The Underwatch

by thatguyvex

Chapter 1: Gathering Forces

Chapter 1: Gathering Forces

The last time Trixie Lulamoon had been on the streets of Canterlot she’d been fleeing for her freedom. In an attempt to escape from the Legion’s draft she’d given the Legionaries of the Barrier Lands a strong chase for days before she’d finally been cornered and captured. By the letter of the law that should have put her behind bars for a long time, but whether by chance or luck a Legionnaire Captain by the name of Windstriker had given Trixie a chance to avoid such a fate and change her mind about joining the Legion.

Trixie still wasn’t entirely certain if she’d made the right choice, but she had come to accept her current circumstances and even found some of her newfound comrades among the Legion tolerable. A lot of that had to do with the mare that trotted beside her, glancing around with a look on her face that suggested Coldiron didn’t know whether to be awed or put off by the fancy finery of the Canterlot streets around her.

Short and gray of fur, Coldiron was a Legion mare through and through. Born in the Western Barrier Lands the squat unicorn mare had the features of a hardened soldier, with a coarse and neatly cut brown mane and tail that as as military as the thin leather battlemage coat she wore. Trixie wore a similar coat, but it rather clashed with her own bright blue fur and relatively well groomed mane and tail of two toned periwinkle blues and white. Really no two mares could look more different while wearing the same Legion uniforms, though both sported the marks of their service. Coldiron’s sharp horn bore visible cracks along its short length, and Trixie’s face bore a ragged scar from the left side of her brow, down past her eye, and continued nearly to her chin. The scar had rendered her left eye milky white and nearly blind.

“I don’t understand this city,” Coldiron said, still looking left and right with an uneasy expression, “Is everything here specifically made to look so... gaudy?”

Trixie snorted, “You’re simply not used to places that were built without the intention of being used as bastions for war against giant, psychotic bears.”

Coldiron grunted and eyed an open air cafe where a number of ponies, young couples and members of the nobility in their finery were enjoying a brief brunch. There were even two Legion ponies there, apparently off duty and trying some of the local flavor, in both meanings of the term if the looks one of them exchanged with the flirtatious waitress was any indication. If anything the city’s mood seemed lighter than Trixie recalled it from several weeks ago. It seemed the local populace was getting used to its new Legion guests and the spirit of high living and fashion was gradually returning to Canterlot like a limb waking up from sleep.

“I guess its not too different from any of our own big cities,” said Coldiron, the cloud of a frown crossing her features, “Though we still construct buildings that don’t look like they’d fall over if you accidentally bumped them too hard. I don’t know how this place stays up on this mountain in the first place.”

“Having two alicorn Princesses involved in its construction probably has something to do with that,” said Trixie, then tilted her head curiously, “Does your Prince Terrato have some kind of super fortress of impregnable stone or something? Carved from a cliff, perhaps, complete with flame pits and lava moats?”

“The Prince is not one for ostentatious displays of power. Each fortress city has a place for him within it if he chooses to visit, but no, he does not have a personal fortress as you describe.”

Coldiron paused, looking thoughtful, “Though that black spire we saw upon the crest of this mountain certainly looked like something the Prince might use. Was that always there?”

“No,” said Trixie, heaving out a sigh, “It certainly wasn’t. Just one of many changes Trixie must now contend with. Where is this building we’re looking for again?”

“I don’t know. You’re the native, don’t you know where we’re going?” Coldiron asked, looking at Trixie incredulously.

“Trixie is... very bad with directions,” Trixie admitted with an embarrassed cough, “She thought you had written down the address.”

“I did! I just don’t know the streets,” said Coldiron defensively, eyes roving over the various street signs that dangled from posts at the intersections they passed, “i can’t make hide or hair of this city. Why don’t you know you’re way around your own hometown?”

“Trixie’s navigation prowess is based solely upon memorization of pertinent landmarks en route to her preferred destinations. Trixie was far too busy developing magical feats beyond the scope of pony imagination to study the streets of all Canterlot! Besides, Trixie spent much of her time traveling between Equestria’s many rustic towns to perform her stage act, so it is unreasonable to expect her to know her hometown as if she spent all of her time here!”

Coldiron let out a slow breath, “The last thing I need is for us to be late for reporting in. I hope Coco and the others made it in alright.”

“Trixie doubts they would have any trouble. Coco seemed familiar with Canterlot, despite being a Manehattan mare.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t go with them to that village. Blossomforth and Allie Way both seemed pretty eager to show you around,” said Coldiron with an open tone, not pressing, but clearly curious.

A brief shadow passed over Trixie’s face, but vanished just as quickly. “Ponyville is not a place Trixie intends to return to just yet. Trixie did not wish to cause any trouble for her comrade’s trip home, at any rate. We were only given two days of leave, and Trixie preferred to spend it here in Canterlot.”

Coldiron looked as if she wanted to ask more but seemed to think better of it and glanced away, “Well, I appreciate you staying behind to show me around this place, even if we seem to only be wandering in circles. I’ll admit that Doughnut Joe’s wasn’t half bad, for a place that only serves ludicrously fattening sweets.”

Trixie smirked slightly, “You could stand to gain a few pounds, Trixie thinks.”

“Don’t get cute. My horn might be cracked, but I still got enough power to freeze that pretty tail off.”

“Ha! Perhaps Trixie shall show you one day how Equestrians conduct magic duels,” Trixie said with a haughty laugh, but with a friendly glint in her eyes, one that Coldiron shared even as the Barrier Land’s mare gave Trixie a rueful look.

Their destination was Canterlot’s south-district fire response station, which had been partially re-purposed as a temporary headquarters for the Legion’s newest Special Task Force; the Underwatch. This newly formed unit existed for the sole purpose of countering the newly emerged threat of the Lurkers, a race of subterranean dwelling giant spiders. Unfortunately that was about all Trixie, or anypony else at this point knew.

