//------------------------------// // Chapter 13; Black tide // Story: The War of 1002 // by Fireheart 1945 //------------------------------// The enemy proved to be relentless; although the heat of the desert hurt the Changelings more than the Equestrians, they had the numbers to render that weakness moot. Pushed back, day after day, the army was lucky to escape with the majority of it's forces intact each time. The bug-like, dauntless creatures press forward, not caring how many casualties they took. They didn't care how many of their own warriors (if they could even be called that) died as long as they won. They managed to overwhelm entrenched positions again and again, coming all too close to destroying the forces sent to stop them. Each battle cost the ponies at east a few lives, and a number of wounded. The bugs (as they were beginning to be referred to derogatorily) knew they could afford the cost, and that their foes couldn't afford theirs anywhere near as well as they could. One thing James noticed was that, although the Changelings' strategy changed, their individual skill didn't get much better; one Changeling was about as skilled as any of it's companions, and never really improved. The ponies, in contrast, adapted better and better the longer they fought. They learned to take every bit of cover they could get, and began to practically second-guess their officers. Those same officers learned as well; they became all the more innovative as the fighting wore on. Sometimes, they would even be able to halt the enemy; one daring officer lead a counterattack that surprisingly regained a bit of ground before his command was forced back. In the end, though, the numbers of the enemy proved too much each time, and they had to fall back from one position to the next. They never lost as much as they had on the first day of the retreat; the Equestrian soldiers fought fiercely, holding on as long as possible before falling back. Still, each mile of ground lost was another mile closer the merciless foe got to Appleloosa. The week ended with the town a mere two miles away from the front. James felt as tired as anyone could get; another 100 soldiers had become casualties over the past week, with 37 confirmed dead, 55 walking wounded, and the remaining eight too badly injured to resume active duty; one brave soldier had to have a hind leg amputated. To the Colonel's surprise, he remained cheerful despite his loss. James only hoped he could be that accepting should such a thing happen to him. He used his binoculars for the umpteenth time to peer over no-man's-land. The enemy camp-hive was easily visible, although it was just out of artillery range. Black specks buzzed around it, performing various duties. He lowered the binoculars, frowning. Although the majority of his forces had survived, morale was sagging. He had around five hundred unwounded soldiers, with perhaps seventy lesser wounded who could fight if they had to. There had to be some way to take the fight to the enemy. The how of it was what had him, though; he couldn't think of any idea that didn't have an exceptionally high risk of the soldiers involved getting killed. The enemy didn't have a supply line that he could cut, and the way the bugs fought said that morale would never be an issue for them. If he tried to raid their camp, the attacking force likely wouldn't do anything important, and the counterblow would almost assuredly wipe them out. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have some intelligence. He shook his head. He had though out a plan to spy on the enemy; a unicorn could use his magic to disguise himself as a Changeling. That part wasn't in question; it was how the soldier would act surrounded by the enemy, and above all, the enemy's insectile language. No one had been able to translate it. If they had to get in, they would have to sneak in, and he had no real clue of how to do it. The bugs had to have a pattern in their jobs; any insectile race typically seemed to have one. Again, if there was one, no one was able to see it. He raised the binoculars again; one tower was taller than all the rest. It seemed to have no purpose other than to antagonate the ponies. It seemed to say, "Here we are. What are you going to do about it? Nothing!" He growled. He wanted that tower down; he wanted it down badly. Presently, he heard hoofbeats approaching. He lowered the binoculars again and turned to his left. Shield was standing there, watching him. "Colonel." The Guard saluted. "Any ideas, yet?" "I've been trying, but so far it's no go." He again raised the binoculars to his eyes and looked at the offending tower in the distance. "A unicorn would be able to disguise themselves, yes, but we can't understand their way of think, or their language. And a