//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 // Story: The Dusk Guard Saga: Hunter/Hunted // by Viking ZX //------------------------------// “You want to do what?” Dawn’s voice cut through the interior of the Order station, loud enough that Sabra folded his ears back against the sides of his helmet. Nearby a number of the crystal ponies jumped or shied away, including the one that she was examining. Or, at least, he tried to, but his body was so weak he could barely manage more than a slight jerk. “I’m sorry,” Dawn said, composing herself and looking the starved, aged stallion in the eyes. “That was not meant for you. You were right; one of your ribs is broken, and will need to be wrapped.” Her horn, already aglow, shone brighter, a long roll of some kind floating out of her saddlebags. “As for you, captain,” she said, glaring at Captain Song. “If I may speak freely—” “Denied.” Steel’s blunt request seemed to shock the mare, the bandage coming to a stop in the air for just the barest moment. “I already know what you’re going to say. Unless you’re going to genuinely surprise me.” “These ponies need medical attention,” Dawn said as she lifted the aged stallion in her magic, breaking off a section of the bandaging and carefully attaching it to his side. “I’m the one best-suited to giving it to them.” “I’m aware of that, sergeant,” Steel replied, his tone losing none of its sharpness. “But they have doctors as well.” “Doctors that are over a thousand years out-of-date,” Dawn said back, glaring at the captain while easing the bandage onto the stallions side. “Some of my materials they won’t even be able to identify, much less use, and if what we found in this station was any indication, there are plenty of other ponies who will need aid.” “Then they’ll have to make do.” Sabra could hear from the captain’s tone that there was no brokering any argument, despite Dawn’s best efforts. In fact, from the expressions on the crystal ponies, they’d seen the same thing. “At least until Sabra and I can spare you.” “To take on the single largest concentration of the Order left in the city?” Dawn frowned as she released the stallion from her magic. “Here,” she said, addressing him as she floated one of the medical kits over. It was sealed with blue tape “Take this,” she said. “There’s food and water in it. Eat slowly, starting with the plainest of things. Your system might go into shock otherwise.” The stallion nodded and slid off of the desk, Sabra stepping up beside him in support as his aged hooves met the floor. The crystal pony gave him a nod of thanks before taking a few shaky steps, and a few crystal ponies rushed out of the crowd to give him a hoof. “Dawn, you’re a fine doctor, but you’re not a commander,” Steel said. “We have to meet the Order’s largest power-base head-on now. I’m giving you a direct order.” “As medical authority—” “Then hear me out,” Steel said, stepping right in front of her. “Charging the Order head-on may sound crazy, but you want to help these ponies, right?” He waved a hoof at the crowd. “I do.” “How will you help them when the Order forms up and pins us in here?” he asked. “They outnumber us. We can’t play defensively. You understand medicine, Dawn, but I understand war. If we don’t hit them now, they’ll cut us off. Then you won’t be treating anyone.” “And you’re suggesting attack them in turn?” she asked. “It’s the only way to keep from getting pinned down. We let them surround us here, we give them control over the engagement and weight things in their favor. We need to pick them off before they get rolling, or they’ll crush us with overwhelming force. And to do that, I need all of my team members. Not just myself and Sabra. If you invoke medical authority to stay here, you help a few ponies to leave the rest of the city in a lurch.” “We need to take the offensive and keep their counterattack off-balance,” Steel continued. “If we take out the majority of their forces, they only have two options: Retreat into their strongholds like this station, at which point we can pick them off freely, or gather their remaining forces for a final push. Either option gives the ponies of this empire more freedom to move and act on their own. As well as allows you to treat those who truly need it, and somewhere more appropriate, like a hospital.” Dawn stood for a moment, her forehead wrinkling with thought. “Dawn,” Steel said, his voice growing slightly softer. “You know I’m right.” For a few moments more, the mare was silent, but then she nodded. “I apologize, captain,” she said, inclining her head slightly. “I was … out of line.” “No,” Steel said, shaking his head. “You were in line. You’re a doctor foremost. It’s just right now I need you to be a warrior before you can be a doctor.” “I understand.” She glanced around the station. Many of the desks had been shoved aside to make room for the crystal ponies crowding into the place, and most of them were looking at the team, waiting silently. Sabra couldn’t help but notice how many of them looked … broken. Their shoulders were slumped, their ears laid back. Even their coats seemed to be dull, like a piece of glass that had been smudged by too many hooves. “I’ll go speak with Garnet. I’ll need to leave someone with medical authority in charge.” “Three minutes,” Steel said, nodding. “Then we move.” Dawn nodded, snapped a salute, and trotted away. “Captain Song,” Sabra said, waiting until Dawn had slipped out the doors, the line of crystal ponies waiting to be treated beginning to break up. “Hold on,” Steel said, pointing at the line. “Where are you folks going?” “You’re