> The Broken and the Damned
>  by Centurion Pike-Wall
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Authors note
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


> 1~Beginning of her fall
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come on, y'all. Let's go check on the Princess."

The pony who said this, Applejack, trotted past a distraught looking Twilight. The rest of Twilights friends followed her. None of them shot her a look of pity, nor a glint of shame in their eyes, nor even looked directly at the unicorn. They all simply walked past her, walking past her. All, except one of them.

Rainbow Dash shot a gaze her way as she flew past the lavender mare. She saw her friend was in pain, and it hurt her to see it. She was the Element of Loyalty after all; she was supposed to look after her friends. To stick by them, even if they did something wrong. And, well, wasn't that the case here? Hadn't Twilight made a mistake?

While the others moved on a little further, Rainbow stopped to hover by the door. She saw Princess Celestia walk down from the dais, walking toward the same door as she was by. Twilight looked up at her; and even though she couldn't see her face, Rainbow could almost feel the tears sliding down Twilight's face. She said, "I- I didn't-" However was cut off by a cold rebuke from Celestia. 

"You have a lot to think about," said the Solar monarch. Rainbow didn't know if this was intentional on Celestia's part, but to her, the air around the room seemed to drop by a few degrees. Then, without a hint of emotion on her stone-cold face, walked past a stunned Twilight and an equally stunned Rainbow, and out into the hallway, leaving the two ponies alone.

Rainbow considered what to do. She was the Element of Loyalty. She was loyal, but to who did she give her loyalty? Her friend, or the Princess? She then mentally face-hoofed at her stupidity. This was her friend after all! She wasn't about to just leave her behind. She was on the ground sniveling like Fluttershy, and everypony else just ditched her?! If she did the same, she wasn't loyal. It was that simple. 

Rainbow touched down on the marble floor, then walked over to her quivering friend. Twilight kind of was crying like her oldest friend, although she would never say that out loud. Or, well, at least publicly out loud. Once she was standing next to Twilight, she lowered herself down. As she did so, she draped one of wings over her distraught friend. As she did so, Twilight sprang her head to the side, burring it into the crook of Rainbows neck. 

Rainbow now began to feel a little uncomfortable. The only one she really allowed to get this close to her were her parents, and even then it wasn't often. This kind of contact made her uneasy, and always kind of freaked her out a bit.  But, well, it wasn't like she could move away from her. If she did, Twilight might cling to her, or start crying harder. So, despite the discomfort caused by this move, she held her still, allowing Twilight to wet the fur along her shoulder with her tears.

She didn't know exactly how long it was she just sat there like that, letting Twilight cry into her shoulder. It was more than likely just a few minutes, but it felt like hours. Finally, Twilight raised herself up from the shoulder. Her face was puffy and red, with damp lines from tears running down her face. She looked a wreck. This only convinced her further, however, to stay with her friend. 

"Y-your n-not going t-to leave me?", asked Twilight. Her voice was shaky, seeming ready to crack. 

Rainbow just shot her a small smile. "Are you kidding?" She asked. "I'm not just going to leave a friend hanging. Does that sound like something the Element of Loyalty would do?"

Twilight nodded. "Rainbow, I messed up. I-I could have gained a sister today. Instead, I lost a brother."

Rainbow simply nodded. There was no way in Tartarus she could say that 'she understood' or that 'she knew what that felt like'. She was an only child, so she didn't have any siblings. Plus, she wasn't the romantic type. Far from it; she hated it when ponies got lovey-dovy stuff around her. However, she did get wanting a sibling, or at least someone you could consider a sibling. She was fond of that one filly back in Ponyville; the one who founded her fan club. What was her name again: Scootaloo? But wasn't super close with her. 

So, she didn't try to say she understood. She instead scrunched up her face for a second, thinking. Then, her face lit up for a quick second. "Well, listen Twi. How about we go get some donut joes? It'll be my treat."

Twilight didn't smile, or even stop sniffling. She just lightly nodded, and began to stand up next to dash. After she had stood up, the two of them heard the clopping of hooves on the floor. Looking up at the dais where the rehearsal was taking place, they saw Princess Cadence. 

Rainbow Dash was now a little suspicious of Cadence herself. How had she gotten up there? There were no doors leading up to the dais from the hall; and even if there was, they would have heard the clopping of hooves on the marble. If she flew, neither of them saw It happen. If she teleported, neither of them heard it. And if she did do either of those things, then why? Wouldn't it have been more efficient to just have walked up behind them, and then clear her throat or something? 

Cadence wore a sweet smile, which seemed to undermine Rainbows nerves a little. "Could you give the two of us a few minutes? I want to talk with Twilight here." While her tone was nice, Rainbow saw her eyes. They shone with a slight shine, like the sun reflected off of a frozen pond. It gave her a clear message: 'Leave now, before I get mad.'

"Uh, sure," Rainbow said. Looking over at Twilight, she added, "Meet me outside when you're done. Like I said, we'll go get some donuts." With that, Rainbow took off from the ground, and slowly flew over to the door. 

As she left, she started to feel a growing feeling of unease. Just how did Cadence get in there? She had clearly left the room, so how did she do it? Some sort of weird spell? Advanced teleport? What was going on? Then again, maybe she was just being overdramatic. Who knew? 

A few minutes later, Twilight left the room. She looked a lot better; the bags under her eyes were gone, her face was dry, and her eyes were no longer red. Following up behind her, Cadence stepped out, still wearing her sweet smile. She said, "Well, that was a good talk, don't you agree, Twilight?"

Twilight simply nodded. She didn't say a word, she didn't make a sound. Cadence, still smiling, continued, "Well, you two run off now. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, she began to trot off down the hall, leaving Twilight and Rainbow alone. 

"Well", said Rainbow. "Let's go get something at Joe's." Twilight, once again, gave no sound. Just a simple nod. That set off a few red flags with Rainbow, but she filed it under something that could be dealt with...After she had gotten some Donuts.
> 2~Deceptions and confrontations.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbows hooves clopped along the paved cobble streets of Canterlot. She had decided to walk to Donut joes, despite the long walk. It would likely come back to haunt her later, but it would help satisfy a certain, curiosity, she had acquired.

She didn't know what it was, but something was off about Twilight. Ever since her 'Talk' with Princess Mi Amore, she had been acting weird. She didn't talk much, she looked kind of nervous, and she was, just off. The way she walked, the way she held herself; it was just wrong. What had happened? It was only about a five-minute conversation, for bucks sake! Why was she so shaken up?

Soon, they had arrived outside the donut shop. The familiar black and white tiles and well-lit interior made Rainbow recall the Gala incident. Boy, was that a good time! Meeting Spitfire, even if she was sort of rejected by her. Plus the fact the others had such an equally crappy time somewhat alleviated that. 

Back to the present, she was surprised to find the store mostly empty. A few ponies occupying the tables, but other than that it was empty. Pony Joe smiled upon seeing them enter. "Ah, finally!", he exclaimed. "A regular comes my way. Should I get you the regular, Twilight?" 

She nodded. Seriously, what was wrong? Joe then looked over at Rainbow. "And what can I get you?"

Rainbow looked through the glass cases along the counter, taking in all the options. There were many donuts, far from just the shops standard rings. Her mouth began to water a little as her gaze shifted from donut to donut. Finally, she settled on one of the bigger ones she could see. "I'll take an Ursa's claw."

Soon, the two of them had paid for their sweets, and had sat at a table. She began to rip into her Ursa's claw like the donuts namesake, ripping and tearing like, well, an Ursa. It was covered in just enough glaze to be firm, but not too much as to be crunchy. 	Underneath the shell of the glaze was a soft, loose flesh that, once torn from the bulk of the body, melted away into the mouth. Despite this, she couldn't enjoy herself; she kept getting the feeling that something was up with Twilight. 

She was eating her donut, but slowly. While she was normally not a very fast eater, but with what she saw after the Gala, donuts were one of the exceptions. Yet here she was: eating her donut at a snails pace. It was weird. 

Rainbow took a long look at her face. She looked emotionless, like she was watching a very boring play. It actually kind of reminded her of her face after her aunt took her to see 'Sweeny Trot and the daemon groomer of fleet street'. A face of pure, unadulterated apathy. Half-lidded eyes, stiff jaws, just a look like they want to be anywhere else. Rainbow decided to test something.

"Hey, Twilight", she said. After Twilight looked up, she elaborated, "I went to a book burning at an anti-Celestia organization HQ last week, and had the time of my life. Want to come next time?"

Twilight just nodded. Ok, now something was defiantly up. And Rainbow wanted to get to the bottom of it. "Hey, can we, oh, go outside for a minute or two? I need to talk to you about something." Once again, an apathetic nod was her reply.

The two of them exit the store, going around the side. Once they were in the alley, Rainbow pinned Twilight to the wall. "Ok, Twi. What the hay is going on? Why are you acting like this?"

She said nothing. A second later, she winced, sinking to her knees, clutching the base of her horn. She clenched her eyes shut, and when they opened again, they were glowing a sickly, dark green. Rainbow stepped back in alarm, startled by the sudden activity of her friend. Then, realization came into her head. 

Princess Mi Amore was the last pony to speak with Twilight, or have any other interaction with her. So, either Twilight had some sort of weird disease she didn't tell anypony about, or Mi Amore had something to do with it. 

Rainbow shot out of the alley like a bolt from a crossbow, arcing back toward the castle. She was determined to get answers. If she only had stayed a few minutes longer, then she would have seen Twilight stop writhing and stand up. She would have seen her eyes fade back down to their normal lavender hue, however, tinted a slight green. She would have seen her stand at attention, rigid as a board, head held stiffly at an angle, as if waiting for orders; a sight the pegasus will become familiar with in the years to come. 

And she would have seen a black colored figure step from the shadows, green eyes shining with sadistic glee, and fanged mouth turned into a wide, evil grin.


+++++~+++++


Rainbow was back at the castle in an instant, not slowed by Twilights' lack of flight. She shot into an open section of the castle, racing at full speed into the corridor. She shot down hall after hall, looking for any sign of the Princess. She wanted answers, and knew that Cadenza had them. However, she never saw her. 

Finally, she saw an open door at the end of a corridor. Lowering herself to the ground, she peeked through it. Inside was a bedroom and quite a nice one at that. A large ashwood desk, a walk-in closet, a full-sized mirror, a few ponnequins wearing dresses, and a massive, four-poster bed. Laying on the bed, seeming to just be stirring from sleep, was Princess Cadenza. 

Alright then. Time for some answers. She pushed open the door, shutting it behind her. Once it was shut, she rocketed forward at the princess. She barely had time to look surprised, when rainbow slammed her back down onto the bed. 

"Alright! What did you do to Twilight!?," She roared.

Cadenza jerked back in alarm. "What are you talking about!? What's wrong with-"

She was cut off by Rainbow grabbing her by the shoulders and tossing her onto the desk. It cracked, and Cadenza fell to the floor. Rainbow once again shot over onto Cadenza, pinning her down. 

"Don't play stupid with me! You were the last one to speak with Twilight, and now she's writhing on the ground outside donut Joe's! Now, what did you do to my friend!?"

Cadenza sputtered, stuttering out, "Wa-wait! I didn't do anything to-"

"LIAR!", Rainbow snarled. She grabbed the princess by the side of the head, and began to slam her down onto the floor. hey Her head jerked from the impacts, and a small patch of blood hit the side of the polished floor. The impacts also sent her eyes lolling, and made her mane even more disheveled. After a few hits, she stopped, and looked down at her again. "TWILIGHT ISN'T FINE! NOW, WHAT DID YOU DO!?!" 

Suddenly, she was thrown against the bed frame by a force. Her head slammed into the hardwood so hard it cracked, and she began to feel dizzy. She tried to rise for a second, but then slipped into unconsciousness. The last sound she heard was the whipping of flames and the sound of a unicorns horn being lit.
> 3~Awaiting Judgement
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash awoke, stiff as a board. She sat up, hearing her back crack as she did so. Her eyes clenched shut, she rubbed her head, which pounded like a drum. Opening her eyes, her head came to one thought: This isn't my room.

Sure enough, it wasn't. The walls were made of hewn stone, small lines of white plaster running along in between them. The same material made up the ceiling and the walls. She wasn't laying on a bed; instead, she had awoken to find herself on a pile of hay. A toilet and a bucket sat against the corner, just under a narrow slit window. To her side, against the widest wall, sat a heavy wooden, iron-reinforced door, a small window on it as well. Both windows were covered with iron bars. 

Now, Rainbow is by no means a smart pony. She is of average intelligence, and is still not the brightest bulb. However, she did understand where she was perfectly well. She was in a cell.

The hay is going-Ohhhhh, she thought, recalling what she remembered last. If she had to guess, she was in a cell below Canterlot Castle. Likely because somepony misunderstood what was going on. No big deal. I just got to tell 'um what happened, and I'm as good as free! I mean, I'm the Element of Loyalty, for bucks sake! They'll know she was only looking out for a friends best interest.

So, she waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, after what felt like hours, she gave up just staring at the door. She began to lie around in various places, just staring off into space. Eventually, that got boring. So, she began to count the bricks of the room. Finally, after intentionally losing track several times, she finally counted all of them. In total, there were 156, along with an additional five if you counted cracked bricks. After that, still no sign of the Princess, and she was still bored.

Next, she began to lay out the hay that made up the big pile into various shapes. She made a pyramid, then a circle, then a few knots, then she even tried to make a little pony. She failed miserably, and it ended up looking more like a snake with a few stick legs, before it finally collapsed in on itself. After this, still no Princess. And her boredom was getting worse.

Then, she took a few of her hay sticks still in decent condition, and went over to the bucket. It was full of water, and Rainbow plopped them inside. She then began to flail them around a little bit, smashing them into each other like she did with Wonderbolt Action figures as a foal. Only this time, instead of seeing who would win in a fight, Surprise or Wind Rider, she was now doing it to stave off boredom, and she was just hitting together two pieces of hay. Eventually, they just fell apart, and floated on the surface of the murky water. Still nothing, and her boredom was unbearable. 

Finally, she had had enough. She wasn't really tired, but Celestia be bucked if that had stopped her before. She slumped back on the pile of hay, despite the fact it wasn't exactly her cloud bed, and clamped her eyes shut. In a few minutes, despite her lack of tiredness and the unknown amount of time she had spent unconscious before that, she drifted off to the realm of dreams.


+++++~+++++


"Let me in, turnkey. I wish to speak with her," said a voice, just out of view. 

Another voice said, "Yes, your highness."

The door to the cell swung outward, the creaking of the rusty hinges fully rousing her. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and stretching. Looking up when done, she was greeted with the pony she had been waiting for: Princess Celestia. She was relieved; it was really uncomfortable in here, and it smelled like cement and for some reason cheese. "Finally. I'm getting out of here, right Princess?" Without even waiting for a response, she began to walk toward the door. Before she could reach it though, she was stopped in a magic aura. The Princess' to be specific. 

"No, you are not free to go," she said. "I have some questions to ask. Now, sit." She, somewhat forcefully, placed Rainbow back down on the floor. Rainbow now got a look at her face; it showed that she wasn't in the best mood. In fact, she was angry. 

"Ok," she said. "Ask away." 

The Princess looked over at the wall, then tilted it down to look at the floor. When her eyes met Rainbow again, they were smoldering with rage. "Why did you attack my niece?"

Rainbow replied, a look of slight annoyance on her face, "Because she did something weird to Twilight. At Donut Joes, her eyes began to glow, and she fell down screaming. Princess Mi Amore was the last one to interact with her, so I thought she had done something to her."

The princess just looked at her. Was she smoking? "So that gave you the right to attack her?"

"Well, I probably should have thought that out better," she said, rubbing her hoof against the back of her head. "But well, I was panicked, and was worried about Twilight and wanted to-"

She was cut off as the Princess let out a massive scream. Rainbow scrambled back, only being stopped by the wall. The Princess' mane and tail burst into flames, her regalia turned to a molten metal, and her face changed. Her eyes became a dark burgundy with orange irises and black slit pupils, her teeth filed into fangs, and fire seemed to leak out of the edge of her mouth. She looked like a Celestia version on Nightmare moon. 

She pressed her face right up to Dashes, her literally smoldering eyes sending shivers down her spine. She then began to yell, her voice twisting with rage and malice. "YOU TREACHAROUS FIEND! YOU HAVE THE GALL TO ASSULT MY NIECE, THEN LIE TO MY FACE! YOU'VE PUT HER IN A COMA, FOR FAUSTS SAKE! TWILIGHT IS FINE! THE ONLY REASON YOU AREN'T IN TARTARUS NOW IS THAT PRINCESS LUNA WANTS FOR YOU TO BE FAIRLY JUDGED, YOU LYING, SNIVILING, PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR THE ELEMENT OF LOYALTY!!!!"

With that, the fire died away, and the Princess returned to normal. She took a moment to compose herself, before once again looking at Rainbow. Her eyes, while no longer fiery or nightmarish, still smoldered with anger. "Your trial is in five days," she said. "I'll see you then." She stepped out the door with a swift walk, as if she wanted to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. 

Stepping into the cell was a unicorn stallion wearing a set of guard armor, but wearing a hood as opposed to a helmet. He held a bowl in his aura, and set it down in front of her. "Dinner time," he said. Rainbow looked down at the bowl, and saw it was full of a carrot stew. With his task complete, he left, shutting and locking the door behind him.

Rainbow just looked at the stew. She did for a few minutes, before hunger got the better of her, and she began to eat it. It tasted horrible, and the aftertaste was even worse. But, at least it was food. Plus, eating distracted her from what just happened. 

She was at a loss. The Princess didn't believe her. Cadenza was in a coma, which she doubted she could have done. Twilight wasn't writhing on the ground, and was fine. That should have made her feel better, but it didn't. Something was up.

And there was nothing she could do.
> 4~Judgement
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Six days.

Rainbow spent six days in the cell. If she had gotten bored on the first day alone, then she was little more then a husk by the end of the sixth day. The turnkey came twice a day; to give her her dinner, and her breakfast. She never got anything else; no books, nothing to keep her occupied, and her food was always the watery carrot soup, and maybe a loaf of bread. It sucked. She would kill for a Daring Do book, or even something decent to eat. Honestly, wasn't this punishment enough?

Finally, on the morning of the seventh day, the turnkey opened the door. When she didn't here the clink of the bowl, she looked up to see that at the door wasn't the turnkey. Instead, two fully armored royal guards stood in the doorway. The one on the left held a set of chains, while the other clutched a spear in his wing.

The one with the chains said, "Hold still. Resist, and my friend here will not be so conversational."

Not really in the right mental state to respond, she just let it happen. The earth pony clamped the chains around her, while the pegasi guard watched. Once the chains were in place, the other guard lowered his spear, and said, "Alright. Follow Brick Wall. Any funny business, and I won't be gentle with this thing."

So, she followed the earth pony guard out of the cell. He lead her down a hall lined with other cells, yet it didn't look like any of them were occupied. At the end of the hall they took a left, then a left, then a right, until finally coming to a set of stairs. After going up them and out a sturdy looking door, she was back in the castle proper. The two guards then began to lead her down the corridor.

They walked for a long time, going down corridor after corridor. Rainbow slowly grew more worried, even if she didn't show it. What if I aren't convincing enough? There is a lot against me, and...What am I thinking? My friends should stand by me. Stupid brain.

Finally, after walking for what felt like two miles, they finally came to a large set of double doors. Another pair of guards stood outside, both with spears. Engraved on the door was the Equestrian seal, and above the door was a plaque that read: Royal courtroom-Convict entrance.

"Got no 'Awesome pony' entrance, eh?," Rainbow quipped. None of the guards laughed, or even smiled. In fact, they seemed to be getting annoyed. The two by the door pushed them open, and her escorts pushed her inside. 

It was a massive room, rivaling even the throne room. Next to her entrance, she saw a podium, with another one on the other side. In front of both of them, was another massive podium. This one had four large seats, on which were seated four ponies. The ones in the middle seats were the princesses, with two unicorns in large curly wigs and black cloaks in the seats on the edges. Next to the far podium was a series of seats, all of which were filled with ponies. Among them was a very angry looking Shining Armor, a few maids and guards, and her friends. On her side was a similar set of chairs, yet most of these were empty, save a few. Her parents, Scootaloo, a few of her co-workers, and Spitfire were the only ones.

Princess Celestia, sitting in the inner left seat, commanded, "Bring forth the suspect." The way she said it made Dash shiver from an unnatural sense of dread. This feeling wasn't helped by her being called 'suspect', not her name. 

The two guards led her down in between the two podiums in front of the judges stand. Unseen from the entrance, due to its lower position, was another platform. Yet another set of armed guards stood next to it. After they brought her down to this lower platform, her chains were bound to several locks that held her in place. Locked in place, she stood still, being forced to look up to see the others. 

Celestia said, "Order." Once the other ponies were silent, she elaborated, "We are here for the case of Rainbow Blitz Dash vs the state. She stands charged with 'Assault of a member of the royal family', and 'resisting arrest.'" Looking down at Rainbow, she said, "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty!", she yelled instantly. "She did something to Twilight, and I-"

"What are you talking about!?", shouted a voice from the other side. Looking over, she saw it was....Twilight? She stood there, looking perfectly fine. In fact, she looked better then fine; she looked refreshed and full of energy. In specific, angry energy. "Cadence and I just talked, then went out to talk to you! I just had a headache, and you bucking attacked her!"

Princess Luna, in the royal canterlot voice, yelled, "ORDER! THERE WILL BE ORDER!"

Once again, silence prevailed. Then Princess Celestia, still in her cold voice, said, "May the prosecution step forward."

A pegaus mare stepped up onto the left side podium. She had a dark grey coat, a light cyan mane, and a lawbook for a cutie mark. She said, "Well, I don't really know why we're doing this since she is obviously guilty, but alright. The prosecution calls forth royal guard corporal Void Gazer as witness."

One of the royal guards stepped up next to the pegasus. Said pegasi asked "Mister Gazer, where were you the night of may 14th, 1002 ANM?"

The unicorn guard answered, "I was on guard duty at the north entrance, waiting for the second sentry on duty to come."

"And what happened?"

He shrugged. "Not much for most of it. Just a normal sentry duty. Then, about sunset, I saw Ms. Sparkle run up toward me, and told me that her friend had run off to attack Princess Cadenza. I was skeptical, but when the other sentry came I told him about it, and we went off to check on it."

"And what happened when you got to the Princesses room?"

"We saw the door was shut, and I knocked. I then heard a loud crash on the other side, and knocked down the door. I then saw Ms. Dash attacking the princess. I fired a stun spell, which caused her to fall into the bed. I told Ms. Sparkle to go get some help, while I tended to the Princess. When the others came, I, well, told Princess Celestia what happened, and was ordered to bring her to the dungeon."

"Can anyone vouch for your story?"

"Oh yeah. The other sentry that came, Poisoned Apple. Ms. Sparkle. Princess Cadenza. Even the Captain and the Element Bearers."

The pegasi prosecutor. "We have a present witness, as well as several sources to back it up." After cracking a smug grin, he finished, "The prosecution rests."


+++++~+++++


Several hours of silence later, It was time for Rainbows testimony. She was now very concerned. Her defense lawyer had a very weak argument, while the prosecutor had an incredibly strong one. Even Twilight had testified against her, stating a false version of what had happened at Donut Joes. Finally, Rainbow could speak.

Her platform was raised up with magic, becoming level with the judges podium. Celestia said, "Rainbow Dash, a case has been made against you. You may now defend yourself. Do so. What, Happened?" No matter how much she had heard it during the trial, that voice always made her shiver. 

In an instant, Rainbow began to speak. She explained all of what happened. Cadenza asking her to leave, Twilights catatonic state, the glowing eyes. Before she could finish, Celestia said, "All of this is irrelevant. Did. You. Do. It?"

"W-well, yes, But I-", she started. However, Celestia raised her hoof. 

"That is enough", the cold voice answered. "The council will now judge the evidence we have been given. All may retire. Sargent." As the guard pony whom she directed that last bit to snapped to attention, she said, "Take her to one of the suites. Depending on her punishment, it may be her last time in a comfortable bed. Dismissed."

Rainbow was unbound from the platform after it was brought back down to it's original level. The two guards that led her from the dungeon led her back out of the convict entrance, and back down the hall. They led her to a random empty room, and opened the door. She walked inside, still bound in her chains, and heard the door shut and lock behind her. She didn't even react. She was too stunned. She just walked to the bed, and collapsed onto the comfortable, fluffy mattress and fell into the realm of sleep. 

It would be the last rest in a comfortable bed, or even a proper bed, for many years.
> 5~Judgement Rendered
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow awoke to the door opening. Hesitantly lifting herself off of the soft sheets. Despite not sleeping well, it was still a comfortable bed, and she didn't want to part with it. Looking up, she saw it was one of the guards that took her to the room last night. He said, "Up and at 'em."

Following his command, she sat up in bed and began to rub her eyes. She then hit herself in the eye with the shackle that was still attached to her forehoof. "Ow! Why couldn't you remove these BEFORE you locked me in here?"

The guard didn't say anything; he just continued to look at her with a look of impatience. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm coming," Rainbow said. She slid off of the bed, cracking her back in the process. She sighed with the sensation, then trotted over to the guard. 

He and the other guard led her outside and back in the direction of the courtroom. Rainbow was a bit anxious. She knew that even if she wasn't found guilty, consequences could be harsh. Well, what's the worst that could happen? 

What she was most curious about was her friends, Twilight in particular. Why were they working against her? Why had Twilight testified against her? What did Cadenza do? It had to be her; she was the last one to interact with Twilight before she went all weird. Something was up, she just didn't know what.

In a few minutes, she had arrived in the courtroom, going through the same door as yesterday. Most of the people from yesterday were gone. It was only Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and the two pony judges. In addition, the platform she stood on yesterday was at the level of the podiums. She was guided to the platform, and was once again bound to the railing.

Princess Celestia said, still with a voice cold as the void, "Rainbow Dash, we have deliberated on what to do with you. And we have come to a consensus." Turning to Princess Luna, she added, "Sister?"

Sighing, Princess Luna looked down. Looking back up at her with a sad look in her eyes, she began her damning paragraph: "Rainbow Blitz Dash, you have been found guilty of resisting arrest and assault of a member of the Equestrian royal family. 	A thousand years ago, this would have carried the death sentence." Rainbow internally let loose a sigh of relief. "Instead," Princess Luna continued. "You have been sentenced to exile." At that, Rainbows' eyes went wide. 

"WHAT!?", she shouted, straining against the chains. 

Luna flinched, but soldiered on. "Effective immediately, You are no longer a citizen of Equestria. You will be escorted from the borders of Equestria. Returning to Equestria, for whatever reason, is grounds for immediate imprisonment within Tartarus. All of your property and assets, unless claimed by a blood relative, will be seized by the state. You will be transported from the country later today, at roughly 6 PM." As she finished, she added in a lower voice, "I'm sorry, Rainbow."


+++++~+++++


After this, Rainbow was taken back to the room she had slept in. The guard told her that several ponies who wished to see her would be coming later, and that she should wait, and maybe get some more sleep.

She didn't. Instead, she began to pace back and forth, ignoring the rattling and the weight of the chains. Thoughts raced through her head as fast as she could, forming into a swirling mass of panic, fear, and anxiety. Guess I now know how Twilight feels.She would've laughed out loud if it weren't for how panicked she was at the situation. She was bucked.

Suddenly the doors opened, followed by the sound of hoofbeats on the floor. Whipping her head around, she saw her friends. She smiled. Maybe they could help her. Then, she saw their expressions.

Their expressions ranged greatly. AJ had a look of barely held in anger. Pinkie looked sad, like she was the one being exiled as opposed to her, her mane flattened against her head and everything. Fluttershy also looked distressed, but less sad and more disappointed. Rarity wore a look of disgust, looking down at her from a slightly upturned nose. Twilight looked like a mix of angry and curious. Spike looked nervous. All of them made her uneasy.

She smiled a little uneasily. These were generally not the looks of somepony who was in the mood to help. She said, "A, h-hey girls. What's up?"

They all looked at each other uncertainly, then back at her. Rarity was the first of them to speak. Her voice was filled with regal contempt as she said, "Darling, we just wish to know, well, why you did it?"

"What do you mean?", Rainbow asked. "You were all at the trial. You all heard my testimony. I basically already told you, just not, you know, directly."

Applejack growled, "Like hay ya did, ya no-good lyin' varmint! Yous' testimony was a straight-up lie! Now, why did ya do it!?"

Now Rainbow was getting angry. "I'm not lying!"

"Seriously, Rainbow? I gave my testimony just before you, and you still cling to this lie? It's clearly not true, so just tell the truth. How hard is that to do?", Twilight said.

"Twi, I know what I saw, and you weren't-"

Rainbow was cut off by Fluttershy stepping forward, eyes going cold and solid as a glacier. Accompanying it was a sense of dread, like she was staring down a pack of timberwolves instead of her oldest friend. She had never personally seen it, but she knew what it was. The stare. "Listen here, Rainbow! I have known you since flight camp. I've been with you through thick and thin. You helped me, and I helped you! I want to believe that this wasn't you, but it very clearly is. So, if our friendship means anything to you, tell the truth."

It took a few minutes, but eventually Rainbow overcame the stare to the point where she could speak. "Listen, flutters. I AM telling the truth. Please, you have to trust me!"

Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut, her whole body tensing as she took a deep breath. As she released it, her eyes opened. They twinkled with a light, soft yet hard like a packet of the coolers that were used to make snow clouds at the Weather Factory. 

"Then, I don't know why we're here. You aren't loyal to anyone but yourself if you won't tell the truth to your closest friends. I'm very disappointed in you." With that, she turned and began to leave, most of others following suit. Soon, it was just her and Spike.

He just looked at the floor. Then, he sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I couldn't do anything."

"No, it's fine," Rainbow spat. "If they don't want me, they don't deserve me."

"You know that's not true. You wished they would've sided with you. That they would have at least tried to comfort you. Right?", he said.

Rainbow sucked in a breath, then released it in a deep sigh. "Yeah, I do. I just want to know why. I know what happened, so why do I have to suffer for it? Its-its, it's unfair!"

Spike looked down, then mumbled, "I'll go. Your parents, and a few others want to see you." 

Before he reached the door, Rainbow called after him, "Wait!" When he turned around, she added, "Keep an eye on them for me. Since they don't want my loyalty, maybe they'll take yours. And if not them, at least watch Scoots. That little squirt, well, she seems cool. I know we weren't the closest, but can you do this for me?" He simply nodded, and left.


+++++~+++++


It had been several hours since then. She had hoped to take a nap; it helped her relax in the past. But, no matter what she did, she couldn't fall asleep. She just couldn't. She didn't know why. Disbelief, fear, shock, rage: she just didn't know. 

She was the Element of Loyalty. Why did they doubt her then? She wouldn't betray them, she wouldn't backstab them. So what gave them the right to do that to her? And what of the Princesses? Why was she being exiled? Wouldn't they need her? What was going on? 

Then, she heard the sound of the door opening. Looking up, she saw a unicorn royal guard. Stern faced, white-coated; same as all the rest. She had never appreciated just how creepy they could be, until now at least. In his magic aura, he held a set of chains.

"It's time."
> 6~Goodbye...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow looked up at the guard, a look of solemnity in them. After not doing a thing for a while, the guard floated over and fastened the chains around her legs and the center of her chest. Once again, additional clips were latched onto the base of her wings, locking them tightly against her side. The guard then stood aside, pointing with a hoof towards the door. At the exact opposite of her best, she walked out of the room at a snails pace. This can't be happening...

After she had left the room, the guard shut the door behind her and led her down the hallway. She simply followed him, head held low and tail tucked between her legs. If one saw her now, they would've seen only Rainbow Dash in form. 

Finally, after some walking, the guard pushed open a door. Beyond, once again, she saw the stone fade into worn, grey brick. Once again, into the bowels of the castle; once again, away from the sun. When the stairs leveled, she found herself in the same hallway from which she had gone up to her trial. However, instead of leading her to the left, toward the cells, the guard led her to the right. Down another torch lined passage, until finally, the room opened up. This can't be happening...

The room was cylindrical in shape, a perfect circle on the floor that maintained its shape going up. At the very center of the ceiling, there was a single hole, from which shone down light into the corner of the room. A set of steps ran up to an elevated platform, upon which stood the Princesses. Royal guards stood at various points along the stairs, including a very mad looking Shining armor. Nopony she recognized besides those mentioned previously was in the room. Not her parents, not Scootaloo. Had they forsaken her too? This can't be happening...

Princess Celestia fixed her with the same cold gaze that she had grown used to seeing over the past couple of days. She said, "Bring her up." The guard began to push her forward, but then stopped as somepony yelled down the corridor. 

"Wait! Waiiiit!" It was Scootaloo, with Rainbows parents following up behind them. The guards closest to the door moved to face them, but Princess Luna held up her hoof, signaling for them to stand down. They did so, returning to their original positions as the four pegasi embraced each other.

Her dad, Bow Hothoof, barely holding in his tears, said, "T-they s-said you, *sniff*, w-were being ex-ex-exiled. P-Please te-tell me it isn't true, D-dashie."

Rainbow sighed. "Yes, I'm being exiled," she said. "Yes, I did attack Princess Cadence. But, Mom, Dad, please, you have to believe me. I did it because she did something to Twilight. I'm telling the truth. You believe me; Right?"

Windy said, "Of course we do, Honey. Of course we do."

They simply stood there, soaking in each other's tears. No other sound was heard except that. Eventually, though, they released their embrace, and looked into each other's eyes. A silent acknowledgment passed between them, as her parents stepped back. Rainbow then knelt down to the level of Scootaloo. "Hey, Squirt."

Scootaloo once again latched onto her idol, her tears flowing freely. "Don't go, Rainbow! P-Please!", followed by loud sobbing. 

Dash said, "I'm sorry, Scoots. I don't have a choice."

"T-then I'll go with you!"

"No, scoots. You can't. You would be leaving your friends behind, and that's not exactly a cool thing to do, Is it?"

"N-no", Scootaloo stuttered. "B-but-"

"Besides, I need you to do something for me. I need you to take my place as the awesomest pony in Ponyville. Can you do that for me?" 

"S-sure." By her tone, she was still sad.

Celestia sighed. "As heartwarming as this is, can we please get on with this?"

Rainbow let go of Scootaloo, and looked back at the Princess. She then rocketed forward at her, only stopping to hover in front of her face. "Alright, your highness. Lets do this."

The Princess's horn began to glow, and Rainbow felt a stinging sensation form over part of the upper left side of her face and her eye. It grew to an uncomfortable hissing, but soon faded. Looking back up at Celestia, she saw something. It was brief, but she could have sworn that her eyes flashed. For a split second, a dark green film, much like the one she saw over Twilights eyes outside Donut Joes, flashed over her cerise eyes. But, as soon as Rainbow blinked, it was gone, her steely gaze once again boring into her.

She had no time to point this out, however, as a swirling light began to surround her. She floated up into the air, the light going faster, and faster, and faster. This is happening...

"Goodbye, Rainbow Dash," Princess Luna said. "May Faust have mercy on your soul."

With that, the light around her faded, replaced by an inky void. A void, in which she soon lost herself, slipping into unconsciousness.


+++++~+++++


Rainbow stirred, raising herself off of the ground. She sat up, cracking her back. Her eyes still clamped shut, she began to rub her eyes. Man, what a weird dream. she thought. Her eyes felt heavy, but she slowly began to coax them open. Maybe it has something to do with this bucking bed. It's hard as a rock!

Before her eyes opened, she became aware of a few things that made her a little confused. First, was the pattering of heavy rain. If she recalled correctly, then it was a sunny day, in the middle of summer. Second, was the smell. It didn't smell much like the castle or her home back in Ponyville. It smelt like dust and rock, as well as another, much fainter smell: salt. Then, she opened her eyes.

She wasn't in Ponyville, nor Canterlot Castle, nor even the dungeon. It was a cave. It was dark outside, so she couldn't get a good look at the rock walls, yet they appeared to be some sort of dark-colored stone. The walls were of various shapes, forming strange shadows that danced across the other surfaces of the cave. A few stalagmites jutted up from the floor around the rim of the cave. At one end of the cave, was a massive mouth, opening up onto a dark field of navy blue. 

No, she thought. No, no, no, no! Her wings unfurled, and she rocketed forward. She soon reached the mouth of the cave, then shot past it into open air.

As soon as she left the cave, she was beaten from all sides by a massive wall of sharp, cold droplets of rain. The cave was up on a massive cliff, overlooking a valley. The valley looked like a sight she might have seen out of the train on the way to Canterlot, but the trees looked different, even from this height and the darkness. The sky was choked with dark clouds, which released the torrent of water that even now soaked her to the bone. Despite the darkness, she could see, just along the edge of the horizon, an even darker line of darkness. While she had never seen it, she guessed it had to be the sea; it would explain the smell of salt. 

She just hovered their, dumbstruck, for a few moments. Then, her wings began to beat slower. Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground, finally coming to a rest on the slippery surface. She then just stared at the horizon.

This isn't happening, This isn't happening, This isn't happening... She repeated this to herself like a mantra. Until, finally, a new thought entered her head.

She hoped this wasn't happening. That this was a dream, a prank; something, anything that wasn't what she subconsciously knew was true. But, no matter how hard she tried to accept this as not real, she knew it was real. This wasn't a prank, nor a dream, nor anything else. 

"This is happening." As she said this, tears began to flow, landing in and adding to one of the many puddles beneath her. She cried, for all she was worth. But for once in her life, she didn't care. She wasn't bothered by it.

Because for once in her life, it didn't matter. Nopony would see her, for she was alone, cast out. Exiled.
> Interlude~Change of plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

POV: Queen Chrysalis

"Uh, sure," said the cyan Pegasus. Chrysalis didn't know her name, and frankly, she didn't care. All that mattered was that she was in the way. The Pegasus turned to the one called 'Twilight'. "Meet me outside when your done. Like I said, we'll go get some donuts." With that, she took off into the air and flew out the door. 

She looked down at the sniveling Unicorn and considered what to do. Before she could come to a conclusion, the unicorn latched around her leg. Despite her slight alarm at the sudden movement, she still held her face in as sincere a smile as she could. 

"I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," said the unicorn. Huh, how pathetic,Thought the queen. She was above such behavior. 
However, she had to act the part, and not blow it. She lit her horn, preparing a spell. 

"It's ok. It's ok," she said in a honeyed voice, waiting for her horn to charge up the spell. While she had a lot of power from this unicorns brother, it still took some time to charge up such a powerful spell. "Everything, will be, Fine!"

She unleashed the spell, a quick green bolt sailing into the prone pony. She didn't even have time to cry out. She shuddered, convulsing on the ground until she stopped moving. If not for a faint rising and falling of her barrel, she could be mistaken for a corpse. 

Chrysalis also shuddered. Mind Break was a powerful changeling spell, and one not easily cast. The spell required a lot of energy, a bit of charge time, and couldn't be cast in quick succession. It was only for getting rid of those who were close to discovering an infiltrator but were too well known or in such a position that they couldn't just disappear. This included her, as despite her family, mentor and other friends leaving her, one friend remained. 

This pegasus would be a problem. She had stuck with the unicorn and likely would ask questions of her disappearance. There was no other way out of the room, and teleporting was loud, so she couldn't just say that she had left. The unicorn would be slightly, out of it, for lack of a better term; and would be easy to spot by her friend. She had to get rid of her. But how?

She pondered things, then came to a conclusion. Even if she could figure out how to get rid of either the Unicorn or the Pegasi, she wouldn't be able to remain in cover for very long after. One of them would get suspicious, and it would be both too much effort and too likely to fail to be worth it. She and the hive had to pull out, reevaluate, and redeploy. But, what to do about the pegasi. 

She once again pondered this, then settled on simply letting the ponies deal with her. It would give her time to pull herself out of cover, as well as weaken the ponies while she was at it. She judged this pegasus to be rather impulsive and loyal; she was its element after all. Anyway, she could get two of her infiltrators to help stack the odds against her. 

"Carapace! Antenna!", She barked over the Hivemind. All changelings were linked to it and could use it to talk to each other in close proximity. However, only the Queen could use it to communicate between individual 'lings over long distances. But she didn't need to use this range. The two infiltrators in question were right here; in the palace.

"Yes, your highness?", both replied almost at the same time.

"We were almost compromised. We're pulling out. However, you two have a special assignment first. I'll send it to you over the Hivemind shortly. In the meantime, get the captured Princess to her room. Make sure she is unconscious. I don't want any surprises."

"Yes, your highness." And with that, the two of them went silent. 

Chrysalis turned back to the still Unicorn. She knew that the spell would take at least another twenty minutes to work. And that was what she was counting on. She straightened up, then walked over to the door where the Pegasi would be waiting. Let's get this show on the road.


+++++~+++++


POV: Infiltrator Carapace

Carapace was a loyal servant of the queen. Because of this loyalty, he had been selected to be one of a few drones to assist in his queen's infiltration of the castle. After the two ponies had left, he had been ordered to go back to his disguises routine. Now, that meant going to the castle's northern gate. 

When she arrived, the other guard stood there in perfect stillness. This stallion, an earth pony named Poisoned Apple, was a bit of an oddity. He was a guard pony through and through; the mindset, the discipline, everything about him. And yet, some of his mannerisms were, to say the least, rustic. This was most evident in his accent, however, it also was somewhat so evident in the way he talked. Either way, he was a pleasant being to be around, for a pony anyway. 

"Hey, Void Gazer. So, how was duty down at the edge of the Captains bubble?", Poisoned asked as the disguised ling took his post. 

"Alright," he said. "Although if I'm being honest, I still think its a bit overboard. I mean, I don't even know half of the ponies on patrol and sentry duty, and I was in the reserves myself."

Poisoned shrugged his shoulders, an act that made his spear nearly fall over. Why do ponies use those things? It's not like most of them can even use it in a proper fight, so why do all of them have it? "Heh, not up to us," the pony said. "Although the Captain does seem to take all of this very seriously."

"Well," Carapace said. "It is his wedding. But the point you raised: does that mean you agree with me? About the sheer amount of guards?"

"Yeah," the stallion said. "Like you said, most of these guys are reserves, and even then I don't know very many of them. Anyway, let's get to business."

The two of them then went quiet, simply staring straight ahead. Carapace never understood the ponies soldiers. The standards were low, the equipment was outdated; he doubted they even did semi-regular drills. They were more for show, and he didn't get it. Sure, they were a bit of a hegemony, but it was still a bit pathetic. 

After some time, Poisoned's shift was over. He left, saying that Wind Waker would be taking his place. Carapace remembered Wind Waker; from what he had heard, she was like a pegasi guard version of the element of laughter. She was so hyper, that it seemed that she always had a whole pot of coffee before going on duty. While it freaked him out, she exuded love energy like a faucet, so he couldn't complain too much. 

Then, he saw two beings coming up toward the gate. One was the purple unicorn, the bride's sister if he recalled correctly. The second looked similar to Princess Mi Amore, yet was only a unicorn and had a crisscrossing pair of red streaks in her hair. He recognized the disguise his queen had told him she would be taking. They were on schedule.

When they arrived, he didn't say anything, but lifted up a hoof and tapped his horn twice, then touched his spear tip. The Mi Amore look-alike sighed, then said, 'Yes, yes, it's me. You remember what I told you.'

'Apologies, your highness,' he said. 'I'm just following procedure.'

'I know that. I made that procedure. Anyway, when is the other guard coming so you can go with her?' the queen said.

Carapace couldn't help but crack a small grin. 'In less than a minute, your highness.'

'Good,' she said, grinning wickedly. 'Stick to the plan.' With that, she vanished into the ground in a swirl of green fire.

Sure enough, in a few minutes, Wind Waker came down. The mare was grinning broadly, her spear running down over the length of her back while she whistled a random tune. She said as she got close, "Hey there, Void!" When she noticed the hypnotized unicorn mare, she said, "Hey, ain't cha the Capt'ns sis?"

"Yes, Waker," Carapace said. "She said something's going happen with Princess Cadenza. Probably nothing, but she's pretty insistent. I'll take her over to check it out. Mind takin' full duty for a few minutes?"

"Wait, 'ow are ya gonna get o'er to the Princesses room. Ain't it on the other side 'o the castle?"

Carapace face hoofed. He then looked back up at the jittery Pegasus, then pointed at his horn. "Oh, right? Stupid me, eh? Alright, I'll take care of it. See ya in a few!" Carapace then teleported the two of them to the outside of the Princesses room. Listening against the door, he heard a bunch of crashing. He smiled. Right on time.

"You," he said to the Purple mare, who stood at attention. "Head on out, go get the princess and your brother. Bring them here. Tell them what your 'dear friend Dashie' did." She nodded, and began to trudge off. "Oh, wait!", he called after her, causing her to turn around. 'Emerge from your shell, servant of the hive.'

Her eyes flared green for a second, then vanished, revealing her normal lavender ones. She then nodded, and galloped off. With that dealt with, he charged up his horn, and prepared to buck down the door.


+++++~+++++


POV: Infiltrator Antenna

Like Carapace, Antenna was a loyal servant of her queen. Unlike him, however, who had been in deep cover for a few years while the queen marshaled the hives armies, she had arrived much more recently. She had also not taken the form of a pony outside of Canterlot moving into the city like Carapaces form 'Void Gazer'. She, instead, had 'lingnapped an important pony for her to use as a cover. The Solar sovereigns aide: Raven Inkwell.

It had been so easy to do. The rooms of the palace staff, even the ones so close to the Princess like Inkwells, were far apart and had very thick walls. Probably worked wonders in the snowy winter of Equestria, but were also perfect sound proofers. As such, kidnapping her was a piece of cake. The walls were so thick, she didn't even put the unicorn in the crystal mines beneath the mountain. She just stuck some of her slime on her horn and mouth, then tossed her in the closet. That was all that was needed.

But, all that was irrelevant. The queen had ordered them to pull out, and that is what they were doing. She had been an infiltrator for years; she knew that things could go horribly wrong in this situation, and knew that a temporary famine would be easier to manage than a major defeat. She knew that the guard could be bested easily, but the sovereigns being aware would complicate matters. Either way, it was an unnecessary risk, one she knew. 

She was currently posing as Raven, doing her job as aide to the sovereign. She was standing off to the side of the Princess, while the groom of the captured Princess stood off to her side, eating some dinner. It was slow, with him poking at the food. She knew this was another complication. Manipulation spells were potent, but took a lot of effort to maintain. Either the caster had to use a lot of effort to keep it up fully, or use a lot less effort, but have the spell be less effective. The result of the latter was generally the subject becoming lethargic, and eventually, catatonic. Evidently, the queen had let the spell slip, only as to keep the captain under her sway. 

She levitated over some papers over to the solar sovereign, saying, "Well, we can probably move it to after dinner, if you all feel inclined to do it into the dark. If not, then maybe at five in the-" She was cut off by the door bursting open, and Twilight Sparkle running in. To herself, while all of the others were looking at her, Antenna smiled. Right on schedule.

Shining looked up from his soup, glaring at her with a glazed over look. "Twilie, I thought I told you to-"

Twilight interrupted him, wheezing out between breaths, "No, *huff*, t-time, BBF, *huff*, FF. Ra-rainbow Dash, *huff*, attacked Cadence. The guards taking her to the Hospital Wing."

That got the Captains and the Princess's attention. They sat up from their seats as the Princess shouted, "Twilight, Captain Armor, Raven; to me." All three of them huddled around the Princess, whose horn lit up. There was a loud crack, a bright light, and they were no longer in the dining hall. 

She had never been in the hospital wing in her, admittedly, short time here, but this was it if she had to guess. The place wasn't the same marble as the rest of the palace, but was instead made of white ceramic tiles with a red line going down the center of the wall. Rooms jutted out from the hall, and the corridor split up ahead. The whole place had an aura of magic in the air, and smelt of anti-septic and disinfectant. 

Celestia pulled over a doctor. "Where is my niece?"

He pointed down the hall. "Down the hall, turn right at the next junction, fourth door on the left. A pair of royal guards will be outside, your highness."

"Thank you, doctor," she said, before turning to the group that she had teleported in with. "Come."

Antenna followed behind the others towards the room, remembering her orders. She was to use a spell to manipulate the pony sovereign into turning on one of the Elements. She didn't remember the name, but she knew it was the Pegasus with the spectral colored mane. It shouldn't be too hard; the Manipulation was a pretty standard spell for an infiltrator. The main problem for her was to get the sovereign alone, or at least alone with the Captain and his sister. They, under the queen's sway, she could perform the spell around. 

Sure enough, the room had a set of guards outside of it, who parted their spears to allow the group to enter. Inside, the room was filled with doctors who all checked machines and lit up their horns to perform tests. The princess herself (The real one, pulled out from the mines) lay on the bed, eyes shut and chest rising and lowering peacefully. 

The princess began to talk with one of the doctors, but Antenna didn't really pay attention. Instead, she focused on the incapacitated Princess. She began to take in minor details of her condition. Light sweating around the base of her horn. Quivering nose, like it itched. Occasional twitching of the neck. She recognized the symptoms; a stun spell, followed shortly by a deep sleep spell and a mask presence spell. It made it hard to detect and hard to pinpoint a source. Carapace always did this part well.

Her attention was torn back to the present situation, as she heard the pony Princess say, "Leave us, please." All the doctors left the room, leaving only the Princess, the Captain, the captain's sister, and herself. Perfect. 

'Emerge from your shell, servant of the hive,' she whispered. The two normal ponies' eyes glowed a light green, but this faded soon to simply having green eyes. The Princess didn't notice, as she was close to her niece. Perfect. She began her spell. 


+++++~+++++


POV: Commander Pharynx

Unlike the other close officers of the queen, who were on standby outside of the magic shield with the rest of the swarm, Pharynx had been ordered to stay inside the mountain. He had a cave coming out of the mountain, over the dome so he could look down. And additional force of Changelings, mostly more experienced drones and the elite Swarm Guards, was in the cave with him. 

He looked out over the city, watching the ponies go about their lives. He could feel the love radiating off of them like the stench off of carrion. He was too far away to taste it, but he felt enough to feed the hive 'til they all grow fat for at least a decade; maybe a century or two if properly rationed out. He couldn't wait.

Then, he heard the fizzle of the queens magic behind him. He turned around, spying the queen emerging from the ground...With all of the infiltrators. 

He asked her, "Your highness. I'm glad to see you have returned, but shouldn't you be down in the pony city, preparing for the wedding?"

Not even looking at him directly, she said, "Commander, we're pulling out." Pharynx did a double-take. Before he could reply, she continued. "Pass this order along to your captains. We pull out just after the moon passes directly over the city. Understood, Commander?"

"B-but I don't understand! Why are we pulling out?"

She glared at him. Despite his fierce reputation and strict adherence to tradition, including an unquestioning obedience to the queen, he could never stand to make eye contact with her. "Are you questioning me, Commander?"

Straightening, he said, "No, your highness. Merely wishing to know why."

"There was a little complication. To stay would have risked discovery before the shield could've been weakened enough. So, we arranged a distraction to allow us to escape. We also leave with something almost as valuable."

"If I may be so bold, your highness," He said. "What Might that be?"

"Knowledge, Commander. Knowledge, that they are so cozy, and full themselves so secure in their hegemony, that they have grown complacent. Their guard is weak, their security light. They are also easily susceptible to infiltration. They are not careful enough to spot me, and a few mere tricks will have them chewing themselves to pieces. If they are all like this, we will be able not only to drain the love from this city, but maybe even conquer it."

"C-conquer, your highness?"

"Yes, Commander. Imagine it: a near-endless bounty of love for us. All ours. The hive fed for centuries to come. We need only to apply time and patience. We may starve in the short term, but in the long term, we will feast!"

As she said this, she burst in to laughter, and Pharynx stood there, watching her do it. He felt uneasy, wary of the change of tradition from the old ways. Yet, he had orders to follow. He turned to one of his lieutenants, ordering him to relay the message, then turned back to his view of the pony city. He felt uneasy about his queens plan; but more so, he felt a bit sorry for the ponies.
> 7~First night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow sat in the Rain for what felt like hours. The rain beat down on her and soaked her to the bone. Yet, she barely felt it. By comparison, it was nothing. By comparison, to the sting of her betrayal.

Why? Why did they do it? She didn't have the answer. 

Eventually, even her numbed body began to feel the rain. It was cold, and she was drenched. With her waterlogged wings, she couldn't fly, but that didn't matter. The mouth of the cave was only a little ways away. So, getting up off of her haunches, she turned around and trudged back toward the shelter of the cave.

Once inside, she immediately felt a little bit warmer, as if the dryness of the cave was excreting warmth. Outside, the rain poured on relentlessly, the puddles outside only getting bigger. She sat back down, half-lidded eyes staring straight ahead at the wall. Not looking at anything in particular; just pointing at some random section of the cave walls, and at some random stalactite. 

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something. A large pair of saddlebags, a small pile of wood, and an envelop. She once again got up and walked over to the items.

First, she examined the saddlebags. Unlike the custom ones she had at home, these were a drab olive green color, with faded brass buckles and a simple, dark brown leather straps. A small slot was in between the two actual bags, one which hung a few tools. A hatchet, a small shovel, and what she thought was called an adze. She then proceeded to open up the two bags to check their contents.

Inside the one on the left, she found a few other, smaller containers. One she immediately identified as a first aid kit. Another, upon opening it, revealed a few pieces of bread. She also found a canteen, a small packet of chocolate, a sewing kit, and a set of wires. Digging deeper, she found a small bottle of tablets; the label said that they were water purifiers. She also found a small box of salt, a leather pouch with a few dozen bits, a notebook and quill, and a pair of flight goggles.

She pulled out and studied that last item. The cord was made of a black, elastic, nylon-like material, which stretched around the back of the goggles. The main bit themselves were made of polished gold, and seemed to gleam even in the darkness of the cave. They looked like Wonderbolt Goggles. All they did was remind her that, now, they were forever closed to them. Sighing, she set them down next to the bag, then opened up the one on the right.

Inside this one, she found a few more items. One was a rock she guessed was to sharpen the tools; why else would there just be a rock, unless somepony was just bucking with her? She also found some rope, a flint and tinder, some dry pieces of wood, some polish, and a folded up tarp. 

She then looked over at the wood. It only about ten to eleven simple logs. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but, given her current situation, she figured what they were for. Fire. 

Actually, that was sounding really appealing right now. Pushing the bags and the envelop away, she pulled out three of the logs. She didn't know how she was supposed to do this but decided to take her best guess. She simply laid out the three logs as close together as possible, then put the dry bark on top. Normally, she was supposed to put rocks around so as not to light the grass and fallen leaves around it on fire, but since she was in a cave, she figured it would be somewhat redundant; so, she just pressed on. She then began to strike the tinder and flint together. 

She then began to appreciate just how hard this was. Usually, when she went camping with Applejack and the others, she let one of them light the fire. Now, as much as she hated it, she had to admit it wasn't something she could get done in ten seconds. The rock and the small piece of metal struck against each other time and time again, yet sparks refused to come forth. Even when they did, it did little good, as the dry bark didn't light. 

Finally, the bark lit. Rainbow grinned widely as the fire began to spread, slowly yet surely. She then thought back to those camping trips again. Not the times with 'friends', but the fire. She remembered that she had seen Applejack blow on the kindling to get it going. Well, since she had wings, she could do one better! She stood back a little, then began to flap lightly. The fire swayed away from the beats of her wings, much like Rainbow had seen happen with AJs blowing. Her smile grew, yet in flashed away in an instant as the fire sputtered out, smoke rising out from the barely singed logs.

Her face contorted into a snarl. "Is this a joke?", she said out loud, despite her being the only living thing in the area. She picked back up the tools she had labored over for almost ten minutes, and looked back at the fire like it was a timberwolf. "I get betrayed by my best friends", she growled out as she struck the tools together. "I get exiled. I have no idea where I am or what to do." Another snarl of anger, another strike of the fire starter. "I'm alone." Another strike.

"I have no idea where I am. I have no idea what to do. I've lost everything. My home. My Dream. My friends. My family!" By now, tears once more began to fall. She furiously struck the flint and steel together, yet nothing came. "Just! Cut! Me! A! Bucking! Break!!" Finally, a spark. The slightly smoldering bark caught fire again. 

Learning from last time, she made sure to only blow lightly. The fire began to spread, and Rainbow dropped the tools and slumped back against the hard, cold floor of the cave. She was breathing heavily, despite barely doing anything. She sighed, then sat back up. 

By now, the three logs had started to burn as well. Heat coursed out of the burning wood, filling the cave with both glow and warmth. Her damp fur began to dry, and she got closer to warm herself faster. It worked, and it made her feel better, but the tears didn't stop. Then, she looked over at the letter, resting on one of the saddlebags. 

She picked it up in her teeth and brought it over to her. She set it down in front of her, far enough away as not to let it catch fire. She then sat there staring at it for a few minutes. She didn't want to know what was inside, for fear it was a damning letter from the Princess. But, in the end, curiosity got the better of her. She tore it open, and pulled out its contents. 

Two items were inside. One was a letter. The other was a photograph. She threw the now empty envelope on the fire, watching the flames grow slightly for a brief second, before dying down. She unfolded the letter, and began to read.

Dear Rainbow Dash,
This letter has been given to your closest Friends and Family for them to say goodbye. This is one of a few things that will be sent to assist you in your survival. Normally, this wouldn't be allowed, but, due to both the service you have done to myself and to Equestria as a whole, I think this is an exception she won't mind. I saw what the other Elements said to you, so they do not have a section on this letter. For what its worth, Rainbow Dash; Good luck, and may Faust shine fortune upon you. 

Sincerely, 
Princess Luna. 

Rainbow figured what was coming, and knew it would be goodbye. She hated goodbye. But, signing in resolution, she read on. 

Dear our little Dashie,

Well, you saw us at the trial. We learn of your sentence just now. Princess Luna gave us this to write our goodbye on. 

We aren't disappointed. We don't hate you for what you allegedly did. We know you. We know you wouldn't do this. We know you were looking out for something or somepony. Please, Dearie, stay safe. Don't stay down; show wherever you end up just how awesome you are! Go get 'um, Our little lightning bolt.

More love then Princess Cadence can make, 
Your Parents.

Her eyes began to water once again. She unfolded the next section.

Dear Rainbow Dash,

So, this is it, huh? How you go out? Well, let's just say I'm sorry. You had so much potential. I knew that at the Race, I know that now. I just wish I wasn't so slow and got you into the academy sooner. You slotted for the next semester, you know. I wish It was sooner. 

Anyway, I'm not one for getting all sappy. Besides, the kid with the Rainbow colored wig is waiting for her turn. She seems like a good kid. She chose a good pony to look up too. I'll look after her, as well as your turtle. 

I managed to get a set of Wonderbolt goggles into the bag they're gonna send out with ya. Consider them yours. Your a Wonderbolt in all but name (And legal protections.) Best of luck to ya.

Sincerely,
Spitfire. 

No wonder the goggles looked like Wondebolt goggles; they were. She was so close to her dream, only to have that taken away too. More tears began to well up; the dam holding them in threatening to crack. Finally, she unfurled the last section. The one she had been dreading the most.

Oddly enough, this part of the letter was stained. Evidence of dried was present, the ink smeared and worn. However, she was able to make out the last few sentences.

And I'll miss you so much, Rainbow Dash. I don't want you to go, but I know you have to. Even though I know I likely won't see you again, I hope to see you again. Goodbye.

Your number one fan,
Scootaloo.

Somehow, that sent her over. Even if she could only read a little bit of it, what she could just broke her down. She broke down. Tears fell down her face and burst on the stone floor. Then she pushed the letter back, far away from the fire. She then curled up, clamping her eyes shut as if that would stem the salty tears. It didn't, and they continued to come, wracking her whole body with quivers and shakes. Soon, the strain and the exhaustion of the situation, despite her not doing much, began to take their toll. She buried her head in her forehooves, and cried herself to sleep.
> 8~Coming to grips
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow looked around a dark void. It stretched on forever it seemed; just, nothingness in every direction. It didn't even seem like she was standing on anything. 

"H-hello?", she asked. Her voice didn't echo like it should in a large space. So, she wasn't in the cave. 

The where the hay am I? She looked around again, hoping to see something. Then, her eyes squinted in focus, she saw something. It was a small speck of white, sticking out like a fur-less pony in the blackness. It wasn't much, and she didn't know what it was. But it had to be better than just standing around. So, she flapped to get off the ground, then dashed forward.

As the white speck got closer, she began to make out details about the form. First, she saw it was in the shape of a pony; a unicorn, by the looks of it, facing away from her. Then, she began to make out their mane, which was a three-toned blue, pink, and green. Next was the slim figure, revealing the pony to be a mare. Finally, sealing the suspicion that Rainbow was fearing, a pair of wings and a sun-shaped cutie mark. 

Rainbow nearly flew right into Princess Celestia, only barely managing to halt herself a few feet behind her. She would have flow backward, yet the Princesses aura latched around her neck. She began to choke, clawing and scratching in a vain attempt to free herself. Then, the Princess turned around. 

Rainbow couldn't help but shudder at the sight. The princess wore a look of annoyed calm, similar to what she had seen her having when she and the others abandoned Twilight at the wedding rehearsal. The glow of her horn, usually a soft, light yellow glow, was now a dark, swirling orange like a fire. However, the worst part was the eyes. They were a swirling orb of reddish light, surrounded by a field of black as dark as the void they resided in. They smoldered like the magma of an open-topped volcano and were fixed with a look of sadistic glee, contrasting heavily with the emotionless gaze she bore.

She didn't say anything. The two simply locked eyes for a while, the Princess choosing not to speak while Rainbow couldn't. Then, she smelt something burning. The Princesses grip began to lighten a little bit, enough for her to get out a coherent action, that being sniffing for the burning smell. It was close; really close in fact. Then, she began to realize what it was that was burning: her.

Her tail burned a crackling orange, the whipping flames snaking up it until it reached her flanks. The fire wasn't painful, even as her cutie marks were consumed in the blaze. Her coat seemed to melt away, the flesh darkening underneath it. Still, it didn't even tickle. Suddenly, off to the side, she heard faint...Screaming? Her vision began to drift around her; at first out of confusion and curiosity, then out of horror.

Around her were many objects, all of which she recognized. Her house, her old trophies, her old ribbons, her
Wonderbolts posters, pictures of her family; all burning. What could be burned did, and what else was left began to melt. Then, she spied ponies. Ponies she recognized. Her parents, tank, and Scootaloo.

All of them were standing with looks of fear upon their faces, the flaming objects surrounding them. As she watched, the fires reached them and began to spread up their bodies like they were the wicks of candles. That was the source of the screaming, and the screaming only grew louder. Now it felt like they were screaming in her ear, and she clutched the side of her head. 

She didn't even notice that Celestia had dropped her. When she did, the ponies present had all burned to death, the only movement the whipping tendrils of fire and the only sound their crackle. She looked up at the Princess, who stared right back. It felt like staring at the sun. Peaceful and pleasant from glimpsed from the corner of your eye, but searing and agonizing when viewed from head-on. The Princess leaned down, gazing into Rainbows eyes from her level, and spoke three words, in a fragmented, watery, and psychotic yet calm voice:

"Now, You Burn."


+++++~+++++


Rainbows' eyes snapped open, and she jerked up. For a solid minute, she simply sat there, panting like a dog. Her breathing began to slow, and she shut her eyes once again. Just a dream. Just a bucking dream.

She had never had a dream like that before. Sure, she had nightmares before. She didn't know a pony who didn't admit to having at least one. But, for her at least, most seemed to involve a massive meadow full of singing and/or smiling flowers. But, this was different. Very, very different.

She shuddered, then sat up. Her back audibly cracked, likely from the less than ideal sleeping space she found herself on. She looked over at the fire; it had almost completely died out. She put another log on top of it and blew lightly on the embers to bring the flames back up. Soon, the fire was burning again. 

She then went over to the saddlebags, which still rested on the stone ground where she had left them after last night. She opened one and felt a little bit of joy when she discovered it was the one with the bread in it. She tore off a piece, then rummaged through it a little more looking for the canteen. When she had recovered it, she pulled it out, unscrewed the cap, then went back over to the fire to enjoy a little breakfast. 

She began to think, watching the fire and absentmindedly nibbling at the bread. About what had happened, and what happened next. 

She knew what had happened. She was gone, in Celestia knows where with limited supplies and no way of going home. Before this, the thought might've excited her. Alone in the wilderness, facing wild beasts and surviving, all while trying to find her way back to Equestria. It sounded like something out of a Daring Do book. Now though; the thought was terrifying. 

She then began to think of what next, while taking a small swig of water from the canteen. What could she do? Well, that all depended on where she was exactly. If she was somewhere close to Equestria, she could maybe head back. Not into Equestria, mind you. She knew that the Princess likely wasn't kidding when she said she would go to Tartarus if she came back. Just, skirt the edges of the country, maybe find a way to get into contact with Scootaloo and her parents. 

She looked out of the cave into the rainy sky, the lip of the cave being the only thing between her and the waters of the world. She thought about why she was her next, seemingly jumping to it at random. Somepony had to have set her up. There was no way all of what she saw could just be a coincidence. Something was up, but it wasn't like she could do anything to help...If she even wanted to now. 

Her gaze shifted down to the crackling flames in front of her. She thought back to her dream, and how it correlated with what she was thinking about. She had seen all of what she cherished burn to a cinder; gone forever. She had nothing, and nothing to go to. No chance to see her family, no chance to achieve her dream: No chance to do anything now. 

She continued to look at the swirling fire, its edges and wood looking almost like it was dancing. She was right; she didn't want to help any of them. Well, her family of course, and Spitfire too. But she couldn't do anything but miss them. The rest, however; they she could hate. They took her dream. She did nothing wrong; they were all the ones who damned her! All of them: Princess Celestia, her ex-friends, Shining Armor. All of them.

She stood up, eyes and face contorted in rage. She felt a slight soreness on the side where she had felt the flare of magic from Celestia, but she ignored it. "You hear me!? I did nothing wrong, and I have to suffer for it! If you can see me, Buck you! Buck you all! And if I'm going to Tartarus, I'll see you there!!"

She fell back down, tears falling down out of nowhere. She didn't feel them, but they came all the same. She was still angry at those who forsook her. Her anger at them didn't abate. What caused the tears then? Simple. She knew that for all that hate, it didn't matter. All that did? That they made it so she couldn't see those she wanted to, ever again.
> 9~Setting out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep again. No nightmare came this time. Just an inky darkness. She was there for what felt like years. Doing nothing. Just nothing. 

When she awoke, she felt two things. One, a lack of heat and orangish light; that meant the fire was out. The second was a different warmth and light. That of the sun. That light shone threw the opening of the cave, falling down on her. She stood up, once more cracking her legs and back as she did so, and walked out to the mouth of the cave. 

The rain had abated, and the area was awash with light. She now saw clearly from her position to the horizon. The rock of the mountain was a darkish light gray, speckled with fragments of a darker gray and smaller ones of white. Below the mountain was a large valley, dotted with trees, hills, and a river snaking through the center, which emptied into the sea on the far side. Said sea took up most of her view; a dark blue color that broke off from the green and brown to stretch out as far as the eye could see from there. The sky was a cheerful blue, the sky cloudless, and the forests and plains below her a sweeping, faded green. 

It could've been mistaken for Equestria, and she still hoped she was close to it, if not for a few details. The most obvious was the mountainside. She had never seen, in person or in pictures, a mountain that looked like this. The next was the lack of habitation. If this was Equestria, she would have seen a break in the trees, or some smoke, or something to signal that something lived out here. And yet, there was nothing. 

She then walked around the edges of the rock platform. At first, she looked over to see if there was anything off to the sides of the mountain. She didn't see anything, and so she looked down. She was high up on the mountain, as the wall of grayness shot down into the earth a great distance before it would finally spread outward, fading into the forest. Seeing all she needed to, she stepped back and looked down at the stone floor. 

She then considered her options. She could always stay in the cave. It could be warmed, it was in a high up position, and it wasn't really all that noticeable. She could slip down into the valley to get food, water, and wood. She could stay here. 

"The hay is wrong with me? I'm Rainbow-bucking-Dash, for cryin' out loud! I'm not just gonna sulk in a cave, feeling bad for myself the rest of my life!", she said. She then realized she was saying this. Out loud. "Ok. Talking to myself also won't help matters."

She figured that something had to be nearby. Even if Celestia went full 'Nightmare' on her, she wouldn't just dump her in the middle of nowhere. She didn't even know of anywhere like that; that had nothing living in it, that is. So, something had to be nearby. She could still scavenge for some food after what she had would have run out. She could last until she found somepony. 

Her mind made up, she turned to head back to get her new saddlebags from the cave. However, before she got far, she saw her face in a puddle. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue; it was just her face. But, now, she noticed something new. 

It was a blackened mark, around her left eye. It appeared to be some sort of brand or a tattoo. It started up at the base of her ear, the black line running down to the edge of her eye. It then spread out a little under it, separating into two designs. One was on her cheek; the lines forming together into a small sun. The other line ran up along the side, completely encircling her eye. She also noticed something white in the center of the black pupil. A small white sun, this one shaped like Celestia's cutie mark. 

She recoiled a little bit, then snarled. That was what that flare of magic along her eye that Celestia cast. A brand. As if what she had already done wasn't enough. She supposed it was to prevent her from coming back in a disguise. She snorted, then continued on to the cave.

She went over to her new saddlebags. Anything she had taken out of them she put back in, except for the letter and the flight goggles. She considered bringing the wood but decided against it. She didn't have all that much room left, and she could always just pick up or cut down more. 

As for the two things that she hadn't put back, she put them in front of her. She read the letter to herself once again. Yet another tear threatened to fall, yet she held it in. She was bucking Rainbow Dash. She was too cool to be crying every ten minutes. Carefully, she folded up the letter and slid it into a secure area of her bag, as not to crush it. She wouldn't cry over it often, but it was still something she would hold onto. 

She then slipped the bags onto her back. A small strap ran along the bottom part, likely to keep it on better in flight. After tightening it, she slipped on the goggles. The elastic band tightened around her head, the lenses resting just above her eyes. 

She then trotted out of the cave again. She looked out over the valley and the sea again, trying to plot a course. Going straight would put her right over the ocean, which likely wasn't a very good idea. Lifting off, she flew around the side of the mountain, to see what was on the other side. 

On the other side, a similar sight to the valley greeted her. A large forest, interspersed with small valleys and clearings, which stretched on as far as she could see. Looking around, she didn't see any smoke or any other signs of other creatures. She looked around, finally deciding on a direction. Lowering the goggles over her eyes, she tensed back, before shooting forward like a bullet, her rainbow-colored trail following behind her. Into the land where she now dwelt; into what lay ahead.
> 10~Wilds(PT. 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow didn't fly very fast. She could fly very fast, of course. It was thrilling to do so. The wind in her mane and her fur. The adrenaline rush from the speed. The thrill of achieving a death-defying stunt. All of it was what she loved; what she lived for. She guessed it was the closest to the thrill of using magic for a unicorn; natural, sure. But at the same time, truly breathtaking. 

However, she couldn't exactly do that here. For one, she didn't know what to expect. She didn't see anything, but that didn't mean anything. Flying predators, dragons, pirates. Even if she knew for certain there was nothing, she still had to go slow. She didn't have a set destination in mind, and flying at her usual speed was both tiring and made her hungry. She could afford both in the safe and food-rich Equestria. But out here, wherever here was, she had little food and no definite safe space. So, she flew slowly for her; still fast enough to produce a faint trail, bust slow enough to conserve energy. 

However, at the moment, she saw nothing in the immediate vicinity. No rocs, hungry dragons, not even a flock of birds. So, she looked down. Just to see anything that might be familiar to home. 

Trees stretched on forever, a sea of green below her. They were unlike the ones of home; these were tall, with dark-trunks and thin spins instead of traditional leaves. Interspersed with the swathes of forest were small clearings. They were host to all sorts of things; a cluster of rocks, a few bits of shrubbery, a pond. Sometimes just a clearing with nothing but grass and bare dirt. 

One thing that was also plentiful in her immediate area was the presence of mountains. Most were far off, large gray silhouettes on the horizon, sticking out like craggy, grey fangs. However, besides the one she had just come from, a few mountains broke up closer. None of them had snow adorning their tips like those one could see from Ponyville, the peaks completely bare. These ones reminded her of the mountain she and her ex-friends had faced the dragon on about half a year back. Dark grey, craggy, with only small trees and clumps of rocks marring its face. 

A few clouds now began to appear in the sky, seeming to appear from out of nowhere. However, these weren't like the clouds back home. These ones weren't so uniform and also appeared to be a lot thinner. At first, she wondered why exactly this was the case: They're clouds. Shouldn't they look the same as those back home, like the mountains? Both weren't living things, so shouldn't there be little variation in them. Then, she remembered why they looked like that; the weather factory. They were produced, and out here, there was no factory. For all she knew, there were no pegasi. So, these must-have formed on their own.


+++++~+++++


She had been flying for hours. The sun had begun to go down on the horizon, turning the sky from blue to a dark, burnt orange. She knew she couldn't fly for much longer, even if she had flown slower then normal. She had fallen asleep while flying once, and it had not ended well. She needed a place to set down.

Her first instinct was to find one of the bigger clouds to rest on. It took a little looking, but she did find a decent-sized cloud. She set down on it as smoothly as possible, legs prodding the surface in test. After a few seconds, she set down fully...and fell right on threw it. 

A few flaps later, she had recovered and looked up at the cloud in anger. She tried again, three times. And she failed, three times. Ok, she thought. I can't stand on the clouds here. Better I know that now than later. But, where do I go now?

She had recently left behind most of the closest mountains, which were at least twenty miles or so back. The sun would fully be down by the time she got back to the nearest one. However, she didn't entirely trust the forest floor just yet. Besides, it would be more likely to offer decent shelter, like the cave she spent the first night in. So, her mind made up, she turned around and flew towards the nearest one. 

It was by far the smallest of the ones she had flow near, yet it was still quite large, with its peak cresting the now thick clouds. She flew around the slightly lower down parts, looking for a place to sleep. Then, she spotted it, another cave like the one she had been in. Flying down, she stopped just outside. Smiling to herself, she prepared to enter when, from behind, she heard a loud snarling.

Turning around, she found herself face to face with easily one of the strangest creatures she had ever seen. It was a small, spindly little creature, with dark grey, leathery skin, and piercing, almost glowing yellow eyes. It stood on only two legs like a minotaur, its other limbs seeming to be used for grabbing or some other type thing, also like a minotaur. Despite its bipedal nature, unlike a minotaur, it stood with a distinctive hunch, making it appear to be much smaller than it actually was. 

For a second, the two of them just stared at each other. Then, the thing snarled and lumbered toward her, using its arms to push itself forward faster. Rainbow spun around on her forelegs and bucked it. Hard. It flew into a rock, and she heard a large *crack* as it hit it. It twitched slightly a few times, then simply stopped moving altogether. 

Then, she heard a lot of snarling, much like the one the thing had made. It came from behind her, in the cave. Turning around, she saw the darkness of the cave entrance illuminated with a multitude of yellow eyes. Then, they came out; dozens of them at least, all snarling, growling and howling as they race toward her. So, she did the only thing a brave pegasi like her could do to keep their pride:

She shot off the ground like a spring and flew down the mountain as fast as she could. Seeing what was in the caves, she decided to take her chances with the forest. She could use something to eat anyway.
> 11~Wilds(PT.2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow darted in between the trees of the forest as fast as she could without crashing. Finally, she stopped and looked back, seeing that those...things from the cave weren't following her. She let out a huff of relief and slumped back, beating her wings slower as she floated down to the forest floor.

The forest was vastly different from down her than her birds-eye view from before. The trees were bigger, the needle-like leaves were a darker shade of green, the bark was a lighter shade of brown. She also saw things that she didn't see from above. A fallen tree, looking as if a bolt of lightning hit the base of the trunk, judging from the massive burn mark around the snapped off bit. A series of small inclines and hills, concealed from above by the canopy. The whole floor, scattered with broken off branches, pine cones, dead leaves, and puddles of murky, brown water. It wasn't like any forest she had been in.

Well, with the cave out of the option, she had to make due down here. So, where to set up shop?

She eliminated just sleeping on the forest floor. Even if nothing showed up to try and eat her, it didn't look very comfortable. The trees also weren't an option. Unlike the trees in Equestria, almost all of the branches were either at odd angles or were to close together for her to shimmy into. The base of the broken tree was looking like the best option but still wasn't ideal. Maybe another spot would reveal itself.

One didn't. Even after ten minutes of darting back and forth between potential spots, eyes squinted in her thorough (for her at least) examination, she found nothing good enough. So, the trunk it was.

She flew back down to it, examining it. The way the trunk fell left a small area for her to lay the tarp over, allowing her to make a makeshift tent. She unstrapped the saddlebags, pulling out said tarp. Upon unfolding it, she discovered a few fixed nails, likely so she could do what she intended; to make a tent. She laid the center of it over the trunk, with it being narrow enough for her to beat the nails into the soft yet somewhat dry ground. She pulled out the spade, using the flat end of the blade to beat the nails into the ground. Putting the spade back, she slid under it and curled up to sleep.


+++++~+++++


She jerked up, gasping as she awoke in a sweat. She panted, hooves gripping her head, as she attempted to calm herself. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It was just a dream.

It was akin to what she had experienced on her first night. The black void. The things she cherished, all burning. Even her family and Scoots. That demon-like Celestia. The screams tearing through her ears, suddenly replaced with the silence bourn from her awakening. All of it. 

Standing up, she stretched and moved over to slip under the flap of her makeshift shelter. Once she was out from under it, she shook like a dog, sending bits of semi-dry mud and dead needles everywhere. Pulling out the shovel again, she used it to pry the nails out of the now much drier dirt before folding up the tarp and sliding it back into the bag. She pulled out a small bit of bread to have for a light breakfast. Then, she fumbled for her canteen. Uncorking it, she saw it was empty. 

She looked over toward the nearest source of water; a murky brown puddle. Even with the pack of water purifiers in her bag, she didn't really trust that puddle. Just bucking PERFECT. Now I need to find some water as well as somepony else. Hope you're getting a laugh out of this, sun-flank! Mumbling under her breath, she slid the canteen back into the bag and shot up into the air again. 

The sun was just cresting the wall of mountains in the distance, casting strange shadows over the land below. Rainbow once again looked around at which way to go. Once again, she simply did a little bit of random choice. This time, she flew parallel to the mountain range in the distance, heading what she could only guess was north from the position of the sun. 

She still flew quite slowly, still wanting to conserve her energy in case she needed it. Evidently, from encountering those things last night, she would. Things went smoothly. Like yesterday, nothing really bothered her. No large flying things, no birds, not even any abnormally large clouds. 

Also like yesterday, she saw much sprawl out beneath her. More trees, more rocks, more hills. She also saw a few more animals. A small group of things that looked kinda like deer. A few of those small grey things from the cave last night. A few birds, nesting on or near trees. However, nothing that seemed to really be very large, or seemed to be able to communicate. 

It was about noon, by her guess, when her ears swiveled to a new sound. Up until then, all the sound she had heard was the wind whistling by her ear. But now, she heard something else. A strange noise, one she couldn't really describe. She was never good at descriptions at school; flowing, would be the best way she could describe it. Looking up ahead, she smiled. 

It was the thing she needed at the second place on her list. A river. A dark blue line, seeming to follow no set shape or pattern along its banks. It cut across the land below her, standing as a large contrast between the forest and the river. It flowed down this path at a slow, almost lazy pace, with only a few small parts of the blue breaking apart to reveal white spurts. Rainbow smiled; it was part of what she needed.

Flying down, she came to a stop along the rivers edge. She scooted up to the edge, leaning on a rock to keep her balance and prevent falling in. She didn't want to put strange water in her canteen, having that be the only thing she could drink for a while. So, she cupped up a hoof of the water. Taking a sip, she smiled. The water tasted exactly how it should: tasteless. Plus, it looked pretty clear now that she was closer. So, she dug around for her canteen, uncorked it, and dipped it into the lazily flowing river. 

As she did, she heard a faint squelching noise. Looking over, she saw one of those deer-like things from before a ways down the bank, head leaned down to drink from the water. From up high, they had just looked like deer with strange-looking tails and ears. Now, she got a better look at it. 

It still looked a lot like a deer. The antlers, the fur color, the general shape. However, she was now able to pick out the other aspects much better. The ears were more cylindrical and were tilted downward rather than upward. The tail wasn't the cute little bushy thing Fluttershy had shown her once at something she had been dragged to. Instead, it was a long, scorpion-like tail covered in a thick carapace. It looked over at Rainbow, and after seeming to acknowledge her, it went back to drinking. 

Rainbow finished filling up her canteen, closed the cap, then sat back on the rock. Ok, part on of my plan to stay alive for the next few days a success. Now, about finding other creatures...

She knew that just flying around the wilderness would get her nowhere. She couldn't last much longer on what food she had left, and there was no guarantee she would even find anything. Now, maybe if she followed the river... That could work. May be more likely to find something near a source of clean water. Ok, this still isn't much better, but its something. Here's hoping I find something or somepony soon.
> 12~Her innocence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been two days since she had begun to follow the river. For those days, while she had plenty of water, she had run out of food. She knew she had some time to find some, but she still didn't like not having it. She had also still not run into anything remotely resembling a sentient being. Sure, she had seen plenty of those deer things, once or twice a pack of those gremlin things, and even a bear, but nothing that talked or seemed to be able to at all.

She flew along with half-lidded eyes, by now confident that nothing could really harm her up here. The river bubbled along lazily below her as she scanned the land for anything that resembled something made by creatures. Instead, all she got? Trees. More trees. Even more bucking trees. 

As she had flown along, the mountains, once far in the distance, became much closer and much more distinct. The worn gray stone of their peaks faded into the sloping valleys at their bases. She then saw the source of the river she had been following; a steep waterfall in between two of the peaks. She had reached the end of the bucking river, and not one house, sentient creature, or even a piece of shaped or cleared wood not done by her. 

She hovered in the air, wings beating to keep her aloft as she contemplated. Still nothing, and she had come to the end of what she thought was her best hope. Maybe there was nopony else. Maybe Celestia, in her seemingly never-ending, out of nowhere cruelty, had sent her to some forsaken island in the middle of nowhere, populated only by animals and those gremlins. Maybe...she was all alone. 

She considered this possibility. What if she was all alone? What would she do? What COULD she do? Just, sit around and do nothing, waiting to-to die? The thought made her shudder. Not even the that of death, necessarily. But the one of her dying alone, with nopony or nothing to remember her. Or at least whose last memory wasn't of anger or misery. But, what else could she-Wait...

She saw something. Out of the corner of her eye, a small brown line, cutting through the trees like the river had. Following it, she saw the point where it met the river. A decent-sized bridge, much like one she had seen outside the stadium when she went to Plotsburg for a Wonderbolts show with her cousin when she was younger. It was made of thick wood, the main body being a slab of wood with a few logs under it for supports. The brown line continued beyond the bridge, twisting and turning up the mountain as far as she could see. While she had never seen one like it, even in the rural town of Ponyville, she still knew what it was, and what it meant. 

A road. An honest, Celestia-damned road! And with a bridge made of wood that looked that good, that meant that somepony had to be nearby.

She smiled, which then contorted to into a grimace. Her wings had been used near-nonstop for days, and that use was coming back to bite her in the flank. Well, there is a road down there. So, I suppose I can walk for the rest of the day.

She set down on the road next to the bridge, folding her wings into her sides. She sighed in relief, relaxing as the strain on her wings was lifted. She looked around at her. This defiantly had to be close to somepony. The road was decently well worn, and the bridge also looked in good condition. She then looked down each end, deciding on what way to go; Left, down across the bridge back toward the river, or right, up toward the mountain?

Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to go right. Not really for any reason, but the fact she could still have time to go back and explore down the other end. Either way, she simply went that way, following the path as it curved up the mountain. 


+++++~+++++


The sun was falling behind the horizon as the path began to level out. Looking up, she saw the mountains loom high in front of her. Looking up the path, she saw it go straight for a while, then slowly begin to slope up again toward a gap in two of the mountains. Looking back down the road, she figured that she should set up camp soon, as not to move in the darkness. A little further, then set up camp.

As she trotted along, she began to feel a little uneasy. Like something was watching her. She looked from side to side, eyes narrowing. Suddenly, she heard a small clanking of chains and a faint whistling noise. Her legs jerked her together, bound up and held together. Losing her balance, she fell flat on her face, groaning.

She struggled, attempting to free herself from whatever she was trapped in, when she heard rustling behind her. Along with this came a gruff laugh. "Bene, bene, bene. Quid enim hic sumus?", said the same gruff voice as the laugh. 

As Rainbow turned her head, she saw the source of the voice. It was an earth pony with a dark green coat and a pale green mane styled back into a mohawk. He wore a crude-looking set of armor made up of leather and scrap metal. A set of bolas hung from his belt, likely what he used to trip her, and he held a knife in the corner of his mouth. However, she looked far different than any other pony she had seen. He was thin, and his pale amber eyes were wild and a bit bloodshot.

He trotted up behind her, sliding the knife under the strap of her saddlebags. He then pulled them away, throwing them in front of him as he began to rummage through them. With the additional weight off her back, she was able to turn her head fully to bite at the bolas rope. 

"Huh. Nemo scriptor. O bene. Ego coniecto et ad hoc valet-" He was cut off as Rainbow bit through the ropes and launched herself at him, bucking him hard in the side of the face. He staggered forward, before whipping around to face her. His face contorted in anger, he snarled, "Et bitch! Im 'agnus die esse extinerare vobis!"

He lunged at her, jerking his head back and forth to swing the knife. She used her wings to bolt backward, then try to fly above him. He switched his grip to one of his hooves, before leaping up and taking a swipe at her wing. He landed a strike, hitting her wing near the base. She tumbled to the ground, grinding a small crater in the ground. 

He was upon her in nearly an instant. He brought down the knife, which only just avoided stabbing her by her gripping his foreleg. He added pressure onto her, with the blade slowly but surely inching closer and closer to her face. She saw him smile, a wicked, sick grin. In desperation, she rolled to the side, using her non-injured wing to beat him in the side. She scrambled to her feet, and quickly turned to face him. Only to be met with a sight that chilled her to the bone.

While rolling, he had accidentally stabbed himself in the throat. Blood gushed out of his neck as he gripped around the wound, desperately trying to close it and stem the bleeding. Yet, despite his best efforts, he couldn't, and the thick red liquid leaked out of the wound, more seeming to flare out as he rasped out gurgling, wheezing breaths. He shuddered, the blood now starting to leak out of his mouth. Finally, after at least a minute, tensed up, then went completely limp. He then just laid there, blood still coming out of his neck in spurts. 

Rainbow just stared at his now dead body. Then, she turned to the side, her head poised over a ditch along the roadside, and emptied her stomach of whatever was in there.
> 13~Run, Dash, run!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After puking her guts out, Rainbow just stood there, quivering as she looked at her own vomit. Her mind had dropped dead, and it failed to send her body any new signals. So, she sat shaking for a solid five minutes. While her movement had stalled, her thoughts raced. And at that moment, if her mind was a pegasus, it would have just pulled off a Rainboom.

She had just killed somepony. Yes, she had been defending herself from him. And of course, she had been in fights before. But, those had always just ended in one of the participants having a few bruises, maybe a cut or two, but nothing that couldn't be fixed in a few days if not hours. But, now.....

What have I done? This thought kept replaying over and over in her head. She knew of course. She had, despite it not being intentionally, killed another pony. The faint sound of leaking blood and the horrible stench was proof of this. But, actually dealing with it; well...

Finally able to snap herself out of the trance she had put herself in, she turned around, looking for a way to distract herself. The medkit in her bag, for the knife wound on her wing; perfect! Squinting in her right eye so she didn't have to look at the corpse, she walked over to the bags. 

The stallion had cut off the strap underneath the bags, the one that would keep it on her while in flight. She would either have to fly slow of fix it, both of which she wasn't ready for. One step at a time, Dash. One step at a time. 

She reopened the flap of the bag, rummaging through it for the medkit. She found it near the bottom and pulled it out, then opening the box itself. Inside, she found a few rudimentary items. Bandages, disinfectant, a needle and thread (which she found rather grim), a couple of pills, and a bit of twine. She turned to examine the wound on her wing. 

It was a rather shallow cut, only skimming the skin beneath the feathers. Despite this, she had hurt her wings enough to know if it would get worse. And here, it most definitely would. A small amount of blood had leaked out of the cut, turning dry and crusty around the wound. She knew that if she put more strain on it, at best it would bleed a little more and hurt like Tartarus. And she didn't want to think about what would happen if there was a worst-case scenario. Needless to say, she kind of needed to patch it up. 

Before she could even get started, she heard more rustling in the bushes. She jerked as fast as she could to face this potential threat, and felt herself pale at the sight of what came out. It was more creatures dressed in similar armor to the one she had killed. all armed with a variety of weapons from knives like the first pony had to one having a massive mace. Yes, creatures; there were two more ponies out of the eight present. However, the rest were all creatures she had never seen before. 

Of the other six, another four were these strange cat-like creatures. Despite its noticeable feline features, these creatures were far from Rarity's cat. They were large, easily as large as Big Mac, and almost just as muscular. They had no fur; instead, their bodies, at least from what she could see, were covered in hard, bony plates with spikes protruding out. What wasn't covered by these plates were a dark grey leathery skin. They had sharp yellow eyes and long, curved fangs. 

One of the remaining two creatures was also one she had seen before, or at least something familiar. It resembled a griffin for the most part: the head of an eagle with the body and tail of a lion. However, while griffins had the forelegs similar to that of a bird's talons, these creatures were still that of a lion, as well as having no wings. 

