Homegrown Blades

by TheMessenger

Chapter 7

The earth pony rolled the stone she held around in her hoof. Sedimentary, she noted, formed relatively recently. She let the stone drop. Maybe she'd find more time to study it after the mission. For now, she had to focus.

A pink earth pony suddenly appeared beside her. She also wore a dark body suit with a gray plated armor vest over her chest. "Any movement, Maud?"

Maud shook her head. Things had been silent for a while. "All clear."

The pink pony nodded before removing a green flare from her pouch. She snapped it open and flung it into the air. The two watched from their position as a group of hooded ponies quickly descended from the mountains and made their way through the Frozen North wastes. Several armored guards escorted them along, keeping their spears ready. Even a couple of Wonderbolts hovered nearby, keeping watch.

Maud's ear twitched. She turned away from the ponies and stared at the mountains in the distance.

"You feel anything?"

Maud nodded. "Many."

"Wonderful," the pink mare muttered. From her vest she removed a red flare. The group of ponies rushed back to the mountains at the sight of red light. Just as they made it out of the open, the ground began to shake. A massive crack formed in the earth, and out of it reached a giant claw made of harden glass. A crystal beast crawled out onto the field and shrieked as two more climbed their way out of the ground before the crack sealed itself.

"Three of them?" The pink pony frowned. "That might be a bit too much to handle."

"Maybe."

Even as they spoke, the bright bursts of cannon fire flashed from the mountains' bases. The artillery kept the beasts away at first, chipping away bits and shards off their bodies with each shot, but the barrage soon lost intensity. Fewer shots were being taken as ammunition began to run dry.

One crystal beast collapsed, its broken legs unable to support its weight, and it released one last mournful screech before a well aimed shot tore through its skull-like face. Any premature cheers of victory were silenced as the other two bent over the remains of their fallen brother and picked it apart, attaching the spare pieces to themselves to repair damage and increase their size and bulk.

A bright spark of blue light was shot high into sky, right above the crystal beasts as the approached. It was an emergency flare, a request for reinforcements, an immediate extraction, anything that would help. Moment later, the mountain went still, the cannons silent. The beasts screamed in triumphant as they moved forward in earnest. The pink pony suddenly vanished. Maud blinked once and found her partner rushing toward the giants. Her eyes widened. "Pinkie!" She charged forward, kicking up large chunks of the earth.

The pink pony dashed around the crystal beasts's legs, carefully maneuvering around them. Her hooves flashed forward and pounded away at the diamond like a jackhammer with the force to destroy boulders. She only ended her assault once she was out of breath, and she could no longer raise her hooves. A dent had been made in the crystal, small but noticeable. The mare raised her hoof, preparing to hammer away again.

Maud grabbed her out of the way of the crystal beast's foot just as it came crashing down on the pink pony's position. They escaped to the base of the mountain, where an entire company of guards greeted them. A couple of guards approached and helped move the tired pink pony.

"Can you reach the extraction team? Reinforcements?" one of the guards shouted to a nearby Wonderbolt.

The pegasus shook their head. "Too much distance. My comms can't reach that far."

"Well, keep at it," the guard said. "We need to get the assets out of here."

"Crystal beasts getting closer," yelled another guard, a unicorn. The others began to look around nervously.

The pink pony broke free. "We can slow them down until the extraction arrives," she offered even as she walked forward on unsteady legs.

Maud forced her partner back down. The pink mare's protest died from a single look from the stoic earth pony. She turned back to the encroaching beasts. If she leapt from the mountain, at a certain height, maybe she'd have enough momentum to smash clean through one of those crystal trunks. It wasn't a solution, there would still be the other remaining beast, but maybe...

The crystal beasts drew closer. No, there wasn't enough time to climb to such a height. Maud was stronger than her sister, what if she tried her approach, dodging around the beasts's legs and breaking away at them chunk by chunk?

"We've got contact!" a Wonderbolt shouted. "They're saying to keep away from the crystal beasts."

"There's not a whole lot of room to run," one of the guards grumbled back, their grip on their spear tightening.

A low hum echoed through the air. Ponies looked up into the sky, scanning for the source of the odd sound. The pink pony pointed past the clouds. "Look, Wonderbolts!"

