//------------------------------// // Chapter 54 -Mind Over Magic- // Story: Shattered Skies // by Arctikfox //------------------------------// -Mind Over Magic- "I don't get it, how is she here?" Desert asked. "She condones this?" "I would answer that, but I feel at this point it's kind of redundant. I'm a captain, just not Captain Obvious." Skyfall said slightly amused at the situation, his light chuckling causing the guards to groan. "What's funny?" Desert asked, letting her disapproval known through the tone of her voice, her eyes burning a very stern look into Skyfall. "If I may." Honey said tapping desert on her side gain her attention. Having only had passive conversation with her, desert didn't really know who honey was aside from being her Captain's wife. Ex-wife? No one really knew or summoned enough courage to pry. Looking at the rest of the companions that honey had brought with her, aside from Shining Armor, they weren't real assets to the team so what kind of situational or tactical advice could she produce. In deserts opinion, not much. "What my husband means to say, is that by producing this country's leader and bringing along multiple press teams, they have ensured at least initial public reception once this is all over." Honey pointed to the various note-takers that sat by the Princess and the collective look of the detainees as Fury spoke on. "Those newspapers will be ready to hit the stands the instant this story breaks to the world." "Are you saying they're going to perform a smear campaign?" Bastion asked rhetorically. "No, at this point it's complete misinformation." Desert said. Looking at the situation, it was clear that she had seen it before in the North. "Whoever receives this news first is going to believe that version of the story over anything else that comes afterward." "Very well put, Desert." Skyfall said, looking at his guards and silently dreading the fact that they were not ready. He had explained as much to them since they began his training course and only having been half done with their initial base training, they were still tainted by the act-now-think-later mentality that plagued most of the Guard units. He scanned each and every one of them, having been with them long enough to know their flaws and what would likely kill them, or in this case get them killed. Marne, a young stallion from the third Guard stable stepped forward silently asking for permission to act. When his advance went unchecked, he offered his own prompt. "What do we do, sir?" "I guess the presence of the Princess does change the circumstances." Skyfall said. "If she's here in such close proximity to this destruction, then she knows what's going on. Likely any attempt to step in to save the detainees would result in complete failure, and any resistance upon our notice would result in immediate death via sunfire." "She wouldn't do that!" A faceless voice from the crowd stated causing said crowd to split revealing a small red Mare named Pool. "She would." Skyfall said. "She isn't cold hearted, don't get me wrong, but at that point we are enemy combatants and we would be seen as a small part of a bigger problem. If she believes we are from an enemy camp, she will do what is necessary to protect what she views as hers." "But you just capture us, right?" Pool asked. "No. Try a column of fire from the sky. You've never read about her previous fights in the history books? Did it never strike you as weird how a monarch and someone who controls solar energy wins wars?" Skyfall offered. "From what I understand, the Princess hasn't fought in any battle in a very long time. I imagine most you think that she's just a talking figurehead, especially over the course of the past few years regarding the elements." Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie all looked up towards Skyfall catching his meaning. "Let me assure you that in terms of combat ability there are very few that match your princess of light in raw power. Despite her attempts to portray otherwise." Skyfall said, once again turning his gaze to the outside. Scanning the grounds, he focused in on Celestia and more importantly her facial features. Tired eyes, a forced smile, and barely rested wings. It was clear she wasn't happy, as per usual tell for unhappiness was her silence. Skyfall stood, observing the Princess for a little while she followed Fury around the compound as he spoke long and loud to the reporters, loud enough to at-least be heard clearly through glass a story high. She looked around slowly and peered up to where Skyfall and his guards stood, looking out the window. For a brief moment their eyes met, something Skyfall knew should not have been able to occur through magically shielded windows. His stomach dropped at seeing the recognition cross her face. Still features remained, her Blank Stare boring into Skyfall. "Uh, guys I think she sees us." Signal said. This added a layer of fear through the room as their Captain had just got done telling them that she could, and willingly, annihilate anyone on a whim. The windows and walls were not soundproof so when Celestia finally broke eye contact they could all hear her commanding her Captain of the Guard and various supporters to go to the other camps to see the quote-unquote traitors. Like A Mother Goose, she used her wings to herd the various ponies up and out of the parade grounds. Earning questioning glances from Fury that melted into approval. "What just happened?" Bastion asked, looking on as the group left. "That's something I would want to know as well." Skyfall said, questioning if you could believe his own eyes. Soon approving and thinking to himself, Good girl. "So, do we follow the same plan?" Marne asked. "She's gone now so?" "No." Skyfall turned and marched over to the armor he had set down before reapplying it to his body. "We have to move now." "Skyfall." Honey called. "It's still daylight outside, any concealment advantage is absent until tonight. Are you saying we should attack now?" Having been on the battlefield with her husband a great many times, they both knew what each other was thinking tactically. So the proposed order to attack during daylight was near to a suicide mission. Honey stepped up closer when Skyfall didn't answer. She lowered her head to his ear and began a whisper. "Skyfall? What's going on?" "I think the princess is giving us a window." Skyfall whispered back. "If we act now we may be able to get ourselves into a situation that favors are numbers." "Why would she do that?" Honey asked. "You saw what she did." Skyfall said. "I know you don't trust her, but I know that look." "Hit and Run?" Honey asked. "Hit and Run." Skyfall smiled, kissing his wife surprising her and the room. He turned and lifted his head as Celestia and her Entourage fell below the crest of the Hill. "All of you have 10 minutes, assemble and put on your armor, if there are any letters you all want to have sent to your family upon any possibility of your death make sure they are in your foot lockers. Say your prayers, give your