One Wing, One Heart

by Manaphy

Log VI: Pyrrhic

If there was ever a time where I wished this was just some nightmare conjured by Nightmare Moon, this was it.

I was flying right beside Blaze and Soarin. Both of them wore grim frowns, their brow somewhat ruffled, whereas my blood froze just glancing at them.

Below me, a pack of ponies all bellowing cries as they pointed their spears, axes, or any other sharp implement toward the oncoming enemies. The spears' sharpness poked my nerves at the sight, cheeks turning pale, though a few brave souls dived into battle with nothing but their hooves. Such bravery was cool and all, but it was the stupid kind of bravery.

At least the plated armor on my hooves had doubled as a jabbing weapon. It was the same story for Soarin and Blaze's armor as well. If there was something ponies adored when it came to inventions, it was giving things multiple purposes. I figured it explained why Silver Spanner and Moondancer were okay giving me that weird metallic wing.

I shook my head.

I'd be fighting alongside everypony in a matter of seconds.

Now wasn't the time for thinking about something so trivial.

Most of us flying above the action dove closer toward Sombra's forces, myself included, while some of the other pegasi hovered above the action, all of them scanning the area and waiting for an opening. I made eye contact with one of the enemies, his glowing green eyes sending a chill down my spine. But now wasn't the time for fleeing from some grimace under a helmet.

Surrendering at the drop of a hat was dumb to begin with. I hadn't made it this far flinching at my foes.

The groups of ponies barreled into each other and hollered at the sky, blade against blade and hoof against flesh.

I slammed into one of the foes standing before me. The collision was much like crashing into a wall. Clenching my teeth, I dragged the crystal pony across the snow. My heart skipped a beat as the green eyes under the helmet's slits glared into my eyes. I lifted my hoof and drove the blade through one of the openings.

A sickening crack reached my ears, my cheeks turning green for a moment.

Something about the brutal nature of it made the hairs of my coat stand up.

My eyes widened.

Just like that, the green glow vanished. All that remained was a lifeless husk.

With sweat pouring down my forehead, my heart beating faster than it ever had, I swiveled my head to the left and noticed one of Sombra's soldiers charging toward me with a mace. One of those things could've split my head in two, my stomach churning at the thought. But I ducked and avoided the enemy's blow.

I hoisted him up and drove his head into the ground. Snow jumped into the air upon impact.

The soldier's helmet flew off. Clanking sounds echoed into the air as the helmet rolled away, eventually coming to a rest.

As before, I lifted my hoof up for the finishing blow.

I ceased my jab once I saw the exposed head of the crystal pony, the edge of my armor inches away from her jugular. Tears welled in her eyes, the mare's lips moving whilst no words came out. Yet if her expanding and contracting chest was anything to go by, her words were harmless.

Color disappeared from her once pink visage. "Don't kill me!" the crystal pony shrieked, squirming around. My forelegs ached for a moment as I continued pinning her. Tears flowed down the mare's eyes like a waterfall. Her breathing intensified. "I just want to be safe! Please don't hurt me!"

I scanned the growing brawl around me, ponies all clashing with their enemies. Only a few minutes had passed and already the ground was littered with bodies. Most of them were crystal ponies, but plenty of my allies had their lives taken away from them. More of the snow lost its white color as the battle ensued.

Blaze had already pinned a Sombra soldier, stepping on him at first and then driving her metal blade into his flesh. Soarin, on the other hoof, was tangling with a goon wielding a battleaxe. Wincing, he then struck the crystal pony's throat, the latter falling into a lifeless heap less than a second later.

With a deep breath, I glanced back to the soldier I had pinned. "Do you promise that you won't hurt anypony?" I asked.

The mare nodded, cheeks tautened.

"Then do us a solid by either surrendering yourself to Equestria or helping us take down those armored punks."

"Surrendering sounds good!" the mare shrieked. "But will I be safe?"

I bobbed my head, exhaling. "That depends." Last I recalled, there was often protocol involved with these crystal ponies, the instructions flowing back into my mind in the blink of an eye. "First, tell me your name."

"Rose Quartz!"

Arching an eyebrow, Rose squirmed in response and closed her eyes. "Okay, now get over to where Equestria's forces are. Without your helmet, we'll know that you're not with King Sombra, so get your flank in gear and get over there! And if you try running back home or somewhere else, don't think we'll be fine with that."

