The Order of the Celestial Sun

by Blade Trail

Brother Burn, The Crusader

Saddle Arabians are different from Equestrians in many ways, and not just culturally. Among their ponies, there are no Unicorns, or Pegasi, or even cutie marks. What they do have, however, is black powder. And they were currently using it to great effect, much to the dismay of Baltimare’s defending forces.

In an impromptu command center set up in Baltimare city hall, Commander Jack Fruit, a sand-colored pegasus in full standard-issue pegasus combat armor, alternated between drinking from a bottle of rum and angrily shouting vague commands the the soldiers around him.

“What the hell?!” Commander Jack Fruit exclaimed as a nearby explosion shook the building.

Jack tried to take another drink from his bottle of rum, found it was empty, and threw it over his shoulder in disgust. There was the sound of shattering glass followed closely by that of a pony crying out in pain. Jack turned in the general direction of his troops, who were scrambling from one place to another. They looked like they were doing their jobs, but Jack knew better. The ingrates were useless without him, and only barely competent even with his commands to guide them.

“Unicorns!” he shouted out to no one in particular. “I needed that barrier up literally yesterday! The sun’s up, and we’re still getting our flanks handed to us on a Saddle Arabian platter! You’re magic’s the only edge we’ve got over their cannons, bucking use it! Pegasi! What in the hay have you been doing? I thought I told you to bombard their position with everything you’ve got! You can fly, and they can’t. What are you afraid of? Earth Ponies! You have one job and one job only, hold the damn line! I haven’t checked, but I know that line’s been moving closer! What the buck is everyone doing? Fight, you idiots!”

Lieutenant Apple, a green Earth Pony currently covered in bits of shattered glass, walked up to Jack and saluted. “We’re doing all we can, Sir, but there’s only so much we can do against their numbers and their firepower.”

“What the hell happened to you, Lieutenant Apple?” Jack asked. “This is a war zone, not a bar fight. Attack them with weapons not shattered glass! Wait, didn’t I send you out to get me another rum fifteen minutes ago? That better not be my rum shattered all over your coat!”

Not for the first time, Lieutenant Apple suppressed the urge to punch his commanding officer in the face. “I’m sorry, Sir,” he said flatly. “I got side tracked. I have no idea whose bottle slammed into my head a minute ago.”

“Son, you’ve really got to work on your focus,” Jack said, shaking his head. “Shape up or you’ll never be promoted. I mean, seriously, Apple. Get on my level.”

Another explosion shook the building. It was closer this time.

“Come on!” Jack exclaimed. “Again? Really? Whose job is it to stop those cannons? Don’t make me get out there! Because I will! And I’ll whoop both you and the Saddle Arabians, I swear to the sun!”

Cross Roads, an ash colored Unicorn wearing a black coat with a longsword on his belt, and Packed Lunch, a chocolate brown Earth Pony in mismatched pieces of armor armed with both a hoof-mounted crossbow and a short sword, approached Jack.

“That might not be a bad idea,” Pack said. “I know you need to be the leader the troops need, and all that, but you’re running out to troops to lead. It might be time to get out there and lead from the front. My mercs are tough fighters, but they’re still just mercs. Your line breaks, and we turn tail. No promise of bits is worth losing your life over.”

“I’d just like to point out that I said we should charge from the very beginning,” Cross said. “It’s us or them either way. Might as well find out in one big engagement. Why drag it out?”

“Because that’s not how war works, Cross!” Jack said. “It’s not just about who can kill who first. We have to consider tactics and strategy and...long term stuff! This isn’t like the small scale combat that you’re used to. This isn’t even like fighting outnumbered. We’re talking about armies here, Cross. Small armies, but still armies. And armies are too big to be dealt with your way.”

Despite his words, Jack was just making this up as he went along. He didn’t really remember much of what he’d been taught of “tactics and strategy and long term stuff”. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t really remember how he had made it to commander in the first place. How long had he even been in the military? It didn’t seem like all that long ago when he had woken up in boot camp with no idea where he was or how he got there.

“Then we make it small scale. Kill them all one by one until we win,” Cross said.

Lieutenant Apple examined Cross, looking for any sign that he was joking, but found none. Cross was being completely serious.

“Wait,” Pack said before Jack could reply. “Cross isn’t wrong. Not completely. The Saddle Arabians have us backed into a corner here, but they’re not just throwing ponies at us. They’re playing it smart. Whittling us down. That’s not a battle that we can win. We’re not going to get reinforcements any time soon.”

“What are you saying?” Jack asked.

“I’m saying that we stop playing their game,” Pack replied. “They want us on the back hoof - defending. So we attack. Not with every pony, of course, but with small strike teams. Hit key targets. Their commanders, their backline, their cannons - something anything important. And before you bring up any military jargon like I know you want to, keep in mind that most of our ponies are like Cross here. They’re fighters, but they’re not military. They work best in small scale.”

“Better than the Saddle Arabians do, I guarantee it,” Cross added.

Jack sighed. He hated to admit it, but his old friends were right. He wasn’t really cut out for this commanding stuff. Maybe it was time to retire, hang up his uniform, and go back to the old days when he just wandered from place to place with no real direction in his life. It sounded like more fun than being chained to all these rules and responsibilities, but...nah. If nothing else, the retirement benefits were too good to pass up. Besides, he was getting to that point in life where he wanted to settle down and be a family stallion. The wanderer’s life was not for him. Not anymore.

“Well, Jack?” Pack asked.

What were we talking about? Jack thought silently. When he remembered, he said, “Right. Well, it was stupid and crazy when you first brought it up, and it's stupid and crazy now. But it just might be crazy enough to work, and I’m just stupid enough to go for it. Let’s do it, boys. Us three against the world, like when we were colts.”

“Ha! Finally!” Cross exclaimed with a manic grin.

“Whoa, hold on there,” Pack said. “I never said it would be me. I’m not getting paid enough to go on that kind of suicide mission.”

“If it helps, you can have my pay when this is done,” Cross said.

“You volunteered!” Pack exclaimed. “You’re not getting paid at all!”

Cross shrugged. “So?” he asked.

Before Pack could respond, Jack put a hoof on his back and said, “Shut up, Pack. We’re going in. Just give me a moment to grab my bow. Lieutenant Apple, you’re in charge. Try not to lose this battle without me.”

Lieutenant Apple saluted. “Sir, yes, Sir!” he said aloud. Internally, he thought Thank the stars. Maybe now we have a chance of surviving this. If we’re lucky, the idiot will even get himself killed out there.

As Jack, Cross, and Pack went out into the battlefield, morale in the command center rose exponentially. This directly affected the troops fighting across the city as more sensible, coherent, and tactically sound commands began being relayed to them. For the first time since the Battle of Baltimare began, things were looking up for the Equestrians.

As he crouched down behind a pile of debris next to Pack and Cross, Jack missed his rum. He wasn’t nearly drunk enough for this. In fact, he wasn’t drunk at all. He silently cursed the tolerance he’d built up over the years.

I never thought I’d pine for the days when I was a lightweight, Jack thought.

The three ponies had somehow managed to make their way down to the port without too much trouble. Cross had wanted to charge straight down the front lines and either push the Saddle Arabians back or go down in a blaze of glory, but Jack and Pack had overruled him. Instead, they’d gone around the majority of the fighting and snuck past the Saddle Arabian lines. Jack had taken the lead then. Of the three, he had always been the best at getting out of trouble and moving without being seen.

