//------------------------------// // 30: Eviction // Story: A Clash of Magic and Steam // by law abiding pony //------------------------------// The air felt unusually clean to Rarity as she set hoof down on the edge of the abandoned druid village. The stench of black magic was almost absent, and the sickly sweet smell of rot was gone as well. The green covered homes and storehouses felt quietly empty.  Gone was the roof of fog that covered the skies, and in its place burned the welcoming sun. Its warmth brought strength to her bones, weary from the long trip.  Of the five chariots, only three of them had been occupied, the other two carried their supplies, and were reserved for the goddesses upon their departure, one of which had thick chains in place.  They had landed in a clearing directly in front of the bulldozed path used by the militia’s train, giving them some space to take back off again.  Lock Stock and Lyra Heartstrings got off the chariot after their superior, whereas Radiant Dawn and two of his retainers disembarked their own chariots. The last occupied chariot had three robed unicorns disembark, only one of which bore the golden icon of an inquisitor.  Lock Stock sucked in a long deep breath. “Smells a lot better than last time.”   “I think I lost all my nose hairs the last time we were here.”  Lyra was in the middle of helping the two pegasi unhitch themselves when irate shouting came from the docks.   Radiant Dawn stepped in close to his former student. “Ah, this must be the caretaker.  Rarity, you created a rapport the last time you were here. Why don’t you explain matters with him?” Rarity knew the druid’s already irate mood, if his distant shouting was any indication, was only going to get worse.  Yet with Celestia at stake, brushing him aside if the need arose would cost her no sleep at night.   “Gladly, instructor.” Rock Salt was climbing out of the water, and throwing loose leaves and twigs off of himself all while ranting about unwanted outsiders. Said outsiders gathered up to wait politely with the three inquisitors standing in front. Rock Salt was still dripping with river water when he got within speaking distance. “Why are all of you here?!  The Dark Father is dead, and don’t tell me you’re here to help purge his influence from the land.” “As if you’d accept it even if we were,” Rarity countered with slight exasperation.  “Damn right!” Rock Salt shot back in ready agreement.  With the prospect of freeing Celestia so close at hand, Radiant Dawn’s patience was already a scarce commodity. “Rarity,” he said as he took his leave, gesturing for the others to join him.  “Hey, what’s going on!” Rock Salt shouted at the departing Equestrians while Rarity moved to block him from advancing.  “Mister Rock Salt, I require a minute of your time.”  Her voice was calm, but demanding.  Still remembering the fear the alabaster inquisitor evoked in the Lunarians, Rock Salt got ahold of himself and only then noticed Rarity’s three retainers had also lingered nearby. If they wanted him stopped or worse, there were no Lunarians to stop them. So he stood there, bound energy trapped by fear. “As - as you wish.” “Good.”  With a touch of magic on his withers, Rarity directed his attention back to the wilds beyond the village. To her, the swamp had dried considerably, save for the very strong river still flowing past them. The trees looked full and green. Bird song could be heard, the greasy feeling of dark magic was almost gone, and more importantly, nothing was attacking her wards with hallucinations. “I love what you’ve done with the place. Were it not for the morass between here and the rest of the Mirage I’d dare say this place is idyllic.” “It - it has been difficult,” he admitted hesitantly, not trusting her motives. “But I can handle it perfectly well on my own.” “I’m sure you could.”  Rarity breathed slowly, calm and in control. “We’re here about the Protectors.  Or more precisely, who they truly are.” Stepping away from her, Rock Salt once again found Lyra and Lock Stock casually keeping themselves visible behind Rarity, an unspoken warning. “You’re taking it away from me, are you?” The accusation barely bothered her. “I’m sure the statue has been quite helpful in your healing efforts.”  He made to argue, so Rarity cast a spell to completely silence him so she would be uninterrupted. “But the fact is the Protectors are Celestia and her sister. No matter how valuable they may be to your efforts, they will be freed from their stone prison.” She let the silence spell go out of curtesy now that her purpose had been stated. “I don’t care who or what the protectors are,” he retorted as firmly as his fearful respect for Rarity allowed. “I still need the statue to cleanse the Mirage.” Rarity gave him a sympathetic frown, yet her tone carried the undercurrent of restrained power. “I know your work is important, and that druids are a heathanistic bunch, so I will give you some advice that I gave Fluttershy. Never belittle Celestia in my presence again.  She is more than a convenient purifier of dark magic.  Right now she is imprisoned in stone and come hell or high water she will be freed.”  Though she never raised her voice, the stallion shivered at every word.  “As for your efforts, I’m sure the Sisters of the Golden Cathedral would be more than happy to lend their aid.” Rock Salt felt as if the very ground was being pulled out from under him, and that he had to smile and take it. “I don’t want more outsiders here.” “Hardly a surprise, but it is not up for debate.”  Rarity picked up a rock off the ground and acted as if it was interesting. “The fact is the Mirage will be deep inside Equestrian territory now.  When the war is over, we have plans for the surrounding lands. The church doesn’t want the headaches from the Mirage scaring away any settlers, and the crown is in full agreement.” Rock Salt stepped away from her. “You’re taking the Mirage away from me, aren’t you?!” Far from being angered by his belligerent tone, Rarity gave him a humorless half-grin. “Are you, a druid, laying claim to the wilds?” Stumbling with his words, Rock Salt stamped the ground. “You know what I mean!  I am the steward of the land. You civilized are incapable of healing the Mirage!  Besides, so long as I draw breath, this land belongs to the Crookbacks.” “You mean to you.”  Humming aloud, Rarity looked back towards her retainers.  A dancing smile played over her face.  “Fluttershy, dear, I believe this has become a druid issue.” The canary yellow pegasus walked closer, yet heard everything. Rock Salt was about to denounce her out of hand until he saw her holding a twig sized tree being pulled out of her pack. Rock Salt knew the symbol of the Orders well, and was aghast that Fluttershy held one at all. “I am here to inform you that due to the tragedy centered around the Dark Father, the Orders have released the Mirage from their treaty-bound protection and it is to be given over to whichever civilized group lays dominion of the surrounding lands.” “Namingly, Equestria,” Rarity finished. When he was too distraught to respond immediately, Rarity used the silence to continue. “Naturally we’ll allow you to continue your work, as the Cathedral will be focused more on cleansing the fringes first and work their way in. Your cooperation is welcome but not required.” “You - you can’t do this!” He managed to blurt out without thought. “This is my ancestral home.” “The t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted,” Rarity pressed right back. “It is already done. The Cathedral is already preparing a coven to be located within the old Lunarian river town to begin the work in three month’s time. Oh they’re nice ponies,” she interjected with warmth. “Be courteous and I’m sure you and the sisters will get along famously.” Fluttershy presented the miniature tree for Rock Salt to take, not even giving him time to bluster out more objections. “The Orders have agreed to this. You may listen for yourself if you need to.  I’m sorry for your loss, but rest assured the Mirage will be the forest it once was again.” Rock Salt glared at the small tree and kicked it out of Fluttershy’s grip, clipping her hoof in the process. “This is why I went to the Lunarians instead of you!” He seethed at Rarity and Fluttershy both. “For as much as they burn and twist earth and stone, they respect the laws you civilized hold so dear.” “As do the Equestrians,” Fluttershy said before Rarity could respond. “Which is why we took the time to consult the Orders.”  She gave Rarity a nod, giving the inquisitor an out if she wanted it.  Rarity decided to take her up on the offer, and adjusted the brim of her wide hat. “I’ll be with the others, dear.” Lyra joined Rarity, yet Lock Stock lingered, watching over her. As Fluttershy waited for the other mares to leave, Rock Salt pawed at the ground like an angry bull, making Fluttershy keep her wits about her. When the others had disappeared into the village, she spoke to him once more. “You’re welcome at our fire.” “Well you’re not welcome at mine!” He spat impotently. Rock Salt was nearly hyperventilating with emotion. “How can you-”  He started, then stopped. “How can-” He screamed inarticulately, causing some plants and animals to respond. However a few terse notes from Fluttershy made nature return to rest. “Why?” He cried with tears streaming down his face. “The civilized take what they want. Burn, chop, hunt, and destroy. How can the wilds listen to one who serves them like you?!”  He sat down heavily in the mud. “I’ve given everything. My whole life, my sweat and blood, my family, my whole Order, and even now you brush me aside so easily.”  He broke down, uncaring who saw him now. His Order was dead, his lands stolen, given up by the other druids, and now he fully expected the civilized to ruin it all. “The Orders should have killed you where you stood, not let you act as their messenger!” “Perhaps some desire to do so.”  Fluttershy gave a forlorn sigh and with a wave of her wing and a few quiet words got Lock Stock to leave. Once it was just the two of them, she came to Rock Salt and knelt down in front of him. “The Green Mother is our parent, not a child for us to coddle.  True to her name, she is a mother who values much that the other orders refuse to see.  I can help you see.” Growling and throwing mud at her, Rock Salt clambered back to his hooves. “I can see just fine, heretic. You are a rebellious child she still has hope for, not praise!  One of these days, she will tire of entertaining your harsh song and put you back in your place.” Leaving the mud on her face for now, Fluttershy remained seated.  