leaving,” one of the crystal ponies said, a dejected expression across her face. “And you’re taking the doctor with you. There’s no point in—” “Stay right there,” Steel barked, freezing the breaking line in place. Sabra caught a hurried “Of all the—” muttered under the captain’s breath. “Yes, we’re leaving. But the doctor will be leaving her supplies and tasking some crystal ponies to look after your injuries. And unless I miss my guess, you’ve all been lined up by severity of injury and need of treatment. So stay in line and wait to be treated.” “But the Order—” another pony began, fear in their eyes, only for the captain to cut them off. “Isn’t going to be a problem much longer. That’s why I need my sergeant. So stay where you are,” Steel said with a stomp of his hoof. “That’s an order.” The crowd flinched at his words, but sank back into place. Sank, Sabra noticed, being the operative word. Captain Song, meanwhile, turned and marched for the door, and he fell in beside him. “Was that the wisest course of action?” he asked as soon as they’d passed out of the front door. The steps were clear, though the street in front of the station wasn’t. Garnet appeared to have been speaking honestly when he’d spoken of his role as a local leader. Though he had since been joined by two other crystal ponies, one of whom had been in the cells of the Order station. All three were currently speaking with Dawn, several other crystal ponies nearby clearly waiting their turn. Their coats seemed a bit shinier than they had been earlier, but maybe it was the light. “It wasn’t ideal,” Steel replied. “But neither was letting the ones most in need of medical care at the moment go limping home because we couldn’t treat them.” He deviated to the side, away from the cluster of crystal ponies and equipment. “Now,” he said, his voice lowering. “About that list. Did you find it?” Sabra nodded and reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a small scroll. “In the desk of whoever was in charge of the station.” “No magic?” Steel seemed surprised. “The lock was magic,” Sabra said. “So I broke the desk.” Said lock was still sitting untouched on the floor of the office. “But this appears to be the list you were looking for.” “And?” Steel asked, unrolling the scroll and taking a quick look at it. “Garnet does not appear anywhere,” Sabra confirmed. “Unless he lied to us about his name, or the names on that list are merely cover—” “I hope not, but I’m glad you thought of that.” “—he would appear to be who he claimed to be.” Steel nodded, but Sabra didn’t miss the way some of the tenseness in the stallion’s shoulders seemed to flow out. The list wasn’t a perfect confirmation, but it was a strong suggestion that the crystal stallion could be trusted to be who he said he was. “Well, I don’t know any of the names on this list,” the captain said after another few moments looking at it. “But I’ll bet he does.” He rolled the scroll back up. “What about the other list we were hoping to find?” Sabra nodded. “This one wasn’t even sealed.” It wasn’t on a scroll either; it had simply been a piece of paper atop one of the desks. Old paper, rough in texture, but paper nonetheless. “‘The weekly watch list,’” Steel read as Sabra passed the paper to him. “Garnet’s not on this one, either.” “It is a weekly list,” Sabra pointed out. “This name, however,” he said, pointing at a name that had been crossed out about halfway down the list. “I know.” “You do?” He nodded. “They were one of the ponies in the cells. I heard their name called as they left.” “So, weekly shake-down and watch list, maybe.” “Or the Order discovered something they didn’t like.” “All right.” Captain Song slid both the scroll and the sheet of paper into a pocket on his saddlebags. “Best we can do right now is pass this information on to Garnet and see if he has the ability to do anything with it. If not, we can pass it to Armor and his Guard when he arrives. We should assume that at least one of these collaborators has already split to inform other Order members about us. We might be able to use that.” “Anyway,” he said with a shake of his head. “Wait here. I’ll go speak with Garnet.” He strode toward the crystal pony leader, the ponies around Garnet backing away slightly as Steel approached. Dawn had already broken away, and was currently leading a trio of crystal ponies into the station. Which meant at the moment there was nothing for Sabra to do but … Wait, he thought, ears flicking as he shuffled through the various conversations around him. Most were subdued, but here and there he heard a spark of hope and spirit. Much of it seemed to be coming from the ponies they’d released from the Order’s cells. I wonder if there were ponies inside that other Order station that Hunter attacked? The collapsed one? If there had been, hopefully the cells had been safe from the destruction visited on the upper floors. He let his eyes drift to the skyline, up to the central tower and the red banners hanging from it. Smoke still hung over some parts of the city, though it was lessening. Ponies in those areas were getting control over the damage done from the battle between Sombra and the Princesses. He shuddered. What must that have looked like? The Princesses were immortals, possessing great power and capability. To be brought to a standstill, almost, by a mortal? The city is lucky it is in as good a shape as it is. Then again, knowing the Princesses, they had done everything in their power to make sure that damage to the city had been kept to a minimum. A minimum was not none, however. That was simply