Not long ago Trixie had found herself a raw, and rather unwilling, draftee into the Legion’s army, sent marching into the Western Barrier Lands with over a hundred fellow Equestrian draftees. What had been intended as a simple and low key posting to a supposedly small and out of the way outpost in order to let the Equestrians finish training and adjust to Legion life had instead turned into a deadly and desperate battle as the ursans, massive bear-like creatures that had been at war with the Legion for centuries in the west, had gathered a large horde to launch a new offensive. Trixie had gotten a painful baptism of blood and fire that had left her eye and face scarred, but her spirit unbroken despite watching many fellow ponies die in horrific ways. She still had nightmares of the fights that had transpired only a week or so ago; the ambush during the march where she’d seen ponies die for the first time, the dangerous mission to the town of Arrow Vale where she and her newly made friends among her fellow soldiers uncovered the Lurker threat, and the exhausting final battle at Beartrap Fortress where the ursan horde nearly overran the limited Legion force dug in there. They’d only won through by the skin of their teeth, the timely arrival of reinforcements, and perhaps in small part due to Trixie and her friends managing to injure the ursan Warlord.

Well, Trixie mostly just verbally abused the bear to distract him from murdering Coco Pommel, and had gotten her scar as a result, but Trixie would take a scar over being gutting alive, which was what would’ve happened if Allie Way hadn’t intervened.

Amid that battle the Lurkers had also attacked the fortress, another sign of their involvement with the ursans. Trixie didn’t believe in coincidences and was more than willing to believe that the spiders had something to do with the ursan horde amassing in the first place. As for what the Lurkers had been planning in Arrow Vale, stealing away the townsponies, Trixie could only shudder to think. Those creatures scarred her more than even the raging claws and fangs of the ursans, and she felt ashamed to admit that even if just to herself. Trixie wanted, more than anything, to become the great and potent magician that she’d always set out to be. Brave, confident, capable, and awe inspiring.

While she was proud to have done her part in the battle, she knew her contribution had been small compared to some. As had been her sacrifice. Bad vision in one eye and the loss of some of her good looks was chump change compared to what Blossomforth lost... or Coldiron.

Trixie wouldn’t have thought it to look at Coldiron now, who walked with confidence poise and solid determination that one wouldn’t have expected from a mare who had so recently lost her father. Trixie had been there to help Coldiron bury her father at their family farm, and had seen the mare’s tears then. Perhaps that had been enough, in Coldiron’s own way, to deal with the grief and move on.

She hadn’t liked Coldiron much at first. In fact she'd rather detested the mare upon first meeting, finding Coldiron's hardened attitude galling. Yet a slow growing respect had taken hold in Trixie for the other unicorn, one that she hoped was mutual. It was hard to shed blood alongside a pony and not start to feel a bond with them.

“What?” asked Coldiron, noticing Trixie starring, “Do I have something on my face?”

“Hm? Oh, no, nothing,” said Trixie, glancing away fast, hastily adding, “Trixie was thinking that it is strange how fast things can change. That’s all.”

“That so? I suppose you and the others have been through a lot recently, but I wouldn’t worry. You Chosen have proven to be good at adapting to changing circumstances,” Coldiron said, completely ignoring the implication that perhaps Coldiron had been changing as well.

Trixie shook her head, chuckling under her breath, earning a quick and annoyed look from Coldiron.

“I don't know what’s so funny. Well, no matter, this looks like it may be the place, finally,” Coldiron said as they turned a corner and found a building sitting at a V-shaped intersection of three streets. The building stood three stories tall, built from subdued alabaster stone, like much of Canterlot’s architecture. The central building had a small spire sprouting from its top and from the windows of that spire hung a Legion banner along with a flag of regimental markings and a specific symbol; that of a lantern in front of a pair of crossed spears.

“The symbol of the Underwatch,” Coldiron said, looking at the flag, “Definitely our temp headquarters. Let’s head on in, before we’re late.”

----------

Coco Pommel nursed her nose with an ice pack and sat with a sulking stance on the bench in the main room of the Underwatch temporary headquarters. Next to her Blossomforth smiled with embarrassment as she gave her friend a comforting hoof on the shoulder, although the wingless pegasus looked like she was ready to bust out laughing.

Pacing with rapid, nervous steps, Allie Way kept looking between the doors to the street and Coco.

“Oooh, we are in so much trouble. What if they report what happened? What if we get thrown in the dungeon? Or whipped? Or worse!”

“Relax Allie,” said Blossomforth, “It was just a little scuffle, and if those stupid jerks reported it then we’d already be in the stockade or dungeon or whatever. Heck, chances are they were too embarrassed about getting their tails whooped by some ‘Chosen’ that they didn’t want to admit it to anypony.”

Coco sighed, heavily, “It was all my fault. I just... I just lost control when they... said those terrible things.”

Blossomforth’s hoof pounded her shoulder, causing Coco to wince. While her nose hurt the most, her shoulder was a bit bruised too. “Hey! No problem Coco! They were way outta line! Shooting off their mouths about all those poor ponies that died back at the fortress, acting like they knew anything about anything. They totally deserved our hooves up their tailpipes!”

Coco gave her friend a small, weak smile, appreciative of the support, but she still felt bad about it. They’d woken up early to catch the train from Ponyville to Canterlot, but just before departing they’d stopped off at Sugarcube Corner for some fast breakfast pastries to go. While they’d been there a pair of Legion ponies had entered the establishment, part of the contingent assigned to Ponyville as a light garrison.

The Legionnaires had been... less than pleasant towards what they perceived as some fresh recruited “Chosen wimps”. While Coco had at first remained calm, merely ignoring the Legionnaires initial disparaging remarks and letting them know that she and her friends had already seen action in the west, things had quickly turned for the worse. The haughty Legionnaires, Coco couldn’t remember which one, the stallion or the mare, had said something about how they “weren’t surprised so many useless Chosen would get killed on the front lines” and that it was “better the pathetic ones died first anyway” before Coco could then only remember seeing red. She wasn’t sure when she’d taken the hit to her nose that had it bleeding and bruised, if not broken but she did remember when the Legion ponies had needed to hobble away while still picking bits of broken door out of their manes.

