that followed.

Heartwing shot a bolt of magic into Turquoise’s side, knocking her away from Rarity’s shield. At the same time, Cobalt leapt up and over, pouncing onto Turquoise and pinning her beneath him with the ring of metal on metal. Cries of alarm echoed from all directions as the pair started to struggle.

As Rarity flinched away, one of Cadance’s Resplendent, who was slower to react than Heartwing had been, conjured a ball of energy with his gauntlet and shot it into the space where Turquoise’s head had been a moment prior. Instead, it sailed over Cobalt’s back, right into Saint Pinkamena. With a yelp of pain and surprise, the Saint was sent sprawling.

Rarity’s stomach roiled, filling her with a heady dizziness. By the time she was able to process what was happening, Paladin Seven was lowering an advanced-looking pistol as the Resplendent collapsed, blood spraying from a hole between her eyes.

All of the table’s former occupants scattered. Under the table, up with wingbeats, charging straight towards their enemies. Battle cries rent the air. All had descended into a chaotic fog of madness.

Clamping down on her rising panic with sheer will, Rarity backpedaled out of her seat and off the stage, shield still up. Defense first, as her meager combat experience taught that such was the best offense.

Waiting for openings, she started reinforcing the shields of any allies not too close to the fray, starting with Terminus.

Snarling, Turquoise managed to roll overtop of Cobalt as they grappled, only for Cobalt to kick her off of him, hard, sending her off of the negotiating table completely.

She stomped down the piece of her heart which insisted she fly for Emberglow and stay by her side, but there were more ponies here. This was no map-appointed friendship problem: Every minor mistake, every hesitation, and every distraction could cost lives.

Rarity continued to rapidly bubble anypony who needed one within range, including Cactus Flower, who was frozen in fear. “Move, mayor!” Rarity urged. Upon hearing her, she thankfully jolted and fled.

The world's slowest seconds ticked by as she spread her wings. She was running out of friends within clear line of sight to protect; everyone was moving too fast!

Now she should attack, but was Saint Twilight or Lady Turquoise higher priority? For now, she flew upwards to join the Empress in circling above the ground, eyes flicking between Turquoise and Paladin Seven.

Shockwaves of magic-on-magic rent the air, and the report of rifle fire reverberating through the space, making Rarity’s ears ring. Knight reinforcements galloped or flew towards the perimeter of the melee carrying spears, their pointed heads glinting in the unnatural light.

Rarity cleared the way for them by teleporting the many fallen chairs away one after another. Nearly caught between castings, she yelped as she narrowly dodged a ricocheted Discordant rune spell. Paladin Six had swiftly deflected it upwards with the blade of an unusual combat knife she held in a reverse grip.

“My Saints!” Turquoise cried, squaring up against three incoming Discordant with nothing but her gauntlet, interposing herself before them. That is, until Saint Twilight flicked a wing her way and a glowing pink staff, formed of solidified magic, fell into her outstretched hoof.

Rarity turned part of her attention on Turquoise even as she provided covering fire for the other Knights dealing with Paladin Six. She kept her beam spells weak, conserving her energy and focusing on keeping them pinned down.

Meanwhile, Saint Twilight had vanished, and Turquoise was sweeping the staff in an arc that hit an earth pony Discordant’s own gauntlet. When it struck, his gauntlet exploded with arcane sparks as he stumbled away with a scream.

A nearly manic smile on her face, Turquoise was barely managing to avoid or block any fatal blows from the Discordant. She ducked under a unicorn’s sizzling fireball as she clashed hooves with another mare, both Knights reared up for leverage.

Once enough reinforcements had arrived to trap Paladin Six in a ball of Discordant near the stage, Rarity spied Saint Fluttershy sidestepping Heartwing’s wide laser of magic before taking off, and switched targets. His beam passed beneath Saint Fluttershy’s tucked legs as he twisted his head to the side to train it on her, scouring the far rock wall black as it tapered off. Rarity followed up with her own attack, nearly as potent, but Saint Fluttershy barrel rolled out of the way like a trained acrobat.

Heartwing redirected his onslaught towards Paladin Ten, a fierce concentration on his face as the two launched and deflected magic missiles with the speed and skill of master wizards, whizzing projectiles of yellow and light green forming a veritable localized hailstorm. The Paladin was using a wand with blue and yellow helices tapering to a point; they had the mobility advantage, and were carefully circling him as they dueled.