The final one was easily the most pony-like, but was still rather different. It had some similar body structure to an earth pony; hooves, leg structure, and a general snout shape. However, that was more or less where the similarities ended. It has a rather small, bushy tail, and slit yellow eyes. It's most noticing feature, however, was a pair of massive, curved horns extending from its head, forming a shape from the side that was almost like a circle.

One of the grey cat things said, still in the weird language as the earth pony, "Et occidit Shank. Sinit heac cunnem!" They then began to run toward her. Rainbow was in no condition to fly, so she ran. 

She had ran fast before. She had tied AJ for the running of the leaves. Even if she had come in last, she had still run pretty fast for the first part. However, there were a few factors. One, while the running was on smooth, level ground, the road was uphill. Second, she wasn't wounded during the running. Both of those were big factors, yet not the biggest. That honor went to the fact that, while it was a race, she was just running to see who would win. She wasn't running away from the ponies, or other creatures in this case, who were trying to kill her. 

It didn't help that they had a bit of a head start. They were right behind her, swinging their weapons. The only good thing was that most of them had to slow down a little or take time to recover after each swing. She had gained a bit of a lead, and began to feel a little bit better when she felt a sharp whistling noise zip by her head. She saw a hard, shaped metal dart hit a tree in front of her, and imbed itself in deep. This caused her to pick up speed even more, but even this wasn't enough to get enough distance between her and them, now that they revealed they had projectiles. 

In desperation, she began to flap her wings, hoping to get airborne. She knew this wasn't healthy or even safe, but she had little choice in the matter. Better to deal with an issue later than to die now. Despite the pain in her wing, she was eventually able to get off the ground. From here, though her wings protested heavily and forcefully, she was able to put quite a bit of distance between them and her. 

Up ahead, she saw the leveling out path reveal something. The closer she got, the more she was able to make out. It was a large wall made of logs, sharpened into spikes at the top. A few towers dotted the wall, along with a larger one in the center, just off from the main road. Below that tower was a large gate, also made out of wood with what appeared to be metal reinforcements. 

She didn't know what it was. An outpost, a town, a set of ruins. But, from the smoke coming from it and the figures of what she could assume were guards walking along the walls, it was inhabited. Maybe they would help her. Maybe she could get some answers as to where she was. Maybe she could-

*Smack* A large impact struck against the back of her head. The force sent her forward a little, but threw off her coordination. Her wings beat out of sync, and she angled toward the ground. With a yelp of alarm and terror, she impacted the hard-packed dirt of the road. She tumbled head over hooves as she bounced off the ground, before skidding to a halt so hard, she ground a hole in the ground. 

The impact left her head spinning and ears ringing. She felt a light liquid feeling on the back of her head, even as she lifted it out of the dirt. Ahead, she heard a loud creaking, along with yelling and stamping of feet on the ground. Behind her, she heard the same yelling and stomping. Darkness washed up over her, and she couldn't tell which one was closer. For better or worse, fate would be taking its course of who would decide hers.
> 14~Awakening
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbows eyes cracked open, gazing up into murky darkness. Her lids felt heavy as rocks, and attempted to close back over her eyes. Through sheer force of will, she managed to keep them open, despite the weight. Her whole body either ached or was numb, though which parts were which was hard to tell. 

Finally, her visions cleared enough for her to make out what she was looking at. It wasn't a roof of trees or a cave; instead, a ceiling of wood. Firm beams of the same dark wood she saw in the broken tree out in the woods. It was packed firmly together, a few boards running perpendicular to the rest holding them together. A few nails gleamed in the light from a source that lit the room, previously unseen. 

Slowly, she recovered more of her strength, and used her hooves to lift herself up a little. She was in a small room, lit only by a large fire blazing in a fireplace along the right wall. A small shelf stood in the corner, laden with small bottles and pouches. Other than that, the room was pretty bare, as far as she could see. The only way out that she could see was a large wooden door. 

She sat up, feeling a faint wheezing in her chest. A previously unseen red blanket fell from her upper body, falling down to her midsection, just below the base of her wings. Where am I?; that was the thought that came to her mind. Last thing she remembered, she was hit in the back of the head by...something, and flew into the dirt. 

Doesn't matter, she thought. I'll find out. Up and at 'um, Dash. She slid more of the blanket off, finally the heavy burden falling to the floor with a muffled *thump*. She then adjusted her hooves to the edge of the bed she was in. She slid them off, feeling the wooden floor beneath her hooves. She then slid more, her whole body now off the bed. She stood tall for a second...

...Then promptly fell to the floor. The back of her head, the base of her left wing, and her ankles all felt like they had all burst into flames. Her head smacked the hard floor, and she cried out in both alarm and pain. She winced, seething in agony as she attempted to pull herself back to her hooves. A few seconds of slow lifting, then the pain in those points flared again, and she fell back to the floor again. 

Her ears twitched, picking up a faint sound. Hoofbeats on a floor, coming from the next room. Then the door open, and a loud gasp. "Vah, quid agis de cubili tuo?", said a female sounding voice, albeit a kind of scratchy one with a weird accent.

Looking up, she saw one of the grey cat things, like the ones with the armor that chased her earlier. This one, however, wasn't wearing the strange scrap armor, or even any armor at all. Instead, she was wearing a brown shirt-like thing, with long sleeves leading down to just above her paws. Of course, she didn't register that she likely wasn't one of the ones that attacked her. Instead, it was that she was one of them and that it would hurt her. So, like whenever she was scared, or alarmed, or whatever, she tried to get up, attack it, and get out. 

Keyword being 'Tried'. Instead, while raising herself up, flaring out her wings to gain some balance, she fell back to the floor a third time. She winced, then felt something under her foreleg lifting her up. It was the thing. It lifted her up, and placed her back in the bed. "Ibi sunt. Lucuit mihi?"

Rainbow looked at her, her eyes darting over her. She didn't have a weapon, she didn't wear armor, she wasn't trying to hurt her. This finally registered, and she finally calmed down a little. However, there was a simple problem. "I-I don't know what you're saying." 

She cocked her head, a confused look crossing her face. "Quid?" 

"I can't understand you. I just can't.", Rainbow said. Then she a cough shot up through her body, her chest flaring in pain as her throat dried and constricted. The thing walked over to the shelf in the corner, coming back to the bed with a small vial filled with red liquid. 

"Hic vos. Ne hoc veru. Hoc tibi auxilium", she said, uncorking the vial and attempting to pour it down her throat. At first, it went down smoothly. Until she tasted it. It tasted like wet clothes and moldy hay. However, the thing had clamped her jaw shut, so she couldn't really spit it out, and she didn't want it in her mouth for very long. So, she swallowed. She did feel better, the dryness fading and the chest pain also fading. "Ibi, vini. Iam de te. Demosian non potes dicere, non possum?"

"If you're saying 'can I understand you,'" Rainbow said. "Then the answer is yes. I don't understand a word your saying."

"Et quod sic accipere ea quasi.'' She said. She then turned to the still-open door and yelled out, "Dennis!". A second later, another creature appeared. This one was similar to the wingless griffin that had chased her. However, he also wore no armor or even any clothes at all. His fur was also a different color: a darker brown than the other one, while his feathers were still the same shade of white. 

"Quod hoc mulier?", he said. His voice lacked the scratchiness the cat-thing had, but still bore the same distinct accent. 

Speaking of the cat-thing, she said, "Usque ad caput Void Gazers store. Petere si ea non possumus uti translatione rune. Dic ergo illi ut opus illud for romamunm atala devastantque inveni extra custodibus." 

"Obtinut eam." After he (she guessed from the voice and build it was a he) said this, he walked off out of view. 

The thing then looked at her. "Ego opus ad curam aliquid sunt. Lustus palulum requiescam. Vale." With that she left, shutting the door behind her. 

Rainbow sighed. She didn't understand a word that either of them said, and she guessed that they didn't understand her either. So, things were at a stalemate. Either way, it was abundantly clear that she was in no condition to leave, seeing as she couldn't even reach the door without falling over. So, as much as she hated it, she had to wait it out. Besides, she was a little tired. Laying back, she shut her eyes and let sleep wash over her.
> 15~Simple talk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow snapped up, panting lightly. Once again, her dream. Only, it wasn't just things she had back in Equestria that was burning. She saw other things in the raging infernos. A letter of acceptance to the Wonderbolts. A small gold bracelet, like the one her mom had shown her that her dad had given her at her proposal. A stark white wedding dress. A crib. What the hay is going on? Why am I having these dreams? I'm Rainbow Dash! I'm not like that traitor Fluttershy; I don't jump at my own shadow. Why won't these dreams stop!?

"Licuit vos, carissimi?", said a voice from the door. Turning her head to the door, she saw the same cat thing from earlier, along with a new figure. This one was an earth pony, a mare to be specific. She had a faded light red coat, a burgundy mane tied back into a braid, and pale blue eyes. The oddest thing about her was a cutie mark: a single line with a small dot about half-way down it. 

"Damnare." the earth pony said. "Jumpy, non est hoc?" Rainbow sneered at her at the word 'Jumpy', despite her surprise that she said the word in Equish. 

"Iam potes facere justum? Non enim totum diem", the cat thing said.

The earth pony snorted as she stepped forward, pulling out something from a small satchel. It was a simple cord with a small stone on it, carved with various weird designs. She, not very gently, pulled out one of Rainbows hooves, tightening the cord around it just below her knee. "Wow, et ego unum impaticent taninin putavere esse. Scis,-"

Suddenly, something in Rainbows head went *click*. The front of her head ached for a second, then cleared up. It was a weird sensation she couldn't fully describe. She also saw the bracelet thing glow a light green, then fade. The effect was immediate: "-I know no one likes being called out for their hypocrisy, but still, can you at least be a little subtle about it."

Rainbow then chose the most eloquent words she could think of to enter the conversation. "What the buck!", she said. "How the Tartarus can I understand you now!?"

Both of them turned to look at her. "Well, at least it worked," the cat said. "Now, we can at least work some things out. Void, you can leave."

"You still owe me for this, Cass." With that, the earth pony left out the door, leaving just her and the cat, which was apparently called Cass.

"So, now that you're awake and able to talk to me, let's talk. Do you know where you are?" 

Rainbow cocked her head. "Well, do you mean in general or in specific. In both cases, no, I don't."

It was Cass's turn to cock her head and look confused. "What do you mean, in general? Where are you from?"

"Equestria."

"Never heard of it."

Rainbow took this in. She had kind of hoped that she would be close enough to Equestria that maybe she could slip in. Maybe dye her mane and find a way to contact her family. But, if Cass hadn't even heard of it, then what hope did she have of finding it? A faint tear worked its way out, which didn't go unnoticed. 

"Are you alright? I mean, besides the injuries from the crash and the bandits."

Rainbow sucked the tear in. She wasn't weak. She didn't cry. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just something in my eye. W-what did you mean by injuries?"

Cass didn't seem to buy it but dropped the subject. "Well, yes. When the town watch brought you to me, they had just dug you out a half-paw deep trench you carved into the road. As for your injuries, well, it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before. At least, for the most part, anyway."

"What do you mean, 'for the most part'?", Rainbow asked. 

"Well, it's not like anyone in town has wings or anything. Fortunately, the wound wasn't too deep, so it was just a quick patch up and bandage. The other two, however, were a little more serious."

"Like what?"

"Well, first was the slingshot to the back of your head. A minor depression, and a slight fracture. The other wounds were what appeared to be a skin fracture on your legs, just above your hoof. Nothing serious on its own, however, the crash caused an infection. I've had to cut them out, and it'll take some time to heal."

"Why exactly are you helping me?"

Cass smiled. "Well, I'm the town apothecary, aren't I?"

"Are you?", Rainbow deadpanned. 

"Heh. Yes, I am. Names Cass, by the way. And you?"

"Rainbow Dash."

"Huh, that's a new one. Well, I supposed the Terrans in town do kinda have weird names. Void Gazer, Meat Hook, Boulder."

"What do you mean Terrans? You mean earth ponies?"

"Earth ponies? That's, not what they're called. They're called Terrans."

"Not where I'm from." Then another thought according to her. Huh, look at me. Little idea pony. "If you don't know about Equestria, how do you have Earth ponies?" 

"I don't know. They've been around since anyone can remember. Just have." After a brief silence, Cass continued, "Anyway, most of your wounds have healed up nicely. You should be able to leave in about a day or two. If you need anything, just ask." As she left, she stopped and said, "One more thing. Steven, the Bighorn who runs the branch of the Demos Express here in town said that he wants to talk with you when you get better. Just so you're aware."

After she left, Rainbow slumped down, looking down at the bed. Ok, so, what did she know? While there were Earth ponies, or Terrans, or whatever, they didn't even know what Equestria was. And since they didn't know WHAT it was, they almost certainly didn't know WHERE it was. So, she was bucked.

She signed. Well, I guess I have to adjust. Now, she was curious about this Steven creature. What did he want? Why her? Whatever it was, it could be interesting. So, when she could leave, she would check it out.
> 16~Burkesh
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Cass had judged it was safe enough to remove the bandages. Upon this, she saw the wounds. A long gash near the base of her wing, where her feathers met her fur. It was mostly healed, however, was far from when she was hurt in Equestria. It was fairly obvious; thick, noticeable, and crusty with scabbed over blood. Rope burns and a few smaller scabs dotted her lower legs where the bola hit her. She couldn't see the wound on the back of her head, but Cass told her it was a big bruise that looked a bit like a squished blue passion fruit (whatever that was). 

Rainbow was certainly feeling better, if still less so when she normally left the hospital after an injury. Well, better physically. When she asked if she had any of her things, Cass told her all they found was her goggles, which she gave to her. Everything else, the brigands now had. Her letter was likely just a few ashes in a fire pit. 

When she saw the Pegasus's downtrodden expression and posture, Cass said, "Listen, sorry about that. I ain't the guards. Hey, how about I get you something for breakfast. Consider it a going away gift." She trotted into the building's main room, heading for a door on the far side. "Just stay here for a second."

Rainbow looked around the room. It was a waiting room of sorts, although it was, like everything about this place, a rather run-down version of the Ponyville hospital. It was mostly empty, the only furniture being a couple of shoddy looking wooden chairs. A small desk was against the wall against the door, also made of cheap wood and shoddy construction. The room she had come from was down a small hall, with another set of rooms in front of it. The whole place was a simple brown of the wood. The only light in the room came from a small window at the corner of the left wall, and a small lamp on the desk. 

A few minutes later, Cass returned, carrying a small plate in her mouth. She set it down on the desk, nodding her head over at it to give her the hint. Walking over, she saw one of the oddest breakfasts she had ever seen. It was a small loaf of bread, a smaller chunk of cheese, and a small piece of strange-looking fat. Still, food was food, and her stomach cried in a mighty crescendo, begging for food. 

She picked up the fat thing. It was a light whiteish-yellow color and was a shape of a long hay burger. It seemed a little crumbly, so she figured it wasn't the best idea to just look at it. So, she brought it to her mouth and took a small bite. It was crumbly in texture as well, yet it wasn't too bad either. A bit slimy, but it was a perfect mix of salty and sweet, with a slight bitter taste. "Not bad. What is it?"

"Smoked mountain bass."


+++++~+++++


From what she guessed by what the food was and how much of it there was, she guessed breakfast wasn't as important a meal her was it was in Equestria. It was the most important meal of the day there, but not so much here. It was light, meant to give a boost for a short time. At most, it was meant to take ten to fifteen minutes. Her first proper breakfast lasted an hour. Most of that was spent hunched over a bucket, puking out the bits and pieces of that first bite. 

"How was I supposed to know you don't eat meat of any kind? Terrans can eat meat! I didn't think you had too much of a different diet!", she cried in defense of Rainbows yelling. 

Not really having a legitimate come back to that, Rainbow just thanked her for the rest of the food and asked where the Demos Express was. Cass told her: "Just leave, follow the street down to the square, then turn left. You'll know it when you see it". Rainbow thanked her and slipped out the door, covering her eyes from the brightness. 

When they adjusted, she saw what she could best compare to a rundown and dilapidated Ponyville. The street was a simple brown dirt path, uneven and bumpy. The buildings along the square, including the one where she came from, were all made of planks of wood and thatched roofs. All of the buildings were dirty, rundown, and one or two looked like they were falling apart. As seen in between the buildings, she saw the same wall of sharpened logs as she saw when she was chased down the road.

Sighing, she looked down at the goggles in her hoof. They were in pretty good condition, all things considered. The golden rims were a little dirty along with the lenses, but nothing a quick wipe down couldn't fix. I can't believe it. This is all I have left. She slung the band around her neck, letting the goggles dangle around her neck. She looked down the street each way. One way led to a dead-end along the wall, with no square or opening in sight. So, she turned and began to walk the other way. 

As she walked, she took it all in. First, the buildings. Even a closer and longer look showed her that they weren't as well made as those in Equestria. She did see that they weren't just a bunch of cobbled-together logs and fabric. They had bases made of rocks or bits of what she guessed was hardened mud. Most of them appeared to be houses, however, she did see a few shoddy awnings and signs, indicating shops. These were mostly things that Equestria actually didn't have, and in fact, she couldn't think of a place that did. An armorer, a butcher shop (she couldn't help but shudder at the sight of it), a store that sold stims (whatever those were), a tavern, and one that she guessed was the store that the earth pony, or Terran, or whatever they called them here, came from. 

Next, she took in the people. Most of them were the same four she had seen up until this point. She had learned from a talk with Cass that the cats were called Caragors, the griffin-like ones were Demigryphs, and the weird canine things were called Tao Tei, and of course the Terrans, or Earth ponies to her. Most of them that were out at this time looked at her suspiciously, as if she at any time would try to jump them and steal all of their stuff. Unlike in Equestria, most of them wore clothes, with only a few exceptions. Mostly these were cheap cloth shirts and hats, broken up by the occasional leather or padded clothes. Every so often, she saw the form of a metal-armored figure walking down the street, a weapon either clutched in their or strapped to their side. These were the guards that had saved her; maybe even one of them actually did. 

The more she saw, the less she saw it was like Ponyville. In Ponyville, even on a gloomy day, most ponies were smiling and going about their business in a merry mood. This wasn't the case here, with most of the creatures possessing a grim radiance about them, as if life itself had beaten them down with a sledgehammer. The wall and the guards were also obvious differences, along with the unusual, at least to her, stores and creatures. 

After about five minutes, she reached the Square. Once again, the contrast between her old home and this new town was visibly apparent. The town square in Ponyville was paved with a cobble floor and had a large statue of Princess Celestia in the center. This one didn't have a statue, and the square was simple worn down and hard-packed dirt. There was a similarity to that place; the market stalls that surrounded the perimeter of the square. These were also advertising products, which appeared mostly to be gathered wild then cultivated like at Sweet Apple Acres. Others were advertising meat and fish (Just ignore it, Rainbow. Just ignore that absolute disgusting display.), tools, and one or two those Stims again. She was almost tempted to go over to one, just to see what the buck a stim was when she saw her objective.

The Demos Express building was a massive contrast to the rest of the town. It was made of brick and had a roof of shingles as opposed to the buildings of wood and thatch around her. It also had a big sign made of painted wood that read 'Demos Express', giving no deception as to what this building was. Well, let's find out what this Steven wants.
> 17~Job offer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow pushed open the wooden door to the Demos Express building, trotting in after it. The room was well lit by a pair of windows and several candles. Upon entering, she was greeted by a wall. A door was in the corner of the wall, with the rest of the wall taken up by a large desk. Behind it, sat a female Demigryph, wearing a dark brown and light yellow checkered shirt and a red bandana around her neck. 

"Can I help you, Ma'am?", she said. 

Rainbow said, "Yeah. I-I'm here cause someone named Steven wanted to see me."

"Ah, ok. You must be...Whatever you are that the guards gave ol' Cass. Just wait here a minute. I'll go get the boss." With that, she stood up from a seat hidden behind the desk and walked off. 

There wasn't anything for her to sit down on, so she more or less just stood there. Looking back and forth, she didn't really see much. Just the same boring wood and shadows that she saw on her way into the building. She sat down, then folded out her wing to look at the injury. 

It looked a lot worse than it likely was. Sure, the scabbed over wound and the dried blood would hinder her somewhat, but it was negligible in flight at worst. However, it itched like Tartarus, and she had to resist the urge to scratch and pick at it. She looked up at the gap in the wall. Still nothing. 

She began to tap her hooves and shift slightly. She was never able to sit still for more than a few minutes at most, especially when she was bored. Looking down, she studied her legs next. They were also only lightly injured, at most a few cuts from what she guessed were the ropes digging in particularly hard or something. Then, she remembered a rather important thing about these two wounds in particular. 

The pony; the one who she had killed on the road. She began to breathe harder, a look of panic crossing her face. I-I killed somepony. I killed them. She knew it was an accident, and that he had attacked her. She had also killed that weird animal out of that cave about a week ago, and a few timberwolves back in Equestria. And sure, she had gotten into fights with other ponies. But none of these comforts helped to alleviate the guilt. 

"You all right, miss?", said a voice that cut through the silence of the room. Looking up, she saw that Demigryph standing in the now open doorway. 

"Yeah. I'm fine", Rainbow replied back, hoping her voice didn't crack or something. That would be so uncool.

"If you say so," the Demigryph said. "Well, in any case, Mr. Tyler will see you now. Just go up the stairs at the end of the hall. His office is the only room on the second floor."

"Thanks." She trotted past the demigryph, who in turn slide past her into another door leading back behind the counter. Rainbow followed her instructions, going to the stairs at the end of the hall and going up them. At the top, she found a small door, a small metal plate saying 'Manager: Tyler B.' on it. She didn't bother knocking and simply pushed open the door.

Inside was a small room, dominated mostly by a large desk overflowing with papers and a chair in front of it. Behind it sat one of the pony-like creatures: A Bighorn if she recalled correctly. He wore a nicer looking white shirt, a small black scarf, and a hat similar to the one Applejack wore when playing Smart Cookie at the Hearths Warming play. "Ah, hello," he said. "I see you let yourself in. Well, come, take a seat."

After she sat down, she said, "Alright, I'm here. What is it you want?"

"Straight to the point. I like that." He then reached under his desk, pulling out a clay bottle with a cork over it and two wooden cups. "Care for a drink?"

"No thanks." Now Rainbow was starting to get a little frustrated. 

"Suit yourself." He poured himself a cup, sliding the unused cup and the bottle back into the desk. He then took a sip, sighed, and leaned back in his chair. "So, to business. Now, from what the guards told me, they found you in a crater just outside of this town, at least half a dozen brigands chasing you. Correct?"

"About the gist of it." 

"And said crater they found you in was in the middle of the hard-packed dirt road?"

"Yes, now can you get to the point!?"

"Ok, ok. Now, it is to my understanding that you, supposedly, flew; And that you made the crater when you crashed after a brigand hit you with a sling. Is it true? Can you fly?"

Rainbow couldn't help but puff out her chest and crack a grin. "Not only that, but I'm the best flyer in Equestria!"

Tyler cocked his head, his eyes blinking. Celestia, that's creepy. "I- Can't say I've heard of Equestria."

Her cocky smile turning awkward, she said, "Right. Heh, heh. Point is, I'm good."

Now it was Tyler's turn to smile. "Excellent. Miss... I'm sorry, I never got your name."

"Rainbow Dash."

After a barked laugh, he said, "You equines always did have funny names. Anyway, miss Dash, I have a proposition for you. One that I could make great use of your talents for."

"And that job is...."

"Tell me, miss Dash. How often have you seen one of these posts? Of the Demos Express, I mean."

"Um, just this one. I'm kinda new around here."

"Ah, I see. Well, point is, the Demos express is primarily a caravan company. We use pack boars and carts to transport goods between various towns, farms, etc. However, we have recently started employing couriers; Individuals transporting smaller packages to locations either further away or more isolated. Now, generally, these couriers have to be well-armed, armored, and be very skilled, as there is plenty who would be willing to hurt them on the road. Brigands, wild animals, and gods know what else. However, in your case, you can bypass all that all together! You don't need to stick to the roads; you can fly right over them!"

"So, you want me to work for you?"

"For the company, yes. It pays quite well, and due to your, unique biology, I'm sure I can arrange an even larger sum for you. What do you say, eh?" As he finished, he held out his hand over the desk, no doubt waiting for a shake. 

Rainbow thought it over. On one hoof, she didn't know If she could trust him. However, looking it over, she saw the other hoof had a better point. She needed work, she would be able to fly, she could maybe make something over herself. Besides, it wasn't like she had anything else going for her. All she had were her goggles, and she couldn't really think of anything else she could do for a job. So, this was probably the best option she had.

So, she reached over the desk, took his paw, shook it, and said, "You got yourself a deal."
> 18~First run (PT.1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well, first things first," Said Steven. "I just need you to do a quick delivery. Not too far, nothing too serious. Just an evaluation of your skill and speed. And if you get back alive."

Slightly unnerved by that last bit, Rainbow said, "Er. Well, what do you want me to do?"

"Like I said, just a simple run. One of the town guards, Cameron, has a sister who lives in Shorris, another town down the road. Roughly a week as the average courier walks. I want to see how fast it takes as the....I'm sorry. What are you called?"

"A Pegasi," Rainbow groused. 

"Ah, yes. Thank you," He said as if he hadn't paused in the first place. "Anyway, as fast as the pegasi flies. You go to the express post in town, get the address, then deliver the letter and come back. We'll discuss your payment when you're done. Sound alright to you?"

"Sure."

"Splendid. Splendid. Now, just go downstairs and talk to Diana. She's my receptionist and the one who handles the storehouse. She'll hook you up with some gear and the letter. Just come on up when you get back."

Rainbow walked down the stairs, contemplating her new job. She was, essentially, a glorified mailmare. Just bucking perfect. Well, not like I got anything better to do.

When she got downstairs, she knocked on the door that Diana had gone into. When the demigryph exited, Rainbow said, "Steven said you would hook me up with some stuff?"

"Ah," she said. "So, he hired you as a courier, huh? Well, hope you last. You seem like a nice equine, and couriers don't last long, even when compared to caravan guards. Anyway, yeah, I'll get you some stuff. Follow me." 

While not regretting it, Rainbow was beginning to feel a little nervous. Already both of her co-workers had stated how dangerous the job was, and it wasn't exactly a cheering crowd to inspire her. Well, a little late to pull out now, eh Rainbow? 

Diana led her into a room behind her desk, lit mostly by an oil lamp hanging from the ceiling. The still pretty dark room was mostly full of boxes and sealed clay pots/jars. A series of alcoves dotted one wall, the alcoves mostly filled with smaller boxes. She could see the labels, but apparently, the runic thing-a-magig was only able to translate spoken words, as she had no idea what they said. Diana went to and pulled out a bin on the lower levels of the alcoves, and pulled out some clothes and other items. 

The clothes were simple enough: a red cotton shirt, brown leather wind-breaker, and a black hat that looked somewhere between a fedora and a baseball cap with a red band. All of them looked old and well worn, with even a few holes poking through. Additional objects included a leather single saddlebag (She had seen this style before; they were strung around the rear legs as opposed to the flank and were designed to rest on the lower part of the back, just above the flanks.), a canteen on a braided cord, a rolled-up bedroll, a bandana, and a sheathed sword.

"Here's your stuff. Go ahead, put 'um on." As Rainbow complied with the command, Diana continued. "I'll leave the letter on the pack, along with a map and a compass. Just take it to the Express place in Shorris, then to the persons house, then back here. No detours, as few breaks as possible, and the gods preserve you if you lose the package. Now, I still got some work to do, so just come back out when you're finished." Without even waiting for Rainbow to respond, she wheeled on her paws and left.

As she left, Rainbow finished sliding on the windbreaker. It was a little tight on her, and wasn't in the best condition in the first place, but it would do. Rainbow didn't like wearing clothes all that much, but she felt it might be necessary. If nothing else, she had been asked to, and she didn't really want to lose her job after barely five minutes. That would be so un-awesome. 

She slide the bag over her hind legs, clipped on the canteen to the side of it, and fastened the straps to the bedroll. Then, she simply stood and looked down at the sword. It was more a long knife, barely coming past 12 inches of blade as far as she could tell, held in a simple black sheath. The leather-covered handle stuck out of the end, with a simple metal bar running out of one side acting as a guard. Rainbow spent a good two minutes just looking at it. 

She didn't want to take it. She had seen what she had done with just a knife, and she didn't want to kill somepony else. Even with all of her bragging about being in fights back home, it made her sick to her stomach. Slowly, she calmed herself, rationalizing it in her head. It was a simple mantra she repeated to herself, which she somehow knew was false but hoped would be true: I won't have to use it. It'll just be to scare them off. I won't have to use it. It'll just be to scare them off. I won't have to use it... Finally, after a little more hesitation, she picked up the surprisingly heavy blade and tied off the sheath loops to the side of the bag. 

She put on the hat, then trotted out the door. Like she said, Diana was at her desk as she walked by, looking over a few pieces of what looked like rough paper, not even bothering to even acknowledge her. Rainbow followed suit, walking out the door without a word. Once outside, she pulled out the map, studying it. 

According to it, Shorris was actually kinda far away. Like Tyler said, it was a long walk off, if Rainbow was reading the map correctly, almost 60 miles. She saw a few other towns as well: Berrlot, Falkorville, Attaistown, and Stromae. Roads and paths crisscrossed the map like a pile of worms somepony dug up during a storm, heading in one direction as they split off and formed junctions. A few places had a red X over them, which Rainbow guessed were areas to avoid. In the corner, she saw another arrow, this one pointing off the map toward someplace or something called 'Pryhia'.

Well, enough standing around with my plot in my mouth. Time to head on out. Rainbow spread her wings, the cracking muscles feeling nice and loose from their extended rest. A few experimental flaps, a quick sneer of focus, and she shot off into the air like a train from a station. She smiled as she did a quick loop in the air, basking in her freedom. "Ohhhhhh, yeah! I still got it!" After a few seconds of simply flying above the town, she angled back and dashed parallel to the ground in the direction of Shorris. 

At least, she thought it was. She didn't look at the compass, nor the sky, and ended up going the wrong way. When she realized her mistake, she had flow for at least half an hour. With an annoyed sighed and a slumped back, she whipped around and shot off in the right direction this time.
> 19~Nightmares and fears
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow had been flying for almost six hours. She didn't really trust her sense of direction all that well, and so simply chose to follow the road beneath her. Sure, she could probably get there faster, but she didn't really want to get it done too quickly. She had nothing else to do, after all. Point was, she had flown far and was getting tired. 

She lowered herself down to beside the road, eyes darting side to side. She didn't see anyone or anything but still didn't want to take chances. She pulled the bedroll out, unfurled it, and laid it down in the ditch along the side of the road. It wasn't the most pleasant place she could've settled, but it was dry, looked somewhat free of leaves and pine cones, and would be well camouflaged from the roadway. Not wanting any surprises, she tucked her hair up into her hat, laying the bandana over the rest to cover it. As darkness encircled her, she shut her eyes, allowing it her to swallow her completely. 

"Welcome," it seemed to say. "Welcome to my realm."



+++++~+++++


Rainbow opened her eyes, figuring that if she didn't see the hard-packed dirt road and high up canopy of trees, she would be greeted with the dark void of her dreams. Soon, items and ponies she cherished would appear and begin to burn, screams and crackling filling her ears to the brim. She had seen it before many times and had even started to grow used to it. But, no; this was not the case tonight. 

Instead, she saw a plain outside Ponyville. It was a bright, sunny day, marred only by the occasional cloud. In the distance, many notable landmarks of the familiar town stood out. Downtown dead ahead, the Everfree forest to the right of town, Sweet Apple Acres next to it, and many other notable landmarks in the town itself. The vague forms of ponies made their way throughout the town, and the weather team was moving a few clouds out of the storage building behind the town hall. Rainbow took it all in, grinning widely. For a second, she thought she was home. She had taken a nap along the edge of town and had dreamed all of that. The wedding, the exile, the...Killing. 

Then, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. It was a dark, shadowy shape, gliding across the planes outside town. At first, it looked like a shadow, and that is what her mind first told her. Then, she saw that there was no cloud above it and nothing else that could cause it. Then she picked up other details. A pair of eyes, glowing a sickly green with purple mist emerging from the sides. Red iris's with slit pupils sat in the center of the eyes, both seeming to ripple with malicious glee. As it moved, dark black crystals seemed to spring up from the ground. 

It was heading toward Ponyville when it suddenly stopped. Rainbow wanted to fly over, but for some reason, her wings and even her hooves wouldn't respond to her brain's impulses. Still, she had a good view of what was going on. 

It had stopped before her friends. All of them stood in a typical style, like when they had faced Discord. Twilight and AJ standing firm and resolute. Pinkie bouncing up and down, face adorned in a smile. Fluttershy, with a scared look on her face, hiding behind AJ. All wore their elements, and Rainbow still wanted to fly down. Even if she didn't really know what was going on, she still wanted to help defend Ponyville. Until she saw the sixth figure facing down the Shadow.

It was Twilights brother. He wore a similar look and posture to most of the group. She looked and saw a few pieces she was known for. Fluttershy was cowering behind him when she usually did that to her. He was with them in the first place, which should've set off some red flags. Then, the final nail in the coffin, she saw what was around his neck. A golden collar, adorned with a red jewel, like her Element. Only now, instead of a lightning bolt, it was a shield. 

She was too far away to hear anything but could tell that Twilight was saying something. They then began to float up into the air, eyes shut and a serene look on their faces. She heard the telltale hum of the Elements of harmony being readied. Then, all was consumed in a blinding light. 

When it dissipated, the shadow was gone. Her friends and Twi's brother floated back down to the ground and began laughing and giving high hooves. Rainbow looked on. It was like they had left her behind. They had forgotten about her. They had moved on. She snarled; by her estimates, it had barely been two weeks! She made more effort to move, to get down there. But then, she saw something that made her heart skip a beat and her struggling cease.

Scootaloo ran up to the group, smiling happily. Specifically, she ran up to Shining Armor. Even so far away, Rainbow knew the look. She had seen it plenty of times. She hoped beyond hope that it wouldn't happen; that she was misreading the look. But, no. She wasn't. Scootaloo pulled out a paper and pen, held them up to Shining, who picked them up in his magic aura. Then, he proceeded to sign it. Scoots, who had been her fan, president of her fan club; Hay, almost a little sister, had jumped for joy at getting an autograph from Twi's brother. From the guard captain. 

From her replacement. 


+++++~+++++


Rainbow snapped up, her hat and bandana falling from her head next to her. She panted like a dog, eyes darting side to side. Where she was came rushing back to her: Wrapped in an itchy bedroll, in a ditch along the side of the road. The moon was high overhead, a crescent sliver cutting through the darkness of the sky. 

She shivered, and not just from the cold. What had she just seen? Obviously, it was a nightmare. But...But. Rainbows' thoughts shot all over like a pinball machine. She couldn't get a coherent thought out for a solid five minutes. But when she did, she asked one question. How true was it?

Not whether or not it happened, of course. That was stupid; nopony saw events in their dreams (Well, except maybe Pinkie). No: it was how real was the context. Had they replace her? Was there a new Element of Loyalty? Had even Scoots moved on? Would she be forgotten? Would anyone even remember her?

These thoughts, and the fear of what she would see if she went back to sleep, kept her up all night. When Celestia's dawn emerged, despite how hungry and how tired she was, Rainbow set off.
> 20~First run(PT.2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was about midday when the town, Shorris if she recalled correctly, came into view. From a distance, it looked a lot like Burkesh. A wall made of sharpened tree trunks, a large door wooden door with guard posts, and a sandy brown dirt road running along both the outside and inside of the wall. However, as she got closer, she was able to make out a few distinguishing details. 

For one, the buildings were mostly made up of old, somewhat crumbly-looking stones; the only wood on them being planks and somewhat thin sheets blocking up holes and the roofs. From the shape of a few of the larger structures, it looked as if the town had been built out of an older place. Like somepony had built a new section of Ponyville into the old castle in the Everfree. She also noted a few areas of the street, mostly near the back of the town on the far side from the gate, looked like they were made of a primitive type of cobblestone. 

She scanned the town, looking for the Demos express office. She soon spotted it, as it stuck out like the one in Burkesh did. However, here it stuck out for a different reason. While the one in Burkesh stuck out because it was made of brick where the rest of the town was made of wood, this one stuck out for the opposite reason: it was made of wood as opposed to stone. It still looked very well made, and still had the painted 'Demos Express' sign. 

Rainbow darted down, coming to a halt just above the ground in front of the door. She then touched down and walked inside. She was greeted by a similar sight to the building in Burkesh; a bare room, with the far wall made up of a door, a large space for the receptionist, and the rest was a wall. This time the receptionist was a rather alarmed looking male caragor. 

"What in gods name-We're closed!", he barked. Rainbow just sneered. 

"Then why is the door unlocked?", she replied.

After a brief stuttering, he said, "Well, listen here. Unless you're a courier, we're closed. So, bugger off."

"I AM a courier," she deadpanned. 

The receptionist seemed to relax. "Well, why didn't you say so?" Before Rainbow could fly up and start yelling in his face, he continued, "So, who do you have a package for?"

She unclipped the leather bag on her back, pulling out the letter. It wasn't a letter by her standards; more a scroll-like she had seen Spike send to Princess Celestia then an actual letter. But, she wasn't really taking notes. "Yeah, here it is. I wasn't given a name, but I was told it was to the sister of somepony named Cameron."

He cocked his head in confusion. "You mean Chrissie? She's a caragor, not Terran."

Rainbow signed internally. That's gonna take some getting used to. "Yeah, whatever. Can you just tell me where to find her?"

"Sure," the receptionist said. "Just leave the office, go down the street, then hang a right. She's in one of the apartments above the butcher's shop. I don't remember which but just ask the butcher, Meat Hook. He should tell you."

Rainbow shuddered. She was already a bit uncomfortable with the whole 'Even-ponies-out-here-ate-meat' thing. Now, she had to go into a shop where they sold meat. "Thanks." She then turned and trotted out the door. 

If she had been paying attention to where she was going, she probably wouldn't have missed the large, armored demigryph with the ax standing right outside the door. Even still, she almost bumped into him. Taking an alarmed step back, she looked up at the stern and emotionless eagle-like head. Behind him stood more armored figures, also mostly demigryphs.

"Mind telling me who the hell are you?", he asked in a very deep, booming voice. 

Rainbow backed up, smiling nervously as sweat beat down her head. She laughed nervously, but before she could say anything, the receptionist came out from behind his desk. "Derek, goddamn it! You going blind or some shit? She's a courier!"

"Then how the hell did she get inside? We didn't see her come in the front gate."

Rainbow huffed, then unfurled her wings. "This answer your question, eh?"

All of them backed up in alarm, staring wide-eyed at her wings. "Dracmes, mother of Damocles! You have wings!?", said one of the stunned guards. 

"Yep", Rainbow said as she cracked a wide grin. "And the best flyer you've ever seen, too!"

"The only one we've ever seen, so you win by default", she heard one of the guards mutter. 

"W-well then", said the Derek. "Our apologies ma'am. Just was a little suspicious that you didn't come in through the gate."

"Heh. It's fine", Rainbow said. "Now, if that's it, I'll be on my way." She then took off into the air and shot down the street. Looking down at each end of the street, she finally saw the butcher shop at the end of the street. 

She came to a stop outside the stone and wood structure. A sign in Demosian (Which the rune didn't translate) hung above the door, likely indicating what this store was. However, she didn't need the sign to detect what this place was; all she had to do was sniff. The scent of dried meat, blood, and other foul smells she couldn't place wafted out of the store, almost making her puke then and there. Still, a job was a job, and she wasn't one to back down. So, clamping her nostrils shut as would allow, she pushed open the door.

A faint clicking noise resonated throughout the store. A large counter greeted her, bits a small metal cage separating her from the meat. Other bits of it hung from hooks behind the counter. A staircase went up out of sight in the corner. Behind the counter, a somewhat bored looking Dull red-coated Earth Pony stood, wearing a leather apron with his even light brown mane pulled back above his head. He perked up upon seeing her, stating cheerfully, "Hello ma'am. What can I get an out' a towner like yer self? Stag? Ghul, perhaps?"

Rainbow was confused at first, but then she realized what he was asking her. He wanted to know what kind of meat she wanted. She scrunched up her muzzle, barely holding in a gag. "What? No!", she said, before calming herself. "Listen, I'm a courier. I have a message for Chrissie. I was told I could find her here."

The Earth po- The Terran slumped down a little, but answered, "Oh. Ok. Yeah, she's here. Just go up the stairs. She'll be the room on yer right. Have a good one."

Rainbow nodded and went up the stairs. Arriving at the top, she saw two doors. Knocking on the right, she heard a loud series of bangs and crashes. Wincing slightly at the noise and yelps of alarm, she backed up as she heard steps by the door. It swung open, revealing a Caragor in a black cotton coat, wearing large framed goggles and whose face was smeared with a black resin. She smelt rather foul, like something that was recently burned.

"Ah, you must be one of the mercs I sent out a request for. So, do you have the saltpeter!?", she said, words seemingly tumbling out of her mouth. Rainbow stepped further back, now out of nervousness. 

"The what?", Rainbow blurted out. "You know what, don't answer. No, I'm not a merc. I'm a courier, and I got a message from your brother for you."

Chrissie slumped down slightly, clearly saddened. "Oh, ok. Sorry, I was expecting someone to bring it to me. I offered a reward for it, anyway. Sorry, I've been told I can be a bit eccentric."

Understatement, Rainbows mind chorused. "Well, if that's it", she said, handing the letter to her, "I'll be on my way."

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks", Chrissie said absentmindedly. Rainbow trotted back down the stairs, until she was out of the odd caragors sight, then turned around and walked into the store. Not bothering to stop, she walked outside, then took off, hoping to get away from both the smell of meat and the stench of the burnt stuff. Whatever the buck that was.
> 21~Pay and how to use it
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The flight back was equally as uneventful. And by that, she meant the exact same things happened. She passed over a stretch of the road. She saw a variety of weird-looking animals from high up, looking down as they went about their business. A few small ruins that stuck out of the trees lack cavities. Oh, and the 'Wake-you-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-panting-like-a-dog' type of nightmares whenever she tried to sleep.

Rainbows' eyes drooped as she soared over the trees. Her whole body ached, much more so than her usual flights before this point, even after her exile. Normally she was well rested and well fed when she flew, but she had partaken in so little of either activity that she was running on empty. Even now, her stomach ached, begging for food, and her head ached, begging for sleep. Both she desired, but both she had to deny.

Finally, after almost half a day of flight, she caught sight of Burkesh again. She was finally able to take in the town from above. It was actually pretty big, only being a little bit smaller than Ponyville. Like what she had seen, most of the houses were made out of wood, with basic thatch roofs and stone foundations. She was able to, however, spot many major differences. The first, and most obvious, was the large wall and gate. Ponyville had no such barrier. There was also a lack of fields and farms surrounding the town; just a near-endless expanse of woodlands in every direction. And of course the much larger variety of creatures. 

Rainbow sighed. No point in looking back, she thought. No way I'm goin' back anyway. She let loose another sigh, followed shortly by a loud yawn as she touched down outside the Express building. She pushed open the door, trudging along, only barely managing to stay awake. Diana smiled as she fully entered the office, putting down a few scraps of parchment. 

"Ah, you're back. Good," she said. Her smile turned to a slight frown as she took in Rainbows state. "Are, you alright there? You look about ready to keel over, for Damocles' sake!"

"Sorry", she said. "I, I just didn't sleep well. It's fine."

"Are you sure? I mean, did you push yourself for the job? Cause if you did, you shouldn-"

"I'M FINE, OK!?", Rainbow snapped. 

Diana recoiled, then said, "Ok, ok, ok. I won't push. Anyway, I'll go get your pay. Wait here." With that, she disappeared behind the door. 

Rainbow sat down, waiting for her to come back. Her drowsiness came back to her, and her eyelids suddenly had a weight tied to them. She looked over, hoping to find anything to distract her. A plain, boring wall. A simple wooden shelf behind the counter. A plain, boring floor. Rainbow probably would've fallen asleep on the spot, if Diana hadn't come back, holding a crumpled bit of parchment. 

"You sure you're not ok? You look ready to collapse."

"Look, I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine. Now, you said something about pay?"

Diana didn't look all too convinced but chose to drop it. "Yeah, ok. Here: standard courier fee, plus a little bonus."

She handed Rainbow the paper, which she then turned to study. It was a rolled-up bit of papers, each about the size of a receipt totaling up to about 100 of them. The parchment was rough and coarse, and looked less like paper and more like glued together bits of bark. A line went down the center of the paper, with a half circle on either side of it. Besides that design, there was small amounts of Demosian writing below said design, and another line running horizontally along the center of the bill.

Looking back up from the papers, Rainbow said, "What the buck are these?"

Shooting her a now annoyed look, Diana said, "You shove 'um up your cunt so you don't get pregnant during a nighttime party. It's barter script, for fucks sake! What else could it be?"

Rainbow looked back down at the wad of 'Scripts', then back up at Diana. "I don't know. I've never even heard of 'Barter script' in my life. We use bits where I'm from."

"What's a bit?"

"*Sigh*. A bit is a small gold coin that-"

"Gold!?", she said, eyes suddenly going wide. "You came from a place where the standard currency was GOLD!?"

"Um, yes?"

Diana sighed. "Boy, that sounds nice. Anyway, here we don't have the...Whatever the hell you use to make coins, let alone any large amounts of gold. We got lots of trees though, so yeah. We use those. About five script will get you a meal, or maybe a stim. Other amounts will get ya other stuff."

"Like a place to sleep? *Yawn*."

"Er, yeah. But, well, since you work for us, you can probably just ask the office guy to lend you a spot to lay out your bedroll. Might not be as warm as an inn room, nor as comfortable. But it's still pretty safe. Point is, you can sleep in here."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Although, you did say you had issues falling asleep?"

"Yeah, why?", Rainbow said, her drowsiness starting to make her grumpy.

"Well, you might need something to help you get some sleep. A tired courier is like a pausa without teeth or claws; useless and likely to get itself killed. Point is, you should get something to help you with that."

"Like?"

"Look, go outside and head to the market place. Look for a stand with a red awning and a Terran that looks baked off of his mind. His name's huffer; he'll hook you up with something to help you get some sleep."

"Alright. I'll see you soon." With that, Rainbow walked out the door. She fumed silently to herself; she was Rainbow Dash! The best flyer around! She didn't need help going to bucking sleep! But, well, maybe it would be best to have it. Just in case, right? Either way, it was still daytime, and she didn't feel too much like just going to sleep yet. So, it was a time-waster if nothing else.

So, she entered the market area in the town square, looking for a red awning. She finally spotted one, along with the pony who manned it. She didn't exactly know what 'baked' was supposed to look like, but she guessed this was it. 'It' being a look of being both tired and incredibly happy about something. He wore a red shirt that matched his coat almost perfectly, and had a cutie mark of one of a needle that looks like they were made out of bones. His stand was packed with lots of small wooden boxes, a few of the bone needles, and a whole lot of cloth bags. 

Walking flying up to him, she stopped to hover in front of him. Given how rare it seemed to find a winged creature here, she would've expected him to start staring. Instead, he just giggled to himself and said, "Wooooah. Damocles, I need to lower the dosage. Ma'am, I swear you look like your flying."

"I am", she said. She was already starting to hate him.

"W-what kinda shit are you on? I-I want some."

Rainbow patience was worn thin as wire. He was the wire cutter that broke her. "Listen here, buddy," she said, flying up to an inch from his still smiling face. "I've had it up to here with buckers like you today. I just want to get something to help me get to sleep in case I need it. So, can you get it for me or not?"

He just smiled. "Well, why didn't you just say so? Here," he said, sliding a wooden box to her. Opening it, she saw a couple of small multicolored pills in a nearly see-through casing. She didn't want to know what the casing was and defiantly didn't want to know what was in them. "Just take one if you need to be knocked out like the sun at sundown. More then one, and you can have you're self a party, though. Do you want more?"

She snorted. "I'm fine. How much?"

"Oh no. First one's free!" As she walked away, he shouted after her, "Hope you start sleeping well! Have a good night!"
> 22~Stims
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"AHHHH!"

Rainbow bolted upright. Her breaths came out in short, panicky bursts. She braced her hooves against the hard, cold wooden floor as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Slowly, as her breathing slowed to a normal pace, she was able to make out a few shapes. The flat-topped mountains of boxes and crates. The dark outlines of shelves. She then remembered where she was. 

After she had gotten the box of weird-looking pills from Huffer, she had gone back to the office. Diana told her that Tyler was out, and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. After the sun went down, Diana had gone back to her house, leaving Rainbow alone. She had chosen to stay here instead of getting a hotel room. It was closer, likely not too different in quality if what she had seen out this place was any indication and a whole heck of a lot cheaper. So, she had pulled out her bedroll again, laid it out in the surprisingly warm storage room, and passed out. 

Of course, her dreams just wouldn't let her catch a break. She couldn't pick out much of it in the jumbled mess of her awakening, but some she was able to recall. Mostly words and phrases; short snippets of conversations. She clutched her head and began to cry a little bit as some of them popped into her head. 

"How could you, Ms. Meanie McMeaniepants!?"

"Why you no good varmint!"

"I'm ashamed, Dashie. Of both you, and myself for seeing you as a friend."

"Shut up! I can't believe I thought you were cool! You're just a bully and a jerk!"

"You are no daughter of mine. I'm very disappointed in you, young lady."

Rainbow groaned, trying to filter it all out. It's not real. It's not real. It's just a nightmare. No matter how much she repeated this to herself, she couldn't shake the feeling. Something was wrong. She had screwed up somehow. She was hated back in Equestria. Not just by the princesses and her former friends; they could all rot in Tartarus for all she cared. No, she was scared that Scoots or even her own parents hated her and didn't want anything to do with her. She knew this was likely not the case. Scoots ran her fan club in Ponyville, and she wouldn't be surprised if her parents had a shrine to her somewhere in her house. But the fear persisted. 

She sighed, eyes drooping once again. She knew what would happen: Like clockwork, she would fall asleep, have a nightmare, and wake up a few hours later, feeling barely any better rested. This was the cycle for almost the whole time she was out here, and it showed no sign of stopping. She needed something to stop it. No point nor practicality in looking like a zompony. Then, she remembered the box she had gotten from Huffer.

She fumbled around in the dark for a few minutes, finally pulling the small box out from her bag. She slid open the cover, then reached inside with the tip of her wing. After a few pats of bare wood, the tip of the feather finally slid into a small notch in the box. Feeling something wet and sorta sticky, she wrapped her wingtip around it and lifted it out. She slid the lid back on and dropped the pill into her hoof. 

Even in the darkness, she could make it out somewhat. Then she could make out the muted colors of the pill: a light red with splashes of cyan and green. The muted aspect of the color came from the wrapping; she didn't want to know what it was but had a sneaking suspicion it was something to do with animals. It also smelt weird, like a mix of salt and her mom's alfredo sauce. Not wanting to chicken out of something that could help her, she clenched shut her eyes and tossed the thing into her mouth. 

Unsure of what exactly she was supposed to do with it, she just let it swirl around in her mouth for a bit. Nothing seemed to happen. She figured that swallowing it probably wasn't a good idea. Maybe she had to bite it? Shrugging her shoulders, she bites down. It had a bit of a weird, almost fatty texture, and tasted like slime. An equally weird liquid spread out over her mouth as the innards of the pill leaked out. It then either slid down her throat or leaked into her mouth, leaving just the rubbery shell. She swallowed that, then sat waiting for a second. Then, it hit her like a train.

It was as if all the world was flying as fast as she could, streaks of colors and lights shooting through her eyes. All the while, she was seeming to stand perfectly still, just taking it all in. A rush of sensations rushed over her. She was both alert and drowsy. She was flying at the speed of light and standing still as Discords statue. She winced in pain and moaned in euphoria. All this in under a minute. The blurring and lights faded from view, yet the sensations failed to follow suit. A dopy grin spread over her face, likely the first legitimate smile she cracked since waking up in that cell in Canterlot. She didn't entirely know. 

And that was another thing. The pill made her thoughts scatter and jumble, becoming an incoherent mess. She was barely able to form any coherent thought. A thought of fear, anxiety, panic or of regret. All of it was washed away under a tide of pure, unfiltered bliss. She didn't care; it felt great, freeing. She didn't mind one bit. 

About five minutes passed with her just sitting there, grinning and maybe even letting out a light giggle or two. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end at some point; here was no exception. As the feeling came, it seemingly just disappeared. The smile faded, and she shook her head to recollect her thoughts. Or, at least attempt to. 

The portcullis of her eyes suddenly roared back to life, trying to force themselves shut. At first, she resisted, though she didn't really know why. She was tired after all and had no reason to be awake. But, some sort of unclear feeling wanted for her to maintain even a sliver of consciousness. Some strange, urge, for lack of a better term in her addled state, wanted to keep her awake. However, her brain signals finally died down, and the part controlling sleep assumed control. In a second, her head fell back, and she was swept away back into the void. 

And for the first time in nearly two weeks, it stayed a void. No fire, no fear, no betrayal; no nothing. Just the bliss and serenity of a deep, peaceful sleep.
> 23~Future with the company
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow woke up, sliding herself up on her wobbly forelegs. She slid herself out of the bedroll, swaying side to side. Finally able to right herself and to look straight ahead, she smiled. She felt great!

Whatever the buck Huffer had given her, it helped. She didn't know what it was, and a part of her kind of didn't want to know. But still, it was great. She hadn't felt this well rested since before she had begun working for the Ponyville weather team. Everything seemed a little shinier, the light coming in through the open door a little brighter, the shadow of her new boss a little darker... Oh, wait.

Looking up, sure enough, she spotted her boss. He was looking at her, his small beady eyes flickering with confusion. "What exactly are you doing in here? And why do you have a box of Huffer's stims next to you?"

She finally managed to get to her hooves, and said, "Well, Diana said I could stay in here instead of paying for an inn. As for the stims, well, I had a little bit of a problem getting some sleep, so they were to help me get some sleep. Now, can I help you?" The words seemingly tumbled out of her mouth, spewing out in a stream. Dear Celestia, how does Pinkie talk like this? I'M winded, and I flew Celestia knows how far in about a week!

"Well," he said, walking up to her. "Did it help? I have a proposition for you, and I don't really want to have to cut you because you can't get enough sleep."

"Buck yeah, it did! I feel like I can pull off a Rainboom in like, ten seconds flat!" She took off, hovering just below the ceiling to prove her point. 

"A...what?", he deadpanned. 

Rainbow smiled nervously as she looked down at him. "Eh, heh heh. Right. I'll, uh- I'll tell you about it later. So, you were saying...?"

"Alright then. Follow me, please." He walked out the door, and she landed back down and followed him.

As they arrived in his office, he gestured to a seat which now sat in front of his desk. As they sat down, he reached under his desk and pulled out a rolled-up piece of parchment. "Now, miss dash. You were able to make the Shorris run in four days, and so-"

"Three, actually," she said, smiling. "I got back late yesterday. Diana just said you were out. That's why I spent the night down in the storage room."

His shocked expression shifted to one of joy. Or, at least, that's the closest she could guess; it was kind of hard to tell with the lack of movement in features. "Well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise! An even higher efficiency. Oh, I knew this would be good terms!"

"Terms?", Rainbow asked. Then, Steven unrolled the parchment, revealing a large document. It was almost completely full of words, with the only real spaces of blank parchment being the margins and a place to sign at the bottom. However, there was one real problem: "I can't read this."

"What," Steven said. "But you can speak it fine! How can you not-" He cut himself off as Dash lifted up her hoof with the translation rune on it. "Oh. Oh, I see. Well ok then. I'll read it out." He flicked it out straight, cleared his throat, and read it out. 


Official Demos Express courier contract. 


I, whomever this document is being presented to, fully and willingly accept the position of courier in the Demos Express caravan company, along with all of the privileges and risks such a position entails. At a rate of 500 barter script per run, I will transport small packages, personal items, and letters deemed important to various locations across the continent and immediate area of the Archipelago. While basic equipment and lodging will be provided, all food, stims, and other comforts will be paid for out of the courier's own pockets and will not be paid for by the company. A few other statutes are in effect which, if violated, will result in the immediate and unpaid termination of said individuals contract.  

1. Trading or selling of company property.

2. Purposeful destruction of either personal or company equipment.

3. Violation of settlement laws, regardless of fairness or viability. 

4. Accepting work of any sort from other companies other than that Demos Express company. 

5. Taking sides in any and all local disputes, as this may result in the disruption of other company operations.

If you are willing to accept the above-listed risks and statues, as well as the raised pay to other individual workers, Sigh below.

_______________________.


Rainbow looked at him as he finished reading it off. He set it down, and said, "Well, that's it. By the way, due to your, unique, biology, I've decided to up your pay. A normal courier would take a week and get five hundred scripts for the run to Shorris. You took three days, and will get seven hundred and fifty scripts for it! So, what do you say?"

Rainbow pondered for a moment. She didn't know how much a barter script was worth when compared to a bit, but it still sounded like a lot. It was something for her to do. She was still hung up about what happened, but she had to run with the punches. Take it in stride. It was the best she could do. Plus, it was the only job she was being offered, so it kinda made it the best one available. In the end, it was a no brainer. 

"You got yourself a deal."

"Splendid," he said. He pulled out a small wooden stick, dipped it into a small wooden bowl filled with dark ink (At least she hoped it was ink), then offered it to her. "Just sign in the line below the text." As she signed her name, he slid the paper into his desk and said, "Now, I have another job for you. I know it may be soon, so I can give you some time to rest if you want."

"I'm fine. What is it?"

"Alright then. Just another simple run. Another town, small package, about ten days away. For a footslogging courier. I expect I'll see you in a few days. As I said, Seven-fifty when you get back. Have a good day! And get to work! You have a bright future with the company!"

Rainbow couldn't help but agree with him and that statement. She had a job, one that paid well, a way to suppress her nightmares, some clothes on her back, and a reliable place to stay at night. Nothing could replace her home, her friends, her family. But maybe, just maybe, she could move on. She could get used to it. She could forge a new life for herself.
> Interlude~Deliberation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

POV: Princess Luna
3 days after Rainbows contract, 1 week and 4 days since her Exile.
Dream Realm

Princess Luna had recently resumed her ancient duties of shepherding the dreams of ponies. She took great satisfaction in this duty and accomplished it well. Around her, the dream realm swirled and danced like her night sky, full of stars and the shimmering void. All around her were doors, all of different sizes, shapes, colors, decorations, knockers, and other distinguishing features. Each looked different even in the smallest way, as each represented a new and unique pony. She oversaw thousands, even if she only entered a few hundred at most a night. 

Tonight, however, her usual pep and energy at this task were lacking. She was lost in thought, even as she shifted through the less serious dreams. These thoughts had to do with Rainbow Dash, bearer of the Element of Loyalty, one of the ponies who had freed her from Nightmare Moon. She was gone; if all went well (or not, depending on one's view), never to be seen again. 

She thought about it. She knew Rainbow was guilty; she had entered the dreams of Princess Mi Amore, confirming that it was, in fact, real, and she had not been under any spell. However, she was a little, what was the word, miffed, at her sister's decision. Yes, similar sentences were given for such high-level crimes in the past, but that was before Nightmare Moon, and it was rare even then. And given her position, maybe it wasn't the wisest course of action. 

Before she could delve further into this train of thought, she was interrupted by a flash in the dream realm. Somepony was having a nightmare. Her horn lit up as the wall of doors slid along, finally coming to a stop. In front of her rested a door of a dark indigo wood with a Rainbow colored line running down the center. However, curiously, a second door appeared. This one was a light cyan with a knocker in the shape of a cloud blown by several strands. Both ponies appeared to be having the same dream, something that she couldn't say she had seen before. She pushed open the cyan door, a familiar white glow surrounding her. 

As it died, her eyes widened at the sight before her. It looked like a picture she had seen out of a book: Darmoor's Inferno. It was a depiction of what the author had envisioned Tartatus looked like. He couldn't have been more wrong, but that image was what greeted her.

Black, craggily rock stretched out in all directions, with equally dark clouds blocking out the sun. The only light in the land seemed to be emanating from lava flows and cracks in the earth, all of which emitted a harsh, dark orangish glow. Dead trees and scraggly shrubs stuck out of the rocks, sticking out despite their ash coated wooden forms. In the distance, large mountains rose into the smog coated sky, pillars of light shooting from them like massive spotlights. Looking around, she notices that these volcanic mountains stuck out in all directions, completely enclosing the lava scorched lowlands.

Looking around, it took her a second to make out two brightly colored shapes that stood out from the rest of the background. Flying over, she saw these shapes become clear, taking the form of a pair of ponies; a stallion and a mare, to be specific. As she got closer, she was able to make out distinguishing features. The stallion had a light indigo coat with a rainbow-colored mane, clad in a green collared over shirt with a white one underneath. The mare was a light cyan with a mane made from two shades of orange, wearing an orange sweater. She recognized them from Rainbows' exile and the immediate aftermath. They were her parents: Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles. 

She stopped, hovering over both of them. Following their gazes, she saw the object, or rather, pony of their focus. Just below them, in a shallow crevasse, sat a third pony. She was far from what an Equestrian would consider healthy though. Her cyan coat was almost completely black from the ash and what looked like burns, while her spectral mane and tail were also darkened, if not completely burned away. She was gaunt, with bloodshot eyes and yellow teeth. Dream Rainbow looked almost more like a corpse than a real pony, yet the shuddering gasps and wheezing changed this theory. 

As the three watched, Rainbow looked out of the crevasse toward the darkened sky. Her voice, raspy and hoarse, said, "P-p-please. Mo-mommy. Hel-hel-help m-me." As she did, she stopped talking, breaking down in a fit of coughing. "Any-pony. H-he-help m-m-m-me."

Both the Pegasus's parents cried into each other's shoulders, choked sobs sending a twang into her soul. "ENOUGH!", she shouted, her horn lighting up and ripping away all of the dark scenes around them. 

The two ponies looked around in shock, eyes finally coming to rest on her, who had now set down in front of them. They pulled into low bows, yet still held their gazes with Hers. "That is enough, my little ponies," she said. "You may rise. This is your dream, after all. And quite an unusual one, at that. It is quite rare for two ponies to naturally share a dream."

"W-well, we were always close," said Bow.

Windy added, "To both each other and to our little Dashie. We're just worried about her."

"Y-yeah," Bow said. "Wait, if you can enter dreams like you are now, can you look in Dashies!?"

Both looked at her, looks of hope replacing their former downtrodden faces. Luna put on a poker face, for she knew it was useless. The system of exile had been standardized, for lack of a better term, by Princess Platinum the third, shortly before the reign of Discord. Much of it was unchanged, even after she and her sister took control after imprisoning Discord. The level of the crime, the spell used to transport the pony to who knows where. However, the part that was important for their request was another aspect of the exile: the Brand of Excelsior. A powerful spell; one created by a famed unicorn spell caster in the original Princess Platinum's court, Excelsior. The spell rendered the subject basically unable to be located or communicated with by magical means of any kind. Including dream magic; even as powerful as hers. 

She didn't want to disappoint them, however. "I shall see what I can do. Know this, however: If your daughter were here, would she want you two to be unhappy for her sake?" 

Both looked at one another, before looking back at her. "N-no. You're right, your highness. Thank you!" With that, her horn glowed again, and she left their dreams. She sensed that day time was drawing near, and so prepared to awaken to lower the moon for her sister's day. 


+++++~+++++


Canterlot Throne Room
Three hours later

Luna trotted along the corridor, heading toward the throne room. After lowering the moon and getting some breakfast, a royal guard had come to her. Said her sister wanted to see her in the throne room. And so, she pushed open the door to see her sister looking at one of the stained glass panes along the wall. "Dear sister," she said, drawing her sister's attention from the window. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

She sighed, then looked back up at the glass. "The Crystal Empire had returned."

Luna gawked at the news. "Pray tell, then. Why are we still here, and not at the empire now!? Sombra could already have-"

"He hasn't, sister. I have already sent Cadence and Shining armor to go assist the Empire, and Twilight is on her way now. She and her friends should be enough to help them."

Luna gawked again, then straightened up. "Sister, you do know that, with Rainbow gone, the Elements are useless. And Sombra is easily as powerful as all of them."

"I didn't intend for the Elements to be used." Before Luna could protest, she elaborated, "Sister, I am certain you have seen the potential of my student. This is to be her tri-"

However, before she could finish, Luna had had enough. She said, "Sister, I know you have good intentions, but this is ridiculous! Yes, I have seen the potential of young Twilight, yet that potential can't be realized. The Elements are useless. You know as well as I the Elements, or some other especially powerful artifact from before Discords reign is need for ascension." Celestia tried to respond, but Luna carried on. "You know this as well as I. So, why send them into the jaws of a tyrant, for a TEST, if both of us know nothing will come of it?"

"That is another reason why we must remain here. We must search for a new bearer to the Element of Loyalty." 

Luna just looked at her. "Sister, have you gone mad!? 	You know it doesn't work like that! We can't just 'assign' the Element a new bearer!" A sharp, calming breath, then continuation. "I say we put them back. The tree is a safe location until we may need them again, and for all we know, they won't work again. You know how the heart works; it needs to be charged in order to work. I suspect the Elements are the same. And with Rainbow gone, we can't use them."

"Luna, I still think-"

"And look where your thinking has gotten us! Discord nearly started a new age of chaos, all while I was bound to bed and you to your throne! An Element of Harmony, exiled from Equestria, likely never to be seen again. And now the crystal tyrant returned with no real opposition to his return! I 'think' that you have made a grave error, Tia!" Another calming breath, then, "I merely think you haven't thought things through. Or, if you have and see the problem, then you are merely desperate for your plans to come to fruition."

The sound of a throat being cleared drew both of their attentions. Twilight stood in the doorway, saddlebags filled to the brim with supplies, a sheepish look on her face. "I, uh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No," Luna said, taking the initiative over her sister. "My sister and I were just finishing up something. Now, might I ask what those saddlebags are for?"

"Well, Princess Celestia said that I was to come here for a test, so I brought all my own materials." As she said this, she opened up the saddlebags, pulling out a piece of paper. Which she promptly dropped and it unfurled, the end coming up just shy of her front hooves. "Sorry, sorry", she said as she began to roll it back up. 

Luna sighed before her horn flashed. She teleported both the paper and all her other supplied back to her home in Ponyville. "My sister didn't intend for that kind of test, and either way, she, miscalculated. There will be no test. Now come, we have much to do." As she said this, she walked with Twilight out of the room, as she began to tell her all she knew of the Empire and of King Sombra.
> 24~Notable runs (PT. 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 month after exile

Rainbow soared across the sky, her shadow dancing across the ground in the fading light. Over the past few weeks, she had run a few other packages to other nearby towns and outposts by Burkesh. After completing each of these jobs in a few days, grown accustomed to flying around the small town and had familiarized herself with its creatures and other quirks. Her new boss had also seen to get her a more challenging run. I.E., one that was further away from Burkesh.

The package was to this one high-end guy who was paying a lot of money for it. He lived in someplace called Troton and had described it as a 'city'. This set off a few curiosity bells in her head. One for the name, and the second for the descriptor. Most of the places she had run packages to had names that sounded pretty odd to her and Steven had always described them as 'towns' or 'settlements'; never 'cities'. So, her curiosity peaked and her clothes freshly washed in the nearby river, she was on her way to Troton. 

As she got close, she soon realized why he had called it a city. The place was massive; easily three times the size of Ponyville, which was already a pretty big town. It was built onto a large raft-like structure that was marooned with large spikes and chains along the mouth of a small bay. The rest of the bay was dotted with small buoy homes and boats, while a few larger houses were built up along the shoreline. A series of stone palisades lined the opening to the sea, lined with large ballista and catapults. 

However, the real marvel was the city itself. As stated, it was built onto a large wooden platform, made from crisscrossed planks, beams, and all ringed by a sturdy if rusted looking iron band. The buildings were made of the same colored wood that the platform was, and look oddly Equestrian in style. The streets were slightly lower down on the water platform that the homes, which were connected to each other by stairways. As she got closer, she was able to make out a series of shops around various squares, large intersections, and plazas. The whole place seemed like very Equestrian, very traditionally earth pony, or Terran, in particular; like a wooden Canterlot. This analogy was helped along by the fact that most of the ponies appeared to be Terrans, only occasionally marred by the typical Caragors, Demigryphs, and Tao Tei. 

Well, enough sight-seeing. Let's find the office. Upon doing so, she discovered the pony (as it was actually a pony; she had been working on that), was, in fact, the mayor. He would be expecting the package at his place tonight. Apparently, news of her had spread, and he said if it wasn't there by then, he would cut the promised pay by half. She smiled at the recognition, then left to go find the mayors place.

It was fairly obvious to spot; a much larger and more impressive looking structure at larger intersections. Landing outside, she was able to fully take it in, even better then she could from the air. It was a building able to rival the Ponyville town hall in size, if not is condition. Despite its size and nature, the wood was still damp with apparent rot, and sections of the walls were boarded up with contrasting shades of wood or sheets of scrap metal. Still, this was the place, and so she pushed open the door. 

Inside was a surprisingly cozy-looking lobby. Generally, offices in the few larger towns and cities she had visited back in Equestria, were very rigid, impersonal, and had a less-than-friendly vibe to them. She expected a similar situation here, both due to the size of the town and the state of the building. But she was pleasantly surprised by the interior. A well lit wooden room, comfy-ish looking chairs, a few bookshelves filled with unfamiliar books Twilight would kill for, and even a chandelier of polished metal. The receptionist, a dull orange Terran with a braided green mane, said, "Well hello, there...." she paused at the sight of her wings, her eyes going wide and Rainbow could swear she heard her utter what sounded like a prayer under her breath. 

"Uh, yo! You ok?", Rainbow said, hovering in front of her as she waved a hoof across the front of her face. That snapped her out of it. She shook her head and re-adopted her smile, despite its obvious strained nature. 

"Sorry. Anyway, you must be the courier Mayor Fine Point was waiting for." 

Choosing to ignore her initial reaction, chalking it up to her never seeing anything as awesome as her before, she said, "That'd be me, yeah. Got it right here." As she said this she pulled out the package: An old scroll in a leather case, carved with the image of a pair of rearing terrans. 

The receptionist reached out for it, saying, "I'll just take it up to Mr. Fine poi-" But cut herself off as Rainbow jerked it away.

"Sorry. But, I gotta deliver it to him myself. Company policy."

The mare looked like she wanted to say something in reply, but her expression faded as she sighed. She then looked up somewhat dejectedly, pointing up the stairs. "Last door at the end of the hall. Can't miss it; got 'Mayor' written on it, bright red, whole nine yards."

Rainbow thanked her, tossed a rolled up barter script on the desk, saying, "Here. Have a good one," before dashing up the stairs. True to her word, she found a bright red door at the end of the hall. She assumed it said, mayor, as while she had been learning to read a bit of Demosian, it still hadn't caught on. Either way, she knocked, followed a few minutes later by a few hoof steps beating on the wood floor.

The door opened, reveal the Mayor himself. He wore a somewhat clean looking red jacket, a white undershirt with a small pocket on it, and a small, olden pony style hat. He was somewhat on the chubby side, yet still only for other Terrans around her; he looked like the average Equestrian, actually. His cutie mark was a sharpened bone pen, the end marked with black ink, over a small piece of parchment. He had a thin, wispy mustache and a wide, beaming smile.

"Well, hello there miss. I assume you're the courier who has the package I sent for." His voice sounded nice enough, yet seemed to hold an underlying mistrust to it. 

"Uh, yeah. I got it right in my bag."

"Splendid," he said, his smiling never wavering. "Come in, and we'll get down to business."

She whistled as she walked into the mayor's office. It was massive, putting Stevens's desk back in Burkesh to shame. The center of the room was dominated by a large wooden desk, stacked high with parchment and a few curios. A bookshelf took up one wall, loaded up nearly fully with scrolls, leather-bound books, and even a few clay tablets. The far wall commanded a view of on side of the city and the surrounding bay and mountainous coast ringing it. 

Fine point stood, smiling out at the town. "My package. You have it, yes?" As she pulled it out and handed it to him, he took it and examined it. "Ah, yes. This is it. You know, there are three such scrolls, each detailing the history of my fair city. From the early days, before the Great Schism with our kinds Reformist people, to the Exodus, all the way up until the Scorching of the Sun Daemon. This scroll has seen much history and is as old as our dear city. Our venerable Troton." He let loose a sigh, then a light chuckle. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I ramble some times. Now, you need me to mark something, yes?"

Rainbow handed him a recognition sheet, showing that the package had arrived at its location and been received by its intended recipient. As she left, she gave some thought to what he had said. None of the events sounded familiar but obviously took place a long time ago. Oh well. Ancient history. Well, on to the next one.
> 25~Notable runs (PT. 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 months, 2 weeks, and 5 days after exile

"Thanks again, ma'am!", cried yet another customer as Rainbow took off. She flew backward for a minute, giving the Bighorn a quick wave, before righting herself and flying off. She had been running these packages for a long time now and had gotten it down. It was still working as a glorified mailpony, but it wasn't all that bad. It could be worse; she could've been caught by those brigands outside Burkesh. 

And besides, she could still fly. It was still a rush she enjoyed, almost as much as the Crackers (As Huffer called the stims she picked up to help her sleep) she got every now and then. Plus, out here, there wasn't much to get in her way as she flew. Back in Equestria, unless the space was pre-cleared or no one else was around, she had to avoid thicker clumps of clouds, other pegasi, and the occasional flying pig (don't ask). Here, none of the clouds were thick or puffy enough, she was the only thing that could fly beside the birds that often veered out of her path, and she hadn't seen a pig yet. Just her, the thin clouds, the rush of the wind on her goggled face, the rising black smoke... Wait.

Rainbow stopped midair, squinting down at the rising black cloud. Sure enough, it was smoke alright; the odor and amount of it gave that away. She thought of what could be causing it. She had seen a few other people below her that had made fires a few times, but none of them were big enough. None of the trees appeared to be on fire, and it was too small for that. She couldn't think of what else it could be. Her hesitation was overwhelmed by her curiosity as she bolted for the ground. 

Weaving past a few trees, she came to a stop on a small ledge. Below her stretched out a stretch of road. She had probably past over it earlier, but that wasn't the point. It was what was on the road. A burning caravan. 

The typical caravan carts were in various states of destruction. There were five in total. Two of them were overturned on their sides, one was in a ditch, and the rest were on fire, all with their pullers, massive, hairy boards the size of Big Mac, all dead. Lightly armored caravan guards and the actual caravanners laid dead scattered across the road, blood leaking out onto the rough dirt path. 

Three other creatures picked their way through the wrecks and bodies, weapons drawn. Like the brigands that had chased her to Burkesh, they wore crude-looking armor, mostly made from tanned leather, padded jackets, shaped pieces of wood or metal, and the occasional scraps of chainmail. Their weapons were equally crude: One had a small ax slung over his shoulder, one had a metal gauntlet with long blades folded into it, and the last one had what looked like a rock with a hole in it tied to a stick. 

They weren't paying attention to anything but the ruin around them. Whenever they found a bit of scrap or a trinket they wanted, they just took it. If they found a poor soul that was still alive, they... killed them. Dash looked away the first time this happened, but couldn't look away the second time, and then the third. 

"Heh, nothing," One of them said as they examined one of the overturned carts. "Boss and his boys picked 'um clean. Just some junk and a few bits of loot left. Nothing worth any script."

The second one said, "Yeah, nothing of worth left. Its no fun." Fun? They thought this was fun? They must be with the group that attacked the caravan. They spoke about it like Thunderlane used to talk about getting a snack after he went off duty. "Even killin' these poor saps 'as lost its luster."

"Not so fast boys," said the last one. He had moved over a broken board and reached in to pull something out. At first, Rainbow thought that it was just a piece of valuable loot or maybe a nice weapon or something else they might want. But, no; she was dead wrong. It was a filly. A young Terran female, no older than Scootaloo. She had clearly been crying. 

"Casey, what the fuck are we supposed to do with it?", Said the first brigand. 

"Sell 'er. I'm sure Dermot wouldn't mind buyin' her next time we head around his way. And if we can't get any script for her, well... They always grow up." Then he laughed so heartily that it was almost like one of them had said a joke. 

Rainbow looked down at the short sword that hung at her side. She hadn't drawn it much after she got it, but now she might have to. She slowly slid it out, praying that one of them talked him out of it. She hoped that they weren't just about to take her away to sell off like a bit of jewelry. It wouldn't have been great to leave her at the burning wreckage, but that way she could take the filly to the town. 

"Well. I for one, don't mind my figs a little under-ripe if you don't mind what I mean. 'Sides, we have to see she'd be worth it. Let me have a taste. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" He then walked over and pinned the filly to the ground. 

The filly screamed, sobbingly begging for them to stop, to let her go. He didn't stop. She watched from her perch as the brigand's male bits made themselves known. He then seemed to lay down on top of her, but from the sounds both of them gave off, that wasn't just it. This was confirmed as the older Caragor began to shift his body forwards, the younger filly writhing and squirming under him. Both of the others just smiled and laughed, then went back to picking through the wreck. 

Rainbow's eyes went wide, then narrowed in disgust. She was a filly, for Celestia's sake! Didn't he have some remorse!? Didn't he feel, anything about this!? She shut her mouth, then looked over them. She had to save the filly, and with the way, they were positioned and what they did, she couldn't let them live. Before she could stop herself, she shot forward at top speed at the one atop the Terran. 

He didn't even have time to look up. Just at one backward pull, she slammed into him. The blade slid into his neck cleanly, blood leaking out almost instantly. His penis slid out of the young filly as her momentum sent both of them flying into the side of a cart, the wood splintering under the pressure. He writhed for a second, then went still. 

The caragor that found the filly, apparently named Casey, barely had time to react as well. He whirled over to look at her, unslinging the ax. She sprung off the ground like she used to with a cloud, blade held out. There was no skill involved: just force and momentum. The blade went clean thought the armor along the front of his barrel, sinking up to the hilt in him. The force sent her flying a bit past him, pulling the sword to fling him over onto his back. 

The final one came over to her side of the cart, saw what had happened, and then roared. He rushed forward, clawed gauntlet extending. Rainbow tugged at the sword, trying to pull it out. Finally, she gave up and just found the nearest heavy object: a decent-sized rock along the side of the road. She hucked it at him, aiming square for the head. It hit its mark, and he tumbled to the floor. She went back to the sword, finally pulling it free, then launched up and buried it in his underbelly. 

He writhed silently, before his slowed, then stopped completely. She had killed him. She had killed all of them. But she didn't feel too bad. They were sick, and no one was going to reform them out her. She had done the world a favor. She walked over to the filly, who had fallen unconscious. She wiped off her blade on one of the corpses, slid it back into its scabbard, picked up the filly, and flew her back to town.
> 26~Notable runs (PT. 3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

10 months, 1 week, and 6 days after exile

Rainbow poured down again, sweeping tides pounding away on her back. The rain tried to force her to earth, and only her constant beating of wings could keep her from obeying its command. She silently cursed herself for her brashness. She had been warned that monsoon season was coming soon, but she had figured she could make it before then. 

Now, she could barely see ten feet in front of her from the barrage of water. This wasn't much of an issue due to her flying, but the person who requested the package did live in the mountains. She flew slower to avoid flying into one of these pillars of stone. This meant she got even more soaked, but it was a small comfort that she at least wouldn't snap her neck hitting a mountain. 

She knew she couldn't fly out here forever, though. Her clothes were soaked through, and the water was now seeping into the fur beneath them. Elsewhere on her body, she was already soaked to the bone. She began to fly lower, scanning what she could see of the ground for a suitable shelter. Namely, one with access to food and wood, as she had been told monsoon season lasted upwards of two months (she had apparently arrived on the tail end of last years) and was non-stop rain for nearly all of it. 

Finally, her eye, protected from the downpour by her goggles, sighed a building. It was a stone building, shaped like a large teepee made of slabs of rocks. As she got closer, she saw that it wasn't just that part; it had a long, more rectangular structure connected to it. A door emerged from the rain-coated sky, and she dove for it, sliding it open, stepping inside, and shutting it in one fluid motion. 

Inside was a long hall, lined with wooden benches. Candles burned along small alcoves, bathing the room in an eerie, flickering glow. On the far end, near the end, the room split upward, apparently, that was the conical part. At the far end, along the far wall of the conical structure, sat a pair of bladed gauntlets. They were held up on the wall by long hooks that came out of the walls. A brazier sat in front of it, filling most of the far end with light. 

No one appeared to be inside, yet the place had clearly been inhabited recently. The benches were clear of dust, as was the floor, and the candles all looked recent. Rainbow got a weird chill from this place like someone else was here. But, it was dry, it was pretty safe, and she saw no one else around. So, she walked over toward the far end. 

She slid out of her soaked clothes, leaving them to dry in front of the brazier. She then pulled a small wooden box out of her pack before she left that to dry by the brazier too. Inside the box were the familiar blood-red shapes of crackers, freshly bought from Huffer in Burkesh. Since the 'incident' with the caravan, Rainbow had been taking them more and more, in desperate hopes to forget. It had worked, but she had to keep buying them more often than before. She felt it was worth it though. The sensation was intoxicating, not to mention the only thing that helped get her to sleep. 

Speaking of which, she was tired. So, she popped one, then quickly slid the lid shut and put it back in the pack. As soon as she did, she felt the familiar feeling of the high washing over her. She smiled, then lay down on one of the benches. Still smiling, she curled up in a ball, and passed into the calming, dreamless void. 


+++++~+++++


She awoke to the patter of the rain on the roof, along with another noise she couldn't quite place. She opened her eyes, grogginess latching onto her like a leech. A minor side effect of the crackers, but one she ultimate judged to be worth it. Looking around, she saw that she was still in the weird building, yet the flickering glow was a bit brighter. As the after-effects of the stim wore off, she was finally able to make out the second noise: chanting. 

Over in front of the brazier, she saw a demigryph in a hooded red cloak. He was chanting in something that even the rune Rainbow wore couldn't interpret. She watched as he finished his chanting, then dumped something into the fire. It was a log, carved to remove all the bark and to give it a smooth, almost polished look. He then said, "I see you are awake, traveler. Might I ask what you are doing here? We don't get many visitors, not from Dresis."

She knew the name. It was the name of the nearby town, where she had to deliver her current package. "Sorry. I didn't expect the monsoon to catch up to me so soon. I just wanted to hunker in for the night. I'll get out of your feathers."

He turned around, giving her a good look at his face. He had a pair of scars, running from the base of his eyes down his cheeks and ending on his jaw. He removed his hood, revealing the rest of his head. His dull brown feathers were tied together in small clumps with bone rings, forming a straight line down the back of his neck. He smiled and said, "There is no need. Like you said, it is now monsoon season. You can stay here until it passes."

"Why, exactly," she asked, a little suspicious. "I haven't met many who are willing to let me stay very long anywhere. Why are you-"

"Letting you?", he asked. Upon her nodding in reply, he added, "Well, maybe it would be the amicable thing to do. Maybe you simply haven't met a person who would let you. Either way, all are welcome under the roof of Damocles."

Rainbow had heard that name before many times, but never figured out the meaning. "Ok, I've heard that before, but well. Who the buck is Damocles?"

He looked at her for a moment, before looking back over at the whipping flames of the brazier. "I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. Many know of him, but few know of what he is." He then walked over to behind the brazier, walking up to the gauntlets on the wall. He then began doing a Twilight-like lecture.

"Long ago, before the Scorching of the Sun Daemon, shortly after the end of the great winter, the land of Demos and the Pryhian Archipelago were engulfed in near-constant war. The four races that now make up the creatures of society, bound by their nations, fought one another. Then, Damocles the Uniter rose from one of the olden clans of the Demigryphs. He united his race, then did the same to the other races. By diplomacy when possible, by the blade when necessary. He led all of them into the golden age: the age of the Old Empire. He would eventually sail into the eternal sea, sailing into the heavens themselves, and-are you falling asleep?"

Sure enough, Rainbow had been staring to nod off. She snapped up, then gave him an awkward smile. "Heh heh. Sorry, I don't do well with lectures. Anyway, so this guy is a god?"

"Well, that's a bit complicated," he said. "A few, like myself, do believe he is a god; how else could he have done it? However, others believe he is merely an ideal we should all aspire to." He signed, then started to walk over to the door by the brazier. "You are free to stay here for the monsoon season. Just, don't break anything, bother me too much, or bother anyone who comes from the town to pray. Ok?"

"Sounds good. I'm just gonna get some more sleep, ok?" He nodded, then walked off. Rainbow popped another cracker, smiled like an idiot, and passed out back on the bench.
> 27~Notable runs (PT. 4)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 year, 2 months, and 3 days since exile.

Rainbow flew on her way to the next assignment. It was, supposedly, going to be one of the more difficult runs for other couriers. However, she should be able to complete it with little effort. Both because she could fly, and therefore avoid the dangers of the region, and because she was just that awesome.

She was, however, given a special mask she should wear in this area. It was by far the oddest looking thing she had ever seen. It was a canvas or linen sack that would fit around her mouth, secured in place by a small leather cord. In the front of the sack was a large T-shaped structure, the ends of the T tipped with a black can, studded with holes. He would've given her some goggles, but she already had a pair, so that wasn't necessary. He called it a respirator and told her to put it on when she got the area. 

She stopped to hover in the air, then pulled out her map. Diana, in her spare time, had taught her to read the map legend and a few of the common signs, and so she was finally able to fully check her location. She had gotten lost one time not being able to do that. She read over the direction, then shot a somewhat worried glance at the map. If the area around this place looked like on the map, she couldn't imagine living there. 

Sighing, she put the map back and resumed her flight. It was always a feeling that she reveled in. As she was unable to fulfill her dream of making it into the Wonderbolts, couldn't see her family again, couldn't see Scoots again, COULDN'T!!!..... Another sigh. Sometimes, even just thinking about it could get her into a frenzy. Anyway, as all that was gone to her, she had only really two things from her old life: her ability to fly, and the goggles. 

Finally, after another hour of flight, she came upon the edge of her destination. A large, black mountain, sticking out of the woodland stretch below her like a horn-less unicorn. Flying past it, she finally laid her eyes on a massive landmark of the Demosian Peninsula, and by far the scariest piece of geography Rainbow had seen: the Teufel River. 

She had heard the story from the guy at the chapel, whose name she had learned was Brother Dietrich. Supposedly, long ago, during the reign of some old Emperor, he had offended Damocles the Uniter somehow. So, as punishment, he had sent down the Sun Daemon to teach him a lesson. She supposedly made the sun go black, then sent the captive elements of the sun up through the earth, sending ash and fire into the sky over the old empires' capital and a massive city besides. This was the Scorching she had heard so much about, and it had destroyed the old Demosian empire. Or it went something like that, anyway. She wasn't entirely certain as she had lost interest about halfway through. 

However, she could definably say that it did look like something went down here. From the base of the mountain all the way to as far as she could see stretched a featureless plain of swirling black ash. Cutting through this plain was a long, slow-moving river of lava. The thick, viscous liquid flowed down the worn rock canal it had made for itself, glowing and splitting as if marched ever onward. It looked nearly inhospitable. 

And yet, she saw a small series of buildings along the edge of the river, like a fishing town, would sit. The buildings were box-shaped with tall, hole lined windows chimneys and many windows. A few silhouetted figures stood along iron docks on the riverbanks, handling boats and large cauldrons. A few smaller ones even looked to be wading in the lava, splashing it at one another like it was water. 

Before she could go any closer, however, she felt a massive wave of coughing coming her way. Though she tried to fight it, she couldn't and her lungs were racked with vicious wheezing. She then remembered what Steven had told her: The air there is thick with sulfur and other volcanic shit. Locals breathe the stuff, but we can't without out lungs bloodily poppin' out of our mouths. Remembering her mask, she pulled it out, then slid it over before she could start to hack again. Instantly, her breathing slowed and she was able to breathe normally. Sliding her goggles back over her eyes, she dashed down toward the buildings, wanting to avoid the 'river' altogether.

As she got closer, she was able to make out more of the locals; Saurians was what Tyler had called them. They were large, bipedal reptile-like creatures with flat, boney crested heads. They had nearly pitch-black scales, obsidian like claws and toes, and dagger-like white teeth. They had thick tails, long spines along their backs, and a sloping, somewhat hunched over looking posture. Most looked nearly identical, with only the various shades of red, orange, yellow, and dull silver eyes setting each one apart. 

One of these creatures greeted her, armed with a curved sickle sword and a small round shield. "Halt. State your business," He said in a calm, authoritative manner. 

"I'm a courier. I have a package. Now, can you tell me where I can find one-" She paused, pulled out and looked at the box, then finished, "Savatra Trenth?"

The guard softened, then said, "Of course, courier. Follow me."

He lead her down a rough street lined with the blocky houses. Many of the Saurians stopped what they were doing to look at her. She took the attention in stride; she was used to it after all. Both back in Equestria due to her awesome stunts, and out here for being the only Pegasus, or even winged creature, any of them had seen. So, she simply sauntered on, her cocky grin spread out beneath her respirator. 

Finally, they reached a large crack in the side of a ledge. A smooth path of hardened volcanic glass ran down into darkness. A few saurians came up and went down the tunnel even as they walked up. Just before the mouth of the crevasse, her escort stopped. "Wait here, I'll go get Trenth."

"Hold up. Why can't I come down to him?", she said. 

The guard just shot her an irritated look. "So, in addition to being able to fly and being a color that I'll admit I've never seen before, you can also survive upwards of 1000 degrees? Because I somehow doubt it."

Rainbow suddenly became aware of just how hot it was out her. Pegasi were naturally able to resist colder temperatures due to having to fly and often live up in the air but had a less serious tolerance to heat than other ponies. And while she was sweating out here, she didn't want to take her chances below ground. "On second thought," she said. "Yeah, I'll, uh, let you handle that. I'll wait here." 