Rose frantically nodded. In a flash, she sprung up and dashed toward the barracks. While the gate was closed, for obvious reasons, the pegasi still stationed there were most likely willing to give her a lift if needed, though dealing with the few archers Sombra had left might've proved troublesome.

Before I even had a time to reflect on Rose, one of Sombra's soldiers slammed me into the earth. Aches covered much of my body as I clenched my teeth. I turned to face the soldier, those same green eyes gazing into mine. Even after seeing them multiple times, they froze my blood at the sight.

Squirming, I managed to jab his chest.

While the attack hadn't pierced his armor, he flinched and stepped away.

I replied with another jab and stabbed his throat.

The soldier fell to the earth, his body completely static.

My ears twitched. What sounded like a thunderstorm reached them, my limbs briefly shaking in synchronization with the earth.

Another group of ponies fighting on my side rushed into the battle. They were among the second wave, all of the metal jerks freezing for a moment as they noticed the incoming reinforcements. As planned, Lightning, Misty, and Spitfire were among those charging at the enemy. A few familiar faces were among those with them, though as another crystal pony dashed at me with a spear in hoof, I had no time for checking.

We then crashed into each other, dancing around as we pushed and shoved.

Neither of us had an opening.

The enemy dropped her spear a few seconds into our struggle. I wrapped a foreleg around her, though she followed suit and wrapped us into a pretzel.

It was a minor miracle that nopony from either side tried getting a cheap shot on me or the foe, my throat tightening the longer I was entangled with the crystal pony. Never had something on the battlefield devolved into a lame showing like this. General Limestone probably would've groaned and rolled her eyes if she saw me dancing with the goon.

After a minute, we failed to land a single blow, still stuck in our wrestling match.

At least until a blast of magic knocked the crystal pony onto her side.

The enemy twitched for a moment, then remained motionless as her eyes' green glow vanished.

"Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" a familiar voice asked.

I slowly nodded. "I'm fine."

The voice's owner was none other than Trixie's. With her distinct hat, cape, and boots, she quickly pulled me upright and cracked the faintest of smiles. While I hadn't interacted with Trixie since I first met her, my heart warmed nonetheless as she dusted me off and stood by my side. Maybe we'd hang out more often provided both of us crawled out of this mess alive.

If there was a guaranteed method for becoming a friend of mine, perhaps saving my life counted as one.

"Try to force an opening next time," said Trixie. "It's easier that way."

I nodded in return. "Understood."

One of Sombra's soldiers approached Trixie and lifted his hoof up.

"Trixie, look out!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs.

Shivering, Trixie turned around and made eye contact with the lumbering soldier. A bright blue aura enveloped her horn in a flash.

The crystal pony thrust his hoof across Trixie's cheek, a harsh thud ringing in my ears.

A gasp left my lips.

Trixie stood on her hind legs for a moment, though she twisted toward me and crashed into the snow a second later.

I cringed at the sight, my heart sinking. Not even noticing her attacker suddenly receiving an arrow through his neck caused my lips to move. A grim, pale expression was all I responded with. My vision became blurry for a moment, a wetness tickling my cheeks. The world around me even slowed down, the battle raging around me in the back of my mind.

Once the dust had cleared, Trixie remained face down on the snow, not budging an inch.

My pupils shrunk.

"Trixie!" I shouted without a second thought.

Kneeling down to where she was, I placed my hooves on her back. Somehow, I picked up on the faintest of heartbeats and she was still breathing, my blurred vision clearing up in return. Much to my relief, she was only unconscious, though leaving her on the battlefield would've almost guaranteed her death.

My throat tightened.

Either I could sacrifice my life for hers or continue fighting.

Yet if I perished, her saving my life would've been in vain. And I yearned at the chance of returning the favor.

Without thinking any further, I hoisted Trixie onto my back. I flapped my wings and flew through the air, dodging through the myriad of friends and foes that stood in my path, their conflict still raging on like a wildfire. While slowly increasing altitude was possible despite the added weight, the distance was far enough to where I'd be a sitting duck. Heartbeats reached my ears.

At the corner of my eye, I noticed Spitfire and Misty Fly taking down a large group of Sombra's soldiers. Pinkie, Maud, and Limestone made quick work of the enemies that dared face them from what I noticed as well.