the way of things when war between powers arose. “All bear the scars,” an ancient minotaur philosopher had said. Granted, he’d followed a moment later with “So make certain that your enemy sees yours so that he knows how much you have survived.” Not subtle, but given the conditions of the burning lands the minotaurs called home, not unexpected. This city will bear some scars, Sabra thought, watching as Steel began to show Garnet the scroll, keeping his voice low but not so low that it seemed suspicious. Garnet, on the other hoof, had no such reservations. His eyes widened in shock as he took the list in his hooves, and he sank back on his haunches. One of the nearby crystal ponies, a mare, began to back away, her own eyes going wide as Garnet turned to look at her. She bolted, and Sabra leaped, his undersuit flashing with red-purple lines as he sailed across the street. He twisted in the air, bringing his Fimbo around and extending it even as he landed right in front of the mare. Her shock at his abrupt entrance only stunned her for a moment, and she jumped to the side, trying to dart around him. He didn’t even have to look as he stuck his staff between her hooves, tripping her and sending her sprawling to the ground. “No!” she shouted, her hooves skidding over the crystal stones as she struggled to get back up. Sabra planted a hoof between her shoulder blades, pressing her down as Steel and Garnet rushed over. “No! Let me go! You cannot do this!” She lashed out with her forehooves, but the blows bounced off of Sabra’s armor with almost no impact. “Amethyst,” Garnet said, and the mare quieted as the crystal stallion locked eyes with her. “Your mother would be ashamed.” “My mother could not see the truth. Neither do you, Sterling,” the mare said, her physical protests ceasing as Sabra zip-tied her front hooves together. “We are the wellsprings of magic. King Sombra is a pony who can use that wellspring, and if we go along with it, make all our lives better. Have you forgotten why we were forced to flee to this wretched waste in the first place? To fend for ourselves? Sombra gives us the power we lack!” “Power we lack only because he took it,” Garnet said, shaking his head. “And the heart.” “The heart was weak. Under his hoof, we will be made strong. You may bow before foreign invaders, but I will not.” She snapped her jaw shut with a sharp click, glaring at Garnet as if daring him to disagree. “If you want my advice, lock her up in the cells downstairs and sort it out later,” Steel said. “Just make sure you’re not trying to put her in one that we left the Order in. They might try to break out if they see we’re not around.” “You should consider a guard as well,” Sabra added. “Or keep the keys on your own person.” “Or both,” Steel said, nodding as he pulled Amethyst to her hooves. Only slightly roughly. The nearest crystal ponies were watching, Sabra noted, but most of them seemed to have already gone back to what they were doing in helping sort Dawn’s supplies. They’re used to it, he realized as he and Steel began guiding the crystal mare back toward the Order station. She was holding her head high, as if she’d been vindicated somehow. Somepony getting pulled off of the street. Just another day for them, perhaps? It was a sobering thought. “Captain,” Dawn said, stepping out of the doors as they approached. Her eyebrows rose, but she gave no other sign of being bothered by the pony between them. “Arrangements have been made. I am ready to move out on your command.” Only then did she bring up their quarry. “Problems?” “Collaborator,” Garnet said, his glower adding more weight to his words than his tone. “One of several, it would seem, though I have not seen some of the others on the list in quite some time. We’ll have to check their homes. Captain, if you need to depart, we can take care of her. You already have her restrained.” “Can you handle the other collaborators as well?” Steel asked. He stepped away from Amethyst, and Sabra followed his lead. The mare balanced for a moment before Garnet caught her. “Not alone,” the crystal pony admitted. “But with the list you gave me, and a few friends ...” “Some of them may not be believers like this mare here,” Steel said, gesturing at the restrained pony. “Some will be taking bits. Others will be collaborators of circumstance, or because of threats to a loved one. Be careful.” “Careful?” Garnet let out a laugh. “You leave to take on the mass of Sombra’s Order in combat, and you speak of taking care? It is you and your team that should be careful, captain.” “Send word to the surrounding areas to be ready,” Steel said to Garnet. “We’ll clear out the Order, then the streets are theirs.” “Best of luck be with you, Captain Song,” Garnet said, even as Amethyst scowled her displeasure. “And with you as well, Sergeant Triage and … Specialist …” He said the word slowly, as if he were unfamiliar with it. “... Sabra.” Or perhaps it is just his shock at seeing me to be a zebra, Sabra thought as he gave the stallion a nod. “Bahati njema.” He was glad for a moment that his helmet hid the smile on his face at Garnet’s confused look. “Dusk Guard, move!” Steel’s command snapped him to attention, and he spun, rearing. All three of them charged out of the station, hooves drumming down the steps and against the paving stones. Somepony cheered. He wasn’t sure who. But a moment later it was echoed by another. Then another. And another, and the street itself—no, the whole block—was coming alive with cheers as they ran down its length. Doors opened as curious ponies, hiding up until that moment, poked