Friendship
Twilight Sparkle may have gone; Rainbow Dash remained. The incessant rumble of her terrible cannons was bearing down fast on the remnants of the city. No fortification, no matter how well-designed, no matter how well-prepared, could hold out forever.
A blinding spray of dust and sand shrouded Urban the Griffon, nipping at his feathers and choking up his beak. "REINFORCE!" he sputtered, ears screaming with tinnitus. "Reinforce! Please!"
"We're up to our last, Urban!" A teenaged soldier - barely out of colthood - spat and yelled and cursed back at him. Proper etiquette had long since fled the battlefield. "After this, that's it!"
"Get moving then, you!" Urban could do nothing more than bark back orders. His mind was clouded. Wiped away were the ethical implications, the strategic goals. It didn't really matter to him anymore that he was flinging his last bulwark - the bodies of fresh, green, inexperienced ponies - in a futile attempt to delay the inevitable. What mattered, was this: the enemy must die.
A sudden rush of wind, the confused pitter-patter of ponies, the slap-slap of crude leather armor, the dull thoks of colliding pikes. The turn of these young ones, now finally getting their role in the struggle - whether they wanted it or not.
Then silence. The cannonade had stopped. The yellow mist cleared. This could only mean one thing.
Sptoo - that old friend, that sound of grappling hooks being fired - ching! Iron clashing against the crumbling stonework, snapping off a few remaining stakes that had remained on the walls. Then another thud as the tops of scaling ladders emerged menacingly into view. The distant tremor of siege towers signaled the rebel leader's intent for this to be the largest assault. The last assault.
A final, split second silence as all held their breath, anticipating their orders, having their last thought of the day; perhaps of their lives.
The enemy pegasi took to the air and began to swoop in for their charge.
"MOVE!" Urban roared.
"Huzzah!" A sea-wave of tension crashed through the stultifying silence. The clatter of pikes and the stampede of hooves - the crowd surged against the walls, desperately wrenching away the hooks, madly pushing away the ladders with every ounce of strength. A thin line of pikemen stood behind them, their long spears seemingly stretching up to the clouds themselves, looking - fear and bloodlust in their pupils - at the impending onslaught of the winged horde.
Urban looked to his left and right. With him were the final set of unicorns he could scrape together for this sector - six, seven, eight effective ones at most. They were all filthy and bloodshot, having been cruelly denied any form of rest or repose. Their sides were scratched and scarred, a testament to the ferocity of the never-ending enemy attack. Their noses and horns were bleeding from all the stress. Their minds had nothing more to offer the griffon, other than the same tired spells, and the unconscious, bestial desire to drag as many ponies down to Tartaros along with them.
"Shoot on my command, unicorns." Urban, ever the old mercenary, had a feel that he - and his army - might be able to go out in one last coup de grace. The weary soldiers acknowledged his command, collapsing onto the floor for their respite.
Ching! Thud! Whoosh! The same sounds, over and over again. They had become strangely comforting to Urban now, a seemingly predictable, periodical indicator of the coming doom. Rainbow Dash would never give up - not now, not with so many dead. She was close. She knew she was close.
*SLAM*. The war-cry of Rainbow Dash's 'Sky Divers' Regiment proceeded their actual arrival onto the scene, so determined were they to conquer. Shadows crashed onto the battlements and materialized themselves as heavily-armored pegasi. A few of the unlucky ones slid down pikes slick with pegasi blood, red spewing out of every opening, moaning their incomprehensible last.
The reaction from the defending mob was immediate. With a terrible bay, they turned savagely on the newcomers. Anything and everything was soon deployed in the glorious defense of the Mare-Realm. Pikes, swords, spears, stones, bricks - anything, anything to just stop the tide from washing over these sopping-red walls. Here, a pegasus was knocked out with a broken cauldron and thrown off the crenellations. There, an orange-maned soldier was screaming aimlessly, his eyes gouged out and his ears bitten off. Bits of wing, tail and hoof were being cast around with reckless abandon, the shriek and wails of unrestricted rage swirling around and combining into a symphony of death. The walls, already saturated with the results of the previous day's struggle, rapidly pooled into a sticky, slippy sea of crimson. The waft of air carried an iron tang.
And Urban was in the middle of it, killing, maiming, enjoying all of it. Steel sword in one hand and dented buckler in the other, he cleaved through yet another pegasus, feeling a rush of undistilled pleasure as his sword - a virtual extension of him - snapped off tendons, bones and soft white marrow. He didn't even bother to look as his blade came into contact with another victim's soft underbelly. He was, instead, looking at the sky. The sky is key... the sky is key...