We were making progress, however small.

There was still hope.

In a flash, a large blade blocked my path. A chill coursed down my spine as I skidded across the snow and nearly collided with the sword's blunt side. I glanced over to the sword's owner, a crystal pony donned in more elaborate armor. Those added spikes and red tints to the metal were more fitting for a dork. But when he swung his sword and struck the earth, the ground beneath my hooves shaking, my throat tightened.

He must've been one of the Crystal Empire's generals, a title reserved for only the most physically fit crystal pony if the reports were telling the truth. Traditional definitions of what a general was didn't exactly apply to them, especially with Sombra calling all of the shots with those freaky helmets of his.

I shivered for a moment.

The foe flailed his sword about, his blade chopping the wind.

Just approaching him was akin to suicide.

Maybe this was the end for both Trixie and me.

"Wait a second," I muttered under my breath.

My prosthetic wing twitched for a moment. Some of the parts appeared as sharp as some swords and it might've made for a nasty surprise as well. And if Trixie and I were to escape with our lives intact, waiting for an opening and using my wing was essential. My forelegs didn't have the best reach for dealing with the enemy.

I twisted my prosthetic wing around and clenched my teeth.

Stepping back, the crystal pony followed my tracks as he dragged his sword across the snow, metal grinding against the rock. The hairs of my coat stood up in unison, the cacophony splitting my ear drums. And yet, he crawled like a snail with all of those bells and whistles weighing him down.

Showing off with that hideous armor was the worst decision anypony could've made.

I charged at the enemy, my prosthetic wing swooshing toward him.

Holding my breath, I then closed my eyes for a moment.

When I opened them and glanced behind my shoulder, I noticed the crystal pony dropping the sword and crashing into the earth. A harsh thud echoed in the air.

A deep breath left my lips.

One of the more troublesome parts of the battle was behind me.

Trudging further away from the conflict, I exhaled and took to the skies. Every inch of progress loosened my chest.

Almost a minute later, I landed atop the wall surrounding the barracks. Sharp aches covered much of my body, my tongue sticking out as I caught my breath.

The first order of business was gently placing Trixie down on the gray bricks. Her hat and cape hadn't even budged an inch last I checked, both still adorning her.

A gray mare dashed toward me, eyes widened. If her familiar manestyle and cutie mark were anything to go by, the mare must've been Marble Pie. Upon reaching where I was kneeling, she froze in place and made eye contact with me. Despite being on my side, there was something about her pale expression that tickled my coat.

Her glimmering eyes must've told a story. I wished I could've asked.

Rudeness was the last thing I wanted.

"Is she okay?" asked Marble. Before I could respond, she gently touched Trixie and nodded. "Okay, we'll get her to the medical center as soon as possible." Pausing, she then nudged away from where I was. "Thank you for bringing her over here. She might have a chance to live once this is all over."

"You're welcome," I replied.

"Now's not the time for accolades, however. I'll take care of her while you keep on fighting." She pursed her lips, then gently lifted Trixie onto her back. "And you should get back out there if you can. I know it's scary and dangerous, but—" Marble gazed into my eyes, hers twinkling "—but your friends and I need your help. Remember, we're all in this together."

I gave Marble a quick salute and straightened my posture. "You've got it!"

Turning away from her in a flash, I gazed back down at the ensuing battle and dove toward it. A slight breeze brushed along my cheeks as I returned to the snowy earth, chills coursing up my legs at the touch. My heartbeats intensified once more, sweat pouring down my mane as I scanned the carnage before me.

Part of me wished I could've just crawled into a hole and waited for the battle to end. Yet betraying my friends would've constricted my heart. Princess Celestia had joined in the fight, tossing some of Sombra's soldiers aside like rag dolls. Most of the pegasi were cleaning up Sombra's forces as well, their flying prowess confusing and outmaneuvering anything the crystal ponies could've thrown at them. The Royal Guard and other grounded units, however, were either excelling or struggling, more of them eventually falling to the earth with emptiness in their eyes.

I blinked.

A shadowy figure loomed in the distance, my throat tightening at the sight. Whatever it was, the figure was approaching the battlefield.

It disappeared.

Replacing it was a tall stallion standing far away from where I stood, electricity crackling through his curved horn. Yet I immediately noticed his vicious smirk and sharp fangs protruding from his mouth. Around him, more and more carnage ensued, yet he hadn't even cast a spell or took an extra step yet.