Three flying figures dotted the sky. As they drew closer, they began to slow, and as they did, the humming ceased. The ponies below watched in disbelief as the three seemed to fly directly toward the giants.

"Where are they going?" one of the ponies wondered out loud. "Wait, they're not actually going to try and fight it, are they?"

The suggestion incited murmurs through the company. They turned to the Wonderbolt members with them, who could only shrug. "They just keep telling me to sit tight," they tried to explain. "I don't know why--"

The pegasi suddenly scattered into all directions, zooming right past the dull red eyes buried into the glass sockets. The beasts shrieked and swung at them, barely missing one of the blue cladded flyers as they came around for a second pass. One of the Wonderbolts hung back. Something seemed to have fallen off their back, something almost invisible from this distance.

As the speck fell, it began to grow in size, slowly at first until it was noticeable to everypony on the ground. From there, the growth became exponential, the object's size doubling, tripling, increasing by folds of ten each second. The crystal beasts only noticed the newcomer once a massive scaly fist caved in one of the beasts's face and drew its attention away from the flying blue nuisances.

The dragon charged forward, whipping out his tail and bisecting the damaged beast before stomping away at the crystal until there was nothing left but shards. The other beast screamed and attacked, striking away at the dragon with its claws. The dragon roared and swung back, shattering a shoulder, releasing the arm attached to it. The beast shrieked as the limb landed on the floor, breaking like a fragile dinner glass.

The dragon silenced the crystal beast with a strike from his own head, driving the spikes extending from it into the crystal skull. As he pulled free, the skull came with him, removed from the rest of the body. The entire company of ponies below shook as the dragon thundered out a terrifying roar, deep and powerful. He ripped the crystal still stuck to his head and slammed it into the rest of the beast's body, forcing through it until his hand touched the ground.

The Wonderbolt nearest to the dragon, keeping in flight despite the metallic wing extending from her left side, touched the side of her helmet. There was a crackle at the ground level, echoing through the other Wonderbolts's helmets.

"Hostiles neutralized. Area secure."

*

The ponies around the green campfire laughed heartily as they passed around pieces of bread and chunks of cheese. Several cans of beans sat on a grate above the fire, the contents inside slowly heating. In the center sat the purple dragon, once again nested between the forelegs of Cloud Chaser.

"Seriously?" Rainbow Dash had said as she joined the squad and found the dragon in that position. "You're still letting her do that?"

"What? It's comfortable." The dragon shrugged as Cloud Chaser stuck her tongue out. More laughter filled the air, the loudest coming from the pink earth pony.

Rainbow shook her head as she grabbed some bread. "Whatever, kid." She turned to Fleetfoot. "Soarin back yet?"

The pegasus shook her head. "Not yet. Whatever they're briefing on must be important."

"Or unnecessarily wordy," Rainbow added with a smirk. "You know what's so important about those VIPs you were escorting?" she asked the two earth pony operatives.

Maud shook her head as her partner answered, "No. We weren't given much information, but they were given highest priority. I mean, we had an entire guard company and artillery support. The extra defense had to mean something."

"Maybe we were just expecting to be attacked?" the dragon piped in. "I mean, we're getting deeper into Crystal Empire territory, right? Wouldn't that mean routine missions would get more dangerous?"

"Well, that's another thing," Rainbow Dash said. "Didn't those crystal beasts seem smaller to you guys? And didn't you guys manage to take down one of them? We've never managed to do that much damage even with cannons."

"Wait, are you complaining about things getting easier?" Cloud Kicker asked.

"Of course not, no complaints here if Sombra trips and falls down thirty flights of stairs," replied Rainbow. "But come on, isn't that weird? Things should be getting harder as we get closer in, not easier."

"That's what she said."

Even Rainbow laughed at Maud's sudden words. The only one who didn't was the dragon, who looked around in confusion. "What's so funny?"

"You'll understand when you're older," Cloud Chaser cooed as she patted the dragon's head.

"You said that last time about the cat story." The dragon frowned. "Why can't you guys ever tell jokes when I'm big,"

"Well, those usually are pretty awkward times to joke." Everypony turned toward Soarin as he approached the campfire. "You do realize we have stoves now, right?"