Mr. and Mrs. Cake had been incredibly understanding about the door... and the table... and the chair...

They’d insisted Coco and her friends take their order and get going before anypony else showed up to ask about what the ruckus had been about, and so they had done exactly that and made their train less than ten minutes later. Now Coco, still nursing her nose, worried if her temper had just gotten them all in serious trouble. Blossomforth didn’t seem worried, but Allie Ways heavy pacing was getting to her.

If anypony comes asking I’ll take full responsibility. Blossomforth and Allie Way say they helped me out, but I only remember being so... angry. I can probably take all the blame. I’m sure I must have thrown the first punch. Ooooh, what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I control myself anymore?

Ever since being drafted into the Legion and being forced into combat Coco had discovered a part of herself she was growing more and more concerned about, and this latest outburst of uncontrolled anger had just been the latest incident. She didn’t know why she got these bursts of rage. She’d thought perhaps it was simply an expression of her revulsion for the violence she’d witnessed in battling the ursans in the Western Barrier Lands, but she wasn’t certain about that, and less so now that the anger had raised its ugly head against her fellow ponies... even if those ponies had been acting like complete jerks.

“Don’t they flog ponies that break the law?” asked Allie Way, gulping, “Or worse?”

“Relax Allie!” said Blossomforth, “The Legion’s all about fighting anyway, so maybe they think of a little hoof scuffle between their ponies as normal. Let’s not worry about it until we’re actually caught-”

“Caught doing what?” asked Coldiron as she and Trixie came through the doors from the street and approached the three suddenly startled mares.

“Oh, hey Coldiron! Er, I mean, Sergeant ma’am!” Blossomforth hastily spouted as she managed a swift salute. Coco Pommel and Allie Way also stood at attention and saluted, a gesture Coldiron was quick to return, eyeing the three.

“At ease. Now, seriously, caught doing what?” Coldiron asked, one brown eyebrow slowly crawling upward.

Before either Blossomforth could try any excuses or Allie Way had an nervous breakdown Coco Pommel decided to just get the matter done with and take the matter into her own hooves. “Ma’am, I have to report that I, and I alone, was caught up in an altercation with fellow Legion soldiers during our leave in Ponyville. An argument broke out at an establishment called Sugarcube Corner and I... assaulted two Legion ponies who said disparaging remarks concerning myself and Privates Allie Way and Blossomforth. After the soldiers sustained several injuries involving impacts with store furniture they fled the scene.”

Standing next to Coldiron, Trixie blinked at Coco and blurted, “Good for you.”

With a sharp glance at Trixie, Coldiron looked back to Coco, “Am I the first one you’ve reported this to?”

“Yes ma’am,” said Coco.

“It wasn’t only her fault Sergeant,” said Blossomforth hastily, “I helped a little too! I totally smashed one of the dudes over the head with a lemon meringue pie!”

Allie Way gulped, “I, uh, might’ve tripped one of them when nopony was looking.”

Coco grit her teeth and drew in a sharp breath, “Girls, I was trying to take responsibility for this!”

“Yeah,” said Blossomforth with a wink, “And we’re sticking with our friend! If there’s to be a flogging, it’ll be a friendship flogging!”

A wince from Allie Way, “I don’t know what friendship has to do with whips and posts, but yeah, sure, moral support I guess.”

Trixie just looked bemused by the proceedings, turning her head to regard Coldiron, “Is this serious?”

Coldiron kept her silence for a few seconds before saying, “If this were between Barrier Lands Legionnaires, not so much. Legion troops get into brawls for everything from serious grudges to simple drunken roughhousing. As long as no permanent injuries that’d impair their ability to fight our actual enemies are incurred, the worst is usually just latrine duty. The problem is that these two ponies fought with Chosen. The Prince has taken a very hard stance on any violence against you Heartlanders. Punishment for them causing harm to the locals could very well involve hanging.”

Coco felt the blood drain rapidly from her face, her heart clenching. "H-hanging? For just... just a little fight? No." She shook her head, feeling dizzy, "I struck first. I started it. Nopony should die because I couldn't keep my temper!"

Blossomforth was blinking, wide eyed, "That does sound pretty extreme as far as policies go."

Trixie just hung her head and muttered, "Is it sad that Trixie isn't surprised by this information?"

Coldiron rolled her eyes at Trixie, then fixed Coco with a hard look, “Did you break anything on these ponies?”

“They...uh... walked away from it. I don’t know more than that,” said Coco.

Coldiron paused a moment longer, then shrugged, “Then it's likely not an issue. I don't know what those two were thinking, baiting you in the first place. They know the penalties for this kind of thing. They certainly won't report it, that's for sure. Probably for the best we pretend this whole incident never happened. Just don't make a habit of getting into fights with your fellow Legionnaires. Honestly you’re lucky you came out of it unscathed.”

“Oh, we totally kicked their flanks,” said Blossomforth with smile, which wilted somewhat under Coldiron’s harsh glare, “Uh, I mean, yeah, okay, we’ll be good.”

“See that you are, because I don’t need the extra headaches while we’re trying to integrate with a new unit,” said Coldiron, “Our lives are going to depend on our ability to work smoothly with our new comrades. I want all of you on your best behavior. You too Trixie.”

Trixie’s muzzle scrunched in a look of indignation, “What has Trixie done to warrant being called out?”

“Look Trixie, I’ve gotten used to it, but the third-person talk is not going to fly with our new unit. We’ll be part of a Special Task Force. There’s some standards expected of us.”

“Trixie’ speech pattern is part of her unique mystique and charm!” declared the azure unicorn firmly, striking a pose, one hoof pumping in a affirmative gesture. Coldiron just stared back at her, and sighed.

“Trixie, learn to drop it. I don’t care how you talk when we’re not on duty, but as long as we’re on the job your eccentricity needs to be curbed to something resembling a normal level. I’m serious. I wouldn’t be telling you this if it wasn’t for your own good. So, please, Trixie, I’m asking as a friend rather than ordering you this time, but don’t make me put on the Sergeant face. I’m new to the rank, but I’ll use it if I have to,” Coldiron said with a voice that was managing to walk the fine borderline between authoritative and understanding. It made Coco think that Coldiron had come a ways from the more rough edged mare she’d met at Beartrap Fortress.