And there! There it was! Finally! Urban's heart fluttered almost to explosion as his sword sliced through two sets of legs and a howl of despair rang through their dying owner. There it was - another wave of pegasi - another wave, sure to spell his doom - another wave - flying in a tight 'V' formation, preparing to deliver the killing blow.
"Unicorns!" he bellowed, tasting the gourmet of pegasus brain in his beak. "Don't fail me now!" Another swift thrust across a pegasus' face-
The final unicorns, thus far shielded from the bloodfest, struggled to their feet. They saw it as well as the Griffon did: that menacing patch of black, that arrogant portent of death. Twinkleshine looked at her comrades, her body heaving with pain and incredulous anticipation. "Lads, too good an opportunity to resist," she flashed a crazed smile at her war-forged friends. "Let's show them how we roll, shall we?"
"Rah!" "Yeah!" the other ponies screamed their final assent, their voices just as hoarse as their self-appointed leader.
"Her friends will regret ever messing with us," Twinkleshine snarled, teeth gritted in the ultimate concentration, eyes staring unyieldingly at the intended target - that prideful horse, who thought she would be so safe at the head of her own formation... "Ready. Aim. Fire!"
A multicolored ray burst out from the unicorns, unswervingly heading towards the unsuspecting pegasus leader. Black explosions and smoke emerged from the head of the formation. One pegasus was fast losing altitude and diving uncontrollably into the wall.
The unicorns' mission was over. "Rah!" each one gave one last victory cheer, before diving straight into the actual fight, killing, maiming, dying. Another set of shadows slammed onto the battlements - the 'Storm Makers' Regiment. Chastened by the death of their leader, they thought of nothing but revenge, ripping into friend and foe alike with bloody fervor. Urban continued to fight, blood covering every inch of his body, his own wounds growing by the minute - but he continued to fight. The fight was all he cared for. The fight was all the world had to offer...
Meanwhile, the crushed and mangled body of Lightning Dust lay in the dried-up moat, fast disappearing from sight beneath the corpses of other unfortunates.
*
"Please, Rarity!" Pinkie Pie pleaded, not even bothering to acknowledge that section of wall collapsing into a heap of dust and debris. "You have to leave! Rainbow Dash will never forgive you!"
Fluttershy had already flown, tears in her eyes, whimper in her throat. These were the new Duchess' orders, and she knew no other option but to obey. But Pinkie was never one for order.
"Pinkie; go. Now." Rarity, feeling quite emotional herself, nevertheless steeled herself and said those iron words.
"No, Rarity," Pinkie quivered, her hair never regaining its previous bounce. "There's still a chance! There's still a chance for all of us, Rarity. Please! Let's go to Applejack's, let's go back to Equestria, anywhere, just not here!"
"Applejack?" the ex-fashionista gave a hollow laugh. "What makes you think she'll take us in?"
The party pony chose not to respond to this challenge. "Rarity, please! Think of Sweetie Belle! Think of Carousel Boutique! Rarity: no, you can't- "
"Darling," Rarity stroked the straight, greasy mane of her friend. "If there was ever a time for running, it's not now. I will not make it to the pass. I won't be returning to Equestria."
"No, no, Rarity!" Pinkie Pie begged, frantically producing from her saddlebags all sorts of odds and ends. "Here... disguises... passports... connections... they won't catch you, Rarity; I'll make sure that's the last thing they'll ever do! Please, Rarity, you can't stay here!"
Rarity sighed. Perhaps this was what needed to be done. "Alright. Pinkie, let's sit down and discuss this plan of yours... "
*
Thunder rolled onto the inner citadel. Rainbow Dash didn't bother asking for a treaty, or even for a surrender. Blood could only be repaid through more blood.
Twilight's old room shook and groaned with every new strike against the castle. Most of the lavish furnishings had fallen off by now, the window panes cracked and broken, the once-tidy collection of books now a dusty, dirty heap flung carelessly onto the stone floor. Twilight's bed, however, remained neat and tidy, as if it was just another disorganized day in the pony's short life. Twilight's body, magically preserved, was tucked serenely under the covers, her body washed and clean, her mane done up and brushed, a gentle, kind smile on her face.
Gentle and kind. Duchess Rarity looked at her sleeping friend one last time, tearing up, beaming bright. That's how she would have wanted us to remember her.