Another Discordant tried to shoot them, but the bullet reflected off their armor, making only a small divot and causing them to flinch. Ten batted the Knight away with a powerful burst of levitation, sending them skidding across the ground, then, grabbing the rifle in their wand’s telekinesis, twisted the barrel into an irreparable knot.

This left Saint Fluttershy unopposed. Rarity followed the Saint, winging past Cadance as she shot razor-sharp blue crystals back at Paladin Seven, which carved lines into her helmet but refused to penetrate.

Clamorous wails of terror, fury, and pain followed Rarity upwards as violence thundered all around her.

A large-bodied pegasus Discordant rose into the air to do battle with Saint Fluttershy as well, the blades edging his wings long and sharp as he circled closer.

Rarity fired an opening salvo, elegantly and unpredictably spiraling bolts of force.

But a wooden shield suddenly appeared in the Saint’s hooves, carved with strange patterns and obviously enchanted, and she caught Rarity’s spells with it instead of trying to outmaneuver them, using the momentum to flip away from the pegasus’ wheeling fly-by slashes.

Then, she retaliated, summoning a pair of barely visible darts, sending one sailing towards each of them with gusts of wind precisely aimed at their feathered bases. As she fired, there was a calm reluctance in her eyes, as if she was fighting with old instincts, and not out of malice.

The pegasus, having too much inertia to change course quickly enough, was grazed in the ear by the dart, his Knight-standard protective spell failing to stop the slower-moving object. A second later, he was screaming, his wings locking up as he began to plummet.

Rarity’s shield, meanwhile, did halt the dart, which plinked off her bubble. However, when it collided, it sent a searing pain down her horn, causing her to miss a flap. Poison?

She instinctively spun to catch the falling stallion, stress-sweat building under her coat, but Cadance beat her to it.

Meanwhile, Saint Fluttershy juked into Rarity’s path, watching her warily as whorls of pressurized air gathered between her hooves, the air humming with potential energy.

Forced back, Rarity grit her teeth as she came in for a hard landing on an open patch of rock at the edge of the square on the far side to avoid the rupturing pulse, lest it break her weakening shield.

The sonic boom went wide, colliding with a full metal dustbin. It was torn to shreds, sending dust and litter everywhere.

Taking advantage of the particulate cloud to conceal her movements, Rarity galloped to take cover behind a nearby building, squinting against the dust even as it coated her throat with each frenzied inhalation.

Quickly regrouping through the sheer chaos of the situation, as the dust cleared, her eyes were drawn to the colorful Saint Pinkamena some distance away. Most strangely, she didn’t seem to have any tricks, unlike her old friend, and was relying on her Grand Master to protect her, fear writ large in her stolen blue eyes.

Turquoise twirled and lashed out with her magic staff like a mare possessed, but she couldn’t handle all the Knights Discordant herself. That presented an opening, and Rarity took it, using a crystal spell she’d learned to grow a line of amethyst along the ground towards Turquoise, trying to trip her up.

At the same time, Heartwing levitated no less than four swords off of an arriving Knight’s back and into the air over their heads before lancing them at Pinkamena all at once from different directions.

But Saint Twilight, abandoning her current pursuit of Cadance, flickered into the path of two, magically pulling a slanted wall of stone from below to deflect them.

With a gasp, Turquoise parried a Discordant’s spear aside and leapt, catching one of Heartwing’s swords on a panel of her barding, but leaving herself exposed to a furious right hook from another Knight, blood spraying as her nose was broken from the hit.

The last struck home, carving a long furrow down Pinkamena’s back, thin fluid spurting free. Her auroral robes fell a bit on her frame as she cried out again, tripping over Rarity’s crystals as she bobbed and weaved, stumbling to the ground. A diving shield bash from Saint Fluttershy sent Heartwing tumbling head over heels - or wheels - preventing him from pressing further, but the damage was done.

Other Knights, as well as Ninelives, were there to deliver the coup-de-grâce.

It was not to be. Saint Twilight reached the wounded pair first, and all three disappeared in a large pop of magic. Their weapons struck only empty space. Heartwing and company whipped their heads around to search, but they were nowhere to be seen. A tactical retreat.

However, not everyone had left. In fact, Paladin Ten, the one whose name she had not heard, was running straight for her. And she was getting close!

