Arsenal of Harmony

by Midnight Rambler

Chapter 2: Control Point Enabled – Get Going!

Two weeks ago, Black Tail had only been vaguely aware of Ponyville's existence. Now, he was going there for the second time. He yawned. He'd had an hour's sleep at most in the cramped, noisy troop train in which he had spent the night.

He was marching along in a giant column of almost four thousand stallions, though perhaps "mob" was a more fitting word than "column"; any attempts at formation or step had quickly been abandoned in the soggy fields. All that mattered was getting forward. And even that's easier said than done, Black Tail thought as the mud squelched under his horseshoes.

Hazel Strike came up next to him. 'Well, it looks like Long Shot got his wish after all,' he said. 'We can all join in the fun now.'

'Mhm,' Black Tail mumbled. In the distance, he could see the forcefield's faint blue glow. Ever since he had first seen the thing, he was firmly convinced that coming anywhere near it wouldn't be "fun" in the slightest. 'I just want to get it over with. This stupid thing has gone on for long enough now.'

'Tsk,' Hazel tutted. 'For weeks we sit around at base, bored out of our skulls, and now that we've got something to do you're complaining again? You're a fickle one.' He chuckled.

'You're starting to sound like the colonel,' Black Tail grumbled.

'I'll take that as a compliment. Oh, speaking of Morning Star, I've heard he's very impressed with how you handled the scouting mission. Congratulations, I suppose.'

Black Tail raised an eyebrow. Genuine, sarcastic, or completely made up – with Hazel, it was always hard to tell. 'And how do you know that, exactly?'

'Oh, I just keep my ears open, Black Tail. You should try it sometime.' Hazel smirked. 'Anyway, I think I agree with Morning Star's assessment. You're a dependable colleague – unlike some of us who can't even keep their junior officers away from the bottle.'

Black Tail shot a glare at Hazel. 'Hey, that was uncalled for. Who says those three wouldn't have done the same thing if they'd been in A Company?'

'I do,' Hazel said, 'with full confidence.'

'Well, good for you,' Black Tail grumbled.

Hazel cocked his head to the side. 'What? Surely you could say the same about B Company.'

Black Tail wanted to say, 'No, of course not.' He looked after his soldiers, sure, and most of the time they behaved well, all things considered. And yes, it was his job to uphold discipline within his unit – but he wasn't infallible. He tried, within his limited means, to keep his soldiers happy, but what if a few adventurous colts felt like sneaking a bottle of whisky into their platoon dorm nonetheless? There wouldn't be a lot he could do.

However, he'd been around Hazel long enough to know that admitting weakness in front of him was a very bad idea. 'Yes, I can,' he said through clenched teeth. Any more of this conversation, and I'll be needing a few stiff drinks myself.

'I expected nothing less from you,' Hazel said brightly.

Black Tail hunted about for a snappy retort, a jab below the belt, anything to put Hazel in his place. He found nothing. So he was silent, hoping that Hazel would leave him alone eventually.

The muddy ground under their hooves gradually sloped upwards, until they reached a hilltop. From here, they had a good view of Ponyville, revealing the dome in all its sinister glory. Black Tail was prepared for the spectacle of evil magic in front of him, but he could swear he saw Hazel's eyes widen just a little. He smirked. 'Still think it's gonna be "fun", Hazel?'

'Why yes, of course I do,' Hazel said, but the tremble in his voice was unmistakeable. Black Tail thanked Luna for small victories. 'And seeing as we're nearing our objective, I believe I'd best rejoin my unit.'

'Sounds like a plan.'

Hazel trudged ahead towards A Company. Once he was out of earshot, Black Tail breathed a sigh of relief.

In Hazel's place, Heavy Tread fell in beside him. 'Wow, you weren't kidding about this thing. It's huge.'

'I know. It was a nasty surprise for me, too.'

'What was that all about, anyway?' Heavy Tread nodded towards Hazel Strike, who was still making his way to the head of A Company.

'Oh, nothing.' Black Tail let out a dismissive grunt. 'Just Hazel being Hazel.'