The guard grunted and trudged into the cave. Taking in the plains of ash and volcanic rock, she was suddenly aware of a small saurian, about up to the base of her neck, staring at her. It had silvery eyes and a missing tooth, which was apparently due to its dumbfounded look. He (Her best guess; it was kinda hard to tell) then said, "Pretty", and tried to touch her. 

Now, Rainbow didn't know. Maybe it was the resident heat of the place that the kid had absorbed. Maybe he had been one of the smaller ones bathing in the river. Who knew? But, what she did know, was that when he touched her mane, it began to lightly smolder, smoke rising from some of the strands. 

Rainbow shot into the air in alarm, looking at her hair. The smoldering had stopped, with only a few strands of hair burned away. Looking down, she saw the kid still looking up at her, the same dumbfounded look on his face. Then she saw her client had come out of the tunnel. She raced down, completed the transaction, and got out of the area as soon as possible. She didn't want to come back here anytime soon.
> 28~Final run
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 year, 11 months, 3 weeks, and 6 days since exile 

Another day, another run to a mayor or self-entitled lord. She flew up the side of the cliff, shooting up over the edge of it. She stopped to hover in front of the town before her. It was built onto the cliff she had flown parallel to, made of wood with stone bases like most towns out here. A few buildings were bigger than most, and among them was the town hall. 

She landed and was ushered in. A few minutes later, she pushed open the door to the mayor's office. Now, it was a nice office, mind you. A small bookcase, a large carved desk, a few small wood statues, and other decorations. However, none of it really interested her. You see one office of somebody trying to make themselves look important, you've seen 'um all.

The mayor, a Bighorn she had been told was named Scott sat behind it. He was deep in conversation with another Bighorn: a younger-looking female with smaller horns. The female one said, "Father, you said that the courier was supposed to be here by now!"

Mayor Scott said, "Now dear. I was told that this one is unusually speedy. She should be here in a few hours, ok honey?"

"But you said-"

"Sabrina," he said, interrupting her with a sudden firmness to his voice. "I already am paying much more than a normal courier to get it here in such a short amount of time. Have a little patience. She should be here soon." The younger one, which Rainbow assumed was his daughter, still didn't look happy, but she stopped whining. Rainbow, deciding she didn't exactly want to stay here for too long, let loose a cough, drawing their attention. "Ah, speak of the Sun Daemon."

The female sprang up, darting forward, coming to a stop just before her. Tips of their snouts touching, she said, "Well!? Do you have it!?" 

Rainbow said, "Listen, lady. I just got here. I'm a delivery pony. I just drop this shit off; I don't check to see what's inside of it. So, let me do my job, and I'll let you....well, you can do whatever the hell you want."

Sabrina's cheeks puffed up in outrage. She sputtered for a few seconds, then snarled in annoyance and stormed out of the room. She then trotted over to the now somewhat apologetic looking mayor. "I'd like to, *ahem*, apologize for my little girl's behavior. She's, uh, kinda gotten out of hand lately."

Rainbow snorted. "You want my opinion? Cut her off. Let her fend for herself. I've wanted to do that to some brat in my old town for years."

"I'll take that into consideration," he said. "If I may ask, where are you from? I can't say I've seen anything, quite like you in my time, and I used to be a courier myself."

Rainbow slumped down a little. She didn't necessarily hate it when someone brought this up, but she didn't enjoy it either. It just set off another reminder of what she had lost. She had learned to tune it out, and a steady supply of crackers helped that significantly. However, she had to maintain appearances of her image, and it was always kind of fun to watch how they reacted to her opposition. "I don't see how it's any of your business, buster."

"Alright then. Sorry I asked," He said. After a brief pause, he said, "Well, you do have the package?"

"Yeah, right here." She pulled it out of her bag, then fill out the standard procedures. He thanked her, she hoped him a pleasant day, and she left. Routine to the letter. Nothing really changed between these reactions.

Outside, however, she was greeted by an unusual sight. He was a caragor, yet looked somewhat different than most of the others she saw. His skin was slightly darker, and his fangs were a bit longer. His clothes were standard for the peninsula: a white tunic with a leather belt, a set of sandals on his rear set of paws, and a small trilby hat. However, everything else seemed off. His above-mentioned skin tone, his posture, and the way he held himself. He almost reminded her of the statue-like figure of a royal guard on duty. 

"Hello, ma'am. May I take up a moment of your time?", he asked. His voice also sounded different. Most creatures here had a vaguely Griffonian accent, meaning a somewhat scratchy, very throaty sounding voice. He, by contrast, had a very different one. It almost sounded like a Manehatten accent, but a little smoother, and much easier on the ears. 

She signed, then said, "What is it you want?"

"Well, ma'am," he said. "I am a representative of a certain, erm, employer. He has seen your skills, along with your unique physical characteristics, and he wishes to offer you service. You work for him, and in turn, he will-"

Rainbow shut him up with a hoof shoved right up to his mouth. "Ok, bud. One, that's fucking creepy. Two, I'm sorry, but I can't. As of now, I'm under contract with the Demosian Express, and part of that contract is I can't take outside employment. And third, I've got a good gig going. I'm well paid, even if I blow most of it on crackers, I get to travel, and I'm respected. I've got all I could ever want out of what I've been dealt with. So, thanks, but no thanks." With that, she pulled her hoof away and darted off. She wanted to cover as much ground as possible before sundown. 

The caragor simply dusted off his tunic, adjusted his hat, and walked off. Plan B it is, then. 
> 29~Sacking of Burkesh
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days later, Rainbow flew swooped over a familiar clump of trees, Burkesh just in sight. The town had grown a little bit over the past two years. The wall was moved up and reinforced, with other buildings built in the new space. One of these new houses she had bought with the saved up script from a few runs. She had also established a new routine for what she did in town. 

First things first, she skidded to a halt outside the office. Trotting inside, she handed in the slip of paper the mayor in the last town had signed, as well as receiving her pay. She would generally talk with Diana a bit, who she had formed a friendship with over the years. Then, she would pick up her next contract, which she would start the next day.

After this, she would head down to the market to pick a few things up. Some food for her to make dinner and for the road. A quick repair on anything that might've broken during the run. And, most importantly, and where she spends most of her money, at Huffer's stim stand to get crackers. The stuff was a true lifesaver and was pretty enjoyable besides. Like flying without flying in a way. 

Finally, it would be at her home. After the expansion, she had bought one of the new houses. It was just a place she could lay down and rest on a semi-comfortable surface for once in a few days to a week. She usually wouldn't do much inside; generally, just eat, maybe preen or cut her hair if needed, then go to sleep. In the morning, she would get up, grab another quick bite, then head out on her next run.

Due to her lack of real presence at home, it wasn't all that much. Now that she thought of it, that probably why no one had even really bothered to try and rob her. Crime wasn't really a problem, but she knew that some people would take the opportunity if they could. Anyway, the room was pretty bare: a few candles, a bedmat, a small box, a wooden bucket, and a small personal item. 

As she entered, she slid off and tossed her bag against the box, with her hat soon following it. The clothes took a bit longer to get off, but soon she was bare again, as she set the sweat-soaked pieces of cloth down by the bucket. She'd wash them in the morning. Then, she made herself a quick dinner of figs, bread, and clumpy butter. It wasn't much, but it was enough to fill her up. Then, she popped a cracker, then smiled and popped in a second one, just for the heck of it. Felt good, anyhow. Then she laid down.

She found herself face-to-face with that personal thing she had in her house. It wasn't her goggles; those were resting against the box with her hat and bag. No, it was a small, flat piece of wood, carved with images of several ponies. She had spent about a month, and about ten pieces of wood, trying to get it just right, and it still looked somewhat like a blob. However, she knew exactly what it was supposed to be: her family. Herself in the center, her mom on her left, her dad her right, and Scootaloo right in front of her. She managed to squeeze out a tear at the memory before she drifted off to sleep. 


+++++~+++++


Rainbow awoke with a start, jerking up faster than she had since she first started using crackers. Immediately, the cause became apparent. Burning wood filled her nose, thick black smoke filled her eyes, and harsh, panicked screams filled her ears. She quickly pulled on her duster, grabbed her sword, and shoved open the door. As she did, her eyes turned to pinpricks. 

Several of the buildings in her immediate sight-line were burning. Creatures ran around in a panic, and a few seconds later Rainbow notice some of them were chasing others. Several of them wore scrap armor and were armed with weapons. Brigands. Burkesh was under attack. 

How they got inside was irrelevant; action was all that immediately mattered. She pulled her sword free of its scabbard, then took off. She had had a few other encounters with brigands during her time, and she had learned to take advantage of speed and surprise to win. So, she did just that. 

She shot from one to another as fast as she could. She would shove the sword as deep as she could into whatever was exposed. Necks, faces, chests, flanks, sides, backs; whatever was exposed and she could hit, she went for. This worked for the first three she encountered, but she then was forced to the ground by one grabbing her wing in his teeth. 

She snarled in pain, scrambling to her hooves as fast as she could. The Bighorn was on her in a flash, Warhammer barely missing her as she dodged. She ducked under another horizontal swing, then sprang upwards at him. Aiming for the neck, her blade instead struck at the top of his scrap breastplate. The rolled edge of it snagged the blade, and ground both her and the tip to a halt. Her opponent took the opportunity to headbutt her, causing her to stagger back and drop her sword. He then howled in sadistic glee and lifted up the weapon to bash her head. 

In desperation, she flapped her wings as hard as she could, springing forward again. She slipped under his guard, tackling him to the ground and making him drop the hammer. She slugged him in the face, then lifted up her head to look for a weapon. Her hopes were granted; her sword was pretty close to where they fell. She grabbed the sweaty handle in her mouth, lifted it up, and shoved it into her attacker's neck. Bloodshot out like a geyser, with more only coming out as she yanked it free. 

Another brigand ran up behind her, metal caps over his teeth flashing in the early morning sun. She couldn't spin around in time to counter with her sword, so she just reared up his legs. As he lunged out at her, she bucked him right in the mouth. Whirling around, she saw a tooth fly out as he flew back, impacting a house with a loud *crack*. He slid down it, moaning in pain. 

She looked around, but no other brigands were around her, so she took this time to look at her wing. The bighorn took a good bite out of it. Blood and the bite mark stood out, even though her feathers. The bite was deep, going through most of the flesh and even skimming one of the hollow bones. That would ground her for at least a month, if not more due to the lack of a proper hospital in town (no offense to Cass). But, no time to think about it. She had to get out of here.

She ran to her house, throwing open the door and closing it in one go. She slipped on her goggles and grabbed her bag. She then picked up the carving of her family. She looked at it, then, for reasons even she didn't know, she kissed it. She tossed it in the bag, closed the strap, and bolted back for the door. 

She threw open the door and quickly looked around. Nothing to the left; no brigands, no fire, not even any townspeople. She could see the wall and knew the gate was already pretty close to her house. If she wanted to, she could just skim along it until she reached the gate, then bolt out. Even grounded, she could probably outrun most of these guys. However, that wasn't the plan. She had made some friends out here: Diana, Huffer, Cass, even Tyler. She had already been abandoned by one set of friends; she wasn't about to return the favor to her new ones. She adjusted her head to the right. In that direction was a brigand with a rock mace, which was swinging down at her head. Wait... What!?

*SMACK!*

Rainbows head jarred from the impact, bouncing off the wall as her ears ringed in protest. She dropped her sword, stepped back, then collapsed. Her last sight before consciousness left her was the grinning face of the brigand.
> 30~Sadism and Degeneracy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow groaned as she began to sit up. Her head pounded like a drum, and her vision flickered. The room appeared to be pretty dark, or was that just her? She shook her head, and her vision cleared up. 

She was in a small room, roughly the size of the walk-in pantry at Sugarcube Corner. The walls and ceiling were made of choppy and uneven planks of wood with a stone floor. The room was completely bare, save for a few items. A small table whose top was just out of view. A door with small bronze hinges. The mat she was on. And, looking over at the wall behind her, just out of reach, were several metal brackets, connected to chains. These chains were connected to... Her.

Looking down, the snaking metal links made their way down to her. The connected to several points along her body. A collar around her neck. A pair around her forelegs, just above her hooves. One to a nose ring, with this one looking much less sturdy and more like a leash tied to a bracket. In addition, her wings were bound to her sides by a thick leather strap. 

She tried to get up, only for the chains to go taught, keeping her from moving. She jerked and strained against them, yet they held firm. She tugged as hard as she could, yet no slack emerged and no strand of the chain gave way. However, out of nowhere, the chains gave a massive amount of slack, causing her to jerk forward with a massive amount of force. So much so, in fact, that she rammed headfirst into the wall. She slid down it, groaning from the blood leaking out her nose. 

Loud, harsh laughter drew her attention to the doorway. A caragor brigand stood there, laughing his flank off, holding onto a large metal chain. "Ha ha ha ha ha!" he barked out. "Oh, dear Damocles, that's always too damn funny! Aha ha ha ha!" With a swift yank of the chain, all the previous slack disappeared, and Rainbow slammed back into the wall, her injured wing and sore back crying out in agony. He then enter the small room, saying, "Well, enough of just waiting around. Let's have some fun, eh?"

Rainbow snarled back, "Well. If it's fun you want, let me out of these chains. I'll take you for a nice fly. It'll be great; you'll even get to feel the sensation of falling off a mountain, but without the mountain."

"Well, that's not nice, now is it. Threatening your host like that?" As he advanced on her, he picked something up off the table. A small, curved and serrated dagger. He said, "I guess I'll just have to teach you some manners." 

Rainbows' eyes widened at the sight of the knife and got even bigger as he got closer to it. "H-hey, now. Le-let's not do anything we might--AHHHHHHH!!" 

She screamed as he swung down with the knife down onto one of her hind legs. The blade cut through the fur and skin in an instant, blood flowing out immediately. Then, still grinning like a mad pony, he began to saw back and forth. Pain, previously unknown to her, flared through her nervous system. He then stopped, pulling the knife free and stepping back. Rainbow just looked down at the wound. He had sawed down to the bone, blood leaking out like a river with each rapid pounding of her heart. Her stomach flared with a sudden blaze of nausea, and her head swam. 

Before she could stop looking at it, her head was jerked away by a heavyweight. Looking up, she saw he was back, this time holding a hammer. From the wet feeling on her forehead and the red stuff on the hammer, that is what he had hit her with. He threw the hammer down, then got up to her. She tried to scramble back, but he was faster and she was still queasy and sluggish from the blood loss. He pulled out a needle and some thread and began to sow up her leg. 

He wasn't doing it to be merciful, though. He was rough, and if some of the flares of pain were any indication, the needle was also barbed. It was torture in its own right. "Hold still, now. I don't want to... mess up, now do I? That would be bad for both of us." She didn't want to know how that would be bad for him but tried to hold in the spasms that threatened to possess her body if she let them. Finally, he had finished and then wrapped a bandage the wound to stop the bleeding. 

Her breathing began to level out, and she looked over at him. He was distracted, head turned to her as he went to pick up the hammer. She tried to spring off her legs to jump him, hoping to at least get a key or something. Pain flared up in her leg, causing her to jerk to the right, but she still crashed into him. He collapsed under her weight and immediately tried to rise. She bit him in the ear, her flat teeth grinding into the soft flesh of his ear lobe. He howled then swung back with his claws. 

Said claws raked over her right eye, digging into them as blood gushed out. She screamed again, and fell back against the wall, clutching the wound to stem the blood. The blood, HER blood, soaked into and began to stain her fur. The brigand stood back up, gripping her ear as he glared at her. "You stupid bitch! Ahhh, my fucking ear!"

Rainbow, despite the pain, couldn't help but smile. "Yeah! Suck on it, you stupid motherbucke-" She was cut off when something hit her ear. Pain once again shot into it as she had to slump against the wall to lessen the pain. 

"Charles, Charles, Charles," said a new voice from the door. It was a large Terran mare, clad in armor that didn't look like it wasn't scratch-made. Rainbow became kinda worried about what her cutie mark was: a severed head. Nothing productive could come from that. "I let you indulge yourself once, ONCE, and I have to pin the captive to the wall with a crossbow bolt."

Crossbow? Rainbow thought. She had seen one a few times used by town guards and brigands, but they were generally large ungainly weapons. However, here, this mare was had a small one strapped to her foreleg. 

"S-sorry, boss. W-won't happen again," Charles said. "I swear, boss." He flinched a little as she got closer to him, while she just flashed him a wide, almost Pinkie Pie level smile. 

"Oh, don't worry. I know you won't." Suddenly, she grabbed something off the table: the knife he used to saw on her leg. She shoved it, with all of her might, into the back of his neck. He screamed, which turned to agonized moaning with a second strike, then to wet gargling with a third, then silence at the fourth. And the fifth, and sixth, and seventh. After shoving it in the eight-time, she stopped and let his body fall to the floor with a wet *smack*. She then turned her sadistic smile on Rainbow. 

"Sorry you had to see that. But, well, perils of the job." She then picked up something from the table; a sharp metal stick that looks suspiciously like a scalpel. "Now, ready to get started?"
> 31~The Bosses Second
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow slowly opened her eyes, hoping it was a dream. That she wasn't a captive of a bunch of Psychotic brigands. That she wasn't being tortured for fun by said brigands. That when she opened her eyes, she would see she was in her shack, or in her bedroll in the woods. Instead, the wooden walls and coppery scent of blood greeted her. It was real. 

Her body felt sore, with a light wet feeling. She began to look herself over. Several long cuts stretched along her body, dried blood and scabbed over flesh marking their outlines. Even the slightest movement sent flares of pain up her sides, legs, and underbelly. She then registered a pain in her ear. The bolt. 

She reached up with her hoof, the chain giving her just enough slack to reach it. She gave it a light tug and was greeted by another flare of pain. Ok, ok Rainbow, ok. Pull it out real fast. Rip it out like a band-aid. Like a band-aid. Like a band-aid. Like a- She hissed in pain as she yanked it out. 

It was a small, barbed stick with a sharp metal point. Small black feathers lined the rear section, acting as fletching. She then looked down at the lock on her leg. It looked just big enough to wedge it in. Maybe she could pick the lock and get out! She looked up at the door: no one made their presence known. So, she lowered down and began to try and pick it. 

She soon learned that picking a lock wasn't as easy as it looked in a Daring Do book. Fiddling the tip around did nothing, and she was starting to get frustrated. She had to get out before that maniac came back and caught her in the act. Finally, in the first one, she heard a loud click. It worked!..... And she couldn't get it out. 

"Ah, buck me," she muttered. She then pulled her hoof out of the shackle, then tried to lean up toward the table. With the lack of one of the restraints, she had just enough slack to reach it. She reached up, feeling around for something to help her. She felt just the bare surface of the table until she came to a smooth object. Wrapping her hoof around it, she pulled it off the table and dragged it along the floor. It was a key. 

Rainbow smiled. She was getting out of here. She slipped the key into the other hoof cuff, along with the collar around her neck. The chains went limp, and she stood up. Her legs flared in pain, but she managed to slide over onto the table. On the top, just out of reach of her when she was on the ground, was a tray with several other items. A hammer, a few knives, a few runes, and a few sharp bits of metal, wood, or rock. A few were stained in blood, indicating they were used on her yesterday. 

She grabbed one of the knives and was fully prepared to use it. She cut off her wing binds, then began to stagger to the door. Reaching the door, she looked out the side of the door. As she did, something gripped her head and pushed her back despite her protests. Soon, she had dropped the knife and was then shoved down onto the mat again. 

She looked up at who it was. It was a demigryph, one roughly equal in size to Big Mac. He had dark brown feathers and a lighter brown shade of fur, with piercing yellow and black eyes. His beak was twisted into a twisted smile as he picked up the knife. "Well now. What do we have here? The bosses new meat trying to leave just after she got started. That isn't very nice, now is it?" 

Rainbow spit on him. "Go to Tartarus, shit-eater."

"Now, that really wasn't nice. How about this, you get taught some manners, and I get some enjoyment out of it. How does that sound, eh?" As he finished, he pulled out a small vial of something from his jacket. 

Rainbow was about to yell out in protest when he delivered a quick slash across the front of her chest. She slumped against the wall, hyperventilating from the suddenly fresh pain. The demigryph was on her in an instant, uncorking the vial and holding her down. He then poured the contents of the vial on her new wound, which surprised her when it was revealed to not be a liquid, but a powder-like substance. Salt.

He grinned as he raised a paw, then began to rub it in. She screamed; nothing extra, no words of protest, really nothing else but her shrill screaming. Any thought of escape, or resistance, or of anything coherent vanished under the bright, unyielding wave of agony. It hurt. That was all she could choke out. It hurt. 

Suddenly, she felt something enter her mouth. At the same instant, she saw a shadow cover her. He was standing above her, forelegs pressed against the wall. He had his rear paw on the salt still smeared outside the wound, the sting just enough to keep her from protesting. And the thing in her mouth... Was his male bits. The long, semi-hard shaft was most of the way in her mouth, yet several inches remained exposed to the air. 

"Now, this is my enjoyment I talked about," he said. "You. Suck. Now. And if you so much as think about trying to bite down, or punch me, or anything a slave shouldn't think against her master..." He let the threat simmer in the air, and after a moment rubbed his hind paw against the salt on her chest. She howled in agony, slamming her head against the wall. He chuckled and stopped, letting her get her breathing under control. "Get the picture. Now, do as you're fucking told!"

Unable to choke out an insult due to the large invader in her mouth, and too weak to fight back in any other way, she complied. It was an odd sensation, and one she didn't necessarily enjoy. The thing was like licking a chair leg, except squishier and rounder. The job itself wasn't too much of an issue; it was like sucking on a lollipop. It just felt wrong, and she couldn't find herself really enjoying this. 

He, by contrast, was hissing in pleasure, and soon moaning from what she did. It freaked her out to no end, and only added to the sense of wrongness to what was going on. But, all that mattered was not getting hurt more. A primitive and somewhat basic objective, yet one none the less. 

Suddenly, from the door, a voice cried out, "Dermot. What in the 9 Hells are you doing?" 

Looking past him, she saw Crimson. M-maybe she'll help me? The reaction made it seem like she didn't want him touching her. Maybe It will end. She knew she was hoping, but it was all she had. "What does it look like," Dermot says. "Just havin' a little bit O' fun."

"No, I can see that. I just want to know why the fuck you're doing it." Yes. Yes, yes, yes yes yes yes yes!! "I mean, I probably would've said yes. You just had to ask. I'm nice like that." Wait, what!? Oh, fuck no! "In fact, I just came down to check what the noise was. Go ahead; have you're fun. But you get to clear out the waste from the latrines tomorrow. Teach you to ask first, ok? Now, have fun!" And with that, she walked off. No. No! No! No no no no no no!

Dermot yanked his cock out of her mouth, allowing unrestricted airflow. That breath was soon cut off as he lowered himself down her body, laying one of his front paws on the salt now. She feels a presence down at her nethers; a fleshy, somewhat pointy intruder. A feral, cruel smile greets her face as he starts to shift forward. She stammers, "N-now, let's t-talk about this here. We d-don't wan-want to do anything hast-AHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
> 32~The End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been almost 3 weeks since Rainbow had first woken up in the room. Or, well, at least that was her best guess as to the time. It was hard to tell exactly how much time had passed due to the room's lack of windows or a skylight. At that time, however, much has transpired.

First would be what she had learned about her situation. She was the prisoner of Crimson River, boss of the group of brigands known as the Tide. Her gang had been hired by some anonymous benefactor to recover something from Burkesh. As for what that item was, she wasn't told, whether she had gotten it or not. Rainbow, the other townsfolk, and any and all loot recovered from their attack were just bonuses. And, while all the others would be sold as slaves or used by the brigands themselves for that purpose, Rainbow was special. Rainbow was for River to have some fun with. And after the incident with her trying to escape, she had become Dermots as well.

Which brought her to the second point; her injuries. She, of course, had the two scars that Charles had inflicted on her: the eye slash and the deep cut on her hind leg. However, River, much like Rainbow herself, wasn't one to be outdone. Rainbow remembered the first few days with glaring accuracy. Since then, she had been River and Dermot's personal stress reliever. River would come in, beat her, cut her, stab her, or use special runes that made it feel like she was on fire, or freezing, or some other feeling that became lost in the waves of agony. And Dermot...well, even she didn't want to think about it. However, a few stood out from the rest.

These were three in number. The first was the scars along her face; the ones Charles had given her on accident. She had come back with a razor-sharp blade, slowly but surely cutting open the flesh. Soon, the ran like four deep trenches down her face, from forehead to chin, the edge of them scabbed and leaking pus. The only thing that marred the near-perfect lines down her face was her right eye, which was the only part still intact.

The second was her forelegs. She had tried to escape a second time, this time using the shackles as clubs to knock Dermot out when she came to, "Have fun." It failed again, with him merely catching them and beating her with a branch. He then got a barbed saw-like thing and used it to, well, saw them off. Slowly, and with sadistic glee as he did. He then bound them up with stolen linin and left her alone. Her forelegs were gone; she couldn't walk, pick things up, she couldn't even stand up without leaning on something with her shoulder or her barrel. She cried herself into the now nightmare filled sleep realm. 

Finally, it was her flanks. River, in a drunken rage at Dermot, quote "Ruining her new favorite toy", had clawed them with a knife. Long slashes now ran along both sides and, along with her missing forelegs, she could barely move. Now, she just had to take it. 

Numerous smaller ones dotted her body too. Cuts, bruises, broken bones, and lacerations. In some spots, it looked like her coat had been died red. However, other things plagued her too. 

One was food. She had been left, so far every other day, a hunk of burnt meat. At first, she had been hesitant. She had never eaten meat; she didn't know what it could do to her. But, the guard who brought it to her had made a point. 'Eat it or starve', he had said. Two days later, when the next piece was brought, she devoured it like an animal. It was slimy, disgusting, and she didn't want to know where it came from, but it was food nonetheless, and her stomach had taken the place of her brain. 

Then there was the matter of the dreams. They plagued her every night for almost the whole time now. They were different. She still saw her family, still saw herself being replaced, still saw the flames swallowing everything she cherished. Yet, new visions joined them. Dermot, River, and a scarred, shambling version of herself, all laughing, giggling and hooting like foals with a new Hearths Warming gift as they ripped her family to pieces. 

It was now, at least as far as Dash could keep track, day 24. Over three weeks in this hellhole. Faintly, through the wood, she could hear the clanking of metal and the tramping of boots. It must be about noon. Always sounded like that when the guard came by with his lunch. River would be coming soon. More pain. 

Speak of the demon, she was here. "Hey there, meat bag. Ready for my daily stress reliever? I have something exciting planned for today."

"P-p-pl-please", Rainbow managed to choke out past dry, cracked lips. "S-s-s-st-stop." 

Even with her back to the door, Rainbow could feel the gaze of her tormentor burn into her. "Ok, you know what? I'm tired of listening to you just beg." She walked over to Rainbow and then proceeded to roll her over. It didn't hurt anymore. She was numb to the pain. "I say, I just want to hear you whimper and scream. How does that sound?" And with that, she yanked the translation rune off the pegasus mares neck. 

A brief headache entered her system but soon left. "Bene, nunc autem id est de medio fiat, fiat nobis incipiat. Libit autem amicus ad." She left the room for a second, coming back with a long, black iron stick. The end of it was sharpened, and glowed a dark orange glow, like the color of the sun, when glimpsed from the corner of the eye. "Hic ille est. Oculus mister bacillo ferreo immisso!" She brought the sharp end to just above her left eye; the one by her brand. This is gonna hurt.

And hurt it did. While she didn't want to give her captor any satisfaction of watching her squirm, she couldn't help it. Her still remaining nerve endings smoldered away as she let loose a hoarse scream. Suddenly, the burning metal stick was pulled away, leaving Dash a mess on the floor. She faded in and out of subconsciousness as she listened to a conversation going on, despite not understanding it.

"Quid tu hic agis? Locustus sum cogitavi cras off nos stillabunt eam." That was River. 

An unknown voice said, "Ita, hoc est paciscor. Sed ea quae sunt ad operam, ut iam violare illud. Ego ad colligunt a sarcina primo modo dictum."

"Quid! Quomodo sciisti?". Crimson again. "Manere… Dermot futuo suus esset, non eam !? Cum strepitu pompae armorum meum in eo ego te-" She was cut off by a loud shriek of alarm, followed by the all to familiar sound of a blade cutting into flesh. 

Consciousness was leaving her, and fast. However, before the cursed void enveloped her, she heard one more sentence: "Imperatoris de hoc non esse beatus.*" Then... Darkness.
> 33~Forgotten comforts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ya no good Varmint!

I can't believe I was ever your friend!

You're not awesome; you're just a jerk!

No daughter to mine!

You have betrayed your element!

I HATE YOU!

Rainbow snapped awake, panting heavily. Soon, the panting turned into dry wheezing. Her throat ached, and her whole body was sore. She also felt a strange sense of, for lack of a better term, nothing. Like something in her had died, yet she still lived. 

Her mind was torn away from this thought from what she was on. It wasn't the mat in her house or her bedroll in the wilderness; it wasn't even the bloodied thatch she slept on in the brigand's captivity. Instead, it was a thick, near stark white mattress; feathers, if she was right. On said mattress, and still covering most of her body, were thick, silken sheets of quality even her old ones in Equestria couldn't match. She leaned back, laying there. Unable to move, either due to the warmth of the sheets or her own body's weakness.

She looked around the room she was in, eyes going wide in surprise. It was like nothing she had seen in the past two years in exile. The walls were made of smooth white stone, polished to almost shine. A rug made of brushed, black fur rested by the foot of her bed, along with a polished wooden nightstand. Other bits of furniture in the room included a large dresser, a nice looking yet small desk, and a full-length body mirror. Light-filled the room from two sources. One was the window, in which the cool, silvery tone of the moon filtered in. The rest came from a light on the ceiling; likely a candle or a small flame surrounded by a cut-glass globe. 

It was a level of luxury she hadn't seen since Canterlot. She had thought it was a dream, yet the previous voices and the lack of said voices and of something burning seemed to indicate it was real. W-where a-am I?, she thought to herself. 

Suddenly, the door opened up, a zebra of all things entering. She wore a simple linen dress and a black collar. She walked up to the bed, grabbing onto her foreleg. Rainbow, as feeble as it was, attempted to resist her. She was a new creature, and she had learned it was never a good idea to trust new people. Her attempt was fruitless, as she was easily overpowered and.... assisted out of bed. "Sequimini me, sodes", she said.

Rainbow briefly forgot about her potential abduction to look at her forelegs. They were back, yet not as they once were. From the spot where they were severed, just above the elbow, down was polished metal. Where her elbows once were was now a simple swiveling hinge. Where her hooves once were, now rested a pair of equally well polished and razor-sharp looking bird talons. They were, in a few words, 'The coolest part of being amputated.'

The zebra led her along a corridor made of the same polished stone as her room, also line with expensive-looking items. Paintings, busts of what she guessed were famous people and statues of other things besides resting on tables, weapons, and armor. The center of the floor was marked by a purple carpet with a golden trim. Windows opened up out onto the navy blue night air, with faint lights showing in the distance like torches. 

Finally, after a few minutes of assisted walking, they came to a room with a large set of doors. The zebra stopped, looked at her and said, "Tu sta in tua?" Not know what she said, Rainbow just nodded, hoping that it wouldn't get her into any more pain. The zebra unslung her left foreleg from her shoulder and set it down on the ground, and went to go push open the door. 

Rainbow was left standing there for a few moments. While her forelegs, now sturdy and unmoving, stayed upright and straight, her hindlegs now threatened to buckle under her. They quivered and shook, and Rainbow was now focusing whatever energy she had left into keeping them from falling. Before it came to fruition, however, the zebra returned and slung her leg back over her striped back, and led her inside.

Inside, she was immediately hit by a massive wave of hot air and steam. The stone in this room was a dirty grey, while the pillars that held up the ceiling were slick with moisture. The source of the moisture was the massive pool of steaming hot water that took up most of the room. It looked like a hot indoor pool, with stone benches and stools sitting in the shallow end. Steam curled off of it like smoke off a fire, and Rainbow could already feeling her tenseness relax somewhat. 

The zebra led her to one of the stools in the shallow end, slowly setting her down as to have her underbelly resting on it. Her coat let the near scalding hot water soak into it, her bound tight muscles unwinding in an instant. It felt good and was just what she needed. She sighed in relief, letting herself be let go. 

Light splashing indicated to her that the zebra had left the pool, while another set of them indicated her return. Rainbow then felt something falling down onto her back, resting just above the water level. Cracking her neck to look back at it, she saw the zebra pouring oil onto her back, the golden liquid pouring out like syrup onto her back. 

Rainbow attempted to rise, pushing on the edges of the stool with her new limbs. The zebra was pouring oil on her; she could be preparing to light it on fire and burn her! While the more logical part of her brain told her that was stupid, instinct took over and urged her on. However, both due to her lack of capable muscle and the lack of experience with the new appendages, she failed. She rose up maybe a few inches, only to slid back onto it, her limbs falling into the steaming water. 

Her fears turned out to be unfounded, anyway. The mare didn't light it on fire; instead, she began to rub the oil into Rainbows back, just in between the joints of her wings. It felt surprisingly pleasant, especially since oil wasn't necessarily something one wanted to get in their feathers. The hooves of the mare rubbed the oil in, the liquid almost feeling like she was being massaged with honey. Once again, she let herself be lost in the pleasing sensation. 

She became faintly aware of another set of light splashes coming up near her. Opening an eye and looking over, she saw another mare; a caragor this time, wearing a similar outfit to the zebra. She carried a small brass item, looking very similar to a knife. Once again, Rainbow tried to pull away in alarm, yet couldn't due to lack of strength. The caragor revealed it wasn't a knife, however, as she went to her hind legs, lifted on out of the water, and began to use the brass instrument to rub away sweated out oils from the limb. She then moved on to the back, sides, and neck, careful to avoid the numerous scars that marred her body. 

Rainbow felt herself relax again, letting it wash over her. The removal of the oils felt pleasantly good, as did the zebra now rubbing down her wings with a warm towel. She didn't know why, and didn't care, why she was being treated this way. All that mattered was that it wasn't pain, and in fact, it felt nice and relaxing. If she shut her eyes, she could imagine she was at one of her secret appointments at the Ponyville Day Spa.

Like those appointments, it had to end eventually. After what felt like an eternity but was likely only about fifteen minutes, the two of them stopped their actions and then lifted her up off the stool. Leading her out of the water, the grabbed and began drying her off with warm towels. Even this part of the experience was nice, allowing her already warmed and relaxed body one final huzzah. Soon, she felt reinvigorated; like she had just drunk a dozen coffees. 

Another person entered the room: a Demigryph in armor. Said armor consisted of a chain mail set of armor, a steel square of metal on his chest held in place by leather straps, and a large bronze helmet with a black feather crest. He had a sword with gold scabbard coverings on it and an equally good looking dagger on the opposite side. "Et paratum est?", he said in a short, curt manner. 

"Ita, domine", they both answered instantly. 

"Bonum," he said. "Tu dimisit." He then turned his gaze to her as the two of them shuffled out. "Quaeso, mulier. sequere-" He then stopped, cursed under his breath, and said, "Follow."
> 34~A new offer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seeing no real reason to deny him, nor really wanting to find out any consequences, Rainbow began to follow the guard. He led her down several hallways similar to the one she had been led down to the pool thing. Similar decorations lined the walls, and every now and then they passed other people. Mostly servants that got out of the way of the two of them and other guards, who gave her escort a strange salute; slamming their paws to their shoulders and letting out a curt "Ave!". However, she didn't know what it meant. 

She used this time to look down at her new legs. They were well made, with the joints in both the hand and the elbow joints moving like they were real. The polished, highly engraved surface gave away this fact, yet they could be mistaken for real if they were covered up or something. She wanted to lift one up, yet stumbled after a second of it not helping to balance her. She stopped trying, and just looked at the floor, aches still permeating from some parts of her body keeping her out of the proper state of mind. 

She was so distracted that she failed to stop in time to avoid bumping into the guard. He let out a grunt of annoyance, yet looked back ahead of him. He then pushed the door in and stepped to the side of it, slamming his paw in the odd salute as he declared, "Ave, Caesar!"

Rainbow entered in after him and looked around the room in wonder. The room was easily the size of the Ponyville Town Hall, with most of that space being taken up by a massive, long table. Smooth wooden chairs lined it, with candle lain chandeliers cast dancing shadows across the room. At one end of the table sat a young Demigryph, no older than about twenty to twenty-five she guessed. She wore a dress of a deep, regal purple with golden thread trim and splashes of dark red, a crown of what looked like golden feathers gleaming in her feathers. She sat with an air of subdued superiority, not amiable yet not smug. 

However, what drew Rainbow's attention was the items that lined the tables. Food, and lots of it. Bowls of fruit, baskets of freshly baked, still steaming bread, and platters of cheese were intermixed with pots full of soup and dishes of salad. Fish, bird, eggs, meat, all of which made her mouth ooze saliva like a waterfall. In addition, small clay pitchers sat on the table as well, and the sweet, earthy aroma of wine leaked out from them.

"Tibi Gratias ago tibi, Desius. Et missa est", she said in a similar accent to everyone else around here, yet even more pronounced. The guard, Desius, gave another shoulder salute and left, shutting the door behind him, leaving the two of them alone. After a few seconds of tense silence, the Demigyph said, "Well, I believe introductions are in order."

Before she could finish, Rainbow answered in a scratchy voice, "You, *cough, cough, cough*, Speak... Equish?" Her throat was dry and talking made it feel like sandpaper was grinding down her neck. 

The Demigryph just smiled. "Yes, I do. Now, as for those introductions. I am Caesar Drusilla, of the Pryhan Empire. And, If I recall correctly, you are called Rainbow Dash, yes?"

"How... Do yo-*cough*, you know... my name?", Rainbow croaked out.

"Let's just say I've done my research into the matter," she said. "And the more I have, the more I'm interested in your abilities. I have a proposition for you."

"What?"

"A job. As things stand currently, you're out of work, I believe. So, I want to help you. In fact, I already have." Upon seeing the still somewhat delirious face of Rainbow, she said, "The bed. The legs, the eye. The time in the bath and the oil massage. If not for one of my men finding you during an excursion onto the continent to attack a group of raiders that had been causing us trouble, you likely would've died in that place. So, you owe me."

"Skip... to the *cough*, point."

"Hmmm, very well. My rule has not been the most stable. Rebellions, and now a war with the Zebrican Confederacy. I need someone I can count on to get things done. And, you seem like the perfect person for the job. You will be my weapon. My will. And you will help me achieve order." 

Rainbow began to think it over, as much as the food arrayed before her made her mind go blank with hunger. Her proposal, and what had happened to her and could happen to her. 

Drusilla wanted to help her. She already had; she had pulled her out of the Brigand camp. Had given her the new legs. I had helped her in more ways than one. She had saved her. Rainbow, at the end of the day, owed her.

But, she was under contract with the Express. That gave Rainbow pause. Even if she couldn't get her stuff back, she was still a known associate and employee of the Demos Express. She couldn't just abandon her job. Apparently, Drusilla noticed her conflicted nature, as she let out a light cough to draw the battered Pegasus' attention. 

"Perhaps I should make the decision easier on you," she said. She then reached behind her, and pulled out a small wooden box. Rainbow recognized it immediately, even from a distance; a box of Crackers. "These are illegal in the Empire. And the mainland is too far away for you to fly to on your own. I can get you plenty of these, but only if you agree to serve me."

Rainbow went back into thought. Now that those were on the table, it made her want to work for her more. Plus, if what she said was true, she couldn't just fly back to the mainland to get more. And, again, she had saved her and given her all of the nice things. Perhaps she deserved her loyalty. Her addled head creaked along, eventually coming to that conclusion. She owed the Caesar her life. She had saved her from those madpeople. She didn't have to, but she did; she was merciful. She had helped her and now expected Rainbow to help her. It only seemed fair; something that the world hadn't been to her for too long now. Fair was good; nothing was fair, but this was. Despite a part of her mind's continued protest, the rest of it begged her to say yes. And so, she did. 

"I-I accept. Y-your *cough*, Majesty."
> 35~Exams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day...

Rainbow groaned, sliding up in her new bed. Like when she woke up the first time, she took in its soothing softness, nuzzling up to the sheets like it were a teddy bear. She still couldn't really get over the drastic improvements in condition. All of it was so unreal, she would've thought it was a dream, if not for the case she had awoken here twice with no interim period. So, it was real. 

Normally, Rainbow wouldn't have left the bed. The softness and the warmth were practically intoxicating, much like the crackers she took every night. Plus, she wasn't much of a morning person. Even though her old job in Ponyville required her get up early, she usually set her alarm at least an hour before she should get up to give her time to pull herself together. This time, however, she bolted straight out of bed...

….And straight to the washbasin of her rooms attached washroom.

After about a full five minutes of blowing chunks, her stomach had finally calmed down to a sufficient point. It still ached and her head still pounded, but she felt better. She thought back to what could've caused this sense of nausea. After accepting the Caesars deal, she had dug into the feast arrayed on the table. Maybe she had gone a bit overboard, but at the moment, it was worth it. In fact, she vaguely recalled actually thinking about that last night. 

Either way, that wasn't important. She got back up and trudged out of the washroom. She went over to a small table by the wall, upon which rested some clothes. A simple, blood-red tunic, polished leather belt, and some sandal-looking things with studded soles and stripes of leather running up to just below her hindlegs knees. She also found her goggles resting on top, along with the belt. They had recovered them, and they had been repaired somewhat and freshly cleaned. 

As she went to go get dressed, she stopped in front of the full-length body-mirror. In a clear reflection, she looked herself over from head to hoof/talon; she did not look pretty. Despite her trip to the bath yesterday and other bits of cleaning besides, her body was still a patchwork of scars. Some were barely noticeable on her bright cyan coat, like a few small cuts and bruises that were already being covered up by her fur. Others, like the raking scars along her face or flank, were much more noticeable, and likely wouldn't be going away anytime soon. She had also discovered another bit of prosthetic anatomy: Her left eye, which was now made out of smooth, dark black volcanic glass, resting comfortably and naturally in her socket, as if it had always been that color. A small glowing red rune glowed in the center of it, likely the source of her continued sight from that eye. Fortunately, and perhaps a little strangely, her wings had no damage to them save a few cuts and the bite mark she had received before her capture. 

A loud knocking broke her concentration on her scarred form. She barked out, "In a minute," then went back over to the assembled clothes. She quickly slid on the tunic, affixed the belt, and slung her goggles around her neck. Since she likely wasn't going anywhere too far away only a day after her acceptance of the Caesars proposal, she wouldn't really need them. Besides, if she did, she could just bolt on back to the room and grab them; her wing had healed enough for flight. 

Another knock reminded her to hurry up, and so she finished adjusting the belt and quickly flew over to the door. She opened it and came face to face with the one who was knocking. It was a male caragor, about her age, wearing the same servant's garments as the two who massaged her yesterday. He said, in perfect if accented equish, "Domina. I'm to assume you're ready to go?"

"Domina?", she asked. "My name's Rainbow Dash."

"I've been made aware of this, domina. However, as I've been assigned to you as your personal servant. As such, it is how you should be addressed as my superior." He said all of this with a calm and almost practiced sense of ease. 

Rainbow cracked a smirk. She kinda liked the idea of having someone working directly for her. She said, "Awesome. So, what's up?"

"Well, this was both an introduction, and an order form the Caesar. She wants you to head down to the west wing of the villa. A few examinations are needed if I understand correctly."

"Examinations? Like, written tests?", she asked. She was still getting used to the talons and didn't have the best hoofwriting in the first place.

"No, domina. More like getting you sized for your armor and a medical exam.

"Oh, well ok then," she said, flapping up into the air. "Lead the way, uh...."

"Castus, domina."

"Heh heh. Right; sorry. Anyway, my order still stands. Lead on!"


+++++~+++++


The two arrived in the right wing, and a guard guided them to where the exams would take place. They were greeted by two creatures as they entered the room. A Bighorn and a Terran. 

Septimus, the Bighorn, was an armorsmith. He walked up and around her, measuring different parts of her with lined bits of linin. He also asked her various questions: "Do you know how much you can weigh?" or "How much can you carry and still fly?", that Castus had to translate for her. It was actually pretty quick, and he left, muttering something in Demosian.

The Terran, Sutura, was the Caesar's personal physician. She did her own exams, namely studying her scars to see if they would cause any sort of complications or something. Once again, Castus translated any of Sutura's questions and her answers. These were once again mostly medical questions, like sexual activity and recent illnesses. Mostly, she had just nodded and said, "Bonum", which Rainbow had heard enough times to know it meant 'Good'.

However, on two of these points, she started to look concerned. These were Rainbow saying she was raped, and that she had thrown up a lot this morning, and in fact still felt a little bit queasy. She had finished everything else, then gone to get something. She came back with a weird horn-like thing with a large ear port; the whole thing looked like a bugle combined with a stethoscope. She pressed it up to her stomach, then listened in the ear port.

After a few seconds, she went rigid, her already pale green coat turning an even lighter shade. "Uh, Castus, ask her what's going on." Castus relayed the message, but Sutura didn't reply directly to him. She just ran out, muttering to herself yet loud enough to hear, "Imperatoris de hoc non esse beatus." The two of them just stood there, Castus relaying the message of what she said to her. And what all the previous context, potentially at least, meant.
> Interlude~Family of the condemned.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 years after exile~

Ponyville Elementary playground
POV: Scootaloo

It had been a hard 2 years for one Rainbow was close to. Scootaloo still didn't have a cutie mark, but neither did her friends, so that was at least somewhat ok. But, other things were much worse. She had been teased and bullied more, and not just by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Other ponies, some she didn't even know, would give her hard looks or call her names. Why? Because she still liked and idolized Rainbow Dash. 

Positive opinion against Rainbow Dash seemed to evaporate overnight. The fan-club disbanded, many others began to talk negative, or even not bring her up at all. Scootaloo, however, tried to hold onto her idol, even after two years. She still kept the poster next to her bed. She still had the wig. She would even quote her from time to time. All it did was isolate her.

Take, for instance, today. It was recess, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were sitting down for lunch. Sweetie had a PB&J sandwich, Apple bloom had a container of applesauce, and Scootaloo had a bit of buttered sourdough. They chatted as they ate, mostly about how to get their cutie marks next.

"How about we try storm chasin'?"AB suggested. "I heard from Rumble that the weather team is gonna be lettin' a large one from da Everfree sweep o'er Ponyville, and somethin' could come up for us."

Sweetie countered, "That sounds a bit dangerous. How about we do something less risky for once. Like maybe, hmmmmm….Cutie Mark Crusader Hair Stylists!"

"Sweetie, we already tried that, remember?", Bloom said. "We ended up making the Mayor's hair stand straight up so it would hit doorframes as she walked." Turning to the third crusader, she asked, "Well, Scoots. You got any ideas? 'Cause we're stumped."

"Stunt flying?", Scootaloo said.

Her friends both looked at each other, then back at her. "Uh, Scoots. None of us can fly," Sweetie said.

"Yea'. Is... Is this still about Rainbow?"

"Ohhh, what's the matter? Is the blank flank still idolizing the traitor?", a snobby, all too familiar voice cut it. Diamond Tiara and Silver spoon had arrived, leaning up against the new monkey bars and giggling to themselves.

"Knock it off. Rainbow Dash isn't a traitor! She just-", Scootaloo said but was cut off by another round of light giggles from Tiara.

"Attacked one of the Princesses. Sounds like treason to me," Silver Spoon said.

Diamond added, "Yeah, and the blank flank still likes her. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if she snuggles up to that old wig at night." Pausing to laugh at her own joke, she continued, "I mean, It's not like she can get a teddy bear or anything. Her parents likely don't care enough. That's why they left you out on the streets!" She then fell down, laughing her flank off.

Scootaloo, meanwhile, was steaming. Literally; smoke was coming out of her ears. She growled in anger, pawing the ground as if she were ready to charge. Then she did.

Outskirts of Ponyville
POV: Bow Hothoof

"Ok, that's everything," the mover said. "I may have to warn you, though. The cloud ropes are pretty old, and haven't been reinforced in a while."

Bow just waved a hoof, saying, "It's fine. If we need to, we can get them fixed. Thanks for your help, Glider."

Glider just smiled, waved him goodbye, and took off back towards Cloudsdale. He sighed, back up at his old town. He and his wife had lived there almost all their lives, and Dash had too. But, after her exile, they had started to get glares from their neighbors. The two of them had talked and decided that it would be best if they left Cloudsdale. Not for any real reason, but they just needed a change. 

So, here the two of them were, boxes full of old stuff, mostly their daughters, moving into her old house. He started to lift them up on his back and carry them inside, setting them down in the old living room. After the state seized the building a few months ago, most of the furniture had been sold or broken down for spare cloud. So, the room was pretty bare. However, according to his wife, most of the smaller items, like trophies, ribbons, posters and the like, had been left. 

As he was unpacking, he saw something out of the corner of his eye that caught his attention. It was a small hole in the floor, about the size that a filly could squeeze through. It was right by one of the cloud chains that held the house to the ground. Normally, he would chalk it up to a case of the cloud starting to dissipate. That was often a problem with the cloud houses, especially ones that didn't have much maintenance in a while. However, the position of the hole, its size, and the fact the cloud around it still looked pretty intact made him suspicious. 

Before he could investigate further, his wife came in. Windy had seemed to take the exile even harder than he did. For the first few days, she didn't leave their room. That eventually got her fired from her job at the cloud packing plant of the weather factory. Even after all this time, she seemed to be nearly constantly sad. "Hey, honey," he called out. "Glider helped me get the last of the boxes in. You got everything sorted out at the town hall, right?"

"Y-yeah, dear. I got the deed," she said, holding up the paper as proof. She then looked up at the second story, where a few of their daughter's old posters could be seen. "*Sigh*. Our little Dashie picked her house well, didn't she?"

Before he could reply, he heard a faint noise. It sounded like somepony was climbing the ropes. Sure enough, when he looked back at the hole, he saw a magenta mane sticking out of the hole. Followed by a patch of orange fur and orange ears. Then cerise eyes similar to their daughter, at first filled with sadness, then alarm. "Heh. Uh, I can explain," said the little filly; one whom he recognized immediately.

Ponyville Town Hall
POV: Windy Whistles

For the second time in two days, Windy flew down into town toward the town hall. The first time it was to finalize the property transfer and to pick up the deed. This time, it was for something far more important.

After she had climbed up the hole, Scootaloo told them everything. About how she had been living on the streets for almost as long as she could remember. How, after Rainbow was exiled, she had seen a hole in the bottom of the house, and had climbed up said hole. And how she had been living in this house ever since. 

They had offered to let her stay with them, to which she happily accepted. They had ended up talking about Dash a lot. In the end, most of them had ended up crying for a bit, before getting over themselves and having a nice dinner. After she had gone to bed, Windy and her husband stayed up to have a talk. 

Windy wanted to adopt the young filly. Why? Well, for one she was much like her Rainbow, and maybe having her around would make it easier to move on. Maybe it was because she liked being a mother, and wanted to keep that sense of joy alive. Maybe she felt sorry for the young filly and wanted to give her a home. Either way, she expected her husband to resist and was prepared to fight tooth and hoof for it. Instead, he just accepted on the spot; he even said he had been planning to ask her about the same idea.

And so, here she was, right outside the mayor's office again. She knocked, with the mayor opening the door a few seconds later. "Ah, Miss Whistles. Come in, come in." After she was ushered in and sat down at the chair opposite the mayor's desk, she said, "So, Miss Whistles. Might I ask what you're doing here for the second time in two days? Last time somepony came back like this was when two less then reputable business ponies attempted to buy the Apple family farm."

"Yes, of course. Are you familiar with a young Pegasus filly named Scootaloo?", she said. 

The mayor scratched her chin for a second, then snapped it back down to her desk as her eyes lit up in realization. "Ah, yes. I remember her when I went down to the Elementary School for Career Day. What about her?"

"Well, uh, me and my husband recently found out that she had been living in our new home; Rainbow Dash's old one. She had been living on the streets before that, and we just couldn't stand for it."

The mayor gasped, before she said, "Oh my. I had no idea." Her look then hardened in resolve. "How can I help?"

"Me and my husband would like to adopt her. I came here to request the necessary paperwork," she said.

"Of course, Miss Whistles." She stood up and went over to a filing cabinet by the wall and began to root through the papers. She finally stopped at one spot, pulling out a few sheets of paper. "Here, Miss Whistles," she said as she set them down on the desk. "You'll need to fill out the rest of the forms with your husband. Bring them back here in the next five days, and I'll get them finalized. Have a great day!"

Ponyville Elementary Playground
POV: Scootaloo

It was the day after she had been caught in Rainbow's house. That night, while Rainbows dad had been showing her an old photo album full of Rainbows baby pictures, Windy had come back with several papers. When questioned about it, she told Scootaloo they were adoption papers; that they were going to adopt her. She had practically had a heart attack from the sheer joy.

She had being walked to school by her new mom. She was exactly like one, even if the paperwork wasn't finished yet. They arrived outside the Schoolhouse, with the two of them saying goodbye for the day. She couldn't be happier. And the other Crusaders noticed at lunch. 

"Hey, Scoots. Ya've been acting pretty happy today, especially considerin' what happened with Diamond Tiara yesterday," Apple Bloom said. 

Sweetie Belle added, "Yeah. What's up?"

Barely able to keep her excitement in, she said, "Ok, girls. I'm.... being adopted! By Rainbow Dash's parents!", followed shortly by a high pitched squeal.

The other crusaders looked at each other, then back at Scootaloo. Unlike yesterday, however, smiles graced their faces. "Woah! That's great Scoots!"

"Oh, yeah," a new voice said, pompous and dripping with sarcasm. "They pony who worships the traitor is being adopted by her parents. Which one are they going to teach you to attack next? Princess Luna?" Again, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were here. Both had a few scrapes, bruises, and even a black eye between the two of them, but that didn't deter them. 

Scootaloo, this time, didn't even bother to respond. She just sat there in silence. "Well, aren't you going to do something? Protest? Yell at us? Anything?" Silver Spoon asked. 

"Nope," Scootaloo said. "They're just words. Why should that bother me?"

The two bullies just looked at one another, snarled, and trotted off. "Woah, Scoots. Ah've never seen ya so in control of yourself. Er, no offense."

"None taken," Scootaloo said. "Why should I let her judge me? I'm loved by my new parents and you girls. And that's enough for me."

The three fillies soon smiled at each other and joined in a group hug. None of them would notice until later, but during the hug, Scootaloos flank glowed with a white flash. In the instant is shone out, it was gone, leaving a new shape on her flank. Her cutie mark: An X made up of two sticks and several rocks at the cardinal directions.
> 36~Sharpening the mind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash was pregnant. That sick fuck Dermot had planted his seed in her. In a few months, she would give birth to his child. And Rainbow wasn't happy. 

In fact, if it weren't for her being pregnant, she would already have left to track him down so she could cut off his cock and shove it up his nose. But, after Sutura confirmed it for her, she had a talk with Caesar Drusilla. She said that this changed nothing and that she would do all she could to help her. However, she would still serve her, which Rainbow agreed to. 

Due to this complication, her new training had to be modified. Originally, it was going to be a daily structure of training and then classroom like lessons. But, due to this complication, it was deemed that her classes would take place now, especially since she still had to learn the language. 

And so, here she was: a small dining room converted to a makeshift classroom, with a small desk, wax tablet, and a quill to write with. She was waiting for her supposed teacher, and it was driving her mad. She rocked side to side on the chair, which issued strange creaking noises that Rainbow found to be pretty entertaining. And so she did this for at least five minutes before the door opened. 

In stepped an old looking Demigyrph with a pale grey coat and stark white feathers with black tips. He wore a white tunic and leather belt, sandals on his hind legs, and a pair of spectacles. He said, "Hello there, Miss Dash. I am Professor Didius, and the Caesar has instructed me to teach you the Demosian language, and later other aspects like history and tactics. Before we begin, I suggest you stop rocking the stool."

Rainbow did as he asked, and then straightened up to pay attention. Or at least, as best she could. She was never really a classroom learner, often learning best from experience and from doing stuff. However, this could work. She had to try.

"Alright then, we shall start with basic greetings," he said. He then turned and began to draw words on a large wax tablet. When he was done, it spelled out several words in total: 'Salve' 'Ave' 'Quid agis?' and 'Bonus dies'. 

"Now, as I have said, these are the basic greetings of the language. 'Salve' means 'Hello' or 'Hi'. You use this to greet someone in an informal setting, or someone whom you hold rank over. 'Ave' means 'Hail'. This is directed at your superiors, like the Caesar or another member of the royal family, or anyone else who holds rank on you. Next is 'Quid agis'; how are you? Like hello, it can be used in an informal setting, or as a follow-up phrase to one of the previous greetings. Finally, for now, is-Are you asleep!?" 

Sure enough, Rainbow had fallen into the edge of sleep, resting her head against her desk with her eyes nearly shut. His shout drove that back, and made her spring up in alarm, shouting, "NO!". Her head darted around the room, finally falling on the somewhat angry looking professor. She shot him a sheepish grin, saying, "Sorry, sir. I'm not a very good class learner. It's not your fault."

His expression softened. "Ah, I see," he said. "You should've told me. The Caesar's younger brother was exactly the same way. Now, how about a bit of a pop quiz?"

Rainbows' eyes widened in shock. "Already!? But I-"

Didius shut her up with a wave of his paw. "Don't worry. It's not a hard one, and only for you to get some interaction with me, as well as some practical experience. I find that this works best. Now, ready?"

A light nod later, he said, "Ok. Now, which one do you use to greet a superior?"

"Ummmm… Ave?"

"Correct," he said with a smile. "Now, which do you use in an informal setting? Salve, Quid agis, both, or neither?"

Rainbow thought for a minute, then hesitantly said, "Salve? No, no; Quid agis!"

"Both, actually. But, well, you answered both, so I'll take it," he said. "Now, let's move on. Remember to take notes on the tablet. Each day will start with a small quiz like this."


+++++~+++++


These lessons took up the next few months and were organized in a similar way. Each day started with a quiz of last days' material, then they went into new material. Soon, she had enough of an understanding to interact with someone without the use of a rune, even if she slipped up somewhat. 

Soon after she could speak Demosian pretty well, Professor Didius started to move onto other areas. One such was history, which seemed a waste of time to her, but was judged to be necessary. She learned, memorized and repeated many parts of the history of the Empire. From its founding over 3000 years ago by Damocles the Great-Uniter to the Pryhan-Equestrian Wars, to the Great Scorching, to the present day. Names of important generals, Caesars, philosophers, and reformists of the Empire. Of landmarks, important battles, and dates. 

Speaking of battles, she was also drilled on tactics, strategies, and the organization of the army. She learned until she could recite them blindfolded the necessary parts for a successful envelopment operation. How to use the various types of troops of the Pryhan army to full effect. The various equipment, weapons, and roles each of these troop types used. And how to exploit the various tactics, troop types, and weapons of the Empires enemies, most notably the zebras. 

A final point she was encouraged to study was the social structure, government, and economic position of the Empire. The histories, territories, and other important tidbits of the various wealthy families that formed the Empires upper classes. The middle class of farmers, soldiers, and artisans, and their role in society. And finally, the laborers that made up the lower class. As well as this, she was drilled on the various appointed ranks of the Empire, current people who held them, and just how they factored into the Empires hierarchy. 

It was all a pain at first; like she said, she was a doer, not a learner. However, eventually, she got into a cycle of being able to remember these things, as well as study in her abundant free time. She often had nothing better to do, and so just stuck with it. It was like her reading for the first time: at first a pain she normally wouldn't be bothered with trying, but due to having little else to do, she indulged herself in it. And while she didn't enjoy it, even after nearly eight months of doing it, it was still less annoying than at the start.

At first, these lessons took place every day, at the same time, and generally lasted all day. However, as the pregnancy progressed, the lesson structure changed. The lessons took place later in the day. They lasted shorter amounts of time. And eventually, days were skipped. Within the last month, they stopped happening all together, even though she was told to keep reviewing the material. It was just too bothersome to get out of bed, and they ceased.
> 37~Pain of motherhood (PT.1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been almost nine months into her pregnancy. The baby was expected to arrive in the next couple of days. In her mind, she had always imagined it would be a great feeling. She would be excited and cuddle up with the one whom she would raise her child with. Ha; what a load of shit!

She was miserable. The swell in her stomach had reached the size of a large watermelon and made it so she could barely move. Her now massively swollen teats made movement even harder. Her back ached, and other parts of her body felt like they were flaring as well. Her mane got longer, nearly covering her face in the bright spectral hair. All of it sucked. 

Over the pregnancy, other issues also happened. Morning sickness was easily the worst part, as the crackers made it so she was incredibly drowsy, and she would end up throwing up in bed. This wasn't an issue when she had her lessons with Didius, as Castus would wash the sheets while she was away. However, as it drew into the latter months, she went out less and less, which meant she had to move over or get out of bed completely while he washed them, which took a few hours. 

Next was the cravings. They started coming in about month four and were easily the weirdest part of it. The requests were odd, and often random in nature. Figs drenched in garum fish sauce. Salted grapes with a shot glass of lemon juice. Sugar-fried pork. Bread stuffed with asparagus and anchovies. And some of these were the more tame ones. She didn't want to know what would happen if she ate these foods normally. 

However, by far the worst part was the fact she was unable to use crackers. Sutura claimed they were bad for the baby, and deep down she knew the Medicus was right. However, poop sleep was also bad for it, so an in-between solution was devised. A runic earring, carved with runes that gave sound sleep to its wearer, with said wearer being her. It was a solution; not one she enjoyed, but one none the less. Still, not being able to use the crackers was a pain, and she was beginning to suffer a few withdrawal symptoms. 

Fortunately, it wasn't like she went through this alone. Didius would occasionally come by, even when she was still doing her lessons, and read to her. Unlike the historical records and military treaties he normally lectured to her with, these were more interesting books, in her opinion. Legends about ancient heroes and some of their deeds. Some she had a feeling weren't real, like how a Terran named Hoofacles was able to tear apart a gap in a wall of cliffs that allowed a Pryhan fleet to retrieve an artifact that helped restore fertility to the farms around the capital. Others seemed plausible enough, like the voyage of an ancient Caesar by the name of Tiberius. They were entertaining at the very least, and he left her other books and scrolls for her to pass the time with. 

Besides the old professors reading and Suturas checkups, she, of course, had Castus. He was always nearby in case she needed him. He brought her water, medicine if she needed it, her unusual food requests; whatever she asked for. It was a bit of a sore spot relying on someone else, but she had no choice at this point. Besides, he was kind, able to complete his tasks quickly, and was even courteous to her despite her near-constant whining. 

"Uhhhhhhh…", she groaned, leaning back in her bed. The sheets were pulled up just below her stomachs swell, and her head was leaning against the wall. Her wings were spread out, reaching just off the bed. Resting on her stomach facing her sat one of the books Didius had given her, telling the story of how the city of Pryha was founded by the twins Damocles and Decius. To her, it was even cooler than Hearths Warming. If she wasn't so miserable, it would be a lot more interesting.

A knock on the door drew her attention off the book and toward the door. "Come in," she scowled. In came Castus with a small platter, on which was her latest strange request: A whole loaf of bread drenched in melted chocolate. Along with it was a cup of water and a small pot of nuts, which were supposedly good for the baby. 

"Just bringing you your new request, Domina," he said, setting it down next to her bed. Rainbow set down the book and immediately began to stuff the bread into her mouth. Even after all this time, it was still amazing how fast she could down her pregnancy food. After it was all gone, about a minute, she leaned back against the wall. "Anything else you need, Domina?"

"N-no, Castus. Thanks." He bowed, then began to leave. 

"I'll be outside if you need anything, Domina." As he left, Rainbow smiled. He appreciated her awesomeness, and he didn't mind the scars. Most of the creatures she had interacted with had shown some sort of reaction to her raking scars and glowing eye. Even Didius had cringed slightly when he first saw her. He saw how awesome she was, and didn't really care about what she looked lik-

*Splash!*

Rainbows ears flicked up in surprise, feeling a dampness down by her hind legs, just below the sheets. "Uh, Castus?" As he came in, she lifted up the sheets to look down. A massive wet spot had formed below the sheets, right by her marehood. Soon, Castus had arrived and also looked down the gap between the mattress and the silk sheet. His pale green eyes, normally partially closed and a bit lazy, widened in shock. Both knew what it was, and both had been somewhat dreading what it entailed. 

The wet spot was her water. It had broken. And that could only mean one real thing:

The baby was coming. Now.
> 38~Pain of motherhood (PT.2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Castus rushed out of the room, muttering about going to get the Medicus. Rainbow, meanwhile, felt a large sense of flaring pain in her marehood. That pain then shot up through her whole body as she let loose an agonizing scream. It hurt like hell; almost as much as when Crimson and Dermot had their way with her. 

She screamed again, holding onto her swelling stomach. Sweat poured out like a waterfall, slicking her long mane to the side of her head. A strange flare shot up her lower part, as a contracting sensation began to build up inside her. They soon got worse, the flares shooting up her body until she felt like she was being cut. She clenched her eyes shut, and could swear she could see Crimson over her, a long barbed knife poised over her gut...

Her eyes shot open as she felt a cold wet feeling on the side of her head. One of the servants was rubbing a wet cloth on the side of her head, soaking up the sweat. Another one put a cup of cool water to her mouth, forcing it down her throat. It felt great, but the relief was only temporary as the hot pain shot back up. She felt something grip her talon and shifted her head over to the side to see Castus gripping it. 

"Easy, Rainbow; easy." His voice was soothing but wasn't stopping the pain. Another towel was laid over her forehead as she laid back on the pillow. She felt her legs spread apart and felt a pair of hooves by her marehood.

"Ok, boss," the voice of Sutura said from that spot. "I don't see the head yet, so just keep pushing." 

"I'M TRYING, YOU CUNT-STAIN!! AHHHHH! JUST GET IT OUT!", she shouted as she tried to flex out. Come on, Rainbow. I can do a Rainboom and had my eye burnt out with a burning iron stick. I can fucking push it out!

At least five minutes passed, and the pain didn't go away, and nothing felt different. "Ah, Damocles fuck me. It's not coming out!", sutura shouted. She turned to one of the servants and said, "Hey, get to my quarters. Go to the third cabinet; the one labeled 'Meds'. Inside, find a clay pot with a red cross on it. It'll have a small brass button below the cross, and it'll smell like figs. Bring it here as fast as you can. We're gonna have to do a C-section." 

The servant ran out of the room at full gallop, and the others went back to soothing the pain. More cool towels, more water, more gripping her talon. Through the flares of agony, the cool towels, and the screaming, she picked up a sound she hoped she would never hear again: scraping blades. Peeking up in-between her legs and over her swollen bulge, she saw Sutura pulling out and sharpening what looked like a small knife. Her eyes went even wider. 

"Get that fucking knife away from me!", she shouted over her stomach, drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the room. 

Sutura said, "Sorry, boss. But something went wrong with the delivery. We're gonna have to do a Caesarian, and that means I need to do this. Just trust me!" But she didn't. No one got close to her with a knife again. Never! She tried to buck and kick her way free, desperate to get the knife away from her. "Ah, fuck. Hold her down. We don't want to have her crush it!"

As two of the servants grabbed onto her legs and another one her wings, Rainbow thought about what Sutura said. About crushing the baby. When she first learned about her pregnancy, she was angry. That fuck Dermot had given her a kid. Sure, she had wanted to have one eventually, but not now! She had, in secret, been waiting for the right stallion. Her own little Prince Charming. Not some demented psychopath! She had been secretly hoping that something would go wrong, or just something; anything so she wouldn't have to go through this yet. 

But, now that it was happening, she accepted it. She had grown it in her. It was her child, and to hell with the father! It didn't matter if it was the kids of one of those treacherous fucks back in Equestria; it was also her kid, and she would raise it as such. She may be a terrible mother, but like everything else, she would give it her all.

So soaked up by this train of thought, she didn't even notice that the servant was back with the clay pot. The Medicus had put some of the soupy red substance in a needle and injected it into her side. Immediately, the whole area of her body went numb, and with it, the massive painful flares almost completely faded. Some persisted, but they were light and were mostly negligible. When Sutura began to make an incision, she didn't even feel it.

It was slow, but eventually, she felt some of the taunt skin go slack. A second pressure took its place, but even that layer began to go slack as she could actually feel the blade cutting through them. A flick of her ear indicated the knife had been discarded, and she felt a cool, sweating hoof reach inside. A second later, she felt them being removed, along with something else. 

Soon, a loud whining filled the room, accompanying the pained gasps of the baby's mother. "It's a male!", Sutura shouted, picking up the knife again, cutting something as she reached back out of sight to grab something. Meanwhile, Castus was given the newborn, who he wrapped in a linen cloth and laid in Rainbows feeble arms. 

It was a healthy young colt, about the size she remembered seeing Pound Cake being. He had a light, tawny gold coat, which faded into a pale blue as it reached up onto his neck. He had a mane red, purple, and blue mane, with the back end, near the back of his head, being a stark white. When his eyes opened, she was greeted with black eagle-like slits surrounded by fields of her own eyes cerise color. Opening up the blanket a little, she saw he was almost completely pony in form, the only trace of his father being the tawny brown coat color below the pale blue of his neck up, paws instead of front hooves, and a lion tail. Upon closer inspection, a small pair of wings were revealed, tucked into the side of his barrel. Said wings were pretty large for a newborn, which made Rainbow smile. He was gonna be a hell of a flier one day. And she was gonna try her hardness to be a hell of a mother for her little colt. 

"Domina… He's like you. The mane, the wings.." He stopped, letting her take in her child.

Sutura, who had finished patching up the hole, stood up and looked over at the newborn. "Hell yeah, it is. So, boss; what's gonna be the little windlashs name?"

Rainbow thought for a second, going over a potential list. She honestly hadn't thought of it and didn't have a premade one ready. She decided to do something in Demosian, help him fit in more out here. Reviewing her lessons with Didius, she remembered a set of words; one that worked as best as she could come up with. 

"Depressi. Depressi Tonituro.*" she said, looking down at her now named child. "Hey there, bud. I'm your mom. And I'll be the most awesome mom you could get."
> 39~Hardening the body
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow was given three months by the Caesar before the physical aspect of her training would begin. She spent much of this time recovering, or with her new child. Like her, he was an energetic little colt, often trying to test out his new wings, or shuffling around the floor. She was helped in this endeavor by Castus, who provided a bit of expertise, as well as doing other, more menial jobs: fetching more baby food, getting fresh linin for wraps, etc. All in all, it was almost perfect. 

Almost. While he rarely cried during the day, he would seemingly compensate by wailing up a storm at night. Even crackers didn't help with the crying, even if they still helped with the dreams. He would wake her up in the middle of the night, wailing about something. Occasionally this was something actually necessary like he needed a change or to be burped. Mostly, however, it seemed like he wanted to be close to his mommy. Eventually, she brought his bed, a large basket with blankets in it, up to the side of her bed. That way, not only would she wake up sooner, she wouldn't have to go too far to figure out the problem. She could just reach down with a wing and lift him up.

In that time, she recovered well. Now, her once long mane had been clipped short and was now often pulled back into a short braid. She had begun to thin down quickly, becoming her original size from before her pregnancy in a few days. The semi-regular trips to the bathhouse had cleaned up her mane and coat. If it weren't for her scars and new hairstyle, she could've been mistaken for still living in Equestria. 

Finally, her three months were up. The next day, she was expected to be down at the entrance of the villa by an hour before sunrise. There, she would meet her instructor. 


+++++~+++++


She felt a faint shoving sensation against her head. It touched one of the scars over the right side of her face, which finally coaxed her out of the void. She was greeted by Castus, who said, "Wake up, Domina."

Rainbow shot him an angry glare, then attempted to roll over. "Five more minutes," she muttered.

"I suggest you get up, Domina," he said back. "I have known Praefectus Dorus for some time, and he isn't the kind of gryph you want to keep waiting." Begrudgingly, she complied and began to get up. As she walked over to her tunic, he added, "I'll keep an eye on young Depressi during your training. Have a nice day, Domina."

She pulled on her tunic, belt, and caligea, and pushed open the door. She then unfolded her wings, shot back to the basket, and kissed her son. In his sleep, he turned over and smiled, which made her smile. Then, she shot back out the door, out the window, and out over the courtyard.

Even in the darkness of the early morning, she could look out over the area around the villa and see things quite clearly. The villa was situated on a large island, which, given the geography lessons showed the territory of the Empire was mostly in the Pryhan Archipelago, then it made sense. As such, much of, if not most of the visible horizon was dominated by the sea. In the distance along the coastline, she could make out the faded lights of a small city or town. Rocky hills and mountains dotted the region between here and the city, with the silhouettes of animals made visible in the early morning light. 

Below her, in the courtyard, stood a Demigryph in armor. Rainbow dove down, flapping her wings at the right time to avoid becoming a pancake. The Gryph backed up, giving Rainbow a minute to soak them in. He wore the same mail armor, steel chest plate, and brass helmet as the demigryph guard on her first day here, but with a few notable differences. For one, the plate had engravings on it, and the helmet and mail looked to be of higher quality. In addition, his helmet crest was red and was much bigger, stretching to the side like a massive fan. He also had a red cloak, a slightly bigger sword, and had a massive hardened vine slung over his shoulder. 

"So, you're the one that the Caesar is so interested in? Rainbow Dash, right?", she said, not without a hint of snarkiness. 

Rainbow shot back with her usual cockiness, "The one and only!" This only made the Preafectus frown a little deeper. 

"Well, ok then. I assume you know who I am?", he said. After a quick nod from Rainbow, she said, "Alright then. Let's get started. I've been told you're a good flyer. Would I be correct?"

"The best!" she said almost immediately. 

"Ok," Dorus said. "The only one I've seen, but ok. Now, how fast can you run? Or lift?"

That caused her to stop and think. "Huh. Well, back in Equestria, I never really lifted, and I didn't run all that much. Soooo, I don't know."

"Alright then," he said. "That works fine by me. Let's find out. Zahir!" A zebra trotted out the door, carrying a crate on his back. He set it down, then opened the crate, stepping back as Rainbow looked inside. 

Inside were several sets of armor. The largest was white with red trim. It looked pretty stiff and looked as if it would completely cover her whole torso with interlocking leather tassels covering the areas that would be her upper legs. Next to it was an iron helmet that looked pretty bare. Its cheek guard was a bit smaller and further back and the rest of it sloped back over her head, completely covering most of her now clipped short mane, leaving only the tip of her braid exposed. On the opposite sides of the cuirass was two sets of armor. One was a pair of fully enclosed, segmented metal greaves, the only opening being a spot for her to slip her caligea into. Along with these were a pair of small iron vambraces to go over her forelegs, adding redundant protection to the already purely iron prosthetics. 

"Try 'um on. They'll be part of your first exercise," he said. As she complied and began to slide on and fasten the torso armor, he turned to the zebra. "Zahir. Go and grab the sarcina. Make sure it's full." The zebra nodded and walked off as Rainbow started grunting, pulling up on the greaves to fit them over her caligae. "Next time, putting on the greaves first, then the vambraces, then the linothorax. Helmet goes on last."

"That would've been nice to know from the start!", she groused. She then saw the zebra come back, holding a long stick with pack on it. The pack appeared to be made of leather and looked a lot like a saddlebag actually. Several other items hung on short cords along the sticks crossbar. These were an adze, a pickaxe/ax thing, a turf cutter, and a small net filled with a tin bowl. 

"See this?", Dorus said. "This is a legionaries best friend: the Crossbar Sarcina. Inside, normally you will find one's personal kit, food for between five to fifteen days, and a few other items. However, we haven't procured these yet. So, instead, we've substituted those for 85 pounds worth of rocks." He then shoved it into her hooves as she pulled the helmet on, saying, "Now, I know you can fly well, as I've said. Now, let's see how much you can run. Lugging this, run down the road until you touch a large rock in the shape of an oval with an olive tree on top. Touch it, then run back here. Do that ten times, or until...." He paused, looking up at the now nearly risen sun. "....Say about noon. Whichever comes first. Now go!"

"What!?" she yelled. "Why should I have to run when I can fly?"

He replied, "Well, besides building up your stamina and strength? It'll just be a backup to flying. Now, fall to command. Move!"

Rainbow snarled under her breath, but still slung the stick over her shoulder, adjusted her helmet, and took off down the road.
> 40~Refining the skill
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noon

Rainbow trudged up the hill, the villa in sight. The stick dug into her shoulder, and her hooves pounded in pain. Up ahead, she saw Dorus and the zebra, Zahir. With a final surge of energy, she progressed into a slow gallop, moving as fast as she could on three hooves. With a final surge of energy, she arrived just in front of the two of them, then promptly collapsed. 

"Huh. You did five on your first try. Color me impressed, birdie," he said.

She looked up, before slumping back down with her cheek plate resting on the ground. She gasped out, "F-fuck.... *pant*, *pant*….you, *pant*"

"Pleasant," he said, grinning widely in imitation of her this morning. "Alright then. You have an hour's break for lunch. Then we start on weapons training." He then stepped to the side, saying, "Your feast awaits, birdie", as he gestured to a bench. Said bench was in the shade and had a platter with food on it. "Oh, and keep your armor on. It's part of the training. Zahir will tell you when your hour is up and will show you to the training yard. Enjoy!"

Rainbow didn't even bother to hurl an insult his way as he walked in the door. She unslung the massive pack, spread her wings, and launched over. The unused limbs carried her quickly to her destination and landed right by the food. It was a piece of bread, a small bowl full of olive oil, a few grapes, and some thinly sliced pork, with a cup of water off to the side. Rainbow downed the water in a second, and the rest of the food in only a little more time. Remembering she had an hour before she had to go around back, she slumped against the wall, took off her helmet, and shut her eyes for a quick nap. 

After what felt like five minutes, she felt something kick her hoof. Opening her eyes, she saw Zahir, who flicked his head over to the side of the building. Rainbow remembered what Dorus had told her was coming and groaned at the prospect. Still, it wasn't like she had a choice in the matter. So, she slipped on her helmet, spread her wings, and darted around the corner, Zahir following behind her.

Dorus was waiting for her, along with several other items. Another, much smaller crate, a few hay bales, a wooden pole about eight feet high, and a large wood and leather dummy. Even before she came to a stop, she could tell he was smiling; the helmet hiding very little of his face, and not enough to hide it. 

"Well, hey there birdie. Ready for weapons training?", he said.

"Well, I just ran with eighty pounds of rocks on my back for five hours, but, sure. I guess I could kick your ass from here to Griffonia."

He just smiled. She was starting to hate that smile. "Sorry, birdie," he said. "But for now, no ass-kicking. Instead, you'll be hitting that post. With this." He lifted up from behind the crate a wooden sword, similar in design to his own. He tossed it to her, then gestured to the post.

"You've got to be kidding me, right?", she said. "You want me to hit that thing with a toy sword?"

Dorus said, "It's not a toy. It's a training sword. Twice the normal weight of your actual equipment", he pointed to the box, indicating that was where it was. "Helps you to build up muscles and to give ease of movement when you finally start to use your actual gear. Now, go over to the post, and follow my commands."

"I don't have muscles, remember," she said, lifting up her iron foreleg.

"Ok, I'll give you that," he said. "But, it only goes up to your elbow, so it helps with the shoulders. And it's the way I've been instructed to train you. Now, fall to command."

Rainbow muttered under her breath using words she likely wouldn't use around her son but trotted over to the post anyway. As she got close, she saw it wasn't just a long piece of wood, but was in fact divided into sections, separated by short lengths of died linin wrapped around them. 

"At the ready!" Rainbow just stood there, looking back at him with a look that said 'Explain, motherfucker.' "Right," Dorus said as he pulled out the vine staff. He then used it to adjust her limbs, forcing her into a position he wanted her to be in. Said position was her tensed up, sword held back with the tip extending just past her chest. "Now, do as I say when I say it, and then return to this position. As of now, speed isn't your concern. Focus on accuracy; it's better to hit your target than to swing fast and miss. Now, at the ready!"

Rainbow stiffened up in her position, holding the sword. "Thrust high!" She shot her hoof out, hitting the narrow board before retreating. "Thrust low!" Again, she struck the board, however, came close to missing the thrust. "Downward slash, middle!" Being a bit easier, she did it a bit faster. "Side slash, middle!" Again, easy, so it went faster. "Good. Now, repeat all of it!"

Rainbow groaned but complied. This was gonna be a long day. 


+++++~+++++


This was the general training structure for the next six months. Get up just before sunrise, head out front, and find out what Dorus had planned. Often, it wasn't as crazy as what she had to do on that first day. This could range from a simple jog around the villa to a flight around the whole island. These activities generally lasted until about noon or a little less. After this was a quick lunch, often in a similar style to what she had on day one. 

After that was weapons training. For the first three months, it was almost identical to the first day. Attacking a wooden pole with a heavy wooden sword. Other drills were done as well. The use of throwing weapons. Ambush tactics. Stealth practice. Even theoretical uses for her flight in combat. 

After the three month mark, she was finally introduced to her proper equipment; the stuff she was expected to use in battle. A pair of the short swords she had been using a wooden version of, which had a harness that went over her armor, holding the scabbards just below her wings. A pair of crossbow pistols, strapped to holsters on her flanks along with their spare ammunition. A stiletto dagger, which could slide out of a compartment on her prosthetic (that part was especially cool). And finally, her talons and hooves themselves, which could be used as a last resort weapon. 

At this point, the training changed as well. Now, she started sparring with Dorus, firing on moving targets with the crossbows, and attacking dummies from the air instead of ground level. She had also been sparring with Zahir, who was using weapons that the Zebras commonly used: Clubs, short spears, and curved, sickle-like blades. 

Finally, after six months, she was more than proficient in her new weapons. Her style hadn't changed too much in usage; she still relied on surprise, momentum, speed, and agility to overwhelm an opponent. But, she now had proper armor, weapons and was able to move almost as fast in them as out of them. Now, Caesar Drusilla had gotten her what she needed to complete her end of the bargain.

A boat to the mainland, a cloak, and a map to the camp of the bastards who held her.
> 41~Retribution
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sasha was happy with her lot in life. She had been with the gang since before Crimson was in charge, and had had the time of her life. The rush of fighting, the loot; all of it was well worth it. She didn't care about Dermot. He was a bit of a sick fuck, but hey; this kind of job entailed it. 

Currently, she was stationed on one of the watchtowers outside of the camp. Made up of wood platforms sealed to the trees, they gave an overview of the forest surrounding the camp. She hated this posting, but again, who was she to complain? So long as she got her-What was that?

She sat up in her chair, grabbing onto her crossbow. She thought she saw a flash of movement, and it was way too fast to be a Buck or a Prowler or even a Ghul. She squinted, making out a faint, equine-like shape. Maybe some self-righteous fighter or an insane bounty hunter hoping to 'Bring them to justice'. She smirked, then readied her crossbow to fire. Still smirking, she saw the flash move again, this time toward her. She was still smirking as a short sword slit open her throat. Her smirk finally faded into a look of panic as she dropped her crossbow, and grabbed her throat to futilely attempt to stem the blood. 


+++++~+++++


Rainbow didn't even flinch as the Bighorn gripped her neck, blood leaking through the gaps in her hooves. She twitched for another second, then stopped. Rainbow then spread her wings, and darted along the edge of the forest, making her way to the other two platforms. Both of the others had a sentry in them as well, but they were quickly dispatched as well. One with a slash to the throat like the first one, the other with a crossbow pistol bolt. Perched up on the third platform, she looked westward toward the camp.

It was nestled into a small cut out on a cliff, encircled on all sides by the cliffs or a small wooden wall. Several buildings dominated most of the compound: Two large shacks, one labeled armory, one that looked like an infirmary, and a third, larger-looking shack. One corner was taken up by a large pen of spiked rope and wooden stakes. Brigands walked to and fro across the camp, fully armed even though they were in, what they thought, was a safe area. Not like it would help them. By her count, she could see at least one and a half dozen, potentially more if somewhere inside. 

Rainbow slid up her neck gaiter to cover her muzzle, pulled down her goggles, and took off. She darted up over the camp, perching upon a small ledge on the cliff. She then shot back down, shoving one of her swords into one's neck. She pulled it free and began to dart from brigand to brigand, putting each down with a quick, clean thrust. 

After about five, one finally noticed her. He recoiled in surprise, crying out, "Oh fuck!" Rainbow growled, then shot that one. Another two ran around the corner, surprise written on their faces before they changed to snarls as they charged.

Rainbow shoved the crossbow back and pulled out her second sword. Holding her wings out for balance, she parried the incoming blows before springing off her hind legs. With her iron forelegs held out, combined with the momentum from her powerful hind legs, the clothesline sent both of them sprawling as she then stabbed them both in the exposed underbellies. She then began to flap again, launching up into the air. 

She saw one of them going for a large mounted crossbow and turned her attention to that one. She rocketed by, sending out a rainbow-colored trail as she slashed her blades along the top of his head. His unprotected skull gave way, the blades pulling free from the new ravines in his head as she swooped back around.

She performed similar swooping attacks on another three of them, and now corpses littered the open spaces around the buildings. By her initial assessment, only about six of them remained, not to mention Dermot. She began to circle the compound like a vulture, reloading her crossbows as she looked for those last seven. 

Four of them pushed open the door of one of the shacks, weapons drawn. She dove down, firing off her crossbows into the two closest. They dropped, one not moving and the other moaning and shifting. She slipped the pistols back into the holsters but didn't have time to draw swords. Oh well!

She slammed into one of them, claws out. The sharp talons cut into his throat, and kicked off the ground, swinging around him to avoid an attack by the other one. Using the moment of time she had, she drew one of her swords and tossed the body at the other one. He shoved it aside, but it was too late; she had her opening and another cut throat. 

Then, the door to the largest shack opened. Two well-armored brigands exited, followed closely by the one she wanted to kill the most: Dermot. He snarled out, "What in the nine hells is going-". He stopped when he saw her, and his face twisted into the all-to-familiar, wickedly cruel smile. "Well well. You came crawling back? Is my cock that good you want more of it? Haha haha haha! Ohhh. Ah, kill her."

The other two pulled out swords and broke into a loping stride, blades at the ready. As they got close, Rainbow just took off, letting them swing at empty air. She then basically fell back down to earth, thrusting the blades into the gaps of their crude plate just behind the neck. Both fell to the worn dirt, twitching and groaning from the blades. It was just her and Dermot. 

He pulled out an ax with a penetrative style head and looked of decent quality. "Geeze, bitch. The fuck!? You come in here, kill my boys, and try to kill me, and for what!? Some misplaced sense of-"

Rainbow got tired of his yapping, and let go of her swords. Likely couldn't pull them out in time, and didn't really want to. She wanted to look him in the eye as she killed him. She shot forward, pulling the knife from her arm as she did. In an instant, a lot happened. 

First, he delivered a strike to her back, which sent her falling downward. Second, the knife she had been planning to put in his eye fell short, hitting him in the chest instead. Finally, both of them collapsed onto one another, blood leaking out of his chest. 

Rainbow stood first, looking behind her at her back. The blow hurt, but didn't go through, and was absorbed by the padding. She then turned, walked over to Dermot, and pulled her knife free. He looked up at her, a look of fear on his face.

"You think.... this makes a difference?," he stuttered out. "My death, won't heal your scars. Nor will it replace memory, of my cock inside of you." By now, his face had started to twist into a smile. 

Rainbow removed her goggles, lowered her neck gaiter, and looked him straight in the eye. She said, uncharacteristically slowly and deliberately, "No, it won't. But, it's a fucking start!" 

She punched him in the face, chipping his beak. She walked up to him, placing the blade under the upper part of his skull. A quick slash of the blade and he fell onto his back, blood leaking out from the new wound on his head. As he tried to stem the flow of blood, she swung the knife across his chest, more blood leaking out. She asked, "Not so nice, eh? Unlike you, though, I'll be merciful. Enjoy Hell, bastard!" She slashed the blade across his throat, blood shooting out a large amount. Rainbow smiled, watching him squirm and writhe. 

Then, she walked over, picked up her swords, sheathed them and her knife, and fly off, beaming like she had just pulled off a rainboom. It was as exhilarating and felt almost as good.
> 42~Pegasi quirks
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Four days later, she was back at the villa. The flight was the same there as it was back: long, boring, and very cold. The instant she was inside, she requested the bath be heated up. She was sore, and during her training, these baths were a lifesaver. Soon, her armor, weapons, tunic, and caligae sitting on a bench outside, she slid into the hot water, reclining back with a sigh. 

She let her thoughts wander as she shut her eyes, letting the water soak into her fur and the gaps in said fur. She thought about what she did, and her thoughts on it. A quick reflection. 

She didn't regret it, per se. They deserved it; they were a disease, and her intervention had prevented them from harming others. However, her old self would've been disgusted by what she did. Back in Equestria, she did have a bit of a rash streak, and that did mean she got into fights at school from time to time. But, even then, she never hurt anypony seriously; never killed anypony. But out here, not only did she kill, she felt a rush from it. A natural violent streak? Long dormant pegasi instincts, perhaps? Or maybe she had just gone fucking mad.

This led her to consider Dermot and the way she had killed him. He had been bled to death, bleeding out his eye and his crotch. He had been screaming, writhing and, at her last look at his face, crying. Like she had. Was she regretting it? Hell no, and she would buck anyone who said such through a wall. No, she was just aware of what she had done, and how similar it was. 

She was drawn from her train of thought by a wisp of air flying over her head. It felt like a light breeze go over it, caressing the sweat and oil-soaked face. But, she was inside the bathhouse, which had its doors shut and had tiny windows. Plus, if she recalled correctly, it was a somewhat hot day, with not a cloud in the sky. So, what was causing the breeze?