Trixie frowned deeply, brow turning into a wrinkled mass as she seemed to heavily debate with herself internally, but finally she let out a low groan and said, as if the words were falling from her mouth with granite slabs, “Very well... I will ‘drop it’ while in uniform, Coldiron. You owe me for this. My eccentricity as you call it is... important to me. I don’t talk that way for no reason at all.”

“Whatever your reasons, I appreciate you listening. We’ll get some drinks later and maybe you can tell me why that third-person thing is so important to you,” said Coldiron, a tiny, relieved smile on her lips.

Trixie still looked like she was bristling, but she nodded, “I understand, believe it or not. My reasons are my own, however, if it’s all the same to you. I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“...Fair enough,” said Coldiron, moving past the group towards the door leading further into the building, “Now let’s go. I get the feeling we’re going to be the last one’s arriving.”

The mares followed Coldiron deeper into the building, through several tight hallways and up a short flight of stairs. Coco saw a few Legion ponies in the drab cloth tunics and leather jackets of administrative and logistics positions moving silently between rooms, but none stopped to challenge the group as it went past them. Soon enough they reached a door at the southeast end of the floor that opened into a long rectangular meeting hall.

Most of the center space was cleared to fit a number of plain wood benches facing the east wall, and much of the bench space was occupied by a collection of nearly twenty rough looking Legion ponies. Coco might have called them a colorful bunch, but a was often the case with ponies born in the Barrier Lands there was a swath of brown, black, and gray coats and manes with only the rare hint here and there of brighter colors. The one pony not seated was a beige pegasus mare who looked to be of middle years, possessing a long wavy mane of creme white. She had a twinkle of dry amusement in her green eyes as she looked at the entering party.

“You’re just in time. I was about to draft one of the crew here to go looking for you,” said the pegasus mare while offering a swift, sharp salute.

Coco fell into the return salute alongside her friends as Coldiron said in clipped military tone, “Sergeant Coldiron reporting for duty Captain along with Privates Trixie Lulamoon, Coco Pommel, Blossomforth, and Allie Way.”

“Accepted and welcome. Take seats where you can find them and we’ll get this briefing underway.”

As they went about searching for clear spots to sit among the benches Coco was aware of the stares being aimed their way. A few were openly curious, like from a waif-like stallion with a drab white coat like slightly dirty snow and a cropped sand colored mane, his blue eyes alert. Other looks were clearly unfriendl, such as the one being shot their way by a mare that Coco swore had to have been chiseled out of a chunk of obsidian, her muscular frame wrapped in a midnight black coat that clashed sharply with a shock of white, unruly mane. That mare’s smokey gray eyes felt like they could chip stone as they looked hard at Coco, making her feel cold as she found a clear bit of bench. There wasn’t space for her and her friends to sit together, so they ended up being spread out.

Coco found herself seated next to the thin white stallion and another mare, this one an older looking unicorn with a coat like murky mud water and a mane just a few shades darker tied in a short, simple braid. The mare didn’t even look at Coco, but the stallion, an earth pony she noticed now, kept looking at her curiously as Coco sat down.

“Private Seeker,” the stallion said quietly with a offered hoof. After a second Coco took the offered hoof with a firm shake.

“Coco Pommel,” she said in return, managing a brief smile before the pegasus at the head of the room cleared her throat loudly.

“There will be time for everypony to get to know one another soon enough, for now I want all eyes up front and ears perked forward!”

There was a stir as all ponies pointed their attention towards the pegasus mare, Coco induced after only a short glance of apology to Seeker, who waved it off with a wry half smile of his own. Coco spirit’s felt a tad lifted. Perhaps there’d be some good ponies to get to know among her new comrades.

“Alright then, I am Captain Windstriker, formerly of Special Operations. I’ve been reassigned to head up this new unit and the lot of you are the first officially assembled platoon for what will in time potentially become a branch of the Legion as integral as any other. As of this moment the Underwatch is activated as a Special Task Force under the authority of Prince Terrato himself.”

Windstriker paused for a moment to then grab at a pull down screen that Coco hadn’t noticed was hanging there before. It was the kind of canvas sheet that professors at universities might use for slideshow presentations, though in this case there was no slideshow but instead a series of pinned on scrolls and maps. The map showed various regions all over the Barrier Lands, with particular emphasis on the Western Barrier lands. Charcoal made Xs and circlings along the map, and Coco noted that one spot in particular was heavily circled, that being the northernmost outpost of Beartrap Fortress.

On the scrolls were several drawings, some in intricate detail, of the Lurkers. The spidery creatures were depicted both intact as Coco had seen them, and several parchments laced together to show what she could only imagine was the autopsy of the body she and her friends had brought back from the encounter at Arrow Vale. Windstriker cleared her throat and resumed speaking in a grave tone.

“By now those of you who don’t have personal experience with the events that transpired in the Western Barrier lands have at least read the reports so I’ll skip the summary. The fact is that a new race of subterranean arachnids has revealed itself and has already clearly marked themselves as adversaries of ponykind. It is the Underwatch’s mission to scout, measure, and if needed counteract any threat these ‘Lurkers’ represent. To that end you have been assembled from a long list of candidates for your skills and demonstrated bravery in action-”

At those words there was a heavy, derisive snort, and Windstriker halted with a frozen glare in her eyes as she looked towards the large black coated earth pony mare near the front row.

“Did you have words to share with us, Corporal Blackwall?”

The mare, Blackwall, met the Captain’s gaze with an equal one of her own, seemingly unintimidated by rank. Her voice was lighter than Coco expected coming from such a large mare.

“Just wondering how a bunch of raw Chosen recruits got picked for this job, Captain.”

Windstriker’s voice was deceptively calm, “You’ve read the reports, haven’t you? You’re aware the mares in question have not only survived several battles against ursans, but they’re also among the only ponies with direct combat experience against the Lurkers themselves?”

