Point of No Return

by Wild_Heart

Tenth Judgement (Part One)

The Elements and Trixie took some time for themselves before the coming assault. This had two purposes: The first was that they would need to give the approaching troops time to mobilize, leave, and move far enough from the palace so that they couldn't simply converge back onto it as soon as the word of an attack came. The second was because they needed to formulate an actual plan of attack, and take some time to rest. The threat of impending execution is, after all, not exactly easy on the psyche. None of them were eager to go back just yet. Rarity used this time to help Applejack go over the plans, and to use what little supplies there was to make the others in their awkward circle of friends more presentable.

Trixie had surprised all but Applejack when she'd insisted there was no time for her to pretty herself up. Rarity pointed out that she had the time. "Darling, you don't have to prove to us you're no longer the vain braggart that came to our humble little town and all but destroyed it." Rarity ignored the mumbled response from Trixie that it was entirely not her fault and continued, "By all means, take this time to relax!"

"I'll only become dirty again," Trixie rebutted. "We are, after all, headed into battle." Feeling a bit put out, Rarity pouted, seating herself next to Fluttershy and pretending to be busy fussing over the pegasus's mane.

When Applejack finally thought the plan was up to snuff (Thanks to Rarity's attention to detail, which Applejack had learned to value so many years ago), she cleared her throat to call for her friends' attention. "Okay, ya'll listen up. Let's git this show on the road." She pointed with her hoof as best she could, but that was woefully inadequate. Pinkie offered a toothbrush, and the former accepted it with a nod of thanks. "Horseapples, Ah wish Ah had one of those pointy things right now." That brought up a few giggles, making Applejack smile a bit, but soon returned to business.

"Goin' through the front gate again would be suicide." The earth pony pointed to it and the marks representing soldiers with the toothbrush. "From what we saw from our first attempt, there's at least one platoon of soldiers guarding that gate, and a section of pegasi patrolling the area. Yea, Dash?"

Rainbow Dash put her hoof down and asked, "How many?"

"At least ten of 'em."

"I could take 'em on!" Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest with a fierce look in her eyes. "ALL of them."

Applejack chuckled. "Course ya could, sugarcube, but we need to stay away from 'em. After all, we cain't afford ta draw too much attention to ourselves goin' in, or we'll have all of 'em on us. 'Sides, there's gotta be more than one of 'em after our little mistake."

Rainbow Dash deflated a bit, and glared at the ground, mumbling, "But I could totally take them if I did." Trixie smirked, then had an idea. Leaning into Applejack, she whispered something, causing the orange mare to pause, and frown.

"Ah don't like it, but yer right about that. Fine, Dash, Ah want you to take those Pegasi out of the sky." Dash brightened up immensely, but Applejack cut her off before she could let out a whoop. "It needs ta be a surprise attack. Those are trained soldiers, not drunks ya scrap with in a pub. And besides that, yer gonna have ta fight 'em at a high altitude, 'cause there's gotta be rangers watching their backs, and trust me, ya don't wanna tango with them or their arrows."

Dash did a salute, and then settled down again, but Fluttershy didn't quite like the idea. "B-But that's dangerous...! She could be badly hurt! Why would you want her to do this?"

Rarity gave Fluttershy a comforting nuzzle, and explained, "I think I know why, but let's allow Applejack to continue. I am quite sure she'll explain herself."

"Thank ya, Rares. Last time we had the element of surprise, and Ah'm sure the guard has its act together by now," Applejack explained to the others. "But there's another way in." The map she had spread out in front of her showed Ponyville and its surrounding area, including the gem mines nearby. And it was that gem mine the farm-pony was now focusing on. With that damnable toothbrush. "Trixie, ya'll explain this one. Ah ain't too clear on the details."