My teeth chattered.

Trying to rationalize why I suddenly felt this way only produced headaches. I had experienced battles and witnessed destruction before, the mission which saw the loss of my left wing proof of this. But this was somehow different. My shrunken pupils and eyes the size of dinner plates were reactions I hadn't expected.

There was no escaping now.

I took a deep breath, flapping my wings and jumping back into the fray.

Much of the world around me became a blur, everything moving at an alarming rate. Yet I kicked and punched my way through Sombra's soldiers like butter. One by one they fell to my jabs and strikes; I was fighting through the mess without spending a second to think it through.

The screams, grunts, and orders that left ponies' lips became muffled whispers. The surreal nature of it all poked my nerves a little.

My muscles all ached, teeth clenched as I continued smacking around the armored punks that dared attacking me.

Already, there were more lifeless bodies littering the snow than ones standing upright. Buzzsaw McColt was among those I spotted sprawled out and motionless, not a flicker in her eyes. Even though I'd never interacted with her that much, my heart twanged nonetheless.

I blinked.

I wished this nightmare could've ended. I'd just open my eyes in my bedroom and all would be right with the world.

One of Sombra's soldiers charged at me, her plated hooves the only weapon she had.

However, I didn't flinch.

If this was a nightmare, getting kicked would've woken me up. It was either that or I was undergoing what ponies referred to as shell shock. One of my fellow Wonderbolts had experienced this phenomenon in the past. High Winds was her name, and while seeing the once cheerful mare becoming a husk of her former self earned a blank expression from me at first, the unending violence becoming harder than ever to ignore opened my mind.

I just hoped the oncoming soldier didn't do the same if this wasn't a nightmare.

A heartbeat later, Spitfire drove her armored hoof across the foe's jugular, the crystal pony collapsing into a heap with her eyes' green glow vanishing in an instant.

Spitfire grabbed my hoof dragging me toward a nearby hole in the ground, the two of us huddling next to each other. The niche formed was also perfect for hiding, the back of my mind wondering why nopony had thought of using it for sneaking up on enemies and taking them down.

Either way, at least I was out of the battle for a brief moment.

However, whether I could've braved the storm that must've been brewing in Spitfire's thoughts was my next question.

I swallowed a lump.

Yet instead of a ruffled brow or a scrunched muzzle, she wore a concerned frown. Her cheeks were paler than I had ever seen.

"Wake up," Spitfire whispered. She gently tapped my shoulder. "This isn't a dream."

I blinked, rubbing my eyes. "H-how did you know I was thinking that?"

"Because I've been thinking the same thing, too." A sigh left her lips. "Look, I've been through a lot of battles, but nothing like this." She shook her head. "Nothing like this. I think King Sombra has a backup plan in case his invasion fails." She took a quick breath. "He's trying to kill our morale."

"With all the death and destruction?"

Spitfire quickly nodded. "That's why he's throwing almost everything at us."

"And one more thing." I exhaled, the tension in my chest loosening somewhat. "Why aren't you yelling at me like you usually do? You know, captains and the like are supposed to be fearless, always acting awesome no matter what, and always yelling orders. Yet here we are. You've been in huge battles before, so what makes this different?"

"No battle I've ever witnessed has had this much death or this much despair." Spitfire pursed her lips, cheeks tautened. "Just because I'm a captain and have seen plenty of battles doesn't mean I'm immune from fear. You can prepare for just about everything, but some things just break you. And now's not the time to be acting all tough, especially with everything around us."

"And this is different, right?"

"This is different." Sighing, Spitfire then bit her lip. She quivered for a moment. "I'm scared." Spitfire crawled toward the niche's exit. "I don't want to be here anymore. And if we're going to survive, we'll have to fight more. There's no other way." She rubbed her eyes and gulped. "I'm done fighting once this battle is over. If Princess Celestia and I are still alive, I'll tell her to do whatever it takes to end the war. This violence has finally worn me down."

I wiped my eyes. Tears clung to my uniform. "Spitfire."

"Let's go, Rainbow Dash. Our friends need us."

I nodded.

Both of us exited the niche in unison. And in a flash, we both drove our hooves through two of Sombra's goons approaching us, the armored enemies falling over. The green glow fizzled out a second later.