“So what’s the plan?” Pack asked.

“There is no plan,” Cross replied. “There’s a ship right there firing cannons into the city. I say we take it out.”

“There’s a fleet of ships right there firing cannons into the city,” Pack pointed out. “Not to mention the soldiers on the ships, the rear guard standing between us and the ships, and, oh yeah, the giant, heavily guarded flag ship out in the harbor.”

“So?” Cross asked.

Jack motioned for the two to be quiet. “Okay, it looks bad, but we knew it would be. Doesn’t change anything. I say we sneak onto the ship closest to us, blow the black powder, and get out in the resulting chaos. Cross, you still know those fire spells?”

Cross grinned. “Fire and swords are all I know, Jack.”

“Some things never change,” Pack commented.

“Good,” Jack said. “Now, on my signal, we make a break for those crates over there and -”

Jack was interrupted by the sudden explosion of the ship they were planning to board. He looked to Cross.

“Wasn’t me,” Cross said.

Jack frowned. “Then who…”

“HONOR! GLORY! CELESTIA!” a loud voice boomed from the wreckage.

The three ponies looked in the direction of the sound and saw a colossal, muscular Pegasus Pony with a gold coat and a white mane, tail, and beard burst out from the flaming wreckage. The pony carried a massive battleaxe with butterfly shaped blades and wore no armor except for a single steel greave embedded with a large red gem on his left forehoof.

The pegasus hovered above the flaming wreckage, each flap of his large wings pushing smoke away from him and making a clearly audible sound. The Saddle Arabian officers began shouting in their foreign tongue, and their archers began to fire at the pegasus. The pegasus brought up his armored hoof, and a large, red rectangular shield emanated from the gem, blocking the Saddle Arabians’ arrows.

“Hahahaha! Is that all?” the pegasus boomed. “Let me show you how a real stallion fights!”

The pegasus dived down towards the Saddle Arabians and landed right in their midst, crushing a pony beneath him. He began tearing through their lines with surprising skill and efficiency, laughing as he went along. With each swing of his massive axe, two or three ponies were felled. Whenever it seemed as though he would be overwhelmed or taken out from afar, he would leap upwards or forwards with the aid of his large wings, repositioning himself and crushing a pony each time he did. Soon, the Saddle Arabian forces broke and began to scatter. The pegasus did not pursue them.

“Cowards! Finished already?” he called out after them. “I’m not even close to done! Ahahahaha! Onward to the next!”

The pegasus leapt upwards again and flew straight towards the next ship, which immediately began firing its cannons in his direction.

“That was the most glorious thing I’ve ever seen,” Pack commented.

“Was that just a naked old stallion with an axe?” Jack asked.

“Yes, yes it was,” Cross replied.

“I reiterate: the most glorious thing I’ve ever seen,” Pack said.

“We should go after him,” Cross said.

“Yes, yes we should,” Pack agreed.

“Wait, shouldn’t we - guys!” Jack called out, but Pack and Cross were already running off. Jack shook his head. “Saddle Arabians invading, naked old guys fighting, what’s next, Celestia herself coming down to save us? I am definitely not drunk enough for this,” he said to himself as he took off after his friends.

In the middle of the command center, Princess Celestia appeared in a brilliant flash of golden light. Instead of her usual regalia, she wore a full set of ornate golden plate armor, but carried no weapons with her. The ponies around her immediately stopped what they were doing in shock. Moments later, they began to bow.

“Rise, ponies,” Celestia said. “There is much still left to do. Where is Commander Jack Fruit?”

Lieutenant Apple approached Celestia. “He’s, uh...out fighting, Princess. I’m Lieutenant Apple. Commander Jack left me in charge of running the command center.”

“He’s leading from the front lines? How courageous,” Celestia said.

“Yes...courageous,” Apple said.

Celestia noticed the hesitation in Apple’s voice, but decided to ignore it. “If that is the case, then I’ll ask you, Lieutenant. What is the situation here in Baltimare? I need a full report on the battle so far.”

Apple snapped to attention and switched to his best report-giving voice, the one he saved for when he had to report to officers that actually had some idea of what they were doing. Given his current commanding officer, he didn’t get to use it much these days, so he was out of practice. He hoped the princess wasn’t the strict protocol kind.

“The situation is not ideal, Princess, but we are holding for now,” Apple said. “The Saddle Arabians attacked with a fleet of ships about two hours ago, catching us all by surprise. They overwhelmed our initial defenses and pushed us back into the city, allowing them to freely set up a staging area on the port. It was nothing short of a miracle that we were able to evacuate the civilians from the dangerzone in time, and even as we speak, our troops' first priority is to ensure that the citizens of Baltimare get out of danger.

“The Saddle Arabians would have easily taken the city by now if not for the timely arrival of Packed Lunch’s reserve units. Mr. Lunch’s forces allowed us to stop the Saddle Arabians’ initial momentum and turned our near-rout into a proper, if desperate, defense. The Saddle Arabians still have us heavily outnumbered, and all but dictate our movements through the use of their ships’ heavy cannons, but our ponies are too tough for them to crack without incurring heavy losses. Those mercenaries and free agents may not have any proper military training, but they fight like rabid dogs.

“That said, it’s only a matter of time until the Saddle Arabians overwhelm us. They seem to know that we don’t have any reinforcements within two days travel of here, so they’ve decided to turn this into a war of attrition. They’re whittling down our troops little by little until they can safely take us out, and there isn’t anything we can do about it. That’s about all the information I can give you right now, Princess. If you’d like details on specific sections of the city, I can contact the relevant officers and get it to you at a moment’s notice. Just say the word.”

As Apple wrapped up his report, he mentally kicked himself. That was the worst report he’d ever given. It didn’t sound military at all. He hadn’t even used any of those fancy jargon words he always heard the scouts use. And he called her princess! Was that bad? Should he have used ma'am instead? He wasn’t ready for this! All that time spent under Jack had made his knowledge of proper protocol almost non-existent. Oh, he was in for it now.

Celestia, however, merely nodded. “Thank you, Lieutenant, but that will not be necessary,” she said. “I will survey the battlefield myself and provide aid to our troops wherever it is needed.”

Apple’s heart began racing. “You’re going out there?! No, you can’t!”

Celestia smiled down at Apple. “Is that an order, Lieutenant?”

Apple’s heart nearly stopped dead. “N-no! I would never...it’s just so dangerous, Princess! If something happens to you -”

“I will be fine, Apple. Thank you for your concern,” Celestia said gently. “It is not the first time I have faced an invading army, and I have faced much more dangerous things besides. My presence on the battlefield will lift the morale of our soldiers and cause hesitation in our enemies. That alone is reason enough for me to go out there. The fact that I may help turn the tide only reinforces this.”

Apple opened his mouth to reply, but found he could not refute Celestia’s logic. He looked left and right to the other ponies in the command center, but everyone was suddenly preoccupied doing something else.

“Ma’am...yes, ma’am,” Apple said with resignation.

Celestia smiled warmly at him, and despite himself, his spirits lifted. “Chin up, Apple. We haven’t lost this battle yet. In fact, I’m sure that it’s about to turn around. A cadre of mages from Canterlot should be arriving here shortly. Once they do, we will be ready to launch a counterattack on the Saddle Arabian forces. In the meantime, tell your ponies to stand fast and prepare to bring the fight to the enemy.”

Apple saluted. “Yes, ma’am!” he said with more enthusiasm.

