//------------------------------//
// Scheherazade 
// Story: The Ghost Of You 
// by MadMan 
//------------------------------//

Luna looked to the departing ponies of Ponyville as they began to move south.

If pain and suffering were bits, we'd all be rich.

She examined the faces of the ponies below her. The Black Berets weren't alone, but they were the majority. Few had elected to return to Equestria, to war. But even from the height, the Princess could see the iron in the volunteer's eyes.

But if hatred, anger, and determination were bits, we'd be richer still.

The morning was cool, with a gentle breeze raising goosebumps along Luna's spine. She turned and flew upwards, just high enough to see over the tops of the trees. The forest extended into the distance, rolling over the hills and valleys into the distance.  The sun was just peeking over the horizon, the sky just purifying the night sky into a clear blue.  Luna had considered not setting the moon, as she had continuously for a great many nights in a row now, but she decided the turmoil within Equestria was taking enough of a toll on the populace without nature itself changing around them. 

Luna tilted her wings and let the sir spill out from under them, descending to under the cover of the pre-dawn gloom that still encompassed the forest floor. Ponyville was just disappearing through the underbrush, only a few stragglers were left in sight. Landing softly, Luna looked around to their group. Herself, eighteen Black Berets, and seven others. Twenty six ponies, facing a legion, not to mention Axion herself. Luna ran down the mental dossiers on each of them.

First, there was herself, Luna, Princess of the Night and Moon, Wielder of the Moon Stone, Deity Of Darkness, Eventide Sister, The Selene Mare, Ipsa Nox Venantur, Nightmare Moon. 

Nightfury, the charming vagabond who had assumed the role of Captain of the Black Berets after Wildfire's death. His wit was as sharp as his tongue, and his fierce streak was nearly as wide as his compassionate one. 

Winter Mist, an extraordinary little mare, by far the smallest of the Black Berets, but she made up for it by being quite good at burning things, among which the self-rolled cigarettes she was never seen without. A quiet and demure girl, but one who has seen the worst the world had to offer, and through sheer force of will, emerged unscathed.

Little Bit, also known as The Big One. A simple stallion, short of word and very kind, but capable of shifting small mountains if he really put his mind to it. His magic is fearsome, as with any Black Beret, but it's his hooves his enemies fear. 

Hawkeye, now the second-in-command under Nightfury. A brave and skilled warrior, he is incredibly talented at throwing spears. He has enveloped a close relationship with Rarity. Always calm and collected under pressure.

Tank, a large and boisterous stallion, always laughing, always with a joke to tell. Never seen without his armour on or very close by. To some, he is surprisingly talented at metallurgy and metalworking, but to those who were blessed with the capability of critical thinking, it's not as surprising. Sets of armour of such quality and grandeur are very rare, especially those large enough for a Beret.

Bill, another simple stallion, who just so happens to be unnaturally large. Along with Little Bit, he can do incredible magic, but prefers to get close up and crush things with his hooves. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, but loyal and courageous to a fault. Luna liked him.

Frostbite, white on white on white, with an attitude as frosty as his name, especially since the death of Rain, his close friend. He is renowned for his talent with ice, including quite a reputation for ice sculptures, Luna had been surprised to learn. 

Red, a quiet, gentle giant, built the same as Bill and Little Bit. A fan of philosophy and deep thinking, he can often be found either staring into the distance, wrestling with some life-changing conundrum with Chub, or scribbling his thoughts into a little book he keeps safe. Luna had had some quite amazing conversations over various qualities of life and death with him.  

Willow, who always showed up covered in dirt. Luna suspected he knew everything about plants there was to know. His family owned a chain of nurseries, and he was on the path to taking over the family business, had his prodigious size and aptitude for natural magic caught Wildfire's attention. 

Violet, a stallion with little imagination, but some of the best logical facilities Luna had ever seen, Twilight Sparkle included. He had an endearing inability to grasp sarcasm, metaphors, and humor, but he could also solve any problem put in front of him. His magic leaned towards a small push in the right place to topple a tower, but being a Beret, he was as strong as an ox, making him one dangerous nerd. 

Onyx, who was endowed with the darkest black coat a pony could imagine, which clashed beautifully with his green eyes. He was an expert of being sneaky, along with Nightfury, but less focused on the combat and more concentrated on not being seen at all. He was fairly talkative for a sneak, and his humor is as dark as his coat. 

Boulder got along very well with Pinkie, given that he knew everything about rocks, and she grew up on a rock farm. The two would spend hours talking about minerals, gravel, ore, promontory, and the art of turning a mountain into macadam. He could dig a tunnel faster than any mole, and was known to chew on gravel when bored. 

Scar grew up far away from most other civilization, and as such, developed into a loner. He was quite happy being quiet, off by himself. Since joining the Black Berets, however, he became a bit more open, if only to his new brothers and sister. They began calling him Scar after an accident on his first mission left him with a long stripe that ran the length of one  side, from shoulder to rump. 

Vision was a brilliant tactician, and the one who often came up with the more outlandish schemes that always seemed to work in ways no one predicted. As a youngster, he had spent his free time split between reading tomes of historical battles, and putting them to practice in a field with his friends. While the rest of the group had all been very gifted and had all applied to the Berets, it was Vision who had the strength, fortitude, and mental faculties befitting one of Equestria's elite. 

Drench was a pony who was more at home in water than on land. The Berets relied on him for pretty much anything wet. Seeing as swimming is an excellent form of exercise, he was rippled with muscle and rid of nearly all fat, leaving him with the most cut form of all the Berets, even if he wasn't necessarily the physically strongest. 

Stitch was the one who patched up the Berets when proper facilities weren't an option. He was large loud, and scary, but his hooves were gentle and his magic precise. He wasn't quite as knowledgeable as a proper doctor, but his years of operating in the field left him with an incredible ability to adapt and improvise. However, he was far too fond of puns for Luna's taste. Especially the blood-themed ones. 

Chub was hypothesized to be somehow related to Bill, as they were quite similar, although Chub was a bit more rotund. He had a similar attraction to the difficulties of profound thought, but he was much more casual than Red. His arguments were more often than not concluded with a shrug and, "But who cares, anyway?" He could be found debating the finer points of philosophy with Red, or sharing a little cigarette with Winter. 

Blackeye was a former criminal, Luna was content to leave it at that. She didn't want to look too close into it, she didn't care. Nightfury and Wildfire had vouched for him, and his pleas for a new lease on life sounded sincere. The duo had apparently sprung him out of jail after chasing a number of rumors about a unicorn with unbelievable ability. He had so far served his time with the utmost loyalty and patriotism, and Luna trusted him as much as any other Beret. 

The Black Berets now fully cataloged, Luna turned her attention off to the side, where the Elements of Harmony were gathered. Generosity, kindness, laughter, loyalty, honesty, and magic. Six incredible mares, and together, they represented the magic of Harmony itself. When they were together, anything was possible, wearing their fancy gemstones or not. 

Promise had insisted on coming as well. Luna still did not fully trust the girl. She hadn't quite supplied them with any knowledge that Luna could consider game-changing, but Nightfury trusted her, and so Luna had to take that into account. 

And that was all. That was the army that was going to attempt to push Axion off the throne, and restore balance to Equestria. Even with her Moon Stone, the Elements of Harmony, and eighteen of the most powerful warriors in the land, Luna had doubts it was possible.

Luna looked over to see the villagers had vanished among the trees. The forest was silent once more. The Berets looked around, and began to gather their things. The Elements saw them, and began to follow suit. Luna looked to the sky for a moment.

She hoped she wasn't leading these ponies to their graves.