Spitfire and I went our separate ways soon after, though we nodded at each other before splitting up. I noticed a small cluster of Sombra's soldiers up ahead, making a beeline toward them. Misty was busy jabbing one of the enemies without backing off while I noticed Soarin wrestling with another, his face drenched in sweat.

I tackled one of Sombra's soldiers, finishing him off with a swift punch to the exposed neck.

Upon landing, I glanced behind my shoulder and noticed another crystal pony diving toward me. Bracing for the inevitable impact, I slammed my head against the crystal pony. The helmet that once adorned her popped off of her head; the sapphire-colored mare was lying on the snow unconscious.

At least she'd live another day.

I turned toward where Soarin was, though I wished I hadn't.

He was on the ground, clinging to his shoulder as small drops of blood trickled down his body.

The crystal pony who attacked him, however, was a lifeless corpse, his own blade jammed into his chest.

I yearned I could've rushed up to Soarin and provided aid.

A dark shadow above me cut those plans.

I glanced at the sky above, a large boulder being pushed off of a nearby cliff and careening toward me seconds later. Dodging the attack was simple enough, yet my legs were frozen as I gazed at the rock dumbfounded. Time slowed to a crawl as it crept toward me, yet I couldn't budge an inch.

Closing my eyes, I waited for the inevitable.

Only my ears twitched instead, the sounds of hooves cracking through the boulder polluting the air.

A soft plop and then what sounded like two swift punches reached my ears.

I opened my eyes. A quick breath departed my mouth, white steam bellowing out of it.

Standing beside me were none other than Pinkie and Maud, stern visages adorning them. Both of them nodded in unison. I merely did the same a second later, no words reaching my mind.

Spitfire and Blaze landed beside me seconds later, both giving me the same response the two Pie sisters had before.

A soft breeze swirled across the landscape, nothing but snow and dead bodies planted atop it. And in the distance was a shadowy miasma retreating from the aftermath, its bright red eyes freezing my blood at the sight. My heart raced just looking at the black smoke; I could've sworn he'd assault my mind or give me actual nightmares if I wasn't careful.

Cringing, I turned away from the monster.

"Who was that?" I asked, panting.

"King Sombra," said Misty. She approached us with a grim visage, shoulders sagging. Lightning and Fleetfoot soon joined her, both adorned with deep frowns and dirt across their cheeks. "Excluding those whose helmets were removed, he was the sole survivor of those who arrived from the Crystal Empire."

I tilted my head, eyebrow arched. "Seriously? How do you know?"

"The lack of reinforcements and Sombra being the only one retreating should be enough evidence." Misty sighed, sitting down on the snow and burying her face in her forelegs. "But nopony won. There were no winners today. So many ponies perished. I cringed whenever I saw their corpses, and that crystal pony I was repeatedly punching—" Misty took a quick breath "—he mercilessly killed somepony before my eyes. I saved his life only for it to be taken away so quickly. We could've—"

Without warning, Misty began sobbing. She then fell onto the snow.

Tears flowed down my cheeks as well.

We all lost friends today, Misty was no different.

General Limestone then approached us, a wounded Soarin wobbling behind her and clenching his teeth. The former sulked as she trotted toward us, a deep frown plastered across her face. It wasn't one of those furious expressions she adored giving others during drills; her eyes shimmered too much for it to be anger.

My stomach churned, the taste of bile on my tongue.

In the distance, I noticed Princess Celestia gliding toward the barracks, her fierce scowl somehow visible from where I stood. At least she was still alive, her mere presence giving us the slightest glimmer of hope. Then again, the world became so dark to where even the brightest light would've failed in brightening the world. The moon slowly rising only highlighted the ragged path before me.

Eventually, news of how many had lost their life amid the carnage would spread among the barracks.

It was the news we all dreaded. There was no other way to describe it.

---

The report was worse than I could've ever imagined.

Just over forty of us remained, myself included. And while most of the friends I regularly spoke with were all among those forty due to some miracle, my heart sank into the abyss nonetheless. Some new friends I hadn't had the chance to chat or meet weren't so lucky. To think so many of us came into the battle and so few came out was something I refused to accept. I kept wondering if there were plenty of others like Trixie, though with her still being attended to by Marble and Redheart, I had my doubts as to whether she'd make it.