Screaming, out of time to think of a more elegant response, Rarity tried to halt the enemy’s advance by grabbing a bench from nearby and launching it at their legs.

However, the Paladin smoothly leapt over it and into a somersault, then spun behind the building herself.

Instead of beginning to pummel her shield, though, they unexpectedly stopped just out of reach. “Rarity, you need to listen to me,” they - she - commanded. There was so much noise now that she was practically shouting full blast to be heard over the din in Rarity’s ears, yet there was something about her voice that still carried sincerity, or familiarity. “I’m switching sides!”

The words themselves were so profoundly unexpected that all she could do was sputter in confusion. “W-What? Why?”

“I’ll explain later!” she barked. “Just take these,” she added, thrusting a handful of small objects at her. Rarity reflexively picked them up in her aura.

They were… some of the anti-unicorn amulets? Why give her these now? Still, they were inactive at the moment, since her hornglow could touch them, and she quickly tucked them into her mane.

Two Knights Discordant, Cobalt and an earth mare, suddenly charged in to flank Ten, having missed their brief dialogue, and tried to skewer the Paladin from both sides, spears raised at high angles.

Without even looking, she waved her wand, levitating the mare on her left as she grabbed the haft of the Cobalt’s spear between her fingers before its point could reach. She whipped him behind her and into his fellow, sending them both sprawling. Then she tightened her fist and snapped the wooden weapon in half.

Then, she actually dropped down onto one knee and bowed her head, making no further moves even as Cobalt and the Discordant mare stood, looking as perplexed as Rarity felt.

Deciding, with a burst of anxiety, not to look the offered alliance in the mouth, Rarity gulped and nodded. “All of you, follow me!”

She then spun back around and broke for the core of the fighting, Ten, and the duo of Knights on her tail. Rarity hoped that none of her friends had been lost in the crossfire, but Cobalt’s presence was reassuring.

She had to find a clear path to her foes. But there were so many bodies running, shouting, and colliding that picking out a gap was like finding one of her precious needles in a haystack.

And then, a flash of magenta.

Saint Twilight reentered the fray from on high, wings spread like a valkyrie of Rockhoof’s kin.

Discordant pegasi rose to meet her.

But there was still little space, and so Rarity made some. Beginning to cast, Ten joined Rarity in conjuring a spherical shield around the four of them to replace her flagging personal one. With her long strides, she easily kept pace as Rarity moved, the others too busy to notice Ten’s shift of apparent allegiance.

That lasted only until they rejoined the ongoing brawl, when Saint Fluttershy tossed the Knight she was grappling with over her shoulder with a grunt of effort, the mare’s armor clanging like a bell against the stone. She pivoted to put the Knight in a chokehold and knock them out, but stopped when she saw Ten as a result.

The Saint blinked at Ten and Rarity in resignation. “Yeah, I figured this might happen,” she sighed. She stowed her wooden buckler back where it had come from and walked up to them.

“Of course you did,” said the Paladin. “You know me best.”

“And yet…” Saint Fluttershy’s expression shifted as she gave Rarity a strange look, wordlessly sidling up to the Paladin with more closeness than expected from a subordinate and commander.

“Oh?” Rarity voiced. Cobalt watched both Paladin and Saint carefully.

“Again, later,” Ten added.

Well, that was two adversaries who had stopped fighting. Rarity turned. Three more to go.

Paladins Six and Seven were back to back now, working in tandem to try and incapacitate the remaining Discordant, who were bound and determined to avenge the fallen, spell and edge pressing them in on all sides, as the Knights roared.

But no combination of runes, numerical advantage, or Terminus Flash’s expertly aimed rounds phased the pair, who continued to fight tirelessly.

For every wound the battered Paladins suffered, they inflicted five back with blade, bullet, fist or explosion. Bone shattered. Black armor chipped. Terrible, peerless violence.

Ten followed Rarity’s gaze. “We’re technically breaking ranks right now; they won’t listen,” she said, preemptively answering her question, hints of shame and regret coming through in her tone as she ran.

Meanwhile, the Knights were staggering to exhausted heaps one after another. Though they seemed close in fighting prowess, and the Discordant ruled the air, the Paladins had significantly longer natural reach, and apparently inexhaustible stamina.

It was a battle of attrition, despite the numbers gap, and Rarity wanted to ensure ‘exhausted’ became ‘deceased’ for as few creatures as possible.