wishes, from here on out your life is really will be in danger." Some acted with hesitation, others with certainty as the room moved into silent action. Skyfall headed toward his Lieutenant's office and passed Desert as she was now standing by the office door, already geared up. "Sounds nice." She said with no emotion "Of course it does." Skyfall melded into the office and moved toward Desert's window. Followed immediately by Honey, shining armor, and half the elements of Harmony. "Um, sweetie, are you sure this is the right thing to do? I'm sure if we-" "Shhhh." Pinkie said as she clamped her hoof over Rarity mouth. "Thank you, Pinkie." Skyfall said knowing instantaneously who shut Rarity up from uttering a very situationally blind statement. "No, I think she has a point." Rainbow Dash defended. "I think we need to go and say something." A little astounded, the room turned toward rainbow who is standing by, firm in her statement. "Are you not the one that constantly runs head long into battle?" Desert asked. Embarrassed, she blushed but kept her eyes transfixed on Skyfall. "She has a point." Skyfall said. "Your personality doesn't necessarily convey a sense of restraint." "This has nothing to do with me." Rainbow said quickly. "This is serious, you're going to get everybody killed." With an aggravated sigh, Skyfall turned but met Honey's hoof as it slapped across his chest. She smiled waving him down, signaling that she wanted to talk. "You... and I really haven't had a chance to speak to one another." Honey said meeting rainbows gaze slowly. "I would suggest to you and your little friends to remain silent. This isn't something you can just zap away." "I know that." Rainbow said firmly. "You say that, but I see in your eyes the second you see something that's going to bother you you're going to leap head first. That's your nature and it's hard to fight your nature. Trust me, I know." Honey said smiling at Rainbow. "This isn't a Nightmare, this isn't some Shadow Emperor, and certainly not a Bug Queen. If you mess up here everyone dies." "That's what I'm saying to you." Rainbow threw up a questioning hoof. "Yes but you don't understand the meaning of what you say. In this situation I doubt any of you do." Honey said and looked to Shining Armor. "Not even you, despite your position, I doubt you even grasp what's truly going on." "I understand a fair bit." He admitted. He cast a concerning glance to Skyfall who stood by silently. "I would try to spend more time around your husband, but my wife staying at his house makes me not to happy with him." "It's partly for protection." Honey said, earning a skeptical look from Shining. "She doesn't shut up about him. I know what's going on, I'm just..." Shining shrugged weakly. "My father says I'm resigned to what's going on and to divorce her, but I can't." He looked up and earned a very angry look from Skyfall, putting ice in his veins. "That is my husband's way. He keeps secrets." Honey then turned to Skyfall and their eyes met with understanding. "It's something that I've come to accept I still don't approve. I can say that you are wrong, Shining. My husband isn't using your wife." "Secrets are secrets. Some things are better left unsaid." Skyfall moved toward deserts desk. "I imagine I'm going to have to explain a lot of this once it's done. Some of which are going to shock you, Shining." "You make it sound like we're all going to be fine after this." Rainbow said. "I know we haven't had the best relationship, but at least acknowledge that we're in trouble here." "I would think my actions so far would be sufficient enough to answer that question." Skyfall said. "You overheard what I was saying to my guards. You are all National Treasures along with Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy, the latter of which has been suspiciously absent." "We don't know where she is either." Pinky said. Her worry wore thick in her voice. She looked to Skyfall waiting for Assurance. "You don't think she -" "No." Skyfall said abruptly. He caught a subtle look from Honey as his answer was a little too passionate for the situation. "You are all assets to Fury to be used in a moment of his choosing. He wouldn't allow his guards to harm any of you. No she's somewhere else." "You think something from the forest took her away from here when the attack started?" Honey asked clearly alluding to Sif and her wolves. "It's a possibility. I would ask, but it would likely be kept from me since this is a battle situation." Skyfall said with no degree of screening. Someone attuned to the situation would be able to pick up the reference too Farhaven. "So what do you want us to do?" Rainbow asked, accepting Skyfall for who he was and that he would never answer her earnestly. "You three have not been trained as guards, or as Warriors-" Skyfall held his hoof up at Rainbow's ire. "If it was a single bugbear than I wouldn't be concerned, but this is a full-scale battle you would get lost in the scrimmage and we would have to drag out your bodies out after the battle." At seeing the spoiled looks of the elements before him Skyfall rolled his eyes and explain it further. The only ones out of your group that I could really use now would be Pinkie and Rainbow. And sadly, pinkie would be the only one I would be able to use because rainbow would be okay on one on one dog fights, however, you'd be concerned about your friends, making you sloppy. "So why not use Pinkie?" Desert asked "She'll keep the other safe." Skyfall said and look to pinkie with a soft nod. "Also, she is an element and as a result she is more valuable as a game piece and would be captured to be used to gain the other five." "We aren't game pieces!" Rarity shouted. "But you are." Honey cut in. "The second you six became elements your time as a run-of-the-mill creature was over." Having had silent reverence for Honey, Rarity was slightly put off. "What are you trying to say?" "Welcome to the great game." Skyfall left, talking would do them no more good as time was now up. They had to move. "Where is he going?" Rarity asked. "Same place we're going." Honey said and turned, motioning Desert to grab the others and follow. The guards gathered around in a semi circle around Skyfall, who stood there silently, finely yanking on the straps that held darksilver plates over his body. He knew what the game plan was, but he needed to relay it in such a way where unseasoned guards would be able to understand it and execute at a moment's notice. "Is everyone's Affairs in order?" Skyfall ask. "Show of arms who isn't?" They were either done or scared enough not to raise their arms as no one did. "Good." Skyfall said looking around. "Armor fits quite a bit better than the first day you were here doesn't it?" Low chuckles escaped some of the guards as they remembered the horrible run they did their first day. Each lesson was harder to learn then the last as their time with the unit grew. "In a moment I will give your squad leaders instructions on targets you are going to hit." Skyfall said, gesturing to the