'Ah.' Heavy Tread's face darkened with grim understanding.

'Seems like he thinks less of you after the incident with those corporals. He took a shot at you for it, at any rate.'

Heavy Tread snorted. 'Now that's interesting,' he said, his tone icy. 'I haven't heard a word from him about it.'

Black Tail rolled his eyes. 'Well, no, of course not. The day Hazel talks bad about somepony to their face is the day Celestia forgets how to raise the sun.'

Heavy Tread laughed. 'So is the day I care about what Hazel thinks of me.'

'That's the spirit.' Black Tail grinned. 'Now let's go knock this damn thing down.'

---

Twilight woke up with a yawn. Heavy as her eyelids were, she eventually managed to open them, and looked around her room.

She mentally berated herself. It was presumptuous to think of Zecora's guest room as her room. Still, for a place where she had only been staying for a few days, it was already feeling pleasantly familiar. Light green curtains filtered the sunlight, blending in with the wooden brown of Zecora's hut. On the dresser stood a collection of small sculptures, crafted long ago by master artisans in the zebra homelands. What Twilight liked most about the room, though, was the bookcase in the corner. The sturdy wooden cube paled in comparison to Ponyville Library's wealth of shelves; it reminded her of home nonetheless.

Twilight sighed. Home was under Trixie's control now, and there was no telling how long it would be until she saw her house or her friends again.

Before her mind could be flooded with anger, fear, and convoluted plans, a roar of thunder struck her ears. Everything in the hut rattled and shook as the shockwave rolled through. One of the zebra sculptures almost fell off the dresser.

Twilight sat up in bed, blinking. A thunderstorm? But then how could it be so light out? She pushed the curtains apart and peered outside, squinting against the light. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw that the sky looked blue, clear and inviting as ever. Where had the noise come from, then?

The door of the room flew open and a very excited Zecora burst in. 'Wake up, wake up, o bright young mare! I've seen the end to your despair!'

'Zecora?' Twilight threw the covers off and sat up on the edge of the bed. 'What's going on? What was that sound?'

Zecora answered with a sweeping gesture of her hoof. 'I have seen the engines steaming; I have seen the barding gleaming! They arrived in darkest night to give Trixie quite a fright! The soldiers of the Royal Guard will shatter evil's dome to shards!'

Twilight's face lit up. She was suddenly fully awake. 'The Royal Guard is here? That's– that's great! Let's go and see!'

Zecora walked out of the room, enthusiastically beckoning for Twilight to follow. Twilight trotted after her with a spring in her step that would have made Pinkie Pie jealous.

They quickly made their way through the Everfree Forest. Leaves soggy with dew rustled under their hooves while the light of dawn formed misty rays between the trees. The beautiful scenery only added to Twilight's excitement.

They broke out of the trees at the base of Timberwolf Hill. Legend had it that on top of this hill, the timberwolves had howled at the moon at the start of Ponyville's first zap apple season. What mattered more right now was the excellent view of the town the hill offered. An eager nod from Zecora, and they galloped up.

Twilight reached the top first – and her breath caught in her throat.

What she was seeing could only be described as a town under siege. A giant ring of soldiers had formed around the forcefield; on this side alone there had to be well over a thousand stallions. All colours of the rainbow flashed through the air as blasts of raw magic from hundreds of horns pummeled away at the dome. Soldiers were moving about everywhere, and Twilight heard them yelling – orders, questions, battle cries. The whole scene reminded her of the inside of a factory, combined with the magical light shows on Summer Sun's Eve.

A group of soldiers broke away from the ring and lined up about a hundred metres from the forcefield. A bit farther down the line, another group followed suit, and then several more, at regular intervals. Twilight squinted. 'What are they doing...?'

A few loud shouts rang out, and the soldiers charged.

Each group hit the forcefield at roughly the same time. Twilight knelt down and covered her ears as the ground trembled beneath her. From this distance, the thunder was ten times louder than it had been in Zecora's hut.

'Wow, they're really going all out!' she shouted to Zecora once the noise had faded to a slightly less deafening level.