Blackwall’s features barely twitched, “I’m aware, Captain. Fact remains that they’re recruits who have only a couple of battles under their belts, and putting them in a unit like this that is going to hinge on every single pony having a veteran’s instincts and skills to keep ourselves alive strikes me as a poor choice.”

“Hey!” pipped in Blossomforth, “We got every reason to be here. We might not have all the experience some of you got, but we held our own against giant bears and spiders alike.”

“Which doesn’t mean you can deal with working in a team where everypony’s got to trust the other’s instincts, or face death!” growled Blackwall.

“Relax,” said another mare, a pegasus with a dark blue coat and a neatly tied back mane of equally dark brown, who was occupying her part of the bench with a laid back lounge that somehow made her look lazy even as her brown eyes glittered with alertness, “What’s the point of dragging out a conversation like this? They’re here because they were assigned, and you can’t argue with assignments any more than you can argue with the wind.”

Blackwall grunted, and Blossomforth sat back in her seat. Windstriker in the meantime had cross her fore legs across her chest as she hovered in the air, one eyebrow quirked upwards. When the room went quiet she said, “Corporal Quickaim has the right of it. Every single pony in this unit is here because it is the decision of those in command, including myself, that all of you have something of value to bring to the table. While your concerns are duly noted, Corporal Blackwall, the current unit assignment isn’t changing. I suggest you learn to get along with your new comrades, because as you say you will be relying on each other for survival. Get used to it.”

Blackwall’s face went still as stone and she said, “Understood, Captain.”

Coco let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, noticing that during the whole exchange she’d been gripping the edge of the bench tightly, almost to the point of bending the wood, and that her whole body had tensed with an undercurrent of anger. She took a deep breath, trying to relax herself and wondering if this was always going to be the case, she and her fellow “Chosen” of the Heartland having to constantly prove their worth to the ponies of the Barrier Lands.

I shouldn’t even care what they think. Blossomforth is right, we’ve seen battle, and don’t have anything left to prove.

Windstriker continued the briefing as if the interruption hadn’t even occurred, her clear tone ringing out loudly over the meeting room without seeming to raise her voice.

“Since the incidents at Beartrap Fortress and the nearby town of Arrow Vale the boys and girls in the intelligence department have been gathering as many reports and stories from all the different Barrier Lands to seek out anything that resembles potential Lurker activity. From old mare’s tales to more recent reports of unusual activity we’ve put together that these buggers have been keeping their thoraxes pretty damned well hidden. While practically every region of the Barrier Lands has at least one or two stories of shadowy things in the night that might be attributed to Lurkers, it’s really only the Western Barrier Lands that have consistent stories of such things hiding in the forests and hills, making it clear that if there's any extensive tunnel system leading to the Lurker’s lands below the earth it’ll likely have entrances scattered around that region. Aside from Arrow Vale itself with the recent attack there’s one other town, further south by a good eighty miles, that has the greatest concentration of Lurker related stories.”

Windstriker pointed to the map. The Western Barrier Lands was a realm of deep valleys and rocky terrain, sandwiched between two vast mountains ranges. The one to the east was the smaller of the two ranges, separating the Western Barrier Lands from the Heartland of Equestria. The larger mountain range to the west was beyond massive, even looking at it in its mapped form. For all the map showed that mountain range covered all the known world to the west, ranging north and south for hundreds upon hundreds of miles. Those mountains, and the vast forests that occupied its foothills, was the realm of the dreaded ursans, the huge bear-like creatures that terrorized the west and had nearly been responsible for the destruction of Beartrap Fortress.

Between the two mountain ranges was a large belt of land that the Legion occupied and protected, dozens of villages and towns dotting the river and forest strewn realm between the two mountain ranges. Beartrap Fortress had been at the northernmost point of that region, just at the borderline between the forests and the northern tundra that made up the Northern Barrier Lands. Now Windstriker pointed a spot a good distance south of Beartrap Fortress, to a small plateau surrounded by deep forests and only a few small roads snaking out of a single point marked as “Victor’s Cliff”. Several small charcoal Xs around the surrounding forest made the town stand out on the map.

“Most towns in the Western territories have a few stories of Lurkers, but Victor’s Cliff has at least three times as many as any other place. Even the ursans, when they mounted an invasion through that area a century or so ago was reported to have given the forests a wide berth and stuck to the roads rather than venture too deep into the trees. Right now the Underwatch is purely on recon until we can find a trace of actual Lurker activity. Beartrap Fortress is being repaired after the ursan attack and its ponies are on high alert for further signs of the Lurkers, but the tunnels beneath Arrow Vale that the spiders apparently dug have also been collapsed, so we can’t scout there. Instead we’re going to leave for Victor’s Cliff in two days and conduct a search of reported sightings and see what we can dig up. In the meantime the lot of you are on drills each morning, so you can get to know one another before we deploy in the field. Any questions?”

The drab white earth pony stallion next to Coco raised a hoof.

“Yes Private Seeker?”

“Do we have anything stronger to go off of than just some stories, Captain? Other than the fact that there’s more of them around Victor’s Cliff than most other towns, that doesn’t sound like the strongest of evidence.”

“It's what we have to work with for the time being. Intelligence is churning it’s rumormill overtime to try and get anything more solid, but the fact is we got to work with what we’ve got. There was a very recent report of a young filly in the town suffering from some kind of strange dementia that none of the local healer’s can explain, but we don’t know if that’s related or not and is just one of the threads we’ll investigate while in the town. We’ll be stuck grasping at straws until we find something solid to get our hooves on, I’m afraid.”

Trixie suddenly raised her hoof as well, causing a small phantom of a smile to quirk Windstriker’s lips, though Coco couldn’t guess at why. “Something to add, Private Lulamoon?”

“It is a thought Trix-, I have had. Your reports and stories all come from the Barrier Lands, yes?”

“Correct, that’s where our intel ponies have been gathering its info from.”

“So they have not searched for any information here in the Heartland?”