their heads out, ears perking and a faint shimmer moving across their coats as the cheers seemed to roll over them just as much as they did the team. Then the moment was over, Steel turning them down a side street to cut west across the city, and the faint cheers faded. Still, he had to admit that it had brought with it a good feeling. Hope, Sabra thought as they ran. We’ve brought them hope. A spark of luster, but a powerful one. An ancient sage had once said that without hope, there could be no faith. No belief. Even faith in themselves, Sabra thought as Steel turned again, taking them south. There was something else that sage had said about faith and what it could become, what it could do, but he couldn’t recall what it was at the moment. “Captain,” Dawn said as they turned down a smaller, more narrow street, heading west once more. “I can’t help but notice that you’ve not filled us in on a plan yet. Outside of meeting the Order head on.” “You’re right,” Steel said, slowing at last, but only to a light gallop. “I haven’t. Or rather, I didn’t. Because I lied.” “What!?” Dawn snapped her head back. “You—” “Easy, sergeant,” Steel said. “You’re a doctor. I didn’t entirely lie. We couldn’t stay there and afford to get surrounded. That much is true. And we do need to take down the Order’s power base, which right now is measured in ponies.” “But …” “Hang on,” Steel said, glancing in Sabra’s direction. “Sabra can explain it, I’d imagine.” I can? The hesitation was only with him for a moment before his mind cleared, the captain’s behavior falling into place. Of course I can. “We didn’t have the list of collaborators when the captain announced his plans,” he said as they ran down the street. “Anypony could have been listening in.” “And running to tell the Order exactly what we were up to,” Steel said, nodding. “Good deduction, Sabra. So we let them know what we want them to know.” “I understand,” Dawn said. “Misdirection. So we’re not going to strike at the Order army? Will we go for the palace instead?” She nodded at the towering structure at the center of the city. “Take their leadership?” “It’s not an army, but we are still going after it,” Steel said with a shake of his head. “The lie was meeting them head-on. As confident as I am in our combat capabilities, the rumors Garnet was hearing puts their group at around forty or fifty ponies. Ponies tough enough to take on ancient Royal Guard. Sure, they might have had numbers, but they’re still part of Sombra’s army.” “So what will we do then?” Dawn asked. Steel’s eyes suggested he was grinning as he turned to look at Sabra. “Spec?” Sabra nodded. “We divert. Distract. Divide and conquer.” Old strategies, but effective. “Exactly.” Steel changed directions once more, this time taking them further north. “Meeting them head-on would be a gamble. I don’t like that. So we cheat. We break the odds in our favor. We pull them apart, cut them off, keep them off-balance.” “And then strike and deliver the push that brings them to the ground,” Sabra said, nodding. “Exactly.” “Very well,” Dawn said. Was it his imagination, or did she look slightly perturbed? “How are we going to do this?” “Easy,” Steel said, slowing as he turned them into a narrow alley. Ahead of them, several streets away, another Order watchtower poked above the buildings. “We give them a distraction. Several, in fact. Right now, the guard on the roof of that tower has probably seen us coming. And, unless I miss my guess …” As if on cue, a sequence of lights began flashing from the top of the tower. “Communication lamps,” Sabra said, nodding as he saw the tower for what it was. The Plainslands had used a similar method for centuries. “Or a horn,” Steel agreed, nodding. “If I’m recalling the map right, we’re still a good mile or so south of … let’s just call them the enemy force. If there’s one thing that’s nice about a large enemy force, it’s—” “Easy to spot?” Dawn suggested. “And even harder to move,” Steel answered. “Entire commands have made careers out of not being the best at battle, but being the first to move when the battle was joined. Smaller squads with more independence are more flexible, which is why behind-the-lines operations and flanks can be so effective.” “Is that what we’re doing?” Dawn asked. “Flanking?” “No, but that’s what we’re going to make them think,” Steel said, reaching into his saddlebags and pulling out a flare. “Then we move again.” He held the flare out toward Sabra. “Think you can get up into another watchtower without being seen?” Sabra smiled. “Absolutely.” “Good,” Steel said, motioning with the flare. He took it. “Knock the guard out, then roll him and the flare down the steps to the tower. After you’ve lit the flare. Then shut the hatch.” “Thus making the building leak smoke and appear to be on fire,” Dawn said, nodding. “And?” Steel prompted. “And even if the Order inside it deals with the problem, even if they’re able to send a message, our foe will have wasted time changing direction.” “Stringing them out across the city,” Steel finished. “You got it. You deliver the flare, Dawn and I will run interference.” Sabra snapped a quick salute and slid the flare into his saddlebags, checking to make sure it was secure before moving down that alleyway at a quick gallop. He had flares of his own, but since the captain had volunteered one of his own … I’ll have to stay low, he thought as he broke across the street, moving quickly for the businesses on the other side. Their doors were closed, shades pulled down tightly over windows. Thankfully, there was another alley to one side, a narrow passage