As ponies gathered to greet Twilight and thank her for her timely arrival, a mare who Twilight wasn’t completely familiar with pushed through to speak. Tufts of her navy blue and pink mane stuck out from under her helmet.
“Calm it down! We’re not even half done here!” the mare barked gruffly, clearly conducting herself as an officer as she eyed the mage’s insignia on Twilight’s armor. “Report soldier. Where’s the rest of your unit?”
“Right behind me,” she said, indicating ten ponies headed toward them from one of the north streets.
“Is this the Vanguard we’ve been holding out for? Just them?!”
“Sorry to disappoint, but there wasn’t time,” Jason said, as he and the others trotted into speaking distance. “We were forced to engage in multiple locations in order to break through and reach the town. The others will be pushing to meet us independently. For now, we just needed some of us to be here at all.”
He stopped beside Twilight and scanned the crowd of ponies. He found who he was looking for at the same moment she reached him. Applejack threw herself into him and cut off his greeting with her lips. The kiss was hard and unabashed, even in front of so many watching ponies. After a few breathless seconds, she broke away with a soft smile. Jason stared back, speechless and wide-eyed.
“Thank Celestia you’re alright,” she whispered. “Seein’ Canterlot burnin’, I was so worried.”
Her eyes lingered on him even as she turned to greet Twilight. The two mares embraced, but Jason heard nothing of the words they exchanged. He was still far too distracted by Applejack’s kiss. It had been more passionate than anything that should have passed between friends. Indeed, he didn’t think there was any way to interpret its intentions as something other than romantic. It confused him that she should so suddenly show that kind of interest in him. He thought back through their interactions to find clues to her behavior and realized his error almost instantly. His familiarity with her would have passed as close friendship in Elven culture, but she had obviously seen it as more. He grimaced inwardly and hoped he would be able to explain the issue without upsetting her. However, now was not the time.
“Who’s in command here?” Jason asked.
“I am, if anyone is. The name’s Bon Bon.”
“Lieutenant Faircastle,” he said, indicating himself. “Now, are we retaking the town or evacuating?”
“Evacuating, sort of. But we’ve been too slow at it.” Bon Bon glanced at the ponies across the river, still in sight as they made their way east. “We’ve been buying them time.”
Jason followed her gaze and frowned critically. “Pull your troops back to the other side of the river and hold the far side of the bridge. We’ll establish a forward perimeter and keep them off of you.”
“Who do you think you’re giving orders to?” Bon Bon huffed. “I said I’m in command here.”
“What’s your rank?” Jason retorted. When Bon Bon hesitated, he went on. “Even if you outranked me, the plan I’m offering still stands. Are you disagreeing with that plan or just resenting the fact that it was an order?”
“It’s been a while since I took any kind of authority over me,” she said crossly. “But I’ll see to it your plan is carried out. Besides, we need the breather.”
She trailed off ominously with a glance at the ragged and exhausted ponies behind her. Then she saluted and began directing the defenders to cross the bridge. Jason was about to start issuing orders to his team but stopped when he saw the reunion that was silently taking place. Big Mac and Applejack cried as they held each other. Twilight stood just to their side, wiping away tears of her own. The other ponies of the Vanguard looked on in hushed sympathy, though more than a few glanced out at the dead, searching, hopefully in vain, for their own loved ones. Unwilling to interrupt, Jason instead signaled Rainbow to bring her fliers down to meet them.
“What’s it look like from up there?” he asked when they’d gathered on the ground.
“The Trolls aren’t pushing anymore,” she replied, looking back at the surrounding streets. “They’re concentrating their forces to the west, like they’re waiting for something. Some of them are still hanging around the north side of town though, mostly burning buildings.”
“Numbers?”
“Lots,” Rainbow said dryly. “More than a thousand and that’s just the ones we could count. There’s no telling how many more are lurking around.”
“Then we’re not going to be able to save the town itself,” Jason said with a heavy sigh. “But buildings can be rebuilt if only the citizens survive to return. We’ll hold here until we can be sure the Trolls can’t catch them and then move out ourselves.”
“What about ponies still in the town?” Rainbow asked apprehensively.
“What ponies?” Jason scanned the streets, but there was no movement. “They’ll either have run or died by now, I think.”
Rainbow didn’t budge. “I think we should at least look.”
“I’m not risking any more lives on a suspicion that somepony is hiding in a cupboard somewhere,” Jason shot back.