squad leaders to come to the front. "This isn't a prolonged operation, I expect this to be done within two minutes time. With the main game pieces now firmly gone from this post, the guards are likely in a state of relaxation, they expect us to attack in the night which makes this attack very promising." "Two minutes?" Desert asked under her breath. "Yes." Skyfall said, looking backward to his lieutenant. "You must always favor haste over cleverness. More often than not, battles favor the one that acts first." Seeing the confusion over his guards face, he tapped his hoof on the concrete thinking of a simpler answer. "Sucker Punch?" Rainbow offered. "Exactly." Skyfall said. "We are going to hit them, blindsiding them when they don't expect it. You will all to run up, neutralize whoever resists by any means necessary, grab the detainees, and run into the forest. Understood?" A soft hoof beat rumbled through the room, the situation now not calling for more subtly . "Where to once in the Forest?" Desert asked. "We need a heading if we're being tailed." "North." Skyfall said, rousing Honey's attention. "There is a large tree with a tunnel at its base-" "Sky." Honey called, earning a reassuring look from Skyfall. "You will take the townponies there. At the tree base, go through the tunnel and take the path until it reaches a small deserted village. Stay in that village. And. Do. Not. Stray." Skyfall said darkly. "If you do, you will die." "Sir, there's nothing like that in that direction." Desert held her hoof up questioningly. "I think I know the tree you're talking about, but there’s no tunnel and certainly no village. Its sparse forest floor?" "There is. And it's not the tree you're thinking of." "But-" "Follow my orders." Skyfall commanded nonchalantly. One by one the squad leaders came up, taking the resulting silence as time to do so. Skyfall whispered the targets into their ear, and in the order they came up in, the squads stood up and moved toward the door ready to execute. "Remember." Skyfall said, his guard looking back at him as he approached the door with them. "Move silently, strike exposed necks, and don’t look back." Knowing that many of the guards were not a costume to taking life, the mental wounds that they would sustain from this would stay with them for the rest of their lives. Especially young stallions like Marne. One last solid stomp to show that they were ready to move rumbled through the room. Any look of fear was now gone, set right by looks of certainty, something Skyfall made sure to try and teach them whenever moving into an uncertain situation. Long nights of waking them up randomly and forcing them to run into a room unsure of what they'll find. Sometimes it was breakfast, sometimes it was a captured timber wolf, or at least the reanimated one. They never liked it, but after time they were able to turn on and off what they displayed now. With nothing else left to say, Skyfall lifted his hoof and punched the floor, setting loose a torrent of soldiers flooding through the door. As they moved so too did Skyfall. The main double doors to the guard barracks flew open, threatening to fly off their placements as Squad leaders silently directed orders to their squads. Eight teams ran at different speeds and different directions. Some of the guards from the fourth stable had barely enough time to realize who was rushing them before they were felled. The quiet courtyard of the parade grounds erupted in sounds of clashing metal, wet gasps, and successive thumps. Skyfall scanned the area and saw his teams completing their tasks of removing patrols of guards on the walls, leaping up to remove air patrol, and to see guards funneling in and out of buildings. The lip of the wall that surrounded the barracks shielded the ground attacks as they surprised unsuspecting ponies. As for the air, Flying ponies could only wear so much armor and favored their wings but not other spots that were much more vital. "So you are alive." Skyfall scanned over to see the head of Fury's guard Force standing in full regalia. The same stallion that lead the fake offensive on his post before Skyfall washed them all away with River's help. "I was wondering where you were at." Skyfall mused. "Interesting counter-offensive you concocted, captain." Shield said. "But I have to tell you to stand down. Fury gave me special instructions to take you alive, if you do so I'll speak kindly about you to him." "Do you always feed that line to individuals you're trying to have killed?" Skyfall asked, noticing the captain's contempt at his guard Force being slain so easily. "Fury said you weren't the typical pony." Shield took his helmet off and place it on the ground and took a spear out from the shield adorned to his back. "You will die a traitor's death." Rubbing his eyes, Skyfall ignored Shield's charged toward him as a spear flew out from where the detainees stood and pierced him through the side causing him to slide down and skid to sky falls hooves. Skyfall walked away from the captain as he grumbled something about being avenged and approached his guards as they tried their best to stand in a formation. Being no stranger to violence, Desert gathered the numbers and approached Skyfall. "Seven dead, twice as much minorly wounded, the base is clear minus the guards running away." 'Seven?' Skyfall thought to himself, soundly astounded that casualties were so small. "Gather the bodies, they're coming with us." Skyfall looked to his guards as they each wore varying levels of stress on their face. "Don't worry about formations now just move around and get the carbon dioxide out of your systems." Shambling into action, the guards moved, covered in blood to their comrades’ side to pick them up and move them and the detainees into the forest. Some guards having to take a minute to collect themselves and one going as far as to ask where he was, repeating until Desert slapped him. "Sir." Desert Sat next to Skyfall. "Are you sure this is the way you wanted to play out?" "This was the only way it could play out." Skyfall remained as more and more ponies funneled from the post and into the forest. "You're from the albatross, I know about your run-ins with Griffin Scouts and Pirates. This is why I chose you." "You knew this would happen?" Desert asked. "Not this specifically." Skyfall admitted. "But I knew something would eventually happen and I needed somebody that could take and direct orders under stress." "So that's why you were a dick to me when we first met?" "Yes." Skyfall said. "That, and it was clear you had an attitude because you got sent to a "fluffy, frilly little town where your career would die."" Desert smirked and flagged down one of the squad leaders, and gestured to one of the supply depots. "Make sure your team grabs all the crates of rice and ready made food. Take what you can carry, burn the rest. Leave them with nothing." Derset turned back to skyfall's amused smile. "Doing that will take rations away from their soldiers, they'll get hungry and sloppy." "Good call." Skyfall said, catching