Zecora shot her a confident grin. 'Against a fighting force this strong, no evil power can last long! Once more will freedom find this town when Trixie's dreams come crashing down!'

Twilight frowned. Was it really that certain already? The Guard had just begun their assault; it was too early to tell if they were making any progress. Granted, Trixie didn't seem to be responding yet, but she might just be waiting for the right moment to strike. She was a stage magician by trade, after all; surely she'd have a few aces up her sleeve... The excitement that had swept Twilight up made way for worry and doubt.

Then an even more disturbing thought hit her. Even if the Guard does defeat Trixie, how much of Ponyville could she take down with her? She'd seen the Alicorn Amulet's power when it was just being used to taunt and humiliate; how much would it destroy in a desparate last stand – or in a blaze of glory?

Terrifying visions went through Twilight's brain: tornados rampaging through Ponyville, entire streets set on fire, vicious monsters summoned from the depths of Tartaros... She rose to her hooves and tried to shake her head clear of the thoughts, but one look at the violent spectacle below filled her with worry again. Her friends were caught in the eye of that storm, and there was nothing she could do to help them, or even find out if they were all right.

With a frustrated grunt, she turned back towards the forest. 'C'mon Zecora, let's go!' she yelled. 'I don't think my ears can stand much more of this noise.'

---

Ponyville Library shook on its foundations as the shockwaves from yet another charge rippled through the town. Inside, books flew off shelves, the wooden bust of Ponicles toppled over, and four sets of teeth clattered along with the tremors.

When the shock had passed, Applejack shook her head. It didn't stop the ringing in her ears. 'Land's sakes,' she grunted. 'That's got to be the loudest one yet!'

'It was a rather heavy one, yes,' Rarity said drily. 'I just hope Spike and Rainbow Dash get back quickly. I don't like it one bit that they're out there in this madness.'

Pinkie Pie was bouncing around the pair in circles. 'Wheeee!' she squealed. 'The soldiers are coming to teach that no-good meanie Trixie a lesson! And then we're going to have a big liberation party! I wonder if the soldiers like balloons?' She stopped bouncing and put a hoof to her chin, suddenly deep in thought. Then she smiled and bounced on. 'Yeah, I'm pretty sure everypony likes balloons.' After a few seconds, she stopped again. 'But what colour?' She turned to Applejack and Rarity. 'Girls? What colour of balloons do you think the soldiers would like best?'

'Pinkie Pie!' Rarity huffed. 'The soldiers have only just gotten here! It might well take weeks before they manage to get through the shield – and goodness knows what else Trixie is planning! Don't you think it's a little early for party preparations?'

'Hmm...' Pinkie put a hoof to her chin again. 'Nope!' With a bright smile, she went back to her bouncing.

'I swear, sometimes that mare is impossible,' Rarity grumbled under her breath.

Applejack smirked. Of course, if she looked at the whole shebang with a level head, she had to agree with Rarity. There was no telling how long it would take for the Guard to knock Trixie's forcefield down, or what would happen when they did. Still, Pinkie's enthusiasm was infectious.

Suddenly, another blast hit the library. Applejack had to duck to avoid a heavy-looking tome that came flying off a shelf. She stayed down on the violently shaking floorboards, holding on to her hat. Until the shockwave died down there wasn't much use in trying to get up. Besides, she thought, who knows what else is gonna get thrown at me?

When her ears recovered, she could swear she heard a tiny squeak from upstairs. With a sigh, she rose to her hooves. 'You think we should check on Flutters?'

Rarity put a hoof on her withers. 'I think it's better to leave her be for now, darling.'

Applejack nodded. 'Guess so.' Fluttershy hadn't spoken a word since the attack had started, only letting out frightened sobs and whimpers. When the group had gathered in the library to sit out the storm, she had immediately rushed upstairs and hidden under Twilight's bedsheets. Fluttershy was a stronger mare than most ponies gave her credit for, but she wasn't someone to bring to a war zone.

All of Ponyville practically being a war zone right now didn't help.