“It’s Apple Bloom,” Rainbow said, casting a glance at Applejack. The other mare looked like she’d been struck a blow as she spun around, aghast. “She’s not accounted for, and she’d been out there last they saw her.”
She pointed back into town, where smoke rose from burning cottages and the shapes of Trolls could be seen moving several streets away. Jason was about to say that they couldn’t begin a search in a place like that, but he could see Applejack out of the corner of his eye. Reluctantly, he changed his mind.
“Our first objective is to cover the evacuation,” he said slowly. “But I’ll see what I can do about finding Apple Bloom. Everyone is to hold this position until I get back.”
“I’m going with you,” Applejack said. Big Mac nodded as he stood by her side.
“No,” Jason said firmly. “Stay back and keep the bridge locked down. That’s an order.”
Big Mac grunted in frustration and turned to join the rest of the Vanguard’s formation, but Applejack held her ground.
“There ain’t an order you can give that’ll keep me from searchin’ for my sister. And I reckon I’m not in the Army anyway, so there.” She looked at him very pointedly.
Jason hesitated in responding as he tried to articulate his reservations, which gave Twilight enough time to chime in.
“I’ll go with as well.” She saw Jason rounding on her with an exasperated exclamation on his lips and cut him off before he could even begin. “Princess Celestia expressly forbade you from giving me orders. I will go where I decide.”
Jason had to close his eyes tightly in order to contain his irritation. When he was able to speak, it was through clenched teeth. “Fine. But I resent this risk. I’d rather you stayed back here, where it’s safer.”
“I figure I’ll be safer with you,” Applejack said.
Her expression softened, allowing Jason to detect a reluctance to see him leave again. His anger melted away before the vulnerability he saw. He was no stranger to that look. He had never been very good at dealing with it and he wasn’t faring well in this world either. He didn’t trust himself to reply, so instead, he turned to address Rainbow.
“Sergeant, I trust you won’t dispute my orders when I tell you and your fliers to round up all the ammo you can before the Trolls decide to press this position again?” Rainbow shook her head hastily and Jason went on. “Good. You’ll need every javelin you can get in order to keep the pressure off our ground troops.”
“Lieutenant?” she said as he started off. “I’d suggest starting on the north side. There aren’t so many of them as to the west and something’s keeping them busy. Might be ponies holding out.”
Jason nodded and started northward. When Big Mac made to follow, Jason shook his head in resignation and motioned for him to keep up.
“Might as well let you come,” he grumbled. “She’s your sister too.”
They made their way quickly, meeting no resistance as they pressed out of the town square and into the northern streets. The fires hadn’t spread far in this part of town yet and the Trolls were concerned with other parts of the town at the moment. But the sounds of Trollish shouting reached them soon and they investigated. Twilight gasped when they found her library in the center of the commotion. Dozens of Trolls had surrounded it, brandishing weapons and occasionally throwing rocks at the windows. Some Trolls lay dead nearby, their fur burned away by tongues of green flame that still clung to the blackened forms. The ponies took cover around a corner.
“Spike,” Twilight breathed as she looked at the scorched Trolls. Her eyes traveled to the windows, searching for any signs of movement and then swept across the Trolls laying siege to the tree dwelling. “I’ve got to help him.”
She made to step out of concealment but Jason stopped her. She opened her mouth to tell him off but he made a placating gesture for her to listen.
“I know I can’t give you orders, but let me make a suggestion. There’s too many to take in a straight fight, but we might be able to drive them off with some trickery.”
Twilight waited to see what Jason had in mind and started in shock when she saw it. Jason used telekinesis to lift one of the Troll bodies back to its feet and grip its weapon once more. Twilight followed suit with another body. Jason lifted a second one once he had the first properly balanced. Twilight raised two more in similar fashion. The five risen Trolls shambled clumsily toward their unsuspecting living counterparts, weapons raised to strike. The weapons came down, felling the first Troll before any of them knew what was happening. Unexpectedly, the Trolls struck back without more than a moment’s hesitation. But the Trolls were equally surprised when the corpses didn’t stop. Though large chunks were taken off, even a head in one case, the arms that held the weapons kept swinging.
There was a pause in which the Trolls backed away in uncertainty. When one of those brought down by the walking corpses began to rise as well, a few let out shrieks of undisguised fear and the entire group broke ranks, fleeing to the west. The ponies waited a few moments, and when the Trolls did not seem to be returning, they crossed the street to the library. Applejack stopped to look at the bodies where Jason and Twilight had let them fall back to the ground.