"Yeah, but they're guarded by the cooks, and they won't let anypony near the kitchen thanks to Pinkamena's cake stunt," Rainbow Dash said.

"Hey, it was Sgt. Happy Birthday's birthday." The pink pony crossed her forelegs over her chest. "If that wasn't a call for cake, I don't know what is."

"With rocks?" Rainbow Dash said, raising an eyebrow.

"Duh, of course."

"Well, anyways, what's up," Fleetfoot asked Soarin, redirecting the conversation. "Did you get what was so important about those VIPs?"

"Yeah, but I'm not exactly supposed to tell." Soarin glanced around before taking a seat. “Okay, turns out those guys are crystal ponies.”

“Crystal ponies?” several members of the group exclaimed.

“Not so loud,” Soarin hissed. “Yeah, real authentic crystal ponies, as far as I can tell.”

“I thought they were all under Sombra's control,” Fleetfoot said. “What's going on?”

“I'm getting there, I'm getting there, yeesh.” The Wonderbolt captain sighed. “Anyways, have you guys noticed that we've been facing less resistance as we move deeper into the Crystal Empire? You know, fewer counterattacks, smaller crystal beasts. That last mission, with three of them, was an exception, but even then Spike didn't grow anywhere the size he had to when we first began the second offensive.”

The other muttered their affirmatives and nodded their heads, causing Rainbow Dash to roll her eyes.

“Well, it looks like Sombra's losing power,” Soarin explained before taking a bite of cheese that was passed to him. “According to the crystal ponies we just saved, Sombra's been controlling both the crystal ponies and the crystal beasts using some ancient artifact they're calling the Crystal Heart.”

Cloud Kicker raised her hoof. “Does everything here have to have a 'crystal' in its name?”

“What does it work?” Fleetfoot asked.

Soarin shook his head. “No idea. Something about positive emotional magic or something like that. It went way over my head.” He shrugged. “And we don't exactly know why Sombra's losing control of it. It might be because Princess Celestia's recovering from her injuries, or maybe Sombra's control just weakened over time. Maybe a little of both. We just know he's getting. Guess that's what happens when you mess with magical artifacts.”

“But that's good, right?” the dragon asked. “It means we're winning.”

Several ponies nodded in agreement. Soarin, however, began to frown. “Well, yeah, but it's not all good news. According to the crystal ponies, Sombra's getting really desperate lately, and he's planning something big. Don't know what,” he added, stopping the flow of questions he saw coming. “At this point, we don't even have theories, but whatever it is, it can't be any good.”

Steam began to pillow from the cans. No one moved toward them.

“But hey, if Sombra's getting desperate, he's bound to get sloppy too,” Soarin quickly said with forced cheeriness. “Look, I don't want to worry anypony, it's not as bad as I make it sound, but we are going to have to push the invasion forward. Command wants us at the imperial capital in a week. They don't want any unpleasant surprises so stopping Sombra and capturing the Crystal Heart is top priority.”

“They're giving us a week?” Cloud Chaser gasped. “No way, are they serious?”

“That's not that bad,” Rainbow argued. “The capital's, what, a couple days of flying?” She turned to Maud and Pinkamena.

“Yeah, if you fly for the whole three days straight without breaking,” confirmed Pinkamena, “and that's if you get clear skies, and good luck with that. You can see storm clouds miles from the capital.”

“And there's also the ground units,” Fleetfoot added. “They'll take longer, especially since we'll need siege equipment.”

“But it's just a wall, isn't it?” said the dragon. “I could break it down.”

“You sure?” Soarin questioned. “We still don't get what makes you grow. What if it's just being attacked or facing danger? Would you grow just to knock down a wall?”

“I, maybe.” The dragon's shoulders slumped down. “Yeah, I guess we don't know.”

“I'm not saying that's not an option, just that we need to be a little careful,” Soarin explained. He turned to the beans and carefully grabbed a can. He peeked inside. The sauce had mostly dried up. “Anyways, there's one other thing.” Soarin looked to his two lieutenants. “Rainbow, we're heading back to command central. Fleetfoot, you're in charge until we get back”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “What, why? What does command want?”