For once, there was just a point to where I couldn't even shed another tear. It wasn't that I found crying as something to avoid, nor was it that I wasn't depressed at what had transpired, but the sheer melancholy of it all had crushed my bones into dust. Those sitting around me such as Lightning and Maud had similarly blank visages. Most of us hadn't uttered another word since the battle concluded; Spitfire just gazed at the snowy ground below.

And even with Princess Celestia tending to us, hope faded away like a mirage.

While a few ponies out there might've refused to give into despair and anguish regardless of the context, we all couldn't shake it off. Yet at the same time, all of us coped with it differently. Most were silent about it, preferring to keep to themselves, though one look into their eyes told a different story.

Misty recited poems she heard during her foalhood in a vain attempt to cheer herself up. Tears flowed from her eyes instead. Pinkie told stories about her experiences on the farm, Maud and Limestone adding in as we all huddled near the campfire. Fleetfoot reminisced about the days before the war as Wonderbolts, struggling to avoid weeping as she recalled the sights and sounds of cheering fans, their chants and radiant smiles vivid in my memories as well. Soarin whistled as he tended to his wounds, cringing whenever he fiddled with the newly created divot near his shoulder. According to Redheart, it'd heal with the proper care and treatment. Moondancer also noted that no prosthetic attachments would be needed, which was a relief to all of us.

While the blades of my prosthetic wing had saved my life and Trixie's, its sword-like sharpness working like a charm, I still found it tacky. From what I recalled, ponies referred to such designs as function over form. I was relieved that the function part of it actually worked. Washing the stains off of it was setting itself up to be the lamest part, however.

And then there was Lightning Dust.

"We're done for!" Lightning shrieked at the top of her lungs. "All surviving did was just delay the inevitable!"

"Lightning Dust, we can still survive," said Misty. She extended a hoof toward Lightning, the latter shuffling away with pursed lips. "We just have to stick together, use our resources wisely, and possibly migrate to the nearest village or town if needed. It won't be easy, but we can do it."

"Says the optimist." Lightning crossed her forelegs, pouting. "And when you say it's gonna be hard, I take that as an understatement. All we can really do now is pray for another miracle." She stood up, sighing. "I mean, it's a miracle we're still even here in the first place. Us Wonderbolts got out by the skin of our teeth just because we're fancy fliers, and yet Soarin almost died."

I nodded. "Yeah, but he's still alive."

"Only because he got lucky. Heck, we all got lucky. Maybe we could've saved some trouble by just flying over the crystal ponies."

"They brought King Sombra with them," muttered Fleetfoot. Sulking, she gazed blankly at the campfire's flickering flames. Ashes occasionally fluttered past our muzzles. If our eagerness for crawling closer to the campfire was any indication, it provided the best sights, smells, and warmth of anything all day. "Even if we could've taken the entire army by ourselves, which no group as small as ours could have, we'd still be done for."

"Yeah, Princess Celestia only brought him to a stalemate from the looks of things," said Limestone. "You probably didn't notice, but I got a good look at the beast's eyes. Those red pupils of his could've frightened even the bravest of ponies. And I know this is going to sound weird coming from me, but I thought I was a goner when we met."

"How did you survive?" asked Lightning.

"I tried sneaking away from Sombra while attacking with ranged weapons." Limestone sighed. "They didn't work. All he did was smack around those near him, whether they were on his side or ours, usually the latter. I think he referred to his troops as expendable, which doesn't make sense. He's short on them as is."

"That is weird," I said, arching an eyebrow. "And you managed to keep him off of your tracks until Princess Celestia confronted him?"

Limestone nodded.

"What I'm worried about is how we're gonna make it out of this mess," said Pinkie, her tone much less chipper than usual. "The fix isn't like firing a party cannon at his face or anything simple, especially when we're struggling as it is." She paused for a moment, bringing her focus toward Spitfire. "Do we have enough troops elsewhere?"

Spitfire merely said nothing. A few seconds later, she nodded.

"Phew." Pinkie wiped her forehead. "That's a relief. At least we haven't lost yet."

"But when is the answer," murmured Lightning. She sighed once again. "We can't keep going like this if he's got an entire population working for him because of those helmets while we're also running short on soldiers. He's crazy enough to where his strategies are all just throwing enough ponies at a problem until it goes away."

