> The Lost Battalion
>  by sierra_seven_
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Takungartut
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Lost Brigade

By sierra_seven_


Prologue: Takungartut



*  *  *


"So, what do you propose we do?" The stallion sighed, exasperated by the lack of progress. They'd been sat around the table for the past few hours, debating a course of action. Glasses of water sat untouched before them. Notepads filled with hastily scribbled notes circulated the room, provoking small outbursts of discussion, and more frequently, argument. 

"It's simple. We don't have the strength to take on the threat straight on, so we need to come up with another course of action." General Graphite Shard had several folders before him, each listing the growing strength of Sombra's makeshift army. They all understood the threat that the unicorn battle-mage posed. Well, most of them.

"We've already discussed this! Sombra isn't stronger than the collective military strength of the Empire. Have faith in our defences, and in our soldiers. Sirs, I don't think there's any need for more deba-" Shard cut off the pony, eying him with disgust.

"Defences? Those half-destroyed ruins circling our city? They'd fall within hours, at the most. You've seen the reports from the shield patrols, Sombra's already moving scouts towards us. We have weeks, days perhaps. You want us to cower behind our walls, and our magic?"

"The Princesses of Equestria have already promised us support, and we're already entertaining a division of unicorns from Canterlot. What does Sombra have? A few icefly-riddled boars and a corruption or two? We need to focus on the preparations for the upcoming Crystal Fair, and take the opportunity to strengthen the shield. I'm sure the scholars from the Academy would be glad to top up the shield's reserves. Sombra's head is probably so far up his own backside that his arrogance will lead us to a swift victory." 

A few of the assembled chuckled, before noticing the steely gazes of the rest of the Council. General Shard produced a small chart, presenting it to the assembled ponies. They all recognised his authority; his strategic knowledge was essential here.

"As you are all aware, we've only been able to maintain the general population's ignorance because of the Cloudsdale Airlift Scheme. If knowledge of our current situation leaks out, we'll be facing mass protests, demonstrations and it will become a lot harder to organise a response to this attack. Unfortunately, we've left it far too late. We all assumed Sombra would fade into the background, but that is now clearly not the case. The Cloudsdale Airlift Scheme will continue until such a time as it is unnecessary or impractical."

"General, could you please remind ze council of... zis scheme," asked an elderly zebra, the Minister for Culture.

"Of course. Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria, agreed to airlift food and supplies into the Empire via pegasus convoy. In return, we are trading a large proportion of our gem reserves. It's not the greatest deal we've ever struck, but it is essential. Without this, we would need to send convoys across the Wastes to Scandineighvia. The pegasus convoys are operating out of Cloudsdale, one of their larger cities, hence the name. Celestia has also dispatched a communications detachment from Canterlot, to act as a fast response team for any battalions we send outside the shield. Much faster than conventional messengers."

"What of Princess Luna? Has she granted us any further support?" enquired an aide, one that the general almost overlooked when he first trotted into the conference room.

Thankfully, the Foreign Minister decided to answer this. "Unfortunately, Princess Luna has taken a lesser approach to Equestrian politics in the last few months. Rumour is that she is unwell. In short, all support is being organised through Celestia. However, the Saddle Arabians have recently dispatched a shipment of gunpowder, weapons and a small amount of luxuries to Equestria, which will then be airlifted to us."

"Are there any developments on the status of that shipment?" asked the general, anxious to hear about the weapons. They were essential for what would come next.

"The shipment should be arriving within the hour, along with Director Lemon Rind and his communications detachment. It'll be one of the last personnel transfers, depending on the status of Sombra's advance."

"Well, we'll soon be ready to take the fight to him."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer slammed a hoof down on the table. "I don't care what happens with this war, the damage already caused to the economy is already beyond simple repair. We've had no trade in or out of the Empire in weeks, and we're beginning to run low on sugar, paper, cocoa beans..."

The assembled ponies slipped into mindless arguing once more. General Shard raised a hoof to his face, rubbing his forehead. While they argued, he took the opportunity to trot out onto the balcony overlooking the city. Below him, the Empire's citizens lived in peaceful ignorance. They knew Sombra, of course, but certainly not the threat he posed. However, it was his job to ensure the survival of the Empire, not it's citizens. If there was anything he'd learnt during his career, it was that not everyone could be saved.

He'd spent enough nights shaking in a trench during the Year of Long Shadows, covered in the blood of his soldiers. Once he'd risen high enough in the chain of command, soldiers and citizens became figures. He was there to ensure the Big Picture remained intact. After all, he had officers under his command to look out for the soldiers and civvies.

With this clear in his mind, he returned to the crowded conference room. They were still arguing. "Silence!" he shouted, stunning some of the civilians. "Sombra is the greatest threat we've faced since the Year of Long Shadows. Officials from Equestria to Saddle Arabia have pledged support, so this is no matter to be taken lightly. Sombra has had his minions raid the Rideyah Academy for Advanced Majicks, so he likely has the knowledge necessary to phase through the shield. If we sit back and do nothi-"

The doors slammed open as two guardsponies galloped into the room. "General! L-latest reports from t-the field, sir!" one guard panted, while the other dumped a dossier onto the table. The Minister for Culture slid the folder open, sliding out a few sketches. 

"Zis, zis is terrible! Ze army stretches to ze very horizons!" 

"Minister, control yourself," General Shard snapped, pulling the folder towards himself. He immediately dragged out the notes regarding army size and structure. 

"General? How does it look?" asked his opponent from earlier, the Minister for Civic Development. The general merely sighed, and slid the folder closed. 

"Troop numbers in the thousands. Everything from magick-corrupted beasts to siege engines. The city is lost. There is no way we can mount a significant defence before they reach us. We have stocks of gunpowder imported from Saddle Arabia, plenty of food and water stockpiled and a sizeable guard. We could escape into the caves and detonate them behind us, saving much of the city's population. At this point, we need to plan for a full-scale evacuation into the ruins below the city. Any defence of the city will result in massive casualties for both sides."

"Not an option," murmured the Emperor. He'd been silent throughout the entire discussion, merely observing. "We are not cowards. If Sombra takes the city, there is no telling what strength he'd achieve from our libraries and academies. He's already corrupted his soul and mind for power, so there's nothing stopping him from collapsing the caves from above us. We'd be crushed like ants. We must fight, and we must fight hard. The gunpowder will make sure no texts are left to him, and the supplies will ensure a significant resistance can be mounted."

General Shard rose, trotting over to a wall-sized map of the city. "The residential sector of the city would be easily defensible. Narrow streets, deep basements and easy access to the rooftops. From there, we could mount a full-scale counter attack by collapsing some of the streets with explosives. Once the attacking force is trapped, we can dispatch the Emperor's 4th Royal Hussars to surround them, and wipe them out. This is, of course, assuming they come through the closest entrance." 

"Suppose they entered through the commercial sector, besieging the exits from the city? Open tents and markets..." For the first time, worry flashed across the Emperor's features. 

"Then we flood the tunnels with oil, denying them a flanking route through the sewer network. After that, we'd have to face them head-on in the markets. Casualties would be massive."

"You are, of course, talking about Sombra's forces, general?"

"Both." General Shard's face remained as expressionless as stone, awaiting a response from the assembled council.

The table grew silent for the first time in hours. "So we'll be slaughtered in the thousands? For nothing?" The portly Chancellor began to sweat profusely with anxiety.

"I know honour must be an alien concept to you, Topaz, but a fight we must mount. Every guard, every soldier, every male must be armed to defend the city."

"How long do we have?"

The Emperor turned around, considering this. "Four days. We'll wait four days before raising the alert. And General Shard, I do not want every soldier defending the city. If we are to die fighting, we need someone to send the warning to the other countries. Equestria must prepare, for they are in the most immediate danger."

General Shard looked momentarily shocked. "Your Majesty, we can't send guards to safety without there being an outcry. They'll want to stay and fight!"

"Then give them sealed orders. Dispatch them to the fortress network, have them take supplies and building materials to dig in. Sombra wouldn't care for wiping out a few crumbling fortresses. He's only interested when knowledge is involved, and there's no knowledge to be found in the Wastes. General, I believe your own daughter is a captain in the guard. She can lead me of these expeditions."

"But your Majesty, she should be fighting alo-"

"General!" shouted the Emperor, shocking every pony assembled. "I am doing you a favour by saving your daughter's life! Go, write up your orders. They will leave in two days for the fortresses, while we prepare weapons and defences. On day four, every male will be armed, and by day six..."

"We'll be ready," the general affirmed quietly.

"Now, I've been informed by the Head of Archaeology from the Academy that we won't be defenceless. They have recovered stones similar to the Crystal Heart and the gate stones. These relics are priceless, but immensely powerful. I have had them brought out of storage to be prepared for use."

"Emperor, what do zese 'stones' do?" enquired the Minister for Cultural Development.