“It's, ah, you're not going to like this.” The stallion took a deep breath. “It's a publicity stunt. Some reporters are going to be there taking pictures of us getting medals, and there'll be a fancy dinner with the higher-ups and the princess.”

“Seriously, now?” Rainbow exclaimed. “That's an entire day away.”

“It's been a while since the public got any good news, well, any news really.” Soarin shrugged. “The higher-ups have been pressured for a while, and I guess they finally cracked now that we're winning.”

“Why you two, though?” Fleetfoot asked.

“Something about being the heroes leading the charge against Sombra's golems.” Soarin scowled as he stared into the campfire. “They just need faces to credit, that's all.”

“Wait, then shouldn't the kid be going?” Rainbow jerked her head toward the dragon reaching for one of the cans above the fire. “He's the one doing most of the work.”

Soarin cringed. “Yeah, you're really not going to like this. Command really wants to keep Spike out of public eye.”

“Wait, they want to snub him?” Rainbow Dash growled. “What the heck?” The other around her called out in agreement.

“It's not that. I mean, just look at him.” Soarin gestured toward the dragon. The dragon looked down at himself, twisting around to find what exactly the Wonderbolt was pointing out. “The public aren't going to see a military asset. They'll see a kid. You know how much support we'll lose if we were suddenly accused of employing child soldiers? Why do you think we've been keeping this a secret from even Princess Celestia?”

The group grew quiet, drowned out by the soft crackling of the burning firewood. “So we just get all the credit then?” Rainbow muttered.

“Sorry about this, Spike,” Soarin said, giving the dragon a rueful smile. “But, well, I'm not sure you understand but, well...” He trailed off.

“Nah, I get it.” The dragon shrugged. “I have to stay secret, that's cool, I get it. But what are we going to do while you guys are gone?”

“You'll, well, my squad anyways,” Soarin added, giving the two earth ponies an apologetic nod. “You guys will be helping out with preparations. Organizing everything is going to take some time, so they'll need all the help we can give. Then you'll be setting off with the vanguard for the imperial capital and Sombra's fortress.”

“Without you two?” the dragon asked.

“Don't worry, we'll catch up. You'll be moving at their pace, so besides scouting trips, no flying off ahead,” Soarin ordered. “Spike, you'll be with Fleetfoot until Rainbow gets back. That going to be okay?” he asked, looking to both Rainbow and the dragon.

Rainbow folded her forelegs over chest. “Just keep an eye on him.” She grinned. “The kid likes to wander off.”

“Not as much as you seem to like forgetting me behind,” the dragon shot back.

Soaring rolled his eyes. “Alright, good to see that all settled. Rainbow, get your uniform prepared. We leave for the command outpost early.”

*

Rainbow Dash tugged at her tie and grumbled. She glared at the mare standing in the mirror. She wore a sharp blue jacket over a collared white dress shirt. Brass buttons ran down her chest that were so shiny, they threatened to blind her. On each shoulder was a golden tassel, better fit for castle drapes than a military mare. The only thing she wore comfortably was her Wonderbolt badge on her chest, that gold lightning bolt between a pair of wings that she was so proud of, more than any medal she could have earned.

Her attempts to straighten her mane had all failed. Even after all this time, loose strands continued to stick out stubbornly, especially those further along the back of her neck. Her tail flicked in annoyance as she turned her head and found even more rough areas.

“Whatever,” she muttered, kicking at the mane brushes and combs scattered on the floor. “It'll just get messed up when I fly anyways.” She picked up the flat ceremonial cap from the coat hanger and tried to hide the uglier parts. Well, it wasn't perfect, but it was acceptable, she hoped.

She left the room, not bothering to clean up, and started toward the quarters Soarin had been given to prepare. Rainbow Dash knocked on the door and waited just long enough for Soarin to invite her in before pushing her way through.

“Oh, hey. You're ready.” The Wonderbolt captain looked away from his own reflection. "That was quick."

Rainbow Dash looked over sideways at the collection of badges hanging off of Soarin's chest like overripe fruit. "Well, I didn't have that many medals to show off." She made a show of polishing her hoof against her empty chest.

Soarin laughed. "Give yourself a few years." He sighed and reached for his mane, only to grasp air. "Wish they didn't make me cut my mane."

