Polaris was sure he was on the other side. All was black and he no longer felt the cool water or even the searing pain of spent lungs. He shut his eyes and let darkness embrace him.

“STOP!” A magnificent voice thundered from all directions at once. PW’s eyes snapped open and he beheld a glowing mare, larger than even Recce, towering over him.

‘Just how big can they get?’ He wondered. Her coat was shiny silver and her wild mane shone gold. A fuzzy greatcoat flowed over her withers and an opulent helmet crowned her head.

“Keep that mouth of yours closed. You’re not done living yet.” She commanded. Polaris gawked and felt solid ‘ground’ under his hooves but he was still in the same black void as before.

He felt he ought to bow before her but she interrupted the motion. “Rise, my child.”

“Yes!" He exclaimed, snapping to attention. "Erm, who do I have the honor of meeting?”

He didn’t expect a reply and flinched when she answered. “I am The Great Warrior. I am Valkyrie.”

Polaris’ eyes went wide and this time he bent into a proper bow. “Whoa.” He breathed. What was this? Was she a long-lost pony princess like the Royal Sisters? “I’m honored! Princess Valkyrie.”

“I am no princess. My name is great such as to not even require the title! My fame is not earned by title, but by deed.” At that her irises went ablaze with all colors of the rainbow.

Polaris nodded but winced at the return of his pain. “I am hurting.”

Valkyrie continued, seemingly disregarding him. “Polaris, you are the north star. You have exemplified to my daughters the valuable virtues of service and honor.”

He coughed. “Wait, are you the mom of the Night-Mares?!”

For the first time she smiled. “I am the mother of all northern warriors. That includes you, my child.”

He wanted to scoff but coughed again, grunting in pain this time. “Me? I’m a joke of a warrior! I’m tiny by comparison!”

“You are brave, Polaris. You are loyal. Much like your namesake, you can be depended on. You have some qualities most warriors can only ever hope to realize."

He coughed again and at once his body spasmed as the burning in his chest overtook him. “I’m going to die.” He gasped, feeling his body shut down.

“YOU SHALL REMAIN!!!” With a great, white flash of light Valkyrie’s voice surrounded him with such force it carried him until he blinked his eyes open again.

Polaris inhaled as hard as his aching lungs would allow but instead of water fresh air rushed in. For several moments he could only lay there, sputtering and trying to regain his senses. A pink figure stood above him.

“Impressive little mutant.” Cozy muttered. “Four minutes without air and no water in your system. Other than what’s in your body, but we’ll cook that right out of you when it’s time.”

She turned away from Polaris and addressed an individual he couldn’t see. “Give me that. No need for those. I’ve wanted to use that for a while.”

“Get up.” She ordered, whipping a belt hard against the piping.

“Explosives, Beta Grand Glow!” Someone cried quietly.

“Get up!” The pink pegasus yelled.

Polaris fought all the cramps in his body and struggled against the slippery, metal floor to finally stand. “Even I am starting to see why she chose you to be on her team. You don’t know when to quit.” Cozy Glow finished, whipping the floor just behind his hocks.

“I’m gone!” He slurred, stumbling forward. He hustled back to the command room, moving ahead of the pink mare’s whipping belt.

“Ah, back already?” The Emperor lowered a newspaper.

“We’re ready for you!” Cozy responded.

Alpha narrowed his eyes. “Stop dripping water on my floor, you clumsy animal!”

“PW!” Frosty cried.

Her voice nearly cracked. He smiled back at her, noting that she was unchained from the metal pipe.

“Begin with question number two, Beta Cozy-Glow.” The emperor ordered.

“Aye sir! With pleasure!” She grinned.

“Number two, give me Night-Mare weights! I have you at 405 and I want the others. We want Recce, Echo, 3 and 4. Give them now and they’d better be right. You have one chance, per protocol.” Ordered Cozy.

Frosty sighed and shook her head.

PW made eye contact with the admiral, spooking Frosty at first and then answered for her. “Sure, Number 3 is 293 and Number 4 is 397. Echo is 290 and Recce is 410.”

He knew he was done for when Cozy Glow developed that sinister smile she was famous for. He glanced at Alpha, who’d just written a note. Frosty snorted as if to let PW know that even that lie was too much.

“You said Number 3 was 293 and Number 4 is 397?” The Alpha sighed and looked up into the ceiliing. “I’ll have you know that the Night-Mares were numbered in weight order!”

Cozy Glow giggled.

“You may laugh.” The emperor waved and the other dogs joined Cozy.

PW hung his head, remembering reading that from somewhere in the documentation. “I was defeated in my strongest area. Memorizing stats.” He whispered.

Frosty, still unchained everywhere but her hindlegs, took hold of his chin and lifted him back up. “Hey, PW, relax. Who’s to say you wanted to give them a believable answer? Maybe you were just trying to piss them off!” She winked, patting him off and withdrawing.

“To piss me off, you need to answer the question right. Send him back! Chain him up!” Cozy barked.

PW was led away from the laughter and through the crew quarters before being chained against the engine block. The dogs placed an empty shot glass on his head.

“Fire in the hole!” One shouted.

The Alpha had followed with Frosty and he yanked her to stand beside him. She only growled as he accepted a rifle from one of his dogs.

“Will the backup squadron please come down?” He called.

A dozen diamond dogs armed and ready for battle came down a ladder and organized in the command room, facing them both. Cozy Glow had repositioned behind Emperor Alpha, looking in the direction of PW.

“In-tense.” She whispered.

Alpha bent to Frosty’s level and pointed twenty meters through the two open hatches.

“There’s your comrade. As your reward for giving us "accurate" information you get to try and shoot the glass off his head first. Should you miss, then it’s my turn. I imagine my target is much larger than yours is. He’s 0 for 2 on my questioning and I’m beginning to consider why he’s still alive.”

Frosty closed her eyes for a few seconds to prevent herself from shedding tears.

“Your gun.” Alpha passed the rifle to her and stepped back.

All 12 diamond dogs aimed at her. “Bearshot. Shoot anything else, and you’re dead four times over.” He warned.

“You can do it, Frosty! I believe in you!” A familiar voice yelled from twenty meters downrange.

Then, a thought crossed Polaris’ mind.

Would Frosty even try it? Might she’d decide end him with a merciful shot? He gulped and tried to keep from shaking. He needed to give her a steady target.

Frosty violated her own rules set for him, pointing the weapon to her friend’s head. She let out a shaky breath just barely seeing the glass glinting between the simple sight-guides.

Then, she pulled the trigger.

Author's Note

Yay for Pegasus lungs!