Trixie nodded, and took said brush with her magic, moving it along a path. "These gem mines are very open and exposed. However, that said, though there's no places for us to hide, that is the same for the rangers. They cannot ambush us there, and this path is too far from the tree-line for them to accurately fire on us. So the only real worry are the ground troop patrols and the pegasi. We can and have predicted the patrol patterns of the ground troops, so we can avoid them." The unicorn looked up to Rainbow Dash. "But Spitfire is a great deal more intelligent than Wild Heart, who is in command of said ground troops. She's ordered her pegasi sections to take a complicated, erratic patrol scheme. We won't be able to avoid their notice at all. Taking out even one section will increase our chances of sneaking in three-fold."

The pegasus grinned, and thumped her chest with a forehoof. "You can count on me. I guess this means I gotta go in first?"

"Yes. How far can you see?"

"Pretty darn!" Trixie couldn't help but smile at the familiar bravado.

"Well, in that case, please scout a bit. Then pick a target based on how many times it covers the air space above the mine, and take it out. Rejoin us afterwards."

"Soooooo... Why are are we even going through those mines? I mean I don't really care about the dirt or anything but how's it gonna work?" Pinkie leaned in towards the map very closely, obscuring Fluttershy and Rarity's view of it, but their protests went ignored. Trixie smacked her forehead lightly with a hoof, and groaned.

"Oh, of course. Yes, it slipped my mind. There's a side entrance to the palace from the gem mine. The palace was constructed underground, then raised via Nightmare Moon's magic. It still has a few connections from the underground, however, like this shaft here." The pale-blue unicorn tapped the spot with the brush. "It connects to the boiler room, and a store-house. It's a weakness, and the door is normally locked tight, but there's usually only two soldiers guarding the door at any one time. We can take them out quietly, and-"

"W-We aren't going to kill anypony, are we?!" Fluttershy suddenly leaped up, her expression horrified at the very idea of it.

Trixie wilted a bit, and took a deep breath. "If we have no choice. Just assume, unless it's absolutely impossible to avoid, that we intend to incapacitate, not kill." The former ranger didn't seem satisfied by that, but she settled down again, looking troubled. "Now then, Applejack?"

"Yea. Now, this won't be the only thing we'll be doin'. To increase our chances of gettin' in, we'll have a second group. This one is a battalion of volunteers from surroundin' villages and some of our own ponies here." As Applejack spoke, Trixie adjusted the brush to point towards the rear of the palace. "They'll be hitting the rear gate. They'll have to pass through the Everfree forest to do this, and, well, there's prolly a buck-ton of rangers in that area. It's gonna be rough fer 'em, but it's all we got. Ah-"

Fluttershy already had trepidations about possibly killing some of their opponents, but to willingly send what could only be a suicide mission? "NO!" The other ponies jumped, staring at Fluttershy. "You can't do this, Applejack! Those ponies will die! M-Maybe all of them!"

"Ah'm sorry, sugarcube, but they already agreed to it, and they did so knowin' what they were gettin' into. Are ya gonna tell them that they cain't fight fer their homes? They'll do it anyway if we cancel this part of the plan."

"Then... Then..." Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut. Her body shuddered momentarily in fear, but she took a deep breath. In a voice that was barely more than a whisper yet filled with determination, the pegasus demanded, "Then let me go with them. I'll save as many as I can."

All five of the other ponies present protested all at once, in a cacophony of voices, all of them saying the same thing. "Fluttershy, ya cain't be serious! We cain't lose ya! Even if you weren't our friend, the elements need ya to work right!"

Fluttershy was not going to budge on the matter. "I may be an element, but... But remember what element that is! I won't leave them to die, and if you're really my friends, you'll help me."

Applejack stayed silent while the rest of them continued to try and talk the normally demure pegasus out of this. She turned it over in her mind, this way and that, considering. She couldn't force Fluttershy to stop, she could only help her. And so she did. "Everypony shut yer traps!" With the silence that provided, she continued. "Rarity, you and me are gonna go with Fluttershy."

"WHAT?! Are you INSANE?!"