Celestia turned to go, but then stopped and turned back to Apple. “One more thing, Apple,” she said. “What are Commander Jack Fruit and Guild Master Packed Lunch’s current positions? I’d like to coordinate our attack with each of them.”

Apple began to sweat nervously. “Uhh…”

Cross, Jack, and Pack were making a break for the ship the large pegasus flew towards when they were spotted by a single Saddle Arabian scout. Cross immediately drew his sword and slashed, killing the scout before it could react to their sudden appearance.

“Damn it, Cross, we talked about this!” Jack said as the trio stopped before the dead scout.

“What?” Cross asked while sheathing his sword.

“You can’t just randomly kill ponies out of the blue like that!” Jack exclaimed.

“It was a Saddle Arabian!” Cross said.

“That’s racist and you know it,” Jack accused.

“No, that’s war, and you know it!” Cross countered. “We’re in the middle of a Saddle Arabian invasion, Jack. They’re the enemy!”

“You could’ve at least given that guy a chance. He might have surrendered or something,” Jack said.

“You don’t know that,” Cross said.

“You don’t either. And now no one will. The poor sod’s dead!” Jack said.

“Look, if it makes you feel any better, let’s just say that I rejected his surrender. Lethally,” Cross said.

“Wouldn’t that make you a war criminal?” Pack asked.

“Wait, would it?” Cross asked.

Both Cross and Pack looked to Jack.

Jack shrugged. “I...honestly, I don’t know. I never paid much attention during the classroom portions of training.”

Cross sighed. “Look, he’s dead. It’s done. Let’s just drop the issue and move on.”

“You’re not even gonna apologize or anything?” Pack asked.

“I am not apologizing to a dead Saddle Arabian!” Cross exclaimed.

“There. Right there. Racist,” Jack said.

Cross scrunched up his muzzle. “That’s not even - it’s what he is!”

“Yeah, but there really wasn’t any need to point that out, now, was there?” Jack asked.

“He’s got you there, Cross,” Pack commented.

Cross stomped a hoof. “For the last time, I was just stating facts. I am not racist. I can’t believe we’re even having this discussion.”

“Prove it,” Pack said.

“How?” Cross asked, irritated.

“Kiss the next Saddle Arabian we see,” Pack said. His face twitched as he held back a smile. It had been so long since he’d had a chance to mess with Cross. He glanced over to Jack and saw that he was stopping himself from grinning as well.

“...There are so many things wrong with that idea that I don’t even know where to start,” Cross said flatly.

“So you won’t do it?” Pack asked.

“No!” Cross exclaimed. “If nothing else, I just don’t swing that way.”

“Swing what way? I never said it had to be a stallion,” Pack said.

“Wait, so Cross is sexist now too?” Jack added. “Dude, you’ve got issues.”

Cross scowled. “Not racist. Not sexist. And not stupid, either, because that’s what that idea is. And Pack, there are no mares in the Saddle Arabian military, so of course the next Saddle Arabian we see would be a stallion.”

“So the Saddle Arabians are sexist?” Jack asked.

Cross groaned. “Would you just let that shit go?”

“Is it racist to not like Saddle Arabians because they’re sexist?” Pack asked.

Before Jack could respond, the ship they were originally heading to exploded, and the large pegasus flew up from the wreckage.

“I AM UNSTOPPABLE!” the pegasus cried out as he dived into the Saddle Arabians once more.

“I have a better question,” Jack said, drawing his bow and nocking an arrow. “We’re not letting him fight alone this time, are we?”

“After running all this way? Not a chance,” Cross said, drawing his sword. The previous conversation had already slipped from his mind.

“Since I’m still not getting paid for this, I’d be more than happy to watch,” Pack said. He then aimed his crossbow and shot a Saddle Arabian. “But something about that stallion sets a fire in my heart, so let’s get to it!”

Cross needed no further prompting. He let out a cry and charged into the melee with reckless abandon. Jack and Pack, however, were more prudent.

“Take out the archers first,” Jack said. “If you see a sapper, call it out.”

“Right,” Pack replied. “Try not to fall out of the sky like last time, you drunk bastard!”

Jack smiled. “No promises,” he said as he took off.

Pack shook his head and smiled. “Some things never change.”

Once the battle was joined, Cross let his mind wander free and his body sink into the familiar rhythm of cut, thrust, parry, and riposte. He felt a surge of joy as pony after pony fell before his blade. He had always hated large crowds. He had always hated the complications of proper social interaction. So many rules to tie him down. Be polite to a pony you wanted to punch. Be respectful to a blithering idiot in fancy dress. Don’t kill anyone because that’s illegal, even if we’d all be better off. In battle, none of that mattered. In battle, he could be honest; he could be free. Battle - real battle, not that nasty business with traps and snipers and devilish tricks - was simple. Brutal, yes, but simple. And, oh, how he loved it.

Up above, Jack had fallen into step as well. He let Cross rampage freely below, drawing the enemy’s attention in the process, and instead focused on taking out the most dangerous threats that Cross couldn’t reach. He spotted an officer rallying a squad.

Tango spotted. Jack fired an arrow and quickly nocked another. Tango down.

Over on the left, an archer was repositioning to get a better shot at Cross.

Tango spotted. Tango down.

The archer’s squadmate saw him go down and looked up at Jack. His eyes went wide as he opened his mouth to shout out a warning.

Tango spotted. Tango down.

How long has it been since I’ve fought like this? Jack thought to himself as he methodically shot down target after target.

There was a time when almost every day was spent in situations like this. Covering Cross as he rushed in without a plan. Trusting in Pack to see what they missed. Fighting with his friends and trying desperately to make a difference in the wild parts of the world. Or earn enough bits to survive for another week. Whichever was more pressing. Now it was all petty crimes and paperwork. He hadn’t realized how much he missed being out in the field.

Then again, there’s no good rum out in the wilds, Jack thought. Pros and cons.

“Far side! By the barrels!” Pack called out.

Jack shifted his aim immediately and shot the sapper. The sapper crumpled, the black powder grenade in his hoof falling to the floor and detonating. The barrels the sapper was next to exploded as well, and the Saddle Arabians near it were caught in the blast.

“Tango down! Good call!” Jack yelled even has he repositioned and found another target.

Pack galloped around and behind the mass of fighting ponies, ignoring the common soldiers and staying unnoticed. Cross could handle the brunt of the fighting, and Jack could take out what Cross couldn’t reach, but in the thick of battle, it was hard for either of them to notice the ponies that truly affected the flow.

There you are! Pack thought as he spotted a Saddle Arabian in the middle of the crowd with a horn on his belt.

The Saddle Arabian was standing next to an officer and surrounded by the last cohesive unit in the skirmish. The officer barked something, and the Saddle Arabian reached for his horn.

Changing formation? Sounding the retreat? Pack wondered as he leveled his crossbow. Either way, can’t have that.

The Saddle Arabian went down with a crossbow bolt to his neck. The officer hadn’t noticed and barked his order again.

Looks like you’re the last pin holding this thing together. Take a break, buddy. Everyone’s doing it, Pack commented silently. He put his short sword into his mouth and ran towards the group.

As the officer finally noticed the death of his horn bearer, Pack leapt into the group. Pack jumped across the backs of two ponies and fell upon the officer with a lethal slash. The surrounding ponies turned to Pack in surprise and made to attack him. Instead of moving, Pack sheathed his sword.

“Good morning, boys! Nice weather we’re having, eh?” Pack said conversationally.