That caused a pause in Windstriker, “That’s an angle I don’t think any of the ponies in intelligence have thought of. Do you think the Heartland might have stories of the Lurkers as well?”

Trixie looked about at the ponies in the room, most of whom were staring at her, and she just shrugged, head held high, “It is possible. Equestria has many fantastical tales of strange creatures. We’re not as bland and peaceful here as you Barrier Lands types might think! I merely think it may be worth searching the local libraries for possible lore that might make reference to shadowy lurkers or the like. It's possible, after all, that the spiders have reared their ugly heads here in the Heartland at some point.”

“A good thought. Alright, Private Trixie, I’ll assign you to the task of digging up what you can from the libraries here in Canterlot, after morning drills of course. Feel free to pick a few others to help you. Private Seeker has a keen eye for details, so take him, and... Blackwall, you’ll help with that as well.”

Blackwall barely hid a grimace as both she and Seeker said, “Yes Captain.”

After that there were no more questions so Windstriker called the room to attention, all the ponies standing smartly and providing a salute that Windstriker returned swiftly, “Drills will be at 0500 at the south courtyard. Until then you’re free to enjoy what little time we’ve got left before heading out into the breach. Dismissed!”

----------

“This was a terrible idea,” Trixie muttered to herself after pouring over the dusty pages of what felt like over a hundred tomes. Nearby a derisive snort was followed by a book closing and the firm glare from Blackwall.

“It took you six hours of this to figure that one out?”

“Tri, ugh, I imagined that if there were any references to giant spiders in Canterlot’s vast archives they'd’... stand out more.” Trixie said with a seething frustration in her voice, “So far all we’ve found are references to the larger end of normal spiders found by nature enthusiasts.”

“I wouldn’t say this has been a total loss,” said Seeker as he rounded the corner of a large book shelf, one of dozens that filled the huge archive chambers. He carried a small stack of books balanced on his back, “While I’ve located nothing about Lurkers, or even possible Lurkers, I did manage to find a few expedition journals from Equestria’s geological survey academy. There have been several groups of ‘rockologists’-” he gave a sardonic smirk at the term, “Who made several detailed maps of underground caves across the Heartland, along with extensive notes on various flora and fauna found within.”

“I don’t see that helping us unless they actually ran into Lurkers,” grunted Blackwall, pushing aside the book in front of her as if it had personally offended her and only begrudgingly grabbing another from her own stack, “We won’t even be entering the caverns beneath this land of soft bellied Chosen.”

Trixie bit back a set of angry words, trying to recall that not so long ago Coldiron had held a similar attitude as Blackwall. She forced herself to remember that, with time, she’d learned to get along with Coldiron. She could afford some patience with Blackwall. Some. If the mare kept pushing it...

“Even if they don’t mention Lurkers, maybe there’s other information that’d be useful,” Trixie said slowly, almost biting off her words, “What’s edible, how to find water, any natural dangers that might exist in such caverns. I’ve never gone spelunking before, and I don’t know how often you have either. Might be useful to read up on what other ponies’ experiences were, even if they were ‘Chosen’.”

“That was my thought,” said Seeker, “Going deep underground isn’t exactly something that’s come up often in Legion operations. I don’t know many ponies that have experience with it.”

Blackwall sighed, one dark fetlock flipping pages as her eyes scanned the pages of her book, “I could be at a tavern right now, getting my last shot at some decent alcohol. I’ll give you Chosen that much, the local brews aren’t bad.”

Rubbing her head, staving in vain to keep a headache from forming, Trixie finished skimming the book she’d been working on and closed it with a frustrated sigh of her own that nearly echoed Blackwall’s. Maybe she should have asked her friends for help on this, too? Captain Windstriker had said she could choose who she wanted to assist her, but she hadn’t wanted to deny her friends one more night to themselves before they were deployed.

“If you’ve tapped out this shelf,” said Seeker, looking at her with a cooly understanding pair of eyes, “You could head to the next floor and get started there. We’ve searched most of the first floor anyway, so you might as well get a head start on the next while Blackwall and I finish up here.”

The library was multi-tiered, with three floors total, shaped much like an inverted pyramid, with wide, varnished wood stairs leading between each level of wall to wall bookshelves. Trixie, glancing up at the next floor, gave a quick nod, rising her numb rump from the her seat. “A fine idea. Much more of that and Trixie’s flank would’ve fallen asleep.”

“You already losing your mind, Chosen, talking in the third person?” asked Blackwall casually.

Trixie groaned. It wasn’t as easy as one might think, to change a speech pattern used for so long. Her own fault, she supposed, for insisting to use it for as long as she worked as a stage magician. Or at least considered herself to be one. She still did, despite her position in the Legion. Being a drafted soldier was a temporary thing, until she could serve her time, get out, and return to her real life as a traveling practitioner of the art of illusion, awing and amazing crowds both big and small. At least, that’s what she hoped for.

Given her recent experiences, an early, violent death seemed far more likely. She tried to banish the thought and doggedly avoided answering Blackwall’s question, just flicking her tail and trotting away. She managed to hear a bit more conversation from her new comrades as she left.

“Try to ease up a bit, Blackwall. You’ll be relying on her and the other Heartlanders to watch your back before long. All of us will,” said Seeker.

“I know. That’s what pisses me off,” was Blackwall’s heated reply, “Mark my words, Seeker, if we run into trouble, one of them will crack. When that happens, good ponies will die.”

“Always the optimistic ray of sunshine, you are...”

Trixie didn’t hear the rest as she left earshot and went up the stairs. There weren’t many ponies inside this library. It was attached to the royal palace, and while open to the public it wasn’t common for ponies to wander in. This meant the library was largely quiet, and the strange acoustics of the place seemed to muffle noise rather than carry it. That may have been why Trixie hadn’t heard the other pony on this floor until she turned around the side of one of the bookshelves that stood out from the wall to find herself almost running face first into the pony on the other side.

“Ack!”

“Gah!”