With a few notes of song, a brilliant pink flower grew out from between her outstretched forelegs. She looked at him not with the smug satisfaction he expected, but the troubled concern of a friend. “When you are done thrashing in the dark, I will be with the others.” Rock Salt wanted to stamp her flower into the mud, but pushed past her to return to his hut. I won’t stand for this! In the center of the village, Radiant Dawn and his friend and fellow inquisitor knelt before the statue of the sisters. Both unicorns had approached it with reverence and spoken prayer, and dared not touch it by either spell or hoof. “Marvelous, astounding really.”  Radiant Dawn’s gaze tracked every detail of Celestia looking for cracks, chips, or other signs of erosion and found none. “It’s as if she was petrified mere hours ago.  Don’t you think, Topaz?  Her majesty and glory shine through even now.” The other inquisitor had been studying the statues as a whole before focusing on the stone orbs around the mares’ heads. “I must confess I had my doubts, but now they are but dust. Not even a hint of weathering exists. Only divinity is capable of such a feat.”  His reverent tone fell to one of growing shame. “I’m worried we’re ill prepared to free them.” Frowning, Radiant Dawn pulled back to stand beside his colleague. “Oh?  Perhaps we should look into relocating the Sisters back to Canterlot then?” “That’s not it,” Topaz started and he rubbed his chin in thoughtful concern. “The problem is a matter of carefully balanced forces at play. Ordinarily, only a Soft spell would be needed to help a cockatrice victim, but this is the work of power beyond mortal understanding. The Sisters’ efforts to stop each other have melded together, and now I have to be the one to break it.”  The stallion swallowed a lump in his throat at the task before him.  Radiant Dawn sympathized immensely, and had to rip his gaze away from Celestia to offer him some encouragement. “A daunting task to be sure. But I have little doubt that Celestia will forgive any small indecencies for her freedom. Come, we should focus on the task at hoof with patience and care.”   “Yes… yes you are quite right.” With his colleague mollified, Radiant could focus his efforts. He was no expert on Soft spells, but it was part of first aid training all inquisitors went through. He lit his horn and enveloped Celestia in a golden amber light. A single orb around Luna’s head brightened while his spell was active. He tried for half a minute without success before stopping, and the orb dimmed with it. “The statue itself is rebuffing my efforts!” Still reconciling the need to touch Celestia with his magic, Topaz had watched Radiant’s efforts and pointed at the orbs. “It seems as though the Sisters are not rebuffing you. The cause of failure are the artifacts around their heads.” The conversation between retainers behind them paused to offer respects, prompting the stallions to turn around. Rarity and Lyra were joining them, with Lyra hanging back to remain with the other retainers.  Upon reaching them, Rarity genuflected before Celestia and began to utter a quiet prayer before a realization struck her cold. She had given prayer many times when she was here previously. I was here for so long and yet Celestia never said a word or gave me a sign that I had been in her presence.  The deeper her thoughts took her, a cold hand seemed to grasp her heart. She looked up at the Sisters, remembering the last rites she had performed. No!  No! She had to be watching in order to accept the souls.   Doubts lingered, and try as she might, they refused to be banished. Her mood and face darkened until a hoof rested on her back. Rarity snapped back to the world to find Lyra was looking at her with deep worry. “Are you alright?” Blinking, with the spell of her doubts broken she banished such heretical thoughts aside and adopted a fake smile. “Yes, I’m fine. Just overwhelmed with finally meeting Celestia.” Not believing her, but unwilling to call her out; Lyra dipped her head. “As are we all.” Lyra dropped her hoof, and Rarity excused herself to join her fellow inquisitors.  Thankfully the pair had been too distracted by their planning to notice her moment of crisis. “Master Topaz, Instructor, how do things look?” “Troubling,” was all Dawn said as Topaz took over.  “We have two problems. The first is the collection of artifacts the Sisters were using in their battle. Even to this day they hold great power and they shield the Sisters from magic that is not their own.  The other is the purging field.  That is assuming the field isn't being projected by some of the orbs.”  He raised a hoof to feel the air. With his horn inactive, that feeling of a warm towel around his horn was heavy. Humming worriedly, he called out to one of his retainers.  “Chocolate, give me that first staff.” The unicorn in question looked to one of his fellows who was wearing something akin to a weapon rack, with eight metal staves strapped to him.  Chocolate pulled one of them out and gave it over to Topaz who thanked him. The staff itself was polished brass with gold carved runes spiraling from the bottom end to the pointed topaz on top.  It could easily be mistaken for a javelin.  With some effort, Topaz tried to imbue the staff with mana, an act that should have shown quick results.  However, the moment