"Ah'm thinkin' pretty darn straight, thank ya very much," Applejack snapped, glaring fiercely at Rarity while she continued. "Ah'm pretty good at handling the rough terrain, and that group will prolly have a better chance of survival with me leadin' it. And you need to come, 'cause rangers are pretty bad in hoof-to-hoof combat. Get close enough so they cain't use their bows, and ya got 'em already. That's why they ambush ya. And Ah bet ya could see an ambush comin' a mile away."

"But the forest! It's so... So... dank, so dirty, so... wild!," Rarity whined. Applejack rolled her eyes.

"Rarity, don't do this now. Not now. Please."

The white unicorn gave a long, longing look at her own mane, and sighed. "Fine. For Fluttershy's sake, I will assist you."

"Ya sacrifice soooo much fer our sakes, Rares." Applejack wasn't used to using sarcasm, but at this point, it was completely merited in her eyes. "So, that leaves RD, Trixie, and Pinkie to go in the side entrance. Me, Rarity, and Fluttershy are gonna get our battalion to do a hit and run attack on the rear gate, drawin' attention there, and away from ya'll. That's when ya slip in."

Trixie had one qualm about this plan. "Then, Applejack, how are you and your team to enter the palace? You'll be fighting a losing battle, and even if you do manage to win, you'll have half an army at your backs as you enter."

"Won't be all that bad, Trixie. Once we get in, we can get our ponies to use the gate as a choke point, and then we'll join up with ya."

"And what about the FRONT gate? What's to stop them from entering and attacking you from behind?"

"Ah... Ah didn't think 'bout that." Applejack removed her hat and rubbed the back of her head with a fore-hoof. "Ah guess we could double around the castle and attack the front. They cain't send all their guys in, they'd have ta guard the front with somethin'."

"Waste of resources and energy," Trixie scoffed. "You wouldn't make it, especially not when you'd have casualties from taking the rear gate."

"It's all we got, Trixie! All we can do at that point is hope. Okay? We'll hold the rear gate and use it as a choke point. If we close the gate, they won't be able ta come from behind us, and then we can focus on reinforcements comin' from the front. That's the best we got here. Maybe we can figure somethin' better out when we get there, bein' that we don't know the palace too well."

Pinkie beamed, and pulled the five other ponies into a sudden, big hug. "Don't worry! It'll aaaall turn out fine! I gotta great feeling about all of it! So when do we leave?"

Pinkie's eternal optimism was cheering, and loosened some of the tension in the room. At least, it stopped the argument there. "Me, Rarity, and Fluttershy are gonna leave in three hours. Dash, yer gonna leave thirty minutes after, and you've got ten minutes ta scout 'fore we send Trixie and Pinkie through. Gotta have enough time to destroy evidence of the portal rituals." Applejack couldn't help but return the hug, and her friends followed suit soon after. "So we got until then. All of ya, do what ya want. This is our final stand, and..." She looked a bit solemn, slipping out of Pinkie's grasp. The latter earth pony let go of everyone else, with her own serious expression. "... Some of us might not survive this. Ah won't lie. So... Well, live it up, Ah guess."

"Party time then," Pinkie cried out, her serious expression gone entirely, and replaced by a wide grin. "The biggest, bestest party I've ever thrown! And everypony's invited! Well except for Queen Meanie and her groupies but really who would want that anyway?" Pinkie hopped off to get ready.

"Erm... Yea. Well, Ah'm gonna get ready. Got lots of preparin' ta do, an-ERK!" Applejack was cut off as a light blue aura enveloped her, and its owner, Trixie, started dragging her out of the room. Dash whistled after them, making Fluttershy blush and Rarity bring a hoof to her muzzle, covering it.

"Oh my! Well, I suppose we'd better go after Pinkie." And so, the party began.

