Even after a week and a half, Applejack still refused to do her night guards. She barely ate, almost never left her room at all. Her tears had stopped but her pain had not decreased. As long as she hadn’t healed some of her wounds, she would not be able to give herself to her task the way she should.
Unlike her, Pinkie Pie, Caramel, Soarin and Rainbow Dash were involved more actively than ever into the Militia and the surveillance of citizens, even if it meant prolonging their guards more than necessary. They had to plunge themselves into their duty with all their might in order not to let their pain to have lost Big Mac take over them.
Rainbow Dash had not found a substitute for the big solid stallion yet. No other pony had his build, his stature and strength, even less his reputation to appear without being spotted. And most importantly, none had the special place Applejack’s older brother held in their hearts. He would always be a member of the Council, just like Time Stellar.
Waiting for the mare to get better, the left members handled the situation the best they could. Sometimes it was Spitfire doing her guard, sometimes she sent her cousin Misty Fly. When none of them were available, Rainbow Dash called Twilight Sparkle, though ordinarily the Main Quartermaster was forbidden to take part in this.
Times were hard, and distrust was at its highest inside any of them. They couldn’t allow themselves to be under-staffed. No one could predict when another misfortune would fall on their heads.
Soarin landed on the front garden ground, right in front of the high gate, like every day. A little group dressed with red and black cloaks were chatting, as if in the broad daylight despite being surrounded by darkness. In reality, eyes quickly got used to live in the dark, to the extent that it had become easy to progress into the night. He was not an exception.
Everything seemed to be as quiet as possible, yet he knew it, behind the smiles and the apparently relaxed attitudes were hiding fears and nervousness. They knew the end was coming, unawares of how they could feel the sensation as palpable for each of them, and every of their guards had something particular in it… It could always be the last one.
He greeted each of the members and Pinkie Pie who displayed her usual sunny mood, though she had shed loads of tears of her own for days and days. A few seconds passed before he understood something was wrong.
Twilight was here.
In front of his scrutiny, the unicorn felt herself blushing from embarrassment. He had never looked this way at her, even when she was a pawn in the opposite clan… as if he had seen a ghost or a monster about to attack.
“What? Did I do something wrong?”, she asked with her teeth clenched.
The stallion pegasus shook his head, as if trying to get rid of an insect flying around him, before rubbing the back of his head, frowning.
“You didn’t, but… Won’t you be late? Rainbow Dash’s probably already there.”
This time, it was Twilight who looked puzzled. She looked at Caramel then at Pinkie Pie, and they both answered by shrugging. They did not know what Soarin was talking about. None of them had seen their Head since this morning’s breakfast cooked by Melrose who did her best not to drown into depression.
“What are you talking about? Late for what?”
It did not make sense anymore. He had seen the parchment, and the writing was the unicorn’s…
Less than an hour earlier, he had been with Rainbow Dash in her room, which he had stayed at since Big Macintosh’s death. They both were reading a different volume of their favorite adventures novel. The atmosphere had been soft and warm, far from the tension of last days. Together, they knew how to soothe each other without the least of words.
Naturally, things had followed and while they were about to kiss, this parchment had appeared in front of them, hitting Soarin’s head. Of course, his marefriend had mocked him before reading the message out loud. Twilight said she had fettered out one of the secret basement for training of the Unavowed Army’s soldiers, in a disused factory of the White. She had proposed to sneak in so they would be able to attack it as soon as possible, and in this regard, she gave Rainbow Dash an appointment right before the night guard had started.
“I’ve never sent such a message”, the unicorn protested. “And I know no secret basement for the training of soldiers. According to what I’ve understood, each of them train as they’re pleased in the dungeons of the castle of the family that had protected Prince Blueblood.”
The shock did not hit them immediately. Their eyes met, bewildered… The pony who had sent this missive knew exactly how to mimic Twilight’s writing, and mastered the spell to send a parchment thanks to teleportation. This pony also knew fighting against the Hair Fallen Apparent was a number one priority for each Members of the Council, and particularly for Rainbow Dash who had promised she would have his head.
It was a trap, no doubt about it, a trap into which the Head had plunged headfirst since the illusion was perfect. None could say she should have been wiser. Everything had been masterminded to make believe the Main Quartermaster was hiding behind this. It even was not impossible to start thinking she was engaged in a double dealing and to distrust her.
The previous times, a gap of time had spent between two actions from the Unavowed Army. It seemed now that Prince Blueblood was in a rush to go through with his plans. It was a well-thought scheme, but any pony would have guessed they would discover the truth and so they would launch a rescue operation.