between the structures that likely led to side doors. He took it. It ended in a wall, deliberately or incidentally, he didn’t know. But it was low enough that he didn’t even need to engage his mod, his own power and the boost of his suit more than enough to see him rise up and over it. He landed in a run, already moving out of the alley and into the next street over. The watchtower was close now. As was the unicorn at its peak, watching him. He had been noticed. Good. His being there would lead more credence to the watchtower being under attack. The unicorn’s horn was flashing again, and he was shouting something. A moment later he vanished from view, more shouts echoing from the top of the tower. It was easy enough to pick out the words “Alarm!” and “Make ready!” as he ducked into an alley once more, the street that met the watchtower directly ahead. He cut to the side, keeping himself up against a wall as he ran. They’d be able to tell from the sound of his hoofsteps that he was still moving, but hopefully the echoes would keep them from knowing to where. All he needed to do was get close enough to use the mod. Even if the unicorn at the top of the watchtower saw him coming, there wouldn’t be much he could do about it once he was close enough. Unless he was really powerful. The shouting atop the tower was taking on a more worried tone, now. The watchpony reacting to their loss of vision on his position. He changed direction again, cutting between two homes as he made for the street. A flash of movement to the side caught his eye—a stunned crystal pony peering out their window in shock at the sight of his armor-clad form leaping past. He grinned. Keep watching, and you will see far more. “There!” A bolt of magic shot down from the tower, but he could tell by the angle it wasn’t any threat. The lead was far too poor, his speed to great. There was a sharp hiss from behind as the bolt slammed into the stone, and then he was in an alley once more, several buildings over from the station, walls extending above him. Exactly what he needed. He kicked out once, then twice, then a third time, rear hooves propelling him upward first from the ground, then from the walls, the final shove pushing him up above the roofline and sending him skipping across the roof of the building, heading for the base of the tower. Better yet, the move had clearly caught the watchpony off-guard. They were looking to the rear of the alleyway he’d ducked into, horn aglow and at the ready. The surprise wouldn’t last, however. He could already see the unicorn’s ears twitching in his direction, honing in on his movements from the sounds he was making. A turn of the head would follow shortly. He made his choice in an instant, the purple-lines across his undersuit taking on a reddish-tinge as he activated his mod and shoved, using the edge of a roof to push himself forward. The bound carried him far further than it would have normally, rocketing him forward through the air and over an entire building. He used the next to try and bleed the momentum, skidding across the crystal roofing and managing a hop that carried him across the gap between it and the station roof. Another cry of surprise from above told him that his gambit had worked, though a quick check of the battery level in the corner of his helmet showed that he’d burned a quarter of the mod’s charge with the stunt. Getting up or down had just become a bit more difficult. He stayed moving, darting around the base of the watchtower and then doubling back before committing to an upward leap that brought him to one of the lower spikes. Another quarter of the battery gone. Another leap, and he was almost at the peak. There was enough charge for one more jump, but after that, the battery would be drained. Getting down would prove interesting. That journey could wait, however. He took the final jump, aiming for the lip of the tower rail— A greenish-blue glow snapped into place around him, stalling him only for a second as he slipped past it, but still enough to rob him of his upward momentum even as a shocked cry came from the cupola. He reached out with one hoof as the glow broke apart, catching a protrusion on the side of the tower and heaving with all his might to save what little he could of his last leap. It was enough. His hoof caught the edge of the rail, and he pulled himself up and over, bringing his other hoof up to guard his face just in case the unicorn had recovered as quickly as he had. They hadn’t, but only in speed. The second his hooves touched the platform the unicorn charged at him, howling as they brandished a short, brutal looking club in their magic. His Fimbo was still on his back. He jumped to the side, dodging the first blow, only to have the truncheon switch directions mid-swing and come after him. He blocked it with his forelegs, the impact rolling up his limbs but not enough to cause serious injury. The truncheon changed directions once more, flipping in the air and coming back far quicker than it would have when handled by an ordinary pony. Magic at work. Powerful and useful, but not something he or the others had neglected training for. He ducked under the next blow, then jumped up, catching the club with his shoulders as it went past above him and knocking it upward. The unicorn let out a short cry of surprise, horn flashing as they tried to compensate for the abrupt change in direction. By the time they’d regained control, however, Sabra was already moving across the watchtower, forehooves at the ready. Eyes widened, and then his hoof crashed into their chin, the glow around