“That sure chased ‘em off.” She shivered and then added, “Spooked me a bit too.”
Twilight nodded in agreement. “They might be our enemy, but the dead shouldn’t be treated like that. It just doesn’t feel right.”
“A necessity of war,” Jason said. He glanced uneasily at the bodies as well. “It wasn’t true Necromancy though. Just a bit of gruesome puppetry.”
“What difference is there?” Twilight asked.
“Very little,” Jason said darkly.
They reached the door and paused to listen. No sounds came from within, nor could they detect any movement through the gaps in the splintered door.
“Spike?” Twilight called, barely raising her voice. “Spike, it’s me. Are you in there?”
There was a tense pause and Twilight grew more anxious with each second of silence.
“Twilight?” the dragon’s voice replied at last. “Is it really you?”
A reptilian face appeared in one of the windows and was gone again in the blink of an eye. There was scrapping and a few thuds as heavy objects were moved away from the door. The door opened and Spike ushered them inside. Twilight scooped him up and hugged him tight while Big Mac and Applejack closed the door and peered out the windows to keep tabs on the street. Jason looked around and saw two dead Trolls inside. Both were burned and then appeared to have been doused by buckets of water. The room was torn apart, evidently in the scuffle with the Trolls. Books were torn and scattered and the tables were propped on their sides near the stairs, forming a crude barricade. A face poked out from beneath a desk, but disappeared with a squeak of fear when they saw Jason looking.
“It’s alright,” Jason said softly as he approached. “We’re here to help.”
The face appeared once more and the tiny Unicorn gazed up at him uncertainly. Her faintly violet coat and golden-blond mane were vaguely familiar, and as he got close enough to see behind the tables, he realized why. A grey-coated Pegasus lay curled up at the base of the stairs, her face obscured by both her blonde mane and her hooves. Her shoulders shook weakly from tired sobbing and her wings lay limp at her sides.
“Ditzy?” he breathed.
His heart skipped a beat when her ears perked up to her name and she looked around to see him. The lopsided eyes struggled to focus on him, but after a moment, she gave up.
“It’s not him,” she muttered to herself.
The Unicorn Jason assumed to be Dinky looked up at him. “Are you here to save us?”
“Yes we are,” he replied softly. “We’re making sure nopony gets left behind and we need to hurry.”
“Why didn’t you come sooner?” she asked.
Jason was taken aback but he recovered quickly. “We were far away. But we came as quickly as we could.”
“You shouldn’t have been so far away,” she said bluntly.
He considered her carefully. “We’re here now.”
She stared back at him and he got the impression she was weighing his words with a critical reasoning far more mature than her age suggested. Knowing the circumstances she and her mother faced, he could only guess what harsh truths she’d been exposed to that prepared her to confront this situation. Dinky slowly turned to look at her mother. Ditzy had not moved or made any sign she intended to. Dinky trotted over and nudged her.
“Mommy, we need to leave,” she said, trying to push Ditzy to her feet, but hardly budging the mare.
Ditzy mumbled something but Jason didn’t catch it. Dinky seemed to have understood and redoubled her efforts.
“We can’t stay here. Mommy, please!” Her horn sputtered and some of the feathers of Ditzy’s wing were ruffled by the attempted telekinesis.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, getting up anyway. “He’s gone.”
“It does matter,” Jason said sharply.
His tone cut through to Ditzy and she looked Jason in the eye for the first time. She started in surprise when she recognized him.
“Mr. Faircastle?!” Words hovered on her lips and she struggled to get them in order. “But if you’re here…”
Her jaw went slack as a realization crashed over her. She walked up to him with a desperate plea in her eyes, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask the question for fear of her newly rekindled hope being extinguished again. Jason had a hunch as to what it was, but he remained stone-faced.
“Let’s get moving,” he said, turning back to the door. “We’re a long ways from the rest of our troops and the enemy won’t hang back forever.”
Ditzy lit up with another flare of hope at the mention of other troops and she followed eagerly, hardly daring to breathe. Twilight hesitated, looking around at her books and tables in the home she might never see again. But she managed to pull herself away and followed the others back out into the street. They hadn’t gone more than a block when Trolls came howling toward them from the west side. Jason swore under his breath and drew his sword. Twilight, Spike, Applejack and Big Mac took up positions on either side of him while Ditzy and Dinky shrank away in fear. For a moment, it looked as if they would be buried by the sheer number of Trolls that were careening toward them. But something disrupted their charge from the rear and Jason heard a familiar voice shouting in a foreign tongue.