Soarin could reached the place of the appointment in no time, to warn her of the trap. Smart… But not smart enough to put them down. Unless it was a test to check out whether or not they were still spry. Whatever it was, they had no time to lose.
Yet, before they even had the leisure to take a decision, they all saw one of the most talented of the Spotters, Surprise, landing on the same ground as them. Her cheeks were crimson and her breath short. Her black camouflage outfit was full of snags, as if she had flown too close to the straw roofs of the poorest areas.
“You… absolutely must… come to the White. I’ve seen… Rainbow Dash near… the former cannons factory.”
“That’s exactly where we were going”, Twilight said while cleaning with a handkerchief Surprise’s forehead, thanks to magic.
“The thing is… They’re going to… destroy it… tonight… In less than an hour… It will be… raze to the ground.”
Immediately, not conferring with each other, they all left, Pinkie Pie included. Though she had not completely recovered her respiration, Surprise took off after them, ready to show them the way.
This time, Prince Blueblood had been of an incredible cowardice. He did not even matter to send minions to fight with them, he bluntly used disloyal methods that would allow him to get away with it while he had not even lifted a hoof.
But that was not the way it was going to be. They all were united and would make sure this scheme would fail. They now were convinced about it… They had to stop waiting for the opposite clan to take actions and make a big splash. Now was no longer the time to be distrustful. Now was the time for pure action. And they had no doubt Rainbow Dash would think the same…
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At first glance, the place was empty. Although this factory was huge, there was no way soldiers could be training here without the least little noise. It probably was better this way… Twilight and her would be able to wander the place safely, to study entrances and exit ways, in order to plan an attack as soon as possible.
The unicorn mare should not be long to arrive. Nonetheless, that was what Rainbow Dash hoped while trampling the snow at her hooves, not to get cold. They had to be quick. Meanwhile, the rest of her Council, already diminished, was left to their own devices.
Just because the Unavowed Army had not given signs of life did not mean they had to relax in their efforts. She knew waiting for them to act was a display of weakness. Prince Blueblood had been warned – next time it will be the Militia attacking instead of defending themselves.
It was forbidden, she knew it too. That was the reason why they had not acted yet. She was looking for a chance, a flaw in their organization to make the situation go in her own advantages, and to skirt the laws which hindered their progression.
Rainbow Dash was staring nervously at the horizon. It was nothing comforting to be on her own within the enemy’s fields. If she got spotted, it would be difficult to get away with it without problems, even for her. She had not to take heedless risks. On their opponent’s side, her fall was much anticipated. There was no way she would give them the pleasure. She would stand up, no matter the circumstances.
A muffled sound resounded behind her, like steps in the snow. Thinking it was Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash turned around with a smile but met face to face with emptiness and the wind whistling against the high walls of the factory. Some of the glasses were broken and she could precisely see the freezing air blowing inside the building. If ponies were training here, the conditions might be very tough.
“Rain… Da…”
The mare pegasus frowned. She looked alone. There was not the least sign of life all around her, anyway.
Once again, she heard her name, this time more clearly. With wise steps, she came closer to the wide entrance door. The intonation was rather familiar… Twilight Sparkle? But if she already was here, why had not she displayed her presence before?
Like shoved by an unknown strength, Rainbow Dash stepped even closer to the door, which happened to be ajar, a heavy wrought iron padlock broken in two. In case this was not Twilight, calling her name would be dangerous, yet an enemy pony would not have tried to call on to her but rather challenged her from the very beginning. She started to know the Unavowed Army’s methods now. Subtlety was not their field of expertise.
“Twilight, is that you?”, she asked trying not to be too loud.
“Psst, Rainbow Dash, over here!”
The door opened wide on its own. At the end of the corridor, a shadow started running. The place was surrounded by darkness. Two wide openings were at each side of the walls, in an advanced state of decaying. There was so much dust piled on the exposed concrete floor that Rainbow Dash’s hooves buried inside of dust balls like inside the snow outside.
She ran pursuing this shadow and passed by something that looked like a decontamination chamber, then abandoned locker rooms. Again, the shadow showed itself, inviting her at the same time to dive deeper into the building. Something she could not explain made her unable to stop herself from running after the shadow, as if she were under a spell.
She ran not really paying attention to where she was going, and before understanding what had happened, found herself inside a room that was wider than the main restaurant of the Royal Tavern and Inn. A large table made of conveyor belts went all around. Each inches, long and sizable hosepipes stuck to the ceilings were hanging above the table. Everything was ruined but Rainbow Dash easily understood what it was.