pegasus would be recognized instantly and would be swarmed." He sighed. "They don't have any supply lines, so we can't stop them by cutting one, and we can't hurt their morale through a raid because their morale is nonexistent." There was a pause. "I really want that damn tower gone. It sits there, mocking us. Mocking me." Lowering the binoculars yet again, he thought, If only I had a nuclear missile, I could blow that pile of garbage off the face of the earth, AND the army protecting it. "We have to come up with something. They'll destroy the town if we don't." "I know, I know." As he said this, a crazy thought flitted through his mind. "You know what? We're gonna knock that damn tower down. We'll sneak our artillery into range by night, and blast the thing to smithereens." Shield frowned. "Are you sure your emotions aren't influencing your judgment? That sounds pretty risky." "It's better than trying it by day, and who knows? There might be something of value to them inside that tower." "Something to that. I just hope we don't get hurt doing it." "Me too." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That night, three of the artillery batteries crept forward, with James leading them. The unicorns in the task force did their best to mask the units approaching the hive-camp; he hoped it was successful. Finally, with the enemy base (perhaps that was one of the more appropriate words) less than one mile away, they halted. The cannoneers unlimbered their pieces, and loaded them. James kept his eyes focused on the Changeling camp; it didn't look like they had been noticed. Good. And the tower was in clear sight. The gunner had all had good practice, as well as personal experience on the field; he was sure their first few volleys would hit it. "Sir." One of the artilleryponies, a faint-purple unicorns, address the Colonel. "All guns loaded and ready to fire." "Very good, corporal. Aim at the tower's base; I want it destroyed utterly in it's collapse." "Understood sir. When do we fire?" "On my command." "Yes sir." The pony trotted back to his gun. Everything seemed absolutely quiet for the next few seconds; it was as if the Earth itself had held it's breath, waiting for his command. He gave it. "Fire!" All twelve guns fired; the deafening roar cut through the night air like a hot knife through butter. An explosion appeared a the base of the tower, then another blossomed higher up. A half- second later, five more shells struck, and two holes appeared; one of the batteries must have been firing solid cannonballs. The structure tilted, first to one side, then the other; Changelings swarmed around the tower, as if in panic. Another volley from one of the batteries sent two more shells and another cannonball smashing into the tower; the next volley from another battery battered it, causing it to tilt toward the task force. "One more, boys! One more volley, and that tower's gone!" James shouted, feeling a sense of exhilaration fill his body. He was proved correct; another volley sent the tower collapsing entirely. It hit the ground with a dull thud that he could feel almost as much as he could hear it. Changelings flew around the destroyed building, obviously deeply concerned about it's fate. "Ok, boys, we did what we set out to do. Limber up those guns, and we'll go back to camp." He hastened to obey his own order. Something flew at them from out of the darkness. James turned to see a single Changeling attempting to attack one of his soldiers. He drew his sword and hit it in the side of the head with the flat of the blade. It crumpled, stunned but not dead. He grasped it by the back of it's neck. "I wouldn't struggle, if I were you," he said, quietly. "Come with us now, or else." The bug stared at him with hate in it's eyes. "You miserable, stinking rats. What have you done?" "I thought that was obvious. We destroyed the tower." "You have destroyed the abode of our fair and generous queen, that's what you've done! How dare you!" James stared back, then looked at a nearby soldier. "Hold him down. Tie him up, and take him with us." He stood up, and stretched. "We have some good news to tell everyone." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Despite the late hour, nearly every soldier was awake, fearing for their friends and comrades who had gone out on their mission. James could see the relief on their faces upon seeing that none of the troopers in the detachment had been lost. "Guess what, boys?" he shouted. "We just scragged the queen's tower, and maybe her with it!" A loud cheer arose upon hearing this news. His friends trotted up to him. "Oh thank goodness," Bright Star said. "When the guns stopped firing, we thought you had been overrrun!" "Well, I'm here, and we're all here, and" - he jerked a thumb back toward the prisoner - "we have a new guest tonight." "Ha ha! I can see tha, laddie!" Silver Lining said, impressed. "Well fought, Colonel!" "I admit, I had my doubts about this attack," Shield put in. "But we may have just won the war!" "I'm not so sure." James did have his doubts about that. "This one, for one" - he pointed at the tied-up Changeling - "was pretty feisty, even after the tower, building, field palace or whatever it was got destroyed. I don't think it's over yet." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inspite of his misgivings, the morale in the camp soared. By the next morning, soldiers hummed as they worked, and those assigned to patrol and guard duty went at it with determination. One soldier drew a cartoon of Queen Chrysalis fleeing the tower in panic, leaving the rest of her army at the mercy of a battalion of ponies rushing into their base, which produced plenty of laughs. James laughed along with them, but kept the war firmly in his thoughts. None of my book told me it would be like this, he thought, as he tried to think of something, anything, to offset the numbers of the enemy; if the queen had survived, she would be very angry, and ever more determined to get revenge. He sat down on the far side of the camp from the enemy, facing Appleloosa. We have to stop them. Some of the townsponies had absolutely refused to leave; Braeburn was among their number. However, they had, in no other way, opposed the army, had, in fact, gone out of their way to feed the soldiers; he could even see some of them making another trench line just short of the town. They hadn't been ignorant of what had been going on; The fact that the guns had grown louder each day had lead to the obvious (and unfortunately correct) conclusion that the army was in retreat. One mare who had been delivering food had been very surprised to find the army to close to the town. And, to be frank, he couldn't blame her. We can't afford to make any mistakes. We don't have the room or the numbers to make them. He looked at the clock tower. It was a shame to see this town destroyed once, and that from a buffalo attack. We need... He sat up. The buffalo... Yes, he did have an option, just not one he hadn't seen earlier. The solution was a political as well as a military one. He remembered watching the buffalo stampeding as well as their attack on the town. Their size and strength would make them almost unstoppable. He started to walk back to his tent, with a feeling that he was being useful again. Before he could get there, though, a Royal Guard walked up to him. "Sir, the enemy has not stirred since yesterday, therefore, what are your instructions?" James stopped and turned to him. "Continue to monitor the enemy. And send me someone who is good with talking and negotiating." "Sir?" The Guard looked surprised. "Until we get reinforcements, we are on our own... but maybe there are others who could help us... others nearby." "Sir, I apologize, but I don't follow." "The buffalo. I want someone to talk to them and bring them into the fight on our side. Their strength and size would overwhelm the enemy and help us to throw them back instead of retreating all the time." "Sir, forgive me, but that sounds risky. If the buffalo decide they like Changelings more than ponies..." "We have to try. Now find me someone to send to the town, and discuss the issue with them." The Guard didn't argue any further. "Yes sir!" he said, saluting. The human got back to his tent without any more distractions. He sat down and began to write a letter; Dear Princess Celestia, If you don't already know, we've been pushed back after our early successes and are now a mere two miles from Appleloosa. We are in desperate straights. The issues I wish to discuss are important. I'll get out the most... insubordinate first. I know you probably won't like the idea of beginning negotiations, but we need help. As such, I am sending someone to Appleloosa to ask them about helping us open talks with the buffalo; their courage and size can help us smash the enemy and throw them back instead of having to withdraw again and again. I apologize if this is infeasible to you, but in retrospect, the buffalo would be overrun as well should the Changelings overrun Equestria; it would simply be a matter of time. As for the other issue, it is most simple; we need more troops, and now. We don't have the numbers to stop them ourselves, and if the buffalo refuse to join us, we won't have a snowflake's chance in a desert of holding them out of the town. Send us troops. Send us arms. Send us anything! Just make sure it gets here and can knock the Changelings back. ...Sorry. But the situation is desperate. I've made preparations in case Appleloosa falls, but I'd prefer not to lose the town. I saw it destroyed once; I don't want to see it destroyed again. And, for the record, some ponies are refusing to leave the town, although they are helping us immensely. They'll be killed, or worse, enslaved if we are thrown back again. Please, help us! Colonel Lavigne. He put the letter in an envelope and gave it to the ponies in charge of the mail. Then he went to get some lunch. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Colonel, our scouts and watchponies have detected movement. The enemy are heading our way." A Guard pony had just reported in to see the commander. "I see. And where are the enemy's flanking columns?" "There appear to be none, sir. It's confusing. They appear to be throwing everything into a frontal assault." "Hmmm..." James tried to think of the reason the Changelings had abandoned tactics that had helped them immensely before. He didn't have to think long. The queen survived, and she's so enraged that she's abandoned reason and strategy in favor of just obliterating us. It came us almost immediately. "Have the army rally at once, we must hurt the enemy as much as we can." "Yes sir." The troops reacted almost instantaneously. Before he knew it, most of them were in the trenches, crossbows raised and ready to fire, and artillery unlimbered and loaded. "FIRE!" The guns fired off one after another. Explosions dotted the black horde, not stopping it but inflicting severe losses on the incoming foes. One shell after another fell; for every enemy that was killed or wounded, two or three more took it's place. Canister tore open massive holes in the Changelings' lines, tearing some to shreds while others fell from single hits from the tiny, but astronomically nurmerous metal balls. The rest of their front line were hit by crossbow bolts. Once again, as if more evidence were needed, the enemy cared nothing for their heavy losses. Those not killed or wounded kept rushing forward, eager to close the distance. James fired off all six shots in his revolver very quickly, then unsheathed his sword. He struck down three Changelings with an outward slash of his sword, then jabbed another in the chest. Three more stopped just in front of him. To his surprise, one of them spoke; "You're coming with us, monkey. Now!" "I'm not going anywhere." James struck the one who had addressed him in the shoulder, slicing deep into it's neck. The other two jumped on him, knocking him to the ground. He kicked one away, then stabbed the other in it's left side; it screeched as he withdrew the blade, and fell. "You will pay for hurting our queen!" the remaining enemy hissed. "She brought it upon herself." He threw the sword into it's chest, then jumped forward and withdrew it. The Changeling dropped with a thud. He looked around; again, the foe was winning through sheer strength in numbers, but they acted as if nothing had changed from the first battle he had fought against them. In spite of himself, he smiled. The surprise bombardment of the tower-palace had done something after all. In her rage, the queen cared nothing for plans or strategy, only for making those responsible suffer. That could be exploited... if they survived. And they wouldn't survive if they didn't fall back again, and quickly. The battery off to his left was being attacked by over a dozen of the enemy. He hurried over and killed two before they knew he was there, then jabbed two so quickly that they had no chance to defend themselves and fell dead at his feet. He got another before the rest had prepared themselves. One shot at him, but missed, and he beheaded it immediately. More soldiers arrived to throw the enemy off the battery; they clearly knew he was going to call for a retreat. He did so, calling, "Retreat! Back to the town!" The unicorns in the army put up a shield to block the enemy while the remainder of the ponies withdrew; James noticed that, as the enemy hadn't tried to outflank the army, the shield was holding most of them back, away from the town. Once the other elements of the army had escaped, the unicorns teleported away as their shiled collapsed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- James had to admit, whoever was in charge of building the defenses for the town was an expert; breastworks surrounded the town, and cheval-de-frix had been placed in front of them to keep the Changelings from getting in very easily from the ground. A loud train whistle broke through his dispairing thoughts. He looked up to see a train, longer than any he had seen in Equestria so far, pull into the town and stop. Steam hissed from the engine. What happened then was the most welcome and heartwarming thing he had seen since the fighting started; ponies, decked out in blue uniforms and bearing Equestrian flags, strode out of the train and marched toward the front