//------------------------------//
// 13 - A Gathering of Light 
// Story: Not Always Hugs 
// by David Silver 
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"You..." Celene clenched her fists, body tense, eyes narrowed in a scowl.

Sombra stood to the side. "No dismemberment this time," he casually reminded. "This is a fight for improvement, not to the death."

"As the lord says," agreed Quick," his horn glimmering with dark magic. "Come, I won't go down as easily this time."

"Quiet, fight." She lunged at him without any further wasted words. Her frightful speed would have ended the fight at the start, but he had learned from his engagements with Toby, twisting with her approach to shove her past and vanish into dark fog.

He appeared above her, tossing his head with a blade of magic extended from his horn, but she was already gone. The fight was on in earnest, the two clashing. Toby inclined his head, watching them and mouthing something silently. "What is on your mind?" asked Sombra, not facing him. "Are you worried for their safety?"

"I am watching them." His eyes darted, following each motion, taking note of it. "Learning."

Sombra raised a brow at that. "You continue to surprise. Well, since you've invested the time and effort, do you plan to fight for me as well?"

"Fight for everyone." He threw one hand wide. "We all go to ponies." He nodded with set resolution, watching the fight continue. "After fight?"

"At least after the fight," agreed Sombra, considering the two as they slowly chipped at one another, neither able to get a telling blow, until suddenly it was over. "Hold."

Celene had pinned her opponent, trapping Quick under herself, glaring murder in her eyes. At the call to hold and the sound of Toby hopping closer, she withdrew, licking her bloodied teeth.

Quick sat up, rubbing the last injury. "You remain as fearsome."

"Better," she said simply, only to spring away without any further delay.

Toby offered a hand to Quick. "Good fight."

Quick accepted his paw, allowing it to be wrapped around his right hoof without complaint as he rose. "A better display than the last time we clashed, but there is room yet to grow."

"Yes, be better." Toby nodded firmly. "Good." He spread his arms wide, coming in.

Quick smirked at the display, accepting the hug, but not reciprocating. "Tomorrow, we spar. Did you learn anything?"

"Yes." Toby backed up a step, bobbing his head. "Good fight."

"Good fight indeed," agreed Sombra. "It would seem she still has the advantage over you, Quick, though that gulf has narrowed."

"I will strive to hone myself further, m'lord," he faithfully promised, dipping his head.

"See that you do." Sombra turned away and strode off smoothly.

The next day, Quick rose, washed, and flowed through the tunnels, navigating the shadows between to arrive at Toby's room swiftly. "It is time to spar." Quick Stroke looked around the dark little burrow. He expected to find Toby in it, perhaps Celene? Either would be a fine spar.

But neither of them were their. The bedding was abandoned, not even made as if abandoned. "Where...?" There, a note, laying half-pinned under a small rock. He willed the rock up and tossed it aside to get at the note.



Hello-bye!

No spar. Fight. Go ing to ponies. Come?

Love,
Toby

 There it was, typo included. Quick started to crumple the note but thought better of it. Sombra needed to see it.





The heating pad had run its course. It only had so much material to effectively burn in the process of making its heat. It was just a stuck pad to the side of the unicorn, but he hadn't removed it. It was another little layer, as ineffective as it was. Removing it wouldn't help their hike.

One hoof in front of the other. It was the mantra that kept them moving. Moonlight Raven considered her options as they trudged. It was dark, but not the comforting dark of a still night. It was cold, too cold, wet, too wet, and they were too far away from any measure of safety. It would still make for a pretty wicked song...

She didn't have another heat pack. One was more than enough to make a night cozy. Her talent only let her make things darker, not warmer. "Darkness wrap around me," she whispered in soft prayer. "Keep me warm and safe." The darkness had never betrayed her before. It was warm, in her eyes, always close at hoof and comforting.

And it was gone. She took one step and landed on green grass. She was so surprised she staggered and fell over onto the surprisingly warm ground. "Woah..."

