The Moaning Top Incident

by Visiden Visidane


Incident Conclusion

The Southern Legion does not mind, your Highness. The Western Legion loves the barbs they throw our way, and we know them by heart; the slaving operations Apple Slice unearthed, the Boiling Marsh Incident, the Deadmarsh Slaughter, the Debacle at Scale Grove, the fall of Greenfang Fortress, and, yes, the fact that the first invaders to make it to the Heartland were ophidite agents. They forget that we deal with the might of the Empire of Ophidus, the most cunning and versatile of Equestria’s enemies, on a daily basis. The most they had to encounter from the Empire were a few isolated infiltrator squads and roving slaver bands.

I will point out the West’s failures if that’s the game they want to play. The handling of the Third Ursan Extermination Campaign which was only salvaged, barely, by High Commander Black Rose taking the reins, the Blades of Nightmare Incident, the many bandit rebellions, the first through fourth Great Delve Riots, and the Moaning Top Incident. The West has slaughtered more citizens than it has ursans, and is responsible for the destruction of all the groups once dedicated to your Highness. The Western Legion has also borne the most decimatios of any Legion. These are facts. They have a lot of nerve accusing the South of getting ponies killed when they do such a fine job of killing ponies directly.

Now, if we can move past our customary, petty, inter-Legion rivalries, I would like to move on to our joint operations within the Heartland.

-Southern Legion Commander Moon Haze during a joint Legion meeting shortly after Reunification.


How had it come to this?

Screams swirled around Cinder Spark, nearly drowning out even her thoughts. Bronze Star’s anguished cry still rang in her ears. Her heart was pounding and her breathing remained heavy after casting that prismatic wall. She made a tentative effort to get to her hooves, but gave up when her legs trembled too much. Instinct told her to stop the constable’s suicidal charge. He was no match for the Legion. None of the villagers were, or even the village as a whole. She looked up in time to see Bronze Star, at the head of a group of villagers, stumble. One of those rangers accompanying the troops from Sharpstone Fortress put an arrow into his shoulder. Still, he charged on, until one of the skirmishers stood between him and the rangers.

“Stand back, citizen!” the skirmisher shouted. “If you attack the Legion, you will be cut down!”

Bronze Star was in no mood to listen, though. He tried to raise his baton, but his foreleg was gone halfway through. The skirmisher’s gashing blade dripped blood as it swung with far too much ease and speed for such a large and cruelly edged blade. Bronze Star was still staring at the stump of his foreleg when his head fell from his shoulders.

The bloody demise of their lead did not dissuade the other charging villagers. Moon Basin was small, and everypony was close to everypony else. Right now, their constable and neighbor has just been murdered as far as they were concerned. Their outrage proved far greater than their fear as of the moment. The wine most likely helped as well. They charged bravely, foolishly all things considered. Most of them didn’t even get a swing in before spears found their chests and throats.

“If these villagers aid the Rondo, execute them as well!” the lead unicorn shouted. “Any pony who hides a Blade of Nightmare must die!” He lifted another Rondo mare with his telekinesis, turned her upside-down, then brought her skull down on the rocky ground.

One of the rangers took aim at Cinder again. Faced with death, she couldn’t even move. Half of her screamed at her to get away, or even duck. The other half was convinced that this was probably the only way this night could possibly end.

“I said that’s the Fort Commander’s daughter!” a skirmisher shouted. He struck the ranger’s forelegs with the haft of his spear.

“What of it, West-pony?” the ranger hissed. “She attacked us with a spell!” She aimed again.

Furious, the skirmisher struck the ranger’s cheek with the butt of his spear, knocking the mare down.

Even Cinder had to pause in shock at what happened next. The ranger’s visage seemed to shift and fade, like smoke. Her fur turned into dark brown scales, her eyes shrank into golden, slit orbs, and her mouth opened in an angry hiss. Her hind legs seemed to merge into a single tail, and her forelegs sprouted claw-tipped fingers.

“By the Prince!” the skirmisher shouted. “Vipren! The rangers are ophidites!”

The rest of the Sharpstone legionnaires turned towards the rangers with wide eyes of shock that swiftly turned to fury.