Twilight's body heaved as another dull rumble dislodged another few stones off from the castle walls. Rarity quickly used her own magic to ward off the debris from the bookish mare, no longer concerned about her own increasingly ragged looks.
Another rumble.
Rarity gestured to her Chief Guard. "Ward Watch," she mentioned calmly. "Can you do one last thing for me?"
The grizzled stallion straightened up in a salute. "My Duchess!" he declared. "I will serve you until my brains are dashed before your very door!"
"Eugh," the white unicorn waved her hoof half-joking. "That is gross, Ward Watch. No, I have a special mission for you."
"Anything, My Duchess."
Rarity trotted over to the unconscious Pinkie Pie. "Take her - and your forces - away from this castle. Bring her to the pass to Equestria."
Ward Watch's eyes widened. "B-but my liege, what about- "
"Mr. Watch!" the ex-fashionista, prepared, slammed her hooves against a nearby table. "These are my orders, and I shall expect them to be carried out!"
For a moment, that grizzled pony was on the verge of mutiny. But duty compelled him. He straightened up as far as he could, the old bones in his back cracking in protest. He saluted. "My Duchess."
Another rumble snapped Rarity out of her reminiscence. She had been blankly staring at Twilight's face. So calm... so untroubled... another rumble, another shower of rocks. The white unicorn trotted to a nearby window. Rainbow Dash's army, still as innumerable as when she had first appeared outside the city, had utterly surrounded her fortress.
For a moment, Rarity's mind blanked out.
Then, spontaneously, she began to snigger - she began to chuckle - she finally burst forth in raucous laughter, rolling onto the ground, smearing the remnants of her fine coat and mane with brown and gray dust. Oh, Rainbow Dash really is stupid! If only Lightning Dust could see what she's been doing - blasting away at an empty castle! Oh, Rainbow Dash... I can't wait to see the look on your face when you find out!
Wiping away tears of laughter, smirking and sniggering, Rarity walked back to Twilight's motionless body, her own sides bursting both with emotion and hilarity.
"Oh, *hic* bye, Twilight," the surviving unicorn, delirium slowly conquering her, addressed her unhearing friend. She took Twilight's foreleg and stroked it. It was cold to the touch. "I'm sure we'll meet... soon... " She bowed and closed the door to Twilight's room, one last time.
Oh, Rainbow Dash, you really are silly! Rarity's sniggers echoed throughout the crumbling stairs.
You've been blasting an empty fortress all this time! The white unicorn laughed and hiccupped as another few rocks were dislodged from the ceiling of the Main Hall.
I can't wait until you see what happens! The ex-fashionista scampered down the underground passageway, a sudden rockslide blocking any hope of retreat.
*
The wooden door opened with a creak. Magically, Rarity, still smiling, lit a nearby oil lamp. The contents of the room revealed itself. Shelf after shelf of gunpowder barrels, carefully stocked by the ex-Duchess, meticulously hoarded in the event of Changeling invasion. "At which point, me, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity will unite our forces together in defense of Equestria... "
Rarity's smile took on a tinge of bitterness. She exhaled, noting the pitifully small amount of stock that Twilight could actually use to defend her own city. We could have been so great...
"Well, nothing left to it," she encouraged herself, cantering to the far side of the cavernous vault. The pony's breaths quickened.
The unicorn came face-to-face with another huge stack of gunpowder, staring up at it with wide, unblinking eyes. The last smile disappeared from her face. Well. This is it.
"Of course, since we’re all good friends, we’re going to be just fine."
"How can you be so sure that Applejack and Rainbow Dash will keep their promises?”
"I should have known... I thought they would always... I took them... for granted... "
"Sorry, Twilight, if this isn't what you wanted," Rarity whispered, her horn emitting a faint bluish hue.
"Sorry, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, if you were expecting something else." The bluish hue shone even brighter.
Rarity closed her eyes. "S-sorry, Sweetie Belle. I lied."
An azure ray shot out of the unicorn's horn and struck a barrel at white-hot speed.
A blinding flash.
*
Applejack made final preparations for the big move back to base. Most of the chests were neatly packed, ready for transport back home. The final borders had already been determined - she would receive Rarity's land, Rainbow Dash would get Twilight Sparkle's.