A small, fragile-looking pony spoke up, identifying himself as Chief of Scientific Development. "We believe one is an addition to the Crystal Heart. One responding to the same frequency as that which resonates within the Heart. They believe it has the capability to 'seal' the Empire indefinitely. It would turn the shield into an impenetrable, camouflaged barrier, effectively making the Empire impossible to find. This would be a last resort, as we do not fully understand the effects of this stone. The second, I am told, is capable of permanently erasing the memory of all caught within the event radius. Make no mistake, this is not selective memory erasure. It is equal to mass murder in terms of scale, as the ancient tablets suggest those affected also 'forget how to breathe'. Again, we do not know how time has denatured the magic contained within. Again, it is immensely powerful. Again, it is a last resort."

The elderly pony disappeared into the background as quickly as he had appeared, as the more influential members assembled began to argue. 

"Memory magic? We could all end up as drooling vegetables!"

"What's this about shielding the Empire indefinitely! Our economy is in ruins as it is!"

"Gentleponies, I demand the pleasure of beheading the treacherous 'King' Sombra once his army lies in ruins."

General Shard wandered over to the balcony, looking over the sweeping cosmopolitan sprawl. 'I guess it'll be easier for Sapphire to work, without all this blasted bureaucracy slowing matters down. After all, they've had plenty of time to prepare for a situation like this.' A dark storm was brewing on the horizon, and it would soon be crashing down against the legendary shield of the Crystal Empire.
	
> Audlarpok 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Lost Brigade

By sierra_seven_


Chapter One: Audlarpok



*  *  *


Looking over the battlements of the City, Sapphire Shard awkwardly adjusted her helm with one hoof. The blasted thing was three sizes too big. Around her, fellow guards eyed her nervously, concerned by their commander's lack of focus. Or so they thought. Sapphire had already been briefed on their mission, and keeping the morale of her men wasn't the foremost thought on her mind. No, she was focused on the terrain ahead, the barren, feared Wastes of the Crystal Empire. The jagged ice was kept at bay by the shield, but the chill still permeated her very being. 

The Emperor's orders had been quite clear. Three battalions would be sent out into the Wastes to repair the ageing forts surrounding the city. They hadn't been used for decades, centuries even, but the higher-ups were worried. There was a threat, but none of them knew what. It wasn't their place to know. And so Sapphire had collected her soldiers and brought them to the battlements to see their challenge with their own eyes. They had been stood on the warm, sunny wall for the past twenty minutes, and not a single pony had moved. They were the 107th Steelflanks, the Crystal Empire's strongest, most valuable soldiers. Or so they would have you believe. The other two battalions thought exactly the same, although there hadn't been a jousting match to decide the strongest battalion in over a year.

'Jousting. The kind of combat where honour is key, not survival. We haven't seen a full-blown conflict in over three centuries. And now?' Sapphire looked over her soldiers, all gazing defiantly into the frozen hell ahead. 'Iceflies, crevices, all sorts of Emperor-forsaken creatures out to kill us...'

Over the past few weeks, all manner of beasts had appeared at the shield, throwing themselves against it in pure fury. Their anger had surprised even the border guards, who had dealt with rogue beasts for as long as anypony could remember. Dark, mutated creatures with a burning desire to extinguish life. Many had been incinerated to spare the innocence of those not learned in the outside world. One of the poor bastards from Border Patrol Emerald had stepped one hoof too far outside the shield to get a better look. Some said the blood had splattered several-dozen meters through the shield itself. Of course, the citizens didn't need to know that.

Sapphire turned around and trotted down a set of polished marble stairs. The wall was certainly more decorative than functional. A few trees around her provided shade from the warm, summer sun. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. "Guards! Prepare to move out!" she yelled, rousing the soldiers from their meditative state. 

"Captain! Permission to carry out a final check of engineering supplies?" called a guard wearing a golden chestplate. One of the engineers from the 32nd Combat Engineering Battalion attached to hers, she guessed. About a dozen sleds loaded with building supplies were resting in the plaza surrounding the gate; the unlucky soldiers tasked to pull them talked nervously between themselves. Sapphire trotted out onto the warm path, watching the families of the soldiers wish them farewell. Some flowers were thrown, some songs were sang, some ponies looked eager to leave. 

"Granted. Double-check the supplies are tied down and the sleds are fully secure. We don't want to lose a sled during the trek. Gather your engineers afterwards, I need to brief them," Sapphire snapped with more force than she'd intended.

"A-at once Captain!" the stallion affirmed before cantering off to the supply carts. Sapphire gazed up at the magnificent Crystal Tower, where her father and the other high-ranking officials would be discussing their next moves. No, there was no cheerful family send-off for her. She sighed heavily. They would be setting off momentarily, so there was no time to reflect on her father's lack of concern. Anyway, there were things of greater importance to worry about, such as her complete lack of energy. She'd spent the last few nights awake, slipping into fitful nightmares when the exhaustion became too great.

'Coffee, that'll do the trick,' she thought, turning to rummage through her saddlebags for a few sapphire chips. The plaza was lined with cafes, so she could grab a quick drink before they left. Sapphire trotted through the mingling soldiers to a small cafe that was blocked by an arguing couple.

"I don't care! You said we'd be visiting my mother instead of going to your amazing dinner party!" shouted a azure stallion, not even giving Sapphire a glance as she moved towards them.

"Yeah? Well, maybe I'd want to if she wasn't such a miserable old c-" retorted his partner, before noticing the very pissed-off captain stood behind them.

"I suggest you consider the importance of your little squabble, and then notice what's happening outside. Over a hundred of the city's guard are about to embark on a mission to defend this city, and you think you have a massive problem? Get out of the way." Both ponies looked at each other before turning and running away. 

"Little harsh there cap'n? Shoulda just asked 'em to move, in my opinion," murmured a stallion behind her. 

"Peridot? I thought you were staying behind on this one!" Sapphire exclaimed, spinning and wrapping her hooves around the elderly stallion behind her. He chuckled, trying to shake off the ecstatic mare. "You got rejected for the expedition!" Sapphire noticed the brown-clad ponies stood nervously at the side of the plaza. "You brought the scholars too? Peridot, what's going on?"

"The fancy ponies want'd me to come along in case we find any of them old ruins. Y'know what they're like about history... Let's just say I might've mentioned a little ol' legend that they thought could be useful towards this 'ere conflict." 

"Conflict?" Sapphire was whispering now, intrigued by the appearance of her former mentor and his cryptic answers.

"Yeah, I fancy having a drink too!" Peridot exclaimed loudly, winking at Sapphire. She nodded curtly. 

"I'll get my coffee first, then we can have a chat about it. Did you want something?" 

"Heh, y'know I don't do drinks like that. Though seeing as we're headin' off for Emperor-knows-how-long..." Peridot looked at the shortbread display, licking his lips. 

"Fine. You haven't changed one bit, have you?" Sapphire laughed, trotting over to the counter to place their orders. While she stood waiting for the barista to make her drink, she glanced at her companion. Peridot, her lifelong friend and mentor from the Academy. The scholar knew Crystal Empire like the back of his hoof and never let her forget it. A random fact here, an anecdote there. In a lot of ways he was like the bumbling old grandfather she'd never had. 

His sparkling green mane was a lot darker than she'd remembered, but she hadn't seen him in years. His coat was still as white as the snow beyond the City, though he'd taken to covering it with a modest brown cloak. According to him, it was 'suitable for a pony of my standing'. 'Heh, he looks like an old mule who's passed his prime,' she though affectionately. His eyes still sparkled with excitement, anticipation of a trip into the field.

"Ma'am? Your drink is ready!" The question snapped her out of her thoughts. She automatically reached into her saddlebags and produced a few sapphire chips as payment while her mind wandered elsewhere. "Oh, payment won't be necessary. You do enough for our country, I won't rob you of your pay as well!"

"Really? Thank you! It's nice to see a pony that appreciates our work." Sapphire trotted back to the table, carrying the tray of food and drink on her back. She collapsed onto the cushion, yawning loudly.

"Saph? Have you been spendin' the night awake again?" Peridot chided her softly, before taking a nibble from his shortbread. "I thought you'd learned that lesson back at the academy!"

"I'm just worried about this whole 'emergency preparations' business. We've been at peace for a bloody long time! What's changed so quickly that we're rushing out to get the fort network back online?" Sapphire sighed. "Most of these ponies have never seen actual combat, let alone the Wastes. Having the shield keep them at bay is essential, but nopony's ever set hoof outside to do a day's worth of combat experience! Just jousting, drills and the occasional wrestling competition. Remember when access outside the shield was allowed, even for training and proper expeditions? I imagine it's sending you nuts, not having any new relics to study."

He nodded sagely, eyes clouding over for a moment. "Still, it's probably for the best that external operations were cancelled. All them soldiers disappearin' into the Wastes without a trace..." Peridot looked at her warmly, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Hey, it'll all be fine. I've looked at that ol' list of orders, and there ain't nothing on there we haven't trained for. It's a simple engineering mission, not a battle to control the wastes. Relax, and trust yer soldiers! What's a captain without belief in her troops?"

She thought about this, looking over at the somewhat-cheerful soldiers gathering their equipment, the engineers tightening the covers on the sleds and the handful of Equestrian unicorns, standing around doing sweet sod-all. Sapphire took a final sip from her cup before placing it back on the tray. "Yeah, we'll get through this. Go and get your scholars together, we need to get moving."

"Right you are, cap'n."