“Besides,” Ten continued, turning to Rarity, “it has to be you. Paladins and Saints have the same critical weakness: an antimagic zone. Do you know that spell?”

Rarity blinked in confusion. “I do, yes.”

It wasn’t a terribly difficult spell to cast; She’d learned it from her Twilight construct, even. But its applications were normally extremely limited, especially today. Sure, it could clear away all spells aimed at you in an emergency, but it also shut off any protective spells or enchantments on your person until you left the zone, which had to be centered on the caster. And without their innate magic, ponies became very lethargic, as if they had been drained, so quickly getting free was out.

One bullet fired from inside or out, and the caster would be in big trouble. So, given that risk, trained wizards almost always just picked the proper counterspell instead.

But Paladin Ten was saying an antimagic zone was the perfect spell here, in spite of all that. “Isn’t that too risky?” Rarity asked, breathless.

As Saint Fluttershy frowned slightly at Ten, the Paladin answered, her voice taking on a gentle, almost pleading tone. Again, the vaguely familiar voice tickled ever-so-softly at her memory. “I know how it sounds, but it really is the quickest way to stop them. Please, just get in close and cast a zone big enough to envelop Firefly and Gusty without reaching the two of us. Not for us, for your friends.”

As Rarity rapidly weighed the pros and cons, Cobalt spoke up, gesturing to Ten. “I could tell this one was pulling her punches, compared to the others.” The other Knight mare nodded.

This plan was a gamble, certainly. But Rarity had to believe it would succeed. The alternative was allowing this slaughter to continue unabated. “Let’s go.”

So, she burst into a gallop, the two Knights at her sides, and quickly closed the distance to where the other Paladins were still locked in battle with Heartwing, Terminus, and company.

Once she was close enough to the melee for the zone to reach, while simultaneously being far enough away that they hadn’t switched to attacking her yet, Rarity skidded to a stop and lit her horn to summon the zone.

Light became slightly distorted, almost like a mirage, at the boundaries of the resulting hemisphere.

The effects were immediate. Rarity groaned as supreme exhaustion took hold, and her head slumped low.

“R-Rarity?” asked a now woozy Terminus as he glided down next to her and the others. “Why did you…?” In front of them, the rest of the Knights were reacting in a similar manner, many uttering obscenities mid-motion.

Those all ceased with a heavy pair of crashes. Forcing her eyes upwards, Rarity was stunned to see that the two Paladins hadn’t merely been inflicted with fatigue, they were fully unconscious, lying face first and completely motionless on the stone.

Paladin Ten had been trustworthy after all.

She still didn’t know why, but that could wait, as she just realized what the amulets were for. Lurching forwards, she carefully looped one around each of their necks, turning them on with a press. This way, they would stay incapacitated once the zone wore off.

Yet at the moment, exhaustion overrode triumph, and Rarity very much wished to be out of the antimagic zone. She slowly shuffled back the way she came until she was fully free of its suppressive effects, her vigor and magic immediately returning to her.

Cadance landed, weary but alert, beside Rarity as she did. “I don’t know how you knew that would work, but great job, Rarity. Did these two have a change of heart?” she asked, gesturing to Ten and Saint Fluttershy.

“I believe so,” she confirmed, shooting the pair a grateful smile.

Looking over her shoulder and to the sides, she saw Terminus and Cobalt clutching at their heads as they shook off the effects of the antimagic zone, then both immediately started scanning the area.

Most of the Knights had also left it in one way or another, or were carrying their injured fellows away under Heartwing’s direction, either up to the city entrance or to where Emberglow and another medic were rapidly assessing and treating any casualties yet to become fatalities. Heartwing’s wheels were cracked and barely holding together, but they thankfully seemed to have absorbed the force of Saint Fluttershy’s earlier blow, and could be quickly repaired with a spell. The stallion himself looked fine.

Rarity silently thanked the stars.

Saint Twilight was their only opponent remaining. She cast the pair of prone Paladins a look of mild dissatisfaction before teleporting away in one final crackle of energy, dodging a sweeping sword slash Heartwing had aimed for her neck. This time she did not return, vanishing from the cave completely.

It was over.

Tension drained from Rarity’s limbs and horn as she let herself relax, nearly vibrating with relief. She was filthy, but intact. Not whole, though.