their horn winking out as they flew into the far railing. The truncheon bounced off of his shoulders and skipped across the platform, the magikinetic presence that had been holding it in place gone. To his surprise, the unicorn did try to rise on shaky limbs, and he gave them two more quick blows to make sure they were down before dragging them over to the central hatch. Like the other tower he’d taken, the inside was dominated by a tight, steep spiral staircase. Unlike the last tower, however, the stairs in this one were occupied. By two other unicorns wearing red-and-black barding, both looking up at him with visible surprise. “Intru—!” one of them began, horn lighting, only for the body of their comrade to crash into them, cutting off the cry and the magic as all three began tumbling down the steps, crashing out of sight. The trio were followed a moment later by the flare, bouncing down the steps behind them, spitting light and smoke. He shut the watchtower hatch, then after a moment’s pause, slid the heavy iron latch shut from the outside. Smoke was already drifting free out of the cracks. Hopefully the inhabitants of the tower would be in too much chaos to do much about it too quickly. He could hear fighting in the street. The interference the captain had promised. But it was interference, not an outright assault. The sounds were already retreating. He had his window. The mod was still only partially charged. He glanced over the side of the watchtower long enough to see that Captain Song and Dawn were retreating east, and then jumped, aiming for one of the larger support spikes. His hooves slipped a bit as he landed, and he shifted his weight as he dropped again, aiming for the next one. Again he skipped off of the side, his armored hooves sliding over the slick crystal and speed increasing as he dropped again. He missed the third spike he’d wanted to land on entirely, overshooting and falling past it. The roof of the station rushed up at him. He activated his mod, strength pulsing through him as the roof neared. The impact was enough to jar his teeth, his four hooves slamming into the crystal hard enough he was surprised the material didn’t crack, even as he did his best to redirect the momentum into a forward roll. It worked … sort of. The impact wasn’t quite enough to knock the breath from him, but as he came out of the roll and jumped the gap to the next roof, he could feel a dull ache mixed with a stinging sensation rolling up his hooves like a slow tide. Once the stinging faded, he’d want to check for any real injury, but at the moment nothing felt damaged. He risked a glance back at the station as he ran, and was met with the sight of smoke drifting out of the tower and into the air. Hopefully it had the intended effect. Even if the occupants were able to signal the rest of the towers, it would still keep the larger Order force off-balance. In fact, the smoke looked quite thick. A lot thicker than he would have expected from a single flare. He slid down the roof of the next building, catching sight of the captain and Dawn waiting in a nearby alleyway. “It’s done,” he said as he ran up to meet them. “Though there is more smoke than I expected.” “Flares burn pretty hot,” Dawn said. “It may have set something on fire.” “Or those three fire spells you threw through the front door as we left might have had something to do with it,” Steel added. Dawn shrugged. “The door was open. If we’re not going to take down the station or secure it, I figured it might as well be even more convincing.” “No, it was a good idea,” Steel said, nodding. “Let’s do it at the next one if we can too. The more tied-up these towers get, the easier our job will be, and the more strung-out that large force will end up.” His eyes shifted to Sabra. “You good?” He tested his hooves and then nodded. “No injuries.” “Good. The next station is about a half-a-mile to the north, and east of here. Let’s get moving.” He turned and began galloping down the alleyway without waiting for a reply, and Sabra settled into a steady gallop alongside him, Dawn matching their speed on Steel’s other side. Behind them, a cloud of smoke bled into the sky. * * * They were nearing the third watchtower, the second having gone down much in the same pattern as the first, when they finally saw signs of their foe reacting to their efforts. Sabra almost came to a stop, his first instinct to duck back into the alley they’d just left, but then Nova’s training took hold, his movement continuing across the street. A sudden change of direction is more noticeable than motion that follows the same course. Or something like that, anyway. He reached the alley on the far side, less an alley than it was a space between two homes, and looked back across the street. Dawn and the captain were just coming through the alley he’d left, charging at a hard gallop. He held up both his hooves, waving for the pair to stop, then pointed down the street he’d just crossed in the direction of the marching Order group. The pair came to a halt, Steel nodding to show he’d gotten the message, and then crouched, putting his body low to the ground before peering around the corner. A moment later he pulled back, rose, and waved to Dawn. Both of them ran across the street in a quick, almost furtive manner. “Looks like about a dozen or so of them,” Steel said as he entered the alley. He glanced around the corner again. “None of them appear to have noticed us. Or care if they did spot us. Then again, we do look a bit like oddly-colored crystal ponies at a distance, wearing all this armor.” “So they’re moving