Sapphire turned towards the plaza, but then decided against going back out there. First, she at least wanted to relieve herself before embarking on the massive trek. The barding wasn't exactly well-known for it's comfort and manoeuvrability, as it covered almost every part of the body. That made it hell to remove in the field, and she sure as hell wouldn't be squatting down behind another low ridge, like on her first expedition outside the shield. 

Sapphire trotted into the little mares' room, making a start on unstrapping her hefty barding. First off was the champron, face face-plate that made her look more like a bear than a mare. She'd seen the wounds sustained by ponies that didn't wear their champrons, so she certainly wasn't going to remove it like some of the other officers.

For the first time in several hours, her sparkling mane fell around her neck. Well, most of it. Parts of her mane were sticking straight into the air, shooting off to the sides or tangling into inevitable knots. 'Ugh, great. Helm-mane. Oh well, no time to worry about it now!' She then unclasped the crinet, the plating on her neck that deflected stabs at her throat. After that, the crupper, flanchard and peytral that made up the rest of her armour dropped onto the floor. She looked like a normal mare, now that the several tonnes of metal had been removed. Sapphire looked into the dirty cubicle with disdain, eventually forcing herself inside.

When she emerged, she trotted over to the grubby mirror in the back of the bathroom, staring at her reflection curiously. 'Is that what I really look like when I'm out of armour?' Her sapphire-blue coat was neatly groomed, complementing her mane. The two-tone shades of white and azure gave her a vulnerable look, one that was countered by the fierce glow in her eyes.

"I am sexy," Sapphire said in awe, twirling her tail around light-heartedly. 

"Uh, ma'am, are you finished in he-" the barista said loudly, trotting into the bathroom and gazing amazedly at Sapphire.

"Agh, get out! Out!" Sapphire watched the pony turn tail and flee out of the bathroom. 'Ok, that is the last time I am ever doing that in a public place,' Sapphire thought with equal parts of embarrassment and anger. She lifted up her crupper, trying to re-attach it without catching her skin in the narrow clasp.


*  *  *


As Sapphire strode back out into the plaza, she saw the commanding officer from earlier attempting to motivate his ponies into some semblance of order. As she strode towards the front of the assembled soldiers, they fell in, much to the delight of their commanding officer. 

"Detach, Atten -tion! Right dress!" 

Sapphire watched with interest as the soldiers spaced themselves out evenly, forming a much more impressive parade. 

"Eyes front!"

Their forelegs snapped down, sending a resounding clack across the plaza. On the other side of the square, one of her subordinates was doing the same with her own complement of guards. For a while, nothing could be heard but the quiet murmuring of the civilians assembled, and nothing could be felt but the gentle breeze that cooled them under their armour. Sapphire marched smartly around to the front of the formation, waiting for the commanding officer to offer her a salute.

"Captain! Fifty soldiers on parade, ma'am!" the officer shouted, sharply raising his hoof to his brow.

"Very good. At ease, lieutenant. Parade, stand at ease." The assembled parade complied, moving to a more uniform, relaxed position.

"As many of you are already aware, I am Captain Sapphire Shard, 107th 'Steelflanks' Battalion. From here on in, I will be assuming complete command of all forces on this expedition, as laid down in the mission's standing orders. "Lieutenant..." Sapphire desperately tried to remember his name. It was all in her briefing documents, but she just couldn't remember it. 'Something to do with rubies!' she thought, taking a small breath of relief. "Lieutenant Culet here will be reporting directly to me, and executing orders as I assign them. Are there any questions?"

Silence.

"Very well then, to the matter at hand. We will be leaving as soon as this briefing is complete. Our first priority is to reach Fortress Three in one piece. We will be travelling in column formation, with the armoured elements of the 107th making up the vanguard. We don't know what we're going to be facing out there, but we've seen reports. It's not good."

A few more of the engineers began to look queasy, or nervous at the very least.

"All members of the 32nd Engineers will be making up the core of the column, so the sleds are protected on all sides. Myself and the communications elements attached to the 107th will be making up the rearguard, with officers stationed every two sleds, moving progressively down the column. You will be filling the spaces between the sleds, three ranks wide and five ranks deep. We will maintain this formation until we reach the fortress," Sapphire paused for dramatic effect, "no matter what happens. If you stray outside of the formation and get lost, we won't come looking for you. The risks are too high, and this mission is of utmost importance."

Again, she was met with silence. Silence was good, silence was the sound of understanding.

"Very well. In five minutes, we march for the Wastes. Assemble your equipment, conduct final checks, wish your family goodbye. Parade, fall out!"

The assembled ponies turned on the spot, marching out of their positions before dispersing across the plaza. The air was alive with excitement, nerves, the contented chatter of bystanders and the sound of sharp, calculated commands from the other side of the square.

"Very well done there, Saph. You've come along well since your time at the academy." Sapphire whirled around, tutting as she saw Peridot resting against an oak tree. "So, you never mentioned where me scholars and suchlike will be travelling. Ya didn't forget about little ol' me, did ya?"

"Little old you? You could probably hold off most of what's out there, if your reputation around the academy was true!" Peridot shuffled uncomfortably, blushing a little bit. 

"Well, I may have a few tricks up mah sleeve. I never forget to carry protection, especially after Zebrica. Never trust a zebra, they can do things through simple sleight of hoof that would make yer mind boggle. Why, there was this one time when one of tha buggers tried to steal the saddlebags off my back. Would've succeeded if I hadn't us-"

Bugles sounded from the battlements, calling the soldiers into formation. 

"Well, we'll have to finish that story later!" Peridot winked, trotting away towards his group of scholars. Twelve massive, camouflaged equipment sleds stretched across the two-hundred metre field ahead of them, leading directly to the exit pylons, one of six exits from the City. Soldiers were gathering around them, organising themselves into formation.

"So, you're the one in charge of this expedition then. Hmm, I expected... more," stated a stallion, fast approaching her. Sapphire almost turned and gave him a good bollocking before realising who stood before her.

"Director Lemon Rind, I take it? I expected... less." Sapphire cast an eye over his fancy attire, tutting in contempt. It was hardly suitable for a snow flurry, let alone a trek. His hat, scarf and cloak were richly decorated, sparkling with a full spectrum of colours. "You might want to find something more suitable. I won't be providing you with clothing once you've thawed out at Fortress Three." She had taken an instant disliking to this unicorn, and she wouldn't hide it.

Anger flashed across his eyes before he remembered who he was talking to. "Well, make sure my compatriots are cared for and you'll have your communications. I expect we'll be seeing more of each other now that we're travelling together."

"That is correct. Just keep your horn down and your eyes open. This is a military expedition and you hardly look like a soldier of virtue. You're in a support role only, so don't try any heroics." 

'Not that heroics are likely to be his forte...' she thought sarcastically, looking back at his entourage. A few were dressed like him, while the rest wore dull cloaks. She guessed they were their 'servants'. The Equestrians had never been shy about ensuring their elite were cared for.

"Understood, captain. Come, let us join their formation. The sooner this trek is over, the happier we will all be." He and his subordinates trotted off, looking at her guards with disdain. She was half-tempted to run the arrogant bastard through on the spot, but that would be impolite.

"Captain!" shouted a stallion behind her, rushing over to her. "Sealed orders, sent directly by General Shard. You are not to open these until you reach your destination, under threat of court martial and exile from the Empire. General Shard sends his regards, and hopes you will not fail the Empire. There is also a soldier roster here, as an addendum. Just a formality to ensure you are aware of your force strength. Good luck, Captain."

"Sealed orders," Sapphire murmured, looking at the glossy package. Whatever they were being sent to do, it was important. Exile? Court martial? The higher ups were worried and their actions reflected it. "Courier, did the general say anything else?"

"No. No, he didn't. Were you expecting something else?"

"I guess not. That's all then?" The courier trotted off, disappearing into the sea of soldiers and engineers. The sleds began their lumbering progress towards the crystal array that allowed them to travel out of the shield. Already they could see a bitter wind sweeping across the frozen plains, sending flurries of snow into the shield. Sapphire opened the soldier roster, smiling wryly at the numbers. One-hundred and twenty soldiers under her command. Fifty of her own, fifty engineers, and twenty from both the communications and scholars' detachments. 'Only 50 Steelflanks? I at least thought some of the other captains would be here, commanding more.' She pondered this for a few seconds, before finally conceding that they would be needed in the defence of the city. Damn. She'd love to have more of her own soldiers, but she'd have to make do. Hopefully the engineers were as good with their shortswords as they were with their hammers.

Sapphire fell in behind the Canterlot unicorns, hoping for some interesting conversations. Their director may be a bit of an arrogant arsehole, but some of the others looked decent enough. 'They're from Canterlot, they must have some interesting stories about Equestria!' Oh, how wrong she was.
	
	
	
	
	
	
> Nudyuartok 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Lost Brigade

By sierra_seven_


Chapter Two: Nudyuartok



*  *  *


"...so I told them, 'That's not a crème brûlée! I've seen better stuck to some of the servants!'" The Canterlot ponies chuckled, casting admiring glances as their leader. Sapphire was noticeably less impressed. They'd been laughing and joking around since they'd left the city, and she'd debated gagging their leader and tossing him on a cart several times during the last hour. 'He doesn't need the use of his mouth to be useful,' Sapphire thought coldly, trying to distract herself. That... 'stallion' was in charge of the communications detachment. If he weren't so essential, she'd throw his yellow-maned highness into the next crevasse.