I shivered. There mere thought of that being a strategy sucked the color out of my coat. And with those ponies likely not wanting to be a part of Sombra's army, if all of the crystal ponies captured throughout the war are mentioning the truth, it churned my stomach and boiled my blood in unison.

Sombra was a heartless monster.

And we were all his playthings.

"And what if he runs out of ponies?" asked Blaze.

"It's simple," said Maud. "He does it himself. He has enough power to do many terrible things."

"And does he even have a weakness?" I asked. Rubbing my forelegs, I gazed at the night sky above us, none of the stars visible from where we were. It was just a dark blue blanket overhead with the moon the only object I noticed. Sighing, I lowered my head. "If he doesn't have a weakness, how are we gonna beat him?"

"There might be a way to defeat King Sombra," said Spitfire. "We've tried it dozens of times before with no success, so the plan is as close to throwing your life away as you can get." Pressing her hooves together, Spitfire ruffled her wings for a second. "Anyway, there are two things that it requires. We'd have to sneak into the Crystal Empire's palace completely undetected and reach the topmost floor, all while making sure we're not detected or surrounded by enemies." She paused for a moment. "It's as insane as it sounds. Secondly, only one pony is said to know what we'd be looking for, and that's currently only a rumor."

We all gazed at Spitfire, not a word leaving our mouths.

"Some ponies have tried, but none have come even close to reaching the palace. We eventually found such efforts futile and resorted to trying to best him the old fashioned way. While we've severely weakened his forces as a whole, winning is still far away—if victory is even possible. That's why the plan has been pushed off to the side for the time being."

"Well, what's the pony's name?" asked Limestone. "And furthermore, where is this pony and how did you hear about it?"

"Her name is Cadance. She's residing in Ponyville for the time being. Not much is known about her, but she's romantically involved with Captain Shining Armor. He told me about her one day in the midst of a casual conversation, though it was the words of a passerby that introduced the rumor to me. Both were a year ago, and we eventually deemed such a strategy was impossible to implement at the moment. They may still be too strong to even attempt it in the near future." She caught her breath. "Also, Shining Armor is alive and well. He's just in one of the tents tending to his wounds."

"What happened to him?" I asked. "Will he be okay?"

"He'll be fine. From what I've been told, it's just some shrapnel that got wedged in his coat. It's painful, but nothing lethal or dangerous."

My cheeks turned green, the nerves throughout my body crying out in unison as though they were the ones struck.

"Yeah, it does sound painful when you think about it."

"But how do we know if Cadance is still in Ponyville?" asked Lightning. "I think making our way there is gonna take a lot of time, especially with not much in the way of supplies. And keeping forty or so ponies and one unconscious mare alive will take quite a bit of food and drink." Standing tall, Lightning stretched her wings out and rubbed her muzzle. "Speaking of which, do we have any hard cider around here? I need a drink."

"We can get that once we're done here," said Limestone. She furrowed her brow. "That's an order."

A second later, Lightning plopped her rear back onto the snow and groaned. She pressed her hoof against her cheeks. "Fine, I can wait."

"So we should rest up and head on over to Ponyville before sunrise, right?" I asked. "If that's where Cadance is supposed to be, we should make that our destination. Also, since Shining Armor is with us, talking to her shouldn't be too difficult." A moment later, an itch formed at the back of my head. I raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, what does she even look like?"

"She doesn't go out much," said Spitfire. "Though she's tall and pink if that helps. Think of her like a miniature Celestia."

My eyes widened. I leaned closer to Spitfire. "Hold on a second. You mean to tell me that she's an alicorn?"

Shrugging, Spitfire donned a bemused expression. "I don't know. She supposedly wears these shabby looking dresses that more often than not cover everything below the neck. As such, I don't think anypony but Shining Armor knows for sure. And besides, why would you be so interested about that?"

"Couldn't she help us defeat Sombra for good if she was one? With her and Celestia, maybe we can stomp all over Sombra and end this stupid war for good." A surge of electricity coursed through my veins. "It'll be awesome if we have that on our side!"

"She's not one for fighting." Spitfire sighed, head hung low. "And I don't blame her. You know why, Rainbow Dash."

"I wouldn't blame her as well," muttered Fleetfoot.