to reinforce the next watchtower?” Dawn asked. The captain nodded. “Looks like it.” “Should we go elsewhere then?” “What? No!” Steel shook his head. “We run ahead and hit it before they show up. Show them they’ve got reason to be splitting. Then we circle back in the direction of the Guard and start taking down any Order we find.” “Understood,” Dawn said as they began to move forward again. “Then we will need to move quickly. The watchtower isn’t—” A rumbling, low tone rolled through the city, so low Sabra almost felt he could feel the crystal vibrating beneath his hooves. It was long and loud, like the largest horn he could ever recall hearing, and as he looked around, trying to find the source, he saw it. The peak of the crystal … tower? Palace? Whatever it was, it was glowing, light pulsing from deep within the structure. As he watched, beams of light began to shine up around it, and then, to his great surprise, a giant head took shape in the air, the head of a grey unicorn with dark eyes and a shawl of white fur around his neck. His horn, Sabra noted, had been dyed red. The image was slightly transparent, clearly a spell of some kind, but it was there. Then, it began to speak. “Citizens of the Crystal Empire.” The voice echoed all around them, so loud it seemed to almost come from the very stones. Beside him, Steel and Dawn had come to a stop, both also staring at the titanic image floating above the crystal spire. “By now you may have heard the rumors,” the voice continued. “Voices that flit through the city like bats on a summer storm, bringing with them fear and discontent. You may have heard that our King, Lord Sombra, has fallen. That this grand city itself was thrust away from the world for a time, and now that we have returned, Equestrians walk the city streets.” “These words are lies,” the figure said, eyes narrowing to slits. “Our king has not fallen, and will soon return to us from his battle with the immortal tyrants. This city has not fallen through time, but stands as a testament to its people and of its king. What we saw was our mighty king exhausting his very self to protect us all from the wrath of the immortals.” “And these ‘Equestrians,’ while real, do not freely wander the streets of our mighty city. They slink from place to place, like rats carrying disease, striking where they can and retreating to the shadows like craven wretches, seeking to bring our great city down from within. They are enemies of the natural order,” the unicorn continued. “Any who would aid them or seek to grant them shelter should be warned: To turn against the ponies of this city, against our great ruler, is treason, and a high price will be had for those found guilty of such crimes.” “The Order is strong,” the voice continued. “We stand as one, and against these unrighteous aggressors, we will stand firm. Those who do not shy from their place or their role in the natural order of things find great honor and reward in holding strong, and together, the order will overcome all who would seek to weaken it.” “If you see these ‘Equestrians,’ avoid them. They mean you harm, they mean the ponies of this city harm. They will tear down everything we have risen to if given the chance, in the name of false tyrants born to power and privileges abused. They are violent and dangerous. Stay indoors, or alert your nearest watch station. Do not speak with them. Do not trust them.” “United, the natural order will stand strong.” The image of the unicorn winked out, the bright glow of the crystal palace beneath it fading. “Their ‘natural order’ sounds a lot like speciesism,” Dawn said, her tone clearly shoved through a jaw tight with anger. “Remind me when we take the tower again?” “After we’ve dealt with their other allies,” Steel said, his own tone sounding somewhat dark. “But you’re not wrong. Still, we can deal with them later. Let’s get moving and—” “You there!” A loud voice from behind them cut the captain off. A unicorn in red-and-black barding was standing just inside the end of the alley. “What business do you—?” His voice cut off in a gasp of strangled surprise, eyes going wide with realization. “You—!” An orange glow settled over his body, cutting off his yell and then yanking him forward with a suddenness that seemed to shock him further. He came to rest in the air before Dawn, her horn glowing so brightly with orange that it seemed to fill the small alleyway, and then the stallion’s eyes rolled back, the body going limp in the air. “Oww …” Dawn said, rubbing at her horn with one hoof as soon as she’d lowered the stallion to the ground. “I’m not used to that much magic rushing through my horn at once.” “Don’t burn out,” Steel said, kneeling next to the body. “Unconscious?” She nodded. “A silence spell so he couldn’t shout, followed by basic magikinesis—though in large force—and a sleep spell usually used before applying an anesthetic. He’ll awake soon, though due to the mod I’m not sure how soon.” “Do you have anything that can keep him unconscious?” “Nothing that I wouldn’t rather keep in case one of us needs it.” “Right,” Steel said with a nod before looking at Sabra. “Scout ahead. Stay down, don’t get caught. Then rotate back for us. We’ll shove this guy someplace he won’t be found and catch up, before his comrades come looking for him.” “Good idea,” Sabra heard Dawn say as he turned and ran for the end of the alley. “One of their own just disappearing should bring a little fear into their minds. That I can get behind.” He passed the next street at a run, only barely catching a glimpse of the Order one street down as he did