Before the Saddle Arabians could react, Cross fell upon them from the right, and the large pegasus crashed down on the left. Pack watched as the two ponies made quick work of the remaining Saddle Arabians.

When the last Saddle Arabian fell, Cross sheathed his sword and looked to the large pegasus with a wide smile on his face. He was breathing hard from the exertion, but the pegasus, who had been fighting for much longer, was not even slightly winded.

“You...you’re something else, old stallion” Cross said in between breaths.

The pegasus smiled back at Cross. “You’re not so bad yourself, colt,” he replied.

Jack landed next to Cross and Pack walked up after swiping a few valuables off of the dead Saddle Arabian officer. The three ponies and the pegasus looked at each other for a moment.

Pack coughed. “So...hi.”

“Greetings!” the pegasus replied with a wave of his hoof.

Since no one else was doing it, Jack decided to take charge of the conversation. “I’m Commander Jack Fruit of the Baltimare garrison. This is Guild Master Packed Lunch -”

“Just Pack will do,” Pack added.

“- and that’s Cross Roads.”

Cross nodded.

“We’re here as part of the Baltimare defense. And, err, who might you be?” Jack finished.

“Ahhh, comrades!” the pegasus boomed. It was as though he was incapable of speaking in a normal volume. “We all fight on the same side. I am Burning Brand of the Order of the Celestial Sun, but you may call me Brother Burn. Or just Burn! No need for formalities! Hahahaha!”

They were standing in the middle of a warzone, deep behind enemy lines, but for some reason, Burn’s loud, friendly tone and positive aura managed to put them at ease.

“He’s like some jolly old grandpa,” Cross murmured.

“The size of Celestia,” Jack added.

“With rippling muscles and an axe bigger than me,” Pack concluded.

“I like you,” Cross said to Burn.

“And I, you! All of you!” Burn exclaimed. “I saw you fight out there. Ah, but it feels good to fight alongside proper heroes!”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far. You haven’t seen these two on their days off,” Pack said, motioning towards Jack and Cross.

“Shut up, Pack,” Jack said. He turned back to Burn. “So, Burn. I don’t remember you being part of the reserves. How’d you get out here? What’s your objective?”

“Ha! That is quite the tale, Jack! One best shared in full when this is over. With mugs of cider!” Burn replied. “But the long and short of it is that I was sent by the Order to stop the Saddle Arabian invasion by any means necessary. And so that is exactly what I am doing! One heathen ship at a time!”

Cross grinned widely. “Yes! See? That is how it’s done!”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “The attack started only a few hours ago. How could your order have sent you here in time?”

Burn began scratching the back of his head. “Well, the Order didn’t send me here exactly. They sent me to intercept the Saddle Arabian ships as soon as we received word that they were launching. I tried to sail out to intercept them, but I am not an, ah, experienced sailor. My boat sank yesterday before I could properly engage the Saddle Arabian ships. I swam after them as fast as I could, but I am not as young as I used to be, and my strength gave out! I thought I was dead for sure, so imagine my surprise when I woke up washed up on the shoreline right over there, in the middle of the Saddle Arabian attack! It could only have been the work of Celestia herself! I’m not one to waste an opportunity, so I looked to the first ship I found and attacked! Then, I did it again, and now, here we are, standing around when there’s glory to be won!”

Jack was visibly confused. He tried to process what he had heard, but it sounded altogether too...macho for him to believe. “Wait, you swam after their ships? For a day? In the middle of the ocean? Carrying that axe? That’s…”

“Good enough for me,” Cross said. “Shall we attack the next ship?”

“Of course! Come, my new friends, and join me in glory!” Burn exclaimed. He opened his wings and took off in the direction of the next ship in the line.

Cross drew his sword and pointed it forward. “ATTACK!” he cried, charging towards the Saddle Arabians in the distance.

“Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy?!” Jack asked.

“No,” Pack replied. “But you have to admit that it’s also working.”

Celestia flew high above the battlefield and surveyed the Saddle Arabian fleet. The Saddle Arabians had sent around two dozen ships as well as the flagship of the Sultan’s youngest son, Prince Ali. She saw that two of the ships were already smoldering wrecks. They must have been destroyed during the Saddle Arabians’ initial push. Strange how Lieutenant Apple hadn’t mentioned that. All-in-all, it was a sizeable force, bigger than she had expected, but also much smaller than she knew the Saddle Arabians could muster.

You want to try for the sun, Sultan, but you are afraid to get burned, Celestia noted. As you should be.

Celestia began to descend. She would deal with the ships as soon as Caduceus and his cadre arrived. She could do so now, but her troops risked sustaining devastating losses once they began to press their attack. No, better to wait until the mages could give the Equestrians the protection they needed to charge in relative safety. A single overwhelming push backed by the cadre would be enough to break the Saddle Arabians and force a surrender - minimizing casualties on both sides. For now, the best course of action was to find Commander Jack and ensure that he was prepared for -

*BOOM*

Celestia looked back to the port and saw that a third Saddle Arabian ship had exploded. It was the one next in line from the two that were already destroyed. Celestia’s horn glowed as she enhanced her senses and took a closer look at the damage. She spotted heavy fighting around the remains of the ship. Three Equestrians against a mass of Saddle Arabians. She recognized them immediately.

What do you think you’re doing, colts? You cannot win against those numbers! One ship is not worth your lives!

Celestia changed direction and flew towards the burning ship. She would save Jack, Cross, and Pack and bring them back to the Equestrian line. She was already thinking of how she would berate them for their foolishness when she noticed a fourth pony diving out of the wreckage.

“ARE YOU READY, HERETICS? HERE I COME!” the pony boomed. Celestia did not even need to enhance her senses to hear it.

And that must be a knight of the Order. I should have known.

Celestia charged her horn for a teleport, but then shook her head and released the spell. It was too dangerous to teleport straight into a chaotic battle. Caduceus would never let her hear the end of it if he learned that she had even considered it. Celestia beat her wings faster and picked up speed, lamenting at how much her armor slowed her down. She did not know how the knight would act in her presence, or how she should treat him given the circumstances, but she did know that she had to make it to the port now if she wanted to contain the situation before it got out of hoof.

Hold on, my little ponies. I am on my way.

Cross fought back to back with Burn right in the middle of the Saddle Arabian troops. As before, Jack covered them from above while Pack weaved behind the enemy lines. Cross whipped his sword around and another pony went down. Then another. Then another. He could feel the exhaustion slowing down his reactions, but he refused to stop now. Not while Burn was still going so strong.

“IS THAT ALL?” Burn taunted. “COME! BRING MORE! I WILL TAKE YOU ALL ON! HAHAHAHA!”

Cross parried a swing from a pony to his right and followed up with a solid buck to the pony’s face. He brought his sword back up to defend from another attack, but was blown off of his hooves by an explosion to his left.

“Cross!” Jack called out from above. He tried to shoot at the sapper that had thrown the bomb, but the sapper had ducked down into cover. “Pack, get that sapper before he throws another bomb! I’m going to help Cross!”

“I could use a little help myself!” Pack called back.

Jack turned and saw that Pack was backed up into a corner and fighting for his life.

“Shit! Wait, I’m coming!” Jack nocked an arrow and dived towards Pack’s location, but another explosion came from directly beneath him, twisting him around and sending him crashing towards the ground.

Jack hit the ground hard and rolled to a stop. He opened his eyes to see a Saddle Arabian about to plunge a sword into him. Time seemed to slow as the blade came down.