"Oh, that reminds me of the time when Saffron Burst and myself visited the Royal Academy for Fine Arts. For those of you that don't know, Saffron is the head chef at the palace and an incredibly close friend of mine. Anyway, I'd just finished advising th-"

"Captain!" yelled a mare, trying to be heard above the freezing wind. "Captain Shard! We need you over here for a moment!" As Sapphire pushed her way through the tightly-knit ranks towards the mare, she began to assume the worst. 

'Crevasse? Beasts? Iceflies?' As she moved through the densely-packed shoulders, the wind picked up again. Howling, biting, freezing wind scoured her face, blowing her dull mane around in the corners of her vision. Now that they'd left the City, they were all looking a lot less vibrant. Without the power of the Crystal Heart to infuse them with magic, their manes and eyes had lost their distinctive Crystal sparkle. She reached the rank where the voice had originated. 'One of the scholar's ranks? What could be so important tha-' A hoof landed on her shoulder, causing her to whirl around. "Peridot!"

"I thought you needed a save there. Them Canterlot ponies can be awfully full of themselves, can't they? In any respect, it's useful having a few assistants around to call upon." A robe-clad mare beside him smiled shyly, hiding behind her low-cut fringe. "This is Gleaming Garnet, one of my researchers. I don't think there's another pony on this planet that knows as much about ancient Lokainuit culture, aside from your's truly."

The mention of her subject brought the researcher to life. "I'm so excited to be on this expedition! The Lokainuit, during their peak civic period, built a network of massive underground cities under our very hooves! Glacial activity has long since destroyed them, but occasionally we hear of entire rooms and corridors appearing on the surface, pushed up by the glacial flow!" 

"Are you hoping to find any on this expedition? I mean, is it likely that we'll find some? Are they dangerous?" Sapphire asked. This was a lot more interesting than a lecture on communications by the Canterlot unicorns. 

"Yes, no and yes. Well, maybe. I'd absolutely love to find some ruins on this expedition, especially if they contain relics from their civilisation. We can only learn so much from the tablets and inscriptions that have been recovered over the years, and we haven't been allowed out of the City for many years. Even just finding the remnants of a scroll would be cause for celebration! This depends entirely on whether we cross over any old ruins, and whether there's been adequate glacial activity since the last scouting missions. As for the danger, the ruins are likely to be very unstable. When they move to the surface, they're inhabited by whatever creatures find them. I've heard stories about cramped rooms containing nests of baby boreworms or even iceflies!"

"Just remember, you're not to go off exploring without my permission first. If we lose you, we won't be able to come looking for you."

"Yes, Peridot made that very clear before we left the academy. It's an honour in itself just to be on this expedition, Captain!"

"I'm glad you feel that way. Once we have the fortress secured and defended again, I'll see if I can set aside some time for exploration. I'm not promising anything though, remember that."

"Many thanks, Captain!" Garnet and Peridot smiled at each other, before earnestly discussing some of the things they hoped to find on the expedition. 

"I'll take that as my cue to leave, then," Sapphire muttered under her breath, pushing her way out of the scholars' ranks. She trotted out of the formation, taking a moment to breathe in the cool, clean air. While in the ranks she'd been subjected to the smell of stale pony sweat, along with the smothering perfume the Canterlot ponies had laced themselves with. This was the first time she'd been able to appreciate the freshness of the outside world. In the distance lay the Azure Hills mountain range, a magnificent reminder of the majesty of nature. The mountains were covered with glaciers, and the summer sun reflected off the plate-ice to give the mountains a brilliant blue shine. She didn't let down her guard, though. As beautiful as the Wastes were, they were incredibly dangerous to even the most battle-hardened warrior. 

The expedition moved slowly alongside her, the sleds keeping progression at a steady pace. If they kept this up, they'd arrive before nightfall. They needed to arrive before nightfall. Once it got dark, they'd be at a disadvantage. The convoy was slow-moving, cumbersome and lacking in current intelligence. The Department for Cartography and Surveying had issued them with maps, but they didn't reflect the terrain that lay before them. New peaks and valleys had appeared, making navigation difficult. 'Oh well, it's not my job to navigate. I guess I'd better head back and rejoin the formation...'


*  *  *


Over an hour later, Sapphire had decided to rejoin the scholars. Their shuffling, brown-clad ranks were much more inviting than the colourful armours of the Canterlot unicorns making up her rearguard. All manner of history and technology had been discussed, and Sapphire was eager to learn more about the strength of the Empire's defences. "So, Peridot, how does the shield actually work? I find it hard to believe that love and good deeds will maintain a magical construct of that size."

"Well, the shield is a very peculiar thing indeed. As yer daddy once explained to me, the origins of the support crystals are largely unknown. It's taken me scholars many years to learn what we have about it, and it's very troublin' news."

"Troubling? How so?" Sapphire began to worry about her home, now a smattering of lights against the rapidly darkening sky behind them. 

"The Crystal Fair. Listen to me, Saph. There's a very deep magic running through the very fabric of the universe, and it's not entirely understood. It's not love an' friendship that powers the shield, but somethin' deeper. The 'Crystal Heart' is a very rare and powerful relic from a bygone era, with the ability to channel and focus this magic into somethin' tangible: the shield. The Heart requires a massive amount of this energy to recharge, which is why we hold the fair every year. Now, the moment the Heart doesn't get the power it requires, the shield shuts down."

Sapphire's blood began to grow cold. "But if Sombra continues the trade blockade and lays siege to the city..."

"Yes. Thankfully though, Sombra is focused away from the Empire at the moment, so we hear. It'd be highly unlik-"

Sapphire trotted into the pony in front, who had now come to a complete halt. "What the buck do you think you're doing? Get a move on!"

"Captain, the entire column's stopped. I can't move!" The pony in front began to protest, narked at having the blame placed onto herself. Sapphire grunted, trying to push her way out of the compact formation.

"Coming through! Get out of my way! I need to get to th-" Sapphire paused, listening closely. Over the confused murmurs of the soldiers, she could hear screaming. Lots of screaming. "Close ranks!" she yelled, fearing an attack. The sound of several-hundred shields being raised blocked out the anguished yelling, causing the captain to dart through the ponies towards the front of the formation.

"Captain! Captain Shard! Over here!" yelled one of her subordinates, a lieutenant tasked with commanding the vanguard. As she galloped past the various sleds and soldiers, she could make out a clearing in the forest of confused, shivering ponies. And then she saw the devastation.

One sled was pointing straight into the air, like some oversized ship's mast. A gaping chasm had swallowed the team tasked with pulling the sled, although their screams still echoed off the freezing ice. "Lieutenant, what the fuck happened! Situation report, two minutes! Get the quick response groups organised and down into the crevasse to rescue the sled team!" On the other side of the chasm, Sapphire's vanguard were organising themselves into smaller groups, ready to defend themselves in case of an attack. This was the perfect opportunity for an ambush.

Sapphire left the panicking pony, rushing over to the crevasse and squinting down into the chasm. "Oh fuck..."

Bodies littered the narrow ledges that protruded from the chasm walls. Ponies had become impaled after falling dozens of feet onto sharp spears of ice, their blood staining the crevasse walls a deep, sickening red. Some were still alive, screaming in pain and terror. A smashing sound made her leap backwards, scrambling away from the slippery edge. Massive slabs of marble and stone were dropping from the suspended sled, smashing down into the chasm, crushing any ponies unlucky enough to still be alive. The frozen ice made movement difficult, and Sapphire found herself sliding backwards towards the chasm. Her slick metal armour provided little grip, and she was building up a lot of momentum.

"Help!" Sapphire yelled, trying to dig her hooves into the ice. Several soldiers noticed her, and sprinted over carrying lengths of rope to be used for hauling up the dead and dying. One soldier tossed a length of rope down to her, and she bit into it with all of her strength. It tasted like one of the heavier ponies on the expedition had been flossing his backside with it, but it was her lifeline. They dragged her up, away from the icy maw of the crevasse. 

One soldier dragged her to her hooves, countering the immense weight of her armour. "Thanks," Sapphire shouted, relieved. The wind was picking up again, making the sled sway precariously above their heads. More lumps of stone, marble and sacks of cement went tumbling into the abyss, sending a spike of icy sickness into her gut.

Several sickening crunches could be heard as some of the screams stopped abruptly. The scene was nightmarish; some soldiers running around trying to help while the engineers and civilians stood by, mouthes agape. "Get some saws over here, get the sled back on the ground!" Sapphire shouted, trying to get control of the situation. "Lieutenant, where's my sit rep?"

"Captain!" The young lieutenant ran over, "we believe the weight of the sled opened up the chasm, which in turn, well..." The soldier gestured with one hoof at the carnage. "The sled was carrying building supplies, along with a small amount of water. We can recover most of the supplies, but we've lost most of the expedition's supply of sparkling..." The young soldier looked at his checklist in amazement. "When did we requisition champagne for the expe-"

"I'll feed those damned Canterlot ponies to a bear, I swear." Sapphire stormed away from the soldier towards the ongoing rescue effort. Within moments, the supports holding the sled upright were cut, sending the sled slamming back into the ice.