The two set off, leaving the building and moving toward a large tent. Several guards stood at the entrance, stopping ponies and stripping through cameras, with several more guards likely hidden or undercover. "I'm surprised they let you keep that manedo so long," Rainbow said.

"Spitfire liked it, and, uh, now it's gone." The stallion sighed. "I feel so exposed."

"Well, at least you look professional for once."

The Wonderbolts made their way inside. Ponies in various dress attires were already talking and settling in around the round dinner tables. Rainbow Dash and Soarin continued forward toward the long solid panel in the very back, where several officers were already sitting. In the very center sat Princess Celestia, positioned so that neither the wheels of her seat nor the stubbed remains of her hind legs could be seen. The princess seemed to find the two Wonderbolts on the crowd with ease, and she smiled so warmingly, Rainbow had to smile back.

"She looks a lot better," Rainbow Dash whispered. "Princess Celestia, I mean."

"Let's hope she feels the same way." The two took their seats and waited for the others to take theirs.

Stallions and mares dressed in bland suits and dresses hurried between the tables, offering the guests refreshments. Those large fancy glasses were filled with sparkling champagnes and wines. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but frown. "This is a huge waste of time. We should be with everypony else, helping."

A collection of appetizers, crackers, cheeses, and sliced fruits covered Soarin's plate. "This is helping," he said between bites. "Making public appearances has always been part of being a Wonderbolt. You know that. Those performances you used to gush on about? This is just another show." He waved to a close by waiter. "I'm not going to ask you to try and enjoy yourself, but FYI, they have cider."

Rainbow's tongue, the traitorous organ, rubbed anxiously against her lips. She watched as the waiter tipped the brown bottle over her glass, filling it with that light airy liquid. She raised the glass, took a cautious sip, and squirmed as the sharp apple taste splashed against her tongue. She beckoned the waiter back a whispered something into his ear. The waiter nodded and returned to his post.

"What did you do?" Soarin asked.

"Nothing much." She took another sip. "They won't miss a bottle or two."

An old pegasus dressed in full ceremonial uniform walked over onto the podium in front of the panel and cleared his throat, drawing the attention of everypony in the room. "Ladies and gentlecolts, thank you joining us tonight. Before we begin our meal and the questioning hour, I would first like to make a toast."

He raised an empty glass. A waiter rushed to his side with a bottle of wine and waited.

"First, to our dear Princess Celestia." The old pegasus turned slightly and bowed his head toward the princess. "For guiding us through this most difficult time.

The waiter removed the bottle's cork.

"Second, to the brave mares and stallions who have been risking their lives to uphold freedom and liberty and who are preparing for their final assault against the tyrant's fortress."

As the waiter began to pour, murmurs came from the reporters and journalists at the tables. Some began to raise hooves, voices, and cameras.

"Please, there will be a period for questions later, but for now, please restrain yourselves." The old pegasus cleared his throat a second time. "And third and finally, to Equestria and all our country represents. May she never do wrong."

He raised his glass. The others did the same. "Equestria," they said together. The old pegasus took his seat, and an earth pony dressed similarly took her place on the podium.

"Ladies and gentlecolts, on the behalf of the EUP Guard, I would like to introduce Capt. Soarin and Second Lt. Rainbow Dash, of the Wonderbolts."

As the two pegasi got up, the audience applauded politely. They stood at the earth pony's side, doing their best to ignore the flashes from the cameras as the officer opened a case and presented a pair of silver stars with blue ribbon laces. "For performing beyond the call of duty."

They didn't really matter or have any real meaning, those medals. As Soarin had explained, they were mostly just for show, something to please the crowd with. As the earth pony reached forward and pinned the star to Rainbow's chest, the Wonderbolt took a deep breath. It was a performance, she reminded herself, so perform. She tried to smile, tried to look satisfied.

Soarin shook hooves with the earth pony and stood behind the podium. "Ladies and gentlecolts, on the behalf of the Wonderbolts and the entire EUP Guard, I thank you all for your support. I thank my entire squad and each and every mare and stallion fighting along side me, for without them we would not be here tonight."

Well, he wasn't lying. Rainbow's thoughts drifted to about her squad. She wondered, what were they doing right now, this very hour, minute, and second? How was Fleetfoot handling her duties as acting captain? She hoped Cloud Chaser and Cloud Kicker were pulling their weight.