So this is it, Jack thought. This is the end of the great Jack Fruit. Killed by some nameless soldier before he could even meet the love of his life. Or break open that bottle of Johnny Trotter he’d stored under his bed for a special occasion. What a way to go.

Before the sword came down, however, a massive axe came into view. It batted aside the sword and a mailed hoof crashed into the face of the sword’s wielder. Burn’s shaggy white mane filled Jack’s vision.

“Get up, my friend!” Burn cried. “We are not beaten yet! We can still win this!”

Burn brought up his red rectangular shield to protect Jack as he got to his hooves. Jack saw Cross draped across Burn’s back, and immediately remembered the danger his other friend was in.

“Pack!” Jack cried. He made to move towards Pack’s position, but Burn’s hoof stopped him.

“Wait, my friend! Charge with me, and we will throw them back together!” Burn said.

Jack nodded. He realized that he had lost his bow, so he picked up the sword that had almost ended his life just moments ago. “Alright, Burn. Together!”

Still holding his shield up, Burn narrowed his gaze as he watched the Saddle Arabians regroup. Several explosions crashed into the shield and cracks began to appear on it.

“Burn!” Jack said.

“Wait for it,” Burn replied. The Saddle Arabians were almost clumped together close enough. “Wait for it…”

Jack saw Pack take a hit and go down. “Burn we have to go -”

“NOW!” Burn boomed, dropping his shield. With a single flap of his wings, he dove forward. “GO! GO!”

Jack needed no further urging. He followed behind Burn as closely as he could. Burn’s sheer mass crushed ponies under his hooves and knocked several more aside. Some of those knocked aside met their end by his axe, others by Jack’s sword. The two carved a straight line through to Pack’s position. Upon arriving, Burn quickly dispatched the Saddle Arabians with a few wide swings of his axe and set up his shield again. Jack helped Pack up to his hooves.

“Thanks, that was close,” Pack said. “I thought I was a goner.”

“Did your life flash before your eyes?” Jack asked. “Any deep regrets come bubbling to the surface in your final moments?”

Pack shook his head. “I just kept thinking, Did I leave the oven on?”

“Get ready, my friends! They are coming again!” Burn warned.

“There’s too many of them,” Jack said. “We might as well surrender.”

“What!?” Burn exclaimed. “My friends, now is not the time to give up! Now is the time when the most glory is won! Stand with me, and we shall show them our mettle!”

Pack sighed. “I get what you’re saying, Burn, but...I hate to say it, but Jack’s right. We’ve done what we can. It might be time to give it a rest.”

Burn raised his voice again. “Rest? Rest!? I will rest when Celestia’s justice has been done! I will rest when the sun shines unconquered and unopposed! I will rest when all shadows are gone and all ponies are free to bask in Her radiance! I will rest when those heretics have been sent to the deepest depths of Tartarus! Until then, I will not rest! I will not stop! And, by Her grace, I will need no rest! I will never be stopped! Pick yourself up, comrade, for our work is not yet done! We have Saddle Arabians to kill!”

Burn reached back and dropped Cross on the ground. Then he dropped his shield and leapt into the foe once again. As he cut down pony after pony, he prayed:

Although they would never admit it, Jack and Pack were invigorated by Burn’s dedication. They were about to join him in one last glorious stand when a bright beam of light traced across the enemy, leaving destruction in its wake.

Celestia had arrived.

Celestia landed in front of Jack and Pack. She spread her wings protectively in front of them, and her horn glowed brilliantly.

“Flee before the sun, or die by its fires!” she shouted in the Saddle Arabians’ tongue.

The Saddle Arabian forces understood the message and fled. Even in their distant country, the Light Bringer played a role in many legends, and none of them were prepared to face her wrath.

Celestia looked at Burn, who had frozen mid-swing. The knight’s mouth was agape, and he was struck speechless. Celestia arched an eyebrow at him, her expression still fierce.

Burn dropped his axe and immediately bowed low. “Princess Celestia! You honor me with your presence!”

“I am not here for you, but for them,” Celestia said, turning to Jack, Pack, and Cross, who was only now rising to his hooves.

“What...what happened? Are we dead?” Cross asked. He looked up and saw Celestia. “Whoa, is that Death? She's...she's beautiful.”

Jack smacked Cross upside the head. “We’re not dead! Princess Celestia just saved us! Show some damn respect!”

“Ow! Watch it, my head’s still ringing!” Cross said, rubbing his head. He looked at Celestia again, then back to his friends. “That’s Princess Celestia? Dude, why didn’t anyone tell me? I would have joined the royal guard in a heartbeat!”

“It’s not that easy to qualify for the guard,” Pack said. “I know. I tried. They have a lechery examination.”

“Seriously?” Cross asked.

“Why do you think I’m in the military instead?” Jack replied.

“Ahem,” Celestia said to get the three’s attention. “What exactly were the three of you hoping to accomplish all the way out here? This is hardly the place for two commanding officers, or anypony for that matter. Abandoning your posts so that the three of you could attempt to take on the entire Saddle Arabian fleet? I’ve never seen such irresponsible behavior from my soldiers in my life! What do you have to say for yourselves?”

At that moment, the three ponies looked nothing like the battle-hardened fighters that they were. Instead, they more closely resembled forlorn children being scolded by their mother after getting caught doing something they shouldn’t. Cross was actually starting to tear up.

Burn suddenly spoke up. “Spare them, Your Majesty! They fought valiantly against Your foes, and did not plan to make a frontal assault as I did. Yes, the blame lies with me! I brought them into my quest, and yet I could not be their shield from the enemy. Forgive me, Your Grace! I was a fool!”

Celestia turned back to Burn, who was still grovelling on the ground and refusing to look up at her. “Yes, you are a fool, that much is certain, but I know that the blame does not lie solely with you. Why try to take it?”

“I did not mean to try to deceive you, Princess,” Burn said. “It is just that...a stallion does not leave his battle brothers to suffer alone the fury of fate. Even if that fury emanates from his own goddess.”

Pack now began to tear up. “Bro...” he sniffled.

Celestia did not know what to make of the situation. She had expected the knight to be a merciless killer, or a mad zealot, but here he was, actually daring to defy her in an attempt to earn compassion for these three ponies.

“You are a knight of the Order of the Celestial Sun, correct?” Celestia asked. “What is your name and your...quest?”

“My name is Burning Brand, Your Grace. Though I am mostly known as Brother Burn. Father Fire sent me here to bring Your justice to the Saddle Arabian invaders - to be the instrument of Your divine will. If I have displeased You in any way, say the word and I will atone by any means necessary. My life is Yours. Do with it as You see fit.”

Celestia considered her options. Burn was most certainly delusional, but he seemed to be an honorable sort. She had also seen him fight. He was an absolute terror on the battlefield. One that was made even more terrifying by the fact that he seemed to genuinely enjoy what he did. There was no doubt that he would be a valuable asset to the defending forces, but could she risk having him among her troops? This was, after all, a pony that revered her as a goddess, and reviled her sister as a demon. He fought here and now only because he did not view the Saddle Arabians as a force of ponies to be defeated, but as a band of demon-worshipers to be destroyed. If anything, his charisma only made him more dangerous. Ponies may be more easily persuaded to agree with the Order’s views if they felt comfortable around one of its members. And then there were the implications of her allowing him to serve. Ponies may think that she supported such zealotry.

Celestia’s thoughts were interrupted when a signal flare shot up from the Saddle Arabians’ flagship. In response to the signal, the Saddle Arabian forces began pouring out from their ships and encampments and into the city.