line. He began to cheer; Shining Armor must have come through at last! He felt like dancing to the tune of "Yankee Doodle". There had to be hundreds, no, thousands, of blue-clad troopers and armored Guards parading through town. At the rear of the column came the artillery... along with three cannons of a type he hadn't seen before. Before he could ask what they were, a silver-armored Royal Guard marched up to him and saluted. "Sir, reinforcements from General Armor have arrived to help in repelling the enemy and to throw them off our soil. There are two thousand of us, with around six thousand still in training, some to hopefully join us in about five days." The Guard lowered his hoof. "That's the best news I've had all week." He turned and looked at the strange cannons. "Tell me, lieutenant, what purpose will those cannons serve in the field? They are of a make I haven't seen before now." "Glad you asked, sir. They are prototypes, meant exclusively for combating aerial foes." The lieutenant looked at the new guns too. "They fire an explosive shell that is set to burst at a certain time, between one to three seconds rather than bursting from impact, as usual shells would." "That will prove useful against skyborne Changelings. We needed this." The lieutenant smiled. "We got the idea from a soldier who was at the river crossing battle near Greenspot. He wrote a letter to a member of his family, who happened to be a scientist on our research and development team." "Good, that's very good news. Have they been tested?" "A few times, sir, against clouds. They seem accurate enough, but only time will tell if they're actually useful against the Changelings." His smile vanished. "Speaking of them, I thought the front was several miles to the north, what happened?" James sighed, chin falling to his chest. "What happened? Too many of them, and not enough of us. They could outflank us at will, and did. If we had stayed in position, they would have destroyed us within a day, two days, if you're optimistic. We're lucky that most of the army survived, we have maybe 450 uninjured soldiers left, and about 78 walking wounded who we could put on the front line if we're desperate." The lieutenant looked concerned. "And the rest...?" "Either too badly wounded to continue service, or dead." He gave the truth, brutal and ruthless as it was. "Oooohh." The Guard looked afraid, but when he spoke, he proved it wasn't his own death he was scared of; "Sir, my brother was in the original task force. I hope he's alright." "Hmmm. You have my sympathy. I hope you find him in the camp we have set up." "Thank you, sir." "Find your brother - alive - at the camp. That's an order, soldier. Dismissed." "Yes, sir!" The lieutenant saluted again, then hurried off. James took another look at the new cannons; they did indeed look like they were built to defend against air attack, if a Civil War cannon had been redesigned and rebuilt for such a purpose. Their barrels were angled much higher than any other piece of artillery he had seen in this war, and they shone brightly; someone had polished them before they had been loaded onto the train. Two thousand more soldiers! Maybe they couldn't go on the offensive just yet, but they could hold territory much more easily, and they could spread out over a much larger area of ground. And the new cannons would increase anti-air effectiveness immensely by themselves. He smiled. Maybe the impending battle wasn't so hopeless after all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the campfire with his friends that night, James sat down, still trying to comprehend the size of the reinforced army. Morale had been sky high since the news - and it's bearers - had arrived. "Abou' time they thought ta get more boys up to tha front," Silver Lining said, taking a massive bite out of his mashed potatoes afterward. "They didn't have the weapons or the training to send them to us until now," Bright Star said calmly, depositing the remains of his dinner into the fire. "What matters is that they're here now. I think we may have a chance to defend the town now." James looked up from the fire. "I am a little concerned that the new arrivals are inexperienced." "They'll learn." Silver Shield looked up from the town newspaper. "They'll have to." "That goes without saying, sergeant," Bright put in; Shield's promotion had come in from Canterlot, not that he needed it, as he had acted like a sergeant all along. "Hey, anyone up fer a game o' chess?" White Knight asked, eyes twinkling in the light of the stars and the fire. "No thanks; ya win tha game so much tha I can't get ana fun outta it ana more," Silver answered, making an exaggerated face of boredom. Everyone laughed. James couldn't hold it back anymore, he began quietly singing "The Battle