Deserts surprise at getting a compliment as he was rarely one to give such a praise to those in leadership. "Should we go sir?" Desert asked. "Most of the detainees are in the forest now." Skyfall let the question hang as he felt Honey come up on his left side opposite of desert. "Everyone's off the field." Honey said as she continued her stride past Skyfall causing him to fall in line behind her. She look back to Desert as she followed behind sky, and waited to catch her eyes. "He's one of those last person off the field type of stallions. Old habit of his." "Yep." Skyfall said as he crossed the threshold past the parade grounds and through the side gate that led to the forest. "Sir?" Marne called from the crowd, a deep laceration on his neck, deep enough to hurt but not deep enough to be life-threatening. "What are we going to do?" Seeing the signs of an individual in conflict with them self mentally, Skyfall knew that panic and fear would threw him in contrast with his own sense of Duty. This meant much of the crowd that was truly unseasoned. "Marne, at this point we're going to move and we're going to get these refugees to safety. At that point we're going to conduct what is known as guerrilla warfare. We are going to hit them in their weak spots and wait for the opportunity to show itself for us to change this tide. As it stands now, we would lose in a fair fight." "What about Farhaven?" Marne asked. "I heard..." Skyfall saw hesitation as Marne looked around, but waved him to saw what he wanted to ask. "I heard they accept creatures of all kinds." "And I heard that it's a cult that performs horrible murderous rituals." Bastion, not one for rumors, spoke up in defiance. "We should at least try." Marne offered, only to receive a flippant hoof from Bastion. "I've read some of the reports that came in, they're suspected to be responsible for all the merchants and ponies missing from trade routes." Bastion said, causing a worried murmur to rise up from everyone as they continuously moved deeper into the forest. "So those are the rumors that are going around." Skyfall said, entering the conversation. He looked around to the guards and detainees that now looked to him for guidance. "How many of you've heard this?" Nods, gestures, and verbal affirmation spring up confirming that they had done with ponies do best, spread rumors. "Let me assure you, that they are not bloodthirsty cannibals." "How do you know?" Mr. Cake asked from the crowd. "Because. They've accepted some Ponyville residents as citizens and I know they're doing very well." Skyfall said, looking to the Elements, making it clear that he spoke about Big Mac. "As it stands, that's a non-option. We're refugees caught between two nations. Afterward, we may need to take shelter with them, but that must be a conscious decision from each of you. Skyfall said. "But keep in mind who just tried to kill you all. For now, we walk." The statement certainly caused a fuss with in the groupings as ponies look around in a panic. A few of the ponies that called themselves Skyfall's friend, such as silver coin and misses cake, spoke up to defend the decision. The most unlikely of all step forward. Rainbow looked at the guards and town ponies and completely ignored Skyfall. She remember the way to the royal castle of the pony sisters and began walking through the forest. "Darling, where are you going?" Rarity called amidst the silent standoff. "This Haven place. In that brief amount of time we had when Twilight was captured, she mentioned Farhaven. She said that wolf told her about some cavern on the south end that would lead into the city." Rainbow said shrugging her shoulders as she took flight and slowly hovered forward in the air. Accepting the answer, Skyfall flew up and next to Rainbow. "I need you to tell me everything you know." Skyfall said as he hovered in front of her. In no time, she told him everything, everything she saw and heard, including what guards would murmur about. Mulling it over, Skyfall fell to the ground slowly. "everything okay, Sky?" Honey asked. "Change of plans." Skyfall said. "There may be a window to get this group, and the Elements, into Farhaven. In terms of high profile, this group and whatever group Twilight is in will be their main targets. I need you to get them into the city." "No, I'm staying by you." "There is literally no one else." Skyfall offered. Slowly, turning to Shining Armor. Before a word could be uttered, Honey smacked Shining Armor's Shoulder, startling him as he was busy scanning the forest. "This guy can do it." Honey smirked. "What?" Shining asked. "No, I don't want to get the Empire caught up in this war. I respect what you ponies are going through, but I can't." "You have the power, thus you have the responsibility to keep these ponies safe while in route to Farhaven." Skyfall said in a fatherly tone. Seeing Shining's ire, Skyfall scoffed. "And the Empire is involved whether you want to admit it or not." "I understand responsibility too well, Skyfall. That's why I still lord over the Empire in my Wife's absence, even if the title is a formality." Shining said, weathering the desperate looks beside him. "Follow me." Skyfall commanded Armor to follow. Honey stopped everyone with a subtle hoof and watched as her husband and son-in-law walked into the brush. The soft discussion on the ponyville residents dimmed as they continued. Skyfall leading and Shining Armor left looking on, slightly concerned what was about to happen. He went ridged when Skyfall turned his head slightly, enough to be heard. "You made the smart decision." "Then why make this presentation of dragging me away from the others?" Shining asked. "Because you have to go against your better judgment if you want to be with Cadance." Skyfall slowed as the forest ended just short from the crest of a hill. "I'm pulling you away cause I don't want people overhearing what we're talking about." "Okay?" "I know you and I don't really talk, for good reason, but there it is. There's been rumors that Cadance is the crown in my harem. Guards talk and through repeated passing you no doubt heard a much more lewd version of something that would've seem innocent." Skyfall motioned Shining into nodding. "I know these have gone around, I don't bother stopping them, ponies talk and fighting it only makes it worse." He bent his head low enough to meet Shining's gaze directly. "I am going to be very direct with you." "I'm ready." "Do you think I'm having sex with your wife?" A flash of rage passed Shining's face and he struggled to catch his breath, fighting a gut response of striking Skyfall. After a moment, he reluctantly answered. "Wouldn't you?" "Yes, but I'm asking you." Skyfall said, mood as calm as if asking for the time. "I hate to admit it, but there's no way you aren't. I want to win her back, everyone makes snide remarks about me not leaving her. And the news headlines, you-" "I wouldn't blame you if you did leave her." Skyfall bobbed his head, seemingly understanding Shining's own situation. "She vents to me about