Twilight looked over at what must be half of the town. The call had gone out, they needed a wall made, a round wall with a flat surface inside. So they had come, fireponies and soldiers, mailponies and shopkeepers. Not one complained, not one put in less than one-hundred percent.
Of the other half of the town, they were helping, too, bringing food, water, drink, and small tents to take a break in. They had started nine hours prior and already it was halfway finished. Many were working well past their break point, but none would stop.
She observed all this from the small rise where she directed everything going on, currently watching Big Mac, Jim Beam, and John, the three biggest stallions in Ponyville, all hooked up to a huge bundle of trees devoid of root and branches. They were dragging the twenty foot-long logs by huge chains hooked to pulling harnesses provided by the Fire Department. It was heavy and backbreaking work, but the three working together made it seem like a walk in the park.
Twilight glanced up to where Rainbow and her team brought in small clouds to rain down in the pit dug where the trees had been uprooted, making a thick, sticky mud of the ground, much like paste. This, in turn, was picked up by more ponies and loaded into carts, then carried over to the growing log wall, where it was packed in, to form a wall no eye could see in or out of.
Red, the defacto forepony on this endeavor, trotted up to Twilight.
“Yo, Princess, we are moving faster than yous thought,” he glanced to see Thunderlane and another team of pegasi bringing down yet another tree from the edge of the forest.
“I know yous said you can’t tell us what this is for, but, will it really help Chief Sunstreak?”
She looked to the Manehattan-born stallion and gave a nod.
“Yes, Red, it will go a long way to doing just that.”
He gave a nod and yelled over his shoulder. “Okay, you mooks get your plots moving faster, this here is going to come in an hour faster, yous hear me?!”
A chorus of grunts and nods came from the many construction ponies on the job, and they got back to work. The only one not present was Ailan, but he was in the room with Rescue once more. He had slept only four hours, then they found him in the room again. Luna had tried to talk him into coming out, only to be told no. In the words of the large-winged stallion, “I know he can hear me, I don’t want him to be alone.”
Twilight flicked her ear again and exhaled slowly, speaking in a voice no one else should have heard. “Please, please let this work.”
Unaware that Celestia had come up beside her, the regal voice soft, light, as she herself watched the workers.
“So many come together for one, it will work Twilight. I know in my heart it will work.”
Twilight looked up at her former mentor and back at the ponies now lifting the logs up into place. One, a young earth pony with a hedgehog mark on her flank, was pushing hard. Alone, she was lifting a log in place on her back that normally took two, or three stallions to lift. It was clear to Twilight that with how big she was growing and how strong, that Lily would grow into one of the rare and very strong earth pony draft mares.
Both princesses heard the large red-coated forepony heckle the other workers. “Come on, you mooks, that little filly there is doing more work than some of you!” making a few grin, a few more grunt and work harder. Of course, making one little purple-maned pink filly blush, then heave with all her might sending the log upright into spot next to the others in the trench.
“It has to, Celestia, look at all of them. This is my town, my protectorate,” she closed her eyes. “I can’t give them the news if it fails.”
Celestia’s eyes closed, she kept the sound of her heart breaking to herself. To see the filly, now grown into a mare, to come into her own, to see Twilight have to face all she has already and still feel so deeply. It was more than she wished on anypony.
---
“Come on, Rumble, we have to keep up. They can’t keep working this hard without food and water.”
Applebloom looked back at her best friend's coltfriend, who had a large bucket slung under him with a lift harness. He was struggling to stay up, but managing okay, carrying the apple cider-loaded bucket with as much care as he could.
“Oh, come on, how…” he huffed out. “How much farther to the table?”
Suddenly, the weight lifted off it some, and a white unicorn filly’s magic carried it over to the table. “You made it, thank you, Rumble.”
The grey pegasus slumped some as he landed, breathing hard. “T-twelve runs to Sweet Apple Acres and back, I am done,” looking quite beat now.
An orange, purple maned filly leaned over from the table and kissed Rumble on the side of the face. “You did fantastic.”
As colts are wanted to do, Rumble got a goofy grin on his face and sat up some. “I... I could do one more, I bet.”
Scootaloo gave a little laugh. “Nah, help the rest of the Explorers to hand out drinks and sandwiches, okay?”
Watching the exchange from another table where sandwiches were laid out, a gray earth pony filly glanced up with a smile, catching the eye of the pink bow-wearing earth pony, whom returned the smile.
So it was, the Explorers and their school friends poured every ounce they had to offer in keeping the workers going.
---
Ailan came out of the anteroom into the hall, looking about before turning and moving down the oddly empty hall. Peering into the private waiting room, the only ones right now in it were Diamond, who looked a bit worried, and Pip, who was asleep.
Walking in quietly, he gestured to the pink filly to come join him, watching her slide off the sofa gently so as not to wake Pipsqueak up. She trotted over and sat down closing her eyes.
“Di, are doing okay? I know a lot is going on, and...” Ailan glanced around to make sure they were not being overheard. “Just, look. You are already like a daughter to us, so please, talk to me.”
She opened her eyes and looked over at Pip sleeping. “W... what if this doesn’t help Rescue?” She had a color of fear in her tone. One that was never present, even at the worst of times.
Ailan’s ears laid back, and he hooked his wing around her and pulled her over close to him, hugging her to his side, and continued to speak in a soft, calming tone.
“I know it will, but, if it doesn’t, we will do what we must. We will remain family and strong.”
She sniffled and wiped her cheek with the back of her hoof. Giving a long exhale and sniffling once more.
“H... how did you know you loved the Chief?” The baby-blue eyes turned up to look at him.
The golden colored pegasus exhaled slowly and thought for some time.
“When I close my eyes to sleep, it’s his face I hope to wake to. When I am alone, or afraid, it's Rescue's voice I think of. I guess, what I am saying is, one day I woke up, and realized that I didn’t feel right unless he was in my life. Does... that help explain it?”
She gave a thoughtful nod and looked over at the sleeping paint colt. “I think I get it, Ailan, I think I get it.”
He smiled and kissed her on top of her head. “I would have been surprised if you didn’t, Di.”
Both looked up at a noise, seeing Applejack standing there with a soft but tired smile.
“It’s done, y’all, it’s time to get this rodeo started.”
Ailan shut his eyes and said in a very soft tone.
“Please, let this work. I... I don’t want to go down the road without him.”
He soon found he had an apple mare and a pink filly sandwich him in a strong earth pony hug.