"Get back here, Iuvenes Dominus! Please!" That was Castus. She opened up her prosthetic eye, wondering what was going on. When all she was greeted with was the wall, she rolled her head over on the headrest on the edge of the bath. Then, when she saw what was going on, her second eye opened and they both widened in shock.

Sure enough, Castus was in the room, chasing Depressi around the room. The reason why he was having such a hard time catching the ten-month-old colt was the same source of the breezy feeling on her face. Her son was flying, darting around the room like a gust of wind. Rainbow smiled, both at the funny sight of the normally serious Castus falling over himself trying to catch her son and the fact her son was flying. 

"Castus!", she called out, which caused the caragor to grind to a halt. He turned to face her, head bowed and paw placed to his shoulder. "What in the name of the Caesar is going on?"

He lowered his salute and raised his head, which was graced with a sheepish smile. "Oh, uh, Domina. W-well, I was just tending to young Depressi while you were away on your, *ahem*, business. And, well, almost as soon as you left, he started causing some mischief. At first, this wasn't an issue, as he is a surprisingly receptive little colt. However, two days ago, he, er, learned how to use his wings. He's been a bit of a pain ever since."

Rainbow couldn't help it anymore. She leaned back, letting most of her body fall into the steaming water as she began to laugh. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Oh, that is priceless. Boy, he's his mother's son, ain't he?"

"Yes, Domina," he said, a little annoyed. "And now, as funny as that is, might I have some assistance in catching the Iuvenes Dominus? I fear you are the only one he will listen to."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, still laughing lightly. "Just give me a second to get out of-"

"Look out!," Castus then yelled. Rainbow looked over to the side, just in time to have her son smack right into her face. Both of them tumbled back, with Rainbow losing her balance on her back hooves as she fell into the bath, her son flapping as hard as he could to avoid the water. 

Rainbow shook her head, overcoming her surprise as she fully registered the situation she was in. She began to try and push up to the surface, but the new claws didn't exactly make this an easy action to perform. The water was, at this point and depth, almost burning, making struggling even harder. Besides, even back before all that happened to her, she was never a strong swimmer. These factors all combined to lead her to slow her thrashing and start to part the gates of her mouth. 

Suddenly, a splash resonated through the water, and she felt something grab onto her sides. Said force started to lift her up, soon bringing her to breach the surface. She sucked in a massive breath of air, and then light coughing and sputtering as she expelled any water she had swallowed from her lungs. As she did so, the person who had jumped in, who she had now realized was Castus, swam over to shore, laying her on the edge of the baths stairs. 

"Are you alright, Domina?," he asked. 

She replied back, "Ye-yeah. I'm-Wait, where's my eye!?" Sure enough, lifting one of the talons up to her face, she couldn't feel the obsidian orb that had replaced her left eye. 

Castus looked back into the large bath, sighing as he apparently saw it. "I'll go get it, Domina."

She looked at him, snorting. "I thought cats hated water."

"Only those with fur because they can't shake it out well," he replied. "I, like the rest of my species, have no fur, and so it's not an issue. Now, I'll go get your eye, and perhaps you should have a talk with your son."

She looked over to the side as he dove in. Sure enough, Depressi was sitting on the edge of the hot water, head held low and a sad look on his face. "Young man," she said as she trotted over. She then stood over him, looking down at him. He looked about ready to cry. "Hey, hey. It was an accident. But you need to pay attention."

Her son looked up, the faint outline of tears on his little face. "I sowwy, mama." Rainbow recoiled in surprise, her one eye going wide. He spoke! His first words! And he called me mama! She leaned in close, wrapping her wings around him and hugged him. She looked over her wings as she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Umm, Domina? Your eye. Here."
> 43~Battle of Savarnai
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

About a month later...

Rainbow looked out over the edge of the ship she was on, gazing at the zebrican coastline. On the shore, the fresh wave of Prhyan troops were assembling around the various standards the served under. As the ship, the Invictus, ran aground on the sandy beaches, she unfurled her wings and took off, not wanting to wait for the rest of the reinforcements. 

If it was up to her, she wouldn't even be on the ship; she would've flown right here. However, the Caesar had insisted she come with the fresh troops for the campaign. She had claimed for it was morale purposes or something along those lines. Mostly, however, the soldiers and sailors either ignored her or would just stare at her. She didn't mind the attention, but after the first week at sea, it just got a little bit creepy. After three, she was more than willing to get off. A desire the Caesar apparently saw, as she had told her to fly ahead and assist someone called Praetor Cossinius, who had engaged a zebrican army. 

So, she flew over the marching forward section of the army, heading toward Cossinius's position. Below her stretched out the zebrican coastal region; a sweeping plain of tall, husky yellow grass, crooked trees, and large rocks that seemed to stick out of the ground like teeth. All of this stretched as far as the eye could see, marred only by a non-natural feature: a large plume of rising dust and smoke. As she got closer to the dust cloud, she got confirmation as to what it was. That confirmation came in the form of other sounds: horns, the clashing of weapons, and shouting. She was here. 

The field on which the battle was taking place bore no real distinction to the rest of the savannah that surrounded the two armies. One side, the mail-clad Pryhan soldiers pressed an advance, centurions shouting orders and horns blowing their own orders over the dull thrum of combat. Against them, the zebra warriors, clad in hide armors with feather, bone, and jewel adornments, fought back, hooked knives and clubs clashing against short swords in a brutal melee. From down there, it looked like anyone's battle. 

However, this was not the case from her position, where she could clearly see the trap the zebras set. While the Pryhan forces pushed forward, groups of zebras were working their way around the sides of the army, slinking through the tall grass. Soon, the army would be completely surrounded. 

One the edge of the battle, nestled up on a hill, sat a tent and a small contingent of soldiers. Judging from the large helmet crests and eagle standard, which she had learned about in her lessons, this was a command tent. She ground to a halt outside, kicking up a small cloud of dust as did so. 

The two guards outside the tent drew their swords, yet relaxed somewhat when a young voice said, "Hold, men." Out of the tent came a young caragor, perhaps even a little bit younger than her. He wore equipment and armor similar to that of Dorus back at the villa, yet a bit dustier, which would be a given, and a proper swagger stick as opposed to a simple vine staff. "You must be the new soldier that Caesar Drusilla informed me would be coming, yes?"

"Yeah, that's me. Oh, hey, I don't know if you've noticed, but you got zebras breathing down your necks. Comin' through the tall grass on your flanks."

"What!?," he gawked. "And you did nothing about it!?"

She smiled under the neck gaiter, and said, "I was about to. Just wanted to tell you. Gotta go!" And with that, she was off. 

She knew what her role was. Quick, hit and run attacks to disrupt the enemy and to assassinate enemy officers. So, that is what she planned to do. First, target the flanks. Give the army time to counter the trap. Then, go for the head. Eliminate the enemy commander, then his direct subordinates. Finally, dive-bombing attacks to disrupt and demoralize the enemy. Simple, fast, and direct; just like her.

Her rainbow trail started to form as she rocketed down on the left flank, slamming a sword into one of the more important looking zebra's chests. He reared up in alarm and pain, and she used this motion to launch off him and at another one. The rest of the zebras were separated by the tall grass, making them easy to pick off one by one. Most barely had time to react, and even those that did didn't have the time to properly fight back. Soon, she had butchered at least half of the force, with the rest fleeing back toward their lines. 

Once again, she launched into the air, and soared over the battlefield, using the dust cloud above the field to mask her presence. Looking down at friendly lines, they had moved to counter the zebra push on the right flank and now fought a more spread out battle. Good; she had performed the first part of the plan. Now, onto the leaders. 

She had learned that the zebra's war chiefs often would distinguish themselves with feathers in their manes and gold adornments on his headdress. Her vision aided by the prevention of the dust of the battlefield in her eyes, she spotted several of such headdresses; either directly involved in the fighting, or behind the line barking orders. 

She swooped down behind the zebra's lines, going for the more isolated war chiefs first. This was where her flight made her a true asset to the Pryhan army. Rapid, hit-and-run attacks on enemy officers where they wouldn't be watching the sky, and therefore had no real way to intercept her attacks. They were cut down quickly, and with it, the zebras command structure and morale. 

After she performed these attacks on the war chiefs in the back, she began to see the zebras begin to falter and retreat. The remaining officers attempted to keep order, but it was a futile task. Some of them had picked up on her presence, looking up and shouting, "Ehamba Amademoni! Ehamba Amademoni!*" This only furthered the rout, as many more began to flee the battlefield. Those that stayed and fought, or were too slow, were all cut down by the Pryhan soldiers. Soon, the battle was won, the last of the zebra warriors fleeing into the tall grass. Below, the Soldiers began to cheer, patch up their wounded, and to collect prisoners. 

Rainbow herself looked out over the field. Bodies by the dozens or even hundreds littered the flattened grasses. A cacophony of flies filled the air, and vultures flew down as well to feast upon the non-collected corpses. She had to resist the urge to puke inside her neck gaiter and had to set down to alleviate that sensation. She opened up a small pouch on her side and popped a cracker, help her get over the nausea. Just move on, Rainbow. Don't show weakness; weak gets you hurt. Don't show weakness. You're strong, you're skilled, and you're awesome. You aren't weak.


*-Zulu (Zebrican) for 'Flying Demon'.
> 44~Psychological Warfare
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that day, she had been ordered to the Caesars tent to receive a mission. She entered the camp, following the main path such a system had running down the center of the camp. Around her, the soldiers, many of whom had been at the Battle earlier, stopped to stare at her with a mix of awe and fear. If she had to guess, awe at what she did or what she was, and fear because of what she did. She took it in stride as she approached the tent.

Well, tent would be a bit of a stretch. The thing was massive; virtually a small house of stiff red fabric. A pair of banners stood on either side of the flaps of the tent, along with a guard. Then snapped to attention as she walked up, giving her a stiff salute and a loud "Ave!" Rainbow gave a small grin as she pushed past them and entered the tent. The inside was similar in luxury, with a small fire in the center of the tent and three small sections of it. One was a bedroom, one was a makeshift kitchen, and the final one was a command section with a large map table and small markers. Sitting on a small, simple throne by the far section of the tent was Caesar Drusilla. 

Rainbow walked up and bowed. "What is it, Caesar?"

"Praetor Cossinius tells me that you turned the tide in today's battle. Scattered the zebras attempted encirclement and the procced to drive them into a rout. Well done, Voluntatem. Now, I have another task for you."

"What do you want me to do, Caesar?"

"I've been told that the zebras, as many fled, began to call you 'Ehamba Amademoni', or 'Flying Demon' in their tongue. They fear you, and by proxy, me and my army. I seek to make this fear much stronger."

"And you plan to do that, how, Caesar?" Rainbow was starting to get a little annoyed, despite her brain telling her that she shouldn't be. 

"Those barbarians are superstitious. The fact they see you as a demon is proof of this. Some of them may be skeptical, however. I seek to make them believe it." She then stood up, walking over to her and giving her something. A note. It was in Zebrican, so she couldn't read it, but the Caesar seemed to like it. "I want you to find and kill one of their war chiefs, then leave this note on his body."

"All due respect, Caesar, but what good will one note do? I mean, it's just a note."

"Right; you don't know how to speak Zebrican. The note says this: My masters will extend far, and I will hunt her enemies further. The only reason you still draw breath is that she doesn't desire you dead yet. That'll get those barbarian bastards into a frenzy to run away from me! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Now, go."

"Thy will be done, Caesar." And with that, she stood and left. 


+++++~+++++


She flew over the savannah, the fading sun casting long shadows below her. Her own shadow was hidden by clouds and other long shadows of the grass, trees, and rocks. Ahead, a small town rose out of the grass, and a sea of mats surrounded it. The remains of the zebrican army had been forced to retreat to this village, apparently called Savarnai, after the battle to lick its wounds. Even as she flew over, she saw the zebras bind their wounds, fix their broken equipment, sleep or eat. 

She landed in the tall grass just on the rim of the mats, not wanting to risk getting any closer before night set in. She stalked up to the edge of the grass, making sure to keep her rainbow-colored mane hidden. From there, she pulled some of the grass over her to keep her hidden and waited. 

Naturally, this wasn't an easy task for the impetuous flyer. She wanted to be in the thick of it, not hiding in a patch of grass. She wanted to be fighting, not just sitting around! But, well, life wasn't fair, and she had to make due with the cards she got. So, she hunkered down, tried not to fall asleep, and prayed to Damocles (she wondered if she was supposed to pray to him) that none of the zebras near the edge of the encampment needed to come out here to take a piss. 

Finally, the sun finally faded below the sky, and the moon rose into the void. Campfires had sprung up throughout the mass of bodies. That would make getting to any officers a bit of a challenge. But, what would Rainbow be if not willing to take risks? So, she fastened her goggles, pulled up her gaiter, stalked slowly away from the edge of the camp, and took off into the sky.

She soared over the camp, trying to keep out of sight. Fortunately, the moon was hidden behind clouds, and while the sea of mats was well lit, the village itself wasn't. As she flew over it, she picked up the headdress of a war chief, one who was practically alone. She couldn't have asked for something more perfect for her.

The war chief entered one of the huts, which she landed next to. Inside, she saw him take off his headdress, weapons, and other pieces of jewelry. She was about to strike when she saw that he wasn't alone. Another Zebra was inside, a female lying on a mat of furs. She said, "Sthandwa sami. Kwenzenjani? Ubonakala unenkathazo."

"Ngiyaxolisa. Ngisanda nje, ngiphazamisekile," he said back. 

She sat up, wrapping a hoof around his neck. "Uthando lwami, phumula. Umkhandlu awufiki kuze kusasa. Vele uphumule."

"Uqinisile. Woza." The two began kissing, falling back onto the mat as they began to make love. 

Rainbow recoiled in alarm, hiding her head around the corner of the door of the hut. After a quick shudder, she reconsidered the plan. She couldn't really just walk in and stab him; the female would cause problems. Then she lightly smacked her head in her own stupidity. Her crossbow pistols. She pulled one out, then stuck the note the tip. 

She learned around the corner, taking aim at the back of his head. A few seconds later, she let the bolt fly, and the bolt struck the back of the skull. He went limp, falling down on top of his mare. "Uju? Ingabe kukhona okungalungile?," the mare said. Rainbow didn't wait for her to figure it out, holstering her pistol and took off. She was still within earshot when she screamed, but was out of it before the rest of the zebras came running.
> 45~Capitulation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the army awoke and marched out, they found a mass of mats and smothered campfires. While the villagers were still there, the warriors had fled. The villagers looked like they were prepared for a massacre, but nothing happened. The Pryhan soldiers just gathered food, water, and other supplies, and then the march was ordered again. The village was a speck on the horizon as they made camp for the night. 

The army had a strict schedule for its movements. They awoke shortly before sunrise, which was a pain as they used trumpets to do it. They would then disassemble the camp they had made, eat a quick breakfast, and then proceed to march on starting at about ten if the portable sundial she was given was any indication. They would then proceed to march like ants for, roughly, the next seven hours. They would then stop, dig trenches and set up premade palisades, and then perform drills and eat until sundown. It was truly a sight to behold, especially from above. 

As magnificent as such a sight was, she often didn't get to see it. The Caesar often sent her ahead of the army on scouting operations or mini-raids. This was mostly the scouting part, looking for zebra ambushes or warbands, as well as a decent place for a camp to be made. The raids were similar to that first one after the battle at Savarnai. Assassinate enemy officers, torch enemy supplies, and generally get them whipped up into a terror. And it worked. 

Finally, after about a month of marching from the army, a city came into view. It was actually a pretty large one, considering she had mostly seen smaller villages and groups of fleeing nomads. It was mostly made of what appeared to be mud-brick structures, with the occasional stone and wooden building poking its head out from the sea of buildings. A series of stone palisades had been set up along the edge of the city, and trenches dug outside it. Warriors manned them constantly, and even she didn't have enough of a gap to slip inside the city. She had learned from the Caesar that the city was called Timbucktu, and while it wasn't the capital of the Zebrican Confederacy, it was one of their largest cities.

The Empire forces had began do dig in, waiting for additional forces to arrive. Day by day, the companies would assemble on the fields around the city, just outside of range of zebra artillery, ready to advance. Then, when no signal to advance was given, they would just stand there, all day, in the sweltering heat. As the sun went down, the battle lines would disband, and the army would retreat back into the castrum. And the same scenario would repeat, over and over, for at least ten days. 

Rainbow was ordered to spend most of that time performing recon on the city, spying where the zebrican warriors slept, where they stored their food and various other bits of useful intelligence. However, it took a rather small amount of time, so she was left with a massive amount of the day with nothing to do. So, she spent most of the time with nothing to do. This mostly was spent on a small hill a short ways behind the Pryhan lines. There, she spent much of the time reading some books she had brought in her sarcina. A few other activities were carving bits of sticks or watching the zebras. She had to admit it was a bit creepy, but it wasn't like she had better do in the hundred-degree heat!

Finally, after about ten days, additional troops arrived, and the Caesar called a meeting of her close officers; including her. They discussed the plan of attack, however, it mostly came down to how they would use her. Some said as a line-breaker of sorts, others said as her role at Savarnai: flanking the enemy from above and performing hit and run attacks on the enemy. It was decided to go with the latter. 

The next day, the assault began. The long-dormant artillery blazed to life, sending streaking bolts or balls of fire across the early morning sky. The defenses set up were shattered, and soon after the barrage ended, the assembled troops received the signal to advance. 

They did so at once, swarming over the lines like a tidal wave. Like a tidal wave, they crushed anything in their path. As they crested the artificial hills on the city perimeter, they broke ranks and swarmed in like ants, flooding the city streets. Nothing stood in their path.

In the few places that resistance was substantial, she would intervene. Swoop in, kill one or two, then pull out. She was too fast for any of them to hit, and her mere presence often sent at least half of a given group into a rout. Those that didn't flee or were killed by her were cut down by the Pryhan soldiers. The battle was over in a matter of hours. 

The next day, what would've been Timbucktus relief force, led by the high chief of one of the zebrican tribes, arrived. They stopped, staring in shock at the burning city. As the army came around, a zebrican runner came out to the line. He had a message. The zebricans weren't here to fight; they had come to surrender. 

The high chief met with the Caesar in her tent, and the chief soon left. The army was to maintain its position, and so it stood encamped by the smoldering remains of the city for the next ten days. Again, Rainbow had little to do. Again, she spent her time reading, sleeping, or fighting with random soldiers she picked out from the companies present. 

Finally, the chief came back, with a fully signed treaty. A signature from the Caesar, and the eight year-long war between the Zebrican Confederacy and the Pryhan Empire was over. She didn't know the details, and wouldn't for some time. All she knew was she was going back to her son, who had gone with Castus to the Pryhan capital city: Pryha, the Eternal City.
> 46~The Eternal City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A month later, the Invictus had arrived back in a port in the Archipelago. From there, the regiments that came back began the varying length of marches back to their garrisons. Meanwhile, the Caesar, herself, and the Caesars Praetorians had a vehicle to take them to the city. 

It was a strange thing. It resembled a carriage, with a blocky shape and a pair of axles with spoked wheels. However, it was made of metal and had nothing pulling it. Instead, an engine, as she was told it was called, sat in the front with six battery plugs sticking out of the engine. Instead of a set of reins, a wheel and a lever sat by the driver. It was fascinating, something that Twilight would have a field day with; but she honestly didn't care.

It was quite a slow journey, and while the Praetorians didn't seem to mind, Rainbow was bored out of her mind, not to mention impatient. Bored because there wasn't really anything for her to do. She had read all of the books, and the carriage was almost constantly on the move, she couldn't find a place on the side of the road to take a nap or something. And she was impatient because she wanted to see her son. It had been almost three months, and she had already missed his first birthday due to the campaign. 

Eventually, after about two the roads began to shift. Instead of the bumpy dirt paths, they began to take the form of smooth, well-maintained cobblestone. Signs began to make themselves visible along the side of the road, all pointing down the road. They read: The Eternal City: 5 Kilometers. Eventually, the rocky hills and short scraggly trees gave way, and the Pryhan capital, which bore the same name as its empire, was revealed. 

Even Rainbow, who had seen impressive cities in Equestria like Canterlot and Cloudsdale, couldn't help but marvel at the massive city in front of her. From the elevated position up on a hill, she could see almost the whole of the city. Surrounding the whole city was a massive wall, easily 75 FT tall. Inside the city, brick apartments dominate most of the city, rising up about half the height of the wall with a line of laundry stretching between the street like party streamers. Further into the city, massive marble houses, like those of Canterlot, sat nestled together in close neighborhoods. Smoke rose from smiths, restaurants, bathhouses, and other stores, making the whole city skyline awash with a thin white layer. Even from here, she could make out hundreds of people lining the streets, going about their business in the massive city. 

The carriage rolled merrily down the path as if it had seen the impressive sight over a thousand times and grown accustomed to it. Rainbow realized she had been gawking for some time, and shook her head before racing down toward the carriage to catch up. The walls soon loomed before them, and they stopped at a large gate at the city walls. Even though they weren't in the city, people passed by the carriage; Caragors, Tao Tei, Terrans, however, the vast majority of them appeared to be Demigryphs. Besides them, she saw a few other species she hadn't seen elsewhere. Minotaurs, Saddle Arabian Horses, Diamond Dogs, even a few Neighponese kirin. 

As the carriage stopped, a guard came up to the side of it. When the window opened, the guard saluted, saying the usual, "Ave, Caesar", before he added. "Welcome back to Pryha, Caesar. Anybody not registered to have a weapon inside the Pomerium?"

"No, Damianus. Everyone is able to bring them inside the pomerium."

"Even her, Caesar?", he said, pointing a paw at her. 

Caesar Drusilla replied, "Yes, Daminanus. Even her. Now, carry on."

"Of course, Caesar. Vale." He then stepped back, allowing the carriage to enter the city.

As impressive as the city was from the hill overlooking it, it was easily as impressive up close. The brick buildings rose up above the cobbled streets, their shadows big enough to cast shade over entirety the streets. The shops leaked out various smells, from the harsh smell of polish, metal, and fabric to the heavenly aroma of freshly-baked bread and roasting meat. Street musicians stood on every corner, filling the air with the sounds of drums, horns, and lyres. Mixed with the constant beat of sandaled feet on the streets, the whole city sounded like one massive band. The constant split off paths led to other areas of the city. 

A few notable buildings that she had seen from the hill now loomed in front of her. One was a massive arena, easily the size of a hoofball stadium. It was made of polished stone, and with the gabs in it, it had an almost skeletal appearance. In a large square, they skirted the edge of, a massive statue stood, likely of Damocles. She didn't get a good look at it, but she what she could make outlined up with pictures and descriptions of him. A massive Demigryph in ornate plate armor, holding aloft an eagle topped staff in one hand, while the other was raised to the heavens, clad in a bladed gauntlet. 

Finally, they crossed a large stone bridge which was rather lightly trafficked. On the other side, the buildings began to less resemble the stores and apartments of the rest of the city. Instead, these were replaced with large, walled houses, small forums, and in the distance, a massive palace. That is what they neared. 

It was massive, and she had seen Canterlot Castle by comparison. It more resembled the Ponyville Town Hall, however, with its rectangular box shape, tall columns, and wide entrance staircase. And yet, at the same time, it bore the same air of regality that the Canterlot Castle had. Lining the stairs were cast brass statues of eagles, wings spread and heads held up high. Above the archway entrance to the palace was a similar brass statue, this time with a fig branch in one hand and a sword in the other. Small gardens surrounded the entrance, full of blooming flowers and well-trimmed hedges. Banners made of purple cloth with golden eagles on them ran down the columns, flapping in the light breeze the day was graced with. It was, in a word, magnificent.
> 47~Settling in
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The carriage pulled up in front of the palace with a contingent of guards lined up along the sides of the path. As the door opened and the Caesar, they all bowed their heads and gave a shoulder salute, yelling, "Ave, Caesar!" At the far end of the path, the guards formed were several creatures in cloaks, wearing small silver circlets and had an eagle pin necklace. These symbols marked them out as members of the Parliament; those land-owning nobles who had been appointed to help the Caesar manage the Empire. 

The Caesar finally set down on the ground, then looked up at her. "Come, Voluntatem." Rainbow really didn't want to; she wanted to go see her son and maybe take a nap. However, she didn't have a choice in the matter. So, she folded in her wings and came into a slow trot beside her Caesar as she approached the Parliamentarians. 

One, a younger-looking Demigryph said, "Ave, Caesar. I trust the campaign in Zebrica went well?"

"Indeed it did, Parliamentarian Decebal," the Caesar said. "I have the treaty inside the carriage. I planned on calling a meeting to discuss how it shall be implemented. Truly, this is a great day for the Empire."

"If the rumors are to be believed, then the being next to you is to thank for our victory, yes?" came the voice of another one of the Parliamentarians. 

All eyes were focused on her, even the Caesars, however, each bore a different look. Most of the Parliamentarian's looks were those of curiosity or minor concern, while the Caesars was one of annoyance. 

"She served her role to the Empire. She's loyal," she said. "And she shall continue to do so."

"Just, what is she?" another Parliamentarian asked. 

"I'm a Pegasus," She said. 

The parliamentarians muttered amongst themselves, and the Caesar looked even more annoyed. "Indeed. Now, we have much to discuss, Voluntatem. You are dismissed. Castor!" As one of the guards trotted over and snapped to attention, she said, "Show Ms. Dash to her quarters."

He replied, "Yes, Caesar. Follow me, ma'am."

He walked around the assembled group of governmental officials, leading her up the stairs into the main entrance to the palace. Said entrance was a massive building, akin to an indoor forum. A statue of Caesar Drusilla sat in the center of the room, with several passageways leading off in various areas. One lead off the right side both on the top floor and ground floor, leading to the parliamentary quarters and the house of parliament. Directly in front of the entrance was led out to the palace gardens. The left side led to the palace staff quarters, including the guards, the servants, the Caesar herself, and apparently, her.

He lead her up the stairs to the second floor, then down the first of the three corridors up on the second level. The hallway was decorated in a similar style to that of the villa she spent over a year during her training. Expensive paintings, antique armor and weapons, runic items, and other pieces of art. Doors the hallway, with the distance between them being about five feet. Near the end of the hall, the space between the doors increased from five feet to about fifteen. 

He came to a halt at one of the doors near the end of the hall. "Here it is, ma'am," he said as he handed her a simple iron key. "Your servant should handle matinence and cleaning of your room, but don't destroy it for the hell of it. Have a nice day, ma'am."

He trotted off as she pushed the key into the lock and opened up the door. Inside, it was quite an impressive room. Most of the room was dominated by a series of couches around a small, low table in the center of the room. Said couches were plush and looked incredibly comfy. A small, somewhat narrow staircase led up to a small loft, with what looked like a bed and a small nightstand. A fireplace sat in the wall, and small oil paintings decorated the walls. In addition, two covered doors led into other areas, revealing that the room was even bigger than what she had expected. 

Before she could move over to investigate, she heard a loud, "MAMA!". Looking up at the loft, she saw her son, who was leaning on the railing, grinning widely. He jumped over the railing, wings flapping madly. With his face scrunched up in concentration, he slowed to a stop, hovering just above the floor. He then shot forward, slamming her into a hug before she could even blink. She fell back, wings flaring out and her sarcina sliding off her back. "You game bac!"

"That's right, Thunder. I'm back," she said, pulling him into a hug. "I'm not about to just abandon you."

"Ah, Domina. You're back." Looking past the messy spectral mane of her son, she saw Castus walking down the stairs. "I take it that the Caesar's campaign has concluded?" He sounded both interested and a little bit disappointed. 

"Yeah, it's done." 

"I see. Well, I've been taking care of him for several months, and he seems to have been behaving better. I've also been making up the rest of the room for you, and-"

"Castus, I greatly appreciate this greatly. However, I'm incredibly tired and want to take a nap. Just point me to my bed, and we'll address the rest of the details later, ok?"

"Right, of course. It's just up there, on the loft." He then looked down at Depressi, saying, "On that note, It's time for your nap too, young man."

Depressi shot Castus a very angry look, shouting, "No!"

"Dominus, we've been doing this for over three months now. Please, take a nap."

Her son then looked up her, making massive puppy dog eyes at her. "Mawmy. Dew I ave to?"

"Sorry, Depressi. But..."

"Fine." His wings began to beat up like a dragonfly, and he flew up the stairs. 

"Your bed is up there too, Domina. I'll ready you two something for dinner."

"Thanks, Castus." She trotted up the stairs, peeling off bits of her armor which she tossed into a corner of the loft. Two beds sat up here; one was a smaller one with a red quilt. The larger one clearly meant for her, had a light blue sheets with a massive pillow. She watched her son climb into his bed, curling up in a small ball by the end of the bed by the wall. She laid the blanket over him, and his chest was rising and falling slowly, and actually quite adorable. She pulled out her cracker box, pulled out one, and stuffed them into her nightstand. She then popped it into her mouth and then slumped down on her new, incredibly comfy bed, falling unconscious in an instant.
> Interlude~Elements, Literal and Metaphorical
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 Years after Exile
Ponyville
POV: Fluttershy

Fluttershy laid out a bowl of food for the smaller animals, along with one of birdseed for the, well, the birds. Angel was being a bit of a picky eater, but that wasn't unusual. However, she looked up at the clock and realized that she didn't have the time to worry about feeding him. So, she just left a carrot in on the counter for him and hurried out the door. 

She walked along the path toward Ponyville, intending to meet up with Rarity for their spa day. As she did, she saw the CMC on the edge of town, playing around. They technically weren't the Cutie Mark Crusaders anymore; all three of them had gotten their cutie marks. Scootaloo had an X of sticks and compass points with rocks; Apple Blooms was a hammer and anvil, and had gotten one in working with the metal parts on carts and other tools around Sweet Apple Acres; and Sweetie Belle had gotten hers in singing; a pink music note with a trio of sliver streams coming off in a Y-shape. 

"Hey, girls!," she said, waving at them as she passed by. 

"Hey, Fluttershy!," Sweetie and Bloom said, waving back. Scootaloo just looked at her angrily. 

She was clearly still upset about what happened to Rainbow. However, Fluttershy wasn't. Her oldest friend had attacked somepony for no reason. That wasn't kind, and it was something a bully would do. And if there was something Fluttershy disliked more than anything, it was a bully. So, she just took a deep breath and trotted on. 

Eventually, she arrived in the town square. It was market day, and the farmer's stalls were out among others. Fresh produce, firewood, and other small items were being peddled over. Amid the crowd, she saw her friend Applejack at her family's stall, who saw her as well and gave her a wave. She waved back and was on her way. 

She passed by Sugarcube Corner, looking inside to see what Pinkie was up to. She was just servicing the counter, currently pulling out a massive cake from nowhere to give to the stallion she was servicing. "Hello, Pinkie," she said as the stallion trotted off with the cake on his back. 

"Hey, Flutters! Spa day with Rarity, right?"

"Oh, yes," she said. "I was just wondering if I could have a plain sugar cookie? It helps with the back to have something in your stomach. At least, it is for me."

"Coming right up!" She appeared to open up a hatch, trotting down a set of stairs. Suddenly, she appeared above her, on the ceiling, holding the cookie. "Here you go! Have a good one, Flutters!" Fluttershy just backed up out the door, then turned away towards the Boutique. 

She arrived just as Rarity was getting out of the house. "Ah, Darling! How are you today?"

"Oh, just fine, thank you." She then looked around, her light smile fading. "Where's Twilight? I thought she would be joining us."

"Oh, she's in the Crystal Empire, visiting Cadence. Either that or raiding the library. I do like to think that she's with Cadence. *sigh*, I remember when my mother was pregnant with Sweetie Belle. I personally can wait for such endeavors." A quick shudder later, she said, "Now, enough about the Princess. Let us get on our way. I hear that they've opened up a new steam room at the Spa, and I for one can't wait to try it out!"

Fluttershy smiled, following Rarity toward the white building by the boutique. Another calm, relaxing day in Ponyville.

Badlands, Changling Hive
POV: Queen Chrysilyis

The queen smiled down into the nursery chambers, just below the Hive. In the dark, cool stone, hundreds of goo soaked eggs, and hundreds more grubs being cared for. These drones, numbering over a thousand strong, would make up the backbone of her invasion force when the time came. But, that time was not now. Soon though; not only did the drones have to grow to maturity, but another part of the plan had to fall into place.

"My Queen?", came the voice of Commander Pharynx over the hive mind. Huh. Speak of the devil, she thought as she concentrated on her response.

"Yes, commander? Do you have him?"

"Yes, my Queen. Should we bring him in? I don't think the cage can hold him for all that much longer."

"Yes, commander. I'll have my little, chat, with him now. In the meantime, prepare the holding cell. We wouldn't want our guest escaping." She stepped away from the balcony, walking regally over to her carved chitin throne. She sat down as Pharynx and several Swarm Guards entered. Held aloft in the aura of the elite changelings was a tarp-covered cage, from which could be heard crashing and angry curses. "Excellent work, Commander. Remove the tarp."

He did so after the guards set it down, said tarp falling to the side as the figure in the cage grabbed onto the bars. Tirek growled in anger, "In the name of all you hold sacred, let me out!"

"I think not, Lord Tirek," she said, stepping down from her throne as she walked up to his cage. "After all, I want to have a very productive, chat."

"A changeling. My my; I haven't seen one of your kind in hundreds of years. Pray tell, what could you want with me?"

She began to circle his cage, grinning widely. "A proposition. You see, I've been planning an invasion of the ponies for some time, and the first part of that plan has already come to fruition. However, one can never be too careful. I want to make certain I can win without a shadow of a doubt before I strike."

"That is all well and good. However, I still have not heard of this proposition. Do tell."

"I have heard much of your, exploits. Namely, how you can drain the magic from a pony, leaving them next to useless. I want to know-how. In exchange, I can have my infiltrators get you into the heart of Canterlot unmolested. Do we have a deal," she said, reaching a hoof through the bars.

He stared at it, then crossed his arms and looked away. "I have no intention of sharing anything of mine with the likes of you. Besides, if you're planning an invasion, why let me free when, at my full strength, I could crush you like a gnat?"

She growled in annoyance, then recoiled to compose herself. "Very well." She turned her attention to her Swarm Guards, saying, "Take our 'guest' to his new room. Make sure he's comfy. I'll have another, less civil chat with him later."

The guards slung the tarp back over the cage, then levitated it away toward a deeper part of the hive. Soon, it was only her and Commander Pharynx left. The commander said, "Er, permission to speak, my Queen?"

"Granted."

"Well, your highness. It's about the invasion. I still don't think that this is the best idea. I mean, the hundreds of extra drones, the puppets in the pony governments; the monster that is now within the hive! I don't think this is the best course of actio-"

"Are you questioning my orders, Commander Pharynx?," she interjected.

He stammered out, "N-no, my Queen. I'm merely saying that this is exactly what our traditions are saying we're NOT supposed to do. This isn't what we are!"

"Commander," she slowly said. "I know as much. However, I don't care! Times are changing! And I say, we change with them! We must take what we rightly deserve, and I will not be denied!" She then let loose a maniacal laugh, gazing once more down at her future soldiers. They would be what would bring the changeling race out from obscurity. They would bring about her kinds dominion over those weakling ponies. They would help them achieve their destiny! Why shouldn't she laugh!? She would be remembered for all time as the queen who brought her race to the center stage; to glory! And so, she didn't stop, even as Pharynx backed away in fear. In fact, she just laugh harder and louder.

Pryhan Empire, outside the Capital
POV: Castus

The caragor had crossed over the pomerium a few minutes ago and was now on his way to the meeting place. He had made, served, and cleaned up dinner for Miss Dash and her son. After the two had gone to sleep, he had slipped out of the palace, then out of the city. Normally, such interactions were done via drop boxes, or by code-phrase bound couriers. However, tonight was he was expected to make an exchange. As these were rare in this game he played, he and his contact agreed to meet personally.

He arrived at the meeting point, a small clearing in the woods just outside of Pryha. Even as he looked back at the Eternal City, he saw lights that shot up into the air, visible for kilometers around. The lights danced through the night clouds, casting dark, shifting shapes across the sky. 

These whipping shapes pulled his thoughts to the mare with which he was working for. He had taught himself to be able to read people, and, know it or not, he could read her like a book. She was nearly constantly radiating a cocky, confident persona, wanting to be seen as an immovable object. She was these things to a certain degree. She was cocky, arrogant, and was could be sure of herself when she was doing something she liked to do. 

However, for the most part, this was an illusion. She was insecure, haunted by her failures. She didn't want to be seen as weak, but she was nearly always seeing herself as so. Hence, why she pushed herself so hard when training. He ended up caring for Depressi for most of the time as, during her training with Dorus, she would work herself nearly to exhaustion, passing out instantly; after taking one of her stims, anyway. 

"Excuse me, sir," a voice said. As he turned in its direction, a figure stepped out of the woods. A demigryph in a subarmalis, military caliagae, and a Pannonian cap. "But you seem lost. Do you need to borrow a compass?"

The code phrase. "No, thank you, sir. I can see fine by the moon's light." He then stepped up to the Demigryph, who he now recognized, and shook his paw. "You're late, Darius. I trust you have what I asked for?"

Darius replied back, "Aye, got it right here." He pulled out a small leather bag, similar to the kind one would use to hold coins. He tossed to Castus, who caught it and undid the cord fastener to examine its contents. Sure enough, it was exactly what he had requested in his last letter. "Just out of curiosity, what in the Five Divine ones could you want with that? I mean, they're just-"

"I know exactly what they are, Darius," he said. "However, I can assure you that the situation that the false Caesar put her in requires them. I can only pray it works. For both the Empire, and for her."

"Hell to the winged one. The Princeps just wants the report on her. What can you say?"

He held out his own part of the exchange: a small wax tablet. "Here. Inside you'll find my report. Give it to the Princeps, and I'll update as necessary. With a little luck, I can convince her to side with us."

"I don't give a shit what you have to do, and I doubt the Caesar does either. Just make sure she isn't an issue. True to Damocles."

"True to Damocles." The two then shook again, then walked off in either direction with their packages. Castus despised the secrecy but knew that it would be short term discomfort and anxiety for long term gain. His thoughts again drifted to Rainbow Dash, the false Caesar's new attack dog. She was a cornered dog; a beaten, tranquilized, and mistreated dog, but still a vicious war hound all together. If all went to plan, however, he could not only heal her, as he wanted to do but also convince her to side with the true Caesar, when he returned. For now, he could only pray.
> 48~Daily routine
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow has been in Pryha for about three months now. It was a nice city, but not really her kinda place. Granted, even after four and a half years, she didn't really have a 'place' out here, but that was beside the point. Still, she had fallen into a routine. It helped, having something to do besides sitting around, baked on crackers. 

Her day started early in the morning, just before sunrise. Being careful not to wake her son, she would get dressed and slip out of the room's balcony. From there, she would do a fly around the city, taking in the early morning activity of its citizens. People heading to work at the cities various stores, manufactorums, and buildings in the governmental district. The street sweepers clearing off trash or other bits of debris. It gave her a sense of calmness; something to draw her attention from her own troubles. After about a week, people down below, especially when she would skim just above the street, began to acknowledge her. With this acknowledgment came waves, salutes, and even the occasional 'hello'.

After the sun was fully up, she would generally swoop back into her apartment (she guessed that would be what it was called, anyway). By that point, Castus would've arrived, and depending on when she got back, had already prepared breakfast. This was usually rather simple but filling, like breakfast in Equestria. It was most commonly bread with small bowls of olive oil and butter, cheese, cold salami, and maybe a bundle of grapes. It also came with a glass of water for her, and one of milk for Depressi, who would've woken up by then. 

After breakfast, it was time to report into the Caesar. She would head down the halls of the palace to its opposite wing, where the Parliament Chambers/Throne Room was located. Normally, she didn't have anything for her to do, and it was more or less just a checkup. If she did, then the rest of the schedule was ignored for the sake of completing the given task. However, if nothing was to be given, as was often the case, she would continue on with her day.

If she had nothing to do, then she would typically default to this schedule. The first was to head back to her apartment, spend the time with her son. Play games, help him with flying, and just goofing off was what mostly took place during this bonding time. She loved spending this time with him, cause unlike most other people, she shared a connection with him. He was her kid, after all. It would've made her a bad mom if she didn't. She also helped Castus care for his other needs: the linin wraps he wore, burping, and other such less than pleasant business of a baby. However, what he liked most was when she told him stories. 

These stories started out as the same myths she had read during her pregnancy. However, as time went on he began to get a bit more, hyper interested, she began to recount events of Equestria. The Sonic Rainboom, the Return of Nightmare Moon, Discord, and other, more mundane stories as well. One of his favorites was her just telling him about her old daily routine in Equestria. She liked seeing him smile, but she didn't necessarily like telling him these stories. Brought back memories she didn't really want to recall. 

Next was lunch. This was often really light, as what the rest of the people out here ate. It was more something for them to make it to dinner. So, again, light foods. More bread, olives, and figs were by far the most common items eaten. 

Next, came a few hours in the training room. It was a way to distract her from thinking; just do something to shut out her thoughts with something to do. The palace gym was massive and allowed her a great degree of movement for her. Hitting the poles with wooden swords, shooting her crossbows, lifting weights, and doing other exercises. It was just something to do, and it helped. She beat herself into exhaustion, which helped her to think less about her actions. 

Finally, she would stumble back to her apartment, pulling up a book to read. Depressi would typically be asleep, and so, she had a few hours to kill. So, she would begin to read various books from the fully stocked bookshelves, again, distracting herself from her actions. These books had a wide range, like the ones she read during her pregnancy. History books, ancient myths, a few pseudo-adventure books. Whatever she could find on her shelf, she would just read. It was relaxing in her own way, especially after several hours of training. 

She sometimes also did something else with this time before dinner. Sometimes, she would head down to one of the bathhouses by the palace. Due to her position as a direct underling of the Caesar, she got a massive discount, if not for free. The progressively colder baths she would slide into helped release her taunt muscles and just unwind. Often other people would stare at the scars, or maybe her wings, or something else about her. However, she would often just glare back at them, and they would look away. 

Whichever she chose to do, she would then wake up her son, then have Castus make dinner. This was the largest meal of the day and by far the best. It still featured bread, as all the meals did. However, other bits of food were also used and were often the most diversity of her food. Anchovies, duck livers, salads, and other varied foods. This meal also included watered-down wine, which would help her also wash down her pain. 

Finally, just after the sun went down, she would prepare to go to bed. Kick off her tunic and caligae, then often flop down on her bed directly. Often, however, she would pull out her sleeping aids, the crackers, and take one or two first. Then she would flop down and pass out. She would enjoy a nice, dreamless sleep until she woke again to repeat the cycle anew.
> 49~Cleaning house
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 years, six months after exile

It was during one of her check-ins with the Caesar that she received her first assignment. 

"It's a simple assassination. Your target is Parliamentarian Nobilis. He has proven a thorn in my side, what with his arguments for 'Expanding the Parliaments power' and 'The proper use of the Caesars power'. He is a threat to the Empire, and he must die."

Rainbow said, "Well, where is he?"

"The smug bastard is a bit suspicious of me. He lives outside the pomerium at a small villa in the hills to the south. That means his guards will be armed, and often on high alert. However, nothing you shouldn't be able to handle."

"Well, Caesar," she said. "You are in charge of who is on the parliament, right? Its an appointed position. So, why not just fire him or something?"

The Caesar looked at her with a look of a mix between disgust and annoyance. "Must I explain everything to you like a tiny child first learning to do basic math? He is too dangerous to stay alive. If I simply remove him from parliament, then he could rally support among the citizenry. No, he must die. Now, stop questioning my orders, and get it done!"

Rainbow snapped into a salute, saying, "By your command, Caesar!", as she trotted off to complete her mission. 

"Oh, and one more thing," Drusilla said. After Rainbow stopped and turned to look at her, she said, "Don't incriminate me, or yourself. Make it look like an accident, a suicide; anything but an assassination. No point in having the common folk getting up in arms over a martyr. Now, go."


+++++~+++++


Sure enough, the villa was in the hills south of the city. It had a high wall, about fifteen feet; more than enough to keep out most people around here unless they had a grappling hook. The inner courtyard had a large fountain, which led up to the main building. Said main building was of typical upper-class Pryhan style: A multi-room structure of plaster coated brick with a central, open-air room with a pool for rainwater to drain into. Several armed guards walked along the edges of the structure, keeping a constant watch out for anything that might seek to harm the Parliamentarian. 

She had waited until after lunch to head on down to toward the villa. The sun was just starting to dip towards the horizon when she arrived at the villa. She wanted to wait until dark, so she hid herself among some bushes, and waited. Well, she played Solitaire with sticks and leaves, but that was beside the point. 

Soon, the sun had disappeared below the horizon, and Luna's moon had started to rise into the cool air. She left the bushes and her primitive game to soar up above the villa. She hid among the few clouds that still clung to the sky, watching the shifting lamp-light of the guards below her. 

She studied where exactly the guards would be walking on their patrols, and plotted her course to a second-story room with an open window. When the nearest guard to the first stretch of her plotted path moved out of the way, she shot down, flapping her wings at the right moment to avoid hitting the pavement. She then skimmed along the paved floor, hooves never touching the ground. Whenever a guard got close, she would dart behind a nearby piece of cover to avoid being seen. Finally, after about five minutes of sneaking around, she reached the base of the building, then shot up onto a small outcropping by the upstairs window. 

She had assumed, correctly, that this was the main bedroom. Inside, a large, expensive bed dominated most of the room. Other bits of furniture were a few shelves with personal effects, a dresser, and a door leading to what could be assumed a personal bathroom. And, sitting at the desk on the far wall from her, was her target. 

Nobilis was a Terran with a brushed, light red coat and a darker shade of red for a mane. From her angle, Rainbow could pick out other details about him. He was an older individual, about fifty to fifty-five, with light wrinkles and a few streaks of gray hair in his well-combed mane. His cutie mark was the imperial eagle; the same symbol that adorned the flags on the palace walls. As she slipped inside the room, he straightened up and said, calm as a cup of water, "I see the Caesar finally chose to have me killed, eh?"

Taken aback for a second, Rainbow replied back, "Yep, dead on."

"I shouldn't be surprised," he said, rising up from his chair and turning to look at her. "As a last request, may I know your name?"

A bit of a strange request, but one she would indulge. "Rainbow Dash." Then, another thought occurred to her: "You're not gonna resist? Call for help, defend yourself, anything?"

Of all the things he could've done, he chose to just smile at her. "What's the use? I've read the reports from Zebrica. You turned the course of a battle single-handedly. I have no doubt you would make mincemeat of my men, and I wish to only have one death tonight. So, how will it be done?"

Snapping herself out of her stunned state, she said, "I was gonna hold your mouth shut and cut the joints just above your hoof. Decent amount of arteries there, and it would be quick. More or less painless, too."

He turned back around and sat back down. "Well, do it." Rainbow, sighing, simply pulled out her stiletto knife from its compartment and complied with both his and her Caesars command.


+++++~+++++


It was about ten when she slipped into her apartment, carefully shutting the door. Castus was nowhere to be seen, and she could hear her son's light snores from down here. Instead of just heading up to go to sleep, as her body ordered her to, she instead sat down on the couch, peeling off her helmet, goggles, and neck gaiter as she let herself get lost in thought. 

She had done as he requested and slit the area above his hooves. He slumped down in his chair, bleeding out in a few minutes. She had left after he finally stopped moving, but not before finding another knife to coat in his blood to make it seem like a suicide. Mission accomplished. However, she felt guilty about it. 

He had seemed like a nice person. On his desk, next to his body, was a picture of his family; a wife, a daughter, and two sons. And the things that the Caesar told her he was for seemed ok, at least to her. He was respected enough the Caesar was paranoid that his firing or public death would spark a revolt. And she had killed him. He was a good man, and I killed him with no remorse. 

She shuddered, then slid off the rest of her armor. She slowly made her way upstairs, trying her hardest not to have her metal claws make too much noise. When she reached her nightstand, she opened up the cabinet inside the nightstand, pulling out the box of crackers she had been given at the start of the week. She smiled; what would she do without these? She opened it up and popped one in her mouth. 

Oddly enough, even after she bit into it, she didn't get the feeling. The rush, the euphoria; nothing. There was a feeling like cold water in her mouth, but that was it. Curious, she popped another one into her mouth. There it is, she thought as she slid back onto her bed. She must've just started to build up an immunity to the stuff. Oh well; she'll just have to start taking two more often.
> 50~Patrician Party
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 years, eight months, two days since exile

About two months later, the Caesar was planning on hosting an evening party out in the palace gardens. The parliamentarians, notable citizens, officers of the city garrison and several of the closer provincial governors would be attending. And the Caesar wanted her to be by her side during the celebration. 

"Caesar, with all due respect, I'm not a high-class pony. I'm an, an assassin? P-point is, I don't think I'd be the best choice for the position. I mean, you have lictors for a reason, Caesar."

"Yes, I have lictors. However, I think that you would be a better choice for this occasion. I do not have to explain my reasoning, and it is not your job to question it. All you need to know is this is the task I have given to you, and you will follow it. Understood, Voluntatem?"

"W-what about my son? I can't just leave him all evening. He'll-"

"You have Castus, don't you? Let him handle it. Now, like I said, it isn't your job to question orders. Your job is to follow them and to do it without question. Understood?"

"Yes, Caesar."


+++++~+++++


That night, she met the Caesar just outside the garden entrance. She wore an expensive-looking silk dress, several bits of gold jewelry, and a golden circlet on her head. She looked like she had just taken a bath, well-groomed and clean. With the way she held herself, she would've resembled a Canterlot noble if she were but a unicorn. 

Rainbow also had a nicer look to her. She still wore her normal armor and had her holstered weapons. However, her armor had been cleaned to the point that she could see her reflection on the helmet. Her eye and prosthetic forelegs had been similarly cleaned, and she had gone down to a bathhouse to get herself cleaned up. She was also given a few new bits of clothing for the occasion. An officers cloak of red cotton with a gold lace trim, a few feathers to stick in her helmet to act as a crest of sorts, and a golden collar with a carved imperial eagle on it. 

"Well, now. Don't you look the part? Come come," the Caesar said. She opened up the doors, stepping out with Rainbow trotting right behind her.

The party also looked like something Rarity would've wanted to attend up at Canterlot. About three dozen people, all in expensive clothes or polished, high-quality suits of armor, mingled among the well-trimmed shrubbery. They talked, drank from cups of wine, or sat at tables, eating dinner. A band stood on a raised platform, their horns, drums, and flutes filling the air with music. When the Caesar entered, all of them stood up or otherwise turned to her, dropping into a salute.

She followed behind the Caesar as she made her way into the crowd, talking with the other guests. She didn't say a word, even when the attention of the party guests focused on her. She didn't really want to interact with them, even if she had no real choice in the matter. 

The Caesar came to a stop before three guests. Two were Demigryphs, a well-groomed and somewhat handsome looking male and a rather prissy looking female. The third was a uniformed bighorn, the symbol on his officer's cloak showing him to be of the fifth Regiment, located about twenty miles from the capital. "Ah, Parliamentarian Drusus, Governor Decima, Praetor Sextus. I trust you are enjoying yourselves."

"Of course, Caesar," Sextus said, smiling over a cup of wine. "Your parties are always something never to miss." He then looked past her, looking almost directly into Rainbows' eyes. "So, this is the mare that helped the twentieth out at Savarnai?" 

"Indeed, Praetor. She has proven to be a valuable asset to the Empire. One who continues to prove herself." Although the words were complimentary, the way she spoke and the look in her eyes spoke of a different story. One that said: Don't say a word in response or so help me, I'll do horrible things to you. So, instead, she simply bowed her head to the Praetor and the other guests. 

"Loyal one, isn't she?," Drusus said, marveling at her. That, at least, stoked her pride a bit. 

The Caesar, now a little bit annoyed, said, "Indeed she is. Like I said, a valuable asset to the Empire."

Decima, who had been looking at her with the most interest, then set down her drink, trotting up to her. "Caesar, may I...."

Whatever her unsaid request was, the Caesar had managed to pick up on it. With a roll of her eyes and a light sigh, she said, "Yes, you may." Then, to her: "Open up your wings."

An odd order. But, an orders an order. She complied, spreading her wings to there full span. The governor then began to circle her, eyes soaking up every inch of her. Her light confident smirk then shifted to a nervous frown. Decima then began to run her paws through her feathers, muttering to herself as she did so. She also took in other parts of her body; well-muscled legs, her facial scars, and her short, stiff braid. Suddenly, just when it felt like she was done, Rainbow felt a light tug on one of her feathers. 

Her wings clamped shut like a venus flytrap. The governor looked disappointed but didn't press further, apparently alright with the look she was able to get. The Caesar smiled, engaged in a little more small talk, then left to go talk to some other guests. Re-adjusting her helmet and fiddling lightly with the goggles dangling around her neck, she followed after her. This was how the rest of the party was spent: with Rainbow following the Caesar around, listening to the Caesar's small talk, and showing off bits of her anatomy when the need arose. 


+++++~+++++


Rainbow slid open the apartment door at about eight, again careful to avoid waking her son. This time, she didn't have a moral quandary to sort out, and so just peeled off her armor and went over to the table to look at finding some leftovers. And such, she had a quiet dinner of bread, olives, and cold anchovies. 

She then trotted back up the stores, again careful to keep her noise level to a minimum. She leaned over his small crib, kissing her son lightly and wishing him sweet dreams. She didn't mind her job but still liked spending time with her little Depressi. But, putting that thought aside for her morning flight, she opened up the nightstand, popping her two crackers into her mouth, waiting for the euphoria to wash over her. 

Instead, like that first night, all she got was a feeling of cold water. Maybe she was just building up an immunity; yeah, that was probably it. So, she popped another one into her mouth. Coldwater. Frustrated, she popped in another. Coldwater. Letting out as silent a scream of frustration as she could, she then grabbed about twenty, over half of her months stock of the stim, and began to, one by one, shove them into her mouth. 

Finally, after nineteen of them, her rush finally hit her. She fell back against the pillow. She tried to get a line of thought going. One about how she didn't think that drug resistance worked like this. But, before she could get very far along that train of thought, her mind told her it needed sleep. And so, her question unanswered, she passed into the realm of the cold, dark void of dreamless sleep.
> 51~Breaking a revolt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 years, 11 months, 3week, and two days since exile.

"Your next assignment is by far the most time consuming. The island of Ferrum, in the north of the Archipelago, has a mine on it. It produces much of the Empires iron, gold, and stone. Recently, the workers on the island have staged a revolt. The Fourteenth Regiment has already been dispatched, however, is having some troubles. You are to go and assist them. Understood?" 

"Yes, Caesar", she said, unfurling her wings and flying out of the room. She did a wide arc around the palace, landing on the balcony of her room. She entered and was almost immediately jumped by her son. "Hey, Sport."

"Mommy!", he said happily. "Can we pway?"

Rainbows smiled faded, setting her son down. "Sorry, bud. But mommies got something she needs to take care of. I won't be back for a few days."

He wilted like a flower, frowning. "But mommyyyyyyy!"

"I'm sorry, Sport. But this is just something I need to do. I-"

He pouted, "Otay." He then looked up her, his frown turning into a smile. "But we will pway when you get bawk!"

She smiled, ruffling his mane lightly. "I promise, Sport. You be on your best behavior for Castus, ok? No avoiding taking a nap by flying away. We don't want a repeat of last time, do we?"

"Otay, Mommy!", he said joyously as Rainbow began to pack up her sarcina. She when she finished pulling on her armor, weapons, and the heavy leather pack, she walked over to the balcony again. "Gwodbye, mommy!"

She looked back, smiling at him. "Bye, Sport. I'll be back in a few days. Behave!" She then leaped off the balcony, soaring over the city, heading due north. 


+++++~+++++


She arrived at Ferrum about two days later, setting down on the edge of the island, a little ways away from the Regimental Castrum. Letting her sore wings rest, she walked the rest of the way to the camp. After the guards let her enter, she made her way down the camp's central path, past the rows of tents and the milling about soldiers. Many of said soldiers turned to face her, staring with awe or muttering under their breaths. She made her way up to the command tent, pushing aside the flap as the two guards by the entrance snapped into a salute.

"Ah, Miss Dash. A pleasure to see you again," Said a familiar voice. Inside, looking over a map with several other officers, stood her old training instructor. 

"Dorus! Long-time, no see!," she said, unslinging her sarcina and shaking his paw. 

"Aye," he said, grinning widely beneath his helmet. "Good to see you too. But, enough formalities. To business, eh?" He led her over to the map, giving a distracted gesture to one of his men to pick up the sarcina. He then pointed to the map and the various carved wooden bits on it. 

"We're here," he said, pointing at a cluster of icons carved to look like legionary helmets. Pointing to a smaller cluster of icons that looked like simple sticks with bases, he added, "And the rebels are here. They've occupied the old mine, and are using it as a defensive point to funnel our troops into their defensive lines. Normally, we would just steamroll past them, but the bastards have somehow made some primitive war machines from the old mining gear. We can't use our own artillery without risking collapsing the canyon, and we can't advance without facing a massacre."

Rainbow studied the map. Sure enough, the path which led to the mine was a narrow pass in between two, nearly vertical massive cliffs. The pass was narrow at the face, gradually opening up closer to the entrance of the mine. "Ok, I can fly over the line and move to disable their artillery. From there, I think I might be able to close off the mine to prevent them from falling back into it."

One of the tribunes said, "The governor requested that the mine not be harmed. Your plan would-"

"Help us win," she interrupted. "Listen, bud. I don't really give a fuck what the governor said. Maybe if he didn't want his precious mine harmed, then maybe he should've not treated his miners like crap. Maybe then they wouldn't have rebelled. Besides, it's just the entrance. That can be reopened." No one else spoke up, and so she continued. "Ok then. If no one else is gonna object to the plan, I suggest we get started. Dorus, when you see a rainbow-colored X in the sky, that'll be your signal to advance. I'll see you when this is over."


+++++~+++++


The canyon, sure enough, was a narrow pass that led to the mine's mouth. As the canyon widened, a defensive line had been formed. A series of barricades made of piled-up blocks of stone went from one side of the sheer cliff wall to the other, manned by poorly equipped miners. Behind them, the old scaffolding of the outer sections of the mine still stood, with the dark mouths of the cave entrances appearing as voids into a realm of darkness. 

Manning these barricades were the old miners. She was able to count at least five hundred of them, with probably some more in the mine itself. A few were outfitted with dented helmets, mail coats and subarmalis cotton jackets with holes in them or thinner looking sections. However, most were only armed with light leather jerkins and padded leather caps that were designed to protect them against small rock falls and heavy dust; they would do nothing against the legionaries swords. Proper weapons were also a rarity, most being armed with picks, small hammers, and the occasional looted sword. However, most impressive and what Dorus was worrying most about, were several catapulta made out of old rock slide, pully ropes, and other bits of scrap wood. About a dozen of these makeshift war machines dotted the line, with another dozen further back. 

Looking over the position, she decided she should go for the mine entrances first. In total, there were three of them, all located at different parts of the mine. Getting as close as she could to one, she saw the wooden supports holding them up, along with a rebel miner with an ax. Perfect. 

With a burst of speed, she shot down from out of the clouds, blades flashing. The miner with the ax barely had time to stand up before her blade thrust into his throat, being yanked out again a second later with a gush of blood. She didn't have time to take in his malnourished body and thin coat. She sheathed her sword, grabbed the ax from his paws, and then darted over to the supports. Aiming for where the crossbars met, the ax cut through the wood, causing the packed dirt and stone to fall in on itself. 

She darted up into the air, wings flapping madly toward the next cave entrance. The guards were similarly dispatched with a pair of bolts, and the entrance collapsed. By now the rebels had picked up on her activity, and many began to abandon the line to chase after her. This led to some problems when she went for the third mine entrance, but she still managed to get it closed. 

With many of the miners running over toward the mine entrances to attack her, that left the artillery more-or-less undefended. These were a lot simpler to deal with; no need to kill anyone or to even touch down. The war machines were crude, and she was simply able to do flybys, cutting the exposed ropes with quick slashes or simply pushing them over, where they broke apart from a mix of poor construction and her sheer momentum. In a few short minutes, the war machines were almost all gone. So, her plan complete, she shot up into the clouds, getting fast enough to generate her rainbow-colored trail to give the signal. 


+++++~+++++


She trotted sickly into her apartment when she arrived back in Pryha two days later. Like always, she tossed her sarcina, armor, and weapons on the couch, then slumped down on another one in exhaustion. Now though, it wasn't exhaustion; It was guilt and disgust. 

When the order had been received, Dorus had advanced up his men down the now unguarded pass. With the artillery disabled and the people manning the walls dispersed all over the area trying to catch her, the soldiers were able to advance almost unmolested to the line. From there, it was only a matter of cleaning up the rebels, a matter undertaken with few casualties. By that point, the governor had arrived, and order the surviving rebels execution for 'Daring to oppose the will of the Empire'. Despite Dorus' and her protests, one of the tribunes carried out the order. 

She, despite being a skilled flyer with now years of experience in both flying and fighting, panted like a dog. She remembered the faces of the miners; their terrified begging as the soldiers put them to the sword. She then remembered what that first one looked like thin, bloodshot eyes, and so covered in limestone dust he looked almost completely white. She shuddered, then went up to the loft. She needed to forget; to have an excuse not to think about it. 

She opened up the nightstand, pulling out the pack of crackers. She opened them up, throwing all the ones that still remained inside to lean on the safe side. No euphoria, no rush; just the now dreadful and all to familiar feeling of cold water. She looked down at the empty tin, dreading tonight, when, for the first time in almost three and a half years, she would have to go to sleep, and face the horrible nightmares that plagued her.
> 52~Guilt and Rage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

3 Days later...

Traitor to your Element!

No friend of mine!

Uncool jerk!

Fire. Fire everywhere. All she once held dear, and all she holds dear now, burning.

Rainbow bolted up with a start, sweat streaking down her head. A few minutes of panting, and she managed to get her breathing under control, she eased herself out of her bed. She didn't bother to put on her tunic, let alone her armor; She just groggily trotted over to once of the couches, collapsing on it in a heap. She then gripped her head, letting out dry sobs and racking, heaving breaths.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She repeated this over and over like a mantra, yet it was never enough. Even though she wasn't asleep, she could still see them. The calm face of Noblis, the terror-stricken ones of the miners, and the others of the several other missions the Caesar had given her. Her heaving and sobbing got worse as she sunk her face even further into the soft couch.

She had been able to live with herself before, but only because of the crackers. Now, the guilt welled up like a hurricane; one that, if unleashed, would rip her apart. The actions she had been ordered to commit sent her reeling, and she wanted it to stop. Her only defense from it came from the fact she was merely following orders. However, this was a weak excuse and one that barely helped. 

"Domina?," a voice said, causing her head to fly up. Castus stood at the door, face contorted into a look of concern. "Are, uh; are you ok, Domina?"

"Y-yeah! Fine! Just fucking peachy," she said. It was half-assed, even for her, and Castus wasn't fooled for a second. 

"Are you sure? I mean, I've never seen you like this before, and you-"

"I said I'm fine!," she snapped. "Just, ran out of my meds, that's all."

He entered, muttering something. Rainbows ears perked up, but she couldn't quite catch what it was. Instead, she asked, "What did you say?"

"What?"

"You heard me. What, did, you, say? And don't lie to me."

He gulped, tugging at the collar of his tunic. "Er, nothing."

She trotted up to him, her iron talons clacking on the floor. When she was a few inches from his face, she said, "I said don't lie to me. Now, tell the truth, or so help me, not even the Lords of Tartarus will find you when I'm done with you."

He looked incredibly uncomfortable but sighed and lowered his head. When he raised it up again, he said, "Ok. I said 'Did I do the right thing?'"

It was now Rainbows turn to shoot a look his way. "And what exactly did you mean by that?"

"I, er, I, I-"

"I, er, I, I," she mocked. "Sometime in the next year, cocks-for-brains."

He sighed, then said, "Alright. When you've been out on missions and Dominus Tonituro has been taking his nap, I've been swapping out your crackers with matter beads. They're normally used for just wetting something down, but they're small enough to pass for them when dyed."

For several brief seconds, neither of them said a word. Then, Rainbows' face contorted in rage, and she grabbed him by the throat.


+++++~+++++


Castus was thrown to the ground, sinking a few centimeters into the thick mud by the forest, just outside the capital. Just above him, flapping wings casting constantly shifting shadows over him from the rising sun. Rainbow Dash then landed, advancing on him with a swift, military gait. She then put one of her crossbow pistols to his forehead, growling out, "You have ten seconds to start talking, or else I pin you to this tree. Why, by all that is holy and sacred in this world, did you FUCK AROUND WITH MY MEDS!!?"

He leaned on his legs, trying to stand, but was halted in this endeavor when the bolt was pressed further into his forehead. "I-I wanted to help you! Those things aren't medicine; it's shit that'll ruin your body, and I thought if I could keep you from using it so much, I could help you. I only wanted to-" Once again, he was stopped in his task by the crossbow bolt. 

"Ha! What a load of shit. No, really; why the fuck did you do it?"

"I'm telling the truth," he sputtered. "I swear, I didn't want to hurt you. I just wanted to help!"

She swung the pistol, smacking him in the side of the head. He further into the mud, it starting to stain his leathery skin. "Don't you fucking lie to me! You don't want to fucking help me! Nobody does. Now ANSWER ME!"

"I'm telling the-Wait, no one wants to help you? What do you mean?"

She stepped back, relieving the push of the bolt on his forehead. "Isn't it obvious!? Everywhere I fucking go, everyone fucks me over! On the mainland, it was brigands and that bastard Huffer. Later, it was Dermot and the rest of those maniacs. Now, its the condescending Caesar and the rest of her Parliamentarian assholes who have more purple dye than common sense. Why the hell would you be any different?" With that last sentence, she put the crossbow back to his head. 

"Listen! I'm telling you, I want to help you. Those things aren't good for you, and I thought-"

"DON'T YOU THINK I FUCKING KNOW THAT!?," she roared. "YOU THINK I JUST DO THOSE THINGS FOR FUN!? NO! I DO 'UM CAUSE I'M A FUCKING MONSTER!"

She raised up the crossbow from his face again, firing the bolt into a tree trunk before tossing it aside. She then fell on her haunches, once again sobbing. "I-I don't want to do them. I w-want to s-st-stop. But, I c-can't li-live with myself oth-otherwise. T-the shit I-I've done. T-the p-people I killed. Hell, I even look like one. I'm just a shambling, scarred, s-self pitying monster." By now, she was full-on crying, unashamed tears falling down her face. "S-so, t-tell me. W-why the f-fuck should I believe y-you?"

He stood, walking over to her and sitting down next to her. He held one of her talons, saying softly, "Listen, Domina-Rainbow Dash. We've known one another for, what, two years now? And in that time, I've seen you suffer. Through your training, your pregnancy, your work for the Caesar. And in that time, you've done all that, and haven't failed. You kept going when most people I know would've given up and died long ago. You're strong, loyal to a, like you said, condescending Caesar, and you care deeply to your son. You aren't a monster. You're, to take a word from you, Awesome."

Her sobbing had stopped, replaced only by the heavy breathing that generally accompanied the aftermath of crying. She then said, "Prove it."

"W-what?" It was his turn to sputter out words again. 

"You heard me," she said, standing up and giving him a predatory grin. "I said, prove to me that you do care." She then spun around, bucking him in the chest. He fell to the ground, and she was on him in a second, still grinning. "Keep in mind. This is my first time actually able to do something in a scenario like this, so, bear with me."
> 53~Cold turkey
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After they were done with their... conversation, outside the city, they arrived back at the city to have her son wake up shortly after. Castus made breakfast, Rainbow reported to the Caesar, who didn't have anything for her, and Rainbow spent time with her son. He had really, according to Castus, started to fly everywhere, driving the caragor half-mad. Rainbow was nonetheless proud and spent that time working with Depressi on his form.

After the lunch and Depressi had been tucked in for a nap, Castus sat down with Rainbow over on the table. Both sat in awkward silence, the memory of what they did barely four hours earlier still fresh in their minds. The silence was only occasionally broken when one would take a sip of water from the cups in front of them, or when one would absent-mindedly tap the table. 

Rainbow was the first one to properly break the silence. "Listen. About, er, what happened. I'm sorry. It's just, I-"

"It's fine, Domina," Castus said. "You were emotional, and you don't exactly trust easily, from what I've seen."

"Ain't that the truth." The awkward silence fell over the two of them once again. "I was serious when I said I wanted to stop. I started taking them for the nightmares, but as time went on, that was more of a pleasant side-effect, ya know? Like I said, it evolved into, well, allowing me to live with myself."

"Yeah, you said. And like I said, I just wanted to help. But, you didn't really seem like you were just gonna give them up, so I asked a friend to get me those water pods. I thought it was a good idea."

"So you're a dumb-ass as well as a liar?"

He laughed at that. "I suppose I am. Anyway, I still want to help. I still care about you, as you well know."

"Heh, yep." Her smile faded as she looked down at the table. "*sigh*. What am I gonna do?"

"Just stop. You only get a certain number a month. We can help you while the shipment for next month is disposed of. Hopefully, you'll be over it by then."

"Wait; what do you mean, 'We'?"

The door suddenly swung open, two sets of pawsteps entering. She jerked her head to the side, seeing who exactly walked in. "Sutura? Didius? What are you two doing here?"

Before either of the newcomers could respond, Castus said, "They were my, co-conspirators, if you will."

"Whiskers over there is dead-on, boss," Sutura said, making herself at home on Rainbows couch. "A few weeks after Dorus got his paws on you, he gathered the two of us in private. Said he wanted ta help you."

Didius said, "Well, while cruder than I would've put it, she is correct. We recognized it was an issue, and we talked about how to figure out the problem."

Rainbow deadpanned, "And it took you over a year to come up with a plan?"

"Not one we could all agree on, anyway," Castus said. "We all work and/or live in separate parts of the city, and didn't have too much free time to meet up. And when we did, it wasn't for long, and we never really reached anything definitive."

"Anyway, 'nough talking about how we came to the plan, and let's talk the plan," Sutura said. "Now, like Castus said, I handle the shipment of the crackers, as they technically fall under the category of 'meds'. Heh, those things are no more medicine than a fucking hunk of manure."

"On task, my friend," Didius said. 

"Right. Point is, all I gotta is just huck the stuff in the trash soon as I get my hands on it. Simple as that. As for the nightmares, I can't really help you with that too much. Don't seem natural. But, I can get you that rune you used during your pregnancy with your kid. Speain' of, how is the little whirlwind? Still given' Castus a hard time, I hope?"

"Why do you hope for my suffering?"

The pale gray Terran just cracked a grin reminiscent of Rainbows' own. "Why? 'Cause it's funny as shit, that's why!"

Rainbow smiled back. "Heh heh. Yep, still dartin' all around." After Sutura stopped laughing her ass off, or more accurately, after Didius managed to pull Castus far enough away so he wouldn't strangle the Imperial Physician, she said, "And. And, thanks, guys."


+++++~+++++


It had been about a month since that day. Sure enough, Sutura had burned the next shipment of the drugs, meaning she couldn't get her talons on them if she wanted to. Since then, things had improved greatly for the Pegasus. 

First was her physical condition. She didn't really notice this before, but there were some physical side-effects of the crackers. Her hair had lost a little of its vibrancy, her coat dulled, and her one good eye had felt a bit sore. Now, with the drugs gone, these effects were not only noticed but also began to be reversed. Her coat was once again a vibrant cyan like a summer sky. Her mane was now a more colorful shade of its various colors. And besides that, she simply felt like she had a lot more energy. It didn't ease her scars, but she almost felt like she didn't have them; as if she were unburdened by their previous dull throbbing. 

There was also the mental aspects. Like her lack of energy, the crackers had slowed her somewhat in the head. Now, she felt better. It felt like after she had just woken up and down a whole gallon of hot coffee (The thing she missed most about Equestria besides her parents, Scootaloo, and Tank.) 

Finally, she had felt better morally. This she had never really given much thought to, besides the fact she had done horrible things and was a monster for it. Now, though, was able to move on, head held high. Didius had summed it up best in a quote from Caesar Drucius the Wise: 'The past is a foreign country, full of things we regret, things we fear, and things we wish to forget. Best to move on, to leave these aspects in that foreign land, and move into our future unburdened by such load.' 

Though all this time, Castus, Sutura, and Didius had supported her. Kept her company, made sure she didn't do anything stupid, help her watch Depressi. The three of them were fully supportive, and she thanked them over and over. They had responded by the even older saying than the one of Drucius: 'What are friends for?' 

Friends. They called themselves her friend. And for the first time since her exile now over five years ago, she believed them. For the first time in five years, she had people she could trust. People she could rely on to help her, like how they helped her out of the hole she had dug for herself. People she could, happily and proudly, call friends.
> 54~The hidden truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 years, 3 weeks, and four days since exile.

It's been about a month since Rainbow got over her addiction, and she couldn't be better. It felt like a hundred pounds that had been tied to her wings had been cut loose. Like she could do a dozen Sonic Rainbooms without breaking a sweat, and then fight a battle afterward.  

It hadn't necessarily been all sunshine and rainbows, however. Her son had started to enter what pegasi called 'The Typhoon Phase'. This came in at about one and a half to two years old and involved the foal being incredibly active with their wings, darting around and smashing into things like, well, a Typhoon. It was like how newborns started doing it shortly after they were born, but even faster as the wings muscles matured and got stronger. Naturally, this had driven Castus half-mad from having to chase him across the apartment and clean up after his messes. To help alleviate this pressure on the poor caragor, she had started taking her son out on flights over the city before lunch. 

"Wheeee!," he cried in excitement as he flew a little bit above Rainbow, able to fall directly onto her upper back in case he got tired or got caught in a bad current. Below them, the city stretched out endlessly for miles in every direction. From their height, the citizen's bellow looked like ants, shuffling around on their daily business. The wing in her face felt cool and refreshing, like a glass of ice water after a long workout. The palace came back into view, the balcony of their apartment looming fast upfront. With a slow descent and a light catch of the small foal later, they were home; and by the smell coming from the small kitchen, lunch was almost ready.

"Nice job, Sport! Keep it up, and you'll be able to fly like me!"

He said, "Twanks, mama!"

"As fun as that would be," Castus said as they walked in. "But, I for one, am not looking forward to that. If it gets any worse, I'll have a migraine."

"And that would be an issue, why?"

Before either of them could respond, a knock sounded at the door. "I'll get it," Rainbow said. "You go get some lunch, Sport." Rainbow trotted over, opening the door. On the other side stood a caragor in full military dress: A red tunic, polished leather belt, including a sword hanger, and a dark brown felt Pannonian cap. He seemed somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "Is there something I can help you with?"

He handed her a large folder, about the size of a tray. "For you." Then, whispering in her ear, "I suggest you don't read it now. Do it tonight, or when no one will see you." He then stepped away, saluted, and trotted off.

Rainbow leaned out of the door, watching him disappear down the hallway. She then shrugged, turning and heading over to the table, absently tossing the folder on the couch for her to read later. 


+++++~+++++


Several hours, and all was quiet. Dinner had just finished, and Depressi had been put to bed. Castus left shortly after, leaving her alone. It was still a little bit light out, and she had time to kill before her usual bedtime. Normally, she would read a book or something, or go down to the bathhouse before it closed. However, she then remembered the folder on the couch and decided to get that over with. She sat down on the couch, used one of her claws to sever the wax seal on the folder, and slide out a letter from inside.

Dear Ms. Dash

I understand you will not be familiar with me. My sister was never one to reveal secrets. Particularly from one who works for her directly. However, I digress. I understand you like to get to the point, so I shall do just that. I'm afraid that you have been manipulated by my sister.
Now, I know you aren't exactly liable to trust me. As a matter of fact, if you wish, simply destroy this letter. But, allow me to make my case. Do you remember the caragor who you talked with before you were captured by those degenerates who tortured you? His name is Crassus, and he is a frumentarii: A spy, assassin, and an intelligence gatherer. He, supposedly, was off in zebrian territory, gathering intelligence. However, he helped you. Also inside the folder, you will find the file that states this.
Next is the degenerate filth themselves. Doesn't it seem a bit odd, that you were rescued from them, and taken directly before the Caesar? I mean, how did they know you were there? How did he get out without killing anyone else, or at least by not making any noise? Because my sister had heard of you, and she wanted to have you as a weapon. She never could ask nicely; what she wanted, she took. Also inside you'll find a contract, offering Pryhan made weapons and armor in exchange for you. 
Now, you don't have to trust me. Hell, I don't expect you to. However, I have presented you with a case. Make your own case on what you want to do. If you wish vengeance against my sister, however, I beg patience. I plan on making my return soon. And with it, I will, hopefully, ascend to the throne so long denied to me. Those who help me will be rewarded. All I ask is this; a chance. 

Yours truly, 	
Princeps Diocletian.

Rainbows' eyes progressively got wider and wider as she read it through. Like it said, she had no reason to trust what the letter said. However, if what it said was true, then she had been played for an idiot for, now, over three years. She then tossed the letter aside, reaching back into the folder for the other two documents that were said to be inside. 

Sure enough, they were there. And they said exactly what the letter had said. Rainbow walked over to a potted plant, sliding the papers back into the folder and the folder under the pot. She needed time to think about all of this. One thing was for certain, though. From now on, she wouldn't trust a word that came out of the Caesar's mouth. Still fuming, she trotted upstairs and passed out on her bed. She'd think about this some more tomorrow.
> 55~The Twin Invasions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

About a week later, Rainbow hadn't come to a decision. She thought about that letter whenever she got the chance, and she looked at the letter after Castus left and her son went to bed. Most of the time she spent thinking of it was spent on her morning flies over the city. It was on one such day that things changed. 

It started out as a standard day, with her doing her flyby. The early risers looked up expectantly, spying her spectral flight trail. A few waves, greetings of "Ave!" from the on-duty guards and a few scripts for a bit of bread from a vendor greeted her. The rising sun casted her fur with a bright light, soaking into her fur as thoroughly as water. Normally, she would've waved back, or at least glanced downward at them. However, today she was lost in thought about the letter. 

Ever since she had gotten the crackers out of her system, she had started to suspect that the Caesar wasn't exactly someone who she would've worked for normally. She was condescending, always figured that she knew the answer to everything, and wasn't exactly polite. The letter she got from this 'Princeps Diocletian' only seemed to confirm these suspicions of hers. And some of what the letter said did seem to make sense when taking in the Caesar's behavior and hatred of dissent into account. Plus, it filled in holes she had started to think of in how she came into the Caesars service. 

Still, she wasn't so quick to trust everything he said. She had fallen for that one too many times and wasn't about to go headfirst into another bear-trap. It did seem suspicious how he had gotten his paws on this info, especially since it seemed that he wasn't in the Empire. Maybe he had connections or something, but she was still wary. Better safe than sorry, especially now that she had her son on the line. 

Speaking of her son, he had begun to dig into his breakfast by the time she was back. She took off her helmet and joined him, ripping through the bread, cold ham, figs, and cheese like a starved bear. Soon, both had finished with their breakfast, and Rainbow went back to grab her helmet. She quickly ruffled her son's mane, then trotted off down the hall to go see the if the Caesar needed her to do anything. 

When she arrived, she immediately figured something was wrong. Normally, the Parliament Chamber was empty at this time of day, and only the Caesar was present to give her orders. However, all the Parliamentarians, about fifteen of them, were present, yelling back and forth. Caesar Drusilla sat on her throne at the far end of the room, head slouched down to the point it looked like she was bowing. Standing in the center of the room, surrounded by the bickering Parliamentarians, was a Pryhan officer, stiff in posture as if awaiting orders. In other words, it was the exact opposite of what she normally saw when she entered. 

Her opening of the doors had drawn the attention of the room, with suddenly sixteen sets of eyes upon her. Before she could say anything, one of the Parliamentarians she recognized as Drusus said, "Remember. We have the Sky Daemon! She can turn the tide of whole battles! We can't lose!"

Another one yelled back, "And how do you propose we use her, Drusus? We only have one of her, and we now have TWO problems we need to solve."

"So we just send an extra regiment to deal with the Mainlander Warlord," A third barked. "It's just a bunch of desperate vagabonds and foreign mercenaries. We're Pryhans; One of our Pedes is the equal of at least four of theirs!"

The officer, who she had now identified as her friend Dorus, said, "All due respect, Parliamentarian. However, these 'Vagabonds and Mercenaries' are far more of a serious threat. They are surprisingly well-armed for mainlanders, and the mercenaries include Minotaur Pikebulls. Our men are on par with them, if not outmatched. And that is to say nothing of the Princeps troops."

A fourth Parliamentarian said, "Why are we acting like this is a one-solution issue? We can make a deal with the Princeps! Even if he was exiled, he still holds great love for this nation. Surely, he wouldn't stand by and let it's citizens be butchered like wheat to the sickle. And if he has demands afterward, I'm sure we can meet them!"

"Are you stark raving mad!?," yet another one shouted. "If we give him an inch, he'll take the whole bloody Empire! And with how much the commoners adored him back in the day, he could do it! This is an utter disaster!"

"Calm down, you old coot! Servius is right! We have other options available to us besides fighting! We could pay off the mainlanders, then focus all our efforts on the would-be usurper."

"And what kind of precedent would that set, Argentum? That if you just waltz into the Empire with any serious force, you can walk away with a massive sum of money? We all know they won't leave for less. We would become the laughing stock of the planet! We would lose the new Zebrican holdings!"

"To hell with the Zebricans! We should focus on our people. I say we pull the regiments in Zebrica back to defend the homefront. What good would they do us if the empire was sacked, anyway?"

By that point, the room had devolved into a torrent of yelling, with ideas, counter-ideas, objections, and arguments that were hurled around the room like crossbow bolts. It reminded her of the point where two armies clashed; a disorganized, loud mess. Finally, the voices were silenced instantly when the Caesar yelled, "SILENCE!"

She stood, eyes scanning the room and the people within. She let out a heavy sigh, then said, "We must stop bickering amongst ourselves. We will work this out." Turning to both Rainbow and Dorus, she said, "You two. Leave us; we have much to discuss. You'll be sent for when we decide on how to handle the situation."

"Yes, Caesar!," both of them said almost at the same time. Dorus then walked up the stairs, shutting the large mahogany doors as he left the room. Even from this side of the door, the two could hear loud yelling pick back up on the other side almost as soon as it shut. The two then looked somewhat awkwardly at one another before Rainbow said, "Pusca at my place? It's just up in the apartments here."

"Heh. Why not? Lead the way." The two began heading down the hall. As speed wasn't really a concern, Rainbow chose to walk alongside the Praetor. 

"So, what was all that about, anyway," she asked. 

"You didn't hear?" When she shook her head, he said, "Well, as of a few days ago, the Empire is being invaded. Making his way down from the north side of Damocrasis is the Caesars brother, Diocletian. He was exiled about ten years ago by the Caesar. Supposedly, he had committed treason, though most people just think she felt threatened. He's coming toward the capital with an army. At the same time, some mainland warlord got it in his head to invade us. He's somehow managed to get enough script or gold to hire Minotaur mercenaries, some of the highest quality in the world. Both are coming to the capital."

"Well, fuck me right in the ass," she said. "I take it this is a problem the two of us are gonna have to solve?"

"'War is the politicians whining, and the soldiers dying.' Of course we will."
> 56~Battle of Pryha (Pt.1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the end of the day, the Parliamentarians and the Caesar had decided on a plan of action. The mainlanders would arrive at the capital, so most of the effort would be focused on dealing with them. Three regiments, over five thousand soldiers, along with another seven thousand militia would be present to defend the capital. Meanwhile, the other three regiments on Damocrasis would march out to deal with Diocletian. 

One day, word reached the capital that the invasion force would be arriving soon. The regiments assembled outside the walls, forming a battle line and awaiting the enemy force. Militia soldiers also joined the battle line, taking up positions along the flanks or forming a second line. Upon the walls, scorpion ballista and the smaller catapults had set up position, the overview of the battlefield giving them an advantage. Despite this position, many of the officers were wary of the plan. They wanted to hold the walls, greatly reducing the enemy's effectiveness. However, the Caesar had ordered them to keep them out of the city, and they had to follow orders.  

Speaking of orders, Rainbow had been ordered up to the line. She fastened on the straps of her armor, muttering in frustration. This wasn't good; she knew from experience exactly what kind of cruelty mainlanders, and in particular the hired thugs and conscripted bandits that passed for soldiers on the mainland. If they got into the city, and, gods forbid, found her son... No. She shouldn't think like that. They wouldn't get into the city, and they would get nowhere near her son.

"Mommy," her son said, tugging at her hindlegs pteryges. "Ah'm scawed."

"I am too, Depressi. Listen to me. If things don't go well, I want you to get out of here. None of them can fly, and so you should be able to get out without being noticed. If that happens, I want you to run. Get out of here as fast as you can. Ok?"

"Ok."

"Whatever happens, just know I love you. Ok. I love you more than anything." She pulled him into a hug, letting a quick tear fall down her face. She then pulled away, darting out of the room before she could stop herself. She had a duty to do. Not for the Empire, not for Pryha, and sure as hell not for the Caesar. But for her son, her friends, and her new home.


+++++~+++++


She stood next to the Caesar and her on a small hill, just by the main road leading into the capital. Before her, the Pryhan army stood, thousands of soldiers ready to fight. The proper regiments formed a second line in the center, intending to add a wave of fresh, battle-hardened troops to the first line. Said first line, along with the flanks of the formation was made up of militia soldiers, armed mostly with older style swords and farming tools hastily repurposed for warfare. 

Soon, sounds could be heard in the distance. At first, it was undercut by the barking of orders and the whipping wind. However, soon it grew to be the only sound one could hear; a constant, beating thrum like heavy drums. Finally, the source of the sound appeared, cresting the ridge just in front of the city. 

It was the warlord's army, and it was massive. Soldiers in cheap armor and somewhat shoddy weapons made up most of the army. Despite this poorer quality than Pryhan soldiers, they could give the poorly equipped militia a run for their money. However, they weren't the primary concern; that honor rested in the minotaur mercenary pikes. They formed that armies' mainline, the long tips of their pikes sticking above the rest of the army like a forest of death. While not well armored, the sixteen-foot long pikes would be able to outrange the Pryhan short swords, mitigating this downside. 

The Caesar growled, "Arrogant bastard. Thinking he can just waltz up here and attack US. Hmph, we'll put him in his place." Turning to one of her commanders, she said, "Sound advance, and see those degenerates crushed."

The commander hesitated, but still gave the signal to the Cornifers. The loud horns rang out across the field, and the front of the line stepped off. A slow, steady advance began, the ground playing the tune of twelve thousand marching men. The enemy army, seemingly not wanting to be outdone, sounded their own advance, the pikes lowered and soldiers pushing forward. 

"You know what to do, Voluntatum." Rainbow shot one last look at the wall, steeling herself before she took off. She soared over the front lines, using the gathering clouds as cover. Soon, she was able to overlook both sides to an equal effort. 

Behind the ridgeline sat the invader's baggage train, a mass of carts, carriages, and burden-laden boars. The hastily formed enemy line resembled that of the Pryhans own; a vague C shape with a solid center of elite troops. She figured she would do the standard method of her battlefield actions. Target the flanks or anywhere else the enemy had an advantage, then go for officers, standard-bearers, and other rally points. 

Scanning the field, she saw that the right flank of the Pryhans was pushing up, attempting to encircle the pikes.	 Said pikes were pushing the center hard, causing them to lose ground. That was where she was needed, however, she couldn't just rocket in like she usually did; she'd be cut to shreds. Instead, she remembered the artillery upon the walls, which had been holding fire to avoid hitting their troops. They would have an incendiary shell.

She raced back to the wall, spying one of the onagers and its stack of ammunition. The war machines had no real targets, and as such held their fire. As such, it was easy for her to grab one of the pitch smothered shells, as well as a torch she gripped in her mouth. The artillery officer barely had time to notice her, let alone complain, before she darted off with the wicker ball.  

When she returned, the tide had turned somewhat. The push on the right was being ferociously challenged, with a counter-push by the mainlanders. The centerline was also pushing up, the minotaur pikes being more than a match for the Pryhan Pedes. The longer pikes outranged the short swords of the Pryhans, and the minotaurs were able to skewer the Pedes before they were even in striking range. She needed to get involved, now.

She tilted her head to the side, using the torch in her mouth to ignite the pitch spilling out of the top of the ball. Tossing the torch, she dove low, playing a game of chicken with the wall of death. At the last second, she pulled up, allowing the heavy, fiery ball to slam into the pikes. The burning thatch broke on the heavy iron tips, scattering bits of shrapnel and flaming pitch down across the faces of the front mercenaries. As at least twenty of the mercenaries in the front two ranks faltered, dropping their weapons as they screamed in agony, she took the opening to dive right into the packed line. 

The tightly packed bipeds didn't have enough room to properly counter her, giving her more or less free reign of the line. Blades flashed, thrust, slash, kick, repeat, as she unfilleted the whole line. A few of the minotaurs attempted to break off the line, drawing large, machete-like swords to attack her. However, they were slow when compared to her, allowing her to get past their guards, delivering lightning-quick trusts into the exposed vital parts. She was soon aware of other Pryhan soldiers taking advantage of the opening, swarming in like bees to honey.

A pryhan push, using the gap in the line as a focus point, began to drive them back. A loud horn sounded behind the line, and the pikes began to retreat, the rest of the mainlanders not far behind them. Sensing victory, the loud brass horns back at the Caesars position sounded, ordering the officers to advance. Said order was headed, the Pryhan lines pushing up in pursuit. Rainbow soared back into the air, returning to her birds-eye position as those enemies too slow were cut down as they fled. 