It was a factory that had made bombs and cannons during the Fratricide War. Ponyville had specialized into the assembly of firearms to supply the Cavalry and every Militias of Equestria. That was how its growth had really started. Most of these factories had been purchased since and now made kitchen utensils, bathtubs, beddings, clothes, boats… Some even had been transformed into printer’s shops. They might be very few not to have been acquired ever since.
The shadow finally outlined more clearly in front of her, at the back of the room, and squinting her eyes, Rainbow Dash recognized the purple unicorn. Sitting, with her red coat on, she was waiting with a smile. Strange… It had seemed to her she no longer wore this shabby coat since she had become Main Quartermaster.
But the mare pegasus was left no time to join her friend. Before she could even come nearer, this one fled again, running as fast as her hooves could carry her through the various rooms of the building.
“Wait, Twilight! Please explain what you want to show me!”
But the unicorn did not answer. She guided her through stairs that were broken at places and in order not to slip inside one of those holes, Rainbow Dash had to use her wings. On top of the stairs, there was another room, an assembly room in all likelihood. The place where cannons such as the one belonging to Pinkie Pie were put together, back when they were legal and assembly-line produced.
It was even darker than the other parts of the building and some kind of thick and white fog rose from the ground to the ceiling.
Twilight had stopped moving. She seemed to be waiting for her Head, like a bit earlier. Yet something was wrong. The unicorn appeared not to touch ground anymore but to be floating above the assembly tables.
When Rainbow Dash stepped closer, her heart skipped a beat. It was not Twilight Sparkle in front of her… It was Time Stellar.
Impossible. Time Stellar had died under her eyes. The blade had crossed his body entirely. His blood had spurted against her face. She had held his lifeless body between her hooves, for an ultimate frozen kiss. He could not be standing in front of her… unless she was in the middle of a dream. If that was the case, then he would disappear as soon as she would try to touch him, as always.
She rushed straight forward… Once again, the shadow fled. She did not want to follow. It was a hallucination, her brain tricking her. She had not to follow. Yet, she could not help it and followed.
Another voice resounded, speaking her name softly. It was not the melodious intonation of Twilight anymore, this time the accent was strong, and the tone was bass. Big Mac… He had died under her eyes as well. Did this mean she, Rainbow Dash, had in reality also succumbed? As incredible as it might sound, she started to believe so. And if it was so, did it mean Twilight Sparkle had perished as well?
No, it was impossible. She was having a nightmare, there could be no other explanation. Out of breath, Rainbow Dash stopped at a few inches of the shadow. This time, she was in a messy office, where everything was broken and the furniture was covered with spider webs from ground to ceiling. It was a sign. The Cloth was made of silk threads… A fear like never before took over her whole being, and she shivered uncontrollably.
The shadow had changed its shape. Her eyes widened and her heart sped up again, fright having her collapsing against the dusty floor, her eyes scalding under the threat of tears. This time, it was Soarin in front of her, looking serious. If she had really died, and if the ponies she had seen had all perished as well, this meant that… No, no, no. Impossible, it was impossible. She was about to wake up in the warmth of her bed, and Firefly was going to be by her side, telling her it was nothing but a bad dream, but everything was okay, now.
“Soarin…”, she whispered between two hiccups, her head low.
“Dashie! Dashie!”
Rainbow Dash jumped. The voice she heard now had nothing in common with the one she had heard until then. It no longer floated in the air like a petal gone with the wind. Conversely, it was a firm and realist voice, that she almost could have caught with her teeth. Inside, there was a lot of concern and anxiety…
She screamed his name, and immediately, the voice answered. It was not a dream. Here she was for real, in this abandoned factory, and she had been guided there by an illusion. Unless she had started to lose her mind… Whatever it was, there was no way she would let herself being devoured by shadows. She had to go back among hers, among the living ones.
Back on her hooves, Rainbow Dash took the way contrariwise, as if she knew this road by heart for having done it a thousand times already. It was Soarin’s voice guiding her now, quickly followed by other concerned voices, with one of them as close as her coltfriend’s. The others seemed to come from the outside, the right place where she had waited on Twilight earlier.
Suddenly, a heavy noise added to the others. The walls started to tremble. Another sound resounded, the one of a framework collapsing…
“Dashie, where are you? They had started to destroy the building!”