“Hest Tek Finan!” Zacon shouted, his Axe pointed at the enemy in challenge. “Hule Tek Gunarin!”
He and the rest of the ponies with him fell upon the rear of the Troll forces as they turned to face his voice. Jason sprang into action immediately, taking advantage of the distracted Trolls in front of him to carve deep into their formation, leaving his enemies to fall behind him from the keen bite of his arcing blade. Zacon’s Axe clove through the Trolls as he passed them and the ponies pushed in behind him. Twilight lashed out with ice shards and bursts of Unicorn magic. Spike, with his flame breath, and Applejack and Big Mac, with their sword and hammer, supported her in pressuring the Trolls and kept them from getting around on the mage. The Trolls were now being boxed in as ponies attacked from both ends of the street while the magic blades of the foreign warriors cut them down from within.
Jason and Zacon reached each other and fought side by side, dividing the Trolls effectively into two outflanked groups that dwindled rapidly until they were wiped out entirely. So complete was the maneuver’s success that none of the ponies fell in the battle. Zacon quickly directed his troops to follow after Jason as they all headed toward the river again.
“A timely arrival,” Jason commented as they ran.
“The battle is still young and I intend to be a part of as much of it as possible,” he replied with a grin of anticipation.
“Not so young as you might think,” Jason returned. “The enemy is far too numerous for us to handle today. We’re preparing to leave the town once the last of the civilians have been evacuated.”
They arrived at the river and the two parts of the divided Vanguard greeted each other warmly. Zacon spat into the dirt and rounded on Jason.
“You’re telling me we came all this way to help these ponies leave their homes behind?”
“We don’t have much choice, now do we?” Jason pointed out.
“Turning tail and running is the worst choice there is!” he said, raising his voice. “J’ut! I’ll be called a coward after I’m dead!”
“No one is going to call you a coward except yourself,” Jason said with a bite of ire. “And that’ll be your choice as well.”
Zacon leaned in close to Jason so their eyes were inches apart.
“I didn’t come here to watch this town become a bonfire,” Zacon said, seething with barely contained fury. “I came here to win a war! Now let’s take this fight to them!”
Before Jason could shout his answer back, Rainbow called out.
“Look! We’ve got reinforcements!”
She let out a whoop and pointed at the swarm of figures rapidly approaching from high above. Fourteen squadrons of Pegasi, the entire Air Corps, circled as they descended. One broke away and headed for the assembled ponies on the ground. Spitfire came to hover a short distance off the ground and returned Rainbow’s salute.
“We got your message and came as quick as we could,” she said, with a glance at the burning town. She gritted her teeth against what she saw. “What’s the plan of attack?”
Startled, Jason made a rapid reassessment of the situation, looked at Zacon and gave a nod that dismissed their argument entirely. He stepped back and yielded the decision to the other Lieutenant. Zacon stepped forward to address the Captain.
~*~*~
Cor had been silent for the entire exchange, now watching with mild detachment as Zacon laid out his plan. It had been a long night, made especially difficult by the fact that he’d drained himself so completely the day before. His quiver held the remaining arrows for the entire Vanguard, twenty in all. The other archers had given the last of their own to him in favor of spears and swords, noting that he would make better use of them. Even so, he’d made use of his own sword more in that one night than he had in the rest of the conflict thus far. This chance to stand still was a welcome one, brief as he knew it was.
The Pegasus they’d just rescued was standing nearby, holding tightly to Private Turner. Her first reaction to seeing him had been to throw her hooves around his neck while tears and laughter mixed in his mane. Now, as he told her that he might have to go back to the fighting, she didn’t look like she intended to let go. Applejack and Big Mac were exchanging a parting hug as the latter rejoined the troops forming up under Zacon’s directions. She remained stoic as he left, but Cor could tell she was holding a lot back. Ditzy was doing her best to let Turner leave as well, but she wiped her eyes so often that she nearly lost her balance switching from hoof to hoof.