Suddenly, another set of horns sounded from the enemy lines. The pikes gave an about-face, pikes lowering once again. At the same time, the forests on either side of the ridge roared to life as hundreds of previously hidden raiders sprung form the bushes. They fell on the enemy flanks like a tidal wave, smashing into the overextended Pryhan line. A short while later, the pikes advanced again, the long spears plowing through the few Pryhans that made it past the ambush.

Rainbows' eyes widened in alarm. She didn't see the trap, and the army had just stumbled into it. She darted back down to the line, attacking enemy raiders at random in the leaderless mob. They fell one by one in rapid, swift diving attacks, but even she could only kill one at a time. And with the push, most of the enemy army was out of range of the artillery. The army was beginning to be surrounded, and soon, only she was the only one in the front ranks properly able to escape the enemy counter-push. Those not caught in the encirclement had began to throw down their weapons and run back toward the city. 

Blade and bolt flew down on the enemies by her, enemies falling as they struck home. By this point, she had cut down at least fifty enemies, and yet it made few differences. Enemy officers were either few and far between, or were in the block of pikes. The Pryhans were falling back on all fronts, at least those that could. All she was doing was delaying the inevitable. 

Until, over another one of the ridges by the city, about half a mile to the right of the main battle, came three unmistakable sounds. The rolling thrum of war drums and signal horns, loud singing, and the footfalls of several thousand soldiers.
> 57~Battle of Pryha (Pt.2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three sounds echoed across the plains, off the city walls, and seemed to reverberate in their armor. The battle didn't slow like it did in fantasy books, but the sounds seemed to make the battle noises dull. Even over the thrum of battle, the sounds came over clearer. Harsh, loud trumpets and reverberating, heavy drums made up most of that sound, the crescendo being added to by the footfalls of the soldiers. Over all of that, she could hear, of all things, singing. 

"🎵There's forty script, on the drum!🎵
🎵For those who volunteer to come!🎵
🎵To list and fight the foes today!🎵
🎵O'er the hills, and far away!"

"🎵O'er the hills, and o'er the seas!🎵
🎵To lands north, south, west, and east!🎵
🎵The Caesar commands, and we obey! 🎵
🎵 O'er the hills, and far away!🎵"

"🎵When duty calls me, I must go!🎵
🎵To stand and face another foe!🎵
🎵But part of me will always, stray!🎵
🎵O'er the hills, and far away!"

"🎵O'er the hills, and o'er the seas!🎵
🎵To lands north, south, west, and east!🎵
🎵The Caesar commands, and we obey!🎵
🎵O'er the hills, and far away!🎵"

"🎵So fall in lads, behind the drum!🎵
🎵With colors blazing, like the sun!🎵
🎵Along the road to return one day!🎵
🎵O'er the hills, and far away!"

"🎵O'er the hills, and o'er the seas!🎵
🎵To lands north, south, west, and east!🎵
🎵The Caesar commands, and we obey!🎵
🎵O'er the hills, and far away!🎵"

It was a tune she was unfamiliar with, even after hearing at least half a dozen Pryhan marching songs. She was torn from her distraction by panicked yelling. Looking down, she saw the Pryhan line collapse completely, those who could fleeing towards the safety of the city walls. Those that couldn't, mostly the proper Regiments, fought on, desperately trying to escape the sudden encirclement. The Caesar and her honor guard were nowhere to be seen, likely having fled back inside the wall by now. She growled, then focused back downward. She had to allow those below her time to fall back. 

She raced down, blades flashing by her sides as her wings beat furiously. She dove into those enemies who had broken off in pursuit of the fleeing Pryhans. Many didn't even have time to react, and those that did couldn't react fast enough. She left a path of dead or wounded enemies as she swept across the front of the pursuing Mainlanders. She made another pass and still more fell. However, the spread-out nature and sheer number of them reduced how effective these passes were, and they still kept coming. 

Then, the singing, marching, and music reached a crescendo as its source revealed itself. A large force of soldiers cresting a hill, marching along the wall of the city faster at a fast speed. Not her fast, naturally, but still much faster than a few ponies she had raced back in Equestria. Most of them were simple Pedes, the banners among them indicating the 12th, 11th, and 10th Regiments of the Pryhan army. However, a small number by contrast with the regiments, of Pedes stood out from the rest.

The banners were pretty similar, chain-mail was the primary armor, and the tunics and pteryges straps were still the same royal blue. However, this was where the similarities ended. As opposed to the simple metal square over their chests, these Pedes wore segmented, wide-shouldered segmented plates over their whole shoulders as well as their flanks. The right foreleg was protected by a similar segmented guard, called a manica. The helmets were also different, being much smaller height-wise as well as having larger cheek plates, a large, extending neck guard, and several reinforcing ridges along the front of the helmet. They were armed with spears, each about seven feet long with a simple iron point with a barb by the base of the point. Strapped to their sides were curved, sickle-like swords. However, the most obvious distinction was the shields affixed to the left foreleg. 

Now, using a shield was rather uncommon as they were hard to use. They were unwieldy, especially when fighting on all four legs, and were either too small to offer adequate protection or too heavy to be of any use. And yet, here they were, using large, wooden oval shields painted blue with images of eagles. Later on, she would learn that the shields were held on with a leather strap and a sliding lock bar, with the shield able to be slung over the back when not in use. The harness for the lock was mounted to the shoulder, allowing the user to hide behind it somewhat effectively while still having enough mobility to fight from behind it. It was a simple, brutal design; and one that now formed a solid wall bristling with lances, ready to smash into the invaders exposed flanks.

While the reinforcements were moving into position, Rainbow refocused her attention on those who were fleeing the battlefield. The mainlanders, having noticed the massive force, had mostly begun to turn their attention to them. However, a few small clusters of them still chased after the routed Pryhan force. She darted after those groups, cutting them down as quick as possible. Due to the low numbers of soldiers pursuing, they were quickly cut down, and she turned her attention to the retreating Pedes. 

Many had, by that point, reached the city gate. They began to bang on it, shouting things like "Let us in!" or "Open the fucking gates!". At first, she didn't notice why they were yelling this but discovered the cause as to why when she landed behind them. The gate was closed, portcullis secured firmly in place. Nothing, short of a battering ram, would be opening that gate from here. The Caesar must have retreated inside of the gate after the extra mainlanders arrived, shutting the gate behind her. 

She yelled out, "What the fuck are you doing!?" Many of the people by the gate, most of them militia, turned to look at her. Fear shone over their faces like a shroud. 

"Trying to get back into the cities! If we have to die, we'll die with our families!", one yelled. She sprung off the ground, stopping to hover a few inches from his face.

"That won't be happening! I've dealt with this kind of warriors before. It they get into the city, then they'll kill you alright. But they'll take your families for slaves, steal all you hold dear, and burn everything else!" She backed up, addressing the whole mass. "Listen, I know you're scared. I have a son in the city; I'm as scared of him as you are! But, if we lose here, we put all of them at risk! If we crush them, here and now, we can save them all! I'm not asking you to do it for glory, or honor, or any of that shit! Do it for your homes, your families! What are you: Pryhans, or Rats!?"

They all looked at one another, looks varying wildly. From fear to stoutness, from calm to angry, and everything in between. However, one by one, their looks began to harden with resolve. Those that still had them drew weapons, while those that didn't looked around for them. Rainbow drew her own blades, gesturing towards where the enemy line was. "Come on! Let's show these bastards exactly what a Pryhan can do! Long live the Empire!" And, with a mighty cheer, the rest of the previously routed forces followed her in a counter-attack. 

As she got closer and a bit higher, Rainbow took in the new troops. The normal Pedes were capable troops, attacking those of the enemy outfitted similarly to them and trying to encircle the mainlanders line. The ones with shields and new armor had formed a wall with their shields, spears sticking out over them to form a forest of spears. They were engaged in a shoving match with the minotaur pikes, each side trying to get the right distance to use their weapons effectively. It looked like either side could take the fight. 

However, with a flaring sensation in her flanks, she smashed into the Minoan standard-bearer at full force. He fell to the ground, the flag falling with him as she sprang off his corpse. While she had free reign in the enemy block earlier, she had an even easier time with the backs of the pikebulls turned and unable to fight back. A few dropped the long pole weapons to turn and fight her, but that number was next to useless when the rest of her rallied force smashed into the rear of the enemy force. 

At that point, the massacre was now on the enemy side. Caught between the reinvigorated militia and the fresh troops, they were cut to ribbons. Like with the Regiments on her side, those that could begin to flee, throwing down their weapons and bits of armor as they did so. The rest were either killed or threw down their weapons and surrendered. Soon, those still left that weren't dead or captured had fled back over the way from where they came. The battlefield was silent. 

Rainbow was unsure of who started it. Several minutes were spent just looking at the field of the dead. Crows already had began to pick at the dead, and the stench was horrible. She had no doubt she would've fainted a few years ago if she saw this, but now she just steeled herself. Then, someone began to shout "Huzzah!" That cry was soon taken up by more of them, and more, and more, until it seemed like all eight thousand Pryhans who were left were shouting it. With no chance of being heard over the deafening roar of they cry, she joined in.

"HUZZAH! HUZZAH! HUZZAH!"
> 58~Statement of Intent
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the battle, most of the soldiers had begun to deal with the dead. On both sides, at least six thousand lay dead, and hundreds more were wounded. As the gate was still shut, a makeshift hospital and prison camp was set up outside the walls. Those that weren't wounded, both Pryhans and Mainlanders, began to sift through the bodies. Anyone still alive was taken to the hospital if they were wounded, or the camp if they weren't. Meanwhile, Pryhan dead were examined, trying to identify who they were for their families to be contacted. The mainlanders were simply thrown into one of several large bonfires that had been made in the center of the field. 

Attempting to get away from the stench of burning bodies, she stalked past the grim working Pedes and watched mainlanders. A pair of the new soldiers came up to her, giving her a better view of their uniforms. The segmented armor appeared to be made of simple iron, covering the entirety of their chests, shoulders, and lower necks, with a second section of it covering the flanks. The royal blue pteryges stuck out over their upper limbs, with a pulled up neck gaiter of the same color covered their faces. Resting his shield on the ground and tucking his lance into the crook of his shoulder, one said, "Princeps Diocletian wants to speak with you and the surviving officers. Please follow us."

Tapping his shield face, she said, "Lead the way then."

He hoisted back up his lance, then the two of them turned and walked off. The path lead them through the tent town. The screams and moans of the wounded filled the air, and the whole area smelt of blood. It made her sick to her stomach, but she simply scrunched up her nose and tried to stop from puking. 

On the other side, they came to a small hill in front of the wall, where the Caesar had been standing with her honor guard before. On top of the hill stood four other of the spear-wielding Pedes, a few men in the blue cloaks and large crested helmets of Pryhan officers, and another figure she didn't recognize. He was a demigryph, perhaps a little bit younger than her, with dull brown fur and off-grey feathers with black and red tips. He wore a wolf-skin cloak, an engraved iron cuirass, and a blue subarmalis. 

"Ave, Princeps," one of her escorts said to the Demigryph. 

He pressed his hand to his shoulder, replying, "Ave, Pedes. Thank you for bringing her. You two are dismissed." Her escorts bowed their heads, then turned and marched off. He then said to her, "You must be Rainbow Dash. A pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh."

"And you must be Diocletian," she said. She scanned him, trying to figure him out. 

"In the flesh," he said. "Now, to business." Addressing all of the assembled officers, he said, "Now, I know I am supposed to be in exile. However, I-"

His attention, and in fact the attention of all those that could look over, was taken by a loud, metallic clanging noise. The portcullis was being raised, the gate behind it opening. When it reached the top and was locked into place, a company of Pedes came out at full sprint. The ornately engraved armor, royal purple cloaks, and face-masks on their helmets indicated they were the Caesars honor guard. 

They ran up the hill at full tilt, coming to a stop by them. The shield bearers lowered their weapons, but Diocletian gestured for them to stand down. The honor guard surrounded the small group, drawing short swords. Then, a voice from behind the ring of guards stated, "Hello, little brother."

Two guards parted, and the Caesar stepped into it. She still wore her gold-plated, ceremonial armor, but had exchanged the purple crested helmet for her golden circlet. Behind her came several Parliamentarians, also wearing armor and the silver circlets denoting their ranks. "I see you are back. I don't know what you expected to get. You're still an-"

"An exile. I know, I know," he said. "But can you put aside your ego for a few hours to see that I helped save Pryha while you were cowering inside the walls."

The Caesar sputtered, "T-that doesn't matter! You aren't supposed to be here!" Turning to her, she said, "Voluntatem, deal with him."

Rainbow looked at the ground, breathing hard. She remembered the letter she had gotten from Diocletian, what it said she did. She looked up at the two of them, eyes darting between them. On one hand, she still had no confirmation that Drusilla did anything to her. But on the other, it seemed like something she would do, both given what she'd seen and what Diocletian has wrote in his letter. After a few seconds, she lowered her head and backed up. 

"What in Damocles' name are you doing!? Fall to command! Kill him!", the Drusilla roared.

Rainbow said back, "Did you do it?"

"What? What are you babbling about? You know what, it doesn't matter. I gave you an order, and you will-"

"Did you hire Dermot and the rest of those fucks? To, to do what they did to me?"

Once again, the Drusilla sputtered. "W-where in the god's name would you get such, such a ridiculous idea?"

Rainbow straightened up, eyes narrowing. "Like you so often say, that's not important. Now, did you?"

"Diocletian," she suddenly yelled, turning to her younger brother. "This is your doing, isn't it!? You plotting, conniving degenerate bastard!"

"Takes one to know one." Turning back to her, he said, "Even after my dear sister planted her evidence to frame me for treason, I still held my contacts within the Frumentarii. They got me all the information I needed. The paperwork was in that letter. You saw it."

"LIES!" By now, Drusilla was practically frothing at the mouth. 

"Then why are you denying it so fervently? 'A cornered liar, even without being caught, will choke on their own snare'. Isn't that what father said, sister?" 

She turned to the officers, barking, "Kill him already!" The officers developed a sudden and obsessive interest in their Caliagae. "Fall to command! Kill him," she shouted again, this time to her honor guard. None of them moved. 

"Face it, sister. No one is loyal to you. You've alienated everyone and performed actions unbefitting of a Pryhan Caesar. Surrender, and I'll let you live."

Drusilla glared at him, pulling out her own sword. Diocletian's Pedes once again lowered their spears, and even the other nearby Pedes looked one nervously. Then, she threw the sword on the ground, scowling at each and everyone assembled on the hill. "So, little brother. Tell me, what do you intend to do once you take over? Sit on a throne and do nothing with your dick in your mouth?"

"No, dear sister," he said. "I intend to restore the glory of the Empire."
> 59~Reforms
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Drusilla's abdication, Diocletian dismissed the other officers and Rainbow and went to talk to the Parliamentarians. Rainbow didn't waste any time and fly back over the Pomerium and into the city. No damage occurred to the city, however, no one was out and about. The path to the palace was clear, and Rainbow rocketed into her room. 

Inside, she heard a somewhat startled cry and a flush of sheets. Unslinging her weapons and taking off her helmet, she trotted up to the loft. Depressi had hidden himself inside her bed, covering himself almost entirely in the heavy silk sheets. She trotted over a little faster and saw him start to quiver and shake under the bed. She wrapped her wing around the spot on the bed, saying softly, "It's me. It's me."

Her son instantly threw off the blankets, curling into her wing and sobbing into her feathers. "M-Mommy," he said, barely able to squeeze that out from around the sobbing. 

She didn't know if she was naturally this caring or if some sort of maternal instinct took over, but she let him snuggle in closer and began to stroke his mane with a talon. "Shush, shush. it's alright, Sport, it's alright. Mommy's here. I'm here. I'm fine, I'm here. You're safe. Nobody is gonna hurt you."


+++++~+++++


The two fell asleep like that, her son held close to her chest. When she awoke the next day, Castus was in, making breakfast like a massive battle that had threatened the city didn't just happen. Over breakfast, he had told her that, while she didn't technically commit any crimes, Princeps Diocletian had asked her to remain in her room for the immediate time being. "'Consider it house arrest', he had said, Domina. 'Just until things calm down. It wouldn't be a good look for me to have the previous Caesars personal lapdog, no insult intended, to be working directly under me right away, especially after what she did is revealed to the public. I hope you understand,'" Castus had told her he said. Reluctantly, she had agreed. She expected it to last only about two weeks tops. It lasted for almost six months. 

However, this didn't mean she was completely cut off from current events. Castus did live outside her apartment after all. And even if the caragor didn't, she still had outside communication. Newspapers mostly. They told her about the new reforms that the newly coronated Caesar Diocletian the V had began to enact. 

The first one was to the way members of Parliament entered the position. Under Caesar Drusilla, and according to her lessons, since Caesar Diocletian the III over a thousand years ago Parliamentarians had been a position that was determined by being appointed by the Caesar. However, Diocletian chose to reform the position to be one determined by a general election. Each Province would elect, amongst themselves by a popular vote, three Parliamentarians. These would then serve in Parliament, acting like the old appointed position. This reduced the number of Parliamentarians from 15 to 9, but this didn't seem to bother anyone, at least according to the newspapers. 

Another one of these reforms was the separation of the Parliament and the courts. Previously, parliament also acted as a high court of the Empire, deciding on high profile cases that were too big for the local courts. However, this reform added a High Judiciary Council, which would fulfill this role in place of the Parliament. Five High Judges, who would sit on the council, were placed on it by being appointed by the Caesar, were chosen, and had their first case in deciding what to do with Drusilla. From then on, they would work on the old high court role, leaving the Parliament to fully focus lawmaking. 

(On a side note, she had also learned of the result of that trial. Drusilla had been found guilty of Fraud and Treason, both against a member of the Imperial Household. She was sentenced to death, and was Crucified outside the city five months into her 'house arrest'. She was allowed out for the day to watch the sentencing.)

In addition to this political modification, the military also had its share of reform. The old system was modified to the new style of warfare, as Diocletian's men who came to the capital were. Previously, the army relied on shock and awe, attacking fast and hard before devolving into basic skirmishing melee combat. Now, the fighting style changed. It was now focused on formation fighting, using shields and spears to form a phalanx and steamroll over the opponent. Weapons, equipment, and training was adjusted accordingly, as well as the additional recruitment of new regiments. 

A few other things, not necessarily reforms, were implemented. The lands captured in Zebrica were returned to the Confederacy, along with a revision of the peace treaty. A small tax increase was added; not much, but still an increase none-the-less. And a few other things Rainbow didn't really bother to remember.
> 60~Her Commission
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One day, about a week before her son's third birthday, she received a request to meet with the Caesar. Well, not really a request, but he still wanted to meet her. Not really having much to do and, despite her son's energy, was bored out of his mind, she accepted. 

The guard escorting her led her outside to one of the palace dining rooms. It was a surprisingly small room, only about the size of a medium-sized living room. It was furnished with a simple metal table and a few chairs and lit by a curtain covered skylight. Caesar Diocletian was sitting at one of the chairs, sipping from a small clay cup. He smiled as she entered, saying, "Welcome, Miss Rainbow. Have a seat, we have much to talk about." As she sat at the seat, he set another cup in front of her. "Here."

She lifted the cup to her lips, downing the whole thing in one gulp. It was watered down wine, similar to what was often drunk at the afternoon cocktail parties she had been forced to attend under Drusilla. The smooth, somewhat bitter liquid rushed down her throat quickly, and she slammed the cup back down on the table with a satisfied sigh. "So, what is it I can do for you, Caesar? I imagine you just didn't invite me to drink and chat."

"Actually, that's what I intend to do. What, can we not have a civilized chat?" He laughed, setting down his own cup. "In all due seriousness, I want to talk to you about something."

Now he had her attention. "And what would that be?"

"Your position in the Empire. I'm not entirely certain what your position was within the Empire under my sister. I was hoping you could enlighten me."

"I wish I could. But, she never really told me. I mean, she referred to me as Voluntatem, but that's about it. I was just her pony she sent out to deal with problems or for her to show off with the patricians."

"I see. All this, after putting you through the ringer too, eh?"

"Y-yeah, I guess. Look, what does all this have to do with me?"

"Come in," he said, gesturing to the door. Turning around in her seat, she saw an officer enter. He was a Terran wearing the new style of helmet, with a sideways blue feather crest, blue cloak, and the segmented frontal armor. His orange coat and dark red mane seemed somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "This is Praefectus Aeternam Vexillum, second in command of the Fourteenth Regiment, under Praetor Dorus."

"Ave, Caesar. Ave, ma'am," he said, lowering his head as he gave both of them a Pryhan salute. 

Rainbow said, "Why ain't Dorus here? If this has something to do with him or the Fourteenth, why is it his Second? Uh, no offense, Vex."

"N-none taken, ma'am. However, I regret to inform you that, after the battle of Pryha, Praetor Dorus died of his wounds."

Rainbow bowed her head, developing an obsessive interest in the hardwood floor. She hadn't spent all that much time with the Demigryph outside of her training, but she still considered him a friend. At least more of one than those traitors back in Equestria, but she digressed. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know. But, still, what does that have to do with me?"

The Caesar clicked his paws, and two servants carried in a large crate. Meanwhile, Vexillum said, "Well, the Caesar said that he would be granting you command of the Regiment."

Rainbow recoiled in surprise, flying up off of her chair. "What!?"

Diocletian smiled at her reaction, saying, "Yes, that was my intention."

She whirled around in midair, now getting up in his face. "Are you serious!? I'm an assassin, thing, er. P-point is, I'm not qualified for this!"

"And why not," Diocletian said. "You studied military tactics under a renowned professor. You, on your own, turned the course of entire battles by flying up into the air to see enemy movements. You've performed actions that would get a Pedes promoted straight to a Centurion. The men of the Fourteenth both have worked with you on multiple occasions and respect you, which is half the problems with command." He leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his wine before continuing. "Besides, it appears that your flank mark agrees with me."

Rainbow looked back at her flank, which just peaked out from behind her off-white tunic. She had first noticed the change a day after the battle of Pryha, after she had taken off her clothes to get some sleep. Sometime recently, most likely during the battle, it had changed. As opposed to the three-colored lightning bolt and cloud, it had changed into something both different and similar. It was one of the new Republican-style helmets, colored a dull silver with a Rainbow colored crest and a pair of blue wings spread out on its sides. 

"W-well, I-I-I," she started, coming to a halt as she stopped talking. 

The Caesar sat forward in his seat, resting a paw on her shoulder. "Listen, I've been talking with Castus recently. He's told me all about what you were like under my sister, and what has changed. I wouldn't be offering you the position if I didn't think you would be the best for the job. I haven't gotten this detailed a report since when he first told me about you during the Zebrican Campaign. Point is, I believe you will serve the Empire well and are well suited for the role. Now, are you up for it?"

Rainbow sat back down, yanking her talon away from the Caesar's paw. She thought about it, yet came to Diocletian's conclusion. She was well qualified and did have some experience with Dorus' unit. Besides, it felt like her own way to honor him. She shot him a smile, saying, "Do you know who you're talkin' to? I'm Rainbow-fucking-Dash! I can handle anything!"

"Excellent!," he said. "Now, I have some gifts for you." He gestured to the box, before standing up. "Now, I have other business I need to attend to, but I'm sure Vexillum will arrange for you to meet with your men. Vale... Praetor."

As he left, she opened up the box. Inside, she was a little confused, as its contents appeared to be her old armor and weapons. When she removed her Linothorax, she did notice a few differences; a longer pteryges, a royal blue trim as opposed to the old blood-red, and a clasp for a cloak. Most of the rest of her armor was the same, with two new additions. Her helmet had completely changed, now a Republican type with a blue crest with red tips, forward-facing as opposed to the side-ways one of Vexillum. In addition, she also found a folded cloak, a speckled grey wolf pelt with a white linin liner on the inside. She studied the cloak, when what the Caesar said about Castus finally registered in her mind.

"Vexillum. I have my first order."

"Praetor?"

She looked at the orange Terran, her prosthetic eye' rune glowing menacingly. "I want you to find Castus. Tell him to meet me at the Fructus Parturiunt in two hours. I want to have some words with him." He saluted and turned to leave, only stopping when she said, "And tell him if he doesn't make it, I'll track him down, and make him regret he ever met me."
> 61~A Date (of sorts)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow dash leaned lower on the table, glaring at Castus. He, in turn, leaned as far away from her as his position would allow. She lightly tapped the table with a talon, somewhat savoring the nerves that it played on the caragor. Silence rained between the two of them, unbroken save for the occasional breathing. Then, a third person entered the area, and spoke, breaking the precarious silence. 

"Hello. I'm Saturnus, and I'll be your server. Can I take your order?"

Castus jumped at the opportunity to avoid Rainbows' gaze, lifting up the wooden plank with glued down paper. "Yes, thank you. I'll, uh, I'll have the Scallops with Garum and lentils."

"Thank you, sir," Saturnus said, writing it down on a small tablet. "And you, ma'am?"

"The stuffed dove."

"Alright then. I'll be back with your orders in a few minutes."

The silence resumed as he trotted off. Both shuffled in their seats nervously, neither really certain how to progress forward. Finally, Castus said, "So, the Fructus Parturiunt, eh? Nice choice, Domina."

Rainbow looked up from him, looking around the restaurant. The interior of the place was well lit by several skylights, casting just the right amount of shade over the patrons. The wood and brick floors were covered by simple pale green carpet, similar to a grassy field, while brown, red, and yellow tapestries hung from the walls. Off along one wall, a small band was playing a song, the air filled with sounds of Lyres, Drums, and horns. Despite its reputation as a nice restaurant, the fact it was the middle of the day meant it was rather deserted. 

"Yeah. I'd dropped by and talked to the owner when he' opening up the place in the morning a few times. We'd strike up a conversation, and he'd offer me a quick bite. Nice guy," she said. She focused her gaze back on Castus, who resumed his uncomfortable shifting. "So, I take it from all of the shifting, you picked up on the fact that I didn't ask you here on a date, eh?"

"Er, yes. I'd, I'd figured that out, Domina." Tugging lightly at his tunic collar, he said, "S-so, what can I do for you, Domina?"

"Earlier today, I was talking with Caesar Diocletian. I've been given command of the Fourteenth Regiment, but-"

"That's great news, Domina!," he said. Sweat ran down his head in droves; so much so she wouldn't be surprised if there was a puddle of it below his seat. 

"But, that's not relevant to this conversation," she finished. "What is relevant is one of the reasons as to why he said I deserved the promotion. That YOU had been giving him information about me since I was still on crackers. So, care to explain, Castus?"

"I, er, I," he stuttered, before lowering his head in shame. "Can we talk in equish? I mean, for the sake of privacy."

Rainbow shrugged her shoulders. "Up to you, but you still better start talking. So, spill."

"Ok, thanks. Now, yes, Domina; I was involved with the Caesar before his return. It was mostly just keeping an eye on Drusilla's actions where I could. However, when you entered the picture, I was told to keep an eye on you. And, from there, I ended up going out of my way to help you."

Before Rainbow could respond, Saturnus returned, a pair of plates balanced on his back. "Here you are," he said as he slid them off his back and onto the table. "Just call me over if you need anything. Enjoy!"

She looked down at her food, hunger overcoming her desire to cuss out Castus. The pair of small birds sat on the plate, a crisp golden-brown color with splotches of blackened skin. A bit of beans, bread bits, and other Harty foods leaked out of a small hole in them, covered in a thin layer of garum. Off to the side sat a few rolls and an air of small bowls, one filled with more garum and the other with olive oil. She tore off one of the dove legs, using her still somewhat flat teeth to rip off a chunk. It was well cooked, juicy, tender and had a faint aftertaste of rosemary and basil. In other words, it was the part of the meat she loved the most. 

As she tore into the rest of the leg, Castus began to eat his own meal. While the two ate, Rainbow decided to resume the conversation. "So, about what you said that day. About caring about me? You weren't lying, right?"

"About what?, he said past a mouthful of scallop.

"About what else? About you actually caring about me, and not trying to screw me over?"

He set down the half-eaten scallop, putting his paws on the table. He said, slowly and somewhat cautiously, "Rainbow Dash, Praetor of the Pryhan Army. I swear, on all that I own, have owned, will own, and on my morals as an honorable citizen, I do care. You are, to use your own words, 'An awesome, badass, all-around amazing pony'. Not to mention intelligent, dedicated, loyal, and beautiful."

"Cut that last one," she muttered. "I still look like I've gone through a cloud synthesizer full of razor blades."

"What in the name of the Empire is a cloud synthesizer?," he asked, switching back to Demosian. 

Deciding to do the same, now that the more sensitive part of the conversation had come to a stop, said, "Something back home. Not really sure about the mechanics of it, but it made clouds of different types."

"Making clouds?," he asked. "You're pulling my paw."

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you most defiantly are, Domina."

"No, cocks-for-brains. I'm not."

"Yes, you most definably are."

"No, I'm not."


+++++~+++++


The two of them entered her apartment, both laughing merrily and a little drunkenly. Both had had a few glasses of watered-down wine, but mostly it was just a good time. After their argument about the Cloud Synthesizer, they had just began talking, with topics varying wildly over the course of the meal. From her parents and her old 'friends' to her hometown and the Wonderbolts. After the food finished and paid for, both had stumbled back to Rainbows apartment. 

"Well, I sure had a good time!," she said, grinning widely. "And to think, I was just waiting for an excuse to drag you out the back and geld you with a nail!"

A bit of nervous chuckling later, he said, "Well, all things considered, I also had a good time. And I'm also glad I didn't get gelded with nail." He looked over at the rooms sundial, saying, "I have to go pick up some more food for tonight's dinner. I'll be back shortly, Domina."

"Cool," she said. Looking down at the couch, she said, "Oh, and Castus! You can just call me Rainbow."
> Interlude~Fall of Canterlot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Six years after exile
Canterlot shield perimeter
POV: Shining Armor

Shining Armor patrolled along the edge of his massive purple shield, checking up on the guards and watching for a potential Changeling advance. So far, none of the bugs had shown themselves, but he could never be too certain. After all, they had come from nowhere and could come from anywhere. 

It started about six months ago, with the return of Lord Tirek. He had somehow managed to get into Canterlot without the Princesses or the Royal Guard finding him. From there, he began to absorb the magic of ponies, growing stronger from it. Fortunately, he hadn't yet grown strong enough when his presence was discovered by the Princesses. With the three Princesses, his own power, and the aide of his sister and her friends, the centaur was captured and re-imprisoned in Tartarus. 

However, as they later learned, it was seemingly a diversion. While the guard had been distracted dealing with Tirek, something had taken over Dodge Junction. All attempts to establish contact failed, and all guards sent to investigate never came back. From there, these 'Changelings' had begun to attack cities all across Equestria, imprisoning the ponies they captured in pods for some reason unknown. Now, only two cites were unconquered: The Crystal Empire, and Canterlot. 

He came to the booth along the southern train tracks that had been converted into a guard station. Inside, the guard on duty stood to greet him. "Captain Armor."

"Corporal Void Gazer. Anything out of the ordinary?"

"No, Captain, just-" He suddenly stopped talked, cocking his head to the side as if listening to something. Shining flicked his own ears and tilted his head in the same direction, but didn't hear anything. 

"Umm, is something wrong, corporal?"

Suddenly, green flames whipped around the guard. His white coat turned to black chitin, and his eyes became nearly pure blue orbs. Before Shining could react, he said, "Awake from your shell, servant of the hive."

Shining suddenly felt dizzy. He shook his head, trying to clear it of whatever was going on, but he felt himself lose consciousness. When his eyes opened again, they were glowing green and were greeted by a wide, fanged grin from the Changeling infiltrator. 

Canterlot upper districts
POV: Viscount Fancy Pants

Fancy Pants had begun to pack up his belongings. He knew that Canterlot wouldn't last forever, and intended to take as many ponies away from the incoming swarm with his private airship. He would make a heading for Griffonia, across the Celestial sea to get as far away from them as possible. At least, that was the plan. 

He packed up some of his own personal belongings; a few heirlooms, some clothes, and other personal effects. He paused when he was reaching for a picture of him and his wife, Fleur De Lis. He sighed, stroking across the slim and beautiful mares face. He remembered when he last saw her: several weeks ago when he and Fleur had gone down into Canterhorn valley to help with the evacuation of Ponyville. When the changelings arrived, he had fled, but she had been captured. He still remembered her terrified face as green goo of those, cocoons, covered her face completely. 

Suddenly, loud screaming echoed it's way up to his window. He raced over to the window, throwing aside the curtains and gasping. The purple dome of Captain Armors' shield was gone, and the Changelings were pouring in by the hundreds. Black and green blurs rained down from the skies, crushing the makeshift barricades set up by the guards and further blackening the black magic burn marks of Tireks rampage. Royal guard and a few other pegasi flew up, trying to keep them away from the citizenry, but it was a losing battle.

He leaped back in alarm as one of the green streaks shot down toward his window, smashing into it at full force. When the dust cleared, a section of his bedroom wall had collapsed and a Changeling drone stood in the ruins. Before it could stand, Fancy fired a bolt of magic into it, sending it hurling out of the window and onto the street. He knew more would be coming, and so, forgetting his suitcase, he lit his horn and teleported to the airdocks. 

When he arrived, his eyes once again opened in shock. Changelings by the dozen had already arrived and had begun to hold down the ships with their slimy mucus. The few smaller airships that had already taken off were boarded and quickly ground to a halt. He knew that he had no chance of getting past them, and turned, planning for making a run for the castle. However, as he did, he came face to face with another ling. 

He had no time to react as the black, insect-like creature swung a hoof, sending Fancy into the ground. He tried to rise, but before he could, he felt a cool, slimy feeling on his hind legs. Looking back, he saw the beginning of a cocoon, which had quickly swallowed almost his entire lower half. He tried to squirm his way out or to light his horn to teleport away, but both failed. He finally ceased struggling as it came up to his neck, then his jaw, until his whole body was encased in the soupy, green gunk. 

Canterlot Castle
POV: Princess Celestia

The throne room had been converted into a makeshift war room. A massive table had been set up at the base of the dais and was overflowing with maps, markers, and other bits of recording tools. After the shield went down, messengers had begun to run in and out, relaying her orders to hold the line and allow her student and the other element bearers time to evacuate the civilians. 

"Your highness, the Changelings are moving up the upper districts. They've overrun the barricade on Stirrup Street, and are pressing up toward Bit Boulevard!"

"Pull me off of the palace walls to reinforce Bit Boulevard. It's closer to the train station," she said. 

Another one ran in, yelling, "The shipyards have fallen!"

"Pull back anypony still left, and have them hold the line at the palisades."

"We've lost Bit Boulevard! The Lings are pouring in like Parasprites!"

"Get anypony left down there. We must hold the trainyard."

Finally, they began to trickle to only a few runners as opposed to a near-constant stream of them. She knew that didn't mean that the tide had turned, as the reports were still troubling. Fewer of them were making it back. Soon, none came in, leaving just her and the Royal Guard lieutenants. 

She sighed, saying to one of the lieutenants, "Lieutenant Panzer Hoof. Take a contingent of any remaining guards. Escort as many of the castle staff down to the train station as possible to be evacuated."

"Yes, your Highness," he said, saluting and running off with a pair of guards in tow. 

Turning to the rest of the officers, she said, "Pull the rest of the guard, as many as you can muster. We must hold the Changelings back, allow Panzer time to evacuate the rest of Canterlot. We'll-"

She was interrupted by a guard running into the throne room. He quickly bowed his head, saying even as he raised it, "Your highness! The Changelings are in the castle! The queen herself is-!"

Suddenly, the door exploded inward, sending the two guards by it sprawling and Celestia throwing up a shield to protect her officers. When the dust cleared, several Changelings entered. These ones were different than the other Lings; their carapaces were covered in a thick, chitinous blue armor and had short iron swords floating in sickly green magic auras. Behind them, entering with a slow and arrogant gait, came the one identified to be the leader. 

"Sorry for dropping in unannounced," she said, grinning madly. "But, I just couldn't help but notice that the Princess of this pitiful nation has yet to be brought to me in a cocoon. I just got impatient: you understand, don't you?"

The princess steeled herself, saying to the assembled officers, "My little ponies. Get out of here. Save as many as you can."

The guards attempted to get out, but more changelings entered the side doors. The guards backed up, forming a circle around her. "Ha ha ha ha ha! Sorry, Princess, but I can't just let you or your ponies leave. You're just much too valuable."

"Why are you doing this?," Celestia said, glowering at her. "We have done nothing to you!"

After another bout of maniacal laughing, she said, "Oh, of course. You haven't. However, my changelings need to feed on love to survive, and Equestria is a land practically overflowing with it."

"We could've reached a deal! You didn't have to attack us!," she argued, stepping forward. "You can still stop this. Order your army to stand down. Release my ponies. We can work it out-"

"Enough!" With that, her Changelings charged at the royal guards, while Chrysalis shot a beam of green magic at Celestia. 

Celestia summoned a shield, then darted up into the air. She lit her horn, firing down a beam of fiery light. The queen met her beam of energy with her own, sickly green bolt. A pushing match ensued, each hoping to overpower the other with their power. Both endured, straining and sweating, trying to get the other to yield. 

Bellow the Princess, the two groups of soldiers clashed. Blade versus spear, hoof versus hoof as they slugged it out. The Royal Guard was perhaps more eager and energetic, but that was their only advantage. The Swarm Guard were better fighters, stronger, more cunning, and there were more of them. Those that could tried to flee, either by flying out one of the windows or by teleporting out. Most, however, were simply overrun. 

Soon, the same was true with Princess Celestia. The queen's bolt simply overpowered hers, and she was sent sprawling across the floor to the base of her throne. She looked up weakly, watching as the queen pranced up to her. As the tall Changeling stood over her, another one entered. He was different than the other drones; he had a red fin, purple eyes, and was a bit taller. 

"What is it, Commander?," the queen said, looking down at Celestia over the bridge of her nose. 

"My Queen," he said, bowing. "The city is ours. The last remnants of resistance are being stamped out. However, several trains and airships managed to escape before we locked down the airdocks and the trainyard."

"Was our dear Captain Armor on either of them?," she asked, much to Celestia's confusion.

Pharynx said, "Yes, he was on the last train out."

"Excellent. Round up and cocoon anypony left in the city. I'll be taking a peek through the good Captain's eyes soon enough. You're dismissed, Commander."

The other Ling took off, flying out one of the holes in the stained glass. The Swarm Guard began to cocoon the unconscious guards, even as Celestia watched. "W-what... Do..."

"Do I mean by 'Peek through his eyes'?," Chrysalis said. She turned back the barely conscious Princess, grinning madly, with a similar look in her eyes. "Simple. I have control over him. He is my thrall, ever since his wedding."

Celestia shifted a little in shock, gurgling out, "What? H-how?"

"Why should I- You know what? Why not. Not like anyone will hear this besides you." She knelt down in front of the defeated princess, still grinning. "My original invasion would've taken place at the wedding. However, after I saw how simple it was to manipulate you by having you exile that annoying Pegasus, I decided to bide my time. Why just raid and steal the love from one city when I can conquer the whole nation! So, for that bit of information and your actions, I thank you. Have some pleasant dreams. Mwah hahahahahahahahaha!!"

Princess Celestia just laid her head back, taking it in. She had been tricked, and it had led to her not only condemning an innocent pony, but also her whole nation. In her rush to defend her family, she had damned herself, her ponies, and an innocent. Her last sight as the green slime of a cocoon covered her face was the Changeling queen trotting out of her throne room, cackling madly with a pair of Swarm Guards at her flanks. Her last thought as the slime stripped away her consciousness: By my Sun, what have I done?

Then, darkness. Cool, unforgiving, damning, Darkness.
> 62~Meet and Prank
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow sat over her desk, scribbling the last items on a small list. When she was satisfied with what was on it, she stepped away for a minute to let the ink dry. She fetched out a small leather money purse, counting out and placing the amount of Pryhan Script that would be needed to get everything on the list. She pulled the cord shut, then grabbed the list and went down from the loft. 

Down in her main room, Depressi was playing with a ball, bouncing it off the wall and catching it. A pretty normal activity, except he was doing it while doing laps around the room, tossing the ball at one end of the loop and catching it after he did the loop. Castus was over at the kitchen, cleaning up the remains of lunch. She said, "Hey, Castus. I need you to head down to the market. Pick some stuff up for me."

"What do you need? We out of something?," he asked, setting down the towel he was using. 

She handed him the list, saying, "No, not that I know of. I'm just expecting guests tonight, and I want to make sure I have enough stuff. 'Kay?"

"Sounds good," he said, looking over the list. He frowned as he scanned the ingredients, which then became a look of curious confusion. "Dash, why do you need this? I mean, the bread, olives, figs, pears, and whatnot make sense for a nice dinner. But, what purpose could you have of-"

"Just shut up and get 'um, cocks-for-brains," she said. 

He looked back down at the list, then back up at her, then closer at her face. She was trying to keep an air of professionalism but was barely holding back a wide, somewhat sadistic grin. "Alright then. I don't know what you're up to, and what you are planning, and I somewhat don't want to. But, I'll get the damn ingredients. 

He trotted out, only stopping when Rainbow tossed him the purse. When he left, she said, "Hey, Sport! Come down here; I need to talk to you for a second."

"What is it, mom?," he said, hovering up in the air with the ball in his hooves. 

"Listen, I'm gonna be having some guests over later. Not until about dinner time, but just so you're aware. Be sure to be on your best behavior for them. If you do, I might be tempted to let you fly with me out in the cityyyy."

Enticed with the offer, he said, "Got it! Who's coming? Mr. Didius? Mrs. Sutura?"

"Nope. My new position ensured me some men under me. My Praefect, Vexillum, arranged a meet and greet with my new subordinates."


+++++~+++++


That night, Rainbow stood back up in her loft, finishing tying off her braid. She wasn't one for primping, but even she had to say she looked good. She wore a royal blue subarmailis, the pteryges decorated with small metal tabs, along with a few medals on her chest. Her goggle hung around her neck, with both them and her forelegs gleaming in the lamplight from the fresh polish. Her coat was brushed, her mane done up in her usual style, and she had even spent a few painful hours rubbing soap over her scars. All this combined with her wolf-skin cloak gave her a feeling of being both way too hard to move, while also being just plain awesome. 

"Is all this necessary, mom?," her son asked, tugging at his own highly ornamented, tightly secured belt. His own mane had been combed back, and coat brushed. The tunic he wore was an off-white with goldish trim, contrasting against his tawny coat. He was, in her humble opinion, quite the handsome little colt.

"Yeah, Sport. Don't worry, the belts only for tonight," she said, adjusting it.

"Rainbow," Castus yelled up from downstairs. "They're here!"

"Ok! We'll be down in a minute," she yelled down. Turning back to her son, she said, "Come on, Sport Let's go."

She led her son down the stairs, and sure enough, was greeted by several people. The mix of Demigryphs, Caragors, Terrans, and Bighorn all wore similar Subarmailii, medals, and royal blue cloaks. In total, there were thirteen of them; almost all of them looking incredibly nervous. 

"Good evening, Duces. I'm glad you came!," she called out. 

Her reaction didn't assuage the looks of concern among the officers, but they more or less seemed to accept the fate they were in. One of them, a Demigryph female, said to her, "I-it's an honor to meet you in the flesh, Praetor. Your reputation precedes you."

Rainbow smiled at her. "My pleasure. And you are? I was told names, but learning thirteen in a few days in a right pain," she said, holding out her talon. 

She reluctantly shook it, saying, "Domitia, Praetor. I'm the Tribune of the third maniple."

"Well, glad to meet ya!" She turned to the rest of the assembled officers. "So, you guys hunger? Castus is preparing dinner. In the meantime, let's just sit down and have some wine. Sound good?"

She trotted over to the laid out couches, the rest of them right behind her. A small tray had already been laid out, stacked with over a dozen cups of wine and a cup of milk for her son. "Have a seat, have a seat," she said to the officers, who did so somewhat reluctantly. While they did so, she picked up her cup, and then passed the cup of milk to her son. "Here you go, Sport."

As he took it and look uncomfortably at the strangers, another one of the officers cleared his throat. He was another Demigryph, but he wore a slightly different cloak; forest green with gold trim as opposed to the typical royal blue with red trim. She recognized that color pattern as belonging to the artillery corps, just as he said, "So, *cough*, Praetor. H-how eh, how have you been?"

"Fine, fine. Can't complain." An awkward silence fell upon those present, only broken by the sounds of sizzling meat and a knife on a cutting board in the kitchen. 

Another one, a caragor with the typical blue cloak, asked, "I didn't know you had a son. How old is he?"

"I'm three!," Depressi said. 

"Cool, cool." Once again, an awkward silence fell over the room. 

She then looked out over the group of them, taking note of their posture. Most hadn't really touched the wine, and those that had were mostly just staring down at them. "Alright, spill. What's up? You all act like I'm gonna summon a hell portal out of my mouth and suck out your souls."

They all shifted uncomfortably, even Vexillum. Finally, one she remembered was named Salvator said, "Well, er. Like Tribune Domitia said, your reputation does proceed you. That of, no offense, a daemon."

Rainbow leaned back on the couch, taking a quick sip from the watered-down wine. "Let me guess? Drusilla' doing, as a means of propaganda?" When that response all earned a nod from most of the officers, she sighed and said, "Listen. I know about all that. Hell, I had a part in making that reputation. But, trust me. I'm not that bad of a person."

"Yeah," Depressi said. "Mom's awesome! She's the best mom ever! You bet she's great!"

"That's my boy," she said, nuzzling her little ball of energy. Even with all the eyes on her, it didn't embarrass her. Looking back up at all of them, she said, "The point I'm trying to say is, I'm not some Shadow Daemon right out of the old legends. I'm just a mare who ended up making the best of a horrible situation. But, I digress. I hope to work well with all of you in the future." Lifting up her cup, she gave a toast: "To Caesar Diocletian, and to the Empire!"

Looking at one another, their hesitation somewhat faded. They raised their own cups, echoing the toast and taking a sip of the wine...

….Only for them to spew it back out in an instant. While then all recoiled, wiped at their tongues, or otherwise made actions bourn of alarm, Rainbow burst out laughing. 

"What did you do!?," another one, Caius, cried out before resuming wiping his tongue with his cloak. 

Rainbow just kept laughing, yet still thought back to what she wrote down on the list she gave to Castus. 

Shopping list for tonight's meeting--

-Extra sardines
-Pears
-Asparagus tips
-Extra olives
-Assorted spices
-(VERY IMPORTANT) Several extra cups of salt
> 63~War Games
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 years, 11 months, and 6 days after exile

About a week and a half later (and several apologies to her officers), Rainbow had become well aquatinted with them. It was still a pain in the ass to keep track of all thirteen of them, but she was able to keep track of a few. Mostly the three that stuck out: her second-in-command Vexillum Plaudit, the artillery officer Domitianus, and the Velites commander Cato. Still, she was learning, and she had no doubt that, if she gave it a little bit more time, she could do it.

She also became acquainted with her new Regiment. At the Battle of Pryha, despite being one of the regiments to be surrounded, they didn't take as many casualties when compared to the fifteenth and the thirteenth. Despite this, they still took massive losses and had been retrained from the ground up regardless. 

Rainbow had come down to the field where the battle had taken place, christened the 'Ager Talionis', or 'Field of Retaliation' by the city. She had overseen the training of her regiment in smaller bits, watching as the officers drilled them over and over again over the course of weeks, and eventually months. It reminded her somewhat of her own training under Dorus, what with the tall wooden poles, the constant physical exercise, and the lack of sparring initially. At the same time, it was rather different, with the lack of wings and the different equipment used. 

Still, after about five months of training, the regiment was coming along well. With similar progress being made by the other two regiments on the island, and the rest of the Pryhan regiments if the reports were correct, the Caesar declared that a series of Wargames would be held; a final exam, if you will. It they could beat one another, it was reasoned, then they should be able to beat anything that came their way. And so, here Rainbow was, watching the fortified trench line that was being erected on the opposite side of the Ager Talionis.

She had been told about how this scenario would play out. It was a battle between her and the thirteenth, also from the battle here. Each side had a silver vase with roses in it as an objective, and the mechanics were similar to 'capture the flag'. Each side had to recover the vase in a few hours, or at least hold onto their own. If either side completed their objective, either by holding onto their vase or capturing the vase or their opponent, they would win. If none of them captured the vase of the other, a draw would be declared. The reward was special; double rations for a year, along with the simple honor of victory. Naturally, both sides wanted to win. 

Each side had assembled on one side of the field early in the morning, and each of the regiments had been given until noon to dig fortifications. Both sides had gone with the standard layout, accounting for the fact they were unable to use artillery, of course. Several rows of trenches were constructed, a ditch lined with wooden stakes just in front of it. A small mud-brick shack was erected on either side to hold the objective, as well as act as a planning room. 

She had spent most of this time as her men constructed the fortifications to come up with a plan. She ordered Vexillum to feign an attack on the thirteenths line. When the thirteenth launched their counter, Cato would lead his velites around the line, through the forest, to come out behind the trench line. They should be able to overwhelm the few defenders left, take the objective, and retreat. Or, well, that was the plan. 

Around noon, a brazier was lit on the city walls, indicating to the two regiments that the game had begun. Almost immediately, the thirteenth sent out three of their maniples, along with accompanying velite support, toward her position. She gave the signal for nine of her maniples to push forward while having her velites start going through the woods. A barrage of horn blows later, and the whole of her force stepped off, making a loud, thundering advance. 

However, even when the two units got in close, the thirteenth didn't take the bait. The two sides exchanged a volley of blunted plumbata, then charged in close. The two sides got in close, smashing shields together and thrusting with poles and wooden swords over the formed wall. Due to her massive numbers though, she was able to push past them relatively quickly. The remaining enemies, either those who hadn't been hit really hard or hadn't fallen over from an impact, retreated back toward the line, while her own advanced. Those that been wounded or had been simply knocked over from blunt impact were immediately taken away by a massive team of stretcher-bearers, medics, and civilians hired to help out. 

Soaring over her line, she saw that casualties weren't all too heavy, all things considered. However, the remaining maniples of the thirteenth were holding back, waiting for her to come to them. A massive wall of spikes greeted her men as they closed in, both form the sharpened stakes and their own lances. She yelled down to hold position, and her order was repeated up the line as it ground to a halt like a train.

An awkward pause formed while she flew up and down the line, taking in the enemy position. Paranoid about the thirteenth trying to perform what she had planned, she darted back to the maniple she left to guard the vase. Checking that nothing was wrong, she then rocketed back to her line. Still not wanting to take chances, she ordered back three of her maniples to watch the vase. 

She then had the horns sound out an advance, watching the weighted darts into the defensives. She darted around the back of the advance, sliding into the woods to her velites. The cloaked, lightly armored skirmishers were stalking through the woods, coming in on the flank of the enemy army. She ordered an advance, and they raced out of the woods, hucking javelins at the enemy flanks. 

It was a route. They had tried to hold position, waiting for them to come to them. It had failed, and now the line had come to this position. The two sides slammed into them, projectiles and blunted weapons flying across the trenches. While the maniples slammed into each other, she slipped past the guards, whacking whoever got in her way as she made her way to the hut. She slammed into the wall at full force, literally bucking the wall down. The guard inside was beaned by one of the bricks as she swooped down to get the vase.

She had been told to check inside the vase for something that would end the game. Fishing around inside, she found a large whistle, which had a note attached to it saying 'blow'. Doing so, a loud, well, whistling came out, and the two sides stopped fighting. When they saw her with that vase, her men began to cheer while the thirteenths lowered their heads in defeat.
> 64~Declaration of a Campaign
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

About two weeks after her victory in the war games, Rainbow was on her way to the palace entrance. Caesar Diocletian was meeting with several foreign dignitaries and needed her to translate for him. While he spoke zebrican, he didn't speak equish, and so asked her to do it since it was her first language. She wasn't told who these dignitaries were, but she was on her guard, just in case.

Did she think that it was one from Equestria? No, but it paid to be careful. Judging from old maps she had looked at during her pregnancy (What? She was bored out of her mind!), Equestria was a long way away. That didn't really mean anything, but she still had her doubts it was them. Besides, other species and nations spoke equish, not just Equestria. 

She arrived outside the palace steps, finding the Caesar and his honor guard. She came to a halt by his side, touching down with a metallic clank of her claws and folded in her wings. Ahead of her, she saw two groups heading down the Via Imperatoria, what she guessed was the foreigners. She was able to get a better picture of them as they got closer. 

One was a group of zebras. Several warriors, clad in their light subarmailis-like jackets, furs, and other bits of armor, decorated with jewel and gold jewelry. In the middle of them stood another zebra that stood out from the others. He wore a leopard skin draped over his back, reminding Rainbow somewhat of the bearskins worn by Signifiers in the army. Besides that, he wore better quality furs, more and more expensive-looking jewelry, and a feather and hide headdress. Due to their diplomatic status, they were allowed to bring their weapons inside the pomerium, the massively curved blades, wooden clubs, and short thrusting spears clearly visible.

The other group was made up of griffons, at least as many as the zebras. Most of them appeared to be bodyguards as well, wearing heavy lamellar armor and large sallet helmets, whose visors rested just over the top part of the beak. They were also allowed to bring their weapons inside the city, these being curved, slashing sabers. At the head of the group was a female griffon wearing vambraces, a beige sash held up by a large golden badge and a peaked cap with a griffonian signet on it. As she got closer, Rainbow couldn't help but think that the griffoness was somewhat familiar. 

The two groups came up the steps, the bodyguards at the lead parting to allow the leaders to go past them. Diocletian said something to the zebra in, well, in zebrican, then turned to her. "Tell her 'Greetings, Chancellor Gilda of the New Griffonian Republic, and welcome to Pryha.'"

At the mention of the name, she turned back to the griffoness at the lead, looking much closer at her. Sure enough, it was her; the long purple-tipped feathers swept to the side over her head, the relaxed yet confident posture, all of it was Gilda. And judging from her expression, she must've realized who she was too. Still, Rainbow had been given an order, and carried it out, relaying the greeting to her. 

"Er, Ditto, she said. "Well, let's get this underway. I still have a lot to do up in Griffonstone."

She relayed the words to the Caesar, who told her, "Translate this: 'Very well. Follow me.'" As he told the zebra likely the same thing, she translated this to Gilda. The Caesar and his guards turned and went up the stairs, followed by the two groups. 

As they entered the castle, Gilda grabbed her shoulder. Using it to pull herself to Rainbows' side as they walked, she said, "So, long time no see, eh? How'd you end up workin' for the Pryhans, of all people?"

"Long story. How'd you become the Chancellor of Griffonia? You could barely manage the Flight Camp sprinters team, let alone a whole kingdom."

"Equally, if not longer story, she said.

Rainbow looked down a bit, before saying, "Hey, Gil. Listen, about Ponyville..."

"Heh, water under the bridge, Dash."

"Really? You've never been the forgiving type, even before what happened."

"Yeah, she said, rubbing a talon across the back of her head, causing her crown to fall forward a bit. "Well, when you're suddenly given control over an almost completely collapsed nation you're expected to rebuild, you learn to forgive and forget on small things. 'Sides, from what I heard, I was probably a better friend than any of those other losers."

"Yeah. Yeah, you were," she said as they arrived at the parliamentary chambers, which also served as a throne room. "Well, to business."

"Yep. Though, after this, let's go for a fly. I still say I can beat you, Rainbow flank."

"You're on featherbrain."


+++++~+++++


Rainbow didn't pay too much attention to what was said. Well, she sort of had to, to translate and all, but not really the content. She did pick up a bit, though. 

The primary subject of the meeting was essentially the Caesar asking for permission. He revealed to them, and to the Parliamentarians in a grandiose speech about his plans to restore the Empire's glory. He was building up the Regiments and restoring the navy's power for an invasion of the Demosian Peninsula. He claimed that it was the primary seat of Pryhan power, besides the peninsula, and as such, it was more or less theirs. Besides, due to the crappy and violent conditions of the peninsula, it was his moral obligation to help them. As he said, 'Those who see evil and do nothing are just as evil as those who commit it'. 

He asked for borders; how far his men should expand to where they wouldn't feel threatened. Gilda said that it would be the old border between Pryha and Griffonia. That being the Strait of Beccus, a pair of massive cliffs with a separation of about three miles of oceans. The zebrican ambassador, as she later learned, was much more demanding of the Caesar. He didn't want him to expand at all, apparently claiming that he wouldn't stop his campaigns of conquest at Demos. In a show of good faith that he wouldn't, he would return the lands captured under Drusilla's campaigns several years ago. That seemed to calm him down. 

After that, the talks shifted to an alliance. Trade agreements, mutual defense treaties, etc. that was way over her head. She didn't even try to understand any of this, so she just translated, and didn't bother. Apparently, Gilda didn't understand any of it either, so the Caesar gave her somewhat dumbed-down versions of the deals for her. By the end, Gilda seemed somewhat satisfied, but not the zebra. Said something about going back to get approval of some council. 

After all this, the two groups left to go to their rooms to prepare for dinner. After they left, the Caesar ordered her and the other Praetors to come to meet him. When she was there with the other officers, he told them of his campaign plan. He ordered them to make ready to move out. A reinvigorated navy would be ready on the coast to take them to the mainland.
> 65~At sea
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After another two weeks, the politicians had sorted everything out. The zebricans took much longer than the griffonians to agree to the Caesar's terms, but the promise of the return of their land and a trade agreement finally made them sign off on the Caesar's treaty. Finally, the time for talking was over; the Regiments received the order to march for the ports. 

Among them was hers. The fourteenth made its way to the nearest port city, wherein they met up with the navy. As her men made their way onto the ships in the harbor, Rainbow stood on the docks, holding her son. "Listen, Sport. I won't be gone long. I'm not abandoning you. I'll be back, ok?"

"O-ok," he said, sniffling. "I-I'll miss you."

"Me too, Sport. Me too," she said, running her talons through his mane. "Hey, listen. I want you to have this." She slung her goggles off of her neck, putting them in his held out hoof. "They're from a group I told you about; the Wonderbolts. They were a gift to me, from a good friend of mine. I want you to have them. Whenever you get lonely, or scared, or Castus burns the food, or anything else, just put these on. And remember, that I am always thinking about you."

He didn't say anything. He just teared up a bit again and hugged her fervently. She nuzzled him a bit, rubbing her scent on him. She then backed up and spread her wings. She took off, soaring over to one of the ships in the port. When she landed, the crew scrambled around, tying up ropes and checking the sails. Below her, she heard the familiar sound of a speed drum, used to keep order and cohesion among the ship's rowers. A few minutes later, the ship was off the rest of her regiment on about ten others behind her.


+++++~+++++


Two days into the voyage and Rainbow was bored out of her mind. 

Sure, the trip to the mainland would only take about five more days, give or take a few days. Still, it wasn't like she had all that much to do. She had been specifically instructed to stay with her regiment, and so she couldn't simply fly ahead. And the ships weren't exactly the fastest things, only able to go about 50 miles in a full day. And so, they were forced to slog along on the pitching and rolling sea. 

Rainbow was currently laying up on the top part of the mast, about six feet below the flapping, blood-red Pryhan flag. In every direction she looked, the shining noon sun glittered off the green-blue salt sea. The only things that marred this perfect image were the rest of the ships in the tiny fleet. Off in the distance, she could see the flapping flags and outlines of another regiment transports; the seventh and the tenth, if she wasn't mistaken. 

Rainbow looked over at the boat nearest to hers, just looking at it for something to distract her. The ship was about the size of a sail cutter she went on when she went on a fishing trip with AJ once. However, the ship was less tall than it was long, being at least another ten feet longer. Large, mounted crossbows stood listless on the upper deck, while fixed stone-throwers jutted out from the first deck below the top one. Sailors ran to and fro across the decks, checking the ships rigging, adjusting the sails, or simply cleaning the deck. On the sides of the ship, fifty oars, a hundred if you counted the other side, jutted out further than the stone-throwers, assisting the sail in propelling the ship along the water. Yes, it was fifty on each side; she was so bored, she counted and recounted them at least five times. 

Reclining back in her little perch, she looked down at her own ship. The crew in their distinct sea-green coats and black trilby hats were also performing similar actions to those on the other ships, under the watchful eyes of the Pannonian capped officers. However, from her closer proximity, she was able to pick out the fact they were singing, much like how her own regiment would sing while on the march. 

🎵Now, we're ready to sail for our Dear homeland!🎵
🎵Weigh hey, roll and go!🎵
🎵Our boots and our clothes, boys, are all in the pawn,🎵
🎵To be rollicking randy, dandy O!🎵

🎵Heave a pawl, O heave away!🎵
🎵Weigh hey, roll and go!🎵
🎵The anchors on board and the cables all stored!🎵
🎵To be rollicking randy, dandy O!🎵

🎵Come breast the bars, bullies, heave her away!🎵
🎵Weigh hey, roll and go!🎵
🎵Soon, we'll be rollin' her down through the bay!🎵
🎵To be rollicking randy, dandy O!🎵

🎵Heave a pawl, O heave away!🎵
🎵Weigh hey, roll and go!🎵
🎵The anchors on board and the cables all stored!🎵
🎵To be rollicking randy, dandy O🎵

Rainbow found herself softly singing along with them, leaning back against the stiff wooden pole. As she did, she reminisced about how long it had been since she had sung. The last proper song she had sung, and not just hummed under her breath, was back in Equestria. Gods above, it had to have been at least six years! Sure, she didn't sing often, and nothing too frilly or anything, but everyone sung! 

This thought then turned into another; this time, it was cupcakes. Gods, how she missed cupcakes. Coffee too! Hell, she missed a lot of things about Equestria. Maybe she could write some of these things down? It'd help pass the time, she reasoned to herself. So, she slid off the mast and fell down towards the deck, flapping her wings at the last second to avoid putting a Pegasus shaped hole in the deck. 

Ignoring the muttered curses from the sailor she nearly fell on, she made her ways toward the stairs leading down to the second deck. She went under into the large space beneath the top deck, her prosthetic eye almost immediately adjusting to the darkness below decks. This deck served as a combination of crew quarters and a gunnery deck. Hammocks, mats, and even just large chairs covered the space, with small groups of sailors milled about, joined by the artillery crews, velites, and some of her other direct staff. Mostly this was just them sleeping, eating coarse bread, or playing cards, but still. 

As she passed through the deck, a few of them noticed her, getting up and giving her a stiff salute and a firm "Ave, Praetor!" She returned it, making her way to the hammock she had claimed as her own. While offered a private room, she didn't really feel like sleeping next to Cato, whose snores could rival signal horns. Instead, she plopped down in a pack blanket, hung by spare cord between two support posts. Below her, the sound of the rowers and the beat drum resonated up through the floorboards. 

She pulled out a few bits of parchment, a pen, and a small tin plate from a nearby sarcina to write on. At first, she didn't really know what to write about; it was just her tapping the side of her mouth with the butt end of the pen in thought. She wanted desperately to just fly out, but orders were orders. So, instead, she just decided to write about her old life in Equestria. Think back on the good times, ya know? So, she began to write about her life in Cloudsdale, starting with the city itself.....
> 66~Damnation for the Criminal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

6 years, 2 weeks, and 4 days since exile
1 month into Unification Wars

Rainbow Dash's men had landed on a large beach about a month ago. After rallying up and making sure everything was accounted for, they began their march, having an objective to reach on the other side of the peninsula to help with the campaign. Most of this time had been spent on the march, over 1800 hobnailed boots beating into the hard dirt of the old, Pryhan-era road system. 

Of course, they had encountered a few small towns, or caravans, or simple wanderers. With them traveled a Pryhan official, who would talk with the mayor, or the caravan leader, or whoever they encountered. This was mostly to see if they would join the Empire, and the plans they had for the Peninsula. Many of the towns agreed to join them, liking the idea of protection from brigands, while still having their own autonomy. In some of these towns, they would get food or other supplies. In others, they would get volunteers; those that wanted to help them. 

After a few weeks, they had learned of a large Brigand gang, nestled in the mountains. They learned this from a small town, called Fresi, which was being extorted by them. The gang, calling themselves the Marked ones, would come into town, and go house by house, taking what they wanted. Their leader, Santiago, told the mayor that it was for protection; that if he didn't let his men do this, he couldn't control them, and they would burn the place to the ground. They agreed to join the empire if they could get rid of them. 

And so, here she was, hovering over their camp. Said camp was built out of the ruins of an old Pryhan fort, the familiar layout of a permanent Castrum having long since fallen to ruin. Sections of the wall that had collapsed were filled in with wood scraps and heavy bits of stone, with a similar pattern of structure, had been given to the various buildings around the Castrum. Brigands roamed around; some were sharpening weapons, others were sleeping, while most were just sitting around, taking stims, drinking, or playing small games. 

Rainbow had told Vexillum about her plan after a quick flyby of the base. She'd deal with the sentries on the wall, which were few and far between when compared to an actual Pryhan fort. From there, she would fly back and have the artillery blow a hole in the walls, aiming for the weak points. After that, it was just a matter of sweeping in to crush anyone that got in their way. 

Rainbow got back into the air, using the light cloud cover to conceal herself. As she got close to the wall, she took note of how many, or rather, how few of them there were. For a gang of, at least, a hundred people, only about five sentries manned the walls; two in the old crumbling towers, the rest walking back and forth across the walls. Rainbow snorted: Well, it's their own fault. It just makes my job a lot easier. Let's get this show on the road!

Rainbow tightened the straps on her plumed helmet, then dove down. The tower ones were first to go; simple, quick stabs to the neck. The ones on the wall were far enough of apart from each other so that she could just do a rapid burst of speed. After she cut down the last one, she looked down into the encampment. None of them seemed to notice her, and so she smiled and took back off into the air. 

Soaring back to her position, she ground to a halt in front of some of her officers. Smiling, she said, "Dominatus. Light it up."

"With pleasure, Praetor." With that, he lifted up a whistle and gave a harsh blow on it. Behind her, loud clicking sounded for a few seconds before a pair of fireballs fly over her head. They sail into the wall, smashing apart the wooden part of the wall. Lots of loud yelling echoed up from the walls, likely the brigands scrambling around, getting weapons. 

"Secundus. Cicero," she said. After the Tribunes came up to her, she said, "Sound and advance. The rest of you, hold position. I'll send up a signal if we need you."

The two of them walked off, and Rainbow cracked her neck. She knew first-hoof what these kinds of people did. What they were like. Even if they weren't like Dermot or Crimson, they still stole from others who were actually trying to make a living. She would enjoy this. 

She took off as the signal horns of the two maniples she told to advance. The two made their way up the hill around the fort, closing in on the hole in the wall. A few brigands ran up to the flaming wreckage of the wall, then turning back and running back inside when they saw the advancing Pedes. Soon, larger numbers of them came back to the walls, some of them armed with slings. 

Those with melee weapons prepared to charge up, likely working up the nerve to charge into a wall of shields. Meanwhile, those with ranged weapons began to take potshots, heavy rocks and crossbow bolts flying toward the block of Pedes. A few near misses later, the officers yelled, "Lock shields!" The oval wooden planks raised up a little bit above their shoulders, the projectiles bouncing off the moving wooden wall. As they got up to the wall, another yell went out: "Charge lances!" With a loud "Hurrah!", the wall of iron tips were presented to the brigands. That was the last straw for them, and they fled inside.

She flew over the wall, looking for groups of them rallying. However, most of them, didn't want to fight. Many of them threw down their weapons and surrendered. The Pedes broke formation, sweeping through the fort in search of anyone remaining. Several of them did try to fight, but they were quickly cut down by the sheer numbers and better skill of the Pryhan soldiers. Within a matter of minutes, they had complete control over the fort. 

She landed inside as her man began assembling the prisoners. When the rest of her regiment arrived inside, she said to Cato, "Send eight men down the hill back to Fresi and the other nearby towns. Get the mayors up here. Tell them since they suffered under these, Degenerates, the most, they can decide the fates of the majority of the survivors."

"Praetor," he said, saluting her. He then walked off barking orders to the lighter armored soldiers. Rainbow then turned to the survivors. Well, survivors wasn't the most appropriate term; most of them surrendered, and in fact, only fifteen out of a hundred and twenty-five of these bastards. 

One of them, a young bighorn, said to her, "W-wh-what d-do you mean, m-majority?"

She looked down at him, then straightened up to address all of them. "Alright, you fucking bastards. Who among you were officers, or had any position of authority. Any of you bring them forward, I promise that you will be protected from retribution. So, who was in charge?"

The massive numbers of them looked and talked among themselves. Then, loud yelling broke above the eerie quietness, with five of the creatures were pushed to the front. All of them had large tattoos across their faces, and had better-looking armor. Pedes grabbed them before they could turn around and attack their men or try to run. She walked up to the one in the middle, who was the biggest and most likely the leader. 

"So, you're the scumbag who leads this bunch of petulant children, eh?"

In response, he spits in on her. Likely meaning to hit her on the face, it instead hit the cheekpiece. He then said, "Fuck you, you crazy bitch."

She wipes off the saliva on the cheekpiece, then smiled back at him. "Wow, you must be a blast at parties." Turning to Vexillum, she said, "Crucify them."

The brigands being held up started to struggle harder as they were dragged off to another part of the ancient fort. She turned to one of the NCOs watching the now hundred and five brigands, telling him, "Watch them. Make sure they don't do anything stupid." He saluted, hailed her, and began barking orders to the other nearby men. Turning to the officers, she said, "Clean up and burn the dead, count our own casualties, and set up camp inside the walls. We'll move out in a few days."
> 67~Freedom for the slave
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

6 years, four months, two weeks, and one day since exile.
Five months and two weeks into Unification Wars

Rainbow once glared down from above on a place that held her contempt. This time, however, she wasn't, or even needed to, fly to get this view. She glared down at the mine from up on a cliff overlooking it. 

Backtracking a bit, after clearing out the brigands by Fresi, she and her regiment had resumed the march further into the peninsula. Like before, many of the towns agreed to join the empire without a fight, and even with lots of enthusiasm. She couldn't exactly tell if they were happy to be joining the empire or getting protection from brigands and wild beasts. In addition, they also attacked several smaller brigand groups encamped in small camps. They were taken behind the lines by hired locals, who would take them to special prison camps. 

However, beyond brigand captains, they had another, somewhat larger threat to deal with. Warlords, little more than brigand captains with more than a few hundred warriors, staked out claims to large areas of land. They used slaves, either taken from raids or bought in slave markets, to mine for valuable resources or metal to make weapons and armor for their soldiers. In addition to possessing most of the large mines, many of them also controlled most of the fertile, open farmlands in the valleys around the Adamantem, Novus, and Canis rivers. They would by far, besides the potential for foreign interference, be the biggest threat to the Unification. 

Rainbows 14th was apart of four Regiments that were involved in the campaign against one of the warlords, Dietrich the Slaver. He held dominion in the Adamantem river valley, controlling a lot of the farmland and several large mines. She was by one of these mines, and was tasked with taking it. From there, she would move up from the south of his territory, meeting up with the 5th Regiment before heading to the south side of his little capital. But, first things first. 

The mine was a massive pit, reminiscent of the large quarry Rainbow went to on the Archipelago a few years ago. It was a massive pit carved into the ground, with a large ramp that circled the perimeter, leading down to the bottom of the pit. Multiple caves stuck out from the bottom, leading off into the sides of the grounds. A parapet surrounded the edge of the hole, with a large gatehouse and barracks up at the top of the ramp. Inside the hole, hundreds, if not thousands of slaves toiled, carrying out large baskets and sleds of rocks and ore from the holes under the watchful eyes of various supervisors. 

Rainbow lowered the field telescope, then turned back to her officers. "Alright, boys; here's the plan. Secundus, you take your maniple, and head around front. Cause a distraction; get Decius and Cornelia to help you if you need it. Meanwhile, I'll take Cato and the Velites and slip over the walls. We'll get the slaves to help us."

"Help us with what? Pickaxes and rocks?," Apex, another Tribune, said. 

Rainbow glared at him. "Look, bud. Just shut up. I've seen a slave fight like a demon and a fully armored soldier run like a scared foal. And if they get enough motivation, then they'll fight like hell. Vexillum, do we have any spare weapons and armor?"

"A bit, yeah," he said. "Mostly some old mail and metal plates from a brigand camp we attacked that the smiths hadn't broken down to repair some broken sets. Why?"

"We'll be taking some of it down with us. Arm some of the slaves to help." Turning to the others, she said, "Ok, everyone got the plan?" A nod, she added, "Ok, good. You get to your positions. Anyone that didn't get a position just surrounds the gatehouse to prevent an escape. Ave, gents; let's do this."

The officers separated to go deal with their own parts of the plan, and she took off to do her typical flyby scouting. The walls did have a few guards on it, but she figured that the distraction would be enough to draw most of them off. Beyond that, it would be just a quick slide down the side of the wall to the ramp. She swooped around and landed by Cato, who had assembled his men. Rainbow grinned, and said, "Give the signal."

One of the Velites pulled up a smaller horn than the typical signal horn, but it still made it to the other maniples. A few seconds later, another loud signal sounded. Inside the pit, everyone stopped, and then loud yelling came up as a bunch of yelling from the overseers as many of them ran off. After a suitable number of them had runoff. She said to Cato, "Let's go."

They scaled the short wall around the edge of the pit, which was a lot easier as it was more designed to keep the slaves in rather than people out. They slid down the dirt sides of the quarry-like outer part, and down onto the hard-packed dirt of the ramp. With several of the velites carrying a large box between them, they ran down the ramp. 

Most of the overseers had run off to go help the defense of the gatehouse, so they were almost completely unopposed as they ran down. Most of the remaining overseers, only about three of them, were standing up on a few blocks of stone, watching the slaves and preventing any of them from, in their eyes, 'Doing anything stupid.' As they ran down, Rainbow took off to deal with them. 

Pulling out her crossbow pistols, she fired both bolts at them. One of the overseers was hit in the neck, gripping it and falling back as the second hit him in the chest. She slung the crossbow pistols back into her holsters and drew her swords as she got close. The last one threw down his whip and attempted to draw a sword, but she slammed into him at full speed, swords cutting into his neck, sending him flying off the block and into the crowd of slaves. 

Rainbow now stood on the block, sheathing one of the swords as the velites caught up to her. One of the slaves stepped forward, saying, "W-who are you? What d-do you want?"

"Names Rainbow," she says. "And I'm here to free you."

They looked skeptical, and Rainbow nodded to Cato. The velites threw down the large box they were carrying, opening up the tarp to reveal the weapons and armor. Several of the slaves began to get close to it, as Rainbow spoke up again. "Listen. I'm a Praetor in the Pryhan army. Help us kill those bastards up top," she said, gesturing up the ramp at the gatehouse. "And I'll help all out you. I swear. You in?"

Many of them again looked at each other, and even more at the pile of weapons and mail. Then, many of them rushed the tarp, grabbing at the weapons and armor. They didn't have enough for everyone, but by the end of the suit up, at least fifteen of them had chainmail, and a few more had swords or axes, or maces. The rest grabbed tools, heavy rocks, or nothing. All of them looked ready to kill however, and Rainbow yelled, "Move!" 

They charged up the ramp, whooping and yelling like demons. Rainbow took off as Cato and his men followed them up, flying up to check out the state of the battle up top. Tarquinius and his maniple were pressed up against the gate, using a battering ram to try and knock down the heavy portcullis. Several of the guards on the walls broke off to go attack the slave mob and velites, but they were quickly overrun. 

Rainbow knew where to help. She darted down, sailing through a window in the gatehouse. Inside, a pair of the slavers were manning crossbows, which they abandoned when she came to a slamming stop on the floor. Her swords flashed, cutting both down before they had a chance to react. She then sheathed the swords and began to lift up the portcullis. When she heard a loud click, she let it go and bolted out of the gatehouse. 

From there, it was a slaughter. The slaves killed any of the slavers they could find, even those that tried to surrender. After the last one lay dead, the slaves looked over at the Pedes. For a second, Rainbow was concerned that they might attack her men. However, they calmed down, and began to cheer, rejoicing in their new freedom. Rainbow couldn't help but smile at the sight.
> 68~Organized Resistance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

6 years, eleven months, and two days since Exile.
One year into Unification Wars

The Pryhan army had, by this point, taken back most of the southern and northern parts of the peninsula. The brigands and warlords had either fled up to the middle part of the peninsula, being crushed between two forces like a vice or had been slaughtered by the Pryhan army. These remaining holdouts were being further constricted after the Teufel river and its Saurian inhabitants signed a treaty with the Caesar, ensuring an alliance with them and further dividing the unconquered territory. 

The captured territory, at least those that had been well secured, had begun to be ordered up. Borders for the new provinces were being drawn up, as to further bolster the power of the parliament. Cities and towns, long since held down under the strain of the heavy tithes and threat of raids, now were given room to expand. Businesses, namely in lumber and mining, began to form to capitalize on the lack of brigand activity. Even regiments made up of local troops began to be formed, with plans to form, in addition to the ten-fifteen that already existed, a total of thirty regiments, totaling about ninety thousand men. 

However, that didn't mean it would be easy to end the war. Many of the warlords and the larger bands of bandits had started forming small alliances, hoping to hold out against the relentless advance. They would use guerrilla warfare and highly secure forts to hold out against the Pryhan army, hoping to cause enough strain on the supply lines to force them to pull back. However, this didn't work, and many of the forts were isolated and crushed, one by one. 

This was the case with the one she and her men were currently in front of. It was apart of a small alliance of gangs, forced to Alline to survive. They raided her men on the path, hoping to catch them off guard. It failed, and velites tracked them down to here. She had the place surrounded, and was having her artillery prepped. 

The fort wasn't much. A secure stone wall with a large gatehouse and perforated towers. Reasonably well-equipped enemy troops ran along the walls, preparing crossbows and small catapults. Beyond that wall, she knew from a flyover, would be a small town, haphazardly placed buildings forming crooked streets, alleys, and squares. At the far end of this little fort, a small redoubt had been dug, with a large, heavy wooden keep was positioned. In all, no more than a hundred brigands held the position. 

Rainbow looked back at her own men. Due to the position of the fortified position, being pressed up against the side of a mountain, they had formed a semicircle around the position. Behind the initial line of troops, her four onagers and eight scorpion ballista positioned themselves in gaps in the trees, ready to fire into the fort. Further behind them, in a clearing in the woods, sat her own fortified camp, ready and waiting for them to return to after night fell. 

"Praetor," a voice behind her said. Turning, she found herself face to face with one of her new officers; one of the 9th Maniples Decurions, a black-maned and indigo coated Terran named Sharpener Stone. He was a replacement for the original officer of the ninth, who was killed in action in the Adamantem campaign. He was a former brigand himself, still bearing the Horn tattoo on his forehead from his old gang. "I want to try one last time."

She sighed, then said, "Those degenerates already made it clear that they don't want to surrender. Or at the very least, their leaders won't let any of them do it." Turning to him, she put her talon on his shoulder. "Listen, I know that a lot of them don't want to be in this lifestyle. However, I can't just drop everything for you to try to talk some sense into them."

"B-but, I-"

She cut him off by saying, "I never said I wouldn't let you try. However, you don't convince them, I give the order. Understand?" 

"Yes, Praetor! Thank you, Praetor!", he squeaked out, stepping back and trotting down the rock to go up to the wall. As he left, Vexillum came up beside her. 

"Naïve, ain't he?", he said.

"Heh," she said with a shrug. "He's young. You know the old expression; 'The innocence of youth'? 'Sides saves us the trouble if he can convince them to surrender."

The two of them watched as the newer officer trot down to the walls. He had strapped on his shield, just in case. He stopped just before the wall, looking up at the defenders who had stopped to look at him. Some looked like they wanted to shoot him, but were stopped by others. 

"Listen," he yelled up at them. "I know you all know who I am. I've tried to do this at least twice before. But, well, this is my last chance. Please, for all of our sakes, surrender. Just surrender. I'm a former brigand myself. From the Stonehooves, of all gangs. And after all of that, all that degenerate bastard Dainn did, I was still spared. Still given a commission in the army. Still rose to this rank in a prestigious regiment. I've seen other members of other gangs working in the Pryhan system; under watch, yeah, but what do you expect? Just, please, surrender. If you don't she'll kill you all. I can't help you. But, if you do, I'll see to it personally, that you are treated fairly. Please."

Both sides stood in silence, staring at each other, the enemy, and Sharpener. Suddenly, a flash of movement on the wall drew her eye. It was a fight, among several of the brigands. Lifting up her field telescope to her eye, she saw it was a group of them, a large one at that, that were trying to push into the gatehouse. As she watched, more of them joined the group, and soon broke into the structure. As she watched, the heavy wooden gate rose up, sliding into the tower. 

Rainbow lowered the wooden frame, watching in curiosity. She then passed it to Vexillum and took off. She landed next to the NCO, who flinched at her loud landing. She draped a wing over his side, saying, "Well, that works. Good work, kid." Turning to his maniple, who was perhaps the closest to her position, she shouted to them, "Well what the hell are you standing around for!? Ninth Maniple, first century! Advance to my position!"

Shaking off his shock, the order centurion barked out, "You heard the Praetor! Fix shields! Advance!" A flurry of snapping locks later, the small contingent moved up to her position, with Sharpener stone filing into his own position in the formation as a group of Brigands exited the gate. 

They were almost all unarmed, with one of them holding up a long stick with a white wool cloth on it. Almost all of them, as a few still held onto clubs, daggers, or other small weapons. The caragor in the front came up to her, which she had to imagine was quite terrifying for her. She was heavily scarred, had a glowing red eye and wings, and was wearing a massive, plumed helmet; to someone like this, she probably looked downright terrifying. She swallowed nervously, then said, "So, I take it the terms of surrender are unconditional?"
> 69~Campaigns End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

7 years, 5 months, 1 week, and 6 days since Exile
1 year, six months, and two weeks into Unification Wars.

The war was winding down. Only a few dozen square miles of territory were unclaimed by the Pryhans, and that number was shrinking every day. Most of this land was under the control of small towns and villages, many of whom would side with the Pryhans when they arrived. Less than half a dozen gangs were left, and the last warlord was besieged. Elsewhere on the Demosian peninsula, the Provinces were already being ordered out, with elections for Consuls and Parliamentarians coming up in the next few months. 

But, back to that last warlord. He was under siege, with the Caesars Honor guard attending the siege. She had received intel that the last of the gangs and the warlord's men were attempting to break the siege, and orders to come to assist. They likely couldn't break it, but the Caesar preferred to be safe than sorry. And so, here she and her men were, marching along the old road. 

Well, her men were marching. She flew a lit way above the ground, Just in front of her immediate officers, including Vexillum and the units Aquilifer, Callus. Behind them, the First maniple marched, sarcina' and Lancaea slung over their shoulders as they trudged along on the remaining three legs. Their baggage train of several carts followed behind them, with a short gap between them and the next maniple. With little over two thousand Pedes, Velites, and support troops, the ground practically sung a cadence for them, making the beat laid out by shouting Centurions and pounding drums almost redundant. 

Up ahead, Rainbow saw the fort the last warlord had holed himself up in. It was by far, both the most intact and most impressive fort that Rainbow had seen in the Peninsula. The crenellations on the tower were illuminated by the late afternoon sun, casting eerie shadows over the tops of the trees. As they closed the distance and the trees began to part, she caught sight of the walls. Previously, they would've been in pristine condition with carefully regimented battlements, sturdy stone-brick walls, and intervals with a heavy, swiveling scorpion ballista. At the base of the wall, save for the road leading to the gate, would be surrounded by an eight-foot deep trench, studded with heavy wooden stakes and topped with an abatis of iron spikes. 

Now, however, the walls blazed with fire. Siege ladders sat with their tips in between the remaining crenellations, with Pedes attempting to force their way up past the desperate defenders. At the base of the walls, more Pedes waited for their turn to climb up the ladders, shields held up over their heads and upper backs to prevent any stray bullets, darts, or crossbow bolts from hitting them. A large group of them had formed up around a battering ram at the main gate and were attempting to knock down the portcullis and the heavy door beyond. 

Rainbow turned to Vexillum, and told him, "Get the men up into the assault. Help them push them off the walls, then get the velites up on the wall to rain down javelins on them. Move it!"

Vexillum began shouting the orders to the line, who threw down their packs and hefted up their spears to advance. Meanwhile, Rainbow spread her wings and took off, heading over to Diocletian's position. He had set up on a small ledge over the road in front of the Fort, just out of range of the enemy crossbows, along with the other regimental officers and a group of his honor guards and the Praetors Praetorians. He smiled as she landed, saying, "Ave, Praetor Dash. A pleasure to see you again."

"Ave, Caesar," she said back, giving him a salute. "Likewise, Caesar. My men are joining the assault. They should be enough to overrun them with the rest of your honor guard and... which one is it again? The 29th?"

"The 21st, actually."

"Cool. In any case, it should be enough." Rainbow took time to just look at the wall, as her men joined the group of Pedes that moved even closer to taking the wall and destroying the gate. Then, Rainbow heard a faint noise behind them. "Yo, did any of you hear-"

Suddenly, about one and a half dozen raiders ran out of the woods, screaming at the top of their lungs. The guards in the back barely had time to turn before they slammed into them, swinging with clubs and maces. The rest turned around, drawing curved swords or leveling spears as they exchanged blows. 

Rainbow took to the air, swooping down at one of them, swing her blades. The swords cut open his exposed neck, and the brigand crumpled to the ground. She then switched her grip on the short sword, thrusting the blade into the back of one's head. She used her speed in the air to pull the blade free, spinning in a corkscrew as she cleaved into another's exposed head. Rainbow would later marvel at how similar stunt flying and her fighting style was; it gave her an idea she wanted to try out if she ever got the chance to. 

However, that wasn't now. The rest of the brigands were cut down by the sickle swords of the officers or the spears of the guards. Even Caesar Diocletian struck one down, using the curve of the blade to slide it around his armor and stab him in the side. By that point, the wall had fallen, and night had fallen. The field fell silent, save for the crackling of fires, the whistling of the wind, and the moans of the wounded.


+++++~+++++


The next day saw the enemy falling back into the central Principia. The two regiments and the honor guard flooded into any open area of the old fort, completely cutting off any retreat. Early in the morning, one of the warlord's soldiers yelled down from the Principia, telling them that the warlord wanted to surrender. He would emerge from the Principia at noon, unarmed, and would officially surrender. 

As told he would, the warlord exited the large building at noon, unarmed and wearing his helmet and armor. The Via Praetoria, the central road down from the main gate of the camp, was lined with Pryhan soldiers standing at attention. At the far end, on a raised platform, Caesar Diocletian, Rainbow Dash, and all the other immediate officers stood, while Diocletian sat in a tall backed chair. He walked solemnly down the hard-packed road, past the stiff Pryhan soldiers, coming to a stop before the Caesar.

He said, "Caesar Diocletian, of the Pryhan Empire. If I do this, will none of my men be harmed?"

The Caesar gestured to Rainbows Aquilifer, who lowered the eagle tipped staff. "Yes. I assure you, no harm will befall you or any of your men if you submit. Kiss the eagle; save yourself and your men from bloodshed. Render, unto, Pryha."

Without hesitation, he took off his helmet, throwing it at the foot of the raised platform. He then knelt and kissed the tip of the eagle staff. After a second, he pulled away, head still bowed, and stole a look up at the Caesar. Next to her, the other Praetor drew his curved sword, Raising it into the air as he bellowed, "PRYHA! PRYHA!" The cheer was taken up by the other Pedes and soldiers in earshot, which quickly spread to all of them at the fort, including herself. Spears banging on the ground, the cheer of jubilation echoed across the trees and nearby mountains and rocks; "PRYHA! PRYHA! PRYHA!"
> 70~The Triumph
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A month later, Rainbow was back at the capital for a very important event. Said event was called a Triumph, and she had learned about them during her history lessons. They were massive parades, held in the honor of those who accomplished important events in the name of the Empire. Mostly these were victorious generals, though there were exceptions to this norm. Due to the previous decline of the Empire's power and influence, a Triumph hadn't occurred in almost five hundred years; and the first one in all that time was for her. 

Due to all her contributions to the Empire, she was told by Diocletian that it would be for her. At first, she gave him light protest, saying that she was honored, but she didn't really deem those early actions under Drusilla as 'contributions'. However, after he insisted, and pointed out all of the more recent accomplishments, she agreed. After all, she was still Rainbow Dash; she wasn't one to turn down a little bit of time in the limelight. And so, here she was; just outside the Pomerium of Pryha, early in the morning, adjusting her long cloak. 

Despite their variety in things present, time in between Triumphs back in the day, and other factors, one thing was rather uniform. This was the dress of the Triumphator, the title granted to the person granted the Triumph, which Rainbow thought sounded awesome. The dress was more or less the same as their normal uniform and armor, in her case those being linothorax, vambraces and greaves, and a smaller type of helmet, with a few exceptions. One of them, and most prominent was a massive, royal purple cloak, which sat on her back to the point it looked like she was wearing a bedsheet. She also had a special helmet plume for the occasion; one that was blood-red, with more than a bit of flair to it.

She tugged at the cloaks pins, finally pulling it up high enough as to not pose the risk of her tripping on it. She then trotted over to Depressi, who was having issues adjusting the belt on his own royal purple tunic. "Here, Sport. Let me get that for you." She tightened the belt, looking up at the others in the royal purple clothes. Normally, the family members of the Triumphator would walk behind the Triumphators chariot. However, due to her lack of immediate family besides her son, Diocletian allowed for some of her close friends to tail the chariot. 

"This is awesome, mom!," Depressi said, grinning like a maniac. 

She gave him her own smile, before giving him a light nuzzle and said, "Yeah it is, Sport. Now, you ready?"

"Yes, mom," he said. 