“What are they doing?” Cross asked, wiping away his tears.

“They’re attacking with everything that they’ve got,” Jack replied.

“I was afraid of this,” Celestia said. “It appears that word of my attack has reached their commanding officers. They are afraid that I will tear their forces apart before they have a chance to secure the city, so they are rushing forward now before they sustain too much damage.”

Pack gave one last sniff and recovered his composure. “Our boys will be slaughtered.”

“I’m afraid you’re right,” Celestia said. “Alright, all of you, to me! I will teleport us to the command center. Rally the troops to me and we can break their charge.”

Burn finally got up off the ground. “Wait, Princess! This could be our moment! Let us seize it!”

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked.

“Look! All of their ships have made port, and all of their soldiers are marching towards the city. They have left their flagship undefended! Allow me to raid the flagship and cut off the serpent’s head while you destroy its body! It would be my greatest honor! I shall not fail you, my lady!”

“He’s right, Princess,” Pack said. “With the main force advancing, the flagship is vulnerable. Now would be the perfect time to strike at it.”

“If the flagship falls, the Saddle Arabians are that much more likely to give up,” Jack noted. “At the very least, they’ll lose a lot of cohesion. Either way, it could decide the battle.”

“Even I can see the tactical advantages,” Cross said. “But I don’t think Burn should be going in alone. Send me in with him. Those Saddle Arabians nearly took me and my friends out today. I aim to pay them back for that tenfold.”

“Spoken like a true warrior of light, my friend!” Burn commented.

Already, it begins, Celestia noted. But she could not deny that the stallions had a point. This was Equestria's best chance for a swift, decisive victory with minimal casualties. The odds that four ordinary ponies would be able to take the flagship, even with it as exposed as it was, were slim, but then again, these four were hardly ordinary ponies.

“Very well, colts,” Celestia conceded. “We will follow your plan.”

Burn’s face lit up. “Haha! And so it is settled! Come, my friends, follow me to GLORY!”

Celestia shook her head. What have I done?

“Princess?” Pack said.

“Hmm?” Celestia replied.

“Wouldn’t it be faster if you simply teleported us onto the ship?” Pack asked.

“Yes, but it would also be incredibly dangerous. There’s no telling what would await you once you materialized,” Celestia said.

“What’s that?” Burn asked, somehow managing to get even more excited. “A chance to ride into battle upon the sun’s own light?! HAHAHAHA! LET US TAKE IT! With Celestia’s blessing, WE WILL BE INVINCIBLE!”

Jack smiled. “I think we can handle it, Princess. Wouldn’t be the first crazy stupid thing we did today.”

Celestia had to admit that Burn’s almost childlike exuberance and unfaltering confidence was uplifting. She decided that there was no point in arguing.

“Very well,” Celestia said. “Gather together, and I will send you on your way.”
The stallions gathered their weapons - Burn took up his axe, Cross looted two Saddle Arabian swords, Jack found a discarded bow and dagger, while Pack still had his own short sword and crossbow - and stood together.

“Victory is so close, I can taste it!” Burn exclaimed just before Celestia sent them on their way in a flash of golden light.

If I could protect you, I would, Celestia said silently as the stallions disappeared. Stay safe, my little ponies.

After the light of the teleportation spell faded, the four stallions only had a few moments to gather their bearings before they were under fire. Burn brought up his shield immediately, and Saddle Arabian arrows and swords began crashing against it. The shield could only cover the group from the front, but fortunately, Celestia had teleported them right at the edge of the ship, so behind them there was only water.

“So what’s the plan?” Pack asked.

“Like I said before, Pack,” Cross said, his manic grin returning. “There is no plan.”

Jack nocked an arrow and hovered above the deck. “I’ll circle the ship and take out their archers.”

Pack nodded. “I’ve managed to loot a few of those nifty black powder bombs. I guess I’ll try to make my way below deck and blow this hunk of driftwood.”

Cross sighed. His horn glowed brighter and the swords he was levitating caught fire. “Fine, then. If we’re doing this smart, I’ll go with Pack. Even if we can’t find a cache of black powder to blow, I can set this ship on fire myself.”

“Prepare yourselves, friends!” Burn yelled. “My barrier is about to fall! In five...four...three...two...one...PRAISE THE SUN!”

Burn charged forward and knocked aside the Saddle Arabians directly in front of his shield. Jack took off over the water and began strafing around the ship, targeting anypony with a ranged weapon. Pack and Cross made a beeline for the door leading below deck, cutting down anypony directly in their way and leaving the rest for Burn.

Burn swung his massive axe at the gathered Saddle Arabians, using his strength to punch right through their defenses. The Saddle Arabians tried to flank him, but he twisted and turned as he swung, cleaving foes in every direction.

There were, however, too many for even him to beat back, and with the smaller space of the deck, he had no room to leap and charge like he did before. It was not long before a Saddle Arabian managed to slip through his defenses and ram a sword into his side. Burn cried out in pain, but did not falter. He took his attacker’s neck in one hoof, lifted him up, and slammed him into the deck, splintering the wood with the force of his blow.

Burn felt a sword slash at his flank, and he turned and dispatched the pony with one swipe of his axe. Two more ponies rushed him, swinging their swords wildly and cutting him several times. Burn dropped his axe down on one and uppercut the other with his mailed hoof, sending him flying off the deck and into the water. Despite his ferocity, the Saddle Arabians refused to let up their attack.

“BRING. IT. ON,” Burn boomed as he beat back his attackers, trading his wounds for their deaths. “I LIVE FOR THIS!”

Below the deck, Cross and Pack dashed blindly through corridor after corridor, cutting down anypony in their way, but, to Cross’ irritation, not bothering to stand and fight.

“How big is this blasted thing?” Cross asked as they found stairs leading down into yet another floor.

“Well it is a flagship. I’d expect it to be pretty damn big,” Pack replied.

The two ponies went down the stairs and found themselves in a large cargo room filled with stacks upon stacks of crates and barrels.

“Is this what we’re looking for?” Cross asked. He idly twirled his flaming swords. “I really want to get back to the action.”

“Probably not,” Pack replied. “This looks like the kind of place you’d store cargo or foodstuffs. We’re looking for wherever it is they stored the black power for their bombs and cannons. Still, doesn’t hurt to check. Look into those crates over there. I’ll check the ones over here.”

Pack strode purposefully over to a large crate and began yanking at the lid while Cross lazily walked towards a random barrel on the other side of the room. Pack managed to get the lid off of his crate and look inside before Cross reached his destination.

“Shit! Cross, cut the flames!” Pack shouted.

Cross stopped and immediately cut off his magic. The swords lost their fire and dropped to the ground.

“What is it?” Cross asked, suddenly alert.

“Bombs,” Pack said. He rushed over to a barrel and pried open the lid. “Powder.” He did the same to two more crates and a barrel and found similar results.

“Sweet heavens, this entire room is packed with explosives! That’s not just unsafe...it’s insane! Who does that?” Pack asked, bewildered.

A brown Saddle Arabian stallion dressed in expensive silks with an ornate dagger at his belt walked down the stairway. “A pony that wishes to ensure his enemies are not just defeated, but annihilated,” he said in an accented voice.

Cross picked up his swords with his magic and stood in front of the stairs. “Finally, somepony that I can properly insult before they die.”

“Spare me your crude curses, Equestrian, for they will serve no purpose but to embarrass you before your inevitable defeat,” the pony said.