The door swung open, and Rainbow Dash zoomed into the library. She hovered a metre and a half off the ground, wings flapping excitedly. 'That. Was. Awesome!' she cried. 'I haven't seen a show like this since that Alice Colter concert last year. They're really pulling out all the stops!'

Spike walked in after Dash, a wide grin on his face. 'I think I may have popped an eardrum,' he said, 'but boy, was it worth it!'

'Hiya Spike! Hey Dashie!' Pinkie called out.

Rarity trotted over to Spike and wrapped him up in a hug. 'Spikey-Wikey! You had me worried for a moment. It's good to see you two back safe and sound.'

Spike blushed and wriggled out of her embrace. 'Aw, Rarity, we weren't in any danger. It's not as bad out there as it sounds.'

'Spike's right. It just takes a couple of tough ponies to go out there and see that,' Rainbow Dash said. 'Or tough dragons, of course.' She flashed Spike a grin.

This drew protest from Rarity. 'Well, "tough" as you two may be, you still shouldn't underestimate the seriousness of the situ–'

Applejack held up a hoof to nip the bickering between Rarity and Dash in the bud. 'So, what did ya find out, hot shots? Any cracks in the forcefield yet?'

Rainbow Dash shrugged. 'Eh, some, but they're still pretty small. It's gonna take at least a few more days to knock it down at this rate.'

'What about Trixie?' Rarity asked snippily.

'No sign of her,' Spike said. 'The word on the streets is that she's locked herself inside Town Hall. We tried to go over there and see for ourselves, but we were stopped by some of her goons.'

Applejack raised an eyebrow. 'Goons?'

Rainbow Dash's face twisted into a snarl. 'Yeah, apparently Trixie has recruited some ponies to help out with her dirty work,' she spat. 'Scum.'

Applejack frowned. 'Hm. That's mighty peculiar.' The whole town hated Trixie, and with the Royal Guard knocking on the door, it was obvious that she wouldn't be around for long – so who would be crazy enough to support her? 'You think she's using some kind of mind-control magic?'

'I wouldn't rule it out,' Rarity said. 'Anyway, if Town Hall is being guarded, that just makes it rather more likely that she is, in fact, there.'

'So, what are we waiting for? Let's go in there and kick her flank!' Rainbow Dash slammed her forehooves together.

'Out of the question,' Rarity said firmly. 'We stay here.'

'What? But why? We could–'

Applejack raised a hoof again, this time to cut Dash off. 'Sugarcube, we're missin' our strongest magic user, and the Elements of Harmony won't work without Twilight either. It's best to let the Guard handle this one.'

Rarity nodded. 'The amulet has made Trixie strong enough to defeat Twilight, and to maintain her shield even under the current barrage. I'm afraid she would be more than a match for the five of us.'

With a frustrated sigh, Dash dropped to the ground. 'Fine,' she grumbled.

A few minutes went by without anypony saying anything. There were no new charges, either; the earthpony soldiers had taken a break, it seemed. The unicorns were still at it, though. The constant rumble of magic blasts hitting the forcefield reminded Applejack of heavy rain on a barn roof.

'So, Rarity?' Rainbow Dash said after a while, a smirk playing across her lips. 'Have you picked a dress for the victory parade yet? Bet you'll want to look your best for the soldiers.'

'Actually, that's the line of thought I'm trying to avoid,' Rarity deadpanned. 'Unlike some ponies –' she shot a glare at Pinkie Pie, who was still bouncing around happily '– I'm careful not to get over-optimistic. When Trixie is captured and all of Ponyville is free, safe, and intact, I'll start thinking about my ens–'

She was cut off by a thunderous blast. The charges had started again.

Rainbow Dash immediately took to the air. 'Woo hoo! That's the sound of freedom right there, girls!' she yelled over the ear-splitting noise.

The library was less thrilled. The bust of Ponicles that had toppled over earlier now fell off the table entirely, landing on the floor with a loud thud. Some of the higher shelves creaked ominously.

'Luna's horseshoes,' Applejack groaned when the floor stopped moving. 'This just ain't safe anymore!'