---

The skies above the palace were tense. Aside from checking in with command via the enchanted bracers they wore, the pegasi section was completely quiet. The recent attack on the palace had everyone on edge, and the escape by the prisoners had only made it worse. They expected another attack any time now, and most of the soldiers were especially on edge after Her Majesty had ordered a battalion sent away. The palace had never been more vulnerable. The air force watched the ground thoroughly, but they made one crucial mistake.

They didn't check the skies above them. That was their undoing.

When the cyan pegasus dropped from the clouds over them, they reacted with admirable speed. A lesser, slower adversary would have been quickly taken out by the cooperative efforts of the highly trained pegasus squad. Rainbow Dash was neither lesser, nor slower. On her first fly-by, she planted her forehooves into the side of one of the soldiers trying to move out of her way, and the rush of air following behind the element of loyalty knocked five more off kilter and sent them tumbling. One down, five helpless, four left to chase her.

They caught up with Rainbow Dash fairly quickly, but that's just what the pegasus wanted. She turned her body upwards and spread her wings out wide before giving them a powerful flap, and the four passed by her harmlessly. Grabbing the tail of the lead pegasus, she forced him into a rough stop, and then swung him in a wide circle before letting go, sending him into the group of five she'd sent tumbling just seconds before, knocking them aside like bowling pins. Seven down. Three to go.

These three prudently decided to make a break for it, and to call in. Dash was having none of that. She zoomed after them, demonstrating her legendary speed, and a quick kick of a hind-leg in passing smashed the caller's bracer. She slowed herself, and then spun horizontally, giving that same pegasus a buck with both legs. Dash knocked the mare out cold and then turned on the other two. Completely terrified of the polychromatic demon, they wisely surrendered. Unfortunately for them, the aspiring Wonderbolt was not looking to take prisoners, and both of them got a fore-hoof to the face. Ten down.

The whole thing took only 30 seconds, giving Dash plenty of time to catch the soldiers, prop them up inside a cloud above, and get to scouting. Feeling very proud of herself (as usual), the rainbow pegasus mentally checked her internal clock. Five more minutes, 3 more sections of pegasi. Plenty of time. Completely throwing caution, and her orders to only take one group out to the wind, Dash broke through the cloud barrier and started looking for her next target. She had no idea she was being followed now.

---

At the other end of the palace, and on the ground, three hundred and three ponies were trekking through the Everfree, warily watching out for the myriad dangers under its leaves. They had to remain as quiet as possible, which was very hard for such a large group. That was why they had to split up, into groups of one hundred with one of the elements each there to guide them. It was still quite unwieldy, but with most of the ponies being a simple militia gathered from several villages, they simply couldn't split the battalion up any further. Not without proper leadership. Of those three groups, Rarity's was most likely the safest. They'd encountered several beasts, and the white unicorn had either avoided them entirely or defeated them with no deaths or even casualties. Though prissy and adverse to such dirty conditions, Rarity had shown remarkable ferocity in attacking hostile wild-life, and as much as her soldiers had to marvel at the bravery (or foolhardiness) of their commander for charging a wild gryphon and bucking him right in the face, they could only gape at her casual admittance that she'd once done it to a manticore as well.

Their good fortune couldn't possibly have lasted, however. Rarity stopped her group just in time to avoid facing a hail of arrows, but they were facing a steep ravine on one side, and a line of rangers wielding bows on the other. There was no other recourse. "Charge! Get in close, and they're helpless!" 100 ponies charged, and the rangers responded in turn, loosing another flurry. A few ponies fell, but Rarity tried to ignore them, shut them out for the sake of her own sanity.

Rarity's horn glowed as she knocked arrows off course with her magic, assisting as best she could in this situation. A few rangers had been knocked flat by the charge, but most of them had taken a tactical retreat. This is a trap. They'll just string us along, whittling our numbers until we're all dead. But if we move on, they'll hound us the entire way! Oh, what to do... While she considered, she missed an arrow. A whizzing sound to her right ended in a wet thunk, and a pony faltered. He was yellow, and he has a violet mane. She'd been watching him. He was young, and sweet. He'd helped several of his fellows over obstacles, patched up a few cuts and scraps from their escapades to this point, and in general had been nothing if not helpful and considerate. He reminded her of Fluttershy in more ways than one.