“You seem pretty sure of yourself, considering there are two of us and only one of you,” Pack commented. “That some kind of magic dagger you got there? ‘Cause it’ll take more than casual insults and self confidence to stop us. Trust me, we’re friends with Jack.”

“Do you not know who I am, fool? I am Prince Ali, youngest son of the royal house of Saddle Arabia!” Ali said.

“So?” Cross asked.

Ali’s face twitched in irritation. “So as a royal, I never stand alone! Now bow before me, you insolent wretches, or die!”

“Yeah, no,” Cross said. “Pack, do something crafty and rig this place to blow. I’ll take care of prissy pants over here.”

“You had your chance, Equestrian. Let none say the royal house is without mercy,” Ali said. “Shadow Guard, kill them!”

Several black-robed ponies armed with hoof-mounted blades suddenly appeared in the room. Some jumped down from the ceiling, others leapt out from behind crates, and a few simply ran in from the stairs behind Ali.

“Okay,” Cross said. “Now it’s a party.”

“You hate parties,” Pack said.

“Only when I can’t kill everyone involved,” Cross shot back.

The Shadow Guard attacked. Cross ducked beneath a hoof-blade swipe and telekinetically swung his sword to counter, but his attacker rolled away. Cross spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, and only just managed to parry a stab at his barrel with his second sword. He tried to riposte, but again his assailant moved away. A floorboard creaked. Cross blindly kicked behind him and caught a Shadow Guard in the leg. He spun a sword around him without turning and was rewarded with a grunt of pain.

Pack, for his part, was having much more difficulty tracking his opponents. Pack rolled and dived to avoid his assailants, but could not pin down their locations long enough to fire his crossbow, or safely close the distance to stab at them with his short sword.

“How many are there?” Cross asked as he struggled to fend off the Shadow Guard. Thanks to his skill controlling swords freely with his magic, he was holding them back, but while they could not hit him, he could not hit them either.

“I don’t know!” Pack cried. He ducked another swipe and tried to shoot his attacker, but the pony just seemed to vanish and the crossbow bolt slammed harmlessly into a crate. “I can’t keep up!”

“Then I guess it’s time to get crazy!” Cross exclaimed. He lit his swords on fire and charged towards Ali, who was still standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Shadow Guards appeared to block his path and he rolled to the left to avoid their blades. Instead of continuing towards Ali, Cross swung one of his flaming swords at a nearby crate. A Shadow Guard quickly appeared to parry his blow. Cross impaled the pony with his second blade and pushed forward with it, trying to pin the body to the crate. A second Shadow Guard kicked the body away and a third leapt at Cross from behind. Cross dropped to the ground and angled his remaining sword. The leaping Shadow Guard could not change his trajectory in time and impaled himself on the blade. Cross pulled his blades back towards him with his magic and resumed a defensive stance. The Shadow Guard now had him surrounded.

Prince Ali was stupefied. “Flaming swords? In here? You’ll kill us all!”

“It’s either all of us, or just me and my friend, and as we say here in Equestria, the more the merrier! Right, Pack?” Cross said.

No amount of bits... Pack thought. “Right, Cross!” he said, pulling out a black powder bomb. But for a friend? Why not?

One of the Shadow Guards shouted something, and two of them broke off to quickly escort their prince away from danger.

A Shadow Guard lunged at Pack, blades extended, but Pack tossed the bomb at him, and the Shadow Guard frantically withdrew his hooves and caught the bomb. Pack easily sidestepped the distracted Shadow Guard, who then crashed into a stack of barrels. The barrels opened and black powder spilled all over the floor.

“The floor is lava!” Pack called out.

Cross smiled. “Then let’s play!”

Cross let go of one of his swords, and a Shadow Guard dove to catch it. Cross flipped the sword up at the last moment and skewered the Shadow Guard. Cross retrieved the sword then threw both swords high into the air. Without turning to look at where he threw the swords, he stepped onto the dead Shadow Guard and jumped towards the stairs.

The Shadow Guards ignored Cross and dove for the swords. Pack, now free to move, drew his sword into his mouth and rushed the distracted guards. Pack made quick work of the Shadow Guards, and Cross caught the swords with his magic inches before they hit the ground.

“Every time I’m with you guys, something crazy happens, and we almost die!” Pack complained.

“Almost, yeah, but we never do,” Cross replied with a smile.

The Shadow Guard that had crashed into the barrels suddenly got up, shouted something neither Cross nor Pack could understand, and threw the bomb he had caught at them. Cross easily caught the bomb in mid-air with his magic and Pack casually finished off the dumbstruck guard with a shot from his crossbow.

“Almost,” Pack said.

“But never,” Cross added.

Cross tossed the bomb back to Pack. “Now let’s blow this joint for real.”

Jack dove down and slammed his dagger into the last archer. He took the arrows from the archer’s quiver, flew up again, and began firing at the ponies attacking Burn. The large pegasus was finally starting to slow down. He had been wounded multiple times and was breathing hard.

“Fly up and take a break, old timer!” Jack called out to Burn. “Let me handle the rest!”

“Never!” Burn yelled with another swing of his axe. “I will fight to my last breath!”

Exactly what I’m afraid of, Jack thought. The deck was now littered with bodies, but somehow, the Saddle Arabians kept coming up from below deck. There must have been hundreds of them on the large ship. There was no way Burn would be able to cut them all down. Even if the Saddle Arabians didn’t get the old stallion, Jack was sure Burn's heart would give out on him or something.

The doors of the deck opened again and another group of Saddle Arabians came out, but this time the group was small, and two specific ponies in it caught Jack’s eye. One was dressed in expensive silks and flanked by two guards in black robes, while the other was wearing - on a ship, of all things - a full set of plate armor and had a long chain coiled at his side.

You look important, Jack thought. He fired a shot towards the pony in silks, and one of the black-robed guards caught the arrow in mid-flight. Jack whistled, impressed.

“Who dares fire at Prince Ali?” the pony in silks asked.

“I dares, you pompous bastard,” Jack yelled down. “Commander Jack Fruit of the Baltimare Garrison. And damn, does it feel good to finally be able to curse at somepony who’ll understand it.”

Ali frowned. “The suicidal Equestrian below deck said much the same thing. I take it you are comrades?”

“Suicidal? You must mean Cross,” Jack replied. “Yeah, we go way back.”

“Then you will meet the same fate as he did,” Ali said. He switched to his native tongue and turned to the armored pony. “Admiral, end these ingrates, and throw their bodies off my ship!”

“As you command, my prince,” the admiral replied. “Shadow Guard, throw a knife at him.”

The Shadow Guard took a knife from a nearby soldier’s corpse and threw it at Jack. The throw was accurate, but Jack easily evaded the slow projectile. The admiral’s chain then wrapped around Jack’s body.

“What the he - aaaaaahhhhhhh!” Jack cried as the admiral pulled him down.

Jack crashed hard into the deck and dropped his bow. The admiral walked up to Jack and tried to crush him with a steel boot, but Burn’s axe knocked the admiral aside.

“Do I have your attention yet?” Burn asked.

The admiral pulled back his chain, but Jack had already wriggled free and flown up again.

“Yes,” the admiral replied. “You must be the mad warrior that destroyed three of my ships.”

“I prefer the term crusader,” Burn said.

