They touched down in one of Zephyr Height's great plazas, landing on solid stone. The trailer rocked slightly before falling still, its inhabitants remaining silent inside. Izzy hopped out of the cockpit and landed on the stone. "Let's get them out." She unhooked the trailer and threw open the back.

She was buried a moment later as other unicorns charged out around her.

"They were a bit excited." Alphabittle offered a hoof to steady Izzy in her wobbling. "Thanks for the ride."

Misty was out a moment later. "Dad!" She galloped to him. "You made it."

He smiled. "Of course I did! You didn't see me hop in with the others?" That didn't stop him from giving her a hug. "So, Zephyr Heights." He looked around, a thing many other unicorns were doing. "Bet the others are a little shocked. Most never saw this city."

Queen Haven and Zipp approached from the castle, with Pipp coming from another direction. Haven gave her daughters a hug. "Good job. You made it safely."

Sunny approached the royal family, waving with a bright smile. "I'm so glad you're here. We've brought everypony we could. This is an all hooves on deck situation."

Haven nodded towards Sunny. "I've been updated. An angry swarm of creatures has laid siege to Maretime Bay! Well, the pegasi won't sit idly by and wait to be next." Around her, pegasi saluted sharply with their wings. "We are with you."

The gathered crowd began to cheer at that, with Sunny joining in. She jumped up to Queen Haven. "We have to hurry, while we still can. Every moment is precious, now."

Haven gave her a stern nod. "Of course, but galloping in whatever direction feels good is hardly how one wins a war." She trotted with purposeful poise to the unicorn mob. "I'd like you all to organize yourself, with the most magically crafted here." She pointed to one side. "Going to the least over here." She pointed to the other side. "Look to your left and right and compare yourself to the unicorn on either side and start ordering yourselves."

The unicorns began to chat amongst themselves, a few pointing their hooves or horns at one another, but otherwise didn't move. Haven smiled. "What are you waiting for? Order yourselves!"

With a communal squeak, they started moving around, comparing and swapping positions in an organized scramble. Slowly, the crowd resolved into something of a line, but only something. With so many unicorns, there had to be some mistakes and gaps, but the general idea held. Haven raised a brow, seeing Misty at the far end for magical skill. "Aren't you one of the sister's friends? Misty was it?"

Misty nodded. "Yeah. I'm new to learning spells, but a lot of other unicorns haven't even gotten out of the basics, so I'm one of the best by default really." She laughed nervously. "I do know a few spells, like this one!" She lit her horn and hopped up, coming down on her hovering disc. "Ta da!"

Haven nodded. "That's very impressive." She leaned in, her eyes narrowing at Misty. "You know, you're such a magical pony, you could do a lot better than just a spell to make you hover."

"Well, yeah." Misty rubbed in her frizzy mane. "Still learning more. So! Now that we're mostly in line, what should we do?"

Haven turned back to the mob of unicorns. "You're all going to be learning a spell, right now, together. We need to be able to strike back at those felines." She turned to Misty. "Being the expert, I surrender that to you. Do you have a war spell that you can show them quickly?"

Misty blinked and looked back at her father, who was just a few unicorns down from her. "I don't know any war spells. That's not what I wanted to learn."

Haven tapped a hoof. "Go through the spells you did learn. Surely one of them could be used for this if you're a bit creative."

Misty tapped at her chin. "That one! No, way too complicated." She dug out her book. "You've been really nice to me. Could you show me something that'd help us all?"

Flipping through the pages, Misty stopped on a new page. "That's it! This is the spell." She turned to face the unicorns. "Alright! Here's one we can use to help." She held up the book and pointed to it.

The unicorns clapped excitedly, but that died quickly. One raised a hoof. "What is it?"

Another pointed. "That's magic! I learned it at her class."

Misty flashed a smile. "Oh, thank hoofness at least one of my students are here. Can you help me teach everypony else here this spell? It's nice and simple."

With a nod, the green unicorn came forwards and helped explain the spell with Misty. The crowd was attentive, but also excited to be learning new magic, especially with a threat to their homeland so near. The spell had once been common to many unicorns, an age prior. It was time to return it to them.

Haven was inspecting her own soldiers, pegasi ready to take flight at her command. "Looks like they've figured something out. I was sure they would. " She ducked as a bolt of magic soared too close to her head. "Alarming, but also good. Looks like it'll pack a punch."

Sunny trotted up to her with a confident smile. "I see your soldiers are ready to fly. The unicorns are going to provide ranged support. Together, we can take the city back. I wish I could offer more earth pony assistance, but they're the ones that got attacked first, so I don't have many of them."

"What about one more pegasus?"

Sunny twirled in time to see Rain Shower descending to join them. "Oh, hello there. You got out in time?"

Rain flapped her wings despite being on the ground. "With these babies, it's not easy to catch me. I want to help too!"

Haven put a hoof at Rain's chest. "Are you willing to follow my every command? I need pegasi that will move in formation and move with the others."

Rain nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Good." She gestured with her wing. "Take a position by the others. You'll be with them on this mission."

Rain bowed and trotted to join the other pegasi.