Now he stumbled, his eyes wide in pain and fear, and his fore-legs buckled as he fell forward. His chest was awash with blood, and it was very clear something vital had been run through. Rarity stared in shock, not moving at all. It had been so easy to ignore the others dying, but he had been right next to her. She'd seen his face, and couldn't help but stare down at him as he shook on the ground, gasping for air. Each gasp took in less and less, and she couldn't stop watching. The ground under her hooves shifted, weakened by the thunderous charge, and that shook her out of it. She had no idea what to to, but she lifted the colt to her back. She had to get away from the edge of the ravine. She had to save this stallion.

But it was too late. The ground gave out, and she spilled over the edge with a scream, the colt on her back falling with her.

---

Applejack was not happy. Several times she noticed something out of the corner of her eye, and as soon as she turned her head, there was nothing there. She grumbled to herself, growing paranoid. "Listen up! You boys keep moving. You got maps and compasses, you can find yer own way. Ah need to take care of somethin'."

One of the mares looked at her incredulously. "Commander? We can't just leave you here! Is there some kind of threat? We'll assist you, but please, don't make us leave you here!"

Applejack knew who was following them. And that mare was right. She'd be better off sticking to them, helping her fight. Even he couldn't beat them all. Some head-strong part of her yelled, Buck that! He's YER fight. They ain't in this! The farm-mare, however, fought that part of her down, and shook her head. "Yea, yea. Sorry 'bout that. Ah dunno what came over me. Keep yer eyes peeled! Ah think we got somepony followin' us. The trees ain't safe, keep an eye on them especially!"

While the mares and stallions in her group had to wonder if she was going crazy, they knew better than to question their leader at this point. The more faithful ones reasoned, however, that if Applejack thought something weird was going on, there was something weird going on. So they watched the trees, and very suspiciously at that. Unfortunately, the attack didn't come from them. It came from the vines.

They lashed out by the hundred, striking and gripping onto the ponies of the group, forcing them down or throwing them about. Applejack had the wind knocked out of her as she was slammed onto the ground, then jerked back into the air. She wasn't about to have a repeat of that, and wrapped her fore-hooves around a sturdy rock, and she rammed her hind-legs against it, cutting the vine that held her. Casting her eyes about wildly, she looked for the source.

All around her, ponies were being battered. Flashes of so many colors, but mostly green, blocked her vision of what she had to see. Against her better judgement, she took a running leap onto a thick tree branch. It started to shift under her. "Horseapples! LISTEN UP! ALL OF YA! IF YA CAN GIT SOMEPONY ELSE FREE, DO IT! HELP EACH OTHER, THEN HELP ME LOOK FER-" The branch bent down, then snapped up suddenly, throwing her into the air. Even then, her eyes scanned. Orange, green, light brown, green, red, green, purple... THere! She twisted herself in the air, noting with relief that some of her group had listened and were getting free. Landing on her hooves, she charged at the shock of purple among the dark forest. "Let's settle this, tall, dark, and ugly!"

---

Trixie and Pinkie came through the portal that was on the edge of the gem mine. Pinkie looked all around, including under Trixie, causing the unicorn to give her companion a dirty look. "Exactly what are you doing?"

"Looking for Dashie," the strange pony replied. "She's supposed to be here, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is." Trixie cast a worried look over the sky. Pinkie followed her gaze, and then pointed with a hoof, pulling Trixie close suddenly with the other fore-leg. "There she is!" She was gesturing to a quick moving shape descending into a group of unknowing pegasi. Trixie cursed.

"She's only supposed to take one of them down! This is far too risky!"

"Oh c'moooon. It's Dashie! She can do it! Why don't we just head on in? She'll catch up."