"Good," she replied. "Now, if you get tired of walking or flying, you can sit in the chariot with me. And if you do fly, don't go too far from the route, ok?"

"Don't worry, Rainbow," a new voice said. Castus walked up to them in his own purple tunic, saying, "I'll make sure your little ball of energy doesn't go too far. Now, you should be getting ready."

"I am. Just need to check on something." She flew back over to the regiment, who would be bringing up the rear of the parade. The soldiers were all equipped in their parade dress, which only varied a little bit from their normal gear. For one, their helmets all were now affixed with forward-facing blue crests and face masks molded to look like eagles. The standards and soldiers cloaks were all freshly cleaned, and the eagles and armor polished to a shine. She landed next to Vexillum, who was getting the last of the troops into position. "Ave, Praefect. Everything set, Vex?"

"Ave, Triumphator. Yes, everyone is ready. We await your signal to move out, Triumphator."

"I was just getting underway. Vale, Vex!" She then took off back to the Gorebeast pulled golden chariot, yelling up at one of the people in the first stretch of the parade, "Oi! Let's get this show on the road!"


+++++~+++++


The city, save for the route of the parade, was completely abandoned. Stores were closed, and a holiday had been declared. The route of the Triumph, however, was packed with people. They stood on the edges of the street, on side streets, up in the buildings; thousands of them lined the route. They threw flower petals, waved Pryhan flags, and cheered at the passing procession. 

Rainbow looked on from the chariot, wings flared yet not in use. She just soaked all of it in. The sounds of the cheering, the whipping of wind on flags, and above all of it, the singing and trumpets of her men. 

🎵O highly esteemed Pryha,🎵
🎵You are the honorable land of loyalty!🎵
🎵Your glory ever brightly shine,🎵
🎵In the isles and Demos anew!🎵
🎵You stand tall, like your mountains, strong,🎵
🎵Against the degenerates might and deception!🎵
🎵And as the eagle leaves its nest,🎵
🎵Your great spirit may fly!🎵

🎵Hold firm! Hold firm!🎵
🎵Let high, the banners wave!🎵
🎵Show to them! Show the foe!🎵
🎵That we'll stand, together, loyal!🎵
🎵So let them dare to prove our might,🎵
🎵While the battlecry rages against us!🎵
🎵Holding firm, in, the raging storm!🎵
🎵Holding firm in the raging storm!🎵

🎵Raise your hands to the heavens,🎵
🎵Which watches us forever more!🎵
🎵O'er our sacred land, from every foe,🎵
🎵Soar high, Pryhan eagle!🎵
🎵To protect and defend, this precious land,🎵
🎵Pryhan spears, be prepared!🎵
🎵We defy every foe,🎵
🎵And fear not any battle!🎵

🎵Hold firm! Hold firm!🎵
🎵Let high, the banners wave!🎵
🎵Let us all, faithfully and boldly,🎵
🎵March together, among the eternal stars!🎵
🎵That Pryhan soul and might shall never fail,🎵
🎵Even as the sun threatens us all!🎵
🎵Holding firm, in, the raging storm!🎵
🎵Holding firm in the raging storm!🎵

This song, supposedly composed by Zenith, a Centurion in the fourth maniple, Rainbow rather liked. It was nothing like the sort of song she would've heard sung back in Equestria. It was loud, bold, and somewhat egotistical when they thought about it. But, well, it suited Rainbow just fine. Besides her change in style, it just sounded awesome, especially in Demosian. 

She was pulled from her reverie when she saw the palace just ahead. As she got close, she yanked on the reigns of the chariot, and the beasts ground to a halt. Even before they did, Rainbow had taken off, soaring above the crowd around the gate and the courtyard. She touched down at the base of the stairs, choosing to just walk up them. 

She came to the top of the stairs and was greeted with the Caesar. He sat in his high backed throne, clad in his red robes of Caesar and his golden laurel crown. Rainbow bowed her head and slammed her fist to her shoulder in salute, just keeping her head raised enough to see him. He returned the salute, then gestured for her to come forward. She complied, stepping in front of him and snapping to attention. 

He looked over at one of the nearby Parliamentarians, who pulled out a pillow with several items on it. The Caesar grabbed the pillow, then walked up to Rainbow with them. One the silk pillow sat four items; a silver bar, carved with an inscription that read 'Sit sempiterna gloria Imperii, or 'May the Empires glory shine eternal',  a metal plaque, a small carved ivory eagle's head, and a bronze medal on a red and purple ribbon. She had been told what each item was for: the medal was for her to wear in formal settings with the rest of her medals, the bar was to stick under her regiments Aquila standard, the ivory carving was for her swagger stick, and the plaque was to go in the Triumphators Hall, a section of the palace dedicated to heroes of the Empire. 

He presented the pillow to her, and told her, "The Empire thanks you for your duty, your sacrifice, and your honor. May you and your kin hold as strong as you for a thousand generations! Ave, Triumphator!"
> 71~Proposition
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

That night, the palace gardens were once again alight with the sounds, sights, and smells of a party. That was another part of the Triumph; the parade after-party. Officers in her regiments mingled with the politicians, including some of the new Parliamentarians from the mainland provinces. Unlike the party she attended under Drusilla, she wasn't shown to them like a prize steer or a pristine new hunting crossbow. Instead, she was the talk of the party and center of attention. 

Why shouldn't she be? She was getting the first Triumph in a few hundred years; it was kinda a big deal. This time, she talked to some of them, out of a mix of obligation and her own little ego boost. Mostly these questions were about her regiment, the Unification Wars, as the campaign was called, and various other subjects. She answered them as best she could, but even when they were satisfied, it seemed another one would come up to take their place. Eventually, she excused herself to go get some dinner from the buffet. 

The table in question was piled high with food, yet not to a ridiculous and wasteful degree like last time. She grabbed one of the plates, scooped on some puls, a bit of fried fish, some figs, and a bit of bread, then made her way over to one of the tables. She spotted one with a few of her officers, as well as Castus, and made her way over to it instinctively. "Sup, gents!"

The officers immediately froze, as if they were foals caught with their paws/hooves in the honeycake jar. They then scrambled up, saluting with a stiff "Ave, Praetor". 

She shot Castus a look like, 'Can you believe these guys?' She then turned back to them and said, "Chill, guys. Chill. You're technically off duty. Besides, it's my Triumph! Take a load off; relax! Damocles knows you lot need it."

They did as they were ordered, or as they felt, sliding back into their seats to eat. Cato said, "So, any idea where we'll be posted for garrison duty? I mean, I'd heard some of the rumors, but nothing concrete. And besides, you know what they say: 'A rumor has all the trust of a salesperson; they could be true as they say, or they could be nothing but a cheap fabrication.'"

Rainbow shrugged her shoulders. "Don't know yet," she said. "The Caesar said he'd be posting the position in a few days after he and the higher-ups work everything out."

They spent much of the next while just eating, drinking, and talking. Around them, the party raged on. It was by no means as crazy as Pinkie' every got, but it still wasn't the complete bore-fest that the Gala was. Many danced to the music, darting back and forth and swaying to the symphony of Trumpets, Frame drums, and Citharas. Children, including her own son, ran around the hedges and flower plants around the outskirts of the party, playing tag among the edge of the flickering lamplight. 

(Music in background: Roman City by Derek and Brandon Fiechter.)

Speaking about the party's music, the sound changed to the music. The dancers began to go at a slower cadence, almost swaying like trees in the wind. Several more people, including some from her table, began to step up into the large, bare square of grassy land used to dance on. Castus said, "Er. Y-you wanna dance?"

Rainbow looked at him like he had suddenly sprouted a horn and wings. "Are you kidding me? I don't dance."

"Don't tell me the great Rainbow Dash, Triumphator of the Empire, is afraid to dance with a good friend?," he said, giving him his own version of Rainbows 'I'm awesome so go eat shit' grin. 

"N-no! I, I just don't want to is all." After a few seconds of him looking at her, still holding that grin, she relented. "Fine, I'll dance with you. But don't expect this to me to enjoy myself."


+++++~+++++


"What were you saying about not enjoying yourself?," Castus asked as he led her and her son back up to her apartment. Depressi was sleeping on her back as they opened the door, having tuckered himself out playing with some of the foals of the Parliamentarians and other officers. Rainbow herself wasn't that much better, but still had enough energy left in her to shoot back a withering retort. 

"Go fuck yourself, Cocks-for-brains. See you tomorrow." She trotted up the stairs, gently sliding her son into his small bed in the loft. She had turned in the purple cloak and crest earlier, so she just slung her armor and helmet back on the stand by the left side of the loft. The weapons went back in the small hoof-locker by the base of her bed, and her tunic was thrown so it dangled off the edge of the railing haphazardly. She was about to just hit the hay then and then, when she noticed that Castus was still in her room, pawing the floor nervously. "Yo, Castus. Why are you still here?"

"C-could I talk to you?" 

She deadpanned, "You are, aren't you?"

"No. Like, er, personally?" Ok, now her curiosity was peaked. She flew over the railing, landing in front of him. 

"Ok," she said. "What is it? I got something in my teeth?"

"N-no, not that," he said. He was, by this point, sweating profusely. "W-what I wanted to say was, th-that we've known each other for, what, four years now. A-and in that time, the t-two of us have gotten close to one another. S-so, I, I, I-"

"Well, spit it out," she said, growing impatient. 

"I-ah, balls to it." He sat down on his haunches, pulling out a small wooden case. Before she could even ask what it was, he opened it up, letting her gaze inside. It was a small, golden earring, no bigger than an Equestrian bit. In the center of it, as to dangle down when worn, was a small red jewel. When she squinted at it, she saw it had a definitive shape: that of a red lightning bolt. If she didn't know any better, she would've guessed it was the Element of Loyalty shrunk down. Rainbow had seen a few others wearing earrings like this before, and all of them were... Wait.

"Will you marry me?"

Rainbow just stared at him, eyes wide. She slowly began to shake a little bit, then began to tear up a little. She choked out, "A-are you m-messing wit-with me? Pa-payback for the, *sniff*, the 'incident?' 'Cause i-if you ar-are, I-I'll gut you like-like a fish!"

"I'm not, Rainbow. Will you have me?"

Rainbow practically fell into him, wrapping her forelegs and wings around him and lightly sobbed into his neck. While she did, she hoarsely choked out, "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" The two of them then sat there, simply enjoying each other's embrace.
> Interlude~Last Holdouts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

9 Years after Exile
Crystal Empire Citadel
POV: Princess Cadence

Princess Cadence sat on the crystal throne, slumped over like a teenage colt. Heavy bags hung below her eyes, and several cups of coffee sat by her. In front of her, a table was stretched out, covered in reports, inventory stocks, and other bits of paper. A massive pile of the papers already sat over on one side, while she absently flashed several quills over the remaining reports, examining and signing all of them off. 

Even after several years of this state, she still hadn't completely gotten used to it. With all the extra security in place to prevent infiltration, a lot of paperwork was required and more things to keep things running smoothly. Honestly, she didn't even know where all the paper came from. 

After looking over the report from one of the makeshift farms that had sprung up around the city, she decided she needed a break. She slid off the throne, groaning lightly from lack of sleep. She walked over to the balcony that overlooked the city, sighing as she looked over the city. 

The actual city itself hadn't changed all too much in the past three years. The same shops, the same streets, the same ponies. However, just beyond the borders of the city, as well as in the several small parks that dotted the city, refugee camps had been set up. A sea of tents covered each of these areas, forming a ring around the city almost to the edge of the shield. Over fifteen thousand ponies resided in these camps, combining with the crystal ponies to put that number up to twenty-two thousand. The conditions were horrible, but it was the best they could do, and they were starting to get more permanent structures in place. 

Beyond that ring, was a small ring of farms. Some of the ponies who had managed to get to the empire had brought seeds or small plants with them; one of the apples from Appleoosa even brought a whole apple tree. Dozens of square yards of small farms had been set up. Ponies tended to them constantly, as this was the primary source of food they had left. Beets, cherries, carrots, celery, grass for hay; anything an everything they could get their hooves on. It was enough; not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but enough for now. 

As she contemplated further, she heard the door open behind her. Turning, she saw Shining enter along with his second in command, newly promoted 2nd Lieutenant Flash Sentry. He said, "Hey, Caddy. Me and Flash are back from the wall." As he got up next to her, he asked, "Everything ok, Caddy?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, Shining," she said as she looked at the aforementioned structure. A wall of heavy stone blocks, wood, and compacted dirt that completely surrounded the empire, right up to the edge of the shield. It was constantly manned by hundreds of royal guards. Many of them were fresh, raw conscripts who were only given basic drills, but it was their first line of defense. 

Well, that wasn't technically the case. The first line was the weather of the northern wastes. Temperatures often dropped below -30 degrees, and the wind blew hard enough to bring it even lower. While a pony with some proper winter gear could make it through the snow and wind with relative ease, the Changelings seemed unable to. They were either unwilling to or unable to cross through the territory of the wastes to even reach the empire, let alone have the strength to fight or infiltrate afterward. That was fine by her; it kept those bugs as far away from her family and her ponies as possible. 

Flash coughed, then said, "Well, everything seems ok. Like Ms, Twilight said, it seems they are adapted for warmer climates. At the very least, none of them have been seen. Not saying that means we're good in terms of being 'Ling-free, but its a start."

"You check in with Applejack? How's our food looking?," she asked. 

Her husband replied, "I took care of it. We should have enough to last us until the plants are ready to harvest. And Fluttershy has apparently been speaking with a population of local wildlife, seeing if they can smuggle us in food from the rest of Equestria, or at the very least Stalliongrad."

"Speaking of which, did the recon team come back?" Ever since they had been pushed back here, small groups of ponies would head out back into Equestria. This was mostly for supply runs; gathering food, medicine, and other bits of valuable items. However, a few of the groups would also raid the changelings, stealing weapons, armor, or even captured ponies in pods. None of them went very far into the interior of the old nation, as they would be completely cut off if they went in too far. The farthest any of them went was the old city of Stalliongrad, which had been converted into a Changeling FOB.

"Yeah, actually," Flash said. From his tone, it didn't sound good. 

She solemnly asked, "How many?" While none of them had reportedly been killed, many of them had been captured by the changelings; far more than the successful raids brought in. 

"Only two. Mist Skipper and Silver Aura. Rest are MIA." Cadence shook her head in despair. The group that went out was fifteen strong. 

Shining apparently saw her state and her sadness, as he wrapped a foreleg around her. "Listen, Cadence. We'll get through this. Twilight is looking for Rainbow. Hopefully, we can convince her to help us."

"What if you can't, Shining," she growled. "It's been nine years. Who knows what could've happened in that time! For all we know, she became an alicorn!"

"Geez, Caddy," he said, cracking a grin. "You're starting to sound like Sunburst and all of his crazy conspiracy theories."

"I'm serious, Shining. We don't know what she's like. She probably won't want to help us. At all; we did kinda exile her away from everything she loved. And she loved her family deeply." She let out a nostalgic sigh, then added, "The point is, what if she says no?"

"That's not an option," Shining said stoically. It didn't reassure her, but before she could protest or respond, he said, "Listen, you're tired. Go get some sleep. Me and Flash'll handle the paperwork for you."

"We will?" When that earned him a glare from Shining, he sputtered out, "I-I mean of, of course! Don't worry, Princess!" 

"Thanks, Shining." With that, she began to trot to her room. Well, more like stumbling along. 

The halls of the Citadel practically hadn't changed at all. The same crystal walls, the same tapestries, the same windows overlooking the central square of the empire. However, even this seemed to reflect the state of the current affairs. The walls have lost some of their luster, and one only had to look outside the window to catch sight of the refugee camps and the wall. 

She sighed, and then kept trudging to her room. She hated all of this. She didn't want anypony driven out of their home and forced to live in a tent. She didn't want to ration out corn, beans, and canned hay. She didn't want over a thousand guards, a whole tenth of the original Royal guard force, watching the walls, day in and day out. But, given the changeling's push, they had no choice. 

On the way to her room, she passed by her daughters. Two guards stood outside, dressed in the onyx colored armor of the Canterlot Night Patrol. Some of the best guards they had left, most of them were held back in the Crystal Citadel, acting as guards for those deemed to be the most important. For these two, that meant the rebellious Crystal princess. 

Flurry had started out as a great little filly. Sure, she occasionally blew open holes in the side of the Citadel, and one time lit Sunburst and several other staff members on fire; but otherwise, she was a charming little filly. However, when the Changeling threat started, Cadence and her husband got a little bit, protective. Nowadays, she barely left her room, confined to them for her own protection. Cadence didn't know what she would do if she was taken. 

"Is she still in there?," she asked the guard. "I heard bucking noises when I went into the throne room yesterday morning. Er, the kicking kind; not the, you know, kind."

"Yes, your highness," the mare on the left, Meadowlark if she recalled correctly, said. 

The stallion on the right, Black Embers, said, "It's the most secure room in the Empire. I don't think that she could leave if she wanted to. She hasn't in over two years, anyway."

"Ok," Cadence said. "Just wanted to make sure. Now, I'm gonna go-"

"MOM!" a voice roared from inside the room, making the three ponies jump. "I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! LET ME THE BUCK OUT OF HERE!"

"Language, honey!"

"OH, BUCK ME TO TEARS, 'MOM'! I'VE BEEN IN HERE FOR TWO YEARS! LET ME OUT!"

"Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid," she told the guards. They saluted as she trotted off to her room.

She had donated her bed to the refugee camp, and so the piece of furniture that made up most of the room was gone. All of the dressers, nightstands, and the vanity mirror were still here, however, and Cadence took off of the tiara, collar, and horseshoes in front of them and placed them on the dresser. She'd properly put them away later. The two of them had been sleeping on an air mattress, with blankets keeping them warm at night, where even the magic shield let in a draft. 

She didn't even have a little rest period or read a book. She just slid inside of the covers, rested her head against the pillow, and passed out.
> 72~Posting and Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week after Castus' proposal, Rainbow, her regiment, and her family arrived at their new posting. Her new fiancé and her had come to the agreement to wait until they arrived at the new position before they began to plan for the wedding. Rainbow had reluctantly agreed to this, but was still excited. She was getting married to somebody who loved her as much as she loved him. 

When Depressi heard the news, he practically broke her ears with his excited screaming. It was how she somewhat imagined Scootaloo meeting her parents outside of her trial would look like. Afterwards, he had hugged Castus vigorously, almost to the point of him say he broke something. He had been upset about the move, but had agreed to help her move. Finally, after a week on another small fleet of transports, they had arrived.

Her posting was one of the more prestigious posts, as befitting her position as a Triumphator. She and the 14th had been given charge of the Pryhan side of the Straight of Beccus, and the city of Creui. One of the first areas to fall under Pryhan control during the Unification Wars, the city and the straight marked the border between Pryha and Griffonia, the straight itself acting as a buffer zone between the two nations. 

Rainbow exited the below decks of the convoys flagship, she took in the sight of the area. The city loomed off to the side, covered in the afternoon shadow from the nearby cliffs. Off in the distance, straight ahead, sat the edge of the strait, marked by a pair of massive pillars of rock, nicknamed the Columns of Hoofacles. On the opposite side of the strait, on the Griffonian side, she could make out a few small coastal towns and watchtowers. 

As she got closer, she was able to make out more of the city of Creui. She had never been their before herself, but she had been told it was, by far, the largest and most well preserved Demosian city. From that assessment, the person who told her was correct. The city could've, if it was placed in a similar location, be mistaken for Pryha in terms of architecture, if not in layout and size. The Eternal City was still larger, yet that didn't mean Creui wasn't massive either. It seemed to defy geography, spreading out over a marshy delta, several hills, a small stretch of beach, and even had part of the city, namely the ports, out over the ocean on heavy bronze and wood stilts. Brick apartments mixed with smaller, more traditional homes, while more lavish abodes were dotted in as well. Like Pryha, sounds and smells wafted out of the city; the sounds being, once again, the Citharas, Frame Drums, and Pan Pipes of street musicians. The smells were that of cooking seafood, fresh fish and oysters, fermenting Garum, and the simple, pervasive scent of salt from the sea. 

The ship pulled up to the docks, sailors both on and off the ship scrambling to tie the mooring lines. She said to Castus, "Alright, we're here." She walked over to the lowered gangplank, waiting for her son and fiancé to catch up. 

"Ladies first, dear," he said, stepping aside to allow her past. 

She smirked. "Flatterer." 

She stepped off the long wooden board onto the smaller, bound together boards of the dock. She yelled back to the ship, "Vex! Get everyone moving! I want all personnel accounted for at the place the Consul gave us to set up the Castrum and the Castellums by Six. I'll be speaking to the Consul about some personal temporary housing."

"Understood, Praetor!", he yelled back. To the men on board who had begun unpacking the gear, he yelled, "Move it! We got five hours to get up their! Move it!"

As he began his yelling, she saw a Griffon making his way down the dock with a caragor at his side with a tablet and pen. Judging from the red-trimmed toga, authoritative gait, and the fact he was here to meet her gave away clearly who it was: Gaius, the elected Consul of the province. 

"Ave, Praetor," he greeted, holding out a talon. As she shook it, he said, "Welcome to Creui. It's my pleasure to meet you."

She said, "Ave, Consul. Same here." Gesturing to her son and fiancé, she said, "This is my son, Depressi Tonituro, and my soon-to-be husband, Castus. I was wondering if you had a place you could house them while my men construct the Castrum."

"Of course, of course, Praetor," he assured her. "I've already been working out a 'military district', if you will, for the families of some of the soldiers who are staying in the garrison. However, due to your position and temporary status outside of the Castrums Domus, I'd be willing to let you stay in my residence while it is under construction."

"Really?", she asked. 

He chuckled good naturedly, waving a talon and saying, "It's no trouble. I'd be honored to house, even temporarily, a Triumphator of the Empire. Besides, my little Gallia could do with a friend. I can only take so much time out of my day, after all."

"I'm honored in turn, Consul."

"Come," he said, smiling broadly again. "We'll talk more about this over an afternoon tea. My wife makes the best Honeycakes this side of the Celestial sea!"


+++++~+++++


Within two months, the Castrum had been completed. The place the Consul had set aside for the Castrum was a massive plateau, on a hill overlooking the city while the edge of cliff overlooking the sea was a bit further back. Several watchtowers had been arrayed around this area, most of them closer to the sea, if not downright on the coastline. 

The fort itself was fairly uniform for a Pryhan style, which was rather uniform in and of itself. A playing-card shaped outer wall with three guarded gates, and a turf rampart leading up to the walls on the inside. The front half of the fort was filled in with barracks for the Pedes; twelve in total, one for each Maniple, one for the artillery, and one for the Velites. The Via Principalis  ran down the central from the main gatehouse, and was lined with the forts shops, like the smith, tailor, and mess hall. Bread ovens and latrines lay in niches in the walls. The storehouses, the Principia, and the Praetorium sat along the other road of the fort, the Via Praetoria, which ran from the two side gates. The offices and regimental HQ of the Principia sat in the center, with her house, the Praetorium, off to the side, and the food stores on the other side. 

Speaking of her house, they had moved in after it was completed. Only the last bits of the walls, along with the latrines and ovens were left, and she wanted to get it over with; avoid any unpleasantness later. The house was similar to a civilian Domus; central, open courtyard with a pool for rainwater to drain into, with a wall surrounding it. However, it was a bit smaller than a domus, nor was it so expensively decorated as one.

In fact, it was lightly decorated as it was. Simple furniture inside, cheap cloth curtains, and standard counters, kitchen-ware, and other more common items in the house. Various banners and battle honors did decorate the living room, and her bedroom had a nice bed, but that was about it for luxuries at the moment. Depressi was happy to get his own room, along with a few friends he made after he started attending school in the city. 

Rainbow was also happy. She and Castus had begun to sleep together, and Rainbow loved the feeling of falling asleep in his embrace. Besides that, she had a proper home. She could let out a content sigh, and smile. It was in a heavily secured fort near a buffer zone with another empire, but she couldn't feel better about it.
> 73~Meet the family
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Castus was pacing back and forth, muttering to himself under his breath. He often did this when he was nervous, and while Rainbow found it adorable, she understood his fear. She herself sat on one of the Praetoriums couches, her son next to her and a small platter in front of them on a table, laden with cheese, thin-cut meat, and crackers. 

"Oh, would you quit pacing. It's not that big a deal," she said. 

"Well, excuse me, dear," he said, stopping his pacing and turning to her. "But my PARENTS, are coming over. I think I have a right to be nervous." Afterward, he resumed his pacing. 

"Oh, come on. How bad can they be?" 

Shooting her a look that resembled a cross between anger and shock, he said, "My stepmom is a Magus in the Imperial Rune-casters guild!"

"And you'll be the husband of an Imperial Praetor. What's your point?"

He looked at her with a look of irritation. "I hate it when you do that."

"Love you too," she said back, not wanting to use her nickname for him in front of her son. 

As he resumed his pacing again, a loud knock emanated from the door. "Ah, fuck me to the Ninth Hell and back." He then trotted over to the door, throwing it open as he said, "Mom! Dad! Good to see you!"

"You too, son!," said a new voice. As her fiancé stepped aside, several figures entered the living room of the house from the entryway. One was a caragor male a bit bigger than Castus, wearing a small fedora, a pair of wire glasses, and a tight-fitting tunic. The next one to enter was a demigryph, wearing a simple lime green dress that matched with the color of some of the feathers on her head and neck, and a volcanic glass rock in a silver frame; one of the Imperial Runic Guilds marks. Finally, was another, slightly smaller hybrid of the two, with bits of small fur covering his still caragor-like body and tail, and with a beak instead of a muzzle. He was wearing a Pannonian cap, work cloak, and walked with a slight limp with a metal lock-brace around his left hind-leg. 

"Rainbow, this is my father Cicero, my stepmom Drecia, and my younger brother Crassus." Turning to his family, he said, "This is my fiancé Rainbow Dash, and her son Depressi Tonituro."

She stood from the couch, intending to walk over to shake their paws. However, her son sprang up first, flying into Cicero so fast and hard, he fell to the ground with a loud *thud*. "Hi, grandpa!"

Rainbow's eyes widened in alarm, and she said, "Depressi! What did I tell you about doing that to guests?"

The young colt got up off of his future grandfather, head lowered in regret. "Sorry, mommy," he said.

"No, no. It's quite alright," her father-in-law said. "I was just caught off guard, is all. Anyway, like my son here said, my name is Cicero. It's a pleasure to meet you," he finished, holding out a paw. 

Shaking it, she said, "Likewise, sir."

"Oh, that's not necessary. Just call us by our names. After all, we'll be family in a few months, so we might as well start out that way!"

"Awesome. Have a seat; I laid out some snacks!"

As they sat, Castus took the opportunity to strike back at her. "You? If I recall correctly, you were off flying over the Columns practicing your 'moves', while I was in here slaving away over the stove."

Rainbow straightened up with mock superiority, saying in an authoritative tone she said when addressing Pedes who needed discipline, "I did no such thing. A Pryhan officer is held to strict standards, and such actions are prohibited under those standards."

"Then I guess I'll have to contact the Legatus. Let him know that you yourself are disobeying protocol."

"They who would care for me!?," Depressi interjected.

Before either of them could reply, Drecia said, "As enjoyable as you two are to watch, perhaps we could have a pleasant evening without one of you two being court marshaled?"

"Got it, mom," Castus said. "I'll get you back later, birdie."

She shot him a grin, saying, "In your dreams, cocks-for-brains."

Crassus said, "Get a room, you two!"

"We already do," both of them said, before everyone, including Crassus, devolved into a fit of giggles. 

Drecia said, "So, when is the wedding? Oh, I remember our wedding day like it was merely a few days ago. Don't you, Cicero?"

"Yep," the older caragor said. "I'd finally worked up the courage after going through the incident with my first wife." He got a bit of a sad look in his eye, and she remembered the story; Castus' birth mom died giving birth to him. "Anyway, we were all dressed up. It was in front of the old mine, with my foreman acting as minister. Lil Castie here was the ring bearer." He leaned back in her chair, sighing with nostalgia. 

"Lil Castie?," she asked, which earned a mortified look from Castus.

"Say it again, to anyone, and I'll make sure that you never, ever, see a speck of my Fig pudding ever again."


+++++~+++++


Such was the course of the rest of the evening. They spent about an hour around the table, talking about various things and taking small bits of food from the tray.

The topics ranged greatly, to the point where they would often go off on a tangent after a side or sarcastic remark from one of them. These topics ranged from Equestria to Cicero' and Crassus' work in one of the empire's mines. From the politics of the Runic Guild to the politicians of the Empire. Some of Rainbows stores about her adventures before the Unification Wars, the story of how Crassus got the leg brace, Castus' new job as the Consuls secretary and how Drecia and Cicero met. Really, it went on seemingly forever. 

The talk resumed over dinner. Like always, Castus was an amazing cook, and the food was excellent. After dinner, they went outside of the Castrum, and Rainbow gave them a private show. It felt good to do some straight stunt flying again, and evidently, they all loved it too. Especially young Depressi, who tried to emulate her moves. He only stopped when she told him she'd teach him when he got older. All in all, it was a simple, pleasant evening.
> 74~Hangover Hell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow groaned, her head pounding heavily as she slid up from the wooden floor. Heavy flares of this pain shot through her head as she struggled to her hooves/talons, stumbling around. The world failed to cease rolling and buckling, and Rainbow headed to the nearest window to puke. Only after she did, hurling stomach acid and other contents of her stomach out of her did she realize that the headache wasn't making the world buckle and roll; it was actually rolling and buckling. She was on a boat.

Specifically, she was in a cabin. She was laying next to the bed in the officer's quarters, with the ships rolling causing her to stumble around. Her wings flew out erratically, in a vain attempt to balance the hungover Pegasus. Looking around the room, she saw the walls were all kinds of messed up. They were all wet, covered in what smelled like imported Griffonian rum, and many spots were also covered in a spattering of multi-colored paint. 

She struggled to remember what exactly happened last night. She held onto her head, straining to have something breach the haze of her hangover. All that came up from that haze was her and her Bridesmaids meeting up at her house. She remembered who they were exactly: Her Bridesmaid Sutura, the commander of the naval contingent, Commadore Clarisse, two of her Tribunes, Domitia and Seneca, and Gwen, the Consuls wife. Beyond that, however, everything was fuzzy. 

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard another set of groans join hers. Looking over on the other side of the bed, she saw Sutura beginning to stir. She was wearing a necklace made out of amphora corks and had half a fish sticking out of her mouth. She sat up, spitting the fish out, and rubbed her own head. "Oh, h-hey Praetor! Man, some night, eh?", she said, before letting out a massive belch. 

"Was it?," Rainbow asked. "I can't fucking remember anything 'sept us meeting up at the Castrum. Clarisse had something, and... It's fuzzy after that."

"Yeah. Can't say I'm much better."

The two of them stood shakily, looking at each other. Both looked like they were about to collapse, but both had something on their minds. Rainbow was the first to vocalize it, asking, "Hey, you got a pocket watch. What's the time?"

Sutura pulled out the small silver oval, flipping open the lid to look at the interior. "Like, uhhhhh…. ten. Why?"

"The weddings at one!," she cried in alarm. They had three hours to get back to shore, up to the Praetorium to get their dresses, then up to the wedding in Creui' Imperial Park. She could do it in no time normally, but she didn't really trust herself hungover. Plus, there was the matter of her bridesmaids. 

Sutura seemed to realize and match this worry, as she said, "We need to get the others. You check the galley, I'll check the Helm and the other officers quarters!" And with that, they were off.

Rainbow stumbled out of the room and into the hallway as fast as she could, groaning and muttering profanities under her breath as she did so. Finally, she burst out of the officer's hall, out onto the open deck of the ship. 

It was a small ship sloop; the kind of ship generally used to transport troops and/or supplies to shore during a naval operation. The deck was wide, with a low railing and no weapons. A stairway by the bow led down to the rower's deck, with two more sets of stairs next to her leading up to the helm. Said deck was strewn with clay amphoras, darts, splattered food, and more than a few piles of puke. One of which had Gwen face-first in it, some of the chunky substance still leaking out of her beak. 

She stumbled over to her, careful not to stumble too far in any direction and fall over the low rail into the water. When she got close, she gave her a light smack with a talon, just enough to shut her beak. Said shutting caused her to swallow the rest of her puke, which caused her eyes to go wide. Before Rainbow could get in a word, she bolted off to the rail, leaning over it to hurl the acidic substance into the strait. Rainbow, after giggling lightly at the 'Free Cunt' sign attached to her flank, said, "Eh, you ok?"

"No," came the simple reply, followed by another hurl. As that happened, Tullia came up the stairs from the rowing deck, a look of deep concern on her face. 

"Ah, good, Seneca. Get the oars ready to move. We only have a few-"

"Yeah. Eh, about that....", the Tribune said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. 

Before Gwen or Rainbow could say anything, a loud screech echoed up from below decks. Tullia tensed, shutting her eyes hard and leaning forward. A second later, a blur shot out of the stairwell, taking a large section of the bow around the stairs with it. The blur ground to a halt mid-air, and it revealed itself to be a small Roc. 

Rainbow hadn't personally seen one before, but she had seen pictures of them. It looked like a massive eagle, easily the size of Big Mac. With razor-sharp talons, a beak-like a battering ram, and a narrowed predatory glare, it was quite intimidating. Still, it was young, tiny even; most Rocs, full-grown one anyway, were easily the size of a house. It let loose another screech, then shot off toward the Griffonian side of the strait. 

Still looking at the place where it flew off, Rainbow said, "Uh, Seneca."

"Yeah," the Tribune said. 

"How the fuck did a young Roc get below decks?"

"Don't ask me, Praetor. I just woke up with it peaking me like a worm dropped off by momma bird."

"What in the hell happened to my ship!?", another voice yelled out. Turning around, they saw Sutura had found Clarisse and Domitia, and they had by then stumbled out of the officer's quarters to head to the rower's deck. Clarisse had on her dress uniform, yet it was messy and covered in dried garum and what looked suspiciously like cum. Domitia, on the other talon, looked like she had slept in the strait. She was soaking wet, and her hair had been flash dried sticking out at odd angles. Following them was a Terran stallion with a green coat, lighter green mane, and a cutie mark of a Fishhook; one she was fairly certain wasn't on the boat last night. 

"I don't know, and I somewhat don't want to," Gwen said. 

"Geez, Dom," Tullia said. "The fuck happened to you?"

"What Gwen said."

The deck was silent as all of them took it in. Rainbow then said, "Well, enough of just standing around! We can figure it out later! Get to the oars; we got three hours 'til we got to be at the Park. Let's go!"

They all saluted, rushing off to their various positions. Clarisse ran off to the helm while the rest ran down through the massive hole in the deck to the oars, leaving her on deck with the mystery stallion. He backed toward the rail, pointing over it at a small fishing boat tied to the side. "I'll, uh," he said. "I'll just go. Have a nice wedding!"
> 75~Union
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

8 years, six months, and ten days since exile.

Fortunately, they made it to the wedding in time. The bridesmaids scrambled past her, careful not to trip over themselves as they ran up to the dais. Castus and his groomsmen were already there, dressed in their own togas. Her soon-to-be husband wore a toga himself, as the Pryhans, despite all their technological advancements, hadn't yet invented the concept of the dress suit. Still, it could be worse; it was a nice toga, an off-white color with purple trim and ornate brass buttons holding it in place. He was stiff as a board, and even from here, she could tell he was trying not to sweat a new tributary to the strait. 

Rainbow couldn't blame him all too much. The wedding was, while by no means a large event, still had a decent amount of creatures. These were mostly Castus' family members, along with a few of her friends and her officers. The guests sat on wooden benches in a section of the park near a pond, so far just chatting and wondering where she was and when it would begin. Her son was standing by his Grandma, bouncing up in down in the seat with his wings springing out periodically as he did so.

"Hello, my dear", a voice said off to her right. Looking over, she was face to face with Cicero, Castus' father. As her own dad couldn't really do this, he had volunteered to perform this action. "I must say, you look stunning."

"Thank you sir", she said, looking down at her own dress. It was a simple white dress, draped over her back and her wings. Over it was a yellow cloth veil, covering her head and shoulders. It made her somewhat uncomfortable being in such thin clothing and to have her wings so constricted, but she could care less. The same could be said about the light amount of makeup she was wearing, even if she had never really worn any before. 

"I told you. None of that 'sir' nonsense." He walked up next to her, turning his head to look up at the dais. His eyes landed on his son, and he sighed. "It's amazing, you know? It seemed like yesterday, he was playing around at home, making little houses out of blocks and drawing crude pictures of our family. Now, he's getting married to a beautiful, loyal mare. Where does the time go?"

Rainbow didn't reply but just looked up at him, trying not to cry. She was happy; so much so, she could barely speak. Her eyes caught the eyes of Castus, who shot her a look of compassion. The two stayed locked in this gaze, and Rainbow wanted this to get started so she didn't have to stand over outside of the area. Finally, Castus' mom gave a signal for them to start, and she straightened up, took a deep breath, and began to trot down the aisle.

Those on either side of the aisle turn to look at her, even looking over each other to look at her. Several musicians on the right side of the dais began to play, the sound of soft, twangy sounds floating over to her ears. All eyes were focused on her, but for once, she didn't feel the need or desire to show off. 

Finally, she arrived at the dais, stepping up the short flight of stairs. Finally, after two days of separation, the two of them were close again. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. The two locked eyes, and didn't want to let go. 

The minister cleared his throat, drawing their attention. He opened up a book upon the small altar and began to speak. "Friends, family, all of those gathered here on this holy day. We are here to bear witness to this union; a joining of two bloodlines, two loves, and two lives into one. As Damocles the Founder decreed our ancient laws, he also decreed our ways of love, and beauty, and life."

He then began to read from the book, going through the rites needed to assure the marriage. While he did so, Castus whispered to her, "Hey."

"Hey," she whispered back, grinning widely. 

"It's good to see you again."

"I don't want to do that again, cocks-for-brains."

"Same."

After that little exchange, the minister said, "Do you have your declarations?" Both looked at him, nodded, and pulled out the small folded bits of paper. "Would you go first, sir?"

"Yes, minister", he said. He then unfolded the parchment and began to read: "I was walking along one day, minding my business. Then, love came and hit me in the eye. I saw you, a celestial fallen to our unworthy surface. You were broken, but you pressed on. Over time, that determination became loyalty. To the Empire, to your family. And as that time marched on, I was swept along with it. I don't know what it was; love is a fickle, unkind master. And yet, here I am, willing to bind our lives together. I love you, is what I'm saying. I love you."

Rainbow began to lightly tear up, despite hating herself for it. She, barely able to hold it in, unfolded her own parchment: "Castus, I'm not good at this mushy stuff, but I'll try. When I met you, I was in a hard place. I was broken, blind, and on the edge of taking a plunge. A plunge into a pit of despair and darkness, from which I might never return. However, you helped me. You fixed me, you helped me see, and you pulled me from the edge of that cliff. You aided me in my endeavors, supported me in my tasks, and helped me overcome my own doubts. Like I said, I'm not a sap, but," she looked up from the parchment, locking eyes with him. "But I truly, deeply, care for you. I love you like you said."

The minister said, "Do you, Castus Tauta, take this mare to be your mate? To cherish, love, and comfort her in her trials? To hold her in health, sickness, and death? To embrace her, even unto your own last breath?"

"I do", he said, eyes never leaving her. 

"And do you, Rainbow Dash, take him to be your mate? To be his loved one, his one and only, his second half? To remain faithful, virtuous, and unwavering in your devotion? To keep him close, in all things, even unto your own last breath?"

He had barely finished when she said, "I do."

"Then, with the power given to me by the Empire, by the gods, and by your own choice, I declare you bound to this union. You may embrace."

The two practically slammed into each other, locking arms around one another. Their lips met in a deep, passionate, almost sloppy embrace. Behind them, the assembled crowd cheered, but they might have been a thousand miles away. All that mattered was her embrace of her mate.
> 76~Bread and Games
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been three months since her wedding, and Rainbow couldn't be happier. She and her new husband had enjoyed much time together during this time, getting even closer than before. Like she had said, she wasn't sappy or overly romantic. However, even she was able to show her share of affection to her husband. 

Now, it was her son's birthday. He was turning seven years old, and she wanted it to be special. She had missed many of his birthdays for her work and wanted to make up for it in a way. She knew it wouldn't really do that, but she still wanted to try. So, she had procured some tickets to the local games. 

The arena was packed, with hundreds if not thousands of creatures filing in for the day's entertainment. After grabbing some food near the entrance of the arena, she and her family made their way into the rows of stone seats. It was sunny out that day, but the heavy cloth awnings were extended, protecting them from the heat and the sun. The three of them took their seats down in the front row, right by the base of the Consuls box. 

"Rainbow", Castus said, eyes wide in a mix of surprise and impressment. "How did you get these seats?"

She just smiled and said, "Being the Praetor has its perks."

"Heh, that's my mare!"

The three of them took their seats, her son bouncing up and down in his seat like at her wedding. Rainbow sat in the middle of the two of them, wrapping her wings over the both of them. Castus looked over the packed stadium in awe, thinking out loud, "Have you ever seen anything like this? Only the Coliseum in Pryha is bigger."

"Yeah, I have." When her husband shot her a confused look, she explained, "Back in Equestria, I was a fan of this group called the Wonderbolts. You know how I told you I was into stunt flying back when I met your parents, and how I showed off a bit?"

"Yeah! It was awesome, mom!", Depressi chimed in, barely able to contain his excitement. 

"Thanks, Sport. Anyway, the Wonderbolts were like that. Professional stunt fliers, who performed public shows like what I did for you and your family. They also did things like races and stuff. They were popular among most of the ponies, but especially among other pegasi like me."

The conversation ground to a halt after a loud series of horn blasts sounded through the arena. Instantly, the constant speaking of the crowd quieted, and all attention went to the arena floor. From one of the doors, one the sands came a Caragor in a brown leather jerkin, a small kilt, and an old Mount-peaked helmet. He came to the center of the arena and began to speak. 

"Citizens of the Empire, visiting foreigners and all those who come to this arena today! My name is Cameron the Pit Master! And it is my humble pleasure to bring to you the best spectacle only beaten by the Urbecalia games of the capital!" The arena burst into cheers, only to quiet down once again after he gestured for silence. "Let us begin! So, without further adieu, let the first competitors come forth!"

The doors opened up, and two figures began to slowly emerge. Rainbow then felt/heard her stomach let out a mighty battle cry; it demanded food like others who let out such a cry demanded blood. "Castus, would you be a dear and go get us some food?" she said in the best 'Innocent filly' voice she could muster. 

Her husband had a flabbergasted look cross his feline features; a look that Rainbow thought was kind of adorable. "Oh, come on! It's about to start!" 

"Then I suggest that you hurry up and do it", she replied with a shit-eating grin. And so, as the gladiators entered, her husband stood and made his way past the others in the front row, his movement championed by a chorus of "A thousand pardons, ma'am"s and "Excuse me, sir"s. 

Looking back into the arena, she took in the two gladiators. She had, of course, heard about these games back when she was living in Pryha. She had never been to one, but Castus had told her how it worked. It was a bit like that Ogres and Oubliettes game Big Mac pretended not to playback at home, in a way. Each type of gladiator was like a class, and the various classes had various pieces of equipment and fought in a specific way. This would actually be her first time, and she was pretty excited herself. 

The one on the left heralded as 'Zaan the Nimble' was a well built and muscular Zebra. He was of the class called a Retiarius: a fast, rapid attacker. To reflect this, he wore rather little armor, most of his coverings being a loincloth and a sling leather belt. What armor he did wear was a bronze manica arm guard with a large bronze pauldron on his left foreleg, along with a small vambrace on the other foreleg. The lighter armored limb gripped a trident spear, with several tips pointing out to form a fork-shaped business end. Hanging partially off of the pauldron was a weighted net, about the perfect size to ensnare an opponent. 

The other gladiator stepped forward afterward, and Rainbow got a good look at him too. This one was a caragor, also incredibly well built, however with a bit more outward muscle. His armor was also heavier: a manica arm guard like the other one, however one that looked a bit sturdier and made of iron. Iron lamellar also ran along his sides back to his flanks, upper legs, and lower neck. His head was completely covered by a heavy, fully enclosed helmet topped with an overly ornate crest like a peacock. He was armed with the old Pedes short sword, and she could see a blunted dagger hanging from his belt. He was a Secutor; one named off as 'Cutler the Immovable'. 

Cameron yelled, "Now, you all know the rules! First to disarm their opponent, get their opponent to yield, or to draw honorable blood is declared the winner! Now, Gladiators! Salute the crowd!"

Both of them turned to the crowd, bracing their weapons to their shoulders in the Pryhan salute. "We, who are about to fight, salute you!", they yelled. The two then crossed weapons as Cameron said something that was undiscernible amid the roar of the crowd. The two then stepped back, and the bout began. 

Something that became apparent to her immediately was that it wasn't proper, Regimental fighting. Sure, they were no doubt skilled combatants who she could imagine could kick the asses of the Royal Guard. However, the fighting was much flashier and more elaborate than Pedes training. Again, not to the level of RGs or stage fencers or anything, but by no means skilled. Even knowing this, it didn't make her peel her eyes away. She, in fact, got on the edge of her seat, cheering along with everyone else. 

The two went back and forth, trading blows and swings of the net. More than once, their fighting turned into a kind of controlled grappling, weapons locked as they pushed up against one another so much they went on their hind legs, trying to throw the other to the ground. At several points in the bout, one of them gained the upper paw/hoof, but it went away almost as soon as it came to them. She could see why it was such a popular sport.

Finally, however, one emerged victorious. Zaan got in a skilled strike over the manica, sliding it past the heavy plates and into his underbelly. The caragor stumbled back, dropping his sword to grip at the wound. The cheering reached a crescendo, the vibrations from the crowd likely being felt in the Castrum. Cameron declared over the roar of the crowd, "And the winner is: Zaan the Nimble!"

Castus then chose that time to come back, a platter full of bread, olives, and grapes on his back. He looked into the arena, muttering, "Oh, come on. I missed it."

"Oh, relax. You only missed one. The games go to five. It's", she paused to flip open and check her portable sundial. "Ten. You'll be able to see plenty of bouts. Now stop standing there like a serving maid and pass out the food already!"
> 77~Pirate hunting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite the Unification Wars' success, the Demosian peninsula wasn't completely secure. Yes, it was mostly secure. Most of the brigand gangs and bandit groups in the interior of the peninsula were all hunted down and either butchered or surrendered to Pryhan authority. The various warlords and the Teufel river valley did the same. However, not every area of the Empire was fully secured. 

This final remnant of the old anarchy of Demos were pirates. Many of them were killed when the Pryhan navy originally captured the city of Creui, which was a pirate meeting place as well as the biggest slave market on the peninsula. However, a few of them either escaped or weren't present during the initial campaign. These crews of marauders were much harder to stamp out due to them being constantly being mobile. Since then, they had begun to raid smaller, isolated coastal villages and on Imperial or Corporate shipping. However, even the most annoying and hard-to-hit insect would eventually get swatted. 

That was what she was doing on the ship she was currently at. The Pryhan Trireme, the Provocatio, she was on was apart of an operation to ensnare one of these remaining pirate crews. The ship was currently was anchored by a pair of large rocks, hidden from view further by a light fog. Across from her position, hidden by the fog and rocks, was another ship, the Imperium. In between them, in the open waters and free mostly from the fog, was a third ship, one that was disguised as a partially broken merchant vessel. This third ship, the Vicit, was the bait, and the other two ships were the jaws of the trap. 

The prey? One of the pirates still remaining, the crew of the ship the Unconquered Will. The ship had been tracked by smaller Pryhan ships, or by their Griffonian allies, who also wanted to be rid of the pirates. They had been tracked to this area, and the griffons that were helping them had told them it would be heading their way. 

This was the plan. They would lure in the ship, and let the pirates go for the Vicit. The other two ships and Griffonians soldiers on the rocks would then trap them in, and, well. Meat to the grinder. 

She stood on the bow of the ship, looking out over at the Vicit. The crew had disguised themselves as a merchant vessel that had run aground on the rocks and needed help. They would hope the pirates would take the bait, and try to board the vessel. However, the ship was of an older ship and was vastly understaffed. The plan was for them to abandon ship as soon as the pirates got on board, then swim for the nearby rocks. The remaining ships would then come in from the sides and fuck 'um in the ass. 

A griffonian soldier landed on the deck next to her, giving her the more Equestrian style salute. "They're coming. By the scout's estimates, they'll be within sight of the vessel in about five minutes. I suggest you get ready."

"Thanks." With that, the griffon took off and Rainbow ran past the sailors and the marines to the helm and the Captain of the ship. She relayed what the griffon had told her, and he ordered the crew to get ready. 

A few minutes later, the sound of another ship could be heard. Looking through the fog, she saw a ship emerge from it. It was a Griffonian style Sloop, by far not the biggest ship but still almost twice the size of the Triremes. Along its decks, she could see the various members of the crew milling about, running to arm ballista or to grab weapons. They had apparently spotted the Vicit, and were closing in for the kill. 

The pirates pulled up alongside, ropes and boarding bridges known as a Corvus were placed along the edge of the two ships. As planned, the navy personal took that opportunity to leap over the edge and into the water. As then scrambled to avoid crossbow fire and sling bullets from the pirates, the commander in charge began waving a turquoise flag. That was the signal.

"Hard to port!" the captain of her ship, Captain Thomas, yelled. "All hands to battle stations! Attack speed!"

The ship kicked into high gear. Sailors ran back and forth across the decks like on their ship. The ballista slings were pulled back, the bolts loaded and ready to fire. Below them, the loud, repetitive sound of the signal drummer kicked off, and the rowers soon picked up the beat. The Provocatio lurched to life, leaving its docks as it made for an intercept course. 

The pirates picked up on the trap, and began to scramble back to their ship. However, the Imperium had already gotten in front of them, trapping them in a killing box. Griffonians on top of the rocks began to appear, crossbows at the ready. 

The first to draw blood were the griffons, who fired down a hail of bolts onto the enemy deck. They tried to return fire with their own crossbows and ballista, but they didn't have a good angle on them to do so. Those that did, or could fire up that high either missed or had their shots avoided by the nimble, flight-capable griffons. 

Speaking of flight-capable, she had agreed to make sure that they didn't try and escape. She drew her swords and took off, a rainbow streak cutting through the midday fog. The pirate up in the crow's nest noticed her, but a quick flyby and a slit throat later, and he fell out of the wooden basket to the deck below. She then went to work, sawing through the ropes holding up the sails. Soon, the heavy canvas sheets fell onto the deck, scattering or covering the Pirates.

By now, the ships were within boarding distance. Under covering fire of ballista fire, the marine's own grappling hooks and corvii were secured to the ship. The marine officer yelled, "Boarders away!", and the marines began to board them from the rear. At the same time, several of the griffons chose to draw their curved sabers and get in close, swooping down onto the shell-shocked and outmatched pirates like birds of prey. 

The crew of the pirate ship stood no chance. Those who attempted to fight were simply cut down, if not by better skill than by sheer numbers. Most, however, like many of the brigand gangs she had fought, chose to throw down their weapons and surrender. Soon, any survivors were dragged to the deck, and shoved to their knees. 

Among them was the captain, judging by his fancy hat, large coat, and the amount of gold and jewelry he had on him. She stepped up to him, grinning under her pulled up neck gaiter. She said, "Captain Smith. You and your crew are under arrest for Piracy, Murder, Theft, Disturbing the Peace, Destruction of both Public, Private, and Corporate property, and Conspiracy to commit all of the previously listed charges. You have the right to remain silent, as any and everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Not that anything you do have to say as an excuse will help you."
> 78~Daily Routine (Redux)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of course, not every day was as exciting as taking her son to the games or hunting down pirates. Indeed, like before in Pryha, her life found itself falling into a loose schedule. 

First things first, was when she woke, right at the crack of dawn. Like in Pryha, she got on her tunic, washed up a bit and put her hair in its braid, and went on a morning flight. Also, like in Pryha, she did a fly over the city, wrapping around its perimeter before cutting across the center of it on her way back to the Castrum. 

By this time, the rest of her family had woken up, and Castus was preparing breakfast. It was the same as breakfast back in the capital, save for the fact that there was generally more seafood involved in the meals. After breakfast, the three of them went down into the city.

From the city's pomerium, the group split off. Castus went to his job at the Consuls office, where he had gotten the job as a secretary. Rainbow then took her son to the local elementary school. 

As a part of the Pryhan return to the area, they implemented a standard education system along Demos. This included a more-or-less basic template for a school, with regimented grade levels, a cafeteria, and teacher requirements; the whole nine yards. After they had arrived in the city, she had enrolled Depressi in classes at said local school. He had at first adamantly opposed the decision but went along with it regardless. After the first day, he had gotten home super excited and happy; he had made a few friends and liked school regardless. So, this was her first part of the day. Then, she had to go back to the Castrum to the hardest part of her day: office work. 

Now, don't get her wrong. She had a rather nice office, all things considered. It was the largest in the Principia, located right in the middle. It was spacious; an aspect she took full advantage of. She had a large, oak-wood desk, on which she had things like a picture of herself and her family, a few books, a pen holder, and she also often leaned her swagger stick upon it. The high-backed seat was also pretty comfortable, and she had a set up a bear-skin rug in front of the desk. A few bits of art, military honors, and other ornaments decorated the wall to the left of and behind her desk. A bookshelf dominated the right-side wall, packed with some of her favorites; legends of the Empires ancient heroes, historical texts, a few Pryhan novels she liked, even a few Daring Do books imported from Griffonia. No, it wasn't the office she hated. It was what she did in the office: Paperwork. 

Correction, a virtual mountain of paperwork. Running a Castrum, and the regiment that occupied it was, after all, not without its complications. The documents featured ranged greatly, from disciplinary records to a broken section of a barracks. From requests for more RnR to current inventory reports from the Quartermaster. She would hunch over that nice desk for several hours, filling out reports and signing documents. After these several hours, her eyes drooped, her back ached, and somehow she would get a cramp in her talons. However, she knew it was only a matter of time before she would be done with it, so she just slipped the monocle into her good eye, sucked it up, and filled them all out. 

After lunch, the mountain of paperwork was finally crushed, and she had a few hours to relax. Well, she often didn't relax, but she could. She often spent this time down in one of the open sections of the fort in between the walls and the barracks, practicing. She fired as targets with her pistols or hacked apart training dummies with her swords. It was a good way to limber up, to crack her back and work out all the kinks in her back. Sometimes, she would even get some of her Pedes who were either stupid or brave enough to want to fight her. That always got a laugh out of her. 

She also often took this time to perform another relaxing flight. This relaxed and unwound her even better than the training. Even after all of these years, flying was still one of the things she enjoyed the most. The freedom, the thrill; it was intoxicating. The clouds whipping across her face as she broke apart the thin, natural strands of clouds. The whipping winds, sending her braid flying behind her head like a whip. She could just fly the rest of her life, and she could die happy. 

Once a week, she also indulged herself in a visit to the Bathhouse. A few had sprung up in the city following the Unification Wars, but she preferred to go to the one closest to the school, about six blocks away. After a week of aching muscles (Despite her husband's best efforts), and her getting somewhat dirty, it was a godsend. A quick trip through the various rooms, an oil massage, a wipe down with a scraper. All of it helped her come out feeling fresh as a rose. It also helped calm the aggravated nerves along her scars, and that was always a plus, especially when they sometimes flared up. 

After this free time, she went to go pick up her son from school. It was about mid-afternoon at that point, and she took him home. From there, she would help him as best she could with his homework, but he often waited for his dad to come back to help him. So, if that didn't work out for them, she often did other stuff with him. Help him with flying, tell him some stories from her old home, and even teach him to fight when he started asking. Most of this was ignored when he either went over to a friend or one of his friends came over to the Praetorium. 

Finally, Castus would come home at about six. He would cook dinner, and the three of them would have a nice dinner together. Again, a lot more seafood than before, but she didn't mind. The food was still great, after all. After, Castus helped them with homework while Rainbow went to go check in with Vexillum before he went to his home. From there, it was back to her place, and to bed. With the exception of the occasional bit of 'Fun' she and Castus had, it was right to sleep for them. This was a schedule Rainbow could get behind.
> 79~A Special day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow trotted along next to her son and husband as they went their usual route into the city. Today, however, she wouldn't be heading back to the Castrum. She had gotten ahead on her paperwork the previous day after getting 'In the Zone' as some would put it. In addition, Depressi's school was having a career day, and the teacher had sent a flyer home with him to let her know. And so, with little better to do, she had donned her full regalia, including medals, and was going to be one of the first presenters. 

"How do you wear all of that and still be able to walk?", Castus joked on the way down from the Castrum. 

She just smiled back, saying, "It's all a lot lighter than it looks. 'Sides, I've been wearing this stuff for years. After a certain point, it becomes like a second skin almost."

Finally, the three of them arrived at the point where they separated off. "Well, this is where I head off. See you at the party tonight." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, adding, "Love you."

"You too, Cocks-for-brains", she replied.

As he walked off, her son grabbed onto the plume of her helmet, pulling it while flapping his wings furiously. "Come on, mom! I don't want to be late!"

"Easy, easy, Sport", she said. "I'm coming."

She then took off, flying with him to the school. It was vastly different from the small, one-room red building of Ponyville Elementary. It was a large, boxy building in typical Pryhan style with sloped tile roofs, white plaster walls, and small windows. A playground sat in the center of the school, the courtyard filled with grass, a few lunch tables, and a rack of sports equipment. 

"Alright, Depressi. I'll go check-in, and you head to your class. See you in a bit." From there, the two of them went in separate directions. Her to go check in at the office, and him to head to his class.


+++++~+++++


Rainbow looked at the piece of parchment again, wanting to make sure she had the right room number. When she was certain, she opened the door, walking into the class. On her left sat the teacher's desk, and a whiteboard behind it. To her right sat the rest of the room; several rows of desks, a few bookshelves, and a table with a small, weasel-like rodent in it (Depressi later told her it was called an Opossum, that the class had named Red-eye.) 

"Ah, you're here," the teacher, a caragor of about fifty years with a pair of spectacles said. "Class, we are very fortunate to be having Praetor Rainbow Dash as our speaker today. Say high, everyone."

"Hello, Praetor Rainbow Dash," The class droned out, some in boredom, some in genuine interest. As they did so, she spotted her son; he sat in the middle seat of the front row.

"Hey, kids! I'm glad I could be here." She cleared her throat and pulled out a bit of parchment she had written down on earlier. "Now, I understand that you all ask questions, and I answer them. So, ask away! Yes, you in the third row."

The student in question, a Bighorn, said, "What are you?"

"Samual!", the teacher said. "That's rude!"

"It's fine. To answer your question, I am what's called a Pegasus; Pegasi for plural. Like my son, up there in the first row. We're like Terrans, except we have, obviously, wings. We also have a few other abilities that I won't be getting into. Now, any other questions? You there, Terran in the back row."

"What is that thing tucked under your wing called?", she asked. 

Lifting it up from under her wing, Rainbow showed it to the class as she answered. "This is what's called a Swagger Stick. It's a symbol of rank, as well as sometimes a disciplinary tool. However, mostly it's just something to show off with. Now, anyone else? You there!"

"How'd you get your cutie mark?" the Demigryph asked, pointing at the helmet-and-wing mark that poked out just past her armor pteryges. 

"I got it at the siege of Pryha," she said, earning several 'oohs' and 'cools' from the students. "As the mercenaries and raiders were attacking the Caesars reinforcements, the original defenders had begun to flee back to the city. I rallied them, urging them to fight on. I led them on a counterattack on the enemy flank, and we won the day." After the class calmed down a bit, she said, "Now, please keep the remaining questions for me about the Imperial Army."


+++++~+++++


"That was awesome, mom!", Depressi practically screamed when he and Rainbow left school after several hours. After her presentation, where some of the students actually asked legitimate questions about the Army, she had gone off into the teacher's lounge while the school day wrapped up. In there, she struck up a chat with a few of the other presenters, including the father of one of Depressi's friends, a Fisher named Shark Bait. 

"Well, better than office work." The two of them then began to walk home. Tonight was some local holiday, one she admittedly didn't know all that much about. Something about a World Serpent? Anyway, it was a local thing that the Consul was holding a party for. She and her family, both due to her position and Castus' job as a secretary for the Consul, would be attending. They would go home, grab a quick bite, and Rainbow would give Vexillum some orders to fill out. Then, they would head back into the city to attend the party at a park by the seafront, called Battery Lane. 

The two of them trotted along, smiling. Rainbow got the occasional greeting from the locals, or from her soldiers while they were out on patrol. As school was letting out and some of the shorter work hours were drawing to a close, the streets had a decent amount of Pryhan citizens out. Some of the stalls were open, advertising Fish, Salt, Garum, Sea-shell jewelry, among other more traditional items like Clay pots, Olives, Figs, and small household items. 

As they made their way through the streets, she suddenly heard behind her a loud *Zip*. Thinking maybe someone had dropped something, she merely shrugged and pressed on. Then, again, she heard that same noise: *Zip*, this time much closer. This time she turned her head around but saw nothing except the usual hustle and bustle of Creui's streets. 

"Mom, is everything alright?", Depressi asked, tugging on one of her pteryges. 

Rainbow shook her head, then looked at her son. "N-no. I mean, yeah. Everything is fine." Her son didn't look all too convinced, but she knew a good way to distract him. "Tell you what. Race you back to the Praetorium. The last one there gets to clean out the latrine by the side of the house."

It was officially Castus' job to do it as part of the rotary cycle of chores the two of them did. However, her son was recently added to the cycle and had started to do a few small jobs. With the risk of the smelly, dirty job, he flared his wings, saying, "Ready."

"On your mark", she said, her own wings spreading out. 

"Ok", he said, grinning widely. "Bye!" And with that, he was a small brown, blue, and rainbow speck in the distance in a heartbeat. 

"He really does take after me," she muttered to herself. Then, what he just did caught up to her, as well as the fact he had a lead. She yelled, "No fair", and took off after him.
> Interlude~Party crashers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

9 years, two months, and ten days since exile.
Edge of Cruei, Pryhan Empire.
POV: Rarity

Rarity and the others sat on the edge of the Pryhan city, waiting for Pinkie to return on her little scouting run. She took some of this time to clean herself up a bit. Several years of strict rationing and keeping only the bare necessities had left her in, by her standards, woefully undermaintained. However, after picking up some supplies at Griffonstone, she was ready to clean herself up. 

It was sundown when Pinkie returned. She bounced along, a small bag on her back as she did so. "Hi, everyone! I brought dinner!"

The remaining five of them walked over to the party pony, wanting to see what she brought. Meanwhile, Twilight asked, "Pinkie, you left at noon. It's almost nighttime. What were you doing for over six hours?"

The random mare said, "Well, first, I had to find and tail Dashie a bit. Then, I had to track her down to where she lived and where she was going later. Lastly, I had to find somewhere to get food that didn't have any meat in it. Then, I had to get back here!"

"Wait", Twilight said. "Meat!? Don't other ponies live down there?"

"Y-yeah. Anyway, enough of that. Dig in!" She opened up the bag and pulled out several loaves of bred, a few wire bags of a weird, dull purple fruit, and some green grapes. 

"This, is all you could find?", Rarity asked. 

Pinkie shrugged and began to shovel a whole loaf of bread into her maw. Rarity just looked at the bread and grapes and began to eat them. It wasn't actually bad; the bread was soft with a thick, crunchy crust, and the grapes were nice and plump. While they ate, Pinkie told them about what she had seen from Rainbow in town. Rarity was kind of surprised about the mention of the kid. 

Eventually, the group of them decided to look for Rainbow. If Pinkies assessment of her schedule was accurate, then they would only have the chance to talk to her for the next stretch of time at this party. Twilight teleported them to the place where Pinkie heard this party was taking place, and went over the plan. Since AJ, Pinkie, and Fluttershy would be able to disguise themselves easier than the rest of them could, then they would try to get in touch with her. They would try to get her outside, and they would talk to her about what was going on with Equestria. And so, the three of them slinked off, while she, Twilight, and Shining Armor watched the party through a window. 

The room was a large hall, with several simple iron chandeliers above the floor. It looked like a converted storehouse, what with the exposed, concrete pillars and iron girded building. Despite that, the party was in full swing. A bunch of tables were laid out, including a buffet, with Pryhans moving between them or sitting in groups. A small podium was set up along one wall, and several griffons in fancy suits were playing a tune muffled by the windows. It was apparently pretty good, though, as about as many Pryhans and Griffonians were dancing as were eating in groups. The males wore togas and fancy tunics or gambesons, while the women wore cloak-like dresses and shawls. 

Rarity was muttering to herself about how garish the dresses were when behind them they heard a voice say, "Heus, tu! (Hey you!)"

Looking behind them, the three of them saw a small group of soldiers running up to them. Most of their armor was covered by large, royal blue mantles, however they appeared to have on segmented armor along their chests and shoulders and heavy iron helmets. Curved, sickle-like swords hung at their belts and harnesses mounted to their shoulders held in place large wooden and iron-rimmed shields. 

Rarity said, "Let me do the talking." She then said, in her best sweet-talking voice, "Hi there. Can I help you?"

"Mulier. Et hinc quoque popularium et non permisit tergum hic. (Ma'am. You and your compatriots here aren't allowed back here.)", the guard said.

"I'm sorry, Darling. But I don't understand."

The guard who was talking to her sighed, muttering something in that language. He then said something else, to which another one of the guards raised a paw. After a quick barking of orders, said guard said to her, "My Decurion said that he would like to apologize for the confusion. But, getting back on topic, he would also like to say that this is a restricted area, and you can't be back here without proper authorization. So, if you would please come with us, you can leave before we have to press Trespassing charges."

"Hold on. We're just waiting for a few friends. We were told by them to meet them here, and if we leave now, then things would be an utter mess later on."

After getting a translation to and from the 'Decurion', the one who was acting as an interpreter said, "Well then. You can wait for your friends OUTside of the State House. He also said he'll send one of us to go find and tell your friends about the change, if they don't see you outside already when entering. Now, follow us please, or else things will get unpleasant."

"Listen bud", Shining input, despite the warning looks of Rarity and his sister. "What we need to talk to her about is nothing more than the future of our nation. Our loved ones are currently crammed into a place no bigger than a large farm, with less and less food and clean water every day. So, just let us-"

The guard interrupted by saying, "I'm sorry to hear that. However, I'm just following protocol, and you have several minutes to get out of here before we have to push you out, or, again, write you up for Trespassing." For emphasis, the three of them drew their swords, curved steel blades that looked more like sickles than the Royal Guards officers swords. "So, what will it be?"

Provincial State House
POV: Applejack

The three of them snuck around the side of the building, sticking to the shadows as best as possible. Finally, they came to a door along the side of the hall. The door was open partially open, allowing them a look in. Inside, loud, orchestral music flared along the walls, like a more intense version of the Gala music. Guests and what they guessed were servants moved back and forth creating a sea of life. Through all of it, they saw a small speck of distinctive color. A rainbow, to be specific. 

(Music being played: Agincourt)

"Dashie at five O'clock", Pinkie said in an even more gleeful voice than usual. The others followed her gaze, spotting the multi-colored speck of mane- In the very epicenter of the crowd. 

"'ow in tarnation are we supposed to get to 'her?", Applejack wondered. "She's right in the middle of a sea of creatures, an' ah somehow doubt we could just walk in to go 'nd have a chat wit' her. We're gonna need some kinda disguise to go 'nd get close to-"

"I got it!", Pinkie suddenly said, holding up three tunics and a pair of hats. 

Both of the other mares looked astonished, but chose better than to question the Party Ponies methods. So, all three of them slipped on the tunics while AJ and Pinke put on the hats. The three of them entered, and began to make a beeline for Rainbow. 

Before they could reach her, however, the three of them were stopped by a voice behind them. "Heus te ibi! Quid hic agis? (Hey, you there! What are you doing out here?)", The voice said. The three of them whipped around, and were greeted by one of the wingless griffons, who was dressed similarly to them except she had on a bigger hat. "Non res. Laborare. Vos, (No matter. To work. You)," She pointed to Fluttershy. "Satus rapies & vino servientes. Tu autem duo, venire me ad popinam instruat. Non ad horam solvit! (Start grabbing and serving wine. And you two, come with me to the kitchens. You aren't paid to stand around!)" 

Fortunately, he had pointed at the wine, so Fluttershy shot them a 'sorry, girls' look before she went off to go grab one. Not really knowing what he had said, the remaining two of them followed the wingless griffon to the back of the room and past a large curtain door. 

Past the door was a large room, full of counters, and stoves and ovens. Creatures in similar dress to them ran back and forth across the warm brown tiles, carrying platters of food, cups, kitchenware, and bits of food. The smell of cooking meat almost made the two of them gag, despite the other smells of fresh fruits and roasting vegetables and nuts filling the room. 

"Bene? I et labora. Dolor dolor! (Well? Get to work. Chop chop)", the female who led them in said. She then left them, yelling at someone else who was seasoning a roasted fish. The two of them just stood around for a minute, until they saw an open section of countertop. They then went over to it and found several cups of flour, yeast, water, eggs, and several other ingredients made to make bread-Or cake. 

"IDEA!", Pinkie said, catching on to that fact. 

POV: Fluttershy
(By now, the music had changed: Palladio.)

Fluttershy weaved her way past the various tables and other servers, making her way toward the table that she thought Rainbow was at. Occasionally, she stopped when a cup was put in her way, which she quickly filled and moved on. She finally got to the table, and began to refill the empty cups. As she made her way around the table, she stopped when she was across from the one they thought was Rainbow. There, she stopped dead in her tracks. 

Rainbow looked completely different than she had before her exile. Of course, she and her friends had expected a bit of change or something, but nothing like this. Her face was a mess. Long, raking lines of scar tissue running from the base of her right ear down to her chin. Several smaller white scratches, burns, and other marks besides. A black brand circling her left eye with a line running down her chin ending in a small sun. A glowing red and black rock eye in that same eye socket, which seemed to focus on everything it saw at once. When she looked down at her cup, she saw her forelegs up to the elbow were made of metal, ending in griffon-like talons. She was wearing a yellow robe-like dress, with a small leather bracket adorned with medals on her chest. Her hair was done back in a braid, and the expression on her face was one of content awareness, like she was ready to get into a fight at any moment. 

And yet, she still had somethings that remained the same, even after all this time. Her smile, that same cocky yet happy grin. The way she looked like she was going to spring out into a flight routine at any moment. The same cerise eye in her right socket, gleaming with cockiness. 

Fluttershy was so distracted by her old friends look, she didn't notice when she lifted up the jar, with the lid still pointed downward. The wine spilled over another person seated at the table, who stood up and turned to her. "Vigilate eam, klutz. (Watch it klutz)"

Rainbow then said, "Interficiam illam de remissa. Et probabile est novum. Quae spectat viam, usquam. Commotio illa quasi folium! (Cut her some slack. She's likely new. Looks that way, anyway. She's shaking like a leaf!)" Even her voice was a little different. While it still retained its normal raspiness, it had taken on a light version of the accent all of the others had. 

The rest of them resumed their conversation while the cat-like creature she had spilled on left to go get himself cleaned. Fluttershy just stood there, looking at Rainbow.

Or, at least, the mare that looked like her. Sure, she was a Pegasus who looked like, sounded like, and even sat like Rainbow, but in every other way was completely different. She was, if Pinkie was right, a military officer, as well as a mom. So much had changed, and Fluttershy didn't know what to do. 

Out of the side of her eye, she saw several soldiers leading a trio of ponies over to the table. She had to stifle a gasp when she saw who the ponies were. Twilight and Rarity were being led along by rope binders, while another two of them dragged an unconscious Shining Armor between them. When they got into view, Rainbow stood up in shock. 

"Ave, Praetor. Ave, Consul (Hail, Praetor. Hail, Consul)", one of the soldiers said. "Me paenitet tibi prandium interrumpere. Autem, nos captus circum snooping foris sunt externi. Nescimus ubi sunt a, sed- (I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner. However, we are caught snooping around the outside of the external. We do not know where they are from-)"

"Equestria", Rainbow said, her voice dripping with malice. 

Rarity saw her, and said, "Darling! Good to see you! Now, would you mind telling these ruffians to unhand us, and we can get to-"

"Shut up, you vain, pretentious whore." While Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy all tried to recover from her insults, she turned to the soldier who had brought them in. "Aream quaerere (Search the area)", she said, her voice now holding a rigid, military tone. "Respice ad me sicut par Terrans et Libra. Una cum flava comas Terrans eius flammea est et alia duo manibus rosea. Luteum enim est Cetus cum ... cum rosea mane.(Look for a pair of Terrans and a Pegasus like me. One of the Terrans is orange with blonde hair, and the other is two shades of pink. The Pegasus is yellow with... with a pink mane.)" She then turned over to Fluttershy, looking right at her. To her, it felt like Rainbows left, glowing red eye was boreing into her. She asked, "Fluttershy?"

"Um, I, I, er," She stuttered out as the mare she was once friends with stalked closer to her, reminding Fluttershy of the wolf pack she had taken care of one time. "No?"

Her eyes narrowed, and Fluttershy backed up nervously. Rainbow snarled out, "Just what are you and the rest of you Scum-sucking, Self-righteous shits doing here?"

Fluttershy said, "We need to talk to you about something, and we couldn't find any other time to-"

Their stare-off was broken when a loud banging noise was heard from the direction of the kitchen. A massive, white cake the size of a small foal fly out of the doors on a trolley, Applejack and Pinkie Pie following in its wake. AJ threw her lasso, trying to stop it. However, she ended up latching it onto the trolleys leg, which pitched the platform forward, sending the mass of bread and frosting flying right toward them.

"Per Caesaribus-(By the Caesars)", Rainbow managed before the cake slammed right into her, sending her sailing over the table and onto the floor, crushed underneath the massive pile of cake. Fluttershy gasped in surprise, just as one of the guards grabbed onto her. 

Out of reflex, she took curled up into a ball. Apparently, he wasn't expecting that, as it was enough to get her out of his grip. She tried to get away from him, but several more guards had come in by now, and the remaining mares found themselves surrounded while a small group of Pryhans began to pry the cake off of Rainbow. 

Suddenly, Pinkie let out a loud scream of panic. "AHHHHH! BLACK WIDOW!" Fluttershy had just enough time to look at the place she was pointing, and at the red and black object there, before Pinkie crushed in under her hoof. She then screamed, in pain this time, as she leapt into the air up to the chandelier, and down back again, clutching her hoof. The Fluttershy and Applejack ran up to check the wound, but their attention was drawn upwards by aloud "Ahem." 

It was Rainbow. Her dress was coated in cake, so it was sagging down. In the areas not covered in cake or her dress, Fluttershy was able to make out several, faded red lines along the fur. A massive glob of frosting coated the left side of her face, so it looked like she had fallen asleep in a cake shop. As they watched, she lifted up a talon, and whipped away a big glob of it, and then threw it to the ground. 

"Custodibus (Guards)", she said in a calm, yet angry voice. 

Provincial Penitentiary
POV: Shining Armor
When Shining Armor regained consciousness, he felt like he had been hit in the head with a hammer. He opened his eyes groggily, yet the heavy lids refused to open fully. He was vaguely aware of the stone hallway scraping on his hind legs, as well as something holding him up and dragging him at the same time. 

Finally, they came to a stop, and the two figures holding him dropped him roughly. That finally snapped him out of his daze, and he looked up to see where he was. In front of him was a slate grey wall, a cot, and a small window lined with bars. He realized it was a cell, and leapt to his hooves and whipped around. He landed back on his hooves just in time to see the two soldiers who had dragged him slam the door shut. 

He still bucked it out of desperation, but that only succeeded in making his hooves hurt. One of the soldiers barked out in a mocking tone, "Quid putas futurum? Et conteram illud posset? Stultus! (What did he think would happen? He could break it? Dumbass!)" He then began laughing, much to the anger of Shining. 

Another voice, just out of view said, "Exasperantem contumeliis, insectantem ad captivum, pedes (Harassing the prisoner, pedes)?"

The two of them snapped to attention toward the figure just out of view. "Ave, Praefect! (Hail, Praefect)!" One of them said, "Nulla mi! Iustus questus in cellula ei? (No sir! Just getting him his cell!)."

"Bonum. Mihi opus est loqui ad eum. Et dimisit sunt duo. Vale. (Good. I need to speak to him. You two are dismissed. Goodbye.)", the unknown voice said.

After the footfalls of the other two left, a figure stepped in front of the cell: An orange Earth Pony wearing a mix of one of the Pryhan togas and a massive, crested helmet. He shot him an annoyed and somewhat disgusted look,  put something around his neck, then said, "So, you're the ones who wanted to 'chat' with the Praetor?"

"Yes!", Shining exclaimed. "We need to talk to Rainbow Dash!"

"That would be Praetor Dash, to you."

"That's not important!", Shining retorted. "We just need to talk with her! That is important!"

The officer sighed, then held up a small bit of paper. "Yes, you will be talking to the Praetor. A personal request of hers. I have orders to take you up tomorrow. Until then, get comfy." He then walked off, whistling to himself as he did so, until Shining heard a loud *thud* just out of sight.
> 80~Legal matters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash just wanted a nice evening. A good meal, and some good music. Celebrating a local holiday of her new home, and having a civil night with her friends. She had a nice day with her son at his school and had high hopes for the night. But no. Those degenerates just had to show up, demanding to talk to her. And even before the biggest bitch of them all, Fluttershy could even finish her excuse, Pinkie slammed her in the face with a massive cake. 

This lead her to having the remaining frosting scraped out of her left eye socket with the... whatever the thing the dentist used to scrape the plaque off your teeth was called. 

The remaining guests had left, leaving only a few other people in the room. It was her, her husband, Vexillum, Consul Gaius, and one of the doctors. Castus was pacing back and forth, muttering, while the others just stood still. She was as well, as she didn't want the doctor to mess up and poke her while she was messing around inside Rainbow's eye. None of them said anything for a good three minutes. 

Finally, the Consul said, "So, Praetor. Care to explain exactly what sort of relationship you have with those, foreigners?"

She scowled, letting the doctor finish. Once he finished and left, she said, "All you need to know is that they're old 'friends', who bent me over and fucked me in the ass before my exile from my home. I would've been more than happy to never see any of those whores again, and figured I never would. No clue as to why they're here."

"According to the info I was able to glean from our Pedes and some of the staff", Vexillum said. "They want to talk to you about something."

"Any idea what?", Castus asked. 

Rainbow shrugged, pulling on an eyepatch she had been given until a replacement eye could be procured. "Maybe. I somehow doubt that Pinkie talked all of them and one of theirs' brothers to come all the way here just to break my eye and hit me with a cake. Likely they realized that while I was being fucked, they had fucked themselves." She sighed, and then looked down at the floor. "You'll be following protocol when it comes to criminal acts, right?"

"Unless Imperial law has changed in the past six hours", Gaius said. "Then yeah. They still stay in the holding cells until trial, then are transferred to the IPS if convicted.

"Postpone the trial. Vex, bring them down to my office tomorrow morning, 10:30 sharp. If they want a talk, then they'll get a talk." As her Second saluted and trotted off to go fulfill the order, she turned back to the Consul. "I know this isn't protocol, but I know them somewhat well. They're stubborn, the orange one especially, and half of them are barking insane. So, they won't stop until they get this talk. Just, trust me. I'll listen to them, then hand them back to you for all of the Legal BS."

"I still have to get the charges on the books", the Consul said. After he saw the look on her face, he sighed. "Fine. I can get you the folder on your desk tomorrow before they arrive. Just don't kill them."

"Hehe. Ave, Consul."


+++++~+++++


She sat at the desk in her room, looking over her diary. She was writing in her latest entry, groaning at the small leather-bound book. Her head ached and she was tired, yet she refused to go to bed. The pen wrote down the words in the book, dipped in the ink well, then went back to writing. Finally, she sighed and slumped back in her chair, once again groaning like she was pregnant again. 

"Honey", A voice said. Turning her neck to look behind her, she saw Castus over by the bed, his tunic off. He was ready for bed, and she was still in her subarmalis. "Are you still staring over that thing? You need some sleep."

"Pisof", she muttered, going back to writing. She then felt a pair of shoulders on her back, looking back to see him leaning on the chair, and on her. "I told you to piss off."

"No, you said something I'm not even certain is a word." He then looked over her at her diary and grinned. "You make-out with your mother with that mouth?"

"What did I say about reading my diary, cocks-for-brains!?"

He lifted up a paw, whispering, "Shush. Depressi is asleep." She looked back down at the book and sighed again. He leaned in close, wrapping his forelegs around the chair and her. "Listen, I get if you don't want to talk about it. It's your life, and even I don't have any business in it. However, if you let me, I'll help you as best I can."

She smiled at his compassion, nuzzling into his hug. "You're the best, Castus."

"You've told me. Like that time last week when you let me be on top, and I was pounding into you until you-"

"By Damocles' marble balls, you're a pervert!"

He smiled, returning her nuzzle and lifting her up. "Oh yeah, little miss 'High-and-Mighty'? I seem to recall the time you spiked the Legates wine with some, what was if called? Sneezing Powder; that you got from Griffonia?"

"Don't tell me it wasn't funny." When he just laughed and nodded, she said, "I fucking love you, Cocks-for-brains."


+++++~+++++


The next morning, she stood outside the fort, along with several officers, waiting for a shipment of new equipment. She tried to push the thoughts of her former friends out of her head, but couldn't really do it. She couldn't help but wonder why they were there. She hadn't done anything and didn't even have any knowledge of what was going on in Equestria. She shrugged it off, planning on asking about them when she met with them. 

Her thoughts were drawn from them when she heard the whine of engines coming up the road. Several large vehicles made their up the road towards them, with several of them towing war machines that reminded her of Pinkie's party cannon behind them. When they pulled up, a Caragor got out of the lead vehicle, stopping before the group of officers and saluting. "Ave, Praetor. Ave, officers. Corvinius, head of the Imperial arms manufacturing department. My pleasure to give you some new weapons."

"Ave. What exactly have you brought us?", Rainbow asked. 

Corvinius yelled at the soldiers on the trucks, who began unlatching the guns and other boxes of equipment. A few were laid in front of the officers and opened, revealing their contents. 

One of them was full of what looked like boxes, with black coverings on one end and narrowed down towards the opposite end. The second box had several long poles, resembling spears with a trio of hollow metal tubes around the tip with it extending out about twelve inches and a small handle sticking out the side, about halfway down. Looking up, she examined the cannon. It was on a wheeled cart with a pair of latches securing the metal gun to the carriage. 

"So, what exactly are we looking at here?", Vexillum asked, picking up one of the black boxes. 

"What you're holding there is what we call a Hornet Swarm. Pull-on the black strip." When he did so, it opened up to reveal a large number of spikes mounted to the inside, connected by strips of oiled cord and had small black powder charges connected to them. "The back end also opens up, revealing a place where the cords meet. You light that, and all of those rockets will go off. A pain in the ass to reload, but can put out more fire than a company of Velites in less than thirty seconds."

"Impressive", Rainbow said. "I can't wait to see what exactly they can do-"

She was interrupted by one of her troops coming up to her. "Ave, Praetor", he said. "The prisoners are waiting in your office, as ordered."

Rainbow mentally slapped herself and sighed. "Vexillum, deal with this. I'm terribly sorry, sir, but I have something I need to attend to. Vale", she said, saluting and backing off. She took another sigh, before trotting off with the Decurion following behind her towards the Principia.
> 81~Lots of F****** Yelling (Re-written)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow followed the Pede as she headed along the via principalis, back towards the Principia. As she did so, she thought of why they were there. She had figured that to them at least, it was an open and shut case when it came to her. So, what were they doing here? 

“What’s your name, Decurion?”, she asked the soldier.

He straightened up, “Decurion Pyrite, Praetor.”

“Well, Pyrite”, she said. “What do you think of them?”

“The prisoners?” When she nodded, he replied, “Well, they’re an odd bunch. Bunch of misfits, seems like. I really have no idea what three of them are, anyway.”

As they entered the office, she said, “Well, trust me. They’re more than just odd. The yellow one in particular. Ungrateful, spiteful bitches.” She saw four Pedes outside of her office when a thought occurred to her. A contubernium had five members, including the Decurion. “Decurion. Did you leave them unsupervised in my office?”

His eyes widened in alarm, and he saluted and bowed his head. “M-my apologies, Praetor. I, I figured that they couldn’t leave, so I-” 

“It’s ok. Just, next time be more careful. Stay outside and if I say so, come inside,” she said. 

“Yes, Praetor”, he said.

He pushed past the pedes as they stiffened in salute, pushing past them and opening the door. As she did so, she heard Twilight squeak in surprise and drop the book held in her magic aura. She looked over the others, noting their looks of horror. She walked over and picked up the book. “Lord Severus's guide to Insects, Invertebrates, and Arachnids. An interesting choice, Twilight. Although, next time ask before looking at my property.”

She set the book back on the shelf, before turning to walk around them. As she did so, she took a moment to really get a good look at them. Unlike her, they hadn’t changed a bit since she had last seen them. She supposed that was to be expected, considering none of them had been in a war or anything; at least, to her knowledge. And judging by their shocked and horrified looks, she guessed they had expected more or less the same thing. Pinkie, in particular, looked sad, and at the same time the most scared. She finally made her way around them, turning around sharply and sitting back in her seat.

Before she could even lean back, Rarity asked, voice full of stunned horror, “Darling. What happened to you?”

She shrugged. “A few battle scars, but most of them are from other things.”

“Other things?”, Shining Armor asks. “What other things?”

“I fail to see how that’s any of your concern. Now, let’s get down to business. Why are you here?”, she asks.

They seemed to shuffle amongst themselves, clearly uncomfortable. Whether it was the chains that linked them to one another, or how she looked, or a combination of both, she didn’t know. Finally, Fluttershy stepped closer to her, waited for the rattle of chains to die down, and said softly, “We need your help.”

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow, and asked, “Care to explain?”


++++~++++


Rainbow leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples and sighing. She said, “So, let me get this straight. You exiled me. After several years, you were invaded by a race of shapeshifting bug-like ponies called Changelings. You’ve been pushed back to a place called the Crystal Empire, which is a city made of crystals and was lost in some alternate dimension for the past thousand years. Now, after months of looking for me, you’ve come here to try and convince me to help you reclaim the home I was exiled from. I’ve got that right?”

“Well, not the way we put it, but yeah!”, Pinkie said. 

Rainbow burst out laughing. 

“We’re not kidding!”, Shining barked. She just kept laughing. 

After a few seconds, she calmed down. “Oh. You gotta admit, if it wasn’t done to you, it’d be pretty funny.” After she finally fully calmed down, she said, “Sorry, but I can’t help you.”

“Wah not?”, Applejack asked, eyes narrowed. 

“Well, a few reasons. First of all, there are legal matters.”

“Legal matters?”, Twilight asked. 

Rainbow pulled out a small booklet from her desk, flipping through it for a few seconds. “Ah, here it is,'' she said. “Chapter four, section one, subsection eight. ‘A Pryhan soldier, of any rank, is, once assigned to a garrison posting, is under no circumstances allowed to leave unless having prior permission from their direct superior.’”

“So, you can just talk to your superior!”, Pinkie said, jumping up and down. How she did so with her chains, Rainbow had no idea. “Who is it?”

“The Legatus? Fluttershy should know him,'' Rainbow said. “She spilled wine on him last night.”

“Oh,'' Fluttershy mumbled. 

Rainbow sighed, and said, “Regardless, I honestly don’t want to help you in the first place.” That got surprised looks from all of them. 

“B-but why?”, Fluttershy asks. 

“Pryha, especially this part of the empire, has a decent amount of Griffonian influence. A la, have a mentality of Quid-Pro-Quo. Something for something. And, right now, I’m just hearing something that sounds like a waste of my time.”

“When we reclaim Equestria,'' Twilight said. “We’ll talk to the Princesses about getting your exile rescinded. You can come home.”

“Home?,” Rainbow questioned. She hadn’t even thought of it as home in years. 

The others nodded, and Pinkie said, “Yeah, Dashie! You can come back to Ponyville, and we can make cupcakes, and you can hang out with Scootaloo, and-”

While she rambled on, Rainbow considered it. She had to admit, she missed quite a few things about Ponyville, and Equestria in general. Coffee, cupcakes, her family, Scootaloo, the Wonderbolts… she then realized that was it. 

Cutting off Pinkies rambling, she said, “Sounds good, but I have to pass.”

“But, cupcakes...”, Pinkie says. 

“Why!?”, AJ yelled in anger. “We’ve helped you in the past, so why won’t you help us?”

“After you exiled me? After you left me to die, in the Gods know where?”, Rainbow asks. 

Shining Armor said, “You attacked my wife!”

“She was acting weird!”, Rainbow protested. “She did something weird to Twilight!”

Twilight said carefully, “Rainbow. No, she didn’t. She did nothing wrong. You attacked her for no reason.”

“But I-” She protested, before snarling and sliding back in her seat. “You know what, fine! I don’t care anymore! It doesn’t matter since I’m seriously not helping.”

That seemed to draw their attention away from what they thought she had done. Pinkie said, “But Dashie-”

“Don’t ‘But Dashie’ me!”, Rainbow said. “You do realize that this isn’t protocol. If I got lucky, I’d never have to see you again.”

“Protocol, rules”, Rarity said. “Since when did these things stop you from helping your friends?”

Rainbow sighed again, leaning down in her chair, and rubbing her temples. “Did you really just say that? And you’re serious about it, aren’t you?”

Rarity look switched to a nervous one, and she said, “W-well yes. I did.”

“Ok then. One, we’re not friends. None of you did shit to help me; you didn’t even try! Two, I’m a soldier. A trained professional. You kinda have to know and follow rules and protocols. Three, I’m serious about not helping you. You’ve given me no real reason to do so. So, give me a reason to do so, and I’ll consider it,” she said. 