"Captain, the sled is secure!" shouted a soldier, rushing over to help lift the survivors from the chasm. Ropes were lowered, anchors were slammed into the ice and ponies were fitted with abseiling harnesses. "Get some medics in those harnesses!" one of her subordinates shouted, organising the relief effort. One of the sleds further down the line was uncovered while ponies hauled out supplies to help with the rescue. 

"Captain! We need you over here for a minute!" Sapphire was gradually growing more stressed and irate. She charged over to the ponies calling her, who were stood atop an icy bluff. "Captain Shard, our maps are entirely out of date. We can't plot a route around these crevasses, because the landscape has entirely changed. We can see the fortress from here, but it's going to be hell crossing this plain. 

Sapphire took a moment to analyse the terrain ahead of them. Deceptively smooth, she could envisage most of the expedition being lost into unseen chasms and crevasses. "Well, we can't go over that without massive casualties. Are there any other routes that avoid the plains?"

"The maps show a narrow route around the plains, but warns that they are perfect icefly breeding grounds. There are reports of swarms devouring entire squadrons. It's either risking the crevasses or the iceflies, ma'am."

"Well, at least we can see the iceflies. Direct us around the plains, and we'll deal with the problems head-on."

"Alright then, we'll have a new route drawn up within the hour."

Sapphire trotted away, back down the small hill. Below her, ponies were being hauled up from the crevasse to be taken to a makeshift medical camp. The snow between the two locations was becoming gradually more stained with blood, marking a stark contrast in colour.

"Shit," Sapphire muttered, trying to make out the devastation. A team of carpenters were trying to repair the sled that had been mangled in the accident. One skid was buckled, the tarp that covered it was ripped and they'd lost a good amount of materiel from it, in addition to the building supplies that had been lost. Ponies were still being hauled up from the crevasse, some obviously dead. There was no way some of them could survive the wounds they had sustained. 

"Lieutenant! Send out the order to get the tents set up. There's no way we'll be able to move out before nightfall, and we'll need time to make sure the new route is safe. What's the time, about half five? We won't be able to achieve much if we move, and we'll be putting lives in danger."

"Yes ma'am. 32nd Engineers, get sleds three and four unpacked!" The lieutenant charged off to organise the deployment of their shelter for the night. Already, the sun was beginning to near the horizon. Sapphire decided she would give the crevasse one last look before setting off for the night. Trotting over, she passed the makeshift cranes that had been erected to replace the anchors. The ponies that had abseiled down were now removing their harnesses while a few others tried to cover the bloodstains on the snow.

Sapphire looked over the ledge cautiously, laying flat on her belly as she edged forwards. She regretted wanting another look. Blood dripped from the various ledges and small ice-caves running down the crevasse walls. Everywhere, she could see the struggles that the ponies had been through. A set of armour that had been cut off, a sword jammed into the ice to act as a hoof-hold, a single...

'Is that a... foreleg?' Sapphire jerked backwards. She'd seen a lot of things during her service, but the mottled brown foreleg in the crevasse was disturbing. Somewhere behind her, a soldier was being operated on to prevent further blood loss. That was, of course, assuming he hadn't bled out on that small ledge. Judging from the frothy sanguine foam dripping down, the latter was more likely.

'Ok, that's enough for one day,' she decided, backing away from the sheer drop. The cold was beginning to seep through her fur-lined barding and she was starting to shiver. 'A nice, warm drink in my tent, then sleep. Tomorrow is going to be even worse,' she decided, after a moment's thought.


*  *  *


As the sun dropped below the horizon, Sapphire hurried her pace. She was trotting through 'tent city', the sprawling encampment they had set up in a few hours. Guards patrolled through the narrow 'streets' while sentries were posted around the perimeter. They were safe, or as safe as they could be. Somewhere around here was her tent...

'Ah, there!' The tent had a small signpost in front of it, clearly stating her name and rank. This little tent was her home away from home, she guessed. Well, at least it was bigger than some of the tents that the lower-ranking soldiers had received. She poked her head into the tent, sighing with relief. It was sparsely furnished, but cosy. Her bedroll was lying on the floor and a small chest had been placed in the corner. A set of cooked rations rested on the floor. 'Mmm, dumplings. One of the ration packs that actually tastes half decent,' Sapphire thought, smiling wryly. 

She started to unclasp her armour, dumping the icy kit onto the floor. She felt a lot happier without the bulky barding on her, though it had become a second skin over the past few years. Most of her coat was slick with sweat, making Sapphire wrinkle her nose with disdain. Rushing around the camp, even in the freezing weather, still worked up a sweat. The body couldn't help that. 

Her mane was worse off. Matted, dry and limp, it had lost all of it's Crystal appearance. Now it was as dull and boring as the mane of any regular Equestrian pony. She sat down, pulling a brush out of her saddlebags. Technically she should have stored her brush in her wash-kit, but she knew wash-kits wouldn't be available until morning. They were still attached to one of the sleds that had frozen shut. Oh well.

After that, she grabbed a spoon and started on the dumpling stew, thankful for the heat radiating from the dish. Even though the tent was supposedly insulated, a dank chill still permeated the air. While she was concentrating on the temperature, gravy began to leak out of the slanted bowl onto the insulation on her armour. "Shitshitshitshit!" she shouted, trying to stem the leak with one foreleg. The gravy flow subsided, prompting a sigh of relief from the gravy-coated mare. Unfortunately, her armour wasn't so lucky.

Part of the fur-insulated armour was stained with the brown sauce, causing her to sigh wearily. That day hadn't been the best of days, and the stress and exhaustion were beginning to take their toll on her. Usually she wouldn't be so concerned about the state of her armour in such conditions, but it was still a real irritation. 'Well, at least I can bed down in a bit and grab some sleep, unless that blasted insomnia continues...' She looked over eagerly at her sleeping bag. The sooner she was in the fluffy sack, the happier she would be. Even if it she couldn't sleep, it was still a warm refuge in this bleak wasteland. Hell, the entire tent was. She had a whole tent to herself and it felt good.

Sapphire rubbed a hoof across her mouth, brushing away the leftover gravy that had stuck to her lips. Those dumplings were good. It seemed odd though. The Empire was under siege and it's major trading routes were blockaded. Where did they get the high-quality meals most of her expedition had just eaten? She remembered the sealed orders she had been given just before they'd departed. 'I'm sure they're just a re-assignment after we get the fort running again,' Sapphire reassured herself. 

As she untied her sleeping roll and prepared to bed down for the night, she heard the scuffling of hooves outside her tent. Sapphire reached across the tent quietly, pulling her sword closer towards her. As the tent flap drew open, Sapphire released a breath she didn't realise she was holding. 

A petite mare stood at attention, shaking considerably. "Captain? W-we lost some tents when the s-sled went down, and I was ordered to find alternate accommodation with another female m-member of the expedition. If you don't want me here, that's fine, I'll find somewhere el-"

"Which brigade are you from, soldier? Who gave you the orders to find accommodation elsewhere?"

The soldier outside eeped in fear, trying to remain composed. "I'm from th-the Royal Equestrian Di-division for Communications. I think it was... Director Lemon Rind that ordered me to find somewhere."

"The feminine, arrogant bastard that leads the comms detachment?"

The mare giggled, obviously recognising the description. "Yeah, him! He's only in charge because the actual director caught the flu before we left, and they couldn't find a replacement in time."

"Hmm, that doesn't surprise me. Right soldier, what's your name?"

The mare hesitated for a second, trying to get her words straight. "I'm Rhubarb, attached to the communications brigade!"

The young soldier looked proud standing in her oversized combat armour. She had her equipment slung over her back, along with some of her kit floating alongside her. 

"Well, you've hauled your kit over here already. I guess it'd be harsh to send you back to Director Dickhead with no accommodation. Well, dump your kit down and get ready for sleep. I've got a briefing early in the morning, so we'll be up early. If you want to make a good impression with our brigade, you'll be punctual in the mornings. There's nothing we hate more than an Equestrian pony that doesn't pull their weight. Keep your horn down and you'll do fine."

Rhubarb was grinning from ear to ear as she eagerly dumped her belongings on the far side of the tent. "You won't even notice I'm here, captain."

Sapphire smiled wryly. Something about this mare reminded Sapphire of her younger self, before she had dedicated all of her time to her career. "Alright. Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I got sent over strai-"

A cough echoed from outside. "Captain Shard?"

Sapphire rose to her hooves, already casting an eye over to her armour. Was there an attack? Had another crevasse opened up?

"Commander's briefing in ten minutes. The situation's developed. We'll give you time to get kitted up again. Make sure you're ready to go, the briefing could take a few hours."

"Oh for fuck's sake..." Sapphire muttered under her breath. Rhubarb shot her a concerned look, before looking over to her own armour. "What is my tent, a bloody communal lounge?"

"Captain, if you don't want me to bunk here, that's fine!"