“Very well. Your rampage ends here, crusader,” the admiral spat. “My ponies’ reports painted you as some form of unstoppable demon, but I see now that you are just an old stallion. You may have been able to cut down my soldiers with ease, but now you face Admiral Azhar, one of the seven Desert Dragons!”

“HA!” Burn laughed “I am a knight! I slay dragons!”

Azhar growled and threw his chain. The chain wrapped around the shaft of Burn’s axe. Azhar pulled, but Burn held fast to his weapon, flapping his wings to counter Azhar’s surprising strength.

Azhar then shifted his footing and pulled, causing him to slide across the deck towards Burn at high speed. As soon as Azhar was in range, Burn slammed his axe down at him. Azhar, however, kicked at the deck and shot to Burn’s right. Before Burn could readjust his grip on his axe, Azhar followed through with his maneuver by twisting several times while pulling on his chain. Burn’s axe was yanked from his grip, and sent flying above and behind Azhar, where it embedded itself on the ship’s steering wheel.

“Not bad, heretic,” Burn commented.

Azhar did not reply. Instead, he quickly retrieved his chain and whipped it towards Burn’s face. Burn brought up his red shield to block the blow. The shield held, but it cracked from the force of that one strike.

“Shadow Guard, flank him!” Azhar called back in his native tongue without breaking eye contact with Burn. When nothing happened, he risked a glance backwards at the Shadow Guard.

The two remaining members of the Shadow Guard were dead. In their place next to Prince Ali, stood Cross and Pack.

“If you were talking to these black-robed freaks, I don’t think they heard you,” Pack said.

“I’m afraid they’ve moved on, but we can send you along with them, if you’d like,” Cross added.

Jack landed next to Ali and stuck a knife to the prince’s throat. “No sudden movements, now. Unless you want the prince here to get hurt.”

“Cowards!” Azhar spat.

“He is right, comrades,” Burn said. “Release your hostage and let us fight with honor!”

“Can’t do it, Burn. We don’t have the time,” Pack said. “This whole ship’s about to blow sky-high. It’s time to cut and run.”

“I don’t like it either,” Cross said. “But we need to get out right now. Any chance we can settle this on the shoreline instead?”

“Release the prince, and I will do as you ask,” Azhar said.

“No,” Jack said. “I don’t know much about Equestrian military procedure, but I do know that we prefer prisoners to fatalities. Princess Celestia will want a word with this prince, and with him, I’m sure we can end the battle.”

“Ah, of course...how could I have been so blind?” Burn said. “This time, judgement is not mine to give. Celestia herself awaits on the shore! That is why we take him prisoner!”

Now confident that the Equestrians would not kill the prince, Azhar whipped his chain towards Jack. Jack ducked down and the chain passed right through where his head had been, shattering the wood behind him.

Burn immediately dropped his shield and charged Azhar, pinning the admiral down to the ground.

“Go, my friends! Leave this to me!” Burn cried out.

Cross brought forth his flaming swords. “Not a chance! I’ll cut through that armor like -”

Pack grabbed Cross. “Can’t risk it, Cross! If we want to clear the blast radius in time, we have to go now!”

Jack, not bothering to wait for his friends, had taken off with the prince and was already flying towards the shore.

Azhar momentarily broke free of Burn’s grip and threw his chain at Jack. Burn grabbed the chain and yanked it back before it could reach its target. Azhar punched Burn in the face and the old stallion staggered back.

“Damn it!” Cross cursed. He knew what he had to do. And then he decided to do the opposite of that.

Cross lunged towards Azhar with his flaming swords spinning around him. Azhar whipped his chain towards Cross and Cross brought his swords up to stop the attack, but the blades shattered and the chain struck Cross in the chest, knocking him back.

Burn let out a bestial cry and grabbed Azhar in a bear hug. “GO! NOW!” he shouted.

Without hesitating, Pack grabbed Cross and dived into the water.

“Your friends may escape, but you will not,” Azhar said as he struggled against Burn’s grip. He slammed the back of his armored head against Burn’s chin three times and then broke free.

Burn recovered almost instantly and punched Azhar with his armored left forehoof. Azhar staggered from the blow, and Burn tackled him to the ground.

“It is useless!” Azhar shouted. “The explosion will kill us both! You fight in vain!”

“I serve Celestia!” Burn exclaimed as he spread his wings. “And no pony that fights in Her service fights in vain!”

Burn beat his wings and took off with Azhar still gripped in his hooves. He barely made it above the ship when the bombs Pack had set detonated, and the entire area was consumed by a massive explosion.

The battle ended shortly after the destruction of the flagship. Jack, flying ahead of Cross and Pack, delivered Prince Ali into the custody of Celestia and the newly arrived Archmage Caduceus. Jack had then flown back to fish Cross and Pack out of the water while Celestia demanded that the Saddle Arabians throw down their arms and surrender. Without their leadership, and with most of their fighting force still afraid of facing off against the Light Bringer, the Saddle Arabians had complied.

Cross, Jack, and Pack now sat at one of the piers, staring out over the water as the battle wrapped up around them. The three all sported relatively minor injuries, barring Cross, whose last reckless attack against Azhar had left him with some broken ribs, but they were all too exhausted and too lazy to seek out medical attention for their wounds. Jack didn’t even feel like asking for any rum. Instead, the trio just sat and talked, like they did in days gone by.

“General sentiment among the troops is that it all wrapped up pretty anti-climatically,” Jack said.

“Yeah, well, most of the troops didn’t have to partake in a four-pony raid on the enemy flagship,” Pack said.

“I dunno,” Jack said. “I think that’s pretty standard fare for us at this point. Do something crazy. Almost die. Heck, if I stayed with you guys instead of joining the military, this would probably be just routine at this point.”

“Almost die, but never do...” Cross said. “Guess that just goes for us three, eh?”

The three ponies fell silent. They’d all done some searching and asking around immediately after the battle. Nopony had seen any sign of Burn.

“Hard to believe he’s really gone,” Pack said. “Only knew him for a few hours, but he just seemed…”

“Invincible?” Cross asked.

“Unstoppable?” Jack asked at the same time.

“Yeah,” Pack said. “That.”

There was another long silence as each of the three remembered Burn in their own way.

“You know, now that I think about it, he might not be dead,” Cross said.

“Wishful thinking, Cross,” Jack said. “Just let it go. It’ll hurt less.”

“No, hear me out. Nopony’s seen him since the explosion, right? But then again, nopony saw him before the battle either. The only ones who ever saw him were us three and Celestia,” Cross argued.

“And all those Saddle Arabians,” Pack added.

“I see your point, but...it still seems pretty far-fetched to me,” Jack said.

“But not impossible,” Pack added.

“Call me crazy, but a guy like that...I don’t think his story’s over just yet, you know?” Cross said.

“Maybe you’re right, Cross. Or maybe Celestia saved him. Who knows?” Jack conceded.

“He did seem pretty hung up on that Celestia worship,” Pack pointed out. “It’s got to have been good for something, right?”

“Well, you can’t really blame the guy,” Cross said. “I mean, you’ve seen Celestia, right? What a mare! And with so much power? I’m not talking political, but actual raw power? That’s just...Well, let’s just say I know I’d worship her.”

Pack looked to Cross. “You know, Cross this is the first time in all the years I’ve known you that I’ve ever seen you interested in a mare. Seriously.”

Jack nodded “Yeah, I always figured you were just into swords, know what I mean?”

Cross snorted. “Yeah, well, I did dedicate most of my life to - wait a minute...what are you saying?”

Jack and Pack laughed as Cross’ temper flared.