The six of them huddled together, whispering and trying to come up with something, probably. After about two minutes, Rainbow said, “You know what, I was right. This was a waste of my time. Decurion!” As Pyrite and two of his pedes entered and her former friends turned to them, she said, “Ave. I think I’ve had enough. Take them back down to the penitentiary.”

“Ave, Praetor. Understood, Praetor”, Pyrite said, gesturing for his soldiers to grab onto the collars securing the chains in place. 

Twilight said, “You can’t do this!”

“Yes, I can. Remember last night? And you do have rights. To a fair trial, and an attorney. I don’t make the law. I just enforce it.”

The Pedes grabbed on the chains, yanking back Rarity and Pinkie Pie, beginning to lead them out. Suddenly, the two of them doing so stopped, and froze like squirrels in a spotlight. Rainbow barked, “What in Damocles name are you two doing? You have your orders, now go-” Rainbow then froze herself as she was met with what made them freeze. Fluttershy’s stare.

“Rainbow Blitz Dash!”, she yelled, placing her forelegs one Rainbows desk. “I don’t know what happened to you, but for Celestia’s sake! What’s wrong with you!? You’ve really become a bully! You yell and laugh at your friends, and-”

“You’re not my friends, you stupid bitch!”, Rainbow roared in reply. “I haven’t even seen you in over nine fucking years, and you have the gall to call me to a bully!? Fuck you!”

“You see! That’s what I mean!”, Fluttershy said. “You’re not kind! You’re leaving us to potentially die, and you-”

They were interrupted by a loud tapping on the window. Turning, they saw Depressi in the window. Rainbow stood up and walked over to the window, opened it and said, “Yes? What is it, Sport?”

“Harpoon said his dad can take us down to the Pillars! Can I go!? Please?”, he said. 

Despite what was going on in her office, Rainbow managed to smile. “Sure, Sport. Just tell them you have to be back by sundown, ok?”

“Sure! Thanks, mom!”, he said and flew off. 

The room was silent, save for the rattling of the chains and breathing. Twilight asked, “W-who was that?”

“My son. Depressi Tonituro”, Rainbow said. 

Pinkie said, “That’s great!”

“He’s a bit… old, isn’t he?”, Rarity asked. 

Rainbow snorted, before turning and pressing a hoof on her desk. She said, “I suppose.”

“Wah is that?”, Applejack asked.

“He’s not my current husband, if that’s what you're wondering,'' she said. Not really noticing Pinkies slight wilting, she continued. “He’s technically, a bastard.”

“A bastard?”, Shining asked.

Twilight explained, “Somepony born to two people who aren’t married or have any relationship.”

“Yeah. He was from some degenerate fuckstain named Dermot. I didn’t want him, but he’s become one of the best things in my life.”

“If you didn’t want him”, Fluttershy asked, all of the anger in her voice and face gone. “Then how did you have him?”

“Rape”, she simply said. 

They all looked at her in renewed horror. She sighed, and continued, “Yeah. And that’s not all.” She pointed to the scars running down her face. “I got these from Dermot's boss, who did it for kicks.” She then pointed to her left eye, which was now covered with an eyepatch. “Dermot's boss also did this, with a red-hot iron spike.” Finally, she pointed to her other iron leg. “Dermot did this. Cut them off with a rusty saw after I tried to escape.” She lowered her head and sighed. “They did other shit too. Brands, knives. Hell, after they cut them off, they cooked and made me eat my own fucking forelegs.”

“Rainbow...”, Pinkie said.

Rainbow snorted. “Don’t. I’ve moved on. I don’t care. I love my son, and I make do with what I have. So, don’t.” Turning back to Pyrite, she said, “You have your orders. Get them out of my fort.”

They began to do so, this time able to do it much better thanks to their stunned nature. Before they could be lead out, however, Vexillum and a pair of his Praetorians squeezed past them into her office. “Ave, Praetor!”, he said, saluting. 

“Ave, Praefect. What is it?,” she asked. 

“The Caesar is here, and he wishes to speak to you.”

“What!?”, she said. She scrambled back to her desk, pulling out her Triumphators Cross medal, attaching it to her subarmalis and grabbing her helmet. “Decurion. Keep them in here. If they do anything stupid, you have my permission to do anything short of killing them to keep them under control.”

“Yes, Praetor”, he said.

“As for you”, she said to the mares and Shining. “Stay here. I told my Decurion he can kill you if you try anything funny, so behave.” She then followed Vexillum and her Praetorians out of her office, shutting the door behind her.
> 82~Foreign Aid
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I know rather little equish, but I know enough to tell that you lied to them", Vexillum said.

""Yeah, but they'll figure it out. Let's go," she said.

Her second-in-command followed her down the hallway, taking note of her face and somewhat heavy breathing. "You ok, Praetor? You look like you want to drag someone up a mile into the air and slam them down headfirst into the Teufel."

"Yeah. Just fucking hate those Degenerates."

He nodded and didn't say anything else. That was something that she liked about Vexillum. He was a good officer and knew when to not pry into others businesses. Back to business. 

The two of them entered the courtyard, and, sure enough, she was greeted with the Caesars Honor Guard. In the center of the courtyard of the Principia, she saw Caesar Diocletian talking with Gilda. Or, more accurately, Gilda was using a translator to talk to him. Rainbow adjusted her swagger stick on her shoulder, straightened her helmet plume, and took a deep breath, before going up to meet them. 

"Ave, Caesar, she greeted, bowing her head as she saluted. "'Sup, Gil. This is a bit sudden, Caesar. What's going on? Something you need?"

"Yes, there is, Praetor", Diocletian said. "Get your me ready to move."

That got her attention. "What is it? The Saurians rebelling or something?"

"Nah, nothin' like that", Gilda said. "However, I do think you'll be familiar with the one who brought this problem to your Caesars attention. Well, I was gonna, but she beat me to it."

"Who?" Then, she saw them behind, and her eyes widened. A pair of stallions, unicorn stallions at that. They had light grey coats, white tails, and yellow eyes. They wore dark navy armor and a golden plate along the back, with a golden badge on the breast. The helmet had a large white plume and ornate etching along the top. The two held spears in their grip and looks of stone on their faces. She hadn't, obviously, seen anything like them in a long time, but recognized them nonetheless: Equestrian Night Guards. And if Night Guards were here, that would likely lead to one conclusion. "Princess Luna."

Sure enough, the Alicorn in question stepped out from behind her guards. She stood tall and regal as always, yet things had changed. Instead of a collar, hoof shoes, and a tiara, she instead wore a suit of armor. Segmented plate, similar to that which covered the shoulders and chests of Pryhan soldiers, covered her torso, colored pitch black with similar runes to her guard's helmets carved into it. Her crown was much larger, being implemented into a basinet with a small blade protecting her horn. Proper vambraces covered her legs, the tips ending in hardened steel. A sheathed sword was tucked under her wing, and she looked like she knew how to use it well. 

"Greetings, Rainbow Dash", She said, in perfect Demosian. "It has been a long time."

"Indeed it has, Princess. Indeed it has."

Gilda butted in, saying, "Can we all just switch to equish? Most of us know how to speak it, and the translator can still help me. From all three of you talkin' in it, you're gonna give the poor chick an aneurysm."

Nodding, Rainbow then said, "So, what is this 'issue'? I'm going to assume it has something to do with why you're here, Princess, and in proper armor to boot."

"Indeed", The lunar princess said. "Equestria has fallen. My sister has been captured by the invaders, a species known as-"

Rainbow interrupted her with a wave of her talon. "Adding the part about your blind and worthless sister being captured, I already knew about this."

That drew everyone's attention. "And you failed to report this to the local Legatus, because?"

"Because I only got this info in the last half-hour, Caesar." She then proceeded to explain the events of the previous night, as well as her recent shouting bout with the Element bearers and Shining Armor. As she explained the charges leveled against them, Luna shook her head and face hoofed. 

"Caesar Diocletian, I apologize on behalf of my citizens. Is there anything I could do to remove the charges leveled against them?", She pleaded. 

"You have already promised much, Princess, for what has been, at the moment, a rather low rate of returns."

As the two began going back and forth, Rainbow asked Gilda, "So, how do you factor into all this?"

She shrugged. "The last Equestrian remnants, at least that I knew of, were held up in this place called the Crystal Empire. While the 'Empire' is only about a capital city, a few small towns along the borders, and some mines, it does technically share a border with the northern parts of Griffonia. And the bug Queen, Chrysalis, is a good and proper imperialist. When she couldn't get the Empire, she began skirting the edges of the Frozen Wastes, heading up north to claim territory along the Landbridge. So, I came down to Pryha to see if I could get a few maniples, maybe some speculatores and/or artillery to give me a bit of help." 

"And Luna's draggin' us into a war?"

"You, she is. She had come by shortly after the fall of Canterlot, say a few about the time your 'Unification Wars' wrapped up. She asked for help, and I told her I would when the Bugs come knockin' on my door. They are now, so I was gonna help fuck their shit up."

"Geeze, you've gotten rambly, Beak-brain."

"Can it, Crash."


+++++~+++++


After the two side conversations wrapped up, business resumed. Apparently, in exchange for Pryhan aid, Princess Luna had promised the Empire some serious tribute. Several million in gold, for starters. Other provisions were the gifting of more advanced Equestrian technology they had either not invented themselves (like the printing press) or things they hadn't created equivalents of. They added a few thousand extra bits in exchange for dropping charges against the traitors, which Dash grumbled about, but let it go.

Now, Rainbows regiment had been selected for a reason. Due to her position along the coast and the fact her fort was on the very edge of the empire, she was the closest to Equestria. She had some familiarity with Equestria and some of its more prominent citizens so that could help out a bit. And, as she and her Regiment reputation traveled, they were rumored to be the best. Rainbow didn't dispute that, even if she had to go and help the traitors. 

She sighed as she started on the reports to the Consul about the situation. Sometimes orders weren't the best, or most useful in someone's opinion. However, orders were orders, and she had to follow them.
> 83~Homecoming
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

About a week later, Rainbow and one of her Maniples was only a few hours from where Luna had encamped the Equestrian Remnants. While the rest of the regiment would be another five weeks, this part of her unit had been able to squeeze into an airship that the Princess had brought with her. The plan was to have the First Maniple arrive first, and help improve the Equestrian Royal Guard. When the rest of the regiment arrived, they would press north, beginning the invasion of Changeling occupied territory. 

The whole Regiment was ready to move in less than a day. In fact, most of the time was spent pulling in, giving orders to, and organizing fully the Free Company militia units that would act as Law Enforcement while the Regiment was gone. While her son begged to come with her, she refused. She didn't want him to get hurt. Despite his begging, she said goodbye and left aboard the Princess's airship. 


+++++


"Break it up! Break it up!", she yelled, forcing apart Applejack and one of her troops. After they stopped pushing, she said, "Now, what in the Hell is going on!"

"Apologies, Praetor", the Pede said, saluting. "I was just talking with my friend here when she came up. According to Desmond here, she said she was a farmer; something called apples. She got Irate when I told her that I've never heard of them and that they sound disgusting."

"Applejack", Rainbow said. "My soldier here said that you got in his face and, quote, 'Irate', when he said apples sound disgusting to him. Is this true?"

"W-well yeah!", she said. "We put a lot of effort into apples, and for him to say they sound disgusting without even tryin' one, it's-"

Rainbow put up her talon, shushing her. "AJ, Pryhans have a type of food, called Copadia. It's a beef stew, laced with garum, onions, and spices. Now, tell me. Does that sound disgusting?"

"Of course! It's meat!", she said.

Rainbow smirked. "Oh, but you've never had it. How can you think that if you've never had it?"

"Toche, Dash"

"Thank you", she said, before turning to her troops. "However, you two. That being said, you know the policy of handling civilians." Both of them nodded, and she continued, "Tell your Tribune that your wine ration is to be cut by half for the next two months. Fail to tell him, and I'll cut it by three-fourths. Clear?"

After they nodded, she said, "Now, you three are going in separate directions. I've just woken up, and have to go talk with Princess Luna. I hear anything like this happening for the rest of the trip, I'll throw you off the side of the airship with a sack of rocks strapped to your legs, clear? Good." She stormed off, snorting in mild irritation. 

She made her way along the outer deck of the ship, heading toward the bow. Princess Luna had asked to meet with her, and so she was on her way. Off to her left, the moon was beginning to fade below the horizon, and a light pink sliver began to poke up from the horizon. Below them, the sea gave way to a light, sandy beach, like the kind near Creui she had taken Depressi to on the weekends sometimes when school was out and she could escape the pile of paperwork. As the ship chugged along a bit further, she saw the sand darken in color from a light tan to a dull reddish-brown, and cacti pop up. 

She finally arrived at the bow of the airship, where she was greeted by Princess Luna. Or, more accurately, she found Princess Luna barely awake, head tilted back as she downed several cups of coffee at once. The bags around her eyes were heavy, and she looked about ready to pass out. When she saw Rainbow standing there, she set the mugs down on the table and waved her over.

"Good morn--*YAWN*--, whoa, excuse me. Sorry. Good morning, Praetor Rainbow." Gesturing to the seat next to her at the small table, she said, "Come, come. Have a seat."

Rainbow did so, removing and placing her helmet on the ground as she did so. "Good morning to you too, Princess." After an awkward pause, she said, "So. I don't suppose you have any coffee left?"

The alicorn levitated the pot over to an empty mug, poured in the black liquid, and passed it to Rainbow. She grasped the warm mug in her wings and lifted it up to her face. She blew on it to clear some of the steam from the surface, then took a sip. Immediately, the bitter warmth of the black coffee filled her mouth, making her shudder and sigh in bliss. It was like taking a Pryhan Bath in her mouth.

"I had no idea I was such a good brewer", Luna said. "I just hit the espresso button, and let it handle it for me."

Rainbow lowered the mug, saying, "Yeah, well they don't have coffee in Pryha like, at all. So, this is my first cup in over nine years. Trust me when I say I'm enjoying myself." She took another slow sip, fully letting the warmth and the flavor filter into her bones.

"I see", she said. "Well, how have you been?"

"Fine, fine. I've had to avoid my 'Friends'", She said, a hint of bitterness leaking into that last word. "And I had to prevent a fight between Applejack and two of my men about her bloody Apples. But, well, other than that, I've been fine otherwise. Anyway, would you mind if I finish this? I want to enjoy this."

"By all means, do so."

While she did, the Princess began to float over several small bits. A chessboard, she realized when she was able to see it clearly. Luna said, "I'll admit, I don't know how to play well, but I want to try. Besides, a game of strategy might help us to come up with one of our own."

Not objecting to her logic, the Princess removed the several empty mugs and placed the board on the table, perfectly arranging the pieces on top; Rainbow was white, and she was black. As they talked, the two of them began to go over how to properly implement the various troops of nations Luna had managed to convince to help her. 

Most of the forces would be made up of the Royal Guard, who would be rather inexperienced in most regards. They would act as a backbone but were still kind of bad. Some of the remaining Wonderbolts had adjusted training to allow them to act as elite infantry, but they still weren't exactly trained soldiers. The exact opposite of the Equestrians, her troops, would be the best troops and the core of the heavy infantry. Buffalo were massive, heavy, and could build up a bit of momentum on the run: the quintessential shock troops. Yaks function in the same way. The pony nations of Prance and Germaney had also supplied troops; simple, well-equipped and trained, if not battle-hardened troops. The griffonians were also skilled flyers and would be the main airborne troops. Finally, some Saddle Arabian troops were also coming and would act as fast, well-equipped skirmishers. Similar troops would be present in the northern front, with Yaks replacing Buffalo and a lack of Saddle Arabian and Pryhan troops. 

They also discussed strategy. The plan was formed as to how to reclaim the country. From the north, the Crystal Empire, Yakyakistan, as well Griffonian, Prench, and Germane soldiers would move to capture several of the northern cities. Slow, steady advances, not wanting to overextend or become exposed. Meanwhile, with more troops and more experienced troops at that, Princess Luna would press up from the south, fast and hard. Both sides would convene around Canterlot, and from there just crush the remaining Changelings. Similar to the Unification Wars in a way; take the ends, then crush them like a vice between the two army groups. 

Another aspect of the campaign that they discussed was the experimental equipment her regiment had been issued with. Part of the reason a full regiment was committed was to properly test new equipment. One of her maniples would have so-called 'Thunder-lances'; spears that had three barrels like mini-cannons that shot lead balls. They also had cannons and the previously discussed Hornet Swarms. Luna agreed that these were lethal weapons, and told her to thank the Caesar for these additional weapons. Rainbow said that they were for her men, and were testing them. Luna wilted but said she understood.

The two wrapped up their little game as the game plan was refined. Luna won, but Rainbow was only a few moves away from checkmate. The two then went their separate ways, heading back to their rooms to await the arrival at the Refugee Camp.
> 84~Familiar Faces
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Less than five hours, the airship had arrived at the Refugee Camp, nicknamed by the crew on the ship as the 'Tent Town'. While a bit derogatory, it was a rather accurate descriptor. Nestled in several large plateaus, the large mass of multicolored tents was a near endless sprawl across the dusty place. It almost reminded her of an impoverished and destroyed Pryha; an endless sprawl, covering everything it came into contact and uncaring of the terrain. Milling around this tent city, she caught sight of hundreds, if not thousands of ponies, many of which looked up to watch the airship landing in a gap between two of the plateaus. The spot they landed near was by one of the few proper buildings: several square, mud-brick buildings that, due to the number of guards and the few Wonderbolts milling about, was a barracks. 

Speaking of the Wonderbolts, she saw several of them coming up toward the airship as the mooring lines were thrown down and secured to the hard-packed sand of the valley floor. Over their blue and yellow jumpsuits, they wore small, ancient pegasi scale armor breastplates, iron horseshoes with mounted Fighting Claws on their forelegs, and small basinet helmets similar in style to Princess Lunas. However, even despite this, she was able to identify them immediately due to coat and mane colors. There were five in total: Spitfire, Soarin, Fleetfoot, Silver Zoom, and a third mare with an aquamarine coat and two-toned blonde mane she didn't recognize.

As the gangplank was lowered and the Princess, Rainbow Dash, Element Bearers, Shining Armor, and those the officers of the First Maniple exited. The Wonderbolts snapped to attention, and Spitfire said, "Good to see you're back in one piece, your Highness. How was your trip?"

"Quite well, Captain," The Princess replied. "The Griffonians are on board, with troops heading both here and to the northern front. In addition, I have procured aid from the Pryhans, who've dispatched one of their top regiments, along with its equally well-renowned commander."

"And who would that be?" Soarin asked. 

With a knowing smile, Luna stepped aside, revealing Rainbow in her full armor. All of the Wonderbolts' eyes widened, and several let out gasps of surprise. Spitfire stepped forward, the unfamiliar mare following close behind. "Rainbow Dash? Are YOU the Pryhan commander?"

"No, it's Miss 'Apples-are-the-best' over here", she said, getting a bit of satisfaction out of the orange mares scowling. "Yes, I'm the Praetor, or Commander, of the Fourteenth Regiment." Turning to Luna, she said, "I have to get my men into our own camp. Give me a few hours, and I'll be ready to talk with you."

She nodded, and the two groups parted. Rainbow lead her officers off, looking for a place to set up camp, while everyone else went into the Tent City. Well, except Spitfire and the mystery mare. Said mare walked up next to her as she walked, looking at her while sizing her up. "So, you're this 'Rainbow Dash' that my Lil' Spits-y keeps bringing up, eh?"

Spitfire had also caught up and blushed at the comment. "Lightning!"

"What?"

"We're in public. We agreed not to do stuff like it in public!"

"You know I don't follow orders well."

"It was your idea, Dusty."

The two of them went back and forth, bickering like an old married couple. One of her officers, a Centurion named Pike Wall, said, "Are Equestrians normally this talkative? I only have the Pink one to go on, and I had a feeling she's an outlier."

"Some of them, Sometimes.", was her reply. Returning her attention to the Wonderbolt mares, she said, "I take it you two are dating?"

"Married with a little ball of energy, actually", Spitfire said, flicking her earing adorned ear. 

"I'd love to hear about it," Rainbow said. "But, unfortunately, I got stuff I got to take care of. Maybe tonight? I've brought some additional resources besides the bare necessities, and Pryhan wine is some of the best in the world."

"Sounds good", Lightning said.

Spitfire added, "Yeah. See you then."

The two married mares flew off, leaving Rainbow with her subordinates.


+++++~+++++


Rainbow stood on the edge of the trench being dug by her men. While a much smaller force than normal, they still were building the standard field encampment: A trench around an earthen wall, studded with premade stakes brought on the storage wagons. Rows of tents, including her own, were arranged inside, ready to accept the Pedes after they finished working. Her men dug the trench, piling the dirt into buckets to use to make the wall. She was simply overseeing things when she heard a voice behind her. One she had hoped to avoid. 

"Oh, hey Rainbows!", Said Zephyr Breeze as he scooted his way into her line of sight. "Welcome back!"

"Oh, hey! Hi, Zephyr. Can I help you?", She said. Meanwhile, a mantra echoed through her head: Stay civil. Stay civil. Stay civil. 

"I just wanted to check if you were still as in Lo~ove with me. And, I can tell; you still are." By now, he had fully stepped in front of her, right on the edge of the trench. "I gotta say, Rainbows. Lookin' good! Although, it could still use some improvements. I mean, Dra~ab!"

"This is the standard armor and clothing of a Pryhan Praetor. It's against regulations to modify it in any way. If I could, trust me, I would." Stay civil. Stay civil. Stay civil. Stay civil!

He shot his typical shit-eating, arrogant, 'Irresistible' grin her way, making her mime puking. He didn't get the hint, saying, "Oh, come on, Rainbows. I know you can't hold it in behind that wall of 'Regulations' and 'Standards'. Let your true love help you. I can make you look fabulous!"

"Looking 'Fabulous' is for the parade ground and formal events." Stay civil! Stay civil! Stay civil! "Now, I have other matters I need to attend to. Please, go find someone, or something, else to go try and stick your cock in."

She tried to walk off, heading over a gap in the trench to go into the Via Principalis, but Zephyr was right on her tail. "Aww, come on, Rainbows. I know you can't resist me!" Rainbow muttered rather unflattering comments under her breath at him in Demosian, but he still followed her. Unfortunately, she turned back to look at him to start yelling and ended up tripping on a rock. This caused her to fall forward, then backward, sending her into his hooves. "Ah, I knew it!" As she tried to right herself, he wrapped his forelegs around her, using his wings to keep his own balance. "I'm so glad you're finally choosing to admit your feelings for me, Rainbows", he said, batting his eyes.

"Oh, just piss off!", Rainbow said, shoving him off. 

Zephyr followed alongside her, and said, "Oh, seriously. I was just messing around! Just let me help you!"

Rainbow stopped and smiled. "Oh, you want to help me?" When he nodded, she smiled wider. She then turned to her left, yelling over to one of her officers. When she came up to her and saluted, Rainbow said, "Get an extra shovel. He wants to help."

The officer smiles, seemingly catching on. She said, "By your command, Praetor." 

As she ran off, Rainbow turned to Zephyr, saying, "So, how have you been these past few years?"

"Oh, great! Well, besides the whole changeling part. That's been pretty sucky. So what about you?", he said.

"Oh, you know", she said. "I've been a soldier for a few years, I've been mauled by murderous thugs, been a drug addict, had a son, and gotten married. It's been a rollercoaster ride, really."

"Wait wait wait! Married!?", Zephyr yelled, eyes wide. 

Rainbow smirked. "Yeah, married. Quite happily, too. So, I have no real interest in entertaining you." She turned her gaze over to the officer, who was coming back with a shovel. "Ah, thank you." She then shoved the shovel into Zehpyr's hooves, and said, "So, you want to help me? Ok. Help my troops dig the trench."

"B-but I-"

"Now!", she said. He whimpered and slid into the trench, shoveling out a few scoopfuls. "On the other end of the trench, numbnuts! Keep an eye on him. He's a bit of a lazy shit."
> 85~Military Analysis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After getting her Regiments temporary HQ set up, she had begun to begin her overseeing of the Equestrians training. Or, rather, re-training. The current members of the Royal Guard would be given additional training according to the Pryhan standard, or at least as close to it as she could pull off in a few weeks. And so, that is what brought her to her current situation: on a small wooden railing overlooking a company of Royal Guards. 

The mix of stallions and mares stood at attention, eyes glued up at her, her officers, Shining Armor, and the Royal Guard lieutenant who was in charge of this unit. Spears pointed straight up at attention, firmly held. Their armor was freshly polished, so they gleamed like large lamps in the desert sun. All in all, an impressive sight; for those not of her experience. To her and her subordinates, however...

"This is one of the most pathetic displays of might from an organized military unit I've ever seen."

The Lieutenant said sheepishly, "Well, I. I had to cut corners a bit. All units are of similar stock, save the Night Guards."

"It's fine, Lieutenant", Shining said, before walking up to the side of her. "What's wrong? All I see is an 'at attention' Royal Guard company."

"To you", Rainbow returned, before going full analysis mode on him. She leaped down off the scaffolding and began to walk along the front of the line. "They have little to no formation to speak of, several of them are having little reveries, several more are not at attention. Hell, only like, an eighth of them have actual weapons! I've seen feral, adrenaline-fueled Degenerates have more unit cohesion than this rabble!"

Shining, who had joined her by now, growled out, "Yeah? Well, if your men are so good, then why don't you bring them out to show us."

"I thought you'd never ask. Centurion Pike Wall!" As the officer snapped to attention, she said, "Sound assembly!"

He saluted and turned to his units Cornifer. Upon giving the order, a shrill, constant sound of horns blew out, shattering the still, wavy desert air. A few minutes later, a large shuffling of feet could be heard, and another second later, a mass of Pryhan soldiers entered the assembly area. Following months of training and years of drill on the action, the summoned Century formed a perfect square block, each spacing between them an exact length. The Optio and Vexillarius stood at attention at their respective places at the front of the block, the missing spots for the Centurion and Cornifer obvious. All of them stood still, perfectly at attention. 

"That, my dear Captain, is a proper assembly. Need I remind you who is the superior here?" That seemed to set him off a bit. 

"Ok, so your men are good at looking good. But, what about experience?"

"Pot calling the Kettle black." When he merely shot her a confused look, she sighed and said, "What I mean is that my men are likely much, much more experienced than any of your men. And better equipped. And trained." 

"All of them are veterans of the Battle of Canterlot, and other fighting retreats from the Changelings", he said. "And all of them have chain mail!"

She just smiled. "All of mine are veterans of the Unification Wars, the Battle of Pryha, the second Zebrican-Pryhan war, and several other actions. As for equipment, the armor offers the best protection possible, while still maintaining the best flexibility. They can outfight anything you can throw at them." While looking at his stern face, she said, "How 'bout a wager?"

"What do you have in mind?", he asked. 

"You and me." With his look of confusion, she said, "A duel. The Pryhans have a saying: 'The state of the Commander reflects the state of the Pedes. If they are unable to fight, then the Pedes are unable to beat a mob of hounds. If they can outfight a god, then the Pedes are invincible.' So, let us see how good your men are, and how good mine are, eh?"

He grinned back. "You're on. Five minutes to get ready?"

"Three." The two of them then went off to the sides to go prepare. 


+++++~+++++


The two of them stood in a circle of the soldiers, who were cheering and laughing, exchanging bets on who would win. Each of their commanders faced each other, weapons on the ready. Shining was clad in his purple and gold captain's armor, his officer's sword wrapped in his horns aura. Rainbow, meanwhile, was in her Linothorax, subarmailis, helmet, and greaves. She had borrowed the Shield, harness, and Lance of one of her men, her swords nestled at her side. 

"Remember", she called across the circle. "No magic, no flying. Just a straight, simple, honorable affair. Cool?"

"Yeah, yeah", he called back. "I just hope this doesn't take too much time."

The two straightened into fighting stances and made ready. One of the Royal Guards lit up his horn red, and it then flashed to yellow. The two of them shared one last look before his the guard's horn flashed green. The two then broke into loping strides, charging one another. 

Rainbow, shortly before they would have impacted, she slid. Dirt flew up into the air, and she swung the lance like a bat at his legs. He was running too fast, and he slammed into it. He tumbled head over heels, slamming headfirst into the dirt. He slid at least four feet, dust, rocks, and sand flying into his grit teeth mouth. Her men began laughing, while Shining' looked rather nervous. He stood up, eyes smoldering with rage, and began lashing out at her with a series of rapid, quick slashes.

Shining swung down in a wide arc, the blade coming the side not covered by the shield. She shifted her shoulder, intercepting the strike on the edge of the wooden scutum, before performing fast, rapid thrusts with the lance at his chest. He backed up, before swinging at the spearhead, cleaving it off. She threw it like a javelin, smacking it into his head before drawing her sword and moving in close. Her men cheered her on, their own lances pounding on the ground or they beat their shields with their swords. 

He stumbled back from the impact of the lance, his sword almost dropping out of his aura. She shoved the heavy shield into his chest, putting him even further off balance. Now he did drop the sword, as well as his helmet flying off as he fell on his flank. Before he could react, she put her short sword to his throat, the tip contracting the fur a bit. "And that's your head."

She then resheathed her sword, turning the stunned Royal Guards. "I beat your 'Captain', in ten seconds flat. He lasted only a bit longer than an unarmored, un-disciplined barbarian. I have a feeling one of my troops could do the same; maybe in a bit more time, but the same results. This shows a distinct lack of skill, commitment, and training. That will be changing. I expect all of you out here tomorrow morning, at 0730. Sharp. Gents: Welcome to the 14th Regimental Auxilia."
> 86~Training (AKA: Whining)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, at the allotted time, she and her officers were all waiting at the designated assembly area. To her surprise, all of the Royal Guards arrived at the same time, putting themselves into a rather broken formation. She had to walk up the line, using her swaggers stick to properly arrange the soldiers. Lifting up heads, spreading open legs, etc, etc. Finally, she moved back to the front of the company, sighing before she slung her swagger stick under her wing. 

"Alright, gents. Like I said, I've been given command to update your training. So, let's begin." She stepped over to the side, pulling out of her swagger stick. "A Pryhan soldier is expected to march at least thirty miles in five hours, and believe me, that is fast. So, in your first hour, you should be able to go over there", she said, pointing at one of the plateaus. "And back two times, which is just under three miles. No using magic, no taking off your gear, nothing; just follow orders, and get a move on." The Guards all looked around nervously, and she narrowed her eyes. "Well? Go!"

One of the Guards spoke up, "What kind of stupid 'training' is this!?"

"Whoever said that, step to the front". The guard in question stepped forward: a somewhat familiar-looking grey stallion with a black tail. "Now, what makes you say that?"

"We have to walk over there and back twice, for what? We're in all our equipment!"

Rainbow just smiled, finally getting the chance to do her job. To the whole company, she said, "This soldier just disobeyed an order!" She turned to one of the Centurions, who just shared her grin and walked off to go get something. "A unit is held together by discipline and cohesion! If one of you fall behind, you all fall behind! Now, while the rest of you will be marching in full armor and weapons." She then grabbed the fully packed Sarcina that the Centurion got her. "You will be marching. WITH FULL KIT!" She then shoved the sarcina into his hooves. "NOW MOVE!"

The guard in question and the whole company all balked in shock. Then, when they all realized that she wasn't kidding, they all began mumbling and moving out, the soldier who had been called to the front taking the Sarcina. They all started walking, the formation falling to pieces. "I didn't say you could break formation!" She growled and said to one of her officers, "Watch them. They break in formation, add an additional ten yards."

"Yes, Praetor." The caragor trotted off, yelling at them yelling in a bit of broken equish, mostly to maintain formation and to keep pace. Rainbow leaned against the wall, sighing. This was gonna be a long day.


+++++~+++++


An hour later, the Guards returned. All of them were sweating like crazy, panting like dogs and slumped down to the point they resembled semi-circles. Despite this, they did all hold onto a loose sense of a formation, still holding onto the shreds of the old block of their company. The Decurion who was in charge of watching them came up to her, having only a light sweat, most likely from the heat rather than exhaustion like the rest of them. 

"How were they, Decurion?", she asked, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. 

"Not the best, Praetor", she said, shaking her head. "I mean, they're better than raw recruits, but not by much. They don't know how to march in time, they can't hold their weapons properly. They don't have canteens, or sweat rags, or any other source of water worked out while on the march. I could probably teach Rhinos to sing 'God save the Caesar' faster than I could teach them to be proper soldiers."

She turned to Vexillum, and said, "Vex, go get your translation rune. I'll go yell at them." After he saluted and walked off, she moved over to the still at attention Guards. "Fall out", she cried, and they immediately collapsed like sacks of flour, moaning, sighing, and groaning in pain. "Pathetic. So, how's the morale?"

A light brown stallion with a darker brown mane and tail said, "Oh, it's great."

"Excellent. Because we're not done." They all groaned as Vexillum came back, the glowing blue rune glowing on his necklace. "This is my second-in-command, and for the foreseeable future, your DS, Praefect Vexillum Aeternam. So, Vexillum, from what you've seen, I'd say at least an hour before lunch?"

Despite the mimed 'no's, looks of outright terror, and other sighs of protest, he said, "With this sorry lot? At least an hour."


+++++~+++++


That night, she entered the small, mudbrick building that acted as Princess Luna's HQ and living quarters. She had been asked to come, namely to discuss the situation with the Guard. When she entered, she was greeted with a simple abode, far more than some of the nobles that had managed to be evacuated. Over the low table that was the only major piece of furniture in the living room, she had set up a small plate of food. She said, "Greetings, Praetor Rainbow Dash. Please, have something to eat."

"No thanks and just Rainbow is fine." She then set down on the other side of the table and sighed. "You wanted a report on how the Royal Guard training is going?"

"That is why I asked you here, yes", she said. "So, please. Indulge me."

She said, "Well, to be blunt, they all suck. I don't know about your troops, but they are of decent quality from what I've seen. Not at Pryhan, or Griffonian, or even at Saddle Arabian levels, but they could probably give a decently equipped Militia unit or a Brigand gang a run for their money. But, your sister must've been a complete idiot when it came to the army. Er, no offense."

"None taken. Sometimes, historians and fanatics of my sister tend to, exaggerate, and the fact she spent a lot of her time with the elites didn't help", she said. 

"Yep. Bunch of fucking leeches, aristocrats. Thank the Gods that the Empire doesn't have any. Back on topic, yeah, the Royal Guard sucks. No unit cohesion, little to no weapons proficiency, poor equipment maintenance. Hell, they can barely march a half mile before they start panting and wheezing. And don't get me started on the whining. Point is, in as short a time as I have, I can't make much out of them. You, and by proxy, you Equestrians, are lucky that this force is mostly Night Guards, cause otherwise, this would be a short campaign."

"I see", Luna said, sipping some water. She looked at her, sadness and barely concealed pain in her eyes. "Just do what you can."

"Yes, Princess." She turned to leave, stopping at the edge of the doorway. "Princess", she said, drawing her attention. "From a friend to another, you can't hold all of it alone. You go it alone, you'll eventually break under your burden. Trust me, I know." She then left the room, flying back over to her regiments temporary HQ.
> 87~It Begins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow said, "Begin!". Several of the Royal Guards immediately charged straight at the Pryhan Pede, who hunkered behind his shield and readied his curved sword to thrust out around it. At the last second, he sprang forward, slamming into two of them and sending them reeling back. The unicorn next to the collision tried to use his magic to stab around the wooden blocker, but the pede pressed him, knocking him on the head with the blunt end of the sword. As she crumpled to the floor, the remaining three came at him from several directions at once. The Terran pede charged, using his momentum to ram another guard. The pegasi guard tried to do a flyby, but the guard ducked the attack, using his swords hook-like shape to grab onto the straps of his armor and pulling him to the hard-packed dirt. He turned to face the last on, who was shaking so hard his armor was also shaking. The Pryhan just walked up and, with her still quivering, conked her on the head. She crumbled to the floor, and the Pede went to go rest in the shade. Rainbow, meanwhile, just shook her head.

It had been three weeks since she had arrived and begun training the two Royal Guard divisions. In that time, she had also evaluated their standing. The Night Guard had improved greatly from when she had arrived, and they already weren't the worst fighters. With a little effort, she had managed to turn them, who made up most of the force, into a decent fighting unit. They still couldn't stand up to Pryhan Pedes, or Griffonian Troopers, or even Saddle Arabian Sparabara, but they could give Free Company units back in Pryha or hardened Pirates a run for their money. 

Now, the Royal Guards were another story. As they had borne the brunt of the assault during the Changeling invasion, there were only a few of them; no more than six hundred when compared to the Night Guards five thousand. However, that didn't mean they were better, or even on equal footing. Luna must've had a better training regimen because they absolutely sucked. Yes, a few of them took to it ok, and even a bit fewer were actually competent. But, for the most part, they were terrible troops. They had improved, but not by much. 

Hence, what she had just saw. Seven to One and they had their asses handed to them; and these were some of the more competent ones. She muttered under her breath in demosian and went over to a makeshift desk to write up the days report. When she arrived, she found Pinkie waiting for her. "What do you want?", Rainbow groused, pushing past her to get to the seat. 

"I just wanted to say Hi!"

"So? You just did", she said. "Now piss off, before I have you escorted out of my tent."

She replied, in a weird pouty, trying-to-sound-cure voice, "Oh, come on, Dashie! I just want to talk, and maybe have a few cupca-"

"Why and how do you still have cake", Rainbow asked. "Now, I won't ask again: Piss. Off. Before I make you; with a barbed, POISONED Veretum. Get the picture, you hypocritical, ditsy bitch?"

Before either could respond, a loud, deep thrumming could be heard in the distance. Rainbows scowl immediately vanished, and she pushed aside a confused Pinkie. Spotting Shining Armor and Princess Luna on the edge of the makeshift training yard, she flew over and landed by them. They turned when the saw her, Shining asking, "What on Equis is that?"

She just flashed a smile at them under her plumed helmet. "That, my friend, is the rest of your reinforcements."

As she said that, the front of the column appeared over the hill on the horizon. In the midmorning sun, light reflected off of their mail, helmets, and segmented plate, like thousands of tiny lighthouses in a storm. Lances and Sarcinas leaned on their shoulders, making the force look even bigger when they arrived on somewhat level ground to them. The officers marched both alongside and in front of the lines of troops, shouting out the cadence and keeping the Pedes dressing. Horns, which made the sounds she heard just a minute ago, sounded out a rapid, steady cadence. Rainbow couldn't help but grin. The 14th Regiment, Pride of the Empire, had arrived.

And it wasn't just them. Above them, also in a column-like formation, flew a massive force of Griffons. Like when Gilda came to Pryha after Diocletian's coronation, they wore bronze lamellar and leather armor, small, tight-fitting helmets with red feather plumes, and sheathed massively curved sabers. However, she was also able to spot a few other bits of equipment. Recurve short bows, Glaives, and small, round wooden shields. 

"So, Princess. When exactly did you intend to begin your invasion?", She said. "I mean, you did say I had three weeks to train the Tin Cans. So, I take it we move out soon?"

"But we need more time!", Shining protested. "My ponies-"

"Are unimportant, Captain", Luna snapped, stunning both of them. "Your men are unable to keep up, and they simply aren't ready. But we can't afford to wait for less than a thousand ponies Every day, every hour we delay, we give the Changelings more time to entrench, to prepare. More time to discover where we are and to prepare an invasion. More time to suck the love and life out of our citizens. No. More. Delay." Turning to Rainbow, she said, "How soon can you get your troops ready to move?"

She shrugged, and replied, "I can get them ready to move now if you want."

"Tomorrow morning. We let your troops rest and final drills for the rest of them. Tomorrow morning, we move out." She then turned and trotted off, heading toward the civilian section of the camp while the singing of the Pryhan troops became audible. 

"🎵Lance's flash, Gladii swing,🎵
🎵Gleaming armors piercing ring!🎵
🎵Soldiers march with a polished shield,🎵
🎵Fight those bastards 'til they yield!🎵
🎵Midnights flash and blood-red roan,🎵
🎵Fight to keep our land our own!🎵
🎵Sound the horn and call the cry!🎵
🎵How many of them can we make die!?🎵"

"🎵Follow orders as you're told,🎵
🎵Make their yellow blood run cold!🎵
🎵Fight until you die or drop,🎵
🎵Our wall of steel is hard to stop!🎵
🎵Close your mind to stress and pain,🎵
🎵Fight 'til you're no longer sane!🎵
🎵Let not one damn cur pass by!🎵
🎵How many of them can we make die!?🎵"

"🎵Guard your lover and children well,🎵
🎵Send those bastards back to Hell!🎵
🎵We'll teach them the ways of war,🎵
🎵They won't threaten us anymore!🎵
🎵Use your lance and use your head,🎵
🎵Fight 'til everyone 'a them is dead!🎵
🎵Raise the eagle flag up to the sky!🎵
🎵How many of them may we make die!?🎵"

"🎵Dawn has broke, the time has come,🎵
🎵Move your legs to the marching drum!🎵
🎵We'll win the war and pay the toll,🎵
🎵We'll fight with all our heart and soul!🎵
🎵Midnight's flash and blood-red roan,🎵
🎵Fight to keep this land our own!🎵
🎵Sound the horn and call the cry!🎵
🎵How many of them can we make die!?🎵"

"🎵Lance's flash, Gladii ring,🎵
🎵Gleaming armors piercing ring🎵
🎵Soldiers run with a polished shield,🎵
🎵Fight those bastards 'til they yield!🎵
🎵Midnight's flash and blood-red roan,🎵
🎵Fight to keep our land our own!🎵
🎵Sound the horn and call the cry!🎵
🎵How many of them can we make die!?🎵
🎵How many of them can we make die!?🎵"
> 88~Siege of Appleousa
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

9 years, 6 months, and 3 weeks after Exile.

The march through the desert to the Equestrian border took about a week. It would've taken a few days shorter, but they had to keep stopping to pick up water. Fortunately, they found a river after four days into the march, so they were able to lower this time. Plus, one of the Night Guards who was from the border town, Appleousa, said that the river in question ran about a mile from the town, so they follow it to get close to the town. So, soon, they arrived outside the town, and began setting up camp. 

Rainbow herself came on a scouting op with some of the Wonderbolts. She maintained an outward calm expected of an officer, but inside she was having a bit of a fanmare freak-out. They WERE still her idols to a degree, and she was still quite young (Only 28). Now, back to business. 

The five of them (Her, Spitfire, Soarin, Lightning Dust, and Fleetfoot) sat on a small hill, overlooking the town while another two of them (Misty fly and Surprise) were in the town itself. Well, ghost town. The worn-down buildings sat, dust and tumbleweeds floating in and out of them. Occasionally, the dull brown of the street and the worn paint on the buildings was broken by a black changeling prowling the streets on patrol. At the sheriff's office, the place was overflowing with green cocoons, with vaguely pony-like shapes floating inside. 

What drew most of their attention, however, was the hive. It was a large, black and green spire that protruded out of the ground. The holes in the structure acted as entrances/exits, with the Changelings occasionally flying in and out. 

Misty and Surprise fly up next to them, wearing navy blue and lighter yellow stealth armor. "Well, we weren't spotted. Plus, we got the intel", Misty said. 

"Yeah", Surprise said. "The pods are kept in the sheriff's office and the clocktower. We didn't find anyone else, and the numbers we found are close to the previous numbers we got in the previous census."

"So, none of the pods are in the hive?", Spitfire said. 

Misty said, "Yeah. Using the buildings they're in as a storage building, likely."

"What's the plan, then?", Soarin asked her. 

Rainbow just kept looking down at the town. Her head wasn't on what they were talking about but on the Lings. Unarmed, unarmored, but with flight and likely were decent skirmishers. Then, she grinned. She had a plan. 


+++++~+++++


The next morning and her troops were ready. Behind the hills of the old orchard, her troops were at the ready to move out. In addition, her plan had been put into place: Her Regiments artillery. 

Four Ballista, which were like large stone-throwing crossbows. The 'stones' were replaced, in this case, with small clay containers full of tar and pitch. The outside would be lit on fire, and upon impact, would burst and spread a bunch of fire over the area. The remaining siege weapons were about ten cannons; the heavy iron tubes on carriages that she had received less than a month ago. 

Currently, the artillery was being set up behind the hill, so they could fire over the hill in an arc. The cannons would be rolled up onto the hill as to fire on the hive directly. The artillery would pound the place, avoiding the areas who had the ponies in the pods. After the bombardment, her men and the Griffonians would mop up the remnants. 

As she was overseeing the movements, Luna, Shining, and the Traitors arrived to see her. "What is going on, Rainbow Dash", Luna asked. She told them the plan, and how they could begin firing as soon as she gave the order.

"B-but what about the ponies in the town?", Fluttershy asks. "If something goes wrong, ponies could be hurt."

"Already taken care of. Scouting reports indicate that all of the ponies are being kept in the Sheriff's Office and the Clocktower. So, if we only fire on the Hive, then casualties should be minimal. Now, permission to begin, Princess?", she said. 

Luna looked uncertain, but nodded firmly. Rainbow turned to her artillery officer, and said, "Fall to command. You may fire at will."

As the crews scrambled to prime and load the pieces, Rainbow and all the others trotted up onto one of the hills. As they watched the sun rise behind the hive, several loud *chunk*s sounded behind them, and fiery balls flew overhead. They slammed into the hive. A salvo of cannonballs from the cannons followed them, hitting just below and around the fireballs. 

When the fireballs hit, flames whipped around the hive. Walls of fire leap from areas of the hive and into the holes. The few Changelings near the impact zones or at the holes scrambled away to avoid the fire, or else were consumed by it. Following the fire, the cannonballs slam in behind them, bursting into blasts of yellow and orange light. Flakes of the black chitin flew off into the town, shrapnel shredding some of the Lings outside of the blast zones. Lots of screaming ensued from down at the hive as the Changelings tried to scramble out as fast as they could, many being consumed by the flames or cut down by debris as they tried to. 

"Vex. Sound advance." The officer saluted, and ran over to the battle line to give the order. While he did, she looked over at the small group next to her. They all just looked on at the hive, stunned and shell-shocked looks on their faces. She just snorted, and then flew over to the line. 

Griffons and Wonderbolts over the line, the Pryhans advanced into the edge of town, close to the hive. More Changelings were spilling out, with many of them coughing and sputtering from smoke inhalation. One of them stood on one of the abandoned buildings, trying to calm them down and rally them. She took off, flying over to him. 

"Everyling, calm down! Calm! Down! I don't know what's going on, but we need to-AHHH!", The Changeling officer yelled. He was cut off as Rainbow flew up from behind, and ran him through from behind. 

As he fell to the street in front of the small group, she said, "I do. I'm Praetor Rainbow Dash. My Regiment is working with Princess Luna to take back Equestria. My men are surrounding you as we speak. So, if you all surrender now, I'll let you all live. Sound good?"

They all looked shell-shocked like the ponies on the hill. Some of them took off into the air, but stopped when they saw the Griffons. Lower down, the Lings found Pryhan Shield walls on either side of the main entrance. They all just lowered their heads, and some of them put up their hooves. All in all, the 'Battle' of Appleousa lasted less than an hour and had zero casualties on her side. All in all, the best engagement of her career, thus far!
> 89~Aftermath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours after the Siege...

Two camps had been set up outside of the town among the shriveled remnants of the old apple orchards. One was the large fabricated camp of the Pryhan army, stakes along the walls made from the old wood. The other was a Prison camp for the captive changelings, who were under watch from the Night Guards. Other units of the Night Guard were in the town itself, cleaning up the debris and bodies, freeing the ponies from the pods, and otherwise cleaning up. 

Rainbow herself met up with her officers, asking for a sitrep on the current standing of the unit. Vexillum said, "Well, I just got the report from the Centurions down in the town, helping the Equestrians with clean up. Total casualties from the Coalition, for lack of a better term, are incredibly light; one Griffon. And it was only because he wasn't paying attention too much while hunting one of the Lings who tried to run and hit his head on a sign. That's all. "

"And what about the bugs", she asked. 

"Well, we're still pulling bodies out of the hive", Tarquinius said, gesturing over to the broken and smoldering remnants of the Changeling hive. "But, if the current census and intel from the prisoners is accurate, then we have a decent number. The total garrison number was, according to the prisoners, was about fifteen hundred. So far, we have three hundred prisoners, almost all of which are wounded. The rest are either confirmed dead or MIA."

"Good work, Gents. You have your tasks. Go and deal with them. Report back to the Castrum with your men at 1745 for dinner and evening muster. Long live the Empire."

"Long live the Empire", they all repeated and went off. She herself watched as her men picked through the burnt remnants of the chitinous hive, looking for bodies, any survivors, and other bits of intel. In town, the captive ponies had begun to be released, and a few were even now in the streets, watching the Changelings being escorted to the Prison Camp. 

She could only imagine what that must've been like for them. One day, you get attacked by something that looks similar to a pony, yet alien and different enough to be scary. The next, or for what may seem to be a few hours, you wake up to soldiers and a bunch of, to you, weird-looking creatures in full armor pick through the corpses of those pony-like things. It would probably be quite disconcerting. 

Shaking her head, she walked over to Princess Luna, who was standing talking to the sheriff of the town. She arrived just in time to get the tail end of the conversation between the two. "And that is about the gist of it, Sheriff Silver Star", Princess Luna said. 

"Uh-huh", the sheriff said, a dumbfounded look on his face. "Well, yer highness. Ah gotta say, this is quite a lot ta take in. Still, Ah'd like to meet with this 'Praetor.'"

"Congrats, Sheriff", she said. "I just so happen to grant wishes for certain people. My son, mostly, but I can make exceptions sometimes."

He turned to her, a look of solemn joy on his face. "So, it's true." Before she could reply, he said, "On behalf of the ponies of Appleousa, Ah'd like to thank ya for helpin' us in our time of need."

"I'm just following orders", she said. "Any good I do on the way that isn't personal for me is purely coincidental."

His mustache quivering, he said, "Be that as it may, ah'm holding to what ah said. Thank ya. And if what the Princess has told us, yous plannin' to go and fight the queen of them bugs. In any way we could, we'd like to help."

"We don't have the time to properly train anyone else. But, if you want, we can find uses for you. Not glamorous jobs: Digging ditches, setting up the camps, gathering supplies, etc. It won't be easy, and if could be dangerous."

"We're Appleousans", he said. "We're used to hard work."

"That's a sentiment I can admire." She looked over at the low in the sky sun, and then back at the sheriff. "Go talk to your people. Tomorrow morning, at sunrise, assemble anyone willing to sign on as a Worker outside your office. We'll be moving out at least an hour afterward. Bring your own food, and we WILL leave you behind if you fall behind. My men can do that work themselves."

"Then we'll work for the Princess", he said. "They'll be there, and so will ah. This is our home, and we'll be fightin' for it."

She nodded. "And that's the attitude I like to see. See you tomorrow morning then." After the sheriff left, she said to Luna, "I've taken care of anything. We can move out as soon as you're ready." 

She just looked over at the hive, then down by the orchard. A large pit had been dug, and her troops were throwing the Changeling corpses into it. She then said, slowly and carefully, "What was your first battle like?"

Confused somewhat by the question, she said, "As in my first battle with my Command, my first battle for the Empire, or the first time I killed-"

"The last one. How did you feel?" Rainbow nodded in understanding. 

"I felt disgusted. I'd never even thought about it. It was an accident, actually."

"How did you get past it? I mean, I've done it before, back when Equestria wasn't so stable. But, it has been so long, I. I...." By now, tears began to flow down her face, even darker patches of wet fur forming down her face. 

"I moved on. It's different for each person, at least according to my men. I did it by busying myself; I worked and wore myself to exhaustion to avoid thinking of it. I did drugs too, but that didn't work out and isn't healthy. But, one thing they all said, and I agree with, is following what I said. Have friends by your side. Let someone listen to your doubt. I know it works; I wouldn't have my Cocks-for-brains husband if I didn't."

She stood, looking over at her. "I see. Well, thank you." After walking down the hill, she said, "We'll move out in a few days after we secure the prisoners and the town's ponies. In the meantime, try to keep up drills with the Royals. I know it's frustrating, but we need all the help we could get."
> Interlude~Behind the Lines
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

9 years, 8 months, a week and 4 days after Exile.
Royal Garden, occupied Canterlot
POV: Commander Pharynx

The red-crested Changeling walked through the old hedge maze of the ponies castle, weaving past the tight-packed piles of pods. His guards weren't as lucky and had to follow him a single file. That didn't save him from the occasional brush up against the slimy pods, with him shuddering in disgust when he did. While any Changeling could do it, it was still kinda gross. He snorted, finally arriving at his destination. 

Just below the statue of some old Equestrian foe (Eris, if he recalled right?), sat an especially large pod. He let out a series of sharp clicks and hisses, and his Lings saluted and walked a short ways back into the maze. He then went over to the pod, sliding his horn across the side. A goo covered pony, much larger than the average one, slid out, groaning. 

"Get up, 'Your Highness'", he said. "That time again."

The former Equestrian monarch stood shakily as if her wings and horn were made of marble. "Y-yes", she said weakly, and her horn lit up.

In the distance, as the moon began to fall below the horizon, the ball of fire that was the sun began to rise. Reports and scouts failed to indicate where the other sister was, but the Queen couldn't control the celestial bodies, and so they had to keep the Princess out of the pod twice a day to let her out. It was a pain, but as the Queen commanded. 

As he sat back, watching the alicorn perform the action for which she had been released, he began to think. Namely about the queen and her recent actions. She had released other ponies to work in the catacombs beneath the mountain, or as servants for Changeling Commanders. Changelings were not slavers; it drew too much attention, and made staying in the shadows too hard and too complicated. She had begun to send Drones up to the Griffonian border, claiming small sections of territory and moving progressively forward. Changelings were not conquerors; again, it made them too noticeable and was too direct. The whole invasion of this place, and the capture of the ponies. Changelings were most certainly not invaders; the Eternal Queen expressly said they shouldn't enter the spotlight. They were supposed to be subtle, not blunt. All of what she did went against almost all Changeling doctrine. 

The alicorn must've noticed his troubled look. She said in a hoarse yet caring voice, "Is something wrong?"

"Shut up and do your job", he snapped. She just sighed and went back to her work. Soon, the sun was in the sky, and her time outside of the pod had ended. "Well, that's that. Get back in the pod."

He didn't know if the Queen had put a spell on her, or revealed something to her, or if the goo in the pod was addling her brain. But, like always, she complied; getting on her knees and sliding into the pod. He then used his green mucus to seal up the slit, then stuck his horn into the top. It glowed lightly inside and filled with the goo. Soon, the pod was practically bursting under the strain, and he removed his horn. 

Suddenly, another Changeling flew down, landing next to him. "Commander Pharynx", she said. "The Queen requests your presence in the throne room, effective immediately, Sir."

He nodded. "Best not to keep the Queen waiting."

He took off, following the Drone. As he flew, he looked out over the city. The pony buildings were all but abandoned, bits of debris and other bits flying around the street with the wind. Blast marks, small craters, and weapons, both makeshift and purposeful, littered the streets, evidence of the battle for the city. Pharynx, having seen the city back around the time of the Guard Captains' wedding, was somewhat disturbed by the quite, and the lack of life. 

That was almost the exact opposite of the old palace. As the Changelings favored monolithic, singular dwellings, they had chosen the old palace to make the hive. Sections of the palace that were broken in the fighting, or were simply made of weaker material, were filled in with black chitin, some sections of it pulsing with green light. Changelings milled about, carrying out orders or watching groups of pony slaves from the catacombs. He muttered and flew in a hole in the hive to the throne room. 

Converted out of the old Princess's throne room, it was the only room of the whole Main Hive made almost entirely of Chitin. The throne from the old Badlands Hive was brought in and was glowing lightly with power. A massive table, made out of the chitin, surrounded the old dais and was filled with the Queen's lieutenants. As Pharynx sat down, she began her meeting. 

"Welcome, Commanders", she said. "I have called all of you here because we have a very big problem." She gestured to the door, where a Drone entered. He had a warped section of his carapace, with small cuts breaking it up. "Report."

"T-they c-came out of, of nowhere, my Queen", he sputtered. "One minute, w-we we-were getting out of-of the Hive. The the ne-next, the h-hive wa-was on fire, a-and the Commander was d-dead!"

"What? Who's 'they'", one of the Commanders asked. 

"I don't know! G-griffons, Buff-buffalo. I think a few Equestrians. A-and som-something else. N-never seen any-anything l-like them. Ch-chain ma-ail, we-weird helmets, I-I just don't know", he said, breaking down sobbing.

"How did you get away?", the Queen asked. 

"The-their leader sel-selected m-me. L-let me g-g-go. T-told me to de-deliver a messa-message. Sh-she sa-aid th-that the full mi-might of, some Em-empire w-was going to, to come dow-down on u-us. T-told us to sur-sur-surrender."

Silence reigned over the room as all of the other Lings soaked in the news. Pharynx himself was stunned. From his experience, the Equestrians were terrible soldiers and, while not entirely, somewhat isolationist when it came to other nations. And now, they were knocking on their new southern border. 

"You're dismissed, Drone." The Drone bowed, choking out thanks to the Queen as he fluttered off toward the healers. "And this isn't the only news. Commander Mantis in Stalliongrad reported a counter-offensive by the Griffonians, aided by the Yaks and the Crystal Empire, of all places."

"If we don't do something soon, then they could easily overrun us. We only have so many Drones, and we can't afford to fight a two-front war", one of the Commanders said. 

"Don't be a coward!", another yelled. "We're Changelings, not Ponies! We can fight them!"

Soon the yelling tore the room apart, as the officers clambered for the ability to be heard. Pharynx himself was silent, soaking in the news. He knew this was a bad idea. They had become too exposed and were trying to cover too much territory. And due to what they did and how many Changelings there were now, there was no way they could just fade into the shadows like how they planned to after the Wedding. 

"We could always negotiate."

Those words rendered the room silent, all eyes on the speaker. It was Commander Cocoon, another conservative who shared many of Pharynx's beliefs. 

"What did you say, Commander?", the Queen asked, eyes narrowed.

"Well", he began. "We aren't in the best position. Like it's been stated, we're stretched thin and have no way of fighting off a two-pronged offensive. If we-"

"Are you saying that we should 'surrender', Commander?", the Queen questioned, malice leaking into her voice. 

"No, my Queen. I'm merely saying that we should consider our options. If we choose to negotiate than we could at least keep some of our land and the ponies. These Imperials, whoever they are and wherever they come from, are ruthless. They took back this 'Appleousa' in less than an hour, and with no casualties. We just can't fight that. If we-*Hurk*!"

A green aura surrounded his neck, and he was lifted from his seat without using his wings. The Queen also stood, her horn glowing with the same green light. "Listen here, Traitor. While I still draw breath, we will not do several things. We will not surrender, we will not negotiate, and we most certainly, not, COWER!" With that, the green aura tightened, and Cocoon went limp. She then tossed his body aside, where it landed with a sickening *Crunch*. She sat back down, snarling. 

"We can, and we will fight. We don't need physical food; they do."

"What do you have in mind, my Queen", the Commander next to him asked. 

"Scorched earth." She stood, saying, "Poison the rivers and lakes. Burn the farms. Destroy anything and everything that could be considered a source of food for them. We'll starve them out of the field, and crush them like the gnats they are. Commander Pharynx." 

He stood himself, bowing his head. "Yes, my Queen?"

"Take your Drones down to the town near the base of the mountain. Ponyville, I think it was called? Reinforce it. The rest of you, return to your Hives. Hold them out. They think they can crush us; we'll return the favor." She then burst out laughing in her maniacal laughter. Pharynx nodded, then left to go ready his troops to move out. 

Ponyville Hive

He landed in the old town square, his Changelings falling in behind them. This town's hive was built out of the old town hall and had the love storage at a place called Sweet Apple Acres. The small garrison of the town, only about a hundred Lings before he and his troops arrived. The commander of the town had welcomed him and offered him a spot in the hive. He accepted but said he needed some time to think. 

He entered the old library, looking around at the dust-covered shelves and books. He sighed, looking down at the splintery floor. He then turned to his second, a Changeling named Web. "Get the troops into the Hive. Separately, contact Coxa. Tell him to make ready a message for the Equestrians. And have some of the higher up Drones come here tonight. Pincer, Mandible, Moth; you know who I'm talking about."

"By your command, Commander", the Drone said, before flying off. 

Pharynx sat on his haunches, forelegs pressed against a table in the center of the room. He sighed, muttering to himself, "I pray to the Eternal Queen I'm doing the right thing. But if the Queen won't see reason, then I don't know what else I can do."
> 90~Supply Lines
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a week of on the march, the Coalition (As it had come to be nicknamed), had set up shop, digging in on a small section of hills by a small town. The practical small town of tents and fortifications sat over the hill, having been set up in a few hours. Currently, a small meeting was going on in the Main Tent of the Pryhan Castrum. 

All of them were gathered around the table, nine of them in total. Herself, Praefect Aeternam, Chief Thunderhooves, General Gallus, General Sandstorm, Princess Luna, Captain Spitfire, the Night Guard captain Stratosphere, and Captain Shining Armor. All of them stood around a table in her tent, studying a map of Equestria. 

"I've had some of my subordinates come back", Spitfire said. "It's like what your Velites said. The Lings are burning the old farms, cutting down wild fruit trees, drying up rivers. Heck, Fleetfoot said that she saw some of them killing all the plants in a meadow just so we can't have flowers and hay."

"I learned about this at the Academy", the Griffonian General said. "It's called 'Scorched Earth'. They're trying to starve us out and keep us from supplies."

Shining said, "So we push them as fast as we can. Overwhelm them before we run out of supplies." All of them except him and Luna began laughing, which ranged from the light chuckling coming Sandstorm to the loud, somewhat bawling laughter coming from Rainbow herself. "What?", he asked. 

"All due respect, Princess, but you really had terrible tactics classes before all of this", she said, her laughing dying down. After she overcame it, her expression hardened. "In all seriousness, that's stupid. We don't fly headfirst into this."

"Why not?", Princess Luna asked. "We have supplies already, don't we? And we do have a supply line."

Sandstorm said, "I have no idea how you stayed neutral and uninformed for so long. Yes, we have supplies on us and a supply line. But, we would have to cart all of it up from Appleousa and Dodge Junction, leaving it open to ambush from the Changelings."

"The Saddle Arabian speaks true", Vexillum said, his translation rune glowing on his neck. "Normally, we would get supplies by foraging, requisitions from the locals, or looting from the enemy. But, none of those are options. The Bugs have no use of natural food if intel is to be believed. And with the burning of both natural food and having no real source of requisitioning food as most of it is spoiled, these options are closed to us. We could ration supplies, but even that could only last a month and a half. And marching on an empty stomach is never fun."

"I will refer to your judgments", the alicorn said. "So, what do we do?"

"What we need is a Port. Preferably deep water, so we can bring in bigger ships. An alternative source of supplies, as to both shorten the lines and to have better quality supplies. That's always good for morale", Gallus said. 

Rainbow traced a talon along the map, looking for one nearby. A few of the larger coastal towns appeared, but none of them were truly big enough for proper supply vessels. Finally, she found the perfect one; or, at least, the best option. "Baltimare."

All of them looked over at the map, following her talon to the indicated point. "It's the best target", she said. "A Port; check. A lot of ponies we can liberate; check. Plus, it's close enough we can head directly north to Manehattan, or head northwest to Canterlot. All in all, this is the best option."

Shining said, "It is a big city. Meaning it's likely gonna be well defended. And we can't rely on just your artillery."

Vexillum interrupted, saying with a smirk, "You're talking to one of the best commanders of the best regiment, of the most potent army on the planet. I think we can handle a few overgrown cockroaches."

"They're good", Shining warned. "Being prideful won't help you."

"The Praefect isn't", she said. "We are the best!"

He scowled. "Cut the ego. It'll cost you. Not everyone is that confident."

"Nope", Gallus said snidely. "The Prhyans are better than us, and are leagues ahead of you."

Sandstorm said, "Yep."

Spitfire said, "From what I've seen, yeah."

Luna said, "Their reputation does proceed them."

Vexillum grinned, saying, "Told ya, Battle Virgin."

The Royal Guard captain just snarled, gripping his head by the base of his horn. "I know. I know that my troops aren't the best, but this is what we were trained for. Like I said, don't be prideful. We don't exactly know all that much about them. Just... Arggh. Princess, permission to go lie down? I'm feeling a migraine coming on." 

"Permission granted", Luna said. "We need as many people as possible ready to fight." Shining saluted, then trudged off towards where the Royal Guard's section of the camp. After he left, Luna turned to Rainbow. "You know he's right. About the artillery, and being overconfident."

Rainbow said, "I get we can't rely entirely on our artillery. But, I still have confidence that we can take the city. We have the Griffonains and the Wonderbolts. Our cannons can fire up at an angle and are perfect anti-personnel weapons. Plus, I still have confidence in my troop's capabilities."

"All due respect", Spitfire said. "But none of your dudes can fly. And the Bugs fight a lot from air, or at the very least dive-bomb into melee fights. How can they fight back?"

She grinned, and just said, "Follow me. I'll show you." She lead the group of officers out of her tent, toward one of the open spaces in the Pryhan fortifications. A century of the Pedes were drilling in the open area, the Centurion barking orders to the unit. As she got close, she said, "Ave, Centurion."

The Centurion turned to her, slinging his Vine Staff under the crook of his foreleg and saluted. "Ave, Praetor. Is there something I can help you with?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Show us the new formation I taught you."

Then Centurion smiled beneath his crested helmet. "By your command." He then turned to the Century and yelled out an order. "Century! Formation: Repel Flyers! At the ready!"

The Signifer sounded a new Cornu call, and the Pedes abandoned their lance drills instantly and began to squeeze in, close together. Those in the first rank braced their lances and shields while getting as close to the wooden oval as possible like a normal shield wall. The remaining Pedes, however, unclipped the locks on their own and placed them up over the fronts of the one in front of them. The lances were stuck up through the gaps in between the shields, forming a bristling hedgehog-like formation. 

Rainbow smiled. "As you can see, this is NOT, something you want to fly into." Turning to the Prhyans, she yelled, "Slow, Advance! Take care, forward, March!" As one, the Pedes began a slow advance, shields locked firmly and lances bristling. "Take care! Halt!" As one, they came to a halt, still holding the hedgehog. "At ease." They lowered their shields and lances, coming to an easy attention. "Feel free to resume, Centurion. Vale."

As the Centurion returned the salutation and returned to his century, she returned to the officers and Princess Luna. "So, Baltimare it is?" All nodded. "Then we move out tomorrow morning. Like Vexillum said, the sooner we do this, the better."
> 91~Battle of Baltimare (PT.1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Less than two days later, and the battlelines were drawn outside of Baltimare. Two layers of fortifications had been dug; one the Pryhans Castrum, the other a trench line for the Artillery. Ahead of this second line, the Pryhans, Saddle Arabians, Night Guard, and the Buffalo had formed up in a battleline, weapons at the ready. Overhead, Griffons and Wonderbolts flew in place, ready to intercept any fliers. An impressive sight; the PPNS (Pryhan Public News Services) would have a field day with it. 

Behind the line, back by the artillery, a forward command point had been set up, and the officers were discussing the upcoming operation. Well, Rainbow was talking, the others were listening. 

"Ok, so. The bulk of our forces are on the Battleline, or above it. Pryhans form the center and the Night Guard form the flanks. Sandstorm, get your men in the front, then have them fall back behind the line when the Changelings get close. Your troops are faster and have more ranged weapons. Thunderhooves, your buffalo start behind the line, then come up to charge after the collision, when ordered. Gallus, Spitfire. You two have to keep those who stay in the air off the line as much as possible. We can fight them when they're in the air, but I don't want to take chances. Luna, you, my 'friends', and the Appleousans stay in the back and keep the camp safe. Armor, you guard the artillery. If it falls, we loose our best anti-air weapons. Sound good?"

As they all nodded, one of her men ran in, panting. "Ave, Praetor! *Huff, huff*. They're coming."

"Got it. Get back to your position on the line, and get ready. Tell the Tribunes to ready the formation I instructed them on, and, well, get ready to repel fliers. Vale."

"Vale, Praetor", he said, and ran off. 

"What did he say?", Captain Stratosphere asked. 

"He said the Bugs are coming", she replied. "Well? You all know what you have to do. Get ready; those degenerates won't wait for us!"


+++++~+++++


Rainbow looked over the small field outside the city of Baltimare which had become the battleground. She stood behind the battle line, scanning the troops. Her troops awaited the coming battle, at the ready with officers scanning the Maniples for anyone out of line.

Ahead of her, she saw a small black dot on the horizon. At first, she thought it was a large storm cloud. However, when she saw a small section of it break off and head to the ground, she knew it wasn't a cloud. As it came closer and grew bigger, she was able to make it out better. It was a swarm; hundreds, if not thousands of Changelings, all buzzing past each other, practically pushing past themselves to get at her troops. Like at Appleousa, few of them were armed, with those few being armed having simple swords. Despite this, she didn't want to rely fully on that fact for an advantage, as she didn't really know how strong they were. 

Behind her, the artillery was being set up to fire on the swarm. Most of it was her own Cannons and Ballista, although a few other artillery pieces like a few Griffonian Mangonels were present. The plan was to have the Changelings come to them, and pound them out of the sky with said artillery. She was taking a risk having Shining's tin cans guarding them, but she couldn't afford to pull troops off the line. 

The bugs got closer, to the point she could hear their wings buzzing and hissing. As they got closer, her officers shouted for the units to form up into the new formation. Her velites and the skirmishers of the Saddle Arabians fired off a salvo of crossbows or any other weapons that could reach the bugs, before running back to the lines to get into the formation to be protected from the bugs. Following this, the Artillery opened up, firing its own salvo of cannonballs and fireballs into the sky. 

A few of the lower flying Changelings were cut down by the bolts, falling to the ground, but only a few. When the artillery opened up, large groups of them were cut down. Groups of them exploded in fire, or were blown apart by cannonballs, or were simply crushed with small rocks. Dozens of them began falling down from the skies, slamming into the ground; but more of them kept coming. 

Some of them, like Spitfire said, tried to fly down to slam into the group of them, but were dissuaded from the wall of spears, both her own and the Night Guards. Many of them landed around the groups to attack or came in at low angles using glowing green balls of fire. The blocks held firm and repelled the Changelings. Other groups began to go after the Wonderbolts and the Griffons, engaging in a mid-air melee combat. Other groups went after the buffalo behind the line and began their own scuffle. 

Rainbow took off, drawing her swords. Blades flashing, she cut down several of the close ones to her as she tried to get a good look at her troops. Unfortunately, she couldn't get a good look at them. Changelings kept attacking her, and while she kept either sending them into spirals or outright killing them, another one kept coming to replace them in attacking her. Finally, she got enough of a respite to take in the state of the Pryhans. 

It wasn't as good as she expected it to go. So far, few casualties appeared to have been sustained, but the battle line was completely cut off. The buffalo were in the middle of their own swarm of the Changelings and were unable to launch the counter-attack she had planned for them to perform. The Night Guards fought surprisingly well but were also surrounded. The fliers were also fighting well, but it was also being overrun in their own way. 

Fortunately, the larger swarms were still being cut to pieces. The artillery fired as fast as they could, bolts, fire-balls, stones, and spike caltrops into those still in the air. She could likely out-grind them, and so yelled down to her men, "Stand your fucking ground!", before going back into the swarm. 

A few minutes later, she suddenly realized the artillery had gone silent. Larger groups of the Changelings formed up, performing hit and run sweeps on the blocks of the Pryhans or Night Guards. Rainbow looked over at the trenches where the artillery was stationed, eyes going wide at the sight she saw. The crews had abandoned firing the artillery and were now fighting with the artillery tools and swords against some of the Changelings. The tin cans were nowhere in sight. Rainbow snarled, looking around for them, and then saw them: Charging off around the main battle, heading for the small dot that had broken off earlier. 

Rainbow's men were cut off, surrounded, and the primary advantage over the bugs was under threat. She tilted her head back to the line and found almost half a dozen bugs greeting her, including one with a sword and wearing a large blue helmet, grinning wickedly.
> 92~Battle of Baltimare (PT.2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Changeling officer grinned, saying, "Surrender in the name of Queen Chrysalis, and I promise you a nice po-" 

He then stopped talking, as his jaw was now hanging on by a small thread of his flesh. Rainbow then went into spirals, blades flashing, and cut into the Changelings around them. They tried to shoot bolts of green energy or buck with their hooves, but she was too fast and dodged the attacks, or parried with her swords. Soon, the rest of them were all cut out of the sky, leaving her facing the jawless commander. He made a sick gurgling noise, greenish blood leaking out of his mouth, sword hanging limply out of his hoof. She just smirked, and cut his throat. Then, as he fell into a death spiral, she took off toward the artillery.

She flew forward, bucking one of the bugs into one of the defensive stakes, impaling him with a loud squishing. Using his twitching head as a bounce pad, she took off into the swarm, attacking the nearest ones. They tried a 'quantity over quality' approach, coming at her from multiple directions and as many at once. However, that was exactly the type of enemy both the Pryhan army and herself were adept at fighting. Soon, her blades were somewhat soaked in blood, and a small section of the artillery was clear. 

Above her, at least twenty of them formed a dome. These must've been smarter than the rest, as they had grabbed spears, likely from the tin cans. She didn't know what was happening to them, but she had a feeling it wasn't too good. At least a dozen other ones landed around her, several of them also armed with Royal Guard spears. Blades at the ready, she prepared to charge...

...But stopped when the one directly facing her stiffened, and the ones around him stepped away. Looking closely, she saw it was a golden, bec de corbin-like weapon with a hammer/pick made out of a type of sky blue crystal. It was yanked free, and the Ling crumbled to the ground. Rainbow looked up in shock at the one who did it, and she said in shock, "SPIKE!?"

Sure enough, the purple dragon in question grinned at her, holding the massive hammer. However, he was no longer the tiny, wingless dragonet that reached up to her barrel. He was easily as tall as a minotaur, with rippling muscles under his scales and a massive pair of wings on his back. Besides the bec de corbin, he wore a suit of bronze armor, sealed to his scales with massive, thick leather straps. A helmet with a golden face mask adorned his head, and a blue-and-red crystal staff was slung on his back. 

He wasted no time hesitating, swinging his massive hammer in wide arcs at the bugs. He would swing a heavy blow, knocking them aside, blowing spouts of green fire periodically to drive the Changelings back. Overcoming her shock, she joined in, blades flashing. Soon, the area was cleared of the enemy. Those not cut or beaten down or lit ablaze, turned and flew away. 

"Rainbow Dash?", Spike said. His voice, while a bit deeper and with a more authoritative tone, still sounded almost the same as he had when she last talked to him. "Long time no see, eh?"

"Yeah! And look at you!", she exclaimed, eyeing him up and down. "Like, I mean, what are you!"

"Dragon Lord!", he exclaimed, grinning like a maniac. "About five years ago. Long story short, I won a contest, and now lead the dragons! And after Luna promised us access to the mines beneath Canterlot, we came to fight!"

"Sounds good, and we'll talk about it later. But; what do you mean by we?"

He just grinned and pulled out the staff. Lowering the bec de corbin, he raised it into the air, the massive gem inlaid in it glowing blood-red. "Come on!", he shouted. 

Over the horizon, she saw several more specks, growing closer fast. As they did, she was able to make them out like she did with the swarm. Dragons, at least two hundred, all clad in heavy armor. Rainbows jaw dropped as they came, letting out roars of adrenaline. That slack-jawed amazement turned to a sadistic grin as a wall of fire slammed into the far flank of the Changeling swarm, instantly incinerating hundreds of them. They then got in close, getting stuck in with tails, teeth, talons, and, in the case of the smaller ones, intricately carved and expensive-looking weapons like Greatswords and Pole-axes. 

She said, "Well, that's handy." She then turned her attention back to the battle line, where the Night Guard and Pryhan Pedes were still surrounded. "Hey, Dragon Lord Spike", she said, getting his attention. "You go help the Griffons and the Wonderbolts in the air. I got to go help my men."

He hefted his hammer, and just said, "With pleasure." He took off towards the sky, while she skimmed along the ground, over the corpses of many a changeling. 

Her troops tried to hold onto their formation, hounded on all sides. A few of the Changelings shape-shifted into smaller animals, trying to slide into gaps in the wall. Others went the opposite approach, turning into larger animals to smash the wall apart. While her men were able to hold on by holding up their shields, the Night Guards' lack of them meant they were taking a pounding. 

She slid back into a buck, slamming both her hob-nailed boots and her swords into the back of one of the larger ones. It turned back into a bug as if fell to the ground, almost neatly cut in two. "Disengage formation! Engage all hostiles!", she shouted over the pounding of battle. Her voice was somewhat drowned out, but she was still heard. 

With a loud "Hurrah!", the Pedes pushed forward, shoving into the bugs with their shields. Those that hadn't been able to throw their Plumbata took the opportunity to, the heavy war darts driving them back. The First Maniple, which had been given the Thunderlances, fired, the crack echoing over the thrum of battle. Exploiting the distance this maneuver gave them, many of them with broken lances or simply of their own choice drew swords, charging into close combat. The bugs, disorganized and without leadership, were cut to pieces. 

A general retreat was sounded among the bugs, with those remaining fleeing back towards the city. The fliers held position, artillery and ranged weapons firing into the fleeing mass. Only a few hundred, maybe less, were fleeing back into Baltimare. Rainbow examined her own units and found herself with low casualties. Finding Vexillum, she came down to him and said, "Ave, Praefect. Report."

"Ave, Praetor. I just got info from the Tribunes. In total, we have about three hundred wounded, and maybe...Er, two dead?"

"Order them to sound assembly. We'll be advancing on the city within the hour. Don't give them even the chance to let them reinforce." She walked away, then remembered something. "Oh, and send someone to reel the tin cans in. I want to have a 'chat', with Captain Armor."
> 93~Discipline
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Less than an hour later, Baltimare was under Coalition control. Like at Appleousa, Dodge Junction, and several other smaller towns, the Night Guard began to release the pods containing the captive ponies, as well as managing the prisoners. Like at these previous engagements, casualties were incredibly low. In fact, it was the first deaths of the whole campaign so far, which was quite impressive. 

However, none of that matters. Currently, she was looking for and had just found, the Captain of the Royal Guard. He was talking to the traitors and Spike. Spike was hugging Twilight, and Shining was standing off to the side, smiling. All of them turned as she, Vexillum, and two of her soldiers came up to them. 

"Hi, Dashie!", Pinkie said, but Rainbow just pushed her aside. As she got close to Shining, she used her wing to slam her swagger stick into his head. He crumbled to the floor, while all of the others gasped. 

"Hey, you Degenerate Bastard. WHAT THE FUCK WENT THROUGH YOUR HEAD!?", she said. 

Fluttershy said, "Rainbow! What are you doing?"

"Oh, just inquiring as to why this piece of filth abandoned his position to go off and twiddle his dick with his skull-fucking lazy fucks!"

All of them looked shocked, but Shining was the first to respond. He got up, gripping his head and rubbing his temple. "Listen, I have a massive bucking migraine. I've had one for literally five hours, and the last thing I need is some yelling. SO, could you please-"

"Oh, give me a fucking break. YOU abandoned your position to go do what? I'm still not convinced you didn't just go off to go fuck yourselves."

"I saw an opportunity to go take down the enemy commander. And I took it to end the battle sooner, rather than just standing around, killing everything in sight, traitor." She used that opportunity to hit him with the swagger stick again. 

The others surged forward, but Vex and the two Pedes stepped in between them. "Oh, give me a break", she said. "Ok, I get it. You've been takin' a lot of shit all campaign, and maybe we should've been less of dicks to you. But you were given EXPLICIT, ORDERS." She huffed, then slung her swagger stick back under her wing. "Just count yourself lucky that you aren't under my command. Otherwise, I would put you through the proper Pryhan military punishment for cowardice in battle."

"I wasn't being-Oh, Princess Luna."

Turning around, she saw the alicorn in question. She stiffened, saluting out of respect. Luna asked, "I heard the whole conversation. And I find myself agreeing with you. Just, out of curiosity; what is the 'proper punishment'?"

"Decimation", she said. 

She gasped. "That's still in practice?"

"It's not the version from the second Pryhan-Equestrian War. No one dies."

Luna looked over at the group next to them, then at the lightly bleeding Shining Armor, then at Rainbow. Sighing again, she said, "Captain Armor. You and your troops, come to the Paddockson Park tonight at six."


+++++~+++++


At the time stated by the Princess, the Royal Guard was at the park, all at attention with their officers at the front. Rainbow entered the area, along with Vexillum and one of her maniples. Earlier, Rainbow had been given a message from Princess Luna, along with a large sack full of painted rocks. She came to the front, indicating for several of her men to break off and go behind Shining Armor and the three lieutenants. She came to the front, unfurled the letter, and began to read. 

"Princess Luna, Diarch of Equestria, has given me permission to perform unit punishment in accordance with Pryhan military law. For the charges of disobeying orders, cowardice in the face of the enemy, and performing actions that put the entire campaign under threat, this unit has been subjected to the ritual of Decimation." She lowered the letter and nodded to the men by the Equestrian officers. 

They grabbed onto them and began to drag them to several racks that had been set up. They were tied to them and had their armor ripped off, exposing their bare backs. Rainbow continued to read. "In accordance with this ritual, the superior officers are to be punished for committing this infraction against the army. Thirty lashes, each."

Vexillum, Tribune Cranium, and his Maniples centurions all came forward, each holding their staffs. They all walked up behind them, holding their staffs from the heads. They then began to perform the sentencing, swinging the heavy wooden staffs against their backs as hard as they could. The Equestrians began to cry out in pain, struggling against the ropes. However, the lashes were carried out, and the officers were released from the ropes. Rainbow then read the next part of the letter. 

"In addition, the primary part will now be performed." The Pede carrying the sack came forward, holding open the bag to allow them to reach inside. "Each soldier will divide into groups of ten, then draw a rock from the bag in that group. Most of the rocks are black, while the rest are white. The one in each group with a white rock will be beaten with wooden rods across the back, one lash per soldier. For groups of ten with more than half with white rocks, a unit with less than two white rocks will carry out the sentence. Failure to comply will result in such actions being performed upon the entire unit."

The Guards, with a lot of reluctance, began to separate into groups and draw stones. When most of them drew the rocks, they let out sighs of relief and cheerful cries in a few cases. For those with the white rocks, the reactions ranged from stunned silence to begging and pleas. After the sack had been emptied, Pryhan soldiers came forward, stripping the armor off of the Equestrians who had white rocks, while others passed out the wooden rods. An awkward silence ensued, in which none of them moved but all of them looked tense. When Rainbow motioned to a clock on the tower opposite the park, it began. At first, several of them began to hit the others who were unarmored. Then, all of them did their strikes, despite repeated protests or cries of pain. When the last one hit and many of the ones with white rocks were on the ground crying, she read the final part of the letter. 

"Finally, as Princess Luna has seen that any and all current leadership of the unit is also as, if not more so, incompetent as the good captain, Praefect Vexillum Aeternam will be acting as your CO for the remainder of the campaign. You will respect him as you would your captain. Any and all complaints should be taken up with the Princess." She rolled up the scroll, saying, "Dismissed", as she and her troops walked off, leaving the beaten or emotionally scarred Guards in the park.
> 94~Everfree Ambush
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Less than a month later, and the steam-roller was closing in on Chrysalis. After securing Baltimare and having Griffonian ships delivering supplies to them, they moved out, using the shorter supply lines to move faster. With them, in addition to food, spare cloaks, and other bits of supplies, they also brought news from the northern front. While much smaller, the Crystal Empire, the Griffons, and the Yaks all had secured a few of the northern Equestrian cities, like Stalliongrad and Trottingham. They were, slowly but surely, making their ways south. A majority of Changelings had been redirected north to deal with them as they were technically closer to Canterlot. 

The southern front, had now split into two groups. Army group Alpha, mostly the Saddle Arabians, the Buffalo, the Dragons, and half of the Night Guard would skim along the coast, heading north to secure Manehattan. Army group Omega, the Griffonains, the Pryhans, the rest of the Night and the Royal guards, would head for Canterlot to cut off the head of the snake. That left her Command, Army group Omega, with two options for getting to it: Follow the roads around the Canterhorn mountain range, or cut through the Everfree forest and come up from the valley. After much debate, they decided to cut through the forest, despite the risks. 

Outside the forest, Rainbow gazed into it as the Army group got ready to move. The dark, ominous woods looked, after seeing pre-unification wars Demosian woods, looked no different, and as such, no less dangerous. Of course, she knew about the things in there that weren't in Demosian woods: Manticores, Cockatrices, Hydras, and other creatures. Vexillum came up next to her, saluting and said, "Ave, Praetor. The Pedes are ready to move, even the tin cans."

"Excellent", she said. "Get all of them ready to move. Wonderbolts and Griffonians in the air, everyone else stick on the road. Royal Guards in front; I want to keep an eye on them. No trumpets, no singing, stay on the trail. And, for the sake of the Empire and Damocles, don't touch ANYTHING blue."


+++++~+++++


While the lack of trumpets weren't playing, it was likely the marching could be heard from Canterlot. Princess Luna had a route they would be taking that was rather unknown, however; an old, Pre-Nightmare moon road. It cut through the heart of the forest, but it was supposedly abandoned even before Lunas banishment, so it was likely unknown to the Changelings. 

She was at the head of the column, with the Royal guards behind her. Behind them would be the Pryhans, with the Night Guards bringing up the rear and the fliers over them, just above the canopy. Unfortunately, a group of ponies who she didn't want to talk to also made their way to the front, and were also giving her a tirade, much to her ire. 

"Why did you do it?", Fluttershy said, eyes narrowed. She was likely trying to do her 'Stare', but it came off as more adorable than anything. 

"Because", she said, growing annoyed. "He left his post, and put the entire campaign at risk. What was I supposed to do? Let him get away with it? No; it sets a bad precedent, and he'd likely try to do something similar in the future. It was the same with Brigands and Raiders back home, it's the same with him here."

Rarity said, "But, darling. Did you have to be so, barbaric, about it. I mean, you gave poor Twilights brother scars, and scars never look good on anypony." She then realized what she said when Rainbow looked at her, eye half-lidded. "Er, no offense, darling."

"Listen, just-you hear something?", she said, ears rotating. She came to a halt and raised a talon, grinding the column to a halt. 

"Ah don't here anything", AJ said. "Y'all sure you ain't goin' mad as a kitten locked in a clear box in a room full a' yarn?"

Rainbow kept her talon up, walking forward a bit. She had heard a faint whooshing noise, coming from the bushes a short ways in front of her. She took off to hover a few feet in the air, drawing a crossbow pistol as she got closer. It could've been a bunny; or it could've been a Timberwolf. As she got close, she saw a rustle in the bushes, and fired a bolt. 

A cry of pain went out; definably not an animal. A changeling spilled out of the bush, the bolt imbedded squarely in his forehead, by his horn. Her ears swiveled again, registering more noises. Her eyes scanned the bushes, and she saw more wrestling. She then caught on with what was going on: "AMBUSH!"

As if on que, Changelings emerged from the sides of the trail, letting out battlecries of clicking and hissing. Vexillum began shouting orders to the Royal Guards using his rune to translate his orders, and she drew one of her swords to fight up close. 

She swung at the nearest one, cleaving through his hoof when he tried to block. He screamed, and she pulled it out and slashed his face. She then sheathed her crossbow and drew her other sword, head for the other bugs near the front of the column. 

To her surprise, she saw the traitors actually fighting back; she honestly expected them to run away as soon as the one she shot fell out of the bush. Instead, each* fought back in their own way. Pinkie had pulled out her party canon from nowhere, firing at them and sending groups of them back into the bushes, covered in frosting. AJ, obviously, was bucking them away, which, while the bugs didn't die, looked rather painful. Twilight, also obviously, fired bolts of lavender magic from her horn, blasting many of the bugs back or rendering them unconscious. Fluttershy and Rarity, however; they WERE cowering behind Vexillum, who just rolled his eyes and held his shield a little bit closer to himself. 

The Royal Guards also were surprisingly effective in fighting back. Vexillum must've been doing well in instilling some discipline and some more basic fighting skill, as they organized, rallying behind their lieutenants and Shining Armor (Who, while he had lost his command, was still a respected figure in the guard.) They then, displaying a bit of tactical finesse, began to go for a divide and conquer strategy, splitting apart larger groups and beating the smaller ones. 

Soon, through a mix of these factors, the bugs were driven back surprisingly quickly. Rainbow, marveling at the frankly stunning victory over the Changelings by the Guard, was taken by surprise when Princess Luna arrived next to her. "A group appeared on you side as well?"

"Yeah!", she said, turning to the alicorn while the survivors fled into the woods. "How in the name of the Empire did they find this path? I thought you said it was abandoned before you went all 'Nightmare Moon'."

"I did, and it was. I don't know how they could've found it", she said. 

Twilight stepped forward, saying, "Maybe some ponies from Ponyville or Canterlot escaped and fled into the Everfree. The Changelings could have found it while looking for them, and sent those drones over here when scouts or something saw us moving over on the other side of the forest. The road for going around it goes north at least twenty miles ago."

They considered it, and Luna said, "It is the best theory we have."

"Aye", Rainbow said. "Although we should still keep an eye open. If these bugs were as good at infiltration as you say, then they could've already done it. Until then, we can't afford to slow down based on nothing but theories. Get the troops reorganized, and prepare to move out."
> 95~Battle of Sweet Apple Acres
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After another hour of marching, they came to the edge of the Everfree. The road Luna had lead them along joined onto the path that went a short ways into the woods, coming out right next to Fluttershys cottage. After a brief altercation with the animals in the cottage, along with a scouting run, gave them updated intel on the state of the town. 