"Don't worry Rhubarb, I'm just a bit stressed. Get some sleep. This doesn't have anything to do with you."

Sapphire crossed the tent and began to strap her armour back on, easing the freezing metal back onto her skin. Once she was fully barded again, Sapphire strapped her sword to her side. 'Better to be safe than sorry...' She trotted out of the tent, trying to find her way towards the command shelter. It was one of the only solid structures they had constructed, aside from a small mess and a minuscule shower block. Around the camp, guards were trotting around with lanterns. It appeared safe, to say the least. Those were her own guards, the best.

Regardless, she felt uneasy. She knew things were out there scouting their camp. The air was absolutely freezing. All of these things should mean something to her, but she came up blank. 'Oh well, at least we survived the first day. That's usually a good thing.'

Sapphire spotted the glowing red lanterns outside the command tent. It was a drab, low-profile building, sheltered below an icy bluff that helped to keep the winds to a minimum. "Captain? Welcome to Command. The briefing is just about to start. You're expected to make a short speech as well, so I hear. Nothing major, just a little reassurance for some of the swankier folk," one of her guards said jokingly. 

Sapphire recognised the pony as one of her former cadets, a corporal. Well, at least she still got on well with her own soldiers. They wouldn't dare make a comment like that if some of the other captains were around. "Thank you, corporal. Keep your eyes open. There's something out there tonight, and I have no idea what."

Sapphire trotted into the building, noting the other high-ranking officers assembled. Lieutenant Culet from the engineers, Director Lemon Rind from the communications detachment, a few of her own lieutenants and a handful of support staff. It was a cramped room, crowded with maps, charts and lists of equipment. Ponies were talking amongst themselves, discussing matters of various importance.

"Thank you for joining us at such short notice, captain," said Sergeant Blast Glass, one of her own staff. A scout, if she remembered correctly. "Are we all ready to proceed?" Ponies around the room gave their consent, looking with interest at the major and his lightly-armoured scouts. "As part of the camp perimeter protocols, I dispatched three teams to watch over the surrounding terrain. Within three hours, I received reports back."

The major produced a document from one of his figure-hugging saddlebags, pinning it to a wall-mounted board. It was a crude sketch, depicting...

"Sombra's army. As you can see, he'll be arriving at the Empire's gates sometime tomorrow. Much earlier than we were lead to believe by General Shard and his advisors."

"Are you implying something there, major?"

"Not in the slightest, captain. However, we will need to shut down the camp's lighting if we want to go undetected. They'll be a few hours before they have a chance at spotting us. Captain, I strongly suggest you double the perimeter patrol contingent and order a blackout throughout the camp."

"Then get it done," Sapphire ordered coldly, not liking the implications the major was giving off. Her father, General Shard, would never lie to his own soldiers. It just wasn't in his nature. Sombra had obviously mobilised his forces a lot earlier, and move them under camouflage. The lanterns in the room flickered, and the temperature dropped a few degrees.

"What the fuck was that? Windchill? Someone get out there and check it out," Culet ordered, looking around nervously. They were all on edge. All of them, with the exception of Lemon Rind, understood the threat the wastes posed to them. Two stallions trotted over to the door, disappearing out into the freezing night. 

"Anyway, are there any further matters that need to be discu-"

"Medic! Get some light out here, now! We've got... they're fucking dead... help!"

The assembled ponies leapt to their hooves, each shouting orders over the others. Messengers leapt out of the command room, dispatching those orders across the camp. Within minutes, every lantern would be extinguished, and every soldier would have their weapon to hoof. Sapphire pushed her way through the soldiers and officers, trying to reach the front of the tent. How had the ponies died? Was it a full-on attack? Did they need to mobilise their forces?

As she poked her head out into the freezing night air, she caught a glimpse of the guards that had previously greeted her. Her mouth dropped in shock. That couldn't be possible. The soldiers were laying there, completely frozen, encased in ice. "What the..."

"Captain! Orders?" 

"Uh, raise the alarm, get the patrol complements tripled and order a camp blackout. I want patrols searching every inch of the camp. I want every edge of the perimeter watched. I want guard rosters re-arranged so everypony knows exactly when they need to be on patrol. Get those guards down to medical now. See if they can be revived." Sapphire paused, remembering something. "Oh, get those scouts back up to monitor Sombra's army. If they begin to change direction, alert me straight away."

"Where are you going now, captain?"

"To get some sodding sleep. If anything else happens, get me. But until then, I need to sleep. I've got a feeling tomorrow is going to be exhausting. Until then, lieutenants Culet and Agate will be in authority. They both understand their roles, so just let them know."


*  *  *


An hour later, Sapphire collapsed into her tent. Paperwork had needed signing, officers had needed permission directly from her, she had overseen the camp blackout, it had taken half an hour to receive the latest intelligence on Sombra's army...

"Captain, are you ok? I heard shouting and I wasn't sure if they needed me," Rhubarb asked cautiously, trying to gauge the captain's mood. Sapphire began to unclip her armour, yawning with exhaustion. The frozen sheets of metal hit the floor, releasing her brutally short mane and tail. Sapphire ran a hoof through her mane, trying to separate the knotted, frozen strands of hair. She saw Rhubarb lying on the floor, wrapped up in her sleeping sack. A pair of young, naive eyes were poking out of the top, along with a tuft of rhubarb-coloured mane. 

This was wrong. She'd seen ponies crushed to death and murdered without a second thought today, which was a risk they all faced. But this young mare was little more than a filly, probably chosen for her magical competence as opposed to her suitability for the mission. But there was also a hint of steel in the young mare's eyes. Something that made her a soldier, as opposed to a farmer or scholar.

"Get some sleep. If Lemon Rind wants to start a fight over your disappearance, I have a few choice words for him. Don't worry, I'll take care of you for the time being."

'Wait, did I really just say that? What the hell does this Equestrian pony have to offer the expedition? She's a hindrance. Then again, I haven't actually seen her fight...' Sapphire set her reservations to one side. If the mare was here, she was capable. 

Sapphire rolled out her own sleeping bag, wriggling down into the covers. The fur-lined, insulated bag was perfect for this weather. She looked over to the sleepy mare next to her. 'Heh. I guess this'll be going through the mess gossip-grinder by the morning. 'Captain Shard beds a young, innocent unicorn in her tent!' Ugh, nothing I haven't dealt with before. Still, there'll be plenty to keep them busy if I have anything to say about it!'

"Which I will," Sapphire muttered under her breath. 

"Did you say something, captain?"

"No. Get to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be exhausting, and likely dangerous. The more sleep you get, the better." Rhubarb rolled over, yawning loudly. Sapphire watched the young mare curiously, remembering what it was like to have someone else making the orders. So long as you followed those orders, you would be safe. Sapphire began to drift off into sleep, dreaming of frozen horrors stalking the camp and ponies falling into unseen chasms below.
	
	
> Tupatitsiyok
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Lost Brigade

By sierra_seven_


Chapter Three: Tupatitsiyok



*  *  *


Sapphire awoke to the sounds of a struggle. Within seconds, she had her sword in her mouth and was wriggling out of her sleeping bag. The tent was dark enough to obscure whoever was trying to force their way insi-

"Please, I don't wanna! It wasn't my fault... Please..." whimpered Rhubarb, rolling around in her covers. Her light-pink coat was slick with sweat and she was obviously in distress. A nightmare. The poor mare was completely unaware of her surroundings, lost in the dream-world that was obviously scaring the hell out of her. Sapphire quickly set her sword to one side, dropping down next to the mare. She could handle battles and stress; emotional problems were beyond her skill set.

"Uhm, Rhubarb? Rhubarb, you're having a nightmare. Come on, snap out of it," Sapphire whispered awkwardly, not being able to find the words to console her. This was supposed to be one of her soldiers? The mare was hardly acting like one.

Rhubarb's eyes snapped open, locking onto Sapphire's. "Captain! I'm so, so sorry. This hasn't happened in months, I swear! I'm perfectly capable to carry on!"

The captain sighed, slumping back onto her haunches. "Look Rhubarb, you're a great mare. You've got to understand this is no place for a young mare to b-"

"But captain! I'm absolutely fine! Just let m-"

"Soldier!" Sapphire roared in anger, "You do not interrupt a senior officer! If I have my doubts about you, you are to accept those doubts and do everything within your power to change my views of those!" She paused for a second, considering the young mare. The very young mare. "Soldier, how old are you?"

"E-eighteen, captain."

"If you're lying to me..."

"I-I'm sorry captain. I'm s-seventeen." Sapphire sighed heavily, looking over at the underage soldier. She couldn't send her away now, they were too far from the City. She couldn't exactly let her serve, either. A marching army was no place for a child. 

"Ugh, what am I going to do with you..." Sapphire considered her options carefully. "I could have a unicorn from the communications detachment teleport you back to the City, where you can catch the next flight back to Equestria. However, that's going to lose me two capable unicorns..."

"Please captain, I want to stay on the expedition. I swear, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you'll keep me!" Rhubarb begged, finally detaching herself from her sleeping bag. Again, there was that deeper steel behind her eyes. If she'd had the training, she'd have made a fine soldier. It was the strength of her stare, despite her bed-mane and slick coat, that made Sapphire decide on her course of action.