'We could move into the basement,' Spike said. 'Twilight and I cleared it out last week, so there's a lot less stuff to fall on our heads there.'

Rarity nodded. 'An excellent plan.'

'Right, basement it is,' Applejack said. 'Let's go, everypony. I'll grab Fluttershy.'

---

'Platoon 1 ready?' Black Tail shouted.

Three of his four platoons were lined up for another charge. Platoon 3 was recovering some distance farther from the dome. It was their turn to take a break, and one look at the stallions lying scattered about in the grass confirmed that they badly needed it. Running into a magical forcefield at full gallop was hard labour.

'Ready!' Snakedrop called, turning Black Tail's attention back to the three waiting columns.

'Platoon 2 ready?'

'Ready!' Flashblade shouted.

'Platoon 4 ready?'

Just at that moment, a particularly loud magic blast struck the dome not far from where they were standing. Bold Move gave up on making himself heard, and just nodded and waved instead.

Black Tail nodded back, then looked at his watch. A minute and a half. They were early. 'Right,' he yelled. 'Keep positions and wait for the signal!'

Flashblade raised a hoof. 'Excuse me, sir, but will you be leading the charge?'

The question took Black Tail by surprise. 'Well I, uh...' he stammered. Of course, an officer was supposed to lead by example, and showing that you weren't afraid to join in the "dirty work" always boosted the soldiers' morale. On the other hoof, he had to take care not to get himself too beat up. He looked back to the exhausted soldiers of Platoon 3, and wondered how he was going to co-ordinate any further charges in that state.

Then he heard it: the soldiers had started cheering for him. 'Join in! Join in! Join in!' they chanted.

Well, he couldn't refuse now. He took one more look at Platoon 3, then at the dome, then at the cheering columns in front of him, and let out a deep sigh. 'Oh, all right,' he grumbled, and made his way to the head of the company. A round of cheers and applause went up from the ranks.

Once he was in position, he checked his watch again. 'Thirty seconds! Get ready, everypony!'

Behind him, he could hear loud snorts, and hooves scraping across the ground. Somehow, he felt the dome wasn't intimidated.

The dome. It completely filled his vision now, its blue sheen painting the quaint houses of Ponyville in dark, sombre tones. Although it trembled under the barrage of magic, and a few cracks had begun to form, the dome looked like it would stand a long, long time yet. Black Tail swallowed a lump in his throat.

His gaze went down to his watch again, not only to check the time, but also to give himself something else to look at. 'Twenty seconds!'

The little clock ticked towards the ten-second mark at a frustratingly slow pace. He stuffed it into his pocket and tensed his leg muscles for the charge. For good measure, he threw in a hoof-scrape of his own. Here we go.

'Ten!' he shouted. 'Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One – CHARGE!'

He hastily blurted out that last word, and then he was already rushing forward, scrambling not to get trampled by his own soldiers. His gait was a crude gallop, one the most primitive ancestors of ponykind would have understood, meant for one thing only: speed.

The closer he got to the dome, the less solid it seemed. Hesitation crept into his mind, and it took an effort of pure discipline not to slow down, not to falter in his gallop. From this close, the dome was just a blue glow, just a weird light effect – definitely not something he could touch, or run into – not something that would stop him...

His eyes widened in fear. It was all going to go wrong. He would go right through the dome. He would crash into the house just behind it, and tear himself to shreds on the rough-hewn bricks –

With a final beat of his hooves, he kicked off from the ground, then threw his body sideways.

He hit the dome.

He was immediately squashed against it as a dozen bodies slammed into him, carried by the same raw momentum that had carried him. An explosion of noise hammered into his skull; his Guard-issue earplugs did him no good.

The dome began to shake violently, throwing him back. His jaw hit a helmet. He cried out in pain as a horseshoe pressed into his cannon. He could feel that the soldiers behind him were digging in their hooves, pushing back against the dome. He knew he was supposed to do the same, but between the suffocating pileup of bodies behind him and the cold wall of magic in front, all he could do was let himself be thrown back and forth – and pray he wouldn't be ripped apart.