Spike joined Twilight as she and Jason waited for Zacon to give the order to move. Cor remained where he was, already having agreed to hold the bridge and rest himself. While none of them were doing well, despite Zacon’s undaunted air, Cor was the least fit of them to return to battle. With the last of the plan agreed upon, Zacon directed the troops to action. The Air Corps merged with Rainbow’s squadron and the remaining defenders to sweep the smoke from the skies over the burning town with their combined wing power. After clearing away their concealment, the Air Corps began a withering assault on the Trolls in the streets. Zacon led the Vanguard’s ground forces in their wake, clearing out buildings and putting out fires as they passed.
The sounds of battle rose and fell, ultimately moving farther away as minutes passed. Cor sat down at the foot of the bridge, looking warily about for any attempt to cross the river. Applejack was directing Ditzy to the other side when she stopped beside Cor.
“You just gonna sit there then?” Applejack asked.
“I’m in no condition to be keeping up with the others and this bridge needs guarding,” he replied. “It’s not about to go anywhere, so neither am I.”
“I meant, of all the things you could be doin’, this is it?” she pressed.
“Look, I told you why I’m not dodging around out there with the others and why this spot is important. If I had some supplies on hoof, I’d be making arrows. Other than that, I don’t see a whole lot else to do.”
Applejack looked about conspiratorially. “My sister is still out there. We rescued Ditzy here while we were lookin’ for her, but now Jason’s busy again. I’m not done though. I won’t stop lookin’ ‘til I find her.” She looked at him imploringly. “I could use some help, if you’re able.”
Cor bit his lip as he looked over the defenders on the far side of the river. They still stood ready to fight, even as they took what rest they could in the calm. He scanned the streets for threats and saw none. The Vanguard and the Air Corps had pushed the enemy back into the west side of the town and seemed to be keeping them there. He found himself agreeing with Applejack that the bridge was a pretty useless post to be standing.
“I shouldn’t. Jason would give me hell for walking away from this position when I need the rest,” he said, but sighed as he went on. “But he’d probably give me hell for letting you go off on your own too, maybe even more. And I can’t convince you not to, can I?”
Applejack frowned sternly in answer and Cor nodded.
“Very well. I’ll go with you.”
Applejack nodded solemnly and pointed to the southwest.
“On the way back here, Spike told me Apple Bloom ran toward the edge of town, that way.” She shook her head sadly as she trotted off. “Makes sense she’d head for home when she’s scared.”
Ditzy, having listened to the entire conversation, guided her daughter across the bridge and left her in the custody of Bon Bon’s defenders. Then she quickly returned to Cor and Applejack.
“I’ll come with too,” she said meekly. When they regarded her uncertainly, she went on. “You only saved me because you were looking for your sister. I owe you a bit for that.” She looked back at Dinky tenderly. “Besides, I can’t stand to think that a filly might be stuck out there, alone and afraid.”
“We appreciate it,” Cor said neutrally.
They skirted the edge of the river, staying out of the shadow of the buildings wherever possible. Cor held his bow ready on one side and his sword on the other, watching for Trolls at every corner. The road that turned south out of town was packed hard and impossible to read, but Cor noticed clues leading off the road and into the orchard. Scratches on the white paint of the fence and tufts of grass torn up by Trollish feet marked the pursuit of a single pony by at least four Trolls. He vaulted the fence and led the others into the trees, moving quicker with urgency, but his eyes never resting anywhere long as he sought out the danger that was surely ahead.
Applejack gripped her blade tightly, peering at every shadow with a mixture of hope that she might find her sister and fear as to what she might see. Ditzy trotted along behind them, staying on the ground. She kept looking behind them apprehensively, but nothing seemed to threaten from the way they’d come. The softer earth between the trees offered an easier trail than the road and Cor had no trouble finding the tracks of Apple Bloom and her assailants. The farther they went, the more rushed Applejack’s steps became, driven by the need to reach the end of the trail, until Cor was actually hurrying to keep up with her.
He lagged, unable to push himself to run yet. The best he could manage was a canter while Applejack would have been galloping out of sight if she weren’t stopping to look around every tree and bush she passed. Cor and Ditzy trekked along behind her, pushing deeper into the orchard. Applejack came to an abrupt stop and cast about frantically.
“Where’d they go?!” she asked, spinning around to face Cor. “Her hoofprints! They just stop here but the Troll prints keep on goin’ down that way.”
She pointed to the northwest and Cor examined the tracks in question. He saw the imprint of tiny hooves, nearly lost among the deeper markings of the Trolls. But when the Troll prints continued farther on, the filly’s prints stopped suddenly. He scratched his chin in thought. Meanwhile, Applejack let out a wail of lament.