the predicament she's in. She hates this, knowing everything to be one way and the only person she's trusted to share her life with thinks she's screwing around." "Surprising." Shining grumbled. "Considering when she's with me she talks about you and your wife. She doesn't shut up about it." Shining shook his head. "Look, I understand what you're trying to get me to do and I appreciate it, but it may just be the right time to move on. You've won." Shining turned to leave but met and outstretched wing. "If... you break my daughter's heart, I will demolish you." "What?" Skyfall left the question hang as he repositioned himself between Shining and the forest. "You will escort these ponies to Farhaven under my orders. In the event you get out and are questioned, you can tell the media you were ordered by an Equestrian Officer." Shining chuckled, having known Skyfall was right, the allusion that Shining wasn't a guard anymore was correct. Having left the Equestrian guard days after his coronation as Prince stung, but was a necessity to keeping the politics as un-muddied as possible. "As you order." With a calm turn, Shining left and was passed by Skyfall's wife, Honey. He looked back to see the back of Honey's head; having known she wanted privacy, he left without another word. Once along among the trees at the forests border, Honey sighed. "Are you trying to tell Shining that you're his father-in-law?" "Sorry." Skyfall shied away. "It kind of slipped out." "To a potential enemy?" "Yes." Skyfall looked at Honey who wore a bored, expectant look. Like many things, Shining Armor was an avoided topic, like the presence of body odor or the appearance of sudden weight gain. A temporary nuisance. "You like him?" "I do." Skyfall said. "But you don't approve of him for our daughter?" Honey asked. "And you're conflicted." "I am. You like him too, I am all to familiar of your history with him, but he harbors a silent contempt for the Spirits." Skyfall said. "Whether he knows of it or not. How will he react to Cadance when he discovers the truth, the whole truth." "We can keep it secret until the time of his passing, that's only another sixty or seventy years. By that time Cadance can tell Twilight who will likely be more accepting of Spirits." Honey shrugged. "I've waited longer for less." "No." Skyfall sat slowly. "Our daughter deserves to life as herself in the open. It's our job to make that a reality." "At the risk of exposing ourselves?" "We're naked all the tim-" Honey slapped Skyfall's chest causing him to give a breathy laugh and rub his collarbone. "I'm being serious." "I know, geez." Skyfall grumbled. "If we want to be a part of our daughter's life, that requires us to be a part of it, not just by proxy. We will have to be who we are, and with her. That includes me being Shattered Skies and letting her inner circle know my real identity and you the same." "I was afraid of that." Honey bit her hoof. "It'll be fine, they "rehabilitate" people all the time. What's one more?" Skyfall chuckled. "Yes, but this would make our child a target." "I know." Skyfall murmured. "I am acutely aware..." Seeing her husband's resignation to her statement, she felt a familiar pain in her chest. "What is it that you aren't telling me?" With a heavy sign, the air being so hard spittle flew forward as he himself staggered on his hooves. "This battle is only a start to our problems, my love." Skyfall said. "You are aware of the spies within our borders and likewise of the ones we have in Celestia's own care." "Normal course of ruling?" Honey said matter of factly. "Did you get any troubling information?" "I did, alot of it." Skyfall welled up with mixed emotions; sadness, clarity, regret, purpose, and last duty, the most harrowing of all. In a rare moment of lifted fog, Skyfall turned to Honey. "You and I have always kept our secrets, somewhere along the way we accepted that and grew to love one another anyway. You are aware of what I did when you left as am I now aware of you actions." "What's the purpose of this?" Honey squinted. "My father... seems to be the one directing all this." Skyfall admitted. "He seems to be the one that weakened the Maker along with my siblings by poisoning the realms." "How?" Honey asked, pausing every few word, working out a long equation in her head and washing through emotion to emotion like a child solving a puzzle, unable to connect the pieces. "That was 40,000 years ago? This is a little... I don't know-" "That's not the important part." "Then what is?" Honey asked, her breath falling short from the shocking revelation at learning her father-in-law was on a level strong enough to effect the Maker. "It didn't hit me until I saw Celestia earlier, but I think after all this she is going to her home." "How can you know?" Honey challenged. "She doesn't even know where it's at?" "She will learn the way." Skyfall droned on in a monotone voice. "Yes, but how dammit?" Honey fumed, her mood turning sour. "After this, we will likely either end up dead or with her captured." "I don't know." Skyfall mumbled. "I think I'm becoming exhausted." Honey took a moment and examined her lover, passing her eyes over small tenses in his muscles and focusing in on his eyes that loosened and tightened over and over again, a telescope out of focus. "Passing through the portal and over realm boundaries sapped all the strength you were saving." "I feel it, though I hate to admit it." "Then we have to retreat." Honey said. "I, nor you, am in a position to fight. I feel Shining Armor fighting against what you told him, but though reluctant, he will complete the task you gave to him." A desperate look passed between them as they grew more quiet. "I... think I have a plan." "Tell me." Skyfall asked, being completely out of ideas. "We've sat and brainstormed possible solutions, this having been one of the less fortunate ones. It's unwinnable, that's a given." Honey said, side nodding to the airship off in the distance. "The plan was to strike where they weren't, but Fury is smarter than that, what happened at the barracks was a fluke, you know this..." "I do." "Then why not, you of all people, acknowledge that to your team?" "It served no purpose, they need to believe they can win as they escort the ponies to Farhaven." Skyfall said. "Otherwise their fear may get the better of them." Accepting the answer with a delicate nod of her head, Honey continued. "The only way we can save more than we'll lose is if we hit both camps at the same time and let the ponies run." "The guards will hunt them down." "Not if it's their Princess battling a known foe." Honey said and melted with brilliant green flames to reveal the black exoskeleton she was infamous for. "Celestia will be too distracted to realize what she's doing, allowing for a smash and grab." Having loved the cunning his wife was capable of, Skyfall upward for a kiss and chuckled after the bug queen obliged. "What?" "It's not often that you're the taller one." Skyfall chuckled. "Usually you're the one that down-" "Hey, now-" "What?" A voice sputtered from behind them, snapping their attention back to Shining Armor who returned seemingly to request something. 