They had arrived. The other troops let out cheers as they stumbled onto the grass. Rough and tired, soon they were collapsed much the same as Moonlight had been. Only Luna was still standing in the end, though even she didn't fight the moment. She breathed hard, but refused to sink. "We have survived," she announced. "Good job. When you are ready to move--"

The commander, still flopped on the ground, thrust a hoof up. "Ten minutes, you get exactly ten. I'm already counting." The unit grumbled, but did not argue her command.

"As she said," agreed Luna with a smirk. "For now, enjoy the warmth. I will report in." She spread her wings and accelerated forward, leaping, and almost throwing herself off balance, but she made it into the air, soaring towards the palace in the distance.

"She's acting strong." Moonlight rolled herself upright. "She didn't have to."

The commander was also on her belly. "She wants to inform them we've arrived. I don't think she could have relaxed until that was done." She inclined her head. "Like her?"

"Not that way..." Moonlight darkened faintly. "I understand her. I love her nights. I love the dark... I get... where she comes from?"

"I don't know if she likes the dark as much as you." The commander rose to her hooves, kicking each of them at a time, testing her footing and strength. "Reminder, you're still in my unit, even if we've arrived. I don't tolerate deserters."

"Woah, no." She shook her head. "Promises are binding." She raised a hoof to her chest. "Um, for how long? Is this a 'for life' thing?"

The commander considered Moonlight. "For most guards, it can be." She leveled a hoof at Moonlight. "But I'm not a complete jerk. You're in at least until we have this issue under control. When I can send you home on a train and know you'll get there, we'll revisit the topic."

Moonlight allowed a little smile. "That's cool. Alright. I'm here. I should help while I'm here."

"Exactly." She turned to the others who were also starting to sit up. "Everyone alright? Report!"

"My horn will hurt for a while," complained the unicorn that had been carefully balancing their heat. "Still, the spell was a complete success!"

A sharp grunt cut him off, a mare looking over her shoulder and rubbing at her rump with a hoof. "It just keeps hurting... more..."

Their medic closed in quickly. He reached up and quickly confirmed, "Severe frostbite. Your tail was frozen entirely."

Her eyes went wide, but he kept on going, "How did you not feel this?"

"I did... I just... I figured it wasn't important. We had to keep going."

"We did," agreed the commander. "Get her to the closest triage facility." She turned in place. "We're in a city now. They must have something. Now!"

Other ponies closed in around the injured mare, lifting her up in a field of magic that scintillated with different colors from combined effort. They trotted off with her towards what they hoped would be assistance.

Moonlight looked over her own shoulder, giving her tail a soft swish. It responded to her will and she was glad for it, though her face was impassive. "Woah, harsh. She gonna be alright?"

"She may lose the tail," noted the commander with a frown. "Nothing we can do but get her in front of a doctor in a proper facility as quickly as possible. For now, since we're all standing, let's move." She turned and pointed, leading the way into the city for the rest of the unit.

Moonlight's attention slid to the unicorn that had been working hard to keep them going. "Hey, woah, why didn't--"

"I didn't think of it," cut in the unicorn, his expression pained. "Tails? Who thinks of tails...? Our legs had to keep moving... There wasn't enough heat."

"Harsh," she quietly whispered. "Sorry. You did your best." She offered a hoof and soon had the unicorn's withers under her leg. She could feel him shaking faintly, clearly rattled by his failure. "Hey, I messed up too," she gently reminded. "I'm making up for it. You can too. At least she's still there to, like, apologize too and stuff. Better a missing tail than a missing... everything."

"Yeah..." He didn't sound entirely convinced.

"Out of the way." The commander moved in between them, nudging Moonlight back. "Idiot. You saved us. If you get focused on what you couldn't do, what will Luna do?"

"What does Princess Luna have to do with it?" asked the Medic, looking confused and trying to back away, but the commander still had him securely in place, a leg over his withers as Moonlight had offered much more gently. "This isn't her mistake."

"She sentenced a pony to die, to keep the rest of us alive," reminded the commander with a loud equine snort. "You think that isn't weighing on her? You made a decision. You kept us going so we could be here, at all. You lost a tail maybe? Now imagine what Luna's facing. She lost a pony. She will hear about this, and she will look to you, to see how you're doing. If she sees you falling apart over a tail, how will she take it?"