Trixie wanted to argue, but she had the feeling she'd get nowhere with this earth pony, and she didn't really want to stay in the open either. "Fine, let's go. But we're not moving any further into the palace until she meets up with us!" Pinkie nodded her assent at that, distracted by watching Rainbow Dash tussle with her newest victims as they walked along. So when Trixie stopped dead as they came up to the door they were to use, Pinkie bowled her over, and they rolled in front of an armored firgure. "Oh, buck."

"Heya." Spike was using a toothpick to get gem shards out from between his fangs as he guarded the door. "We figured you girls would be coming this way."

"Heheheh..." Pinkie gave a nervous chuckle as she stared up at Spike. Trixie was trying to wiggle out from under the pink earth pony, to no real success. "Can't ya let us through, Spikey? I promise we'll be good?"

"Uh... No." He draw a sword from a sheath on his armor's belt, and a shield out from behind him. "Yea, let's go with no. Why don't we do this the easy way, Pinks?" Pointing the sword down at her, the tall dragon grinned. "Just walk away, I'll take Trixie with me, and I'll forget I ever saw you. Deal?"

Pinkie jumped off of Trixie (Finally, thought the unicorn.) and grimaced, holding herself in a position similar to an angry cat. "Nokie dokie, lokie. I'm not gonna let you hurt her, even if she is kinda a jerk!"

"Thank you. I think." Trixie groaned as she rose to her hooves, and made herself ready. "But I insist that you go, Pinkie. The elements don't need me. They need Twilight. And it's the least I can do to help you get to her."

"Hey, I'm right here. I'm not letting you through this door. Gimme some credit," Spike complained. He quickly stabbed downwards, but Trixie wasn't there. The sword passed through an illusion, and the real Trixie, who was standing just behind Spike, blasted the door off its hinges with a burst of magic. "HEY!" His tail grabbed her and threw her back away from the door, but that gave Pinkie the opening she needed. The pony darted through, but paused beyond the thresh-hold giving Trixie a worried look. The light blue unicorn was struggling to her feet, unhurt but a bit dizzy.

"I'm fine," Trixie exclaimed, shaking her head clear just in time to duck under a wide cut. "Get going! I swear I'll meet you inside!"

"PINKIE PIE PRO-" Pinkie was cut off as the door, surrounded by a blue aura, reset itself on its hinges and locked. The element of laughter was stuck inside the palace.

~~~

(Author's notes: I'd planned to make this all one chapter, but it would have been unreasonably huge, so I'm cutting it up into two. Next chapter? Showdowns! Woo!)

Comments

[Lucefudu]

It's a little bit sad to know the story is nearing its end. But everything must come to a close, I guess.

[Jirodyne]

229657 I'm sad too. Oh well, I bet it will be a great and unexpected ending!

[Super]

Nice, it updated! Next chapter should be interesting...

[Fuse]

Why do I get the feeling that Fluttershy is going to get stuck fighting little miss crazy-pony? Well, I guess it would give her the opportunity to put the old adage "an eye for an eye" to the test.

[CluelessDetective]

I LOVE Past Sins! Hell I have a physical copy of the fic so I can read it on the go!
I'm going to start reading this fic and I hope it has "Pen Stoke" magic!

[Wild_Heart]

247254
Pinkie is the one to fight her.

Speaking of which, I'm finally getting back to writing Part 2. It's on the way, folks.

[Alchemystudent]

The poor griffon, what on earth did he do to Rarity to get her to buck him in the face. Did he burp in her face and that got her mad? Was he a merc? Griffin the Griffon?

I think that it might have been better to put a random monster, rather than a spieces that is sentient in cannon.

Anyway, I love a good set ech of the heroes with a member of the bad guys set up. I helps give them equal screen time, sets up some good scenes, and gives eah a hance to show off there abilities. I love the planning and it was also nive to watch Nyx deal with the consequences of her actions.