Both Trixie and the other pony gave a start, stepping back from each other. Trixie blinked several times, halfway through an apology before she actually looked at the pony she’d nearly run into. Then she just stared.

Twilight Sparkle was much as Trixie had remembered. A unicorn mare of average stature, and exceedingly... purple. A light violet coat, dark purple eyes, and an even deeper shade of purple in her long straight mane and tale, with sheer, cropped bangs. The only other marks of color on her was the hot pink streak through the mane on the pinkish hue to the central stair of her cutie mark, surrounded by smaller white stars. Trixie was shocked enough to see the mare standing there she almost didn’t notice the long, Legion battlemage coat Twilight wore, a mirror to the leather coat Trixie also had on.

Twilight was the first to recover her wits, shaking her head in disbelief, “Trixie? What are you doing here?”

Feeling a flush of embarrassment, quickly followed by immediate defensive anger, Trixie said, “T-Trixie is here because she’s supposed to be here. Doing important work. What are you doing here?”

A flat look crossed Twilight’s face, but it vanished rather quickly as Twilight’s eyes focused on Trixie’s face, slowly turning to an expression of shock, followed by horror, then soft sympathy. With a twisting feeling in her gut Trixie realized Twilight had just noticed the scar on Trixie’s face, and the whited out, almost blind state of her eye.

“Oh no, I didn’t think that those drafted had already seen action...” Twilight said.

Anger flared up like a hot poker through the rib cage, Trixie’s voice turning scalding, “Trixie does not require or want pity. A question was asked, so answer it. What are you doing here, Twilight Sparkle?”

Sympathy gave way to a look of annoyance, though not as hard as it might have been as Twilight seemed to take a calming breath and said, “If you have to know, I’m studying."

Trixie's eyebrow rose, "Studying what?"

A pensive frown creased Twilight's features, "Meadowbrook's Treatise on Space/Time Metaphysics, the Grimoire of Thousand Useful Spells in Uncommon Circumstances, Calculated Cantrips for Cautious Casters, and Trotenhiemer's Theories of Advanced Spell Mechanics. Just to get me started."

"So... just some light reading, eh?" Trixie said.

"It relaxes me," said Twilight, perhaps a bit sharply, "I have a long journey ahead of me, and I wanted to calm my nerves. Libraries do that for me, okay? Now, I've answered your question, how about you return the favor and answer mine as well?”

Trixie considered stiffing the other mare, just to stick it to the pony she felt was largely responsible for her life entering its downhill slide, but... but admittedly after Beartrap Fortress, it almost all seemed pointless. Petty, even. What did her grudge against Twilight Sparkle matter compared to what she had in front of her, as part of the Underwatch? Besides, she could impress her rival with her great accomplishments! She bet Twilight hadn’t done anything as impressive as face down an ursan Warlord! Admittedly all she had actually done was hurl insults at Ulragnok to distract him so her friends could actually defeat him, but that still counted!

“Ahem, well, since you asked, Trixie is also preparing herself for an arduous journey,” she said, smiling and rubbing a hoof on her chest as if idly buffing it, “You see, after Trixie’s brave and incredible performance at the battle of Beartrap Fortress she has been given the honor of serving in the Legion’s newest and most important unit, tasked with hunting a shadowy threat to all of Equestria; the deadly Lurkers!”

At Twilight’s blank stare Trixie grit her teeth, going on, “Lurkers? Giant spiders? Live beneath the ground? Probably want to take over the world or some such?”

“...First I’ve heard of it,” said Twilight, in a tone that suggested she thought Trixie was conjuring tales.

“W-well they’re real!” Trixie stammered, teeth grinding, “My friends and I are going to find out what they’re up to and put a stop to it! Its way more impressive than singing a lullaby to an Ursa Minor that probably would’ve just... just...”

“Stepped on you and the rest of Ponyville?” suggested Twilight, eyebrow raising.

Trixie let out a withering groan, “Why did you have to go and bring that up!?”

“I didn’t! You did!” said Twilight with exasperation written all over her face.

Trixie blinked, mentally reviewing the conversation, “Oh. Trixie supposes she did. Um, well, nevermind then. NO! Trixie is not done speaking her mind to you, Twilight Sparkle!”

“Well, ‘Twilight Sparkle’ is done listening to Trixie speaking her mind, if Trixie can’t keep it civil,” said Twilight, moving to trot around Trixie, who quickly stepped to block the way.

“Wait! Wait. Trixie...” she gulped, then slowly managed to bite out, “Trixie can... be civil.”

“Good,” Twilight said, glancing around, then spotting a nearby table and gestured to it. Both mares went to sit, which Trixie did so rather awkwardly. While her ire had been up it’d been easy to think of all the things she wanted to say to Twilight Sparkle, mostly accusations of life ruination and all that. Trying to curb that feeling, it left her feeling drained more than anything else, and not knowing what to say.

Twilight seemed to understand the other mare’s sudden lack of steam and said, “Let’s start over for a second. What happened to you after Ponyville?”

“Nothing,” Trixie said, then bit her lip, shaking her head, “Alright, not nothing. Trixie’s show was rather less than enthusiastically welcomed once word spread of the... incident, with the Ursa Minor. It got to the point where Trixie had to take part time jobs just to keep payments up on her new wagon. Trixie was in Canterlot when the announcements about the Barrier Lands were made. Seemed all quite mad, to Trixie. Even moreso, when the draft happened, and Trixie found herself... pressed into service.”

It was strange. She hadn’t really told anypony else the story of what had happened during her first weeks as a Legion recruit. Her friends who were fellow draftees or already Legionnaires of course knew it all because they’d lived it beside her. But she’d never really compartmentalized and told the whole tale. It felt good, actually, just to talk about it. Even better to get it all out to the one mare she had a burning need to one-up, though as the tale wore on it became less about impressing Twilight and more just having another pony listen to it all. The pain and fear of battle, the anguish and rage at seeing other ponies brutally mauled to death by ursans, the friendships gradually forged with ponies like Blossomforth, Coco Pomelle, Coldiron, and Allie Way.