His ears pinned back against his head. "I guess it's not... that bad."

"I should think not." She shoved him away. "You did good, idiot. We're here, in the warm, because of you. We're getting her the best we can, but that's outside your control."

"Wish I had brought another heat pack..."

The commander wheeled on their newest recruit. "Not you too!"

"Woah, um, I was just saying... It would have been nice, right?" She inclined her head faintly. "But I didn't. We're on a different path, and we'll walk it."

"We'll walk it," echoed the commander. "Exactly right. Everypony, get to the palace. Seeing your faces will cheer up Cadance, so put on your best smiles and pretend you're happy to be here."





He landed right next to the excitable pink pony. "You wanted one?"

"Sure do!" she cried, grabbing the book in her mouth even as several bits flew in response to be caught in Arnavon's paws.

"Thank you." He stuffed them away. "Why did you want one so bad?" He tilted his head. "Not that it's bad anypony wants a copy."

"I'm friends with a griffon," she reminded as if it should be obvious. "An actual griffon book? Sounds cool." She tucked the book in her mane, lost to the world until she had need of it. "Good job."

"I didn't write it." He waved his hands in quick denial.

"Silly." She booped him on the nose. "'Course you didn't. You made it a book though. That's still important." She tilted her head. "You're the first tsuki, um, person who... makes books?"

"Publisher," provided Twilight, emerging from their room. "You are the first tsuki publisher I'm aware of."

"That's the word!" Pinkie clopped her hooves with joy at the mystery being put to rest. "Twilight really loves books, bet you could sell one to her too."

Arnavon inclined his head. "I'd feel bad. You all were so nice in that little party. I'm not trying to make you all pay me."

Twilight gently set a hoof on his shoulder. "Don't be silly. I wouldn't think of demanding your book for free. Charge me the street rate, as if I was anypony else, and that will be fair to us both." Soon Twilight had an order in for a book, though he didn't have it.

"They only print them so fast," he demurred. "I'll have another tomorrow."

Twilight inclined her head. "Of all the problems you could have, that's one of the better ones. Congratulations."

"Oh oh!" Pinkie waved a hoof in the air excitedly. "Why don't you just copy my book." She dug out the book. "You already paid for it, so it's not even cheating."

Twilight let out a little, "eh..." She looked to Arnavon, who shook his head quickly and gestured for her to continue. "If you're sure..." She lowered her horn towards the book.

A window beside them burst open, allowing the large form of Luna to land, huffing for air. "At last... I have arrived."

"Luna!" cried the two ponies.

"Best Princess," noted Arnavon, wagging a finger as if to correct the ponies.

Luna sat up with a blink, her wings hanging at awkward angles. "Oh, a tsuki. Are you related to Toby?"

"No!" he cried with a big fuzzy smile. "But I heard him talk about you before. You're the best princess, friend of tsuki." He bowed forward properly before advancing, his arms spread wide to deliver a greeting in the proper tsuki fashion, though he came up short. "Are you alright?"

"That is what I was wondering," added Twilight, coming closer with a concerned look. "Is that 'I'm tired'?"

"I'm tired," agreed Luna with a smirk. "And in need of a warm bath. My wings refuse..." She tried to get them folded properly, but they seemed to prefer being awkwardly splayed on the ground. "I did not use them for long," she groused, frowning.

"Luna, you are in need of medical attention," informed Twilight evenly. "Please remain still and allow us to help. Pinkie, Arnavon?" The two moved in to help and soon, with her magic, they had her carefully hefted up, her magic gently keeping her wings even as they proceeded down the hallway. "I'm glad you're here, but in such a state."

"Yeah, what happened?" demanded Pinkie. "I heard you had an accident with the train."

"'Twas no accident," huffed Luna. "Allow me to explain when Cadance is present, doing so repeatedly will not help us."