'Damn this fire!' Skyfall roared in his mind as his body leapt up to absorb the blast from Shining Armor. "Stand down!" Shining whirled his head wildly, summoning spectral spears and translucent bands to stop the bolts coming from a surprised Chrysalis. Leaping between the two, Skyfall withstood as a spear shattered upon hitting his armor, the jewels burning red hot, signifying that Shining was putting lethal magic into the ballista. In the same moment, Sky leapt forward and swiveled back as Desert appeared from Shining's blind spot and sucker punched him in his horn, stopping the show. "How!" Shining demanded. With a simple movement of his hoof, Sky ordered Desert to stand back. "There is so much you do not know, Shining." "Does Cadance know?" "What?" "Does. My wife. Know." Shining glared as he slowly stood. "She does." Chrysalis said, stepping forward, weathering the hate being leveled at her. "We will all talk about this when this is done." Feeling the void of trust, she sighed. "You can get us to Farhaven as a leader or as a prisoner." Desert said, breaking the stand off. Shining turned back to her to challenge, but stopped when she brought her hoof up. "I'll do it again, Loverboy." "This is happening too fast." Chrysalis said as the pair of ponies disappeared through the brush. "You're telling me." Skyfall muttered. "I expected as time drew on for our cover to be challenged from time to time, but Shining is smart, he won't fall for illusion magic." Forgetting the incident for later, Chrysalis turned back to Skyfall. "With these recent developments, what do we do?" "The usual path we would take is currently on fire." Skyfall said. I will run up ahead to scout some areas, I feel it best that you go and tell Shining where to go. He could take them North along the river and be exposed or South through the swamps, there's a small cave system there. Bayou swamps you can go there too and hunker down until the fires burn itself out, but that means waiting outside the walls longer and some ponies need medical attention." Chrysalis morphed into Honey as they walked and their conversation too morphed in tone to a calm discussion about where to take them refugees. "Are you seriously talking about walking through the swamps? Rainbow asked, her anger seeping through at her being a hostage for the situation. "That I am. You'll have protection as long as you're in the swamps, if you want hunker down and wait for sunrise when they'll be the least active." Skyfall shook his head when Rainbow hovered up looking for a direction, as he waited, he caught the subtle glance cast his way by his son-in-law. As Rainbow landed, Skyfall tapped her on the shoulder. "What's your input?" "Why are you being so nice?" Rainbow asked unfamiliar with the attention Skyfall was paying her. "You, along with Shining Armor, are going to be the ones that Lead the town Folk to Farhaven. I can't be the one to do it. I cannot do everything." Skyfall said. "Do you think I should wait for everybody or move as you get them?" "Moving as one mix a bigger Target, but you'll be in the forest. That should give you cover." "And what about shattered Skies? He might feel us moving a large Force to those gates and mistake us as the enemy? " "Has he hurt you in the past? " "No, but neither has a snake? That doesn't mean he won't hurt us now." Rainbow said. "Solid reasoning." Skyfall admitted. "But trust me, we're expected." Rainbow turned to ask what he meant, but Skyfall had already turned to Desert as she had appeared behind him just a moment before. "Sir, where are we moving?" Bastion called. "To the swamp." The burning Forest would have forced all the would-be predators away from the area in. And the natural thicket that grows in the swamp will protect us from air patrols and random scouts. The hazardous terrain and soupy nature of the land makes travel hard on all." "When do we strike again?" "You don't." Skyfall said, catching a few glowing eyes from within the forest. "You will escort these ponies to Farhaven under the command of Desert, Rainbow Dash, and Shining Armor. In that order." "And now?" Rarity asked, a tone in the resulting silence. "And now we walk." Rainbow said as she was the first the pierce the thick brush." "Hello Anara." Cadence stood, meeting the eyes of the Alicorn as she stood to her full height, being just as tall as her father was. Inko raised from her bowed position with the subtle push of magic from the maker. Cadence noticed this and turned to Inko and then back to the tall alicorn. "Who are you?" "That's the maker." Inko said. "She is the being that brought us all here. The one who makes all." "An alicorn?" Cadence asked. "From Artorias?" "No." The maker smiled as she finished descending the steps, her gate calm but weak as she neared Cadence. "But you're an alicorn." Cadence said still unsure if the being before her truly held the type of power the title of Maker would come with. "You're skeptical. You get that from your father." The Maker said standing mere arm's length from Cadence. "You take the form of an Alicorn, but you're not one. Are you? Understanding the meaning Cadence nodded. "I have to admit I'm not really sure how to greet you. I'm new to being a spirit." As Cadence lowered her head, the maker brought up her arm and wing before wrapping Cadence in a hug. "So let's start off with a hug." Shocked by the gesture Cadence looked up. "I remember holding you as a baby." The Maker said before using both of her hooves to hold Cadence to get a good look at her. "I see you found Celestia's journal in the garden that led you to your father?" "You're the one that sent the journal?" Cadence asked in shock. "No, but I was the one that suggested it." The Maker smiled. "I see you hold the same resolve your father does when given a muse." Feeling a chill move over her coat she thought back to the oddity of Celestia's private Journal just appearing before her in the garden all those years ago. "You orchestrated all this?" "In a way." The Maker chuckled. "I was too weakened to help, but wasn't too weak to ask for help. That's all I can say for now." "More secrets." Cadence grumbled. "No secrets. Just topics that would take time to understand. Time we do not have." The Maker looked to the waterfall as Shadows of guards collected outside. Shouts of orders about getting the traitors within the waterfall were given before the body's tried rushing into the water only to evaporate into the water. "What happened to them?" Cadence asked "I teleported them to a certain Rocky prison within Seaddle's bay." The Maker smiled. "That's amazing." Cadence said. "Thank you. But let's talk about you and your drive to help your father." Cadance seethed, believing the intent behind the topic to be another reinforcement of her eggshell treatment. "I know he's intending on me not to help and for him to handle it alone but-" A subtle hoof from the Maker, and a small jostle from Inko stopped the rant, killing