About two months ago, shortly after the recapture of Appleousa, additional Changelings had entered the town to reinforce the already existing garrison. Like Appleousa, the hive was built out of the old town hall, a towering spiral of chitin and green light. However, the barn, cellar, and main house of Sweet Apple Acres held the captive ponies of the town.

Luna said, "We'll rescue the ponies from the orchard, due to how close it is."

"Due to the time, unless you want to do a night raid, we couldn't advance on the hive until tomorrow", Rainbow warned. "Due to the proximity of Canterlot, they could get reinforcements in a matter of hours."

Luna looked at her, a pleading look in her eye. Rainbow recognized the look; it was similar to the one Decanus Sharpener Stone had given her when he asked if he could try to convince the Brigands to surrender. A desperate, pleading look to just trust them. She sighed, then said, "We'll discuss this more when we get updated intel from the Wonderbolts on the numbers they have."

As if on que, Spitfire and Lightning Dust entered the tent. Lightning said, "Yeah, and we got it."

"It's actually rather light numbers", Spitfire said. "Maybe a few dozen normal drones, and maybe four hundred others."

"'Others'?", Vexillum questioned. 

Lightning said, "Yeah. You know how the officers have been wearing blue armor and have swords?" Upon the nod, she added, "Yeah, well. ALL of these 'other' Changelings have them. I'm guessing some sort of elite unit."

"But, if you want to take Sweet Apple Acres, then it could be easier", Spitfire said. "It's defended by the normal ones."

Looking at all of the Equestrians and other officers, Rainbow sighed. "Ok then. We can get a strategic advantage by taking the orchard, as well as any food and supplies that are left. General Gallus, get a few of your troops, and I'll get a maniple to go-"

"Actually, Praetor. If you'll allow me, I want to have the Royal Guard try and take it."

Rainbow looked at her second, eyebrow raised. "Why?"

"Well, the Guard isn't as incompetent as you seem to think", he said. "At least, now anyway. Besides, after Baltimare, they're eager to prove themselves. Moral is somewhat low; a small victory like this would raise their spirits."

"What's he saying?", Stratosphere asked. 

"Gallus, get your troops ready; a little more than with my guys", she said, reluctantly agreeing to Vexillum's request. "The tin cans want to take a crack at it."


+++++~+++++


Outside of the forest, on the edge of the orchard, Rainbow had Vexillum assemble the guard. As she walked up and down the line, she had to admit they were certainly an impressive sight. Over five hundred fully armored and armed stallions and mares, standing at perfect attention. The armor was outdated, the spears weren't the most effective weapon without better protection, and the helmet plumes weren't the best on a battlefield, but it was a vast improvement from the ragtag, almost pathetic level they were when she arrived.

She cocked her head, looking over at the orchard. Dead, twisted trees dotted the dry, crackled dirt. Dead and rotted apples littered the ground, while rabbits, gophers, and a few birds fought over the detritus. Past the still even rows, the barn was caked in dust and holes, with small groups of Changelings patrolling the perimeter. So far, they must've not seen them, but that would likely change soon. 

"Ok, you tin cans", she bellowed, getting their attention. "Your new CO tells me you want to prove yourselves. I normally take his word for it, but I want to make sure. Do you want to prove yourselves?"

"Ma'am, yes Ma'am!", they chorused. Rainbow actually smiled.

"Finally! Some backbone and discipline from the unit. Alright, I'll give you this chance." She unfurled her swagger stick, pointing it at the barn. "In that building there, the Changelings are holding your fellow citizens in pods. They use them like batteries, and want to do the same to you. Your Princess has given me orders to capture this place, and your CO asked me to give you a shot. So, I expect nothing but all you can give. Am I right in trusting you with this?"

"Ma'am, yes Ma'am!"

"Good!" Turning to Vexillum, she said, "Sound advance. I want to see this." She then took off into the air, resting down on a cloud to watch. She had a unit of Night Guard on standby if they needed it, and her own men could come up if that failed. For now, she'd observe. 

Vexillum in the lead, he lead them through the orchard. They maintained a loose formation, yet formed up in enough of a mass as to have a formation of sorts. Almost immediately, Changelings spotted them and sounded the alarm, and many began to charge out to attack the Guard. Dozens of them moved in, some splitting off to attack the Griffonians, but most went for the Guards, likely believing they were the easier target. 

When the two units made contact, Rainbow was pleasantly surprised at what she saw. The guard was actually able to hold its own, fighting with renewed vigor from their last engagement at Baltimare. The Guards used spears in small groups, holding them in magic auras or with both forelegs to form mini-phalanx's. One on one, they were still outmatched, but the Lings fought one on one solely, while the guards fought in squads. In addition, they were very fast, the heavy armor seeming to weigh nothing to them. It was quite the impressive sight. They would likely be still outmatched by Pryhans, but it was nonetheless impressive. Numbers probably helped too. 

Rainbow pushed the cloud closer, wanting to get a better view. The Guard broke through, encircling and overrunning the bugs. The enemy commander tried to keep order, but the survivors routed and fled, heading back over the river into the town. A larger swarm of bugs filed out of the hive, and like reported, had the blue armor and swords. 

Rainbow pulled out a small horn. The Guard, she now had to admit, were good, but she didn't want to push her luck. Blowing the horn, the rest of the troops all filed out onto the orchard. Seeing the numbers, the Bugs didn't falter, but didn't advance either. 

Rainbow leapt off the cloud, coming to a stop just above the ground. To her officers, she said, "Standard field fortifications. Use the old trees for stakes and reinforcements. " When they saluted and left, she turned to the Night Guards. "You know the drill. Go release the ponies inside, and gather a census."

Finally, she turned to the Royal Guard. Several of them were wounded, be tended to by Equestrian medical staff. The rest, however, were all standing around, congratulating each other and bro-hoofing. "At atten-tion!" When they did, she shot them a smile. "Well, color me impressed! You tin cans did well! I'll ensure you lot get first dibs on any and all cider found!" This was met with cheers from the guards, to which she just smiled and said, "Dismissed."
> 96~Frayed Nerves
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Following the capture of Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow saw in one of the old, decrepit apple trees, looking at a small piece of paper. She leaned on the tree, propping the paper upon the crest of her helmet. She had written the letter shortly into the campaign, knowing that she would be seeing her again. 

Dear Squirt,
Hey. Long-time no see, eh? I heard from some people from the town saying you got your cutie mark. Great! Ah, balls to it. I was never good at this. 
Anyway, I want to meet up. Like I said, it's been almost ten years since we've seen one another. Maybe, say, tonight at 6 for dinner? The seal on the back of this letter will get you into my Castrum and to my tent. If you can't, let the gate guard (I'll make sure it's one of my men who can speak Equish) know and we'll see what we can do. Just, see if you can make it. There's someone I want you to meet.

Your Big Sis,
RD. 

She sighed, looking at the letter. She then picked it up, put on her helmet, and took off toward the barn. The Night Guard had already begun to open up the pods. Meanwhile, her troops and the griffons were setting up fortifications facing Ponyville, and the Royal Guard was setting up temporary housing for the citizens. She singled out a Night Guard who was standing outside, landing next to her. 

The guard stiffened, saluting and saying, "M-ma'am! How can I help you?"

"Chill, I'm not gonna whip you", she said. "I just need you to do something for me. It's not official. It's just a favor I need."

The mare rested her posture a bit but still looked on edge. "And what is that, ma'am?"

"I need this to be delivered to someone", she said, holding out the letter. "The pony is a Pegasus mare with an orange coat, magenta mane, and purple eyes. As soon as possible."

The mare nodded and walked off with it. Rainbow began trotting into the orchard, muttering to herself. She looked down at her talons, scowling to herself. She had changed so much; she only had to look at herself to know that. What if Scootaloo didn't like her anymore? Didn't want to be related to someone like her? Someone who whipped her subordinates? Who had, admittedly degenerate, people crucified? Would she have to have another thing be lost to her forever?

Her reverie was interrupted by one of her troops running up to her. After the typical greeting from each of them, he said, "I'm sorry to disturb you, Praetor. However, we have run into a bit of an, er, an issue."

"Pede, define 'issue.'"

"An old mare, likely the owner of this orchard", he said. "She's fiercely protective of the trees the troops are cutting down and has been threatening some of the workers with a pitchfork."

Eager for something to do, she said, "I'll take care of it." She then took off, flying toward the palisade of dirt and wooden stakes being set up. Sure enough, in the orchard by the palisade, a small crowd had gathered. On one side were several of her troops, who had eschewed their armor and carried a mix of adzes, dolabra pickaxes, and spades. On the other side were Big Mac, Apple Bloom, Zecora, surprisingly enough, and Granny Smith, the latter of which was indeed armed with a pitchfork. As she landed, Rainbow said, "What in Damocles's name is going on?"

"Finally, some 'un with a bit 'a respect!", the old mare wheezed out. "Tell these here wiper snappers that they can't cut down our buckin' trees!"

Big Mac said, "Granny. Stop. You know what Dr. Hooves said about you gettin' stressed?"

"Miss Smith", Rainbow said in her best PR voice. "I'm afraid that, due to the circumstance, my men are fully within their rights to cut them down. And, if push comes to shove, I can have you fully compensated for the trees."

That seemed to get the elderly mare out of her rage, as she dropped the pitchfork and began to head back toward the house, muttering and sputtering. Big Mac said, "Apple Bloom. Go check on Granny. Make sure she don't go 'urt anypony else." The youngest apple nodded, shot one last look at Rainbow Dash, and trotted after her grandma. He then turned to her, and said, "Thanks for 'dat."

"Yeah", she said. "Can't have a civilian killing one of my men. I'd never get over the paperwork."

The big stallion cracked a small smile at that, and stepped up to one of the old trees, touching the crackled truck. He said, somberly, "Some of your troops said they'd been in the pods fer three years? This right?"

"If what your scumbag of a sister said, then yes. Er, no offense", she said.

He gave her an evil eye but didn't say anything. Instead, he turned to the, and said, "'Ave you seen Southern Rose, honey?"

Zecora said, "Last I saw her, she's gone off to play with some of the local colts. Not the brightest, but they are no dolts."

Rainbow said, "Well, so long as they don't bother my men, I'm sure they'll be fine."

They turned to her again, and Zecora said, "Rainbow Dash, an old friend. I must say, it seems, though you were exiled, things have been on the mend. Judging by your helmet and, under your wing, that plank, you must bear some significant rank."

"Yeah", she said. "Praetor of the 14th Regiment, Pryhan Imperial army." 

Zecora said, "Well, with that task done in a jiffy, I shall go in search of our filly", and walked off. Mac and Rainbow then turned back to face each other, and an awkward silence reigned over the area, save for her troops cutting down the old trees and digging the palisade. 

"I'm, a, I'm gonna go check on my men", she said. "Have a nice day."


+++++~+++++


Later that day, Rainbow stood in her tent, talking to Vexillum. Castus had left to go get Depressi, and one of the regimental cooks was off making a dinner (she was compensating him with money from her own paycheck). Vexillum wouldn't be eating with them but was just wrapping up some last-minute business. 

"So, the Guard's up in terms of morale and competency?", she said. 

"Yes, Praetor", he said. "They're eager to fight. A few of them still seem kinda hesitant, but most of them eager."

"Excellent. We'll put them in the front during the offensive tomorrow. From there, we can-" Looking up, she saw someone and froze. 

"Praetor?", Vexillum said, confused. He then turned to the door of the tent, and mouthed 'Ahh'. "That her?" When she nodded, he said, "I'll let you catch up, then. Vale." He then walked off, leaving Rainbow facing someone she cared deeply for and hadn't seen in several years.
> 97~Long awaited reunion (Re-written)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two of them stared at each other, taking in various details about the other. Both of them seemed frozen, neither willing to make the first move. Finally, Scootaloo said, “R-rainbow Dash?”

“Hey”, she said. “Long time no see, eh?”

“W-what happened to you?”, Scootaloo said. 

“It’s, it’s a long story,'' Rainbow said. “Come on. We can talk about it over dinner.” She gestured to a table behind her, covered with several platters of food. 

“Yeah, but can you come and let my parents in? The guards said they wouldn’t let them in, and they want to see you again, too”, Scootaloo said.

Rainbow cocked her head. “I don’t think I’ve met your parents before.”

“Oh, I think you have,'' she said, somewhat sarcastically.

Rainbow said, “Alright then. I’ll go talk to the Decurion. You can stay here if you want.”

“I, I think I’ll come with you. Prevent something happening that you won’t really like”, Scootaloo said. 

Rainbow was still a bit confused but decided to just see who they were. She headed out of the tent, with Scootaloo following her. As they made their way along the makeshift road of the camp, several of her troops stepped to the side, saluting before they continued with their tasks. Scootaloo said, “Jeez. These guys respect you, don’t they?”

“Yeah. Most of them have served under me for years,” Rainbow said. 

Scootaloo said, “I’m still trying to get over you being a soldier. I just never could’ve seen you as a soldier.”

“‘You never know what the future holds, save that change will be a constant’”, Rainbow quoted.

“Huh?”, Scootaloo asked. 

Rainbow chuckled and said, “It’s a quote from Drucius the Wise, a Caesar of the Pryhan Empire from about twelve-hundred years ago. He’s known as a philosopher, and has a bunch of quotes like that.”

“Since when did you start quoting old people?”, Scootaloo said, before giggling. 

Rainbow shrugged, before replying, “I had a lot of time on my talons a few years ago, before I was involved in the Pryhan army.”

“Why’d you have a lot of free time on your hoov-er, talons?”, Scootaloo said, swallowing lightly as she looked over her idol.

Rainbow said, “I’ll tell you about it in a bit. We’re here.” They arrived at the gate, with a pair of her soldiers standing guard. “So, Scoots. Where are your-GAAH!!”

She was suddenly tackled, sending her sprawling on her back. She hissed as she fell on some of her old scars, before opening her eyes only for them to widen further. She was greeted by her parents, hugging and sobbing into her cloak and armor. She squeaked out over their strangling, “Mom!? Dad!?”

Her dad said, “Oh, Dashie!”

“We’re so glad you’re home!”, her mom said, sobbing along with her dad. 

“Ca-can’t breathe!”, she said. 

Her parents began to back up, stopping suddenly. Looking past them, Rainbow saw the pair of sentries with their swords at the backs of their heads. One of them said, “Praetor. Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” she said, standing up and brushing herself off. “Now, back to your posts.”

The other one said, “But, Praetor. They-”

“They’re my parents. Overly enthusiastic ones, but my parents none-the-less. Now, fall to command,” She said. The two of them nodded and saluted, before backing off and heading back to their posts. “Mom, dad. This is a pleasant surprise. What’re you doing here?”

“Well, you invited your sister to dinner, and we figured we’d-”, her dad said, before Rainbow interrupted him. 

“Wait wait wait. Sister!?”, she basically yelled. “When did this happen?”

“About two years after you were exiled”, her mom said. 

Scootaloo seemed to catch onto an idea that might be in Rainbow’s head. She said, “T-they didn’t do it to replace you. I was living on my own, and they gave me a home.”

“You were living on your own?”, Rainbow said. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t think you’d think it would be cool”, Scootaloo mumbled. 

“That’s a terrible idea,'' Rainbow said, wrapping a wing around her. “Admitting you need help isn’t a sign of not being cool. If you had asked, I would have helped you. Sis.”

Scootaloo smiled widely. “Would it be out of place if I said this is one of the best days of my life?”

“Fuck no,” Rainbow said, smirking. “I always wanted a sibling.”

“Hey!,” a voice yelled from outside the gate. “Uh, can I come in now?”

Rainbow looked up and saw another pegasus outside the entrance of the fort, about fifteen feet in front of the sentries. He had a light grey coat and darker grey mane, who was nervously pawing the ground in front of him. 

Rainbow said, “And, who are you?”

Scootaloo said, “That’s Rumble, my colt-friend. Can, he…?”

Rainbow glared at him, noting him smiling sheepishly. She dropped her glare and said, “Well, I was only planning on having Scootaloo over, so I only paid the cook for a small amount of food. But, I fail to see why not. Sentries! Let him in!” As Rumble entered, she said, “Come on. Let’s eat.”

They made their way back down the road, back towards her tent. The two Praetorians outside her tent stiffened and saluted, returning to a normal stance as the last of them entered the tent. Rumble said, “This place is pretty cool.”

“Some Perks of Being a Praetor, and a Triumphator at that,'' she said. 

Her mom asked, “A what?”

“Triumphator”, Rainbow said, opening a bottle of wine. “It’s not a rank, but a title. The highest honor in the Empire. And I’m the first one in over five-hundred years.”

“Th-that’s awesome!”, her dad exclaimed. “Oh, our little dashie is always the best!”

“Thanks, dad. I try,” she said, pouring the wine into several cups. “Here.”

“Is that wine?”, Scootaloo asked. 

Rainbow then realized that Scootaloo and Rumble would still be underage in Equestria. “Sorry. The legal drinking age in Pryha is lower than in Equestria. I can get some water if you like.”

“Can we, Mr. Hothoof?”, Rumble asked. 

Her dad said, “I fail to see why not. Go ahead.”

The four of them grabbed the cups, taking sips of the red liquid. Windy said, “My! This is good!”

Rainbow couldn’t help but grin with pride. She said, “Pryha has a reputation for good wine, among other things. Now, let’s eat.”

They all sat down around the table, the four equestrians looking in amazement at the food. Each of them had a bare plate, with several platters of food in front of them full of various items. One was laden with bread, another with grapes, another with lentils, and another yet with other, various fruits. In the center of the table, there was a large bowl of salad of lettuce, onion, and various herbs covered with a vinaigrette. Rainbow said, “This is a bit plain, for Pryhan dinners, anyway, but I figured you wouldn’t want any meat.”

“Meat!?”, Scootaloo said. 

“There isn’t any in the food, trust me.” When she realized that wasn’t what she meant, she chuckled sheepishly. “Right. Me eating it. Like I said, things are different in Pryha. Don't let that stop you from eating; you must be hungry.”

The others looked between themselves, before seemingly overcoming their hesitation and began to put the food on their plates. They began eating, while Rainbow didn’t even touch any of the food. Her dad noticed, and said, “Dashie. You aren’t going to eat anything?”

“I-I’d eaten earlier. I was, just thinking,” she said. 

Her mom asked, “About what?”

Rainbow sighed, removing her helmet and setting it on the table. “Just, just about all of this.”

Scootaloo asked, “‘All of this?’. What does that mean?”

“Well, what’s changed”, Rainbow said. “It’s not just the drinking age, the meat; hell, the fucking quote I told you earlier, Scoots. It’s been nine years since I’ve even been here. It’s so much different, I almost don’t even recognize it!”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” her mom said. “You’re still our daughter.”

“I’ve ordered creatures crucified. Had them nailed to crosses and left to die.” As they all gawked in shock, she continued. “I’ve killed hundreds of creatures. The only period of peace I’ve experienced in the Empire has been the past year. Like I said-”

She was interrupted by Scootaloo standing up and walking over to hug her. Rainbow squawked in mild alarm, but before she could say anything, Scootaloo said, “I don’t care.”

“B-but I-”

“You’re still my sister, and mom and dad's daughter. I don’t care if you came back as something from a Power Ponies comic, as long as you’re my sister. We’re family, and I don’t care. Don’t blame yourself.”

Rainbow opened her mouth to reply, but stopped before any sound came out. She sighed and leaned into the hug. When Scootaloo released her, she said, “Well, I guess I was right about what I was planning on doing.”

“What were you planning on doing?,” her mom asked. 

“Well, I didn’t know Scootaloo was my sister,” Rainbow said. “So, I guess you’re going to have to settle to be my son's aunt instead of his godmother.”

Shit then hit the fan. 

“WHAT!?,” Her parents yelled, standing up and gawking.

Rainbow cleaned out her ear with a talon, before saying, “Geez. Can you keep it down? That was fucking loud.”

“You have a son!?”, her dad yelled. 

Rainbow smirked, and said, “Yeah. That's why I had all that free time a few years ago I told you about, Scoots. Hold on; I got a photo.” She reached into the pocket of her tunic, pulling out a small piece of paper. She unfolded it and showed it to her parents. “There. Right next to me.”

Her mom said, “D’awww.” She then straightened up and froze, seeming to realize something. “I’m a grandmother.”

“Are you ok, Missus Whistles?”, Rumble asked.

“I’M A GRANDMOTHER!”, she yelled. 

Her dad pointed with a wing, and asked her, “Who’s that?”

“That”, Rainbow said, preparing herself for the yelling. “Is my husband, Castus.”

True to her expectations, her parents both yelled, “YOU’RE MARRIED!?”

After her ears stopped ringing, she said, “Yeah. Our anniversary is in about four months.”

Her dad grabbed her with his wings. “When are we getting to meet them?”

She snorted, before saying, “Don’t worry. I was planning on using this opportunity to take you to come meet them. I just figured you'd be in Cloudsdale, not in Ponyville. So, after the campaign is over, are you willing to come with me to meet them?”

“Are you kidding me!?”, her dad said. 

Her mom said, “We wouldn’t miss meeting our daughter's family for the world!”

“Thanks”, she said, swirling the wine around in her cup. She raised the cup, smiling. “To family!”

The others grabbed their cups and repeated the toast. “To family!”
> 98~Updated Intel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Rainbow stood on one side of the bridge, just outside of Ponyville. On the hill behind her, her regiment waited to advance, Scorpions at the ready to fire on the Changelings that had started to funnel out of the hive. Vexillum stood next to her, and two of her troops behind her. On the other side of the bridge, the Changeling commander stood, with two of the armored changelings behind him. Both of the commanders stepped onto the bridge, meeting in the middle. 

"You got my message?", the Commander, apparently named Pharynx, said. 

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, yeah. One of your bugs snuck over to our side, gave a message to some royal guard lieutenant, blah, blah, blah. What do you want?"

"Simple", he said, drawing his sword. Behind her, Vexillum did the same, and her men raised their shields and lances. Rainbow herself laid her wing over one of the sword hilts, at the ready in case he made a move. He then turned it around in his magical aura, sinking the blade up to the pommel in the old wood of the bridge. "I'm here to surrender."


+++++~+++++


Her troops entered Ponyville proper after this, securing the buildings and taking the weapons from the Changelings. Like Pharynx said, they offered no resistance, and the town was theirs in a matter of minutes. Standard procedure ensued; the Night Guard and Royal Guard began to watch the Equestrians, while the rest of them began to secure a perimeter and prepare for a potential counter-attack. However, due to the unique circumstances, the officers were all assembled in Rainbows command tent, listening to Commander Pharynx. 

He explained his reason for his 'defection'. Apparently, the Queen of the Changelings, Chrysalis, wasn't the most traditional when it came to Changeling customs. All of what she did, the invasion, the occupation, the pods, all of it wasn't according to Changeling tradition. They were supposed to be subtle, sneaky; get what they needed, and leave. It got to the point where he could no longer follow her, even if he was having to ignore another Changeling custom of absolute loyalty to the queen. 

"So", Luna said. "What exactly do you want? I mean, you can be granted special immunity from prosecution following the reconquest, but, what else do you desire?"

He seemed to consider her offer. "I don't know. I just couldn't stand it anymore. Her blatant disregard for tradition.." He then made multiple angry chittering noises, before he composed himself. "Perhaps I can give you some information."

Gallus laughed. "We were gonna dig for it anyway! This is just making our job easier."

Shooting the griffon a dirty look, he said, "Well, first things first would be the Queen's double agent." That got everyone's attention. 

"What are you talking about?"

"Double agent? Impossible!"

"We've scanned for Changelings! We've found nothing!"

Rainbow groaned, and yelled, "Shut up and let the 'Ling speak!"

After they all quieted down, Pharynx said, "Yeah. You are right, about there being no Changeling in your forces. You've become quite though at that. But we have a spell for special circumstances. It allows the caster to take over the mind of another sentient creature; see through their eyes, and control their actions, if they hear a special phrase."

"Who?"

"Shining Armor. I don't know when and how she got control of him, or if there are any others, but this is the one I know." Again, it set off a firestorm of protests and accusations. 

Finally, Rainbow and Luna managed to reign them in again, then turned back to Pharynx. "Have you any proof? If you do, then we might be more willing to hear you out."

"Bring him here, and I can show you", he said. 

Rainbow turned to two of her troops, saying, "Bring Shining Armor here." The soldiers nodded and walked off, and she turned back to Pharynx. "What other information can you give us?"

"Lots", he said. "Numbers of defenders in Canterlot. Potential hardpoints. Where the ponies are being stored. I can even have some of my troops help in the offensive."

"You would be willing to raise arms against your own race?", Luna asked with her eyebrow raised. 

Pharynx said, "Some of them, anyway. Myself included. The Queen has gone against anything and everything that our species stood for, and I can't just stand by and let our species turn to degeneracy and away from our tradition."

At that moment, Shining and the two Pedes returned. Shining said, "What's going on?" When he saw Pharynx, his eyes narrowed. "What's that bug doing here?"

Pharynx hissed in anger, but Luna stood, flying down in between them. "Enough. Commander Pharynx now is your opportunity to provide proof to your claim."

The Changeling still scowled, but nodded and faced him. "Emerge from your shell, Servant of the Hive."

Shining Armors gripped his head, rubbing the base of his horn. Suddenly, he stiffened and stood perfectly straight. When he opened his eyes, they were glowing green. He looked squarely at Pharynx; a look that reminded Rainbow of a sentry waiting for orders. 

Those in the tent recoiled in shock. The other officers stood up, eyes wide and drew swords. The soldiers lowered weapons at him. The two Pedes who escorted him in shoved him to his knees, one of them putting a knife to his throat. He still stared solely at Pharynx the whole time. 

Luna stood in stunned silence, staring into his glowing green eyes. Shutting her own, she said, "Take him away. Lock him in a shed. Somewhere that he can't do any harm." As he was dragged away by the Pryhans, she said to Pharynx, "Is there any way to reverse this spell?"

"I can't do anything", he said. "Only the caster of the spell can do that. Others like myself who have had a similar spell cast on them can activate the spell, but I can't do anything."

"Who is the caster?", Captain Stratosphere asked. 

"Likely the queen. Again, I don't know when or how she got control of him, but I do know that she did get control of him. He was used to gain intel on your troop movements, and even, when he still had rank, manipulated him to make a strategic move that threatened the campaign. Of course, none of the commanders knew about the dragons."

Gallus said, "The Royals leaving the artillery position. That wasn't him? That was you?"

"Not me specifically, of course. That was Commander Web. He was killed in the battle."

While all of the others talked with Pharynx, Rainbow was sitting in the back, thinking. She considered what Pharynx said, and how to make things work. Suddenly, she came to a plan; one that would either work really well or really poorly. It was a gamble, but it could end the war quickly. Luna saw her expression, and said, "Is something wrong?"

"No, no", she said. "I just had a plan to end the war."
> 99~Bickering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow was in her tent, hunched over a map of Canterlot. The other officers had dispersed some time ago, moving to ready their troops to march toward the mountainside city. Pharynx had given them the information promised and had been promised them unexplored land to Equestrias east for their contribution to the war effort. She personally couldn't care; she was working on her plan for how to reclaim the city. 

Behind her, she heard a commotion. "I'm sorry, ma'ams. But, Praetor said.... er…. no interruptions": The broken Equish of one of her sentries. 

She then heard AJ saying, "Listen, ya varmint! It's important, and ah'll be a chicken in a Timberwolf den if y'all won't let us in!"

Rainbow sighed, turning to the tent flap. She walked out to see the former Element Bearers in a standoff with the two guards outside her 'office'. Pinkie suddenly popped up next to her, smiling widely, saying, "Oh, hi Dashie! We just got back from the Everfree, which was-" 

Rainbow ignored the pink pony, turning to the sentries. "Ave, Pedes. What's going on?" 

"Ave, Praetor. These civilians just wanted to speak with you. They insist it's urgent, but you said you were not to be disturbed by non-military personal, sooooo….", he said, trailing off at the end. 

She sighed, shaking her head. "Stubborn gits, I'll give um that. Let them in. They won't let up until they get what they want, and don't know when to let up." The two of them parted, and the Element Bearers followed her into her tent. She leaned back on the basic wooden desk, gesturing at them. "Well? What is it? I do have things I need to do."

Twilight pulled something out of her saddlebags; a large, purple wooden box with a glass lid. It looked familiar, but she remembered what it was used for when she opened the lid. Inside, sitting on slightly rusted pegs, sat the Elements of Harmony. The multi-colored, cutie-mark shaped gems sat on the pegs, like the most valuable weapons or tools in the world. Which, when view from a certain light, she supposed they were. 

"We got them back from the Tree of Harmony, where the Royal Sister originally got the Elements", Twilight said, entering lecture mode. "With them, we can put a stop to Queen Chrysalis. We can free Equestria." They all looked at her, eyes hopeful and smiles beaming on their faces. Those smiles and looks faded when Rainbow burst out laughing. 

"Oh, ho ho. You're still holding onto that childish mentality, aren't you? Sorry, but I don't think that'll work."

Rarity stepped a bit closer, earning her Rainbows gaze. "Why not, darling? It's worked in the past, and-"

"I know it worked in the past, but it was the PAST. With how fucked up you lot made our relationship, I somehow doubt it would work. And beyond that, how would you get us into Canterlot to use them? Bullshit our way through the city with black jumpsuits and fake wings? Use Pinkies warping-thing to have us pop out of the Queen's asshole? And, beyond THAT, we'd still have to deal with her troops. I guarantee that they have a chain of command."

AJ snorted, and said, "They what's yer plan to do it?"

"Simple." She then walked around the desk, pulling out her knife and pointing at the map. "Commander Pharynx has given us accurate information about the defenses the 'Lings have put in place. There are only two ways into the city that all troops can access: the Trainyard, and the main road. The tracks have been cut, a massive gate has been erect across the main road, and the queen has put a big magic shield a-la your brother at his wedding over the city. The primary entry point to the city is the old Trainyard." She then pointed at the map with her knife, the tip resting on the train station. "Pharynx and a few of his troops willing to fight will take me and a few of the best troops through the train station, here. They'll escort us through the city, toward the gate. After a bit, we'll 'escape' and open the gate. The army will advance, and we'll pull a Baltimare. Street by street, building by building."

All of their expressions changed from looks of hope at their plan to those of horror at hers. Fluttershy was the first to speak up, saying, "B-but what about the Elements?"

"I just said why they won't work. Besides, I don't want to put all of this on the rainbow-colored death ray."

Gawking, Twilight said, "So you'll just kill all of them?"

"Not all of them", she said, disgusted. "I just look like a monster; I'm not one. If they surrender or if they are civilians, they'll be granted amnesty in accordance with Pryhan military law."

"But you'll still be killing them!", Rarity protested. "I mean, how barbaric!"

"Death is a part of war."

Fluttershy suddenly got in her face, eyes narrowed in her 'stare'. "You absolute, disgusting meanie! How would you like for someone to treat you like that, and-"

"What do you think happened to my face, you fucking whore!?"

"So you'll just resort to being a bully instead of trying to see reason!"

"You're the one who won't see reason! This is war, you hypocritical bitch! War is horrible; a waste of time, manpower, and resources, beyond the personal and communal suffering. But, in this case, it's necessary. What'd you do without us? Ask that bitch of a Queen nicely to let all of the ponies go free and leave? Be fucking reasonable."

"I am! I'm not saying I want to kill anybody when it can be avoided!"

"It can't!"

The two former best-friends would've likely escalated the situation, however, the Element of Loyalty began to glow. "ENOUGH!, a voice said from seemingly nowhere. Suddenly, a swirling light filtered out of the Element, and all of them were consumed by it. 

When the light faded, they found themselves in a void. Rainbow panicked for a second, being reminded of the void where many of her old nightmares took place. However, that was assuaged when a glowing figure emerged from the void. It was a pegasi pony, clad in the armor of the ancient Pegasi Legions. Scale-mail flank guards, leather straps, a royal-red sash, and a large, crested helmet adorned with an emotionless face-mask. He seemed to glow with a glowing red-light, and a large gem glowed in the center of his chest: the Element of Loyalty itself. 

GREETINGS, BEARERS, he said in the same voice as before. I AM THE SPIRIT OF THE ELEMENT OF LOYALTY, ALTHOUGH YOU MAY CALL ME FLASH.

Twilight chose that moment to have a nerdgasm. "Oh my Celestia! The spirit of one of the Elements! I have so many questions, Mr. Flash! What are you? How was the tree formed? How old is-"

OH FOR THE LOVE OF THE CREATOR! I'M NOT MAGIC! I DON'T DO LECTURES! He then stopped, seeming to get himself under control. LISTEN. THE SPIRIT OF THE TREE ITSELF TOLD ME TO SHOW A BIT OF PITY. BUCKING GUILT-TRIPPING FLANKHOLE. WERE IT UP TO ME, NONE OF YOU TRAITORS WOULD GET AN OUNCE OF MY POWER FOR BETRAYING MY BEARER!, he said, pointing at her former friends. 

"B-but we", Fluttershy tried to say but was cut off by Flash. 

I DON'T WANT TO HEAR A WORD, he said, his aura glowing more. I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR LITTLE TREASON. LISTEN UP, AND LISTEN GOOD. YOU ONLY GET ONE EXTRA CHARGE OUT OF MY ELEMENT, AND ONLY ONE. USE IT WELL, AND DON'T BUCK UP. AFTERWARD, PUT THE ELEMENTS BACK; THE TREE HAS ENOUGH OF A PROBLEM WITH DISCORDS SEEDS.

Before any of them could question what it meant, the light returned, and they all ended up back in her tent. All of them looked over at the box where the elements were. The Element of Loyalty sat outside of the chest but was now a different shape: A Pryhan officers helmet, with a pair of wings extending out the sides. All eyes rested on the Element, then on Rainbow. She just sighed and muttered a curse to herself in Demosian.

"Guess I'll have to modify the plan."
> 100~Operation: Divine Hammer (PT.1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

10 years since exile. (Yes, to the day).

The plan was tweaked a little, as per the new info. Now, they would be taken to Queen Chrysalis, using the captive cover to get close to use the Elements. Rainbow didn't like the extra risk, but decided it was worth a shot to eliminate the biggest threat in the city. If the Changelings didn't surrender, then they would resort to the back-up: her initial plan of getting to the main gate to let in the army.

Pharynx led the Element Bearers through the old train station, past dozens of Changeling guards. The six of them were 'bound' in ropes, tied just tight enough to look sturdy. Rainbow, being the most dangerous, was given a 'muzzle' and had her weapons taken away. In actuality, the muzzle was held on by thick fabric, and Twilight simply put an invisibility spell on her weapons as well as the Elements as they made their way through the abandoned city. 

They arrived at the Hive, a towering black spire of chitin that rose out of the old castle. Changelings by the hundreds milled about, ready for a fight. Pharynx and his loyalists lead them through the old corridors of the palace, towards the throne room. Inside, they were greeted with the old throne room, now covered by the same chitin of the outside spire. Inside, at least twenty Swarm Guards and Commanders milled about, taking reports and commands to and from the queen. 

The queen in question stood, staring at Pharynx and the small procession he led in. "Commander Pharynx", she said in a similar watery, warpy voice of the other Changelings. "I see you have abandoned your position. Explain."

The red-crested Changeling stepped forward, bowing before her. "My Queen. Ponyville was overrun, the invaders pouring over out defenses like we did over the ponies. However, a few of my drones captured these ponies. The Element bearers, and one of the enemy Commanders. Useful hostages, besides their Princess and Nobility."

The queen turned from him, facing her throne. "An interesting tale." She then turned back to him, flashing a fang-filled, malicious smile. "I thought you were taught not to lie to your queen."

"I haven't lied to you, my Queen", he said, but shot them a look of urgency. They lightly struggled against their bonds, ready to get free.

"Don't dig yourself deeper, Commander", Chrysalis admonished. "I know about your little plan to subdue me. And of your treason, Commander Pharynx. Arrest these traitors."

The Swarm Guards drew their swords, both the rebels and the loyalists. At that time, the Element Bearers burst free of their bonds, the invisibility spell on their Elements and weapons fading. Twilight began to channel the power of the Elements through her tiara, and shut her eyes. 

The Changeling Queen just smiled, and said, "Emerge from your shell, servant of the hive."

Twilights suddenly stopped channeling the magic and went stiff. She stood straight, and walked calmly over to the queens side. She opened her eyes, and they were glowing green, just like Shining Armor was. 

The other Element Bearers were stunned. Fluttershy, stunned, stuttered out, "B-b-but ho-how?"

"Oh, well, I might as well", the Queen said, as she began circling them, eyeing them like a piece of meat. "I've had control of her, and her dear, sweet brother, since that bumbling morons wedding, all those years ago. I had initially sought to merely raid the city for its love, and then vanish into the badlands. But, after seeing how stupid you ponies were by manipulating you into turning on the spectral colored Pegasus, I saw a greater ambition. Why merely steal love from a single city once, when I can control all the love of a whole nation for decades, even centuries!? MWAH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!"

The other Element bearers stood in stunned silence, eyes wide in shock at the queen. "Y-you mean Rainbow did nothing wrong?"

"Technically, she still attacked the bride. But, I was behind the scenes, pulling you like puppets on a string."

While all of the Equestrians had devastated, stunned looks on their faces, Rainbow just fixed her with an angry gaze. While she still had a hatred of them for doing what they did and abandoning her, she now had a being on which she could rest her blame. And beat into a pulp. 

Without warning, Rainbow sprang forward, blades outstretched. Two Swarm Guards got in front of her, but she dove past their slashes, cutting into their throats as she flew at the queen. Twilight then got in her way, horn alight with magic as she both raised a shield over the smug looking queen and firing a blast of energy at her. 

Rainbow dodged the blast, and tried to slam the pommel of her sword into the bottom of her jaw. The mind-controlled mare dodged, magic coalescing into a glowing sword, with which she began to duel the with the Pryhan commander. 

She was actually a decently skilled opponent, despite the fact she doubted Twilight had ever used a blade before. Rainbow had to use her flight to keep at a distance, eventually flying up into the air after a protracted series of back-and-forths. The sword dissipated for her to light up her horn, and she fired several bursts of magic at her. Rainbow swerved to the side of the barrage, and dove down at her, slamming into the mares back with a sickening *crack*.

Looking up from the crumpled form of the unicorn, she saw Pharynx's troops fighting against the Queens loyalists, most of whom appeared to be normal drones. The other Element Bearers also tried to fight back, but even with the Changelings, they were outnumbered and, for the Equestrians, outmatched. Rainbow knew they were done for if they stayed, and knew the objective was more important at the moment. 

Grabbing Twilights limp body, she used her wings to beat back towards the group. Chrysalis fired a bolt of green energy at her, skimming her side and sent her careening into the ground. Sliding next to Pharynx, she hissed in pain, snarling up at Pharynx, "Can you teleport? We need to get out."

The Commander nodded, and she said, "Then fucking do it!" 

The Loyalists surrounded them, beady blue eyes boring into them. Queen Chrysalis snarled, and said, "Stop them!" Pharynx lit up his horn, and a green flash surrounded them. A second later, they vanished into it. 

POV: Queen Chrysalis

The Queen stopped her hoof in anger, growling. Those traitors and ponies had broken or taken away her toys, and were now loose in her city. Turning to those who remained loyal, she bellowed, "Fan out! Find them! I want to personally rip their guts out their mouths as I drain the love from their bodies."

Before any of the drones could respond, another Changeling entered the throne room. "My Queen! The invaders are coming up the mountain path, in droves! Thousands of them!"

That news sent her into a series of profane clicking. "Get all drones out, and ready to defend the city. Secure the trainyard, and the gate. Keep them from getting to the citadel." She then turned, heady towards the throne to coordinate the defense. 

For the better or for the worse of the Hive, this war would end today.
> 101~Operation: Divine Hammer (PT.2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The green flames faded, depositing them into a small building. Twilight laid limp in her hooves, groaning lightly with a small stream of blood leaking out of her mouth. Rainbow laid her down on the rooms couch, while the Changelings went to go secure the entrances and the other Equestrians just stood their, shell shocked. Rainbow gave a disgusted snort, before turning to Pharynx. "Any idea as to how close to the main gate we are?"

"I don't know", he said. "It happens when we teleport when stressed sometimes."

Rainbow went to move over to the window, when she fell to the ground, gripping her side in pain. Lifting up her officers mantle, she saw a long, black streak across the armor. Beneath it, she took in the light smell of burnt flesh. Untying the side of her linothorax, she took a look at the wound. It hurt like hell, but it wasn't serious. She tied back up, adjusting it a bit to move the tear in the armor to as close to her underbelly as possible. 

By that time, Rarity had recovered her nerve and stood up, looking out of the window. "W-we're on Dressage Street. We're about three blocks from the main entrance."

Rainbow muttered, "Huh. So you aren't so useless after all." Turning to Pharynx, she said, "The plan stays the same. Take your troops, follow me, and we'll head for the gate." She then turned to the others, who were all looking at Rainbow, Twilight, or the ground. "You. Stay here. Watch Twilight. Here." She unlatched her knife, and tossed it into the floor at them, making Fluttershy jump. 

"R-rainbow", the terrified mare gulped out. "W-we're-"

"I don't want to hear a word out of your mouths. Stay here. Watch Twilight. Don't do anything stupid. All goes according to plan, someone will find you. If not, then find your own way out." That shut them up, with all of them now looking at the floor. 

Pharynx had called all of his troops down; about ten of them in total. Rainbow looked at them, then realized something. Pharynx must've realized the same, as he said to her, "Any idea as to how to distinguish them from the rest of the Changelings. I can maybe get some onto our side, but even just a few Swarm Guards will side with her."

Rainbow had come up with something. "Can you turn parts of your body into something, or is it just a whole body thing?"

"We can take on a form similar to out current form, but not specific parts of our bodies."

"Alright. Do that, give yourselves blood-red stripes along your legs, chests, and heads. I'll have my troops make the distinction when we let them in." Pharynx and his drones did so, the red stripes being noticeable among the black chitin and dark blue armor. "Alright. Lets go."

Drawing swords, Rainbow peaked out the door. In all directions, she saw nothing, and so motioned for the Changeling rebels to follow her. Sure enough, like Rarity said she could see the large pillars that marked Canterlot city limits. Most of the gate was covered by the buildings, but from what she could see, it was covered by a gate of similar, chitin-like material that made up a large portion of the spire. 

Rainbow whispered, "Ok. We can all fly over, but stay low. Last thing we need is to attract any attention from loyalists. Use anything and everything for cover, just don't let yourself be seen." 

Pharynx and his drones just smiled, before erupting into flashes of green light. When they cleared, they were small bugs, or birds; hell, one of them was a rock. Rainbow said, "Oh." After looking at them for another second, she got over herself, shooting out of the foyer of the house she was in and across the street. 

She used her wings to make large, leaping bounds over buildings and walls, progressing down the three blocks Rarity said rather quickly. She landed in an alley just before the gate, being joined by the rebels who turned back into Changelings. Their level and closer position gave them a better look at the gate. 

It was formed between the two main columns, a towering monolith of solid chitin. Behind it, a series of elevated platforms was formed, both on the columns and on the surrounding buildings, turning the immediate area inside the gate into a kill box. Dozens of Swarm Guards patrolled the area, weapons at the ready. Rainbow asked Pharynx, "You got a plan? I mean, I can come up with something, but I just want to see if you do." She expected him to start talking, explaining a diversion, or for her to do something while they opened the gate. 

Instead, he just walked out into the open, while motioning for her to stay back. 

Almost immediately, Changelings noticed him, and many went over to him. One in particular, an unusually big one for a Changeling, stepped to the front, eyeing him. Pharynx just smiled, before being ingulfed in green flames, even bigger than most transformations. When it cleared, he was a massive, insect-like creature that dwarfed small siege-towers, let alone the large Changeling. 

He then swung his massive claws, smashing the stunned bugs aside. Looking back at the alley, he swung a claw forward, crushing one of the poor changelings that was still alive, motioning for them to attack. Rainbow, while a bit miffed at the lack of protocol, smiled at the living line-breaker and charge out of her hiding spot, pulling out a special crossbow bolt from her quivers. 

It had a small paper package on it, filled with black powder, along with a fine powder. Supposedly, it would create a colorful explosion, acting as a flare of sorts. If it didn't have a color to it, then it would be an explosion in the air. It would alert the army to begin advance. Rainbow pulled out a lighter, lit the fuse, and fired it off into the air, before sliding it back into the holster. As she put on a burst of speed, she heard a loud *POW* overhead, and loud horns in the distance a few seconds later. 

Swords drawn, she headed for one of the towers along the edge of the gate, bucking into the sentry in the tower. She began looking around for a lever, a switch; something to open up the gate. Finally, she found a rotating bar, similar to those on Pryhan onagers. She found a large shard of the chitin, and pressed it into the wheel, turning it to open up the gate. 

Looking over, she saw the various armies making their ways up the path. Pryhans were in front, battering ram stored in their ranks as a fallback plan, while the Night and Royal Guards fanned out on either side and the Wonderbolts, Rebel Changelings and Griffons flew overhead. Behind her, however, came the swarm. Hundreds of growing black dots, all of them Changeling loyalists, made their way towards the gate, already taking fire from the Griffons. Rainbow turned a bit faster. 

Finally, the gate was open to a suitable degree, and not a moment too soon. The swarm had arrived, and a Changeling burst into the tower, hissing at her. She thrust a blade into his chest, and flew over its crumpled body. 

Pryhan soldiers, shields held high, entered the main entrance, pushing past the gate and over the already existing corpses of Changeling loyalists. Pharynx went off to go tell his men to adopt the red coloring, while Rainbow ran over to meet with Vexillum and Tribune Tarquinius. "Perfect timing", she said. "You two know the drill. Block by block, house by house. Push them back and secure the city at all costs. It's now, or never."

"The way you say it makes it sound like you'll be elsewhere. What do you have in mind?", Tarquinius asked. 

Rainbow looked over at the spire, eyes narrowing. What she was preparing to do was against protocol. It was dangerous; heck, it could be argued it was suicidal. However, the tactical advantage couldn't be denied, not to mention her own desire for vengeance. "I'm gonna go cut the head off of the snake", was all she said as she spread her wings, taking off towards the towering citadel.
> Interlude~Retribution
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot Castle throne room
POV: Swarm Guard Maxilla

Maxilla stood over by the entrance to the throne room along with several other guards. The queen was behind them, organizing the defense of the city over the hive mind. He and the others were there to make sure no one, whether an invader or a traitor Changeling, entered the throne room to attack the queen. 

Suddenly, a loud crash sounded off to the side of the main entrance. One of the old windows crashed in, spraying colored glass and thin layers of chitin over the nearest guard. The blue Pegasus that the traitor Pharynx had brought in flew into the hole, blades flashing, as she cut down the guard who was hit by the glass. 

They all drew their swords, and the two closest to her charged in. She beat her wings back, dodging the downward slashes, before shooting forward, thrusting her swords into their throats. She parried the next guards attack, before using her second blade to get under his blade and thrust into his chest. 

The remaining four of them got up into the air, surrounding her as best they could. The mare pulled something off of her flanks with a wing, before flying forward at them like a flying battering ram. The one next to him was impaled by both of her blades, his own slipping out of his aura and falling to the ground. She then fired the thing in her wing at the one of his other side, a bolt sprouting from his forehead as that one fell too. He swung his sword at her, trying to take advantage of her distraction, but she blocked it with a vambrace. The other Swarm Guard tried to pull a similar move, but she bucked him in the face and sent him backward. She did the same to him, before whirling around in the air to slice his throat. 

She turned back to him, her one eye filled with hate. He tried to get in close, using the pommel of his sword to smack into her helmet. She swerved to the side, swords at the ready. As he turned to face her again, she swung one of her swords down, slicing across his face. A wave of pain flew through the wound, then a wave a numbness. He tried to raise a hoof to the wound, but it felt heavy as a marble block. The sudden weight of his body finally overwhelmed him, and he fell to the floor below, everything fading into darkness. 

POV: Queen Chrysalis

She opened her eyes, hearing odd noises when her eyes were shut. She was greeted with a sight that made her blood boil. Her guards laid dead, and the Rainbow-maned Pegasus she had exiled stood before her, her one eye narrowed in anger. "Queen Chrysalis. On behalf of the Pryhan Empire, I am giving you one last chance to surrender. Feel free to refuse."

She snarled. How dare this puny creature speak to her like that. "As if I would surrender to a tiny, insignificant piece of scum like you. As long as I draw breath, I will never bow."

"Fine by me. I get the chance to shove your horn up your ass."

"You think you can harm me!? I captured your Princess in a matter of minutes! I took over your home in six months! You are no threat to me!"

She snickered. "Celestia was not my Princess. And this is not my home. I swear my allegiance to the Pryhan Empire, and to the Caesar."

"Then maybe I'll keep you alive, so I can have you watch me as I burn your precious empire to the ground." 

"Those who oppose the Empire shall be shown no mercy, as I will be expecting none in return. You claim to be powerful, yet you hide like a coward behind your swarm. So, show me your power. Face me, and let the gods decide who's powerful."

Chrysalis scowled even deeper. She rose from her throne, summoning green flames. When they dissipated, she was clad in heavy, black iron armor with a large, griffon-like glaive was held in her aura. She smiled, lighting up her horn and said, "Agreed." She then took off, racing towards her while swinging her glaive in a wide arc. 

The Pegasus backed up, before trying to get in close. She used the shaft of the weapon to block the swords, before firing a bolt of magic at the Pegasus. She again dodged, then tried to swing herself under the staff to buck her with her hob-nailed boots. Chrysalis used her front legs to block the strikes, they tried to slam the but of the glaive into the back of her head. Again, she dodged, this time getting clear to fire a pair of bolts at her with her crossbow pistols. She caught them in her aura, the tossed them aside as she took off into the air herself. 

Due to the lack of a floor, it gave both of them more options to maneuver or attack. The agile Pegasus definitely used that to her advantage, getting in close and attacking from odd angles to throw her off balance. Chrysalis did her best to keep her at a distance, using her glaive and magic bolts to do so. Back and forth they went, Rainbow getting in close, and the queen pushing her back. A few small cuts and scratches, but most of it was on their armor, and what was on exposed flesh weren't serious. 

Finally, Chrysalis got lucky. She managed to get a solid swing at her chest when she intercepted a flurry of blows by the Pegasus. It slid along the surface of the linothorax, then cut into the base of his neck. She scrambled back, clutching the shallow wound, and Chrysalis powered up her horn to fire a bolt of magic. 

The Pegasus flew back, trying to avoid the sudden flurry of bolts. One bolt finally connected with her chest, and she was sent flying towards the ceiling. She bust through the thin chitin, flying out of the palace. Chrysalis snorted. She then turned to head back to her throne. She sat down, and resumed her commands of the swarm. They were being pushed back on all fronts, and she began to redirect them to weakening areas. At least a few minutes of this passed, and she had begun to hold firmly, and even push them back on a few streets. 

Suddenly, she heard a faint whistling noise. Looking out of the hole, she saw a faint, white and blue dot in the sky. Apparently, the exile was stubborn. No matter. As the dot got closer, she powered up her horn, ready to fire a bolt of magic at her when she got close. As she flew, she saw a small miasma form around her, glowing white with a faint rainbow color. Undeterred, she fired the bolt, which was absorbed by the miasma. Suddenly panicked, she fired another, which had the same result. Before she could charge and fire another bolt, the rainbow part of the miasma began glowing brightly, and then-

KRA-KOOOOOOOOOM!!!

A wave of Rainbow colored light filled her sight, then a blinding white, and finally a suffocating black. 


+++++~+++++


When the queen came to, her throne room was in ruins. The chitin that once covered the walls covered the floor in broken patches, shattered like glass. The actual glass of the old windows was the same, and much of the old marble laid in stacks of rubble around the room. Her throne was broken, chips of it flaked off. 

She tried to rise, but then collapsed with pain. Her carapace was cracked in multiple places, green blood leaking out of some of them. Her horn was chipped, and several of the holes on her leg were bigger than she remembered. Her glaive rested, partially covered by the rubble, and her armor was dented and pitted with shrapnel. 

She then saw the Pegasus, stepping out from behind a pile of rubble. She didn't look much better, her cloak torn, armor also studded with shrapnel, and some of the hairs of her helmet crest were torn out. Yet, even as she stumbled forward, dragging one of her swords in her hoof, the look in her eye remained murderous. 

As she got closer, Chrysalis lit up her horn, trying in vain to power up a spell. The pain from the attempt merely sent her falling to her knees. The Pegasus got in front of her, practically falling on her as she dropped the sword. The weight of the Pegasus was enough to fully push her to the ground, and she hissed in agony at the extra pressure put on her partially broken wings. 

She gripped onto her jaw, turning her head. While her mind protest, trying to stay strong despite the delirious pain, her weak body complied. She looked into her good eye, trying not to look at the cavernous, burnt socket of the other one. Still fixing her with the cold, unnerving glare, she leaned closer, almost up to her ear. "Plecteretur, Canis."

She then jerked her head down, making her look into a pile of rubble. She let out a gurgling cry, trying to move, but failing miserably. She then jerked it, fast and hard, upward, greeting the queen with a sickening crack. This time, there was no white light, no searing pain, no nothing. Just a sudden, welcoming void that swallowed her and her body went limp, and mind blank.


(*-Rough translation of phrase above-Retribution, Bitch)
> 102~Operation: Divine Hammer (PT.3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow looked into the cold, dead eyes of the queen, and grinned. All of this time, she wanted to do this to her former friends. But, after learning of the Queens involvement, it turned to her she wanted to kill. She still hated them, and wouldn't offer them any forgiveness, but she was satisfied killing the one who fucked her over. 

Her staring at the queens corpse was interrupted by a series of short, heavy coughs. She pulled off the tattered remains of her cloak, then undid her armor cords to examine her wounds. Again, her armor had adsorbed a lot of the damage, but small sections of it were pierced, and other areas had been hit by heavy bits of shrapnel. She pulled out her knife, and began to cut up her cloak to use as a bandage. She wrapped up her bleeding wounds, and then worked herself to her hooves. 

She managed to right herself and grab her sword. She slid it back into the sheath, then trotted over to the other one. When she sheathed it as well, she looked around the room. She grinned, taking in the damage she caused. She hadn't done a Rainboom in at least ten years, and she had fucked up that piece of trash. However, outside, she heard loud noises, and so flew out one of the holes in the wall in order to check it out. 

The battle, if it could be called that, was wrapping up on all sides. She actually had a feeling that it was similar to what the initial Changeling invasion of Canterlot. Night Guard, Griffonian, and Pryhan soldiers pushed them back on all fronts, while those in the air kept them from escaping. Behind the main lines, groups of Changeling prisoners were being watched by soldiers, mostly Royal Guards. 

That didn't mean the Changelings weren't fighting back, or putting up a fight. They tried everything they could to get out or to turn the tide. Flanking he Pryhan phalanx's from alleys, hit-and-run assaults on the Night Guard, all sorts of tactics to try and overrun them. Other groups of them tried to flee, only to be pushed back by the fliers. 

Rainbow, for the third time in less than five minutes, Rainbows muzzle was graced with a wide grin. Rainbow then flew down toward the line. As she did, Spitfire flew up next to her, lifting up her goggles as she said, "Hey. What was with that massive light from the castle? Did you-"

"Pull a Rainboom? Yep!", she said. "So, from what I saw, things are going well. Yeah?"

Spitfire said, "Heck yeah! The bugs are being pushed back on all fronts, pushed up against the edge of the city. But, only a few of them are surrendering. What happened to the queen?"

"A corpse."

Spitfires eyes widened at the blunt statement, and at the way she said it. The two of them landed behind a Pryhan Phalanx. In front of them was the last major holdout of Changelings, a mass of over a hundred of them, at least three fourths of which were Swarm Guards. Pryhan troops were on all sides, Wonderbolts and Griffons in the air. It was a massacre in the waiting. Rainbow landed next to the units Tribune, Trent, who saluted and said, "Ave, Praetor. We have them surrounded, and can press them at your command."

Rainbow looked past the battle line, at the Changelings. Many of them looked scared, or were wounded, or looked like cornered animals. Rainbow then looked at the ground, then back at them. Finally turning her gaze to Tribune Trent, she said, "Temporarily belay that. I'll see if they wish to surrender."

"Are, are you sure? I mean, they-"

"Fall to command, Tribune." He still looked a little weary, but nodded, and had the cornifer sound a halt. The trumpet signal sounded, and the phalanx's ground to a halt, a wall of spears and shields blocking them in. Rainbow flew over the wall, landing in front of the phalanx and began to step forward. 

The Changelings began to grow a bit skittish, while others looked at her angry. She stopped a little bit in front of them, and began to extend her offer. "Brave Changelings. Your queen is dead, and you are surrounded, outnumbered, and outmatched. You have done all that the honor of war requires. In the name of Caesar Diocletian, and the Pryhan Empire, I offer you to spare your lives. Do you agree to surrender?"

Many of the Changelings looked amongst themselves, wondering if she was serious. One of the Changelings, a Swarm Guard stepped forward, his sword in his aura. He looked down at it, then at her, then threw his sword to the ground. The other Swarm Guards did the same, throwing down their weapons, while the rest of them got on the ground, bowing their heads in defeat. 

She turned to her troops, nodding. The Pedes and Griffonian soldier went down to get the weapons and to restrain the Changelings. Spitfire landed next to her, nodding and smiling at her. "Nice one, Dash."

Rainbow tried to respond, but a wave of nausea caught up to her. She stumbled forward a bit, being caught by Spitfires wings. Through her ringing ears and nausea, she heard one of her troops yelling for a medicus, and then everything faded to black.
> 103~Recovery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow awoke to the scent of blood and medicine. She tried to raise herself up, but was pushed back down by a heavy pain that swelled up in her head. She scowled and groaned out in pain, bringing her talon up to rub her temples. Well, she would've, if when she reached up, revealed that the prosthetics were gone. In panic, she used her hind legs to scoot herself back against the wall, righting herself. 

She rolled her head around, taking in her surroundings. She was in a white, tiled room with several bits of machinery. Sticking out of her upper foreleg, she saw a wire connected to an IV bag. A constant beeping echoed through the room, which came from a heartrate machine. She was in a bed with green sheets, and was in fact wearing a dull green hospital gown. Other areas of her body, at least the ones she could see around the blanket and the gown, were covered in bandages. 

She looked over to the door opening. A doctor entered the room, a clipboard held in his magic aura. He said, "Ah, you're awake, Ms. Dash. How are you feeling?"

"Er, fine? And where am I?"

The doctor set down the clipboard, and began to examine the heartrate machine. "You're in the Canterlot Hospital, brought here after you fell unconscious during the battle."

"For what?", she said. "I feel fine! And what happened to my forelegs?"

"Well, you do now", he said. "When you were brought here, however, you weren't. Internal bleeding, imbedded shrapnel, a few broken bones, and some other small wounds. If you were brought in ten minutes later, I don't think you would've made it. And, as for your prosthetics, they were taken off so we could get at some of the shrapnel."

Rainbows eyes widened, and she looked down at the sheets. "I, I could've died?" She'd always known her job was dangerous, and that she could conceivably die. But, even at the Battle of Pryha, she'd never come so close to death. 

"Yeah, but you haven't. A few hours in a magic induced coma, a few good healing spells, and you're fine. Now a day or two resting, some medicine, and you should be good as new."

Rainbow sighed, leaning back. "The miracles of magical healing, eh?"

He let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, I suppose so."

"So, what exactly happened? I mean, we obviously won, but what exactly happened?"

By this point, the doctor had checked everything, and was just standing by the door. "Well, after that big group of them you convinced to surrender did so, the remaining pockets either followed their example or tried to fight on or escape. Their last hopes were crushed when the Crystal Empire arrived in a bunch of airships." He opened the door, then turned back and said, "Now, I have to go. Even after the quick battle, the hospital is packed. A nurse will be along soon to bring you some dinner. Try to get some sleep." 


+++++~+++++


The next morning, Rainbow awoke to the door being shut. Having gotten her prosthetics reinstalled by the nurse who brought her dinner last night, she was able to sit up much easier. On a tray on the nightstand next to the bed, she found a plate of hospital food. Oatmeal, an apple, and a glass of OJ, which Rainbow reluctantly began to eat. The oatmeal was bland, the apple was soft, and the OJ was pulpy, but it was better than some of the 'food' she had to eat back in her courier days. 

Looking up from her food when she heard the door open, she saw her family. Her dad entered first, saying, "Hey, dear. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, dad", she said. "Trust me, this isn't the first time I've been in a hospital, and definably not the worst I've been hurt."

Scootaloo came up to the side of her, a small platter on her back. "Hospital food?"

"Yeah. Tastes like shi-Tastes terrible."

She smiled, sliding the platter onto the nightstand. "Well, your Quartermaster, on our way out of your camp, gave me this. Don't know what it is, but he just said to give it to you." She pulled the cloth off of the platter, and Rainbow grin grew to be a mile wide. 

"Bacon!" She practically threw the tray off of her lap, grabbing a particularly large slab of the fatty meat and stuffed it in her maw. After a few pieces down her throat, she looked over at her family, who had developed a universal disgusted look. " *Hurmph* Want some? It's good meat", she said, mouth full of the heavenly meat.

Scootaloo, holding up her hoof over her face, said, "Uh, I'll, uh. I'll pass." Her parents voiced their agreement. Rainbow just shrugged, and continued to eat the pile of meat. 

"Your loss." After she polished off of the pile of meat, she said, "So, how have you been? I take it my troops haven't been too much trouble for you?"

"No", her mom said. "Your men have been quite polite and respectful."

While she said this, Rumble said, "The ones we can understand, anyway."

"Well, let's put it this way", Rainbow said, still ripping into the bacon. "My regiment is stationed along the Griffonian border. More of my troops speak equish when compared to others. In fact, consider yourself lucky. If you had gotten one other the regiments by the Zebrican border. I imagine you'd have to get Zecora to translate everything!" 

"Am I interrupting something?", a voice outside the room said. Looking past her parents, she was greeted with sight of a demigryph. One wearing a golden breastplate, a royal purple cape, and a golden laurel wreath.

"Ave, Caesar!", she cried out, saluting as best she could in bed. 

Meanwhile, her family from Equestria and Rumble just looked at him in confusion. Speaking of Rumble, he said, "Umm, who are you?"

Rainbow, trying not to hiss it out, said, "This is Caesar Diocletian the Reformer, monarch and executive head of the Pryhan Empire."

He held out his paw to her mother, saying, "Hello, Ma'am. You must be Praetor Dashs family, correct? " Rainbow translated for them, and her mom used her wing to shake it back. 

"That's right, sir."

After translating for the Caesar, he said to them, "I'm honored. Your daughter is a loyal and dedicated servant of the Empire. You must be very proud."

Rainbow laughed. "You have no idea, Caesar." She then translated what he said to her family. After another round of translated speech, she asked, "So, what are you doing here, Caesar? With, all due respect."

"While Princess Luna promised us rewards for helping them, we hadn't solidified anything. Besides, we still have to deal with the Changelings, and to help our allies make sure they get what was promised. I'm here to formulate that treaty."
> 104~Aftermath (Redux)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, she was released from the hospital and was currently affixing her armor. Like at the meeting with Zebrica and Griffonia, she had been enlisted to act as a translator for the Caesar. Her armor was heavily damaged, so she was just wearing her subarmalis with her helmet, medals, and weapons. After saying goodbye to her family, she flew off towards the castle, where the meeting would be held. 

Partially due to her Sonic Rainboom and partially due to magic, the chitin that once covered the palace was mostly gone. Even as she flew in one of the holes, she saw some of the Changeling prisoners chipped away at the remaining chitin while under watch by Griffonian soldiers. The halls were mostly free of the black stuff, and some ponies were cleaning up the rubble and other broken bits. 

As she walked, she was suddenly tackled from behind. Instinct and training took over, and she flared her wings, throwing off her assailant and drew a sword. As she whipped around, she was greeted with a sniveling, crying Pinkie Pie. She choked out, "P-please, Dashie! I-"

"Shut up", Rainbow growled. "Do that again, and I won't hesitate to send you to Tartarus." She sheathed her sword, turned on her hooves, and trotted off. Pinkie cried behind her, deliriously spewing out what sounded like 'I love you; Please; Don't leave me'. Rainbow snorted, then continued heading towards the meeting room. 

Finally, she arrived outside of the place the meeting would be taking place. Two Pryhan Pedes awaited outside of the door, who saluted and said, "Ave, Praetor!" as she approached. 

"Ave, Pedes," she replied, also saluting. She then recalled Pinkies breakdown and didn't want to deal with that. "You know of the Element bearers, yes?" When they nodded, she said, "Under no circumstances are you to let them in. The only ones who can let them in are myself and Princess Luna." 

She pushed past them into the room, which was the room the Gala was in when she went. A table had been set up, with multiple chairs pulled up around it. Each one had a delegate from each of the nations involved in this conflict. Prince Rutherford of Yakyakistan. Gilda, who nodded at Rainbow as she entered. Chief Thunderhooves of the Buffalo. Caliph Haakim of Saddle Arabia. Dragonlord Spike, with his wing around a tall, dark blue dragoness. Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire. Pharynx, who was the de facto head of the Changeling Hive. And, of course, Caesar Diocletian of the Pryhan Empire, who Rainbow pulled up a seat and sat next to.

"Welcome, Rainbow Dash. With you here, we can finally begin", Princess Luna said. "Now, before we get too far into-"

"Wait", Gilda said. "All due respect, Princess. But, well, where is your sister?" The other leaders mumbled their agreement. 

"The Caesar voices his agreement for Queen Gilda", Rainbow translated. "He was eager to meet her, especially regarding the circumstances from which she and Pryha once interacted."

"My sister is, er, recovering from wounds she sustained before her capture at the hands of Queen Chrysalis. She regrets being unable to come to this meeting, yet has given me permission to handle things", she said. Rainbow had a feeling that wasn't the whole story but decided to leave well enough alone. "Now, back to business."


+++++~+++++


Like with the Griffonians and Zebricans, she didn't pay too much attention to what they said. Mostly, like then, she just said in Equish what the Caesar said in Demosian. However, she did pay enough attention to understand what they said. 

First things first, they went over the costs of the conflict and the amount of dead. On the Coalition side, there were actually rather low casualties. While the number of casualties was about 1450, only about fifty of those were deaths. The rest were all wounded, and most of them were being patched up. Changelings, on the other hoof, suffered massive casualties. In total, over five thousand dead, and at least another eight thousand wounded, and beyond the wounded, an additional three thousand captured. The prisoners would be returned to the Changeling government in exchange for peace.

Next, they came up with what they were going to do with the Changelings. Pharynx told them about the old hive in the badlands, along with giving them numbers of remaining Changelings. The queen had hatched thousands of them for the invasion, but due to casualties inflicted on them, the number was down to little over twenty thousand. Princess Luna set aside a section of land to Equestrias west, which had no recorded settlements, which the other leaders agreed to. Pharynx accepted and would move the Changelings there to establish a new hive. 

The next order of business was the giving out of what Equestria promised the other nations in return for their aid. For Griffonian, Saddle Arabia, and Yakyakistan were promised sections of land, which Equestria gave over to them. Monetary compensation was also given to them, along with a much larger sum to the Pryhans. The buffalo and Pryhans were also being supplied with modern infrastructure items like Trains, airships, and other modern amenities. 

Lastly was the future relations of the various nations. A general peace would be established, of course, along with trade relations. That took probably the longest part of the treaty, working out how everyone would trade and how free the economy would be between the various nations. Finally, however, they came to an agreement, and it was finalized. 

After all of the negotiations, two days, and several large pots of coffee, it was done. The treaty, named the Canterlot Concordance, was ratified and brought out to be signed. Each leader did so, and it was done. The war was officially over, and the 14th would pull out of Equestria within the week.
> 105~The Forgiven
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow trotted down the corridors of the Canterlot Hospital, looking for one room in specific. She passed multiple rooms, many of whom were full of wounded Equestrian nationals, but none of them were the one she was looking for. Finally, she came to the room the desk nurse told her the one she was looking for was in. She spent a good two minutes waiting outside, steeling herself for who would be inside. Finally, she raised her talon and knocked. 

The door was answered by a royal blue stallion with a moon cutie mark. He said, looking confused, "Er. Can, I help you, ma'am?"

"This is the room Twilight is in, correct?", she said.

Still confused, he said, "Yes, but who are-"

Inside, a voice asked, "Dad. Who is that?" Another pony joined them in the doorway, stopping when he saw the fully equipped Pryhan. "Rainbow Dash."

"Captain Shining Armor", she replied. "I want to see Twilight. I just want to talk."

The two of them looked at one another, then stepped aside to let her enter. Inside, several other ponies were gathered around the main bed. One was a stallion with a grey coat, green eyes, and a two-toned dark purple mane, wearing a cloak and having a long scar across the bridge of his muzzle. Another was who Rainbow assumed to be Twilight's mother. The final one was Princess Cadence. They all turned away from Twilight to look at her as she entered, while Rainbow looked by them at Twilight. 

The lavender mare looked surprisingly well off, considering the magnitude of the wounds she sustained. A cracked spine, resulting in near-total paralysis in her hind legs, if the doctor's report was accurate. She sat up in her bed, having been talking with her family and the other stallion. When she saw Rainbow, she said, "Oh. Rainbow."

"Hey, Twi." Silence reigned throughout the room while either side thought of something to say. Finally, Rainbow sighed, bluntly admitting, "I know about your wounds. I'm sorry."

Twilight said, "No. I'm sorry. I wasn't a good friend, and I let myself and my brother be manipulated."

"But that wasn't your-"

Shining interrupted, "I'm sorry too. We couldn't have been under the Queen's control all of the time, and we were jerks to you when we weren't. I'm sorry."

The grey stallion, who Rainbow believed was named Shadow Lock, said, "How about we just say that you guys all kinda bucked up, and you're all now even."

Twilight said, "Yeah. That sounds good."

Cadence then stood up, walking over to Rainbow. "We've never properly met. You met the disguised queen, if Twilight is correct. And I met you when you just, beat me up. Heh heh."

"I guess, yeah."

"Well, let's rectify that. Hi, I'm Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but you could call me Cadence", she said, holding out a hoof.

She gripped and shook her hoof, and said, "Praetor Rainbow Dash, Imperial Pryhan Army."

She then said back to Twilight, "Look, Twilight. I just want to say that I forgive you."

"I'm, sorry?", she said. "What are you talking about?"

"I forgive you. You too, Captain Armor. You two didn't have too much of a choice in the matter, and so didn't do too much wrong. Well, you were kinda cunts, but-"

"We get it, we get it", Shining said. "And, yeah. Like Sunburst said, let's just call it even."


+++++~+++++


A few days past, and the 14th was getting ready to move. The Castrum they had been set up outside the city was alive with activity, with the soldiers inside beginning to pack up the smaller bits of equipment. The tents were still up and the walls and ditches weren't filled in, but all of the small bits of gear were packed up and made ready to move. Pryhan ships would be waiting in the Manehattan harbor, ready to take them back to Creui. 

Rainbow stepped outside of the camp, trotting up to the cliff on which the main road up to Canterlot. She sat on the edge of the cliff, taking in the high moon, and the starry night sky. It was peaceful, and was quiet. 

Rainbows ears suddenly perked up, whirling around to see a pony she had somewhat dreaded seeing. "Princess Celestia. How can I help you?"

The alabaster alicorn looked down, pawing the ground. Even Rainbow, who still had a disdain for her, had to admit that she wasn't looking the best. A small saddle bag rested on her back, and she had a small bandana around her neck. When she looked up, she looked absolutely miserable. 

"N-nothing, Rainbow Dash", she said. "I, I'm just out getting some air."

"At nine at night? With a saddlebag and bandana? Outside of your fucking city?"

That sent her reeling, and her looking back at the ground again. "I, I-" She then slumped down, bawling out her eyes out. She said, much like Pinkies delirious babbling, "I'm sorry. For all I did, for everything, I'm sorry!"

Rainbow trotted up to her, then said, "So, what are you doing here? I take it you didn't strap on a saddlebag and a bandana and come out here to beg for my forgiveness."

She looked up into her eye, her own wet with tears. "I, I'm leaving. I failed, my ponies, my countries, and my sister. It's all my fault."

Rainbow growled at that. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"W-what?"

"Yeah, you fucked up. I hate you with a passion, even if you were manipulated. But you don't just run from what you did, and expect to resolve yourself of your guilt by running away. In the Pryhan army, that's called desertion. You want to absolve yourself of your guilt? To show a good example to your people? To do anything but make yourself look like a coward or look like a degenerate, sniveling git? Grow a fucking spine, go back into your city, and do your fucking job." 

Celestia looked up at her, a sudden hardness in her eyes. Rainbow elaborated, "You're an alicorn. Yes, like I said, you fucked up big time. I'm not saying you have to rule; you shouldn't! You are an absolute fucking moron, and kind of unsuited for the modern world. But stick by your family, and don't be a spineless bitch."

She stood, and looked down at her. Rainbow probably could've been intimidated a few years ago, what with the towering stature and hard glare. It actually looked similar to the look when she was on the podium. "Well then, what do I do?"

"You really are dense, aren't you? I just told you", she said. "Help and stand by your sister. She's done everything for your country, and you have to support her. Pryhan's have to do their duty to hold office at any level of the state. So, do what you have to do for your country."

She just looked at her, looked down, and said, "Thank you." Her horn then lit up, and she teleported away.
> 106~The Forsaken
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning after her conversation with Celestia, her regiment was packing up. The tents were being packed up and loaded into carts, while the wall and trenches were filled in and left in a pile for the Equestrians to do with what they wanted. The Maniples organized into formation, officers going through the ranks to ensure unit cohesion. 

Rainbow herself was talking with her family. They wanted to visit her, to see her home in Creui and meet her family. Rainbow agreed, and they packed up suitcases to go. Rainbow was on a higher point on the road, with her family, and with Vexillum. "Trust me, you'll love it", she said. "The Parks, the Cliffs, the bathhouses."

"Bathhouses?", Rumble questioned. 

Rainbow said, "Trust me, it's great. You haven't lived until you've had a Pryhan bath."

"It sounds great!", Scootaloo said. 

"It is", she said. "Listen, I gotta go check up on the troops. Make sure everything is ready to go. Just wait here."

"Ok, honey!", her mom said. 

Rainbow rolled her eyes and took off over the regiment. Occasionally, she had to adjust something with her swagger stick, but all in all, it was a picture-perfect image of a Pryhan regiment. Content with the state of her regiment, she flew back to her family, Vexillum, and the forces of the First Maniple. She landed next to them, and said to the Cornifer of the First, "Sound the March."

The demigryph nodded, lifted up his horn and sounded the call to the march. Almost as one, the Maniples turned, forming a solid, unbroken march column. Then, to the barked step orders of their Centurions, they began to move out, a massive line of soldiers heading down the mountain. 

"Magnificent, isn't it?", she asked. 

"It's certainly awesome", Scootaloo said, jaw slightly agape.

Her dad said, "Ok, yeah. I'll agree with Scoots; that's pretty cool."

"Heh heh. Yep", she said. "Well, now we can get up to the front of the column, or just fly above it. One of us will-"

"Rainbow!", a voice cried out. Rainbow and the group whirled around, seeing a group of ponies run out of the city gate. This group of ponies included a farmpony with a Stetson hat, a unicorn with a curly, fashionista style mane, a pink mare with curly, bouncy mane, and a yellow Pegasus with a long, sloped mane. Rainbows' eyes narrow. 

"You, you go on ahead. Some of you are gonna have to carry Vexillum but you can go on ahead." They all just nodded and took off, her dad and Scootaloo carrying Vexillum underneath them. She then turned back to her former friends, adjusting her swagger stick and straightening up as they got close. "Oh, hi! Fuck off."

That sent them grinding into a halt. "Listen, Rainbow, we-", Applejack said. 

"Let me stop you right there", she said. "Three things. One, I hate you all, and you can go suck on a shit. Two, yes, I forgave Twilight. No, I'm not forgiving you. Because she had an excuse, and you have nothing. Three, no matter what you say, you can't convince me to forgive you. So, just fuck off and leave me alone, you degenerate, scum-sucking mongrels." She straightened up, putting her swagger stick under her arm. "So, thank you, and have a nice day." She then turned around and began to walk away. 

"Wait, please!", Pinkie cried out. "Wait, let us explain!"

Not even looking back, she replied, "Don't care. The bug queen didn't manipulate you, so you have no excuse."

Rarity tried next. "Come on, darling! We just want to make it up to you!"

"Like I said, don't care."

"Ah, ah can get ya some cider!", AJ said. "Zap apple jam! Anything ya want!"

"Attempted bribery of a Pryhan officer. I'll ignore it, but just know that it carries a sentence of three years service to the IPS if convicted."

Lastly, it was Fluttershy's turn. She said, much louder than she usually spoke, "We're sorry!"

That made Rainbow grind to a halt. "What did you say?"

Looking a bit hopeful, Pinkie said, "W-what?"

"You heard me, you empty-headed bitch. What. Did you. Say?", she said, eye narrowed.

"We're sorry, Rainbow. We're sorry for everything. Please", Fluttershy choked out, the others sounding their agreement. 

Rainbow, in reply, let out a chuckle. Then, a series of light giggles. Then, she began to full-on laugh. "Oh, that's a good one." Finally, she turned to face them, swagger stick held out. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"What do you-"

"Shut it, you narcissistic prick." She stepped forward, her talons chinking on the hard-packed dirt road. "Are you seriously trying to say 'you're sorry', after all of these years?" They didn't respond, so she continued. "Well, I'M sorry, but that doesn't cut it."

She then leaned down, eye level with the crying Fluttershy. "Does 'sorry', make up for the ten years I was away from my family? Does 'sorry', make up for the scars I bear, not just on my face, but along my whole body? Does 'sorry', make my legs and my eye come back? Does 'sorry', make it so none of this ever happened? That I wasn't tortured and raped by a bunch of degenerate, lecherous scum? That I had to kill, to scratch and bleed, just to stay alive? That I became a fucking soldier, perhaps the furthest thing from what I wanted to be? Does 'sorry' make up for anything?"

Fluttershy said, "B-but we-"

Rainbow, snarling and growling like a dog, swung her swagger stick at her. The carved eagles head slammed into the side of her face, sending her falling back, a small streak of blood running out of her cheek. As the rest of them gripped onto her, she started yelling. "ARE YOU THAT FUCKING DENSE!? I JUST SAID I FUCKING HATE YOU! GROW A FUCKING BACKBONE, AND FUCKING DEAL WITH YOUR OWN MISTAKES! SO, GO DIE IN A HOLE, AND JUST FUCK OFF!"

She composed herself, once again straightening up. "Vale, proditores, protervi seductores exierunt in mundum, et ego illi, exilium acti. Ut det vobis remissio quaeris deum, you'll reperio quod tibi a me." She spread her wings, and took off, leaving them as a speck on the horizon.
> Epilouge~Time marches on (Re-written)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One month later

Rainbow trotted up next to her family as they stood on the bow of the ship they were on. She noted as they looked around in amazement at the Pillars of Hoofacles and the city beyond them. She said, “Magnificent, isn’t it?”

“Yep”, Rumble said, in a near-perfect imitation of Big Mac. 

Her dad said, “Yeah, this is so cool! You live here?”

“Well, not in the city. My house is up on that cliff,” she said, pointing up at a cliff. “Inside my regiments fort. We can head up there now if you want.”

“Sure! Oh, I can’t wait to meet my Grandson!”, her mom said, squealing at the end. 

Rainbow trotted towards the back of the ship, spotting Vexillum drinking out of a thermos near the back of the ship. He stopped mid-sip, saluting and saying, “Ave, Praetor. Anything I can help you with?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna take my family and my sister's coltfriend up to my house. I take it you can deal with getting the regiment resettled?”, she asked. 

He shrugged and said, “Sure, Praetor. You’ve been through a lot; enjoy some time with your family. Vale.”

“Vale”, she replied. She made her way back to her family and told them, “Alright. My Second said he can deal with getting the troops back into the Castrum. Let’s head up. Follow me.” 

She took off, her family right on her hooves. They flew up over the cliff, past the watchtowers on the edge of the cliff and towards her Castrum. They all slowed down and gawked at the well-laid-out fort before them, before picking up a bit of speed to catch up to her. They landed outside her house as Rainbow reached into her cloak to grab her key.

“Cool house, Mrs. Dash”, Rumble said. 

Scootaloo said, “Yeah, this is awesome!”

“Just wait until you see the inside,'' Rainbow replied, finally finding the right key. Before she could stick it in, she noticed a distinctive smell. One she loved from her husband's usual recipes. After a few additional sniffs, she grinned. “Oh, Castus. You sly dog.”

Her parents also seemed to pick up the smell. Her dad said, “What’s that smell? It kinda smells good, but I haven’t really smelled anything like it before.”

Scootaloo also picked up the smell. “Yeah”, she said. “What is it?”

“Cuttlefish cakes”, Rainbow said, unlocking and pushing open the door into the foyer. Once again, they looked around in amazement at the inside of the foyer of the Praetorium. She yelled, “Castus! Sport! I’m home!”

Before she could even yell out anything else, a blur of several colors shot into her, sending her falling back and her officer's cap falling off her head. Depressi said, “You’re home! I missed you so much, mom!”

“Heh heh”, Rainbow giggled, nuzzling her son. “I missed you too. Now, I take it your dad is making dinner?”

“Yeah, he just”, he said, stopping when he saw the other ponies around him and his mom. He leaned down to her so his mouth was just above her ear. “Mom, who are all of these ponies?”

Before she could reply, Windy scooped up Depressi, using her wings to swing him around. “Hi, there! I’m your grandmother, Windy Whistles! Oh, I really can’t believe I’m finally meeting you!”

Depressi, meanwhile, attempted to get free, flapping his wings and struggling. Knowing it could get out of hoof easily, Rainbow said, “Mom! Please stop strangling my son!”

Windy stopped, before giggling and smiling sheepishly. As soon as she let him go, Depressi shot over to her, partially hiding underneath her. “Mom?”, he said, very nervous sounding.

Rainbow lowered her head to eye level with him and spoke to him slowly. “Sport. Don’t worry. These ponies aren’t going to hurt you or anything like that. These ponies are my side of the family.”

“These… these ponies are my family?”, Depressi asked, eyes going wide. 

She chuckled. “Well, not the grey one, but yeah. The orange one is your Aunt Scootaloo, and the other two are your Grandmother and Grandfather.”

It was his turn to smile widely and dive at them. He wrapped in a hug around Rainbow's dad's neck, yelling, “THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!”

Finally, Castus came out of the house, muttering something before exclaiming, “What’s with all the yelling? Depressi, are you harassing the seagulls again?” 

Rainbow said, “No. He’s just welcoming his Grandparents and his Aunt.”

He froze, looking around in stunned silence. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise.” He cleared his throat, before walking up to Bow, who still had Depressi around his neck. He held out his paw and said, “Hello, sir. My name is Castus, your daughter's husband. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Windy came up next to him, smiling widely as well and saying, “Hi there! I’m Windy Whistles, and like you said, it’s nice to meet you!”

“Thank you, Miss”, he said. “You raised a wonderful daughter.”

“I know,'' her dad said. “Our little dashie is so awesome!”

“Little Dashie, eh?”, Castus said, looking over at her and smirking. 

Rainbow said, “I have your baby name, and you have mine. You don’t bring up mine, and I won’t bring up yours. Sound good?”

He seemed to roll it around in his head for a bit, before saying, “Deal. Now, how about we go inside, eh? I’m sure you smelled the cuttlefish cakes.”

“Yeah. And, get a bit more bread and prepare some more salad. Equestrians don’t eat meat, and so-”

“Actually, we wouldn’t mind giving it a try”, Scootaloo said. 

“We wouldn’t?”, Rumble questioned, before getting a light smack with her wing. “I mean, of course, we would!”

“Sounds good. Still, make a little extra just in case they don’t like it.”

“Ok”, Castus said, heading back inside.

Rainbow said, “Let’s go. I’ll get us some drinks while Castus finishes up dinner.” 

They followed her inside the main living room, sitting on the various seats and sofas around the room. As she went into the next room to grab some cups and drinks, her son came up next to her. He asked, “Mom? What are they saying?”

Rainbow wrinkled her snout. “They’re speaking in Equish. The language that Griffons speak. I’ll translate for you, and teach you about it at some point. Then you can talk to them. Sound good, eh?”

“Ok!”, he said. 

The two of them headed back into the living room, Rainbow setting down the pair of bottles, one with water and one with wine, and several cups. He asked, “Water or wine?”

“Just water, please,'' Rumble said. 

Scootaloo said, “Me too.”

Her parents both said, “Wine.”

As Rainbow poured the liquids into the cups, her mom asked, “So, how long have you lived here?”

“Ever since the fort was completed,'' Rainbow said. “So, about a year.”

The six of them sat around, laughing and chatting about their lives. How Scootaloo met and started Rumble for instance. Or some of Depressi’s antics. Her parents even attempted to bring up some old stories about Rainbow, but she shut them down and changed the subject quickly. 

Finally, Castus yelled from the next room, “Dinner’s ready!” They got up and followed her into the dining room, sitting around the table. Castus came in with a platter of food on his back, setting it in the center of the table and sitting down himself. “I hope you enjoy.”

The seven of them began putting the food on their plates. They began eating, with her mom making a satisfied humming noise. When she finished her first bite of the cuttlefish cake, she said, “This is good! Dashie, would you mind if I steal your husband for a bit? Just so he can cook for me.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Whistles”, he said. “However, I’m afraid that slavery is highly illegal in the Empire.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say slavery. Just, helping me with some dinner from time to time”, her mom said, taking another bite of the cake. 

“Would you pay him”, Rainbow asked, smirking. 

Her dad said, “Of course! You know your mom.”

“Yeah”, Rainbow said. “I know her to be willing to do what it takes to get what she wants.”

“Like you don’t”, her husband said, before belting out laughing. 

“True, true”, Rainbow replied, holding back her own snickering. “Still, I’m sure we can work something out. Maybe making him cook when we come back to Equestria to visit.”

“Come, back to Equestria?”, Scootaloo asked. 

Rainbow swirled the wine in her glass, staring at her mirky reflection, before looking back up at her sister. “Well, I figured you wouldn’t want to stay in the Empire. Are you?”

“W-well yeah. But, you aren’t coming back with us?”, she asked. 

“Squirt”, she said, slowly and carefully. “This is my home. I don’t like it as much as you, but I wouldn’t leave it for the world. I have a family, a job, and a new life here. I’m sorry, but this is my home now.”

“I get it,'' she said. “You’re right.”

Rainbow sighed, then scooted her chair back and stood up. “I’m going to go get a bit of air. I’ll be back in a bit. Sport, you can have my cakes; I know you like them.”

Rainbow made her way up the stairs at the end of the hall, before making her way to the balcony on the second floor. She could see almost the entirety of the city, from the city hall and markets to her troops making their way up the road to the fort. She looked over it, and couldn’t help smiling. This was her home. 

Sure, she couldn’t visit her family as often as she would like, but that didn’t mean a thing. What was done was done, and she couldn’t change it. She felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time; something that happened all too often in Ponyville. Giving into it, she began to sing: 

“🎵And now, the end is near.🎵
🎵And so I face, the final curtain.🎵 
🎵My friend, I’ll make it clear.🎵
🎵I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain.🎵”

“🎵I’ve lived, a life that’s full.🎵
🎵I’ve traveled each, and every highway.🎵
🎵And more, much more than this.🎵
🎵I did it my way.🎵”

“🎵Regrets? I’ve had a few.🎵
🎵But then again, too few to mention.🎵
🎵I did, what I had to do.🎵
🎵And saw it through, without exemption.🎵
🎵I planned, each charted course.🎵
🎵Each, careful step. Along, the by-way.🎵
🎵And more, much more than this.🎵
🎵I did it, I did it my way.🎵”

“🎵Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew.🎵
🎵When I bit off, more than I could chew.🎵
🎵But through it all, when there was doubt,🎵
🎵I ate it up; and spit it out!🎵
🎵I faced it all, and I stood tall.🎵
🎵And did it myyyy waaaay!🎵”

“🎵I’ve loved. I’ve laughed and cried.🎵
🎵I’ve had my fill, my share of losing.🎵
🎵But now, as tears subside,🎵
🎵I find it all, so amusing.🎵”

“🎵To think, I did all that.🎵
🎵And may I say, not in a shy way.🎵
🎵Oh no, oh no not me.🎵
🎵I did it myy way.🎵”

“🎵For what is a mare? What as she got?🎵
🎵If not herself, then she has naught!🎵
🎵To say the things, that she truly feels!🎵
🎵And not the words, of one who kneels!🎵”

“🎵The record shows! I took all the blows!🎵
🎵And did it, MYYYYY WAAAAAAYYYY!🎵”

She stopped, not even noticing Castus come up behind her. He said, “You have a wonderful singing voice.”

“Guess it’s the Equestrian in me. They love to sing; even more than Pryhans do. I haven’t sung in so long…”

He walked up next to her, resting a paw on her shoulder. He said, “Like you said, you have so few regrets. That’s the way to move on.”

“If you quote Drucius, I’ll drop-kick you off the balcony.”

“I won’t, I won’t. Now, come on in. Your mother is showing our son some old scrapbook she brought.”

Rainbows' face turned from one of serenity to alarm in ten seconds flat. “She brought it!?” She then scrambled downstairs, Castus smirking and following behind her.
> Rewrites
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just a head's up! I'll be re-writing a few chapters in the story. The chapters I'll be re-writing is Chapters: 81, 97, and the epilogue.

Just so you know.
> Sequel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, the sequel is up. This time for real.

Enjoy!