"Soldier? Drop and give me forty," Sapphire ordered, a wry smile on her lips. Rhubarb immediately dropped onto the cold tent floor, doing the press-ups as fast as possible. A minute or two later, Rhubarb tiredly lifted herself off the floor, saluting. 

"There you go captain, forty press-ups. Does this mean I get to stay on the expedition?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. You are now my charge, and I will oversee your training and workload. I believe there are protocols in place for flash-conscription, and you're eligible for it. I will speak to Director Lemon and have him transfer your details to myself. I'll then see that you are made a conscripted member of the Steelflanks, and I'll assign you to one of my... safer squadrons. The HQ section should have no problem taking you on."

"Thank you so much captain! I swear, I'll make this worth it!" Rhubarb exclaimed, eagerly gathering her kit together.

"Hmm, don't thank me yet," Sapphire warned, before noticing the gradually brightening tent. "It should be about dawn. I suggest you go and get a wash, then some scoff in the mess hall. I'll speak with Lemon in the morning briefing, so that'll be taken care of before we move out again. If anyone asks, however, you're still with comms. I'll have to let the Steelflanks know that we've got a unicorn joining our ranks."

"Yes, captain! Will I be reporting to you after, or back to the director?"

"Head back here. I'll take you over to the headquarters group and they'll decide from there. Right, go on then. Just remember, be entirely honest with me and I'll treat you decently. Lie to me, however..."

"Understood, captain."

The two mares spent a few minutes organising their gear, ready for it to be packed onto the sleds. Stowing loose items in saddlebags, strapping their sleeping sacks to their bergens and stacking them outside took the longest. They then got dressed, which was an awkward routine in a cramped tent. Sapphire's combat armour took the longest to put on, and Rhubarb sat, giggling behind a hoof, watching Sapphire struggling. The unicorn then gathered together her robes and meagre barding, trying to smooth the creases out of them. Sapphire rolled back the entrance to the tent, allowing the weak sunlight into the tent. The bracing cold wind was nice against her face.

"Captain?" a stallion enquired, trotting towards her.

'Urgh, here we go,' Sapphire thought, getting ready to get back in the swing of command after her brief sisterly interaction with Rhubarb. 

"Morning briefing is in half an hour. You've got time to grab breakfast, if that's what you fancy."

Sapphire nodded curtly, stepping past the guard. The snow was crisp underhoof, and deceptively nice. This was what she imagined one of those cold-weather holidays was like. For once, the sky was blue and the sun was shining down on her. She considered this as she trotted towards the small mess tent that had been set up. The smell of porridge and crystalberry sauce wafted through the air, bringing a smile to her face. Mmm, crystalberries.

She took her place in the queue, listening to the ponies in front chatting away. Word had obviously spread quickly around the camp about the mysterious deaths last night. "Whaddya reckon happened then? I heard somepony say that Sombra's scouts have some kind of poison that does that, and they were trying to sneak into the briefing."

"Hah, that's stupid. There's plenty of outlandish creatures out here. It was probably one of those."

'Hmm, that's interesting. Maybe it was actually Sombra's scouts... I'll mention that at the briefing.' The queue depleted quickly enough, and Sapphire grabbed her bowl of porridge. The steaming oats looked appetising enough with the crystalberry sauce accompanying it. "Huh, it's 'bout time we got some decent meals," she mumbled, wolfing down the food. A few of the engineers looked on, grinning.

"Hey captain, save some of that aggression for the enemy, eh?" One stallion laughed, before winking at Sapphire. There was no doubt, it was the wink. Hah, the young stallion actually thought he had a chance with her. Oh, that was a bad idea.

"Wink at me again and I'll have you pegged down for additional guard duty. Hmm, I'll then shove one of the sleds so far up your arse you'll be vomiting supply crates."

"Y-yes captain. It was only a joke..."

"Don't let me catch you doing it again," Sapphire ordered, before turning and trotting towards the shower facilities. Even if the stallions were interested in her, they'd flee the moment they smelt her. After the events of the previous day, her armour was beginning to smell of stale sweat and possibly a hint of dumpling gravy she'd spilt the night before. Even her mane was starting to become tangled after all its time under her helm. 

The showers themselves were little more than a few cubicles in a hastily-erected structure, provided for by melted snow and heated by a portable furnace. Sapphire trotted inside, collecting her wash-gear from a small cupboard. The translucent, orange interior of the building was slightly more soothing than the mottled black pattern on her own tent, which supposedly helped with insulation. Supposedly. Well, at least it had been her, Rhubarb and their insulated sleeping sacks in the tent last night. 

Around her, a few mares chatted in the occupied cubicles while scrubbing their coats clean. 'How odd,' she thought, noticing the steam freezing as it floated towards the entrance to the female's shower room. 'Hopefully we'll get something a bit more permanent at Fortress Three, if the engineers are as good as they say they are...' The other mares took no notice of her entering, which irritated her more than usual. 

"Mornin' you lot. I hope the extra guard shifts didn't drag on too long last night," Sapphire said, tying to spark some small conversation. 

"Oh, they were great captain. You know, there's nothing better for the mane than a cold wind treatment for four hours!" She and the other mares laughed, Sapphire included. It would have been even more awkward if Sapphire had just nodded. She sighed, hanging her towel up before removing her armour. Cleaning it would have to wait until they reached the fortress, at any rate. Sure, they had showers, but a laundry service was out of the question, even for the Canterlot unicorns. Or so she hoped, anyway. She woudn't put it past those wealthy tossers to have brought their own personal servants for exactly that reason.

'Gotta stop thinking like that. Rhubarb is one of those Canterlot unicorns, and there are likely a few more like her. Urgh, insulting people is hard...' After a few moments considering the things she'd happily do to Director Rind, she stepped into one of the cubicles, slamming a hoof against the shower tap. A deluge of freezing water descended on her, sending her sprinting back out with a yelp. 

"Oh yeah captain, that shower ain't workin' right."

"Really? Because I was under the impression that fucking freezing water was supposed to be running through here!" Sapphire snapped, stepping into another one. Thankfully, it was now warm water that began to soak her coat and mane. Whoever had set that particular shower up was lucky that Sapphire didn't know their name, or they'd end up at the bottom of a crevasse. Hmm, she'd already mentally thrown Director Rind down there, and it would probably start to get crowded. Oh well, there were plenty more.

"Sorry captain, there's no need to have a go at us, eh?" the mare said irately, disguising her anger with a semblance of polite indifference.

Sapphire just grunted, letting the cascade of water run through her mane and down her legs. She hadn't realised how tense she'd become; the events of yesterday had stressed her more than she'd thought. At least she had a few minutes to take care of her own needs before her briefing. Her mane would have time to dry on the way there thanks to the icy wind, she surmised. How she wished she could just have her mane trimmed even further back to the point where it would fit neatly under her helmet. That'd prevent any Emperor-damned helm-mane, and she'd look a lot less feminine.

Well, not that she looked entirely feminine to begin with. She was muscly, had several scars and had been known to drink more than some of her own newly-initiated guards. She'd spent many a night staggering home, much to the disgust of the general populace. At the end of the day, it was the only thing that actually gave her a sense of solidarity with her soldiers. Drinking them under the table, naturally. Of course, there were always training events and exercises, but they didn't really give the same feeling as that of mutual drunken camaraderie.

After a few minutes of relaxation, she stepped out of the cubicle and towelled herself off. The other mares were already long gone, having rushed off to pack up their kit or have a late breakfast. 'At least somepony's packing my tent up for me,' Sapphire thought happily, remembering she'd be too busy in the morning briefing to do something as menial as packing up a tent. Oh, the joys of being an officer...

"Shit, it's getting late!" Sapphire exclaimed, shoving her wash kit back into the big crate. She'd be hard pressed to make it to the briefing on time. Her armour! "Shit!" It took her mere moments to throw the barding on, thanks to the fact that she was really, really late. She mentally ran through the day's objectives as she rushed out of the shower block, mane flapping behind her.


*  *  *


"Now that the captain's here, let's get started," lieutenant Agate said, looking around the room. The various officers and support staff nodded their assent, leaving the murmuring to die down. Sapphire had made it with seconds to spare. Oh yeah, she was good.

"If I may, I'd like to give an update on the situation from last night," Sergeant Blast Glass stated gruffly, obviously not having had enough sleep. She imagined the scouts had been out all night, gathering intel and scouting the route ahead. Ugh, not a fun job. Not that any of this was fun, but she could do without spending hours lying in a snowbank, trying not to move.

"Now, Sombra's legion is beginning to establish a base of operations outside the city. I imagine they'll be wary, scouting around for alternate access points. Sombra would be a very stupid stallion to attack the city head-on. The guard will be rallying, preparing food and water stockpiles around the city for a long conflict, shoring up the city's defences, conscripting citizens for the def-"

"Sergeant, we need to focus on the present. What information do you have to offer on pursuers or today's route?" Sapphire said irately, not wanting to imagine her father drawing up plans for defending her homeland. She had half a mind to order a return to the City, as fixing the forts was no longer strategically necessary. What was the point in a defence grid if it had already been penetrated?