it at its start. "Your father and I very rarely saw eye-to-eye." The Maker started. "Often enough, I would invite him and a few others over to have tea with me. Your father, his best friend Oasis, and the fire Elemental were three of the most bickering individuals I've ever met, but they were wonderful to have over. However, this is one situation that I must agree with him with." "But I can fight!" Cadence said, placing a hoof over her mouth when a subtle eyebrow from the Maker was cast her way. "I want to fight..." "And this coming from the little filly who sat in a castle, fantasizing about being rescued from her knight in shining armor?" The Maker prompted. "From the same filly that lectured peace over violence from within her kingdom? I've watched you grow up, one of the few that I was able to watch. I know, aside from watching your guards’ train and your husband train, you are not a fighter. At least not as you are." The Maker quietly laughed to herself at Cadence's indignant arm folding. "I'm glad to see you willing to pick up arms in defense of those who can't raise them, but you would be a liability to your father and to your mother." "So what do I do?" Cadence asked. "I can't just sit here." "I know." The Maker nodded. "Although, helping people escape isn't fighting now is it?" The content nodding of Inko turned into panic at the insinuation. "Um, ma'am, this is bad idea." "And that's why it works." The maker smiled deviously along with Cadence as they both turned their gaze to Inko. "I'm going to have to be the bodyguard aren't I?" "Wait, why are you helping me? I thought you'd be on my father's side?" "I'm on no side. But I'm not blind to the situation, there are forces opposite of me at work here so to maintain balance I must set my own pieces in to act." The Maker said. "That includes me actively correcting them." Cadence understood this to be the same phrasing her father would use over and over again. She accepted it and tried to think of how to help the ponies escape. "If I'm going to move you, then I should at least tell you what I've deveined your enemy to be planning." After a moment, the Maker motioned for Cadence to follow her onto her father's ledge." "Fury is your father's half brother." The Maker turned to Cadence's placid expression and saw that this wasn't revolutionary information. "Your uncle would likely see you as a tool to get to your father so you must avoid him at all costs. My sight has been dark for many years but I can still see bits and pieces. I believe as your father believes, Fury intends on taking the detainees out sometime tomorrow to transport them and that's when he will have every single one of them executed including the reporters that now follow him around. Leaving investigators to "stumble" on the information." Cadence opened her mouth to speak but the Maker continued. "If I know your father, he will go for the camp of detained ponies with a higher number." The Maker said. "If he was to see you that would be very bad for you and him." "So I'm going to go for the smaller one?" "Yes. Fury will be waiting for your father at the larger one, they both expect this. This doesn't mean that the smaller one is any safer, Fury will have them killed when your father springs upon the larger group." The Maker said. "This is a game that has played out hundreds of times and there's not much you can do to get around it." "Except this time there is?" "Yes." The Maker smiled warmly. "Celestia, Fury, and the rest of her counsel see you as a pawn, but you've come to me today with a will to act, not react. So that means you are not planned for and that gives us the element of surprise." "So how do I take the small camp?" Cadence asked. "That's something for you to decide." The Maker said and lied down. "Your father left me here to protect anyone that came this way, though, my ward will do that and I have no intention to lay about. Use that information as you will." Cadence tapped her chin, realizing that now she was now in charge of herself and doing something she never dream she would have done. Inko opened her mouth, but the Maker shook her head. "You know her father's headstrong, always has been." "He's not going to like this." "There's a lot Ardennes doesn't like." The Maker said. "But he takes it in stride. He'll probably do that thing where he simmers quietly and then just accepts it after everything is okay. He's not an overly emotional person." Cadence turned to hear what the Maker was talking to Inko about, it was another instance where somebody knew her father infinitely better than her, although this time it was warranted. Without a word being said, the Maker lifted her wing and pulled Cadence closer. "I know what aggravates you that your father tells you nothing. You'll learn as I have that to get around this you must talk to people close to him. This will push him to tell you himself." Catching the Makers wink, Cadence smiled and acceptance. "You two should probably rest, night will be upon us soon and you'll need your energy." The Maker said being no stranger to tactical approach. "In the meantime, is there anything you could tell me about my parents?" "Usually I would tell people it's none of my business to share the details of our lives, however, you're their child and you knowing more about Sky might actually help him. Your mother has always been a little more transparent." "What does that mean?" Cadence asked. The Maker casted a soft look toward Inko, silently conveying that she wished to have a moment with cadence, alone. Accepting the gesture Inko stood and left, moving into a small back cave where Skies kept various crates. Cadence didn't understand and began to feel crippled underneath the Makers presents. "Please relax." The Maker said. "There's nothing you can say to me that would make me harm you. You know, your father was terrified of me when we first met." She smiled at the memory. "Of course back then I did come on strong, it didn't stop him from flailing calling me a horse lady. "Horse lady?" Cadence asked. "Among other things." The Maker said. "He always had that gimmick of being smart whenever people were talking to him. But he has mellowed out somewhat with age, but especially when you were born. Few things changed him over the course of his long life, one was the issue that now drives Celestia to hunt Spirits and the other was your birth." "Where was I born?" Cadence asked never having really thought to ask. "The old capital of the Griffin Empire, Rough cliff, or what was once known as the Griffin Empire. It's now home to a Unicorn colony, I believe." The maker said without hesitation. "You only spent a few days there before your parents brought you home to what was then their Castle in the land of the deer folk in Northern Foenem. You're actually a very early birth, your parents were in Griffin Stone for a conference and in the middle of a meeting your mother went into labor." "Really?" "Really really." The Maker nodded and summoned two cups of hot tea before them as a small trickle of Honey appeared from