It was as if everything had become crystal clear all of a sudden. There existed a spell of illusions, only performable at distance… a little complicated, but within the reach of a royal family’s unicorn. Twilight probably had never sent any message about a secret training basement. Once again, like some coarse beginner, she had fallen into a trap. A trap even more insidious than the other ones.
Rainbow Dash was running through the rooms, in the astounding noise of walls and floors crumbling behind her. The thick fog from the assembly room had invaded everything, coupled with the dust from the frameworks. It was hard to get your bearings… It would probably be wiser to keep on taking things easy, but too bad. Flying would be faster.
Finally, she perceived Soarin’s shadow in front of her.
“Soarin!!”
The male pegasus turned around, and outlined a semblance of smile which fell back immediately when he saw the ceiling above him, that had just been blasted, starting to tremble. No time to lose… He reached a hoof for Rainbow Dash.
Right on time, he was able to grab her hoof and to protect her under his body. With a little additional push that made roll sweat over their foreheads and between their wings, they both avoided the large section of concrete that had almost collapsed upon them. He wanted to see if Surprise was behind him, but…
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A high-pitch whistle was piercing her eardrums. It was unbearable. Her head was spinning, as if someone had knocked her with a mace…
For a second, Rainbow Dash thought she had dreamed everything, and that she was in her bed. She was not in her bed. The ground under was hard, something was buried inside her cheek, dust was itchy at her muzzle and a body was protecting her.
She opened her eyes, and had to blink unceasingly because of the thick smoke, scalding her retina. Above her, Soarin was holding her tight, his eyes shut and a thin trickle of blood was running along his temples. By instinct, she reached a hoof toward his injury. Something had scraped the corner of his eye but he seemed to be fine.
The stallion pegasus opened his eyes with difficulty as well, and caught a glimpse at his marefriend under him, looking at him with concern.
“Thank Cloth, you’re alive”, he said while holding her tighter to his chest.
They remained clasped in each other hooves for a few seconds, before realizing they were not alone here. The rest of her Council as well as the Spotter Surprise had come and them too probably had been blown out by the blast that had finished destroying the building. When they stood back up, Rainbow Dash saw the rest of her Council lying at a few inches away. Here they were lying against the ground, curled up in the snow, hooves against their ears. Their cloaks were damaged and pieces of wreckages had fallen all over them, but in theory none of them were injured.
“Is everypony OK?”, she asked out loud to be sure of it.
As one pony, Caramel, Pinkie Pie and Twilight answered yes, while standing back up, but moans called on them, a little farther behind Rainbow Dash and Soarin. Without further delay, he rushed toward where the sound went. From his muzzle, he lifted a few rubbles covering the suffering body of Surprise.
Her blond mane had turned white because of the dust, her eyes reddish. When Soarin took out one large fragment of concrete on top of her body, Surprise moaned again, this time louder, tears falling from her blue eyes. With horror, they discovered that the mare pegasus’ right wing had been snatched away during the blast. The wound was skinless, and festered. A pond of blood had started to color in red the former white of the dust.
“We have to warn the mare physician right now. She’s going to die if she loses too much blood”, Rainbow Dash said firmly.
The others stepped closer, while she was looking for a section of wall large enough to send a message to the closest medical team. She had barely put her hooves against the concrete that a shriek tore up the air.
“Fire!!! Fire!!!”
They all glanced at each other, and immediately went on top of a pile of rubbles, trying to see above the dust from the destroyed factory. Their eyes opened wider than ever.
Huge flames were dancing under the wind, licking the sky with their blinding light. Hundreds if not thousands of ponies were outside, running, screaming from panic. The anti-fire brigades’ sirens were yelling at a distance, around the Red Lights. Too far.
It was necessary to gather a weather patrol as soon as possible, in order to provoke a storm of rain strong enough to turn off the fire. It was their duty, protecting the citizens of Ponyville, and of this they could not escape. This was the message Rainbow Dash decided to send first.
Caramel, however, came and whispered something in his Head’s ear. He just had an idea and if, in theory, it sounded absurd, all things considered, it was not that stupid. It was even bluntly brilliant.
They would bring Surprise home with them, and would try to convince Applejack to get out of her mourning to heal the pegasus. She was able to do that; she knew…
The patrol should not see them at all, only a few ponies should be in the confidence of what was going to happen. By telegram, Spitfire would get in touch with a friend of hers working for the Ponyville Express, asking her to spread the news to the whole press. For all the citizens had to believe it true, for that even the Deputy mare had to believe it true.
If everything went their way, all they would have to do would be to shoe the horse. Or, in their case, the royal unicorn…