We all nodded together in agreement. If there was a viable option to bailing on this awful war, we were all for it. Part of me wished we could've formed our own society far away from any conflict, maybe somewhere Sombra could've never hoped to have reached. We'd all coexist and those seeking refuge from the war could've joined in as well. My eyes sparkled imagining all of the amazing, cool things a land of peace might've included. And with most of the Wonderbolts who were stationed where I was still around, maybe resuming what we've always done best was possible.

I kept such a foolish idea close to my chest. Revealing it now of all times wasn't worth it.

"Well, since we're not going to last long staying huddled up in here, perhaps moving over to Ponyville would be for the best," Fleetfoot continued. "Rainbow Dash is right, we should get some rest for the night and start our journey before sunrise. We'll load up as many supplies as we can and march toward the town."

"You and Rainbow Dash always agree with each other," Lightning quipped. She momentarily pursed her lips. "But she's right. Ponyville is the only place we can go now."

"Alright, who's in agreement with this plan?" asked Limestone.

We all raised our hooves in unison.

"That settles it." Limestone propped herself up. "Get some much needed rest, everypony. A few ponies will stay behind until the reinforcements have been moved here while most of us will head on over to Ponyville. We'll load up some wagons before leaving. The trip will be long, so be prepared."

With her mellow announcement, all of us dispersed and made beelines toward the tents, myself included. While Princess Celestia's words still rang in my head, the twinging limbs and the melancholy crushing my chest were enough to push that further back. Such a story could've waited, after all, and I think I'd die if Celestia's story shocked me enough. Chances were it dealt with me doing a Sonic Rainboom or something, which was what she was leading up to before Sombra's forces were spotted.

At the same time, I knew Celestia was planning on informing me of something else. It'd have been something I didn't know of, but that's all I came up with.

I crawled into my assigned tent, Fleetfoot following me inside, though assigned tents may as well have been a thing of the past with so few of us left. The basic necessities and some furniture to give the place a slightly more homely look was a nice sight after all we've been through. It was mainly just a pair of beds, some unlit lanterns, and a makeshift bookshelf and cabinet, nothing too special.

Jumping onto my bed, I allowed my body to sink into the cushions, their ruggedness actually soft for once. It was like sleeping atop a cloud again, the constant twangs throughout my body dissipating by the second.

My mind wandered back to the last session with General Limestone.

Aside from Fleetfoot, the Pie sisters, and myself, only Braeburn made it out of the battle alive among that group. He hadn't suffered any injuries from what I noticed, though his constant shivering ordered me to provide him some personal space. I'd rather not pester him about what went on, especially given that Spitfire, Misty, Limestone, and more survived similar ordeals. I survived such a day as well.

I gently closed my eyes, desperately hoping I fell into the world of sleep.

"Rainbow Dash," Fleetfoot whispered under her own breath.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Sorry if I woke you up, but can I tell you something?"

I nodded unconsciously. "What is it?"

"Do you think there's a possibility we could all come together and form a society of peace? It'd need more fleshing out, but part of me wishes such a joyful, pacifist world could exist. Even if we had to move far away from our homes, it'd be worth it just to see genuine smiles again. You know what I mean, right?"

"I do, and I think that society could work."

"How come?"

"I thought of it, too."

And with that, I finally descended into the realm of sleep.

Comments

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Brilliant use of the fight scene in the Finale! And great work as always!

[Manaphy]

6803172 Yeah, and I'll honestly say that the fight scenes were quite intense to think about as I wrote them. And thank you for checking out the chapter as well. I appreciate it!

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

6803179 No problem!

Ave Imperiator!

[ShadowStrike11]

Great job writing the action scene! Just a suggestion though, you could use some sound effects to liven it up. But really nice chapter overall.

[Manaphy]

6803685 I'll be sure to keep such things in mind moving forward. Thank you for the advice and for checking out the chapter as well. I highly appreciate it!

[Dlaf rferg]

Sorry for taking so long to read, had some complications. Good job on this chapter, the fight as really intense. I think you did well, considering fight scenes are hard to write. Keep it up, and I hope it doesn't end soon

[Manaphy]

6809900 It's okay. I can relate, as some days are just busier than others, and I hope things turned out well for you. As for the story, there are still plenty of exciting events that are coming up if all goes according to plan, though I can't reveal them quite yet. And thank you for checking out the new chapter and for the compliments. I highly appreciate it!

[Neece]

More, please? I need to know how this continues