the void between them. "The Gryphon kingdom is on the western end of the continent known as Foenem. Beings forget this little fact cause it's technically a giant island, but the small island chain to its south connects them. "I've heard of it, but not much I'm afraid. Is it that much of it a mystery?" "No. There is somewhat of a disconnect between the continents of Equestria and Foenem not to mention being thoroughly disconnected from the other eight." "So I'm not an equestrian?" "Nope. You are a soul not born of this realm in a body not born of another continent. Yet, you are a princess here." "Does that make me a pawn? I never thought I deserved the Crystal crown but I somehow work past that and now I find out I'm not equestrian." Cadance said, looking into the whirlpool that was her tea, unsure of how to feel. "That's the biggest question for me, and I believe one of the biggest ones for your father too. Knowing your mother she probably doesn't care, she's more of a live in the moment type person." The Maker ran her win along Cadence's side to gain her attention. "It was so weird to me that Celestia didn't imprison you or Exile you. She took you as her niece, disguised you as an alicorn and gave you a king to rule alongside you. I've been trying to look through history more thoroughly since I came here a few hours ago, it's still murky but I can see that she's done nothing to put you In harm's way. Not even your father's siblings know about you. Which I find to be very curious." Unsure of how to read the situation, Cadence looked at the Maker and bit her lip. "Are you trying to show this in a light where Celestia is an okay person? After putting all the spirits on trial, my people and your people, I don't get what you're trying to say." "I'm not trying to sway you into anything, I'm just telling you what was." The Maker said sipping her tea. "What am I supposed to tell my father when he passes judgment on her?" Jostling her tea, the Maker hummed. "You grew up in in Pony Society, they are just as much your people as Spirits are. I know what you meant when you said Spirits as being your people but you must keep this in mind at all times. You are not your father. Nor must you be." The Maker rested her hoof on Cadence's. "You must not make decisions to gain the approval of your parents, it won't work and it will only serve to injure things further. As much as I love your father, I know and he knows that he's not in a place to pass judgment. I know what he's trying to do, and I approve, but you must take it upon yourself to make your own decisions and in a way to bring balance back." "I've heard my father speak about this over and over, about spirits keeping balance." Cadence said, looking at the Maker, unwavering, the Makers presence now becoming familiar to her. "He keeps saying the typical dad thing, I know you'll understand when you get older." "You're asking me for the purpose of spirits?" The Maker asked rhetorically, knowing where Cadence was going with the line of thought. "Spirits exist to foster life and death. Spirits aren't inherently good or inherently evil, despite them appearing to be so. What your father means by bringing back balance is swinging the pendulum back when it's swung too far. One spirit may whisper in the ear of a mortal, causing them to do great things where another would do the opposite. Each spirit is different, your parents watch over not only a realm but over an aspect of life. Your mother is the spirit of beauty, now beauty isn't just that of aesthetics, it's a plethora of things but she also watches over the precious metals stones and treasures you may find naturally, what the mortals call gems are actually integral parts of the environment. This doesn't literally mean she goes around protecting gemstones only that she was the one that forged them and created them, like a fire Ruby. Your father does the same but with forests." "And animals?" "Your father is the Forest Spirit. He was given the power to help the animals, but that was for another. One who is no longer with us." "So there are different Spirits for different things?" "Yes." The Maker nodded. "Spirits of action, spirits of thought, spirits of the planet like the original Guardians. Greater and lesser, spirits come in all shapes and sizes just as the mortal races do on this planet, coming in all shapes and sizes. Only difference is that Spirits came first." "And spirits come from another Realm?" "That brings in another discussion entirely." The Maker turned, excited at Cadance's want for knowledge. "Sif, your father's faithful companion, is a lesser spirit but she and her soul were born of this realm. Your father, an elder spirit, comes from Earth." The Maker said, holding her hooves out before her and summoning two palm-sized Celestial orbs. "So there are spirits that aren't from where my parents are from?" "Yes. There must always be a foundation for this realm, and those Spirits are that foundation. Without a foundation, protective barriers between realms collapse. After the spirit War, new Spirits were birthed from Heroes, you've read about in books and heard about and tales." The Maker said. "This is a lot to take in." Cadence said. "So when Celestia banish all the spirits, she upset the foundation? Which through Equus out of balance?" "Yes and no." The Maker said the realm that your friend Sunset Shimmer inhabits is linked to this one, the same with Tartarus. She kept them there and their magic flows in and out of that portal, however it's not the same as them being here that's why this planet has survived so long without them being here directly. Specifically the Earth Elemental. Without her one of the great pillars is missing. Air, has also been absent, I am unsure where he is." "So how do we bring them back?" Cadence asked. "I'm sure a few hundred spirits coming back would upset the planet. Especially if they all see Celestia as their enemy. My father wasn't able to convince them to come back, how would he be able to help the situation?" "I think you underestimate your father." The Maker chuckled and then looked up at Cadence. "But it's not him that has to convince the spirits." Cadence didn't understand the prompt and looked at the Maker like she had four heads. "Remember, Anara, you are made up of both worlds. Your father needs you, more than he realizes." "It would be easier to get close to him if he didn't have so many secrets." Cadence thought aloud. "As I said before, you must seek your own answers. Your father learned this long ago, and that led him to developing the memory technique where he takes the information he wants." The Maker said not letting her disapproval remain unknown. "Are you condoning me to go behind my father's back to learn more about him?" "Oh trust me, your father already knows I'm going to propose this to you. Even if you disapprove, you are an adult and you must make your own decisions." "I'm getting a subtle hint that you planned this out quite far in advance." Cadence accused with a sly smirk and receiving a Sly smirk in return. "Maybe."