From what the country pony had observed and seen, Rainbow Dash had gotten her victory all right - but at a terrible cost. Lightning Dust was missing and presumed dead. Half her army became casualties in front of those daunting walls. And the real object of Rainbow Dash's campaign - the crown and documents belonging to the Duchy of the Outer Lands - was nowhere to be found, along with any trace of Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, or Fluttershy. Any possible evidence must have disintegrated when Twilight's castle had imploded in a shower of fire and stone. Sure, there were rumors here and there - that Twilight had died, that Fluttershy had escaped, that Rarity was now back in Ponyville. But those were mere rumors. Rainbow Dash hadn't really gotten what she had come for, and to top it off, she now faced the task of reorganizing her force without her most capable helper.
Under these circumstances, and given the inimical relationships between the two erstwhile friends, Applejack would have attacked without further hesitation. Yet now, Rainbow Dash's army was twice the size of hers, thanks to a continuous stream of reserves trickling into her force. The farm pony was not one to make such daring gambles, especially with a perfectly good alternative at hand. She would go back, raise another army, and then crush the arrogant horse before she could get things sorted out. That was the plan-
"You... " a dark, gravelly hiss suddenly appeared at the entrance, causing the orange mare's hairs to stand on end. I've heard that voice before...
"Countess!" The voice of Applejack's guards snapped her out of her funk. She turned to face an irate Pinkie Pie, bound and trussed up by two of her guards. "We found an intruder, trying to sneak in, dagger in her hooves. She says she's called Pinkie Pie, and that she knows- "
"I know her all right!" Pinkie Pie snarled through gritted teeth, hate permeating every feature of her voice. "Applejack... you murderer... you traitor... "
The party pony's daggerlike words, like cold steel, cut into Applejack's heart and chilled her to the core. For a moment, the orange pony's conscience overpowered her, filling her with guilt, with self-hate, at what she had become... you did this. You caused ALL of this...
The farm mare shook her head decisively, flinging away all her self-doubt. Remember that party... remember Dashie... remember... she stared back at Pinkie Pie, her face slowly turning scarlet red, once with shame, now with anger. She took a deep breath. Revenge.
"Guards, who is this pony?" Applejack looked up emotionlessly towards one of Pinkie's jailers. "Her mouth's been through the trough."
Slap. The jailer struck Pinkie Pie across the face. "Watch your tongue, assassin."
Pinkie Pie took the hit. Unmoved, she turned back to Applejack, her eyes burning with an unquenchable fire. "You know me, Applejack. You can deny it, but you'll always remember me... you'll see it in your dreams... every waking hour... "
"Again, guards. She's not makin' much sense," Applejack tried her best to ignore Pinkie's words.
Pinkie let out a muffled groan as the guard punched her in the stomach. Blood shot out of her snout and mouth. But that only amplified the effect.
The farm mare's eyes dilated as Pinkie opened blood-red eyes back at her, seeming more and more like an angry spirit by the second. Snout bleeding, red oozing and bubbling out of her mouth, her voice becoming more wispy, her eyes becoming larger and larger, her pupils getting smaller and smaller, the outside world fading into utter darkness... "Applejack... you killed Twilight... you killed Rarity... every night... you're goin' to see them... until the day you die... "
No, no... Twilight and Rarity are joining her, blood streaming from their ears, their eyes, their throats, their face curled up in a deathly grin... "You killed us... Applejack... murderer... "
"NO!" Applejack screamed, her limbs buckling towards the ground, her hooves firmly pressed against her ears. The chanting stopped. The world reverted back to normal. All the trembling country pony could hear was the sound of her own terrified breathing, the polite silence of two perplexed guards, and Pinkie's voice, now reduced, thanks to a few extra blows, into a series of inconsistent babbles.
The country pony gingerly got back up, brushing off the grass from her body. There could have been no greater proof of the veracity of Pinkie's words.
The farm pony looked at Pinkie. Pinkie glared back at her erstwhile friend. Her fiery eyes said all that she needed to say.
Applejack... you killed Twi-
"Guards!" The orange mare quickly regarded the grim jailers, desperate for anything to break this tortuous silence. "So, you're sayin' that this pony was tryin' to kill me?"
"That is what we think, yes," came the response. Pinkie Pie gargled and tried a lunge at Applejack, receiving only a hoof to her face in return.
The country mare glanced at the pony in front of her one last time. "Alright," she ordered to her soldiers, her heart set on the solution. "We can't be too careful, gentlecolts. Strangle her."
"Yes, Ma'am," the soldiers saluted. Pinkie Pie burbled some more, her legs frantically trying to make another lunge at Applejack. But it was a futile gesture. The pink pony's struggles slowly faded into the ether, leaving Applejack to stew, alone, in her newfound nightmares.