Cry of Freedom"; We will rally round the flag, boys, Rally once again, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom! We will rally from the hillside, Gather from the Plain, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom! The Union forever, Hurrah, boy hurrah! Down with the traitor, and up with the star! While we rally round the flag, boys, Rally once again, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom! He looked up again from the fire and saw that every one was looking at him. He looked back down at the fire, knowing his embarrassment was showing on his face; he could feel his cheeks turn red. "Huh." Shield's grunt rang out. "I didn't take you for a singer, Jim." James felt his cheeks blaze. "Errr, emmmmm..." To his great relief, no one laughed at him, though he heard Bright struggle to contain his mirth. "Sir, I didn't mean anything offensive by that," Shield said quickly, noticing James' discomfort. "It was actually very good. In fact," he said, slowing down, "I think it highlights the very reasons we are fighting this war. Freedom; we're fighting to stop those things" - he spat into the fire - "from choosing what to do with our lives, and to stop them from using us essentially as fuel sources. And, of course, we're fighting for our lives." "Hmmmm... I think I know somepony back en Manehattan tha can make tha little ditty inta something worthwhile", said Silver Lining, a hoof on his chin. "Aye, I think it can be done. I can write et down fer ya, if ya want," he went on getting up and flying away quickly and returning with a pencil and paper in his hooves. "Emmmmm..." "Come on, Jim!" Bright Star said. "You know we'd appreciate it." "..." Shield laughed. "You're bold and fearless in battle, but you can't summon the courage to tell us the lyrics to a song?" He continued to laugh for several seconds before seeing the look on the Colonel's face and recovering his wits. "...Fine." James got up, and began the next phrase of the song; We are springing to the call, Of our brothers gone before, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom! And we'll fill the vacant ranks With a million free men more, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom! The Union forever! Hurrah, boys hurrah! Down with the traitor and up with the star While we rally round the flag, boys, Rally once again, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom! We will welcome to our numbers The loyal, true, and brave, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom And although they may be poor, Not a man shall be a slave, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom! The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah! Down with the traitor, and up with the star While we rally round the flag, boys, Rally once again, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freedom! While we rally round the flag, boys, Rally once again, Shouting the Battle Cry of Freeeeeeeedom!* The ponies around the fire clapped their hooves, with Silver Lining cheering out loud. James felt his cheeks practically burn. "Dat was brilliant!" White Knight cried out excitedly. "I'd got ta enny concert dat had dat song in it!" "Indeed, that was great!" Bright agreed. "I don't know why you're so embarrassed about singing." "I... I just don't like... doing that before crowds..." "Oh, aye, I can understand tha." Silver Lining finished writing things down. He flew over to James and held the paper out in front of him. James stared at the paper. Not only were the song's entire lyrics written down, musical notes, presumably to the tune he had been singing to, had been written down. He turned to Silver. "I didn't know you were a musician." Silver's right hoof went straight to the mane on his head, and now his cheeks went red. "I had a little practice. Whenevar I had free time and I dinna feel like make cloud sculptures, I did this instead." "Looks good." "Uh, thanks." Silver flew over to his seat and sat back down. "Colonel!" A voice rang out in the dark. "Letter for Colonel Lavigne!" At least he said it correctly. "Yes, I'm Colonel Lavigne." "Here." The pegasus produced a letter. "Thanks", James said as the soldier flew away. He opened the letter and read, silently; Dear James, I have gotten your letter, and it's contents disturb me greatly, though I must say, your plan to open talks with the buffalo was a masterstroke. At this point, almost any help we can receive is a blessing. I hope they'll listen to reason. Unfortunately, most of our army is still in training, and production of new weapons has yet to meet demand. More worrisome, however, are the actions and words of Lord Spokesbane, the Griffons' main ambassador. Our retreats have been noticed, despite the fact that they were utterly necessary. He and his team have