Rarity galloped for her other half, beelining directly for Emberglow. Once she’d finished casting a spell to stem the bleeding on the flank of a prone Discordant, she rose and turned to meet her, the mare’s own aqua blue eye softening and shimmering.

Rarity practically flew into her open hooves, gripping tightly and never wanting to let go. Her heart leapt for Emberglow as she felt her wife shaking in her arms.

Terminus, having followed, managed a small smile, though his eyes were still hard. Cadance’s was a bit wider as she walked up to them, though her wary eyes shifted back and forth to Paladin Ten and Saint Fluttershy.

Only when Rarity could feel Emberglow’s own racing pulse calm did she pull away, their muzzles inches apart. But Rarity willed herself upright, carefully approaching steps sounding behind her.

“Thank goodness you’re okay,” Emberglow uttered, tone somber, as she too recomposed herself, before glancing over her shoulder with concern at the recuperating Knights. “I’ve done all I can for those still breathing.” As she finished the sentence, her ears twitched in concern and suspicion as she abruptly noticed who was accompanying Rarity.

Rarity brushed some dust off her dress and pivoted. For a few drawn out seconds, the Saint and Paladin tried their best to look nonthreatening, standing relaxed and motionless. Terminus, mouth in a line, casually rested a rifle - not his personal weapon, but a loaner - across his back, such that it happened to point at the Saint’s head, one wing still on the trigger. “What are they doing with you?” he asked, voice sharp.

Empress Cadance, who was still studying the pair with consideration, hummed.

When Emberglow silently echoed her wordless demand for an explanation with her raised brows, Ten merely said “I’ll explain, I promise.”

“I can already hazard a guess, but I’d love to hear your justification for going against orders in your own words, myself,” noted Saint Fluttershy, who looked up at Ten with a deep concern of her own.

“Rarity?” Emberglow asked, not taking her eyes off them.

This was no longer the time to mince words. Rarity exhaled, reaching for candor. “I’m still not sure about ‘Fluttershy’ here, as she did try to poison me earlier, but I can vouch for Paladin Ten. I and others believe she could have easily inflicted major harm upon myself or others if she wished, yet she did not. Moreover, she informed me of her cohorts’ weakness.”

Both she and Emberglow looked to Ten, where her eyes would have been beneath her mirrored visor. Emberglow flicked her tail. Eventually, she acquiesced. “I trust your judgment, Rarity. For now, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. Set a good example.”

Rarity smiled. She’d expected as much.

“I agree,” added Empress Cadance, her crown reflecting the magelights above as she set her posture. “We’ve already had one skirmish today, courtesy of Lady Turquoise’s incredibly rash actions. Even if this truce proves temporary, it’s better than the alternative.”

Their testimonials hitting the mark, Terminus snorted. “If I see anything alternative, I’ll shoot. Clear?” he said, deathly serious as he scrutinized the Saint and Paladin.

“As crystal,” Ten confirmed with a nod of deference. “We’ll stay where you can see us, right, Saint?” There had been the smallest of pauses before the last word.

“Of course,” Saint Fluttershy replied, carefully stepping towards the tunnel alongside Ten.

“Fine,” Terminus said, turning to march along after them.

As they left, Rarity twisted to the side to make sure Firefly and Gusty were still incapacitated. The other bodies present weren’t ever getting back up, and she needed to be certain more would not be lost.

Ten nodded in approval Rarity’s way. “I knew you were on top of things. You didn’t even need me to tell you what the amulets were for after you got the zone up.” Then, she turned to Cadance. “I’d advise against ever turning the amulets off for an interrogation. You saw them fight, it’s not worth the risk, and I know them. They wouldn’t talk.”

The Empress hummed in consideration. “I’ll be sure to let the others know.”

With that, a few of the lingering Knights who were still in good shape, led by Ninelives, joined up with them as they made for the city’s exit. The Empress would be leaving shortly, and Rarity wanted to ensure she departed safely.

One of the Knights had brought over the two blades and two odd firearms the Paladins had wielded. Blood and other substances still clung to the uniquely deadly armaments.

“Good thinking,” Terminus said, taking the confiscated weapons and studying them with a trained eye. “I doubt we have ammo that could work with those guns, never seen their like. But not having them aimed at us is plenty.”

“Yeah,” said Ten, shifting her weight. “Honestly, I’m glad you knew how to cast an antimagic zone, Rarity. It’s certain Firefly and Gusty would’ve been ranked higher for their combat prowess if they weren’t also so rash.”