“My sister’s gone! They caught her and carried her off, I just know it.” She dropped to the ground and buried her face under her hooves.
Cor peered closely at Apple Bloom’s final set of prints and shook his head. “Not likely.”
Applejack looked up at him, a spark of hope rekindled. “What’s that?”
“There’s no sign of struggle here.” He pointed at the Trolls’ tracks where they passed by Apple Bloom’s. “Even if they plucked her off the ground and carried her away, their tracks are uniform and so are hers. After coming so far, why would they have suddenly caught her here? And without breaking stride? As I said, not likely.”
He continued to examine the tracks and then the area around them more thoroughly. Applejack watched him closely and bit at her lip in worry. At last, Cor slapped the ground with a hoof in triumph.
“Look here,” he said, gesturing to the others. “See how these last tracks of hers are deeper than the others?” As they leaned in closer to see what he meant, he went on. “That’s pressure from pushing off, such as for a jump. And see how they’re deeper on one side? And the clods of dirt kicked up are to her left instead of behind? And if we follow the line of that jump…”
He directed their gaze to the bushes to the right and pointed out the broken twigs and leaves torn away by recent passage. A smile slowly spread across Applejack’s face.
“She gave ‘em the slip!” she exclaimed and pushed through the bushes, searching earnestly again.
They picked up the filly’s trail immediately and when Applejack saw the direction they were headed, she raced off, certain of the destination now. By the time Cor and Ditzy caught up, Applejack had already reached the quaint tree house nestled deep in the orchard. Apple Bloom had emerged from her hiding place to embrace her sister.
“We’re all safe now,” Applejack said. She wiped a tear from Apple Bloom’s cheek and gave her an encouraging smile as they set off again. “We’d best be gettin’ back and rejoin the others.”
Only a minute later, Cor detected trouble. His finely honed senses picked out the sounds of furtive footsteps approaching before the first Troll was in view.
“Thes,” he said, the harsh hiss of a word grabbing everypony’s attention instantly.
Ditzy gasped and all eyes turned to the Trolls that emerged from the screen of trees to the north and west. Cor turned to face the enemy and aimed an arrow at the nearest Troll. Applejack pushed her sister behind her and readied her sword. Ditzy took to the air and hovered above them fretfully. The Trolls charged when they saw weapons raised and Cor dropped the first two before they’d gone five steps. But as he pulled another arrow, he registered that this was a larger group of Trolls than just the few they had tracked out here.
“Run,” he shouted, backing away. “Back to the road!”
The ponies took off through the trees, the Trolls close behind them. Cor was still suffering from fatigue, but he kept the Trolls at bay with his arrows. Even Applejack was beginning to have trouble keeping ahead of the Trolls’ lumbering pursuit. Dozens of Trolls were matching their steps to either side, and closing in from behind. Cor could see that they wouldn’t make the road before they were forced to fight.
“Ditzy,” he shouted. The Pegasus flew in closer to hear him, swooping under branches as he ran. “I need you to warn the others. Bring help!”
Ditzy nodded frantically and flew off, climbing above the canopy and winging northeast. Cor’s breath was turning ragged and he could hear equally labored breathing from Applejack, though she was doing a better job not showing it. He looked for a place they might be able to gain an advantage, but skidded to a halt when Apple Bloom cried out. She tumbled to the ground and was slow to rise. Cor fired a few more arrows to keep the Trolls from reaching her while Applejack scooped her up and carried the filly on her back.
“I’m alright,” she said, clearly shaken. “Just tripped.”
Cor could see the tremble in her shoulders as much as hear it in her voice. She was running on fear alone, having been pushed to exhaustion in the chase out here. Applejack was beginning to falter now, bearing the weight of her sister on top of the sleepless night of fighting she’d already endured. Cor knew they couldn’t go much farther. He had ten arrows left and next to no mana. If a miracle didn’t fall out of the sky, they might be finished. He glanced at the Trolls to the right and left and then at the fearful look in Apple Bloom’s eyes. With a grunt, he decided to abandon conventional magical warfare and start abusing the full potential of Unicorn telekinesis.
“Stand your ground!” he shouted, skidding to a halt. He took a wide stance and focused every ounce of will on the enemies barreling toward him. “I’ll set them up, you knock them down!”