“Capture them!” the lead unicorn barked. “There might be more!”

The fighting renewed itself and reached a fevered, confused pitch with the Legion keeping track of three separate targets. The brutality was too much, even if everything they said was true. Cinder Spark struggled to cast a spell, any spell to even so much as slow this killing down. Her horn sputtered with magic and whatever spell she desperately sifted through her mind failed. Her stomach was heaving at the thick smell of blood. Her head pounded, unable to take all the shrieking around her. The prismatic wall she had set up was already fading, and the legionnaires had taken to circling around it anyway. All that power was good for was to offer those Rondo ponies some time.

This was too much. It was all too much. She couldn’t protect Cloud Breeze, and she couldn’t protect what Cloud Breeze cherished. As always, there was nothing she could do. She dragged herself away from the sights and sounds. She had no idea where to go. Perhaps, just somewhere in the woods where she could curl up and die. The horrible noise from the slaughter faded slightly as she gained more distance.

As the noise faded some more, Cinder found the strength to stand up. She was by an overhang of rock, overlooking the slope of Mount Moaning Top. She knew this spot. It had a great view of the mountainside as well as Moon Basin. She and Cloud Breeze often came here, and—

There were too many lights down in Moon Basin and the surrounding area. Cinder knew those type of lights. They came from unicorn horns. Unicorn magi for sure. The Legion had come to Moon Basin as well, likely to intercept the fleeing Rondo to and root out any that might be hiding in town. The fleeing Rondo ponies were heading for that direction. Ultimately, her last ditch spell was useless as well. Extermination was nearly certain for Cloud Breeze’s beloved Rondo.

“Father...” Cinder murmured. “You planned this from the start, didn’t you?”

There was no going back to the village. Her father...no, Fort Commander Forge Spark would certainly be there with the main bulk of the Legion forces sent to exterminate the Rondo. She couldn’t let him find her. Not now. With all her paths closed off, she had only one more thing to do.


How had it come to this?

As he ran downslope with spells and bolts flying past him, Nefszen instincts brought the question. Perhaps, it was because he knew full well that he wasn’t going to get out of this alive. A pity. Alfszen was going to have to graduate with only his mother watching. A pity for his slaves too. So close to citizenship yet so far.

He had to give it to the unicorn magi of the West. They weren’t the most sophisticated or technical of spell casters, but they had power and mana to spare. As soon as one of them saw Tasimyssa’s true form, they blanketed the area with dispelling magic. It wasn’t even a matter of how good he weaved his illusions. It was like a highly skilled vipren trying to outwrestle several dim-witted constrictors. No amount of technique could hope against such overwhelming numbers and strength.

His disguises failed, so he ordered a hasty retreat. Though, it was more like he ran for his life and trusted that his troops had enough sense to do the same.

The light shining on him made it easy to see his way, though that was because he had pegasi above shining their bullseye lanterns on him while signalling for their fellows. There was no escaping the Legion if he couldn’t get rid of them, and he didn’t have a spell to spare to shoot them down, not after expending so much on Safaszan.

“Captain Nefszen!” Fork Tongue huffed as he galloped next to Nefszen. Snake Eyes galloped right behind him. “What are your orders?”

Nefszen couldn’t help but smile. He had led the Legion to a merry chase in the opposite direction of the village. Maybe it was a futile effort, but he could at least try to give Kasamyssen and Sohomyssa a chance to escape. He stopped, and drew his ceremonial knife.

“You were both loyal and skilled, Fork Tongue, Snake Eyes. That we are trapped here is through my failure. Your citizen pledges are granted, and I declare you both true Imperial Citizens!”

The Legion’s galloping drew nearer. They sounded like rolling thunder; the approaching storm of steel and magic that would engulf a miserably small Imperial force. Even so, both slaves...no, both citizens, puffed their chests out and drew their blades.

“We have one last task,” Nefszen said. He pointed his blade at the incoming legionnaires and intoned the final spells he was ever going to cast. “For the Emperor, and for the Empire!”

Snake Eyes and Fork Tongue neighed and reared up before charging ahead to buy him time, as true as any constrictor wall, these two. Nefszen raised his blade both to cast and as a salute.