The Lurkers practically ended up taking a back seat, compared to the more personal details of the battles Trixie and her friends went through and the trust they built with each other. Especially Coldiron. Trixie went on a bit at length about how much Coldiron got under her hide at first, until shared experience broke down walls and led to a mutual respect that now existed between the two.

“She’s actually a very skilled mage, and for all that she seems hard and stiff necked, she honestly cares about her comrades. I thought her pride in the Legion just pointless chest thumping, but after Beartrap Fortress, Trixie saw what the Legion fights for and why it’s made them the way they are. Trixie wouldn’t want anypony else beside her, going down into the dark to seek out the Lurkers.”

Realizing she’d spoken almost non-stop for quite some time Trixie blinked, looking around, then back to Twilight, who was watching Trixie with a contemplative look on her face. Twilight was silent for a moment, her own eyes taking on a distant look as if remembering things herself.

“I’m glad you and you friends made it through all of that, Trixie. It isn’t easy, experience battle for the first time. The Legion, the Barrier Lands, they’re not easy truths to face, but its what we have had to do. My friends and I have been through a lot as well. Some of it...” Twilight took a deep breath, letting it out slow and heavy, her eyes dulling with a saddened shadow, “Some of it hasn’t ended well. Not for everypony. Too many lives wasted, and the dangers become worse and worse with each new battle. I don’t know how we’re going to...”

She shook herself, “Well, where there’s a will, right? If there’s anything I can say you and I share from our experiences, it's that our friends are what got us through it all, and will keep seeing us through the journeys. I’m happy you made some. Friends, that is.”

Trixie looked at Twilight askance, “Why would you care? You don’t even like me.”

“Trixie, you might not have made a good first impression, but that doesn’t mean I hate you. I barely know you,” Twilight said, managing a small smile, “After this, I hope I can say I know you a bit better.”

With a sullen look Trixie said, “Trixie has... I, have had a grudge against you since Ponyville. At times, back then, it was the only thought keeping me going. Coming back to Ponyville to show you up for humiliating me. Now? Now that just sounds so stupid and petty. There’s more important things to be dealt with. The Lurkers and... and what exactly is it you’ve got on your plate, anyway? You’ve let me do all the talking, you haven’t told me a thing about what happened to you or what you or your friends are dealing with?”

Twilight laughed, and Trixie noticed it was a high strung, bitter laugh, “That, Trixie, is a story that’d take even longer than yours did. Maybe next time we meet, I’ll tell you the whole thing. If I’m still alive.” For a second the mare’s voice dropped to a ominous whisper, “If any of us are, by the end of it...”

Twilight stood and turned to leave, pausing briefly, to look back at Trixie, “It sounds like these Lurkers of yours are going to be a dangerous foe to face, and you’ll be walking into their home territory. I assume you came here to look up information about them? I spent a lot of time here in the libraries when I was Celestia’s apprentice. I remember almost everything I ever read. Try the third floor, shelf F-2, sixth row. I seem to recall there was a collection of myths and legends there, and that there was an entry or two about... oh, what was it? There was a passage; ‘The eight legged, eight eyed star that fell when the land was barren, the Origin cloaked in web, forgotten beneath the surface.’. Written by the great eastern unicorn sage, Meadowbrook, I think. Try there.”

“Th-thanks,” Trixie said, and as Twilight left, she called out one last time, “Twilight Sparkle.”

The other unicorn glanced back one more, and Trixie managed to give a awkward smile, “Good luck, with whatever journey it is you're taking.”

After second Twilight returned the smile, no less awkwardly, “You too, Trixie.”

Comments

[wolfstorm56]

Great, fantastic chapter. Sorry for the double comments, I just wanted to point out quickly that you've got a mix up with the two Legionnaires that Coco and co. fought. Were they a mare and a stallion or two stallions?

[Visiden Visidane]

You've come up with some interesting lore here and it's been quite a ride so far.

What you have here for this chapter though is an unnecessarily long runway. This fic is tagged as a sequel so it's safe to assume that readers will have read the first part. They don't need a detailed summary here on what happened in the previous story and how the main characters currently relate.

Coldiron kept her silence for a few seconds before saying, “Only if the two stallions in question actually reported it as a grievance.

Fat chance they'll report it. Starting shit with the chosen can easily be seen as sabotaging reunification, which is punishable as treason as stated in Reckoning. Forget latrines, they'll stand a good chance of getting shipped back to the Barrier Lands to hang. Why they would be cartoonishly bullying in the face of such possible consequences, I'm not sure.

You need to be careful with Blackwall's development. The story doesn't really need a rehash of Coldiron's development.

If you have to know, I’m studying. I have a long journey ahead of me, and I was looking for information that might better prepare me for it. Now, how about you return the favor and answer my question as well?”

If she's referring to her trip to the Eternal Herd, it makes little sense for her to be researching in a library. She'd be with Celestia, Terrato, and Luna, getting a crash course on Herd protocol.

Looking forward to more.

[thatguyvex]

7410730
Ah, thanks for the catch there, man. Got it fixed up.

7411357
Glad you're enjoying it so far. I made a few adjustments here and there based on what you said. Coldiron mentioning the severity of starting a fight with the Chosen, and in Twilight's case, making her motivations for being in the library being about just calming her nerves.

[Follower of Chaos]

I agree with Visiden that the recap portion of his chapter wasn't needed. It made sense to recap Breaking Point in the first story because you wanted it to be accessible to people who had not read it. Here though, most people will be coming from the first story and are well aware of what happened so it seems pointless.

Oh and to what "local brews" is Blackwall referring? The Heartland had little to no alcohol before the Barrier land ponies brought it with him. The reintroduction of alcohol to the Heartland was causing problems throughout the events of Reckoning.

Glad to see Trixie make peace with Twilight though it makes me wonder when, in Upheaval's timeline this story takes place? Is it still during Reckoning or have we gone passed Reckoning and into Journeys (only Upheaval story I've yet to read barring this one)?

[Arkonfleight]

I just realised where Coco got the barbarian levels.

She's a mad hatter.