He was just about to pass out when he felt the pressure behind him let up. It took a moment before his battered consciousness could make sense of it: soldiers were walking away from the crash site. Soon, he found that he could move freely again without hitting anypony.

He stumbled forward on wobbly legs, his ears ringing. A blocky grey shape appeared in his blurry vision; he blinked a few times, and it resolved itself into the robust form of Lieutenant-Colonel Silver Derby.

His instincts screamed at him to salute, but if he took a leg off the ground now, he would collapse and probably break a bone.

Words reached him through the ringing in his ears. 'Lieutenant Black Tail,' the lieutenant-colonel said, 'what was that?'

'...Sir?' Black Tail said, confused.

Silver Derby sighed. 'B COMPANY, YOU'RE RELIEVED FOR THE NEXT CHARGE! TAKE A BREAK!' he bellowed. A weak cheer, barely deserving of the name, came from the recovering soldiers. He turned back to Black Tail. 'As for you, Lieutenant, we need to talk. Follow me.'

'Yessir.' This time Black Tail did risk a salute, and immediately regretted it as his three other legs scrambled to keep him upright.

Silver Derby led him away from the dome, away from the worst of the noise. As they walked, his senses returned to him fairly quickly – too quickly. Every unarmoured part of him was covered in bruises and scrapes, and he wasn't too sure about the armoured parts, either. It hurt like a bitch in heat.

The grim frown on Silver Derby's face told him there was more unpleasantness to come.

They were closer to the edge of the Everfree than to the dome when Silver Derby stopped. 'So, Lieutenant, why did you join that charge?' he said, his eyes on the forest straight ahead.

Black Tail had no idea where this was going, but he had a feeling it wasn't anywhere good. 'Um... it's good for morale, sir?' he said nervously. 'You know, "an officer has to lead by –"'

'No,' Silver Derby grunted. 'You joined because your soldiers were cheering you on. They cheered for you like a bunch of schoolcolts for a chicken classmate – and you gave in.' He turned to Black Tail, fixing him with a cold glare. 'Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?'

'N-no, sir.' Black Tail struggled to look Silver Derby in the eye.

'It sets precedent!' Silver Derby thundered, stomping his hoof for emphasis. Black Tail winced as the lieutenant-colonel's voice assaulted his already tortured ears. 'How do you think you're gonna command your soldiers, if you're giving them all kinds of ideas about commanding you instead?'

If Black Tail hadn't already been covered in sweat from the charge, he would have been by now. He said nothing, merely hoping and praying that the storm would pass quickly.

Silver Derby sighed. 'Look, Black Tail,' he continued at a much lower volume, 'I get that you want the troops to like you. We all do. But you can't do this. They see you caving in to pressure once, they're gonna try it again. It's a discipline killer. We're in the Guard here, not in the Civil Service –' he spat out those two hated words '– and the chain of command has to be crystal clear. Understood?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Good. Now get back to your unit, and don't let me see it again.'

'Yes, sir!' Black Tail snapped into a salute. Again, he trembled precariously on three legs, but this time the cause wasn't physical.

As he stumbled back towards B Company, his legs aching with every step, he resolved to follow Silver Derby's orders to the letter and beyond. No way in Tartaros was he joining another charge.

Author's Note:

Another minor deviation from canon: Trixie undid the whole "no mouth" thing on Pinkie along with everypony else's transformations when Twilight accepted her challenge.

Comments

[Midnight Rambler]

5279299 It most definitely is! It's a bit slow, though.

Also, congratulations: you made the first comment on this story since the reboot!

And looking at your avatar, might I interest you in membership of our terrifically Teutonic, proudly Prussian group, The Elements of Germany?

[Omnishifter]

I like were this story may be going.

[Noble Thought]

Interesting. Looking forward to getting my teeth into the next chapter.

I think at least one of my suppositions from the prior chapter is accurate as to the ultimate direction of the story. That's a lot of viewpoints to cycle through to keep up with all parts of the story that are going on.

[Yami Vizzini]

And I'm finally, properly caught up. Excellent work fleshing out the narrative with just a few wholly new scenes along with some other expansion and description. Onward!