“That’s one way to put it,” quipped the Saint.

“In any case, those two have been taken care of, so let’s go,” Emberglow insisted, a serious look on her face as she fluffed her wings. “I need to make sure Heartwing and the others don’t need medical attention.”

“Of course, Emberglow,” Rarity confirmed. “We should hurry.”

Without further delay, they all threaded the path out of Angel’s Rest.

They gathered in a meadow, nestled in a valley between two hills almost large enough to be called mountains. Small wildflowers of all colors and varieties, from white baby’s breath to pink daisy-like coneflowers, carpeted the landscape. Their petals danced in waves, moved by the breeze.

The first thing Rarity and company did was meet up with the rest of her friends. Heartwing was badly bruised, but intact. His wheels were barely holding together, multiple spokes having snapped, the wooden frame cracked, though they could be repaired. Cadance’s injuries were a bit worse, including a sprained leg. Her coat was scorched in spots, and a few of her feathers were bent, but nothing too dire. Emberglow used her last few motes, plus some ointment and bandages, to fix them up. Lofty Tale and Topaz were fully unharmed.

Of course, others hadn’t been so lucky as to only have emotional wounds. This had been a harrowing ordeal, some perhaps having never experienced death or war firsthoof before today.

Her heart ached for those mourning the lost. All because of Lady Turquoise’s rashness, they were gone. Courageous souls, snuffed. Too much had turned sour, wrong. She hadn’t been able to protect them.

Rarity clenched her eyes shut and prayed to the stars that they could rest in peace, that their loss would not be in vain.

Soon, Cadance was ready. She hopped onto her regal sky chariot, her single remaining pegasus Resplendent and a fresh volunteer hitched to the front. “I’d love to stay and hear this, but the Empire needs me,” she said. “This war is still coming, and I must be there to lead my people.”

“We understand. Godspeed, Grandmother,” said Topaz, actually giving her a rare salute as her chariot took off into the sky.

There was a long, expectant stillness as they all watched her departure. Then the six of them standing in a circle placed the full weight of their attention - and emotion - upon Ten and Saint Fluttershy.

Lofty’s stern-eyed disapproval matched what Emberglow and Terminus still broadcast, while Topaz’s expression was one of concern, studying their one-time assailants as she would any in need of her wisdom. Rarity herself wasn’t sure what to think, the only certainty being her own curiosity.

“You could have tried harder, earlier, to stop this, you know,” said Heartwing, his throat tight as he gored Ten with his livid gaze, voice cracking. “My brothers-in-arms are dead because of you people.”

Ten hung her head slightly. “I wasn’t resolved to defy the course until most of the way through the negotiations. By then there was no time for me to speak out; the Grand Master acted before I could.”

Heartwing leaned forwards, nose raised skeptically, until Terminus shot him a look. Then, he deflated somewhat, picking at the grass with a hoof.

“For what little my apology is worth, I am deeply sorry,” Ten intoned.

After a beat, Lofty let out a scratchy sigh, idly reaching back to brush a hoof through his visibly confused son’s mane as he spoke. “Apologies are one thing. I’m waiting for you to enlighten us in full, as Rarity told us you would.”

Topaz nodded. “If you would be so kind,” she added, rolling her hoof at the Paladin to get on with it. “Because if you’re going to take all day, Lofty and I will leave to return to our son back home.”

“It’s funny, those are in essence the main two reasons why,” Ten said, a smile in her voice. “Kindness and family.”

Rarity peered closer into her unseen face, uncomprehending. “Why, whatever are you talking about?”

Meanwhile, Saint Fluttershy flinched, eyes widening as she faced the Paladin. “Wait, she’s actually the same—”

She couldn’t finish her sentence in time as Ten reached for her obsidian helmet with both hands, pulling it off in a slow, deliberate motion.

And Rarity nearly couldn’t believe her eyes. Everything else faded into the background as her mind flipped over itself trying to grapple with what she was seeing. An alien, almost simian face, yes, but… the pink and lavender curls, falling past her ears. Chalk-tone skin, and fern green eyes. The resemblance was uncanny.

No. No, surely, she... It was impossible.

The Paladin whom Rarity had until now known only by her number, smiled gently at her. Compassion twinkled in Sweetie Belle’s eyes. “Hey, big sis.”