"Oh, well, Sombra's army is massing by the City. We haven't picked up any detachments following us, but we'll be keeping an eye out today. If he's sending a detachment to attack us, he'll be doing the same to the other two expeditions. We'll be able to see any new troop movements within the next few hours. As for today's route, it's going to be dangerous. Less dangerous than crossing the crevasse field, but we'll still be taking a few casualties. One of my scouts got attacked by iceflies, and he's recovering in medical. It's going to be rough."

"Well, this is what we've trained for. We'll make it. Now, what the fuck happened last night to those guards?"

The chief medical officer, a pale red pony with the Rod of Asclepius for his cutie mark, spoke up. "We tried to revive them, but to no avail." The ponies assembled took a little while to get over this, as their deaths were so unexpected. Killed right outside the command tent, where there should have been plenty of security and safety. 

"Now, the strangest thing is that their post-mortems showed nothing we've seen from any of Sombra's scouts. It wasn't a poison or toxin. It wasn't even a spell. They'd literally been exposed to such low temperatures that they were flash-frozen. I'd strongly advise keeping the heightened guard status until we find a cause for this. If it is a new type of creature, we'll need to devise a way of fighting it."

The doctor looked down at his notes, clearing his throat once more. "As for the casualties from yesterday's crevasse... incident, we lost three engineers and we have two more undergoing treatment. They should be combat-capable within a few days, if they hold up. I'll make sure they're properly cared for during the trek."

"Agreed. Now, I have a matter that needs to be discussed with Director Lemon Rind. I trust that the rest of you will be able to devise a plan for today's trek while we are absent, correct?" Sapphire said, looking around the room. 

"It'll be done, ma'am," Agate confirmed, already trotting to the front of the room. Sapphire and Director Rind took this as a good opportunity to leave the briefing, stepping outside into the freeing cold. Director Rind leant up against the side of the command shelter, gazing at Sapphire.

"So captain, what did you need to discuss?" he murmured, not happy about leaving the relative warmth of the briefing room.

"I need to discuss the situation of one of your unicorns. Rhubarb, to be exact. It's come to my attention that she's not of age to be serving in either the Equestrian military or the Crystal Armed Forces. Now, there are procedures in place that would allow her to become a full member of the Crystal army within a few months. I'm not sure about your own military, but I don't believe anything similar exists."

"Wait, you're telling me that Rhododendron is underage? She deliberately put herself forward for this expedition! Well, you're not taking her off her own race that easily. She'll remain in my own communications group, as she wanted to."

"Director, you're honestly telling me that you would risk your reputation by keeping a minor within a serving military unit? Just think of what your commanders would say. I can solve this problem without sending her back to the City, or sullying your reputation. All you have to do is give me permission to transfer her into my own Steelflanks battalion. With the conscription protocols allowed, I can safely have her take part in a military unit without all the paperwork."

"Ugh, fine. She was a useless caterer anyway. I mean, she even had the gall to serve us common peasant food while we were staying at the Equestrian embassy. All I did was ask her to make the best meal she'd eaten, and she presented that filth? Ugh, how horrifying. Take her. Maybe she'll make a better shield than soldier..."

Sapphire almost rammed his head through a wall, but refrained from disturbing his finely-groomed yellow mane. He was the most arrogant, selfish bastard she'd known, but at least Rhubarb would be free from him soon enough. 

"I'll have my secretary complete the necessary paperwork. Then she'll be all yours. Please, don't feel sympathy for her because she's lower-class than us. She doesn't have the brains or the brawn to make it any further than farming, and I'm frankly surprised that she even knows magic."

"You're bloody lucky I don't rip off your horn and arse-fuck you with it, you cowardly, disrespectful bastard," Sapphire hissed under her breath, trotting back into the command room. The officers were just beginning to leave, obviously having had discussed the day's actions. Lieutenant Agate trotted up to her, holding a dossier in his mouth. As she received it, she noticed his eyes wander down her body and onto her flank. Oh yeah, her armour had slid, exposing her seldom-seen cutie mark.

"I strongly hope you're looking at the dent in my barding, as opposed to my flank," she stated, matter-of-factly. As a matter of fact, she was rather proud of her cutie mark. It was a sapphire, emblazoned with a vertical sword and embellished with an elegant crinet. A symbol of strength and elegance, if ever she'd seen one. 

"Of course, captain. You seem to have a... gravy stain on your barding?" he enquired, looking curiously at her.

"Oh, that? Oh, it's... a... gravy stain. Damned dumpling stew last night, and the bowl slid off the table. Yeah, I'll get it cleaned up at Three, when we get there." After that brief conversation, Agate trotted outside to converse with lieutenant Culet about the day's orders. Well, at least none of the others had noticed her gravy-stained barding. She'd have to fix that quickly, or she'd begin to attract flies. Well, iceflies. Did iceflies like gravy? She'd have to ask Peridot about that. Sapphire trotted outside, still thinking about gravy.

"Captain? We're just about to begin the transmission to the Empire. Is there anything you wish to report, other than the events of the previous day?" Director Rind said snootily behind her. Damn, she hadn't even noticed the unicorns assembling around the... gem-covered mast. So, that was their transmitter then?

"No, just ensure that you relay the reports from the recon section along with the main transmission. They'll need all the intel they can get. Ok?"

"I'm not an idiot, captain. Of course the reports are high-priority. Well, I won't waste any more of your precious time then," he finished, trotting over to his minions. 'Heh, minions.'

The bustle of ponies moving around the camp reassured her. She was on edge last night, when everypony had retired to their tents and the soft glow of lanterns had sent shadows sweeping across the camp. However, she felt a lot more secure in the warm, watery sunlight with soldiers rushing around in front of her. The tents were mostly disassembled and the engineers were starting work on the more sturdy buildings. The weak wind was rippling through her slightly-damp mane, making her grin. 'So, that arctic wind didn't dry it after all. I hope the other officers didn't see that as my attempt at a wet-mane contest...'

Sapphire shuddered. She'd received enough leering stares from the kitchen staff when she'd rocked up at the mess tent that morning. She would eat her breakfast a lot slower if their eyes stopped metaphorically devouring her. Well, at least she'd got a taste of that crystalberry sauce before rushing off to the showers.

After a few moments, a far-off bugle snapped her out of her sauce-related thoughts. Ah, they were finally moving out. Excellent. Sapphire trotted over towards the sleds, which had been stacked up with the tents and supplies used last night. The engineers would get the command structure down double-quick, then they'd be ready to move out. 

"Captain!" a mare called, trotting up behind her. What was it with ponies sneaking up on her from behind? She turned around, greeted with Rhubarb's grinning face. "Did you speak to Director Lemon? Did he say yes? Am I in the Steelflanks now?" she practically shouted, bouncing in excitement. 

"Easy does it, soldier. The director will be signing your release forms, then you'll be all mine. I'll speak with the Steelflanks at Three and let them know you're a member. Until then, I want you to head over and talk to Sergeant Carbon from headquarters section. He'll give you an idea of your duties, and you'll be able to travel with them today. I want you out of harms way. We're travelling through pretty dangerous territory, and I don't want you getting in the line of battle. Just keep your horn down and your eyes firmly on your job."

"Will do captain! Thank you so much!" Rhubarb exclaimed happily, before galloping off to the command structure.

"Well, that was... enthusiastic," Sapphire muttered, looking around for her next quarrel. The sleds were being packed, the sled teams were strapping in and the soldiers were beginning to form up. She could start to make out the formation, and that was probably a good time to head over and get formed up.

"Saph!" Peridot called, noticing her from a distance. She hurried over to him, relieved to be back in the company of a good friend.

"Hey Peridot, how's things? Did you and Garnet find anything amazing in the camp?" she asked sarcastically, flashing him a wolfish smile. She knew full well that there was sod-all to discover, but it was fun to tease the old scholar occasionally.

"Sweet nothin', but it's great ta finally be out of the city," he murmured, staring out over the icy plains. "Y'know, the last time I was here was about twenty years ago, before outside ops were sidelined..." Sapphire felt sorry for the old stallion. His expedition contributed to the ban on getting outside the barrier. Of the twenty scholars and thirty guards that left, only four returned. One was carried home in a footlocker, frozen shut to stop his remains pouring out.

"We're still confident that we'll find a small relic or item from their empire. Hopefully we'll still get the chance to look around at Fortress Three, when we get there!" Garnet said excitedly, eyes glittering with the prospect of adventure.

"We'll see. Remember, I'm not promising anything about that. It depends if Sombra sends a detachment of soldiers after us," Sapphire muttered grimly. 

"Uh, of course captain. We'll try to keep our exploration to a minimum!" she countered, desperate to retain some chance at looking around. The young scholar was certainly keen to recover something. A few minutes later, the sleds began to move forwards slowly, before picking up their speed. They all began marching, matching the pace of the sleds. Because if they fell behind, there could be no guarantee of survival. 

But even out in the Wastes, death wasn't the worst thing they faced. Dark magic was beginning to stir, and Sombra's gaze was gradually turning north. North, towards the small column of ponies seeking a refuge in a crumbling fort. A cold smile crossed his lips, and the war cries of hundreds of soldiers greeted his ears.