Twilight did not go to the throne room, where Cadance most likely was, instead directing her company to the nurse's office. The doctor on duty was quick to have her set gently on a bed and began fussing over her. "You flew on these?" he questioned as he worked. "I'm going to give them a nice little bath, how does that sound?"

Luna inclined her head faintly. "Can you put the rest of me in it?" A little smile formed. "That sounds delightful."

"We have to focus on the worst parts and I don't want you moved again right this moment." Two tubs were brought in and filled with warm water, her droopy wings settled in them.

She winced on contact, and the pain only seemed to grow the longer they were in there. "Doctor... is... something in the water?"

"It's what's inside you," he cautioned. "Your wings were frozen. Please, try to be still. Hopefully the damage caused can be minimized."

"Frostbite," whispered Twilight, ears sagged. "It can be quite cold outside the reaches of the Crystal Empire proper."

Arnavon inclined his head, the idea of cold too cold to weather an alien one to the tsuki. But he did know a cure! He hopped up, landing on Luna's back, his legs spread to straddle her, trying his best to not put pressure on her, but he was too small to entirely avoid her. Despite this, he hugged her tightly from above as best he could, nuzzling her back.

Luna sagged, relaxing under the affection. "Is this a tsuki thing? I feel certain Toby would have done the same... and I would have enjoyed it much the same. But you are a young creature." She swiveled an ear back towards Arnavon. "Tell me your name again?"

"Arnavon," came his muffled reply, his face lost in her fluff in his attempt to warm and comfort the much larger alicorn princess.

"Arnavon, such a complex name." She inclined her head. "Did you select it?"

"Yes!"

"A complex name for such a well spoken child, of course." She nodded, confident in her thoughts. "Twilight, Pinkie, can you inform Cadance I am here, and that my soldiers are on the way? They are within the borders."

"Got it!" Pinkie saluted sharple and began pronking off.

Twilight remained there, with Luna. "Is he... bothering you?"

"He is not." She closed her eyes, accepting the painful warmth on her wings and the small tsuki cuddling her. "Though there is less chill in the rest of me, it is still comforting. Were I my sister, would you have moved to provide the same?"

Twilight's cheeks began to go dark red. "Princess!"

"I thought not, you are a formal one, Twilight." She lifted her wings slowly, spreading and retracting them. "Though they sting, I can move them now. I feel I am past the--"

The doctor's magic wreathed them, gently guiding them back to the water. "Please don't move until I say so. We want to maximize the odds of a full recovery, Princess."

Luna cast him an unkind look, but did not try to raise her wings again. "Where is--"

"--Luna!" Cadance hurried into the room, Pinkie behind her. "I'm glad you're here, but what happened?" She looked to the doctor.

"Frostbite," he replied. "Thankfully not widespread, but it got her right in a joint. I'm doing our best to help it thaw evenly and completely."

"Of course." She stepped up to Luna with a quirk of a smile. "This is not how I wanted to welcome you to my kingdom."

"I am welcomed," she assured, her glowing horn forming an arrow that pointed at Arnavon on her back. "Do all injured creatures get one of these?"

Cadance reached for the young tsuki, her horn glowing as she gently extracted him. "Let her rest," she gently chastised. "She's been through a lot."

"That's why I'm here," he complained. "She deserves a hug."

"She deserves even more than that," agreed Cadance, setting Arnavon down on  his haunches. "Luna, are you up to telling me what happened?"

"I am. My soldiers will arrive soon, I imagine." She glanced in the direction of the door they entered through. "Our enemy is armed and clearly able and willing to attack with lethal force. They arrived soon after the attack to finish us off, but we managed to hide from them. This is not the act of random brigands. They didn't loot, just killed. They were going for a military victory."

Twilight hissed softly. "I... was fearing as much. I'm just glad you're here, and your soldiers too? They failed?"

"They did not fail," huffed out Luna. "I lost three soldiers, the civilians were lost, save one. I can't call that an entire failure on their part, not even speaking of the bridge's destruction and the train's loss."

Cadance inclined her head towards the soaking wing. "To say nothing of injuries. Are your soldiers alright?"