She wondered what was that dragon of theirs up to. She hoped he was doing fine,

*

"Tch. Hey Spike, could you see if you can borrow some spare stake from supplies?" Fleetfoot called over. "This tent's missing a few."

The dragon leapt up and nodded. He started toward the cart with extra miscellaneous supplies, passing by several tents already set. The vanguard had covered a good amount of ground for a day and had stopped to camp for the night. How they gauge how far they covered and how much farther they still had was a mystery to the dragon. Everything he had seen while riding on Fleetfoot's back looked the exact same.

A few ponies still gave him the same odd and discomforted looks as he passed, but he didn't pay any notice. They didn't bother him, so the looks didn't really matter.

"I need some stakes, please," the dragon requested to the cart's manager. The quartermaster glanced down and raised an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"A tent," the dragon replied.

"Which kind?"

"That kind." He pointed at one of the nearby canvases.

The stallion ducked into the cart and grunted as he rolled out a large barrel. "How many?"

"Um, some?"

The stallion frowned. "Some? What kind of number is some? Come on, how many stakes do you need?"

"Fleetfoot said she needed a few."

"Well tell Fleetfoot I need an exact number." The stallion scowled. "Go figure out how many she needs first, then come back."

The dragon quickly backed away and returned to the squad's campsite. Fleetfoot looked up. "You get the stakes?"

The dragon shook his head. "He got upset when I told him I didn't know how many we needed."

"Seriously?" Fleetfoot groaned. "Sorry, we need, uh, four? Yeah, four tent stakes." She sat down on the tarp. "Those things are pretty heavy. I can send Cloud Kicker or Chaser to help. They're not doing anything right now anyways."

The dragon shook his head. "I can handle it," he assured before hurrying back to supply cart, past the other tents. Some ponies had even begun setting up campfires and were starting dinner.

When he got there, however, the wagon was deserted, the manager nowhere to be seen. He looked around. No, he definitely wasn't around. Could he sneak in and grab the four stakes himself? Maybe, but a better question was whether he should. Who knew what that grumpy stallion would do if he caught him. But what else could he do? Wait for him to return? Go back to the campsite and tell Fleetfoot? Look for the quartermaster?

One of the nearby guards noticed the dragon pacing besides the supply cart. "Hey, kid, if you're looking for the quartermaster, he's taking a break. If you really need supplies, there's a cart further up in the caravan." The guard gestured toward the front end of the vanguard.

"Oh, thanks!" the dragon said before running off toward the other end. He had passed several wagons filled with food, munitions, armor, and even a few stocked completely with medical supplies before realizing he didn't know which cart carried just carried spare miscellaneous items or what it looked like. He recognized the other cart because of the colored flag it flew, but these carts, they didn't have any features he could recognize easily.

Looking blinding was going to just waste time. The dragon decided instead to ask for directions from somepony more familiar with this area of the caravan. He looked around. There weren't as many tents around here. Maybe he ask the manager of one of the other wagons. Or maybe that one pony wearing a funny looking mask. A new type of helmet perhaps? He hadn't seen one of those before.

The pony carried a bundle on her back and was looking around at the carts. Maybe she was also looking for supplies. They could look together. The dragon approached the pony and waved his hand.

He was suddenly thrown back as if pushed by a powerful gust of wind. Heat swirled around him as he blinked away stars and held his head in his hands to stop the ringing in his head. The ringing was replaced with frightened shouts and tortured screams. The dragon opened his eyes to find orange flames spreading violently from wagon to wagon. Several ponies rolled on the ground screaming as the flames consumed hair, fur, and flesh. Limbs were scattered on the ground stained charred and bloody without their bodies.

As ponies gathered to help, the dragon got up to join them. The blow still left him disoriented and unbalanced, and he tripped over something hard and metallic. The dragon glanced over at the object.

Part of the pony's mask stared back with empty black sockets, the green glow he thought he saw no longer present. The black hair on its top was burnt and smoking, and the metal mouthpiece that gave the mask an insect-like appearance was melted and warped.

The dragon carefully picked the mask up. Something fell out.

A pony head stared up at him, more skull that face.