become ever more aggressive, and I fear I cannot hold off war with the Griffons for long. I know that you and our brave army will do all you can to defeat the Changelings. You are all in my thoughts... always. Sincerely and with all hope, Princess Celestia P.S., you are forgiven for your brash words in your letter. James lowered the letter and looked up. He felt depressed. How could he not, with the Griffons a thread's breadth away from beginning their own war? Damn you, Spokesbane, you son of a motherfucking bitch! He sighed without realizing he was doing it. "...What is it, Jim?" "..." For a moment, all he did was breathe; all anyone could hear from him was the air coming out of his nose when he exhaled. "...I need some time alone." He got up and walked away before anyone could ask what he was doing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- James walked out into an empty area of the desert, to the west of the army. The desert dirt and sand crunched under his boots as he marched to a boulder and knelt down, laying his elbows down on it and lifting his arms to pray. "Oh, God," he said, looking up into the stars. "I don't know if I can do this. I... I feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities laid on my shoulders. I know I haven't been checking in all that much, but please, hear me out." He paused, wondering what to say next. "Please, I know I'm in a land with... people who are technically not Christian, but they need me, and... they need you. I need you, more now than ever before. Please, give us the strength to win the battle tomorrow, and give us the wisdom and courage to fight for, and to do, what is right." He looked up at one particularly bright star. "I ask you, please, to show the mercy and compassion you have shown man since the Earth's creation. Please show us the mercy you showed us all when you sent your Son to save us from evil, and from ourselves." He heard something behind him, but didn't turn around, although he focused a little more on listening to the environment. "Please forgive me if I have acted against you in any way. I love you, Father. Amen." He made the sign of the Cross as he finished. He heard the clatter of rocks tumbling together, and turned sharply. Something hid behind a boulder to the left of his current line of sight. He felt his eyebrow raise as if from it's own accord; if the thing trying to hide behind the rock was a Changeling, surely it would have attacked by now? He walked up to the rock, drew his gun, and jumped behind it. He lowered the weapon and sighed. It's just the guys. Sure enough, Bright Star, Silver Lining, White Knight, and Silver Shield had been crouching behind the rock. He didn't know what to feel. It was supposed to be private... He forced himself to relax, and holstered the gun. "...What are you doing here, guys?" "Uh..." "Uh..." "Uh..." "Oh, for crying out loud!" Shield stood up. "We followed you. I admit it." "...Well, you did a good job of it," James said in a neutral tone of voice. Bright stood up from where he had fallen down. "Jim, we were worried about you. You never try to go off alone." "I had to this time. It was... important." "We noticed," Shield said quietly. "And private." "Well, how were we supposta know tha?" Silver asked. James was quiet for a few seconds, trying to keep his temper in check. He took a deep breath. "Alright, sorry about that. But I had a reason for it, as I suppose you all know by now." "Yeah, no kidding." Shield looked at him closely. "I'd heard rumors you had... different beliefs." "You mean that I denied that Princess Celestia was a goddess to her face?" James replied, to horrified looks. "Yeah, I did that. And you know what?" he asked. "She told me I was right. Heck, she even laughed about it. Just ask her, or Shining Armor. He'll tell you, if no one else." Shield's jaw had dropped so low, James was surprised it was still attached to his head. He recovered slowly. "You said that to... royalty?" he asked, as if he had been about to say a different word. James shrugged. "Where I come from, everyone is equal by law. There is no nobility or royalty in my country. I had no contact with any one who really was royalty, until I got summoned here to fight this war." He stood up as straight as he could. "We have a duty to protect this country and it's innocents from the monsters that have come to destroy it. And we'll continue to do that job, until we've completed it. Until then, religious debates can wait. Now, we have a camp to get back to; we'll need our rest for the battle that's coming." He saw nods coming from everyone. "Now, let's go." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Note, this version of the song "Battle Cry of Freedom" was sung by "The Weavers" who have absolutely no connection with me.