"They were intact when last I left them." Luna sat up, leaving her wings in the tubs. "When they arrive, we can be certain."





"Moonlight?" Rarity closed rapidly with the mare walking alongside the soldiers. "Whatever are you doing here, darling?"

Moonlight's eyes widened slightly, recognizing Rarity swiftly. "Woah, Rarity? I could totally ask the same question." She raised a hoof, slowing as the others walked past her. "I followed the darkness and, like, here I am. It's been... quite the trip."

"My trip here was uneventful." Rarity paused for thought before it clicked. "You were on the attacked train!"

Moonlight glanced away. "Yeah, like, not the best day. Not the best week." She raised a hoof to point at herself. "I'm Private Moonlight Raven now."

"Surely you jest." Rarity slid in next to Moonlight, heading in the same direction the soldiers had gone. "This simply must be a mistake! You are not a soldier, Moonlight."

Moonlight shook her head though she walked along. "I am now.  At least until this is done." She looked up and down at Rarity. "Why are you here?"

"Well, much the same as you, really," admitted Rarity. "But I've gotten used to it! I've been on world-saving little expeditions no few times. I don't recommend them to other ponies. Really, dear, let me talk some sense into them."

"Woah, chill your harsh. The darkness needs me." She walked with conviction. "I will not allow her to go alone."

"Her?" Rarity hiked a brow, but saw the rest of the guards, arranged in formation. "You just wait here." She hurried towards the mare that was standing like a leader. "Excuse me, Miss?"

The commander turned, eyeing Rarity critically. "Rarity, filly of Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles, former wielder of an element of harmony, associate of Princess Twilight Sparkle." There was an awkward pause. "How can I help you?"

"Yes..." Rarity cleared her throat softly. "You appear to have me at a disadvantage. Miss, that mare--" She pointed at Moonlight, joining formation. "--is no soldier." She leaned in closer, whispering, "She's just a goth!"

"Her taste in music is beside the point." The commander pointed at Moonlight. "Step forward!" Moonlight came in without delay. "Do you want to resign?"

Moonlight shook her head. "Woah, not until it's safe. I will do my best." She glanced at Rarity, but said nothing to her.

The commander nodded softly. "Though it was not a typical recruiting situation, she has been branded by the situation, and we can't send her home until the train's running in either event."

"Be that as it may." Rarity pointed with her horn. "She could just stay in the city here, with the rest of the civilians. Which she is. Dear, be reasonable."

"Are you related?" asked the commander bluntly.

"Oh, no, darling. She's just a customer of mine, when you get down to it..."

"Then your advice has been noted, but we need to move on now. Please get out of the way." The commander pointed beyond Rarity, bidding her to depart.

Rarity huffed, but did move out of the way. "I'm not forgetting this." She stomped off a determined look.

The commander put the agitated unicorn out of her head. "Moonlight. This is a safe place. Drafting you to get you out of danger, that's one thing. If you want to do as Rarity suggested and wait here in the Crystal Empire, I will not hold it against you."

"No way. My soul says I'm needed here." She raised a hoof to her chest. "Like, woah, I can't just give up, Commander." She turned to face the mare that had wailed for her friend. "We gave up enough already."

The mare's expression twitched, the faintest smile. "Damn right," she whispered.

"Alright, but, all the same, I do need to make one thing clear." She leaned in closer to Moonlight. "As soon as we step out of the Crystal Empire, when our hooves touch a speck of snow, there is no room to give up. We finish the job. Giving up on the field? That gets you hurt. That gets us hurt. Ponies will die. Do you understand that? Do you accept that?"

Her ears quivered faintly, but her eyes didn't flinch. "You can count on me." She glanced around. "Before we go into the snow again, like, maybe we should get some coats."

"A damn fine idea," laughed the commander. "Get back in line." Moonlight hurried to do just that. "Welcome to the Crystal Empire. You're all off duty for the rest of the day. We'll be joining the local guard in their barracks. Don't make a mess out of somepony else's room, alright?" The unit saluted and shouted their agreement before they began to disperse to enjoy what little time off they had earned.