so. They appeared motionless. Maybe they’re waiting for their scout. Or, he thought, another of the team’s lessons coming into his mind. Maybe they’re an illusion, and they’re moving on the three of us already. He slowed, ears coming up at the alert. The Night Guard team that had pulled that trick had declared it one of limited use, but useful nonetheless. Still … he wasn’t hearing anything. Not that it meant there wasn’t an invisible assassin lurking around, the sound of their passage hidden by magic. But that meant more than one spell, or a heavily-specialized spell, at least according to what he knew of magic. And true invisibility was difficult. It is a shame Hunter took the magic-detecting modification with him, he thought as he moved forward. It would be most helpful right now. Then again it would likely give away his own position away at the same time. But if it came down to being surrounded by invisible, silent enemies and relatively hidden, and knowing about said enemies but knowing where they were … He shook his head as he crossed another street. He was letting himself get distracted. Stay focused. Scout the route ahead. If the group he’d seen were indeed the actual Order ponies, then they were waiting for the moment, though likely not for much longer. Though if they wanted to find their missing member, they’d either have to divert or split up. Either approach would work well for us, Sabra thought as he jumped a small fence, cutting through what looked like a meager, half-starved garden. The more divided they become, the easier it will be to cut them down. Like a scythe through a field of grain.  He hopped the fence on the far side, darting across the next street and into another alley between two homes. It was fairly wide, more an extension of the street than anything else, with space for perhaps a single cart, but it was an alley nonetheless. The watchtower was only a few blocks away, rising above the surrounding homes like a lonely pine atop a mountain of bare rock. It was shorter than the other towers they’d seen so far, though it appeared to have the same number of spikes. Perhaps it sits atop a shorter building? It made sense, given the number of tight homes around him. The area was clearly residential. Where did they get their food? he wondered as he moved closer to the tower. His eyes had caught sight of a few empty-shelved markets as they had moved through the city, but nothing so much as resembling an agricultural base. Was it imported? Outside the city and left behind when the seal fell? I hope we don’t save them only to see the city collapse in starvation. He chased the thought from his mind almost as soon as it had come. The Princesses wouldn’t stand for that. The watchtower was getting closer, and he began to slow, picking his route with greater care. A block from the station he stopped, waiting and glancing back to see if the captain and Dawn had found their way to him, or if he would need to return. He waited, watching, only for a faint tap to reach his ears. He turned, alarmed at first, only to lock eyes with a curious-looking crystal pony filly standing at a nearby window, one hoof holding the cloth that had covered it back. Her wide, blue eyes were fixed on him, her expression somewhere between shock and wonder. They matched her mane, a crystalline blue color that reminded him of Sky. For a moment they stared at one another, the filly’s expression moving from surprise to confusion, and then curiosity. Slowly, he reached up and put a hoof in front of his mouth, quietly hoping that the sign for silence when the empire had vanished was close to what it was now. She cocked her head to one side, ears twitching from side to side, but her eyes never leaving his face. He took a quick look around, but saw no one. Then, slowly he reached up and unbuckled his helmet, sliding it upwards. The filly’s mouth fell open in a small, round circle as he pulled the helmet free and gave her a smile. She smiled back, coat and eyes almost seeming to shimmer with happiness. Again he gave her a motion for silence, this time from his homeland, tapping his mouth twice with his hoof and then drawing it across his muzzle as if sealing it. The tiny filly nodded excitedly, mane bobbing. He smiled again, then lowered the helmet back down over his head, securing it in place. The filly mouthed something at him—probably goodbye—waved, and then ducked out of sight, the cloth falling back over the window in her wake. It would appear not everyone listens to the Order, he thought as he pulled his eyes away from where the filly had disappeared. With hope, others will share her trust. He could hear hoofsteps coming from the south. Muffled slightly, but hoofsteps all the same. He turned to the alley he’d come through, waiting to see who appeared. It was Dawn, and the captain, though they popped out of a space just further east from the one he’d used. He rose and lifted his hoof, catching their eyes with a quick wave. “Good news,” Steel said once he’d crossed the street. “That Order force is delaying themselves looking for their friend.” “Will they find him?” Dawn smiled. “Depends on how quickly they’re willing to look in the nearest public garbage can. Granted, he might wake up, but then they’ll have to get him out.” “In other words, we’ve bought a few extra minutes to hit this watchtower,” Steel continued. “Same as before. Flare. Some fires. Enough to keep them busy and off-balance.” Sabra nodded. And this will be the last one. “Let’s get it done.” Several minutes later, a third column of smoke was climbing into the sky above the city.