Applejack stopped with him, looking uncertain but drawing her sword again regardless. Apple Bloom hopped off her back and took cover behind a tree. Cor’s keen eyes darted about, picking out each and every detail of each and every movement, tracking them all and measuring the order of his attacks. He returned his bow and sword to their sling and sheath to free up all of his concentration. The green glow of his horn wrapped around the feet of many Trolls, tripping them or causing them to stumble. Others had their weapons pulled from their startled grasp. Rapid and precise, Cor’s intrusive influence held up the attackers. As the first of them reached Applejack, who was coiled to strike, he snagged the weapons, wrists and ankles of the Trolls, delaying their actions and leaving them briefly vulnerable.
Applejack took full advantage, cutting down one Troll after another as they inexplicably found themselves fumbling at key moments. Even still, the two ponies had to give ground steadily as the Trolls’ numbers seemed limitless. A hundred had already fallen when Cor began to feel the effects of such extensive use of his horn. No longer simply holding objects, he was affecting many targets significantly and with a sustained effort. His horn burned and sparked as residual magic lingered from continuous exertion.
He signaled Applejack to retreat and they ran a hundred yards before stopping to fight again. Cor’s horn was marginally recovered but they were both at their physical limits. They could no longer run and a hundred more Trolls still closed in on them. Cor sent his sword out ahead of him and intercepted Trolls before they could reach them. Applejack seemed to be drawing on determination alone to keep fighting. She was beginning to stumble and falter even as she managed to parry and dodge and counterattack with enough power and speed to give the Trolls pause. Cor’s horn was a searing pain and he took his sword in his mouth instead. They broke off yet again, falling back with the Trolls on their heels.
A Troll’s axe lodged in the plating on Applejack’s left flank, cutting one of the connecting straps. The loose plate tangled with her legs as she ran, causing her to stumble and go down. Cor drew his bow and fired five arrows in rapid succession, giving her time to recover. But the Trolls were on her again as soon as she could stand and she was forced to turn to face them. With a desperate surge of mana, Cor fired an arrow charged with the only spell he could manage. The arrow struck and exploded in a cloud of frigid air, sticking to the fur of the Trolls closest to them and freezing in a solid layer that trapped them in place. Cor was lightheaded but managed to stay upright. As Applejack turned to run, Cor caught sight of a blur of motion from farther back in the remaining Trolls.
A faint bluish hue was all he could make out before a spear flew with wicked purpose and struck Applejack under her right shoulder plate. Her leg buckled from the force of the blow and the pain that lanced through her and she cried out as she went down. Cor sent his sword into the Trolls that sought to reach the downed mare and fired the last of his arrows. He cried out in rage and pain as his horn flared from the burden of use. But for all his efforts, the Trolls pushed through. As Applejack stood again, one of them reached her. Even though Cor pulled the axe from its grip before it could swing, he couldn’t prevent it from striking with its massive clawed hand.
The claws dug into her exposed left flank and the Troll followed through with a guttural roar. Applejack was lifted off the ground by the blow and deposited in a heap some several yards away. When she did not attempt to rise, the twenty or so Trolls that remained disregarded her, turning to the only combatant left standing. Cor backed away in disbelief, his ability to concentrate on his weapons fading. He had no arrows, no mana, no strength left to fight. He was alone, far from town and on the verge of collapsing.
All the wars I’ve seen, and this is how I go? he thought with a hint of morbid amusement.
He tripped on an exposed root, falling against the rough bark of the tree behind him. He stared back into the baleful eyes of the Trolls as they closed in on him. But they never reached him. A flash of black and tan swept into them and they fell, cut apart by the keen blade that whirled around the new arrival. With wide strokes, Jason forced his way into the middle of the Trolls and began separating limbs from their owners in earnest. With only a handful of troops left, the Trolls broke and ran. Jason let them go, assessing Cor’s condition with a quick glance and then rushing to Applejack. Cor struggled back to his hooves and staggered over to her. Jason stared down at her with wide eyes, his jaw set hard. Ditzy returned, landing beside them and gasping at what she saw.
Applejack’s left side had been torn open from hip to shoulder by the Troll’s claw. She’d been raked deeply, her ribs visible through the three long gashes. Beneath the blood that welled up, they could see how each ragged breath moved inside her chest. The spearhead was still protruding from her right shoulder, though most of the shaft had been snapped off by her landing. Blood trickled from under the plates, but not nearly so much as from her flank. Cor eased his pack off and settled down beside her, but he knew it might already be too late to do anything for her.