Haven leaned in, whispering to Sunny and her daughters, "I'm glad she's with us. An old age pegasus? She's already shown us such interesting tricks. When we return, victorious, she will have much to show us." She stepped back. "We will have a lot to do, afterwards." She swept a hoof to gesture at the gathered ponies. "Sunny, return to your flying ship. Unicorns, mount up. Pegasi, with me! We're all going to Maretime Bay, and we're not leaving until its ponies are free!"

The gathered ponies roared their approval.

***

At Maretime Bay, there was a different roar. The streets echoed not with the noise of hooves, but with the thump of paws. Allura stalked along those roads, pouncing up on a building to find her quarry. "There you are." She hopped down beside their leader. "When do I get to go home? I've helped you take this city." She rolled her eyes. "I did my part, you do yours."

A yellow eye looked at her with disdain. The leader was a great tiger with long fur and a long tail. They were dressed in fine robes and carried the same authority of royalty. "You have helped us, but there are two more pony cities. Until all three are in our grasp, the campaign isn't finished." He brought his hands together quietly. "Then, and only then, can we look for, locate, and get you to your home."

Allura groaned and leaned back. "I don't have time for this!" She kicked her paw against the street. "I want to go home! Not help some cats rule ponies." She turned towards the great tiger. "Besides, what do you need me for? You have this city. You'll have the others."

A dark chuckle left the tiger. "We don't know if they will have defenses like here. You were invaluable to our victory, Allura, and you will be invaluable to our future victories." He turned to face inland. "Do you know if the ponies of the forest or the mountain are more guarded?"

Allura grunted with clear dissatisfaction. "I know it's blazing hot, as usual." She spied a smoothie stall and gently batted her way into it, but there wasn't a single smoothie inside. "Typical. Wait, did you say mountain? Let's go there." She nodded, confident it would be cooler up in a mountain.

The leader shrugged and raised a paw to address the other cats in the area. "Our target is the mountain city! We will be sure to bring home much plunder for our families, and we shall not fail them! Forwards!" The army replied with a chorus of hisses and roars.

One soldier rushed up, snapping a salute. "Sir! What should we do with the prisoners?"

He grunted softly. "Keep watching them. Leave behind enough soldiers to get that done, and the rest will march."

They set off immediately, marching past a row of tied up and locked away ponies that were left behind. Hitch sat with them, his mouth gagged with cloth. "Hmm mmph mm hmmph!"

The ponies near him leaned in. "What was that?"

"I think he said, 'get me out of here!'" They nodded and went to work. "Well, we'll work on that, sheriff. Just hold on tight."

Hitch just sighed and stared out towards the road. Sparky leaned against him with an unsure noise. Hitch closed his eyes.

***

The army of cats were getting close to the borders of Zephyr Heights, when a roar of engines sounded above. They looked up to see the Marestream pulling along a unicorn filled cart, along with a group of pegasus soldiers. Haven was at the front. "It seems we don't have to go far to confront them. Soldiers, advance!"

A pegasus soldier approached from behind Haven. "Your majesty, would it not make more tactical sense to let the unicorns strike first while we draw closer?" His eyes widened when she fixed him with her most regal glare.

"You have a point," she admitted with a sigh. "Unicorns, fire!"

The unicorns had been preparing and they fired their spell bolts in rapid succession. Magic rained down upon the felines below. The cats hissed and tried to dodge out of the way, but they were out in the open and had nowhere to flee. The faster among them found rocks to dart behind as others were jolted and singed under the hail of magical assault.

The unicorns cheered at their success even as the pegasi swooped in. "Charge!" Haven cried out, leading her soldiers with her. They darted towards the felines, trying to snatch some in their hooves, but the agile felines dodged their grasping hooves, snarling and swiping with claws in response.

Zipp went with a flying kick, crashing into the side of a startled cat even as she bounced off them to punch another. It was a field to be parkoured over, and she was ready. She had the claws and fangs of the cats to watch out for, but they had to catch her first. She laughed as she bounced among them.

Allura slammed down a paw in front of Zipp, ceasing her advancement. "You specific ponies are always in my way." She roared loud enough to blow Zipp's mane back. "Get lost."

Zipp snorted and rushed at her, but the cat was faster, smacking her out of the air. She rolled across the ground before coming to a stop. "Ugh, I forgot how fast cats are."

Allura batted her to the side, right off a cliff. Were she not a pegasus, it would have been a far more serious fate. Allura set her eyes on the unicorns blasting any cat that was away from the fighting. "They're next." She lowered herself, preparing to pounce. "Then I can go home. I'll do it with a clean conscious too. Ponies can defend themselves."

Zipp gasped and flew over, dropping in front of her. "I thought we had a truce!"

"A truce for as long as I was on that boat." Allura rolled her eyes. "I don't seem to be on a boat anymore, so no more truce." She batted at Zipp, but they were gone a moment before the paw could come down. Twitch hopped up between Allura's ears, gibbering something as he pointed at Zipp.

Zipp stood at bay, awaiting the pounce of Allura, her wings spread wide to catch the air and carry her away the moment before Allura would land. Twitch jumped away, leaving the cat's ears free.

Author's Note

Action scenes! War! This is suddenly high-octane for this story. Should probably slow things down back towards our chill mood. Still, behold, I started a problem and didn't fix it in a chapter. Praise me!

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