~*~*~
Jason didn’t even see Cor there until he’d put the first layer of bandages over the wound. Too much was flashing in front of his eyes. Possibilities; memories; regrets: He didn’t even try to sort them out. Part of him was still trying to deny what he saw while another was searching for a way to undo it. He was frozen between them. As Cor applied another layer, Jason took notice of his lack of magic.
“You’re out of mana,” he said flatly.
Cor nodded, digging for the rest of the bandages. Jason knew his own mana reserves wouldn’t be enough to heal her. Not without the risk of giving too much of himself. He watched as Applejack continued to bleed, her breathing weak and strained. The feeling of helplessness was strangling him and he wanted more than anything to act, but at the same time, the cost kept him from doing so. Cor looked up at him irritably.
“Could you stop hovering like that?” He gestured behind him. “Keep watch so they don’t sneak up on us again.”
Jason knew Cor was only short with him because of stress, and he dutifully stepped back, but he only managed to bite back a sharp response out of fear of interrupting the archer’s ministrations. Both of them were caught off guard, however, when another voice spoke up.
“No, let him stay.”
They had all thought Applejack was unconscious, but now she opened her eyes and looked between Cor and Jason pleadingly. Her gaze was barely focused and she couldn’t manage to raise her head, but her ears perked toward them attentively. Still, her voice had been soft and labored, with each breath coming at an effort.
“I’ve got to…” She paused to swallow the dryness in her throat. “…to tell him somethin’.”
Jason knelt down, getting in front of her so she could see him clearly.
“Jason.” She paused as her lips trembled. “I’m sorry. Sorry for gettin’ involved in the fightin’, even when you told me not to.”
Jason shook his head in protest, unwilling to put any blame on her for this, but she made a gesture to cut off any words.
“I wish we could’ve…had more time,” she said, pausing occasionally for a breath. “Some things I wish I could’ve said.”
Jason nodded dumbly. Applejack’s eyes fluttered closed and there was a tense silence broken only by her labored breathing.
“Is my sister safe?” Though she didn’t open her eyes, there was sudden strength in her voice.
Jason looked around and found Apple Bloom a short distance away, silent and wide-eyed.
“Yeah, she’s…she’s here.”
Jason gestured for her to come closer and Apple Bloom walked over with halting steps. Applejack took a few short breaths before speaking again.
“Take care of her for me. Don’t…” She gulped and tears leaked from her clenched eyes. “Don’t lose her too.” Then she opened her eyes and found Jason. Her tears fell into the grass under her cheek. “I don’t want to die for nothin’. I’m scared that…”
She gulped and took a few breaths but couldn’t seem to form the words. Her chest rose and fell rapidly and she looked between Jason and Apple Bloom with a frantic gleam in her eyes.
“I’m scared…” she breathed.
Then her eyes slowly closed and she went still. Cor stopped applying pressure to the bandages against her side, standing up and backing away with a shake of his head. Ditzy covered her mouth with her hooves and sat down to cry quietly. Apple Bloom still hadn’t made a sound and was standing so still she might have been carved from stone. Jason mouthed words he would never get a chance to say, the realization eating away at his composure even as he recoiled into himself to hide from what he was feeling.
But the sight before his eyes wouldn’t let him go. Rationally, he’d seen death many times before, even in this world. He’d known this pony for little more than three weeks. But seeing the life leave her, he was wounded deeper than he thought possible. She wasn’t just another innocent casualty of a senseless war, nor even simply his friend. She’d been a bastion of selflessness and warmth that he never realized he needed.
Something blurred his vision and he realized he was trembling, but he couldn’t make himself stop. Memories assaulted him and he was helpless before them. Her smile that had helped him hold on to hope when he’d first come to this world; the ways she’d been so accommodating and understanding; the evening on her porch, watching the rain; the joy in her eyes when she’d seen him returning to Ponyville; it had all happened so fast that it felt like a blow to the gut looking back.
He closed his eyes against the images and he felt tears running down his muzzle. She hadn’t done anything to deserve this in her whole life. This war had robbed her of a good life and it was robbing countless other ponies of the same opportunities all across Equestria. And for what? The Trolls gave no reason, had no clear objective, nor even held much regard for their own lives. It was pointless, reckless violence: killing for the sake of killing. His people were born to face pure evil and defeat it, but Equestria was a land where conflict felt foreign. The injustice of seeing this land burn under the onslaught of such heedless malice tore something loose inside Jason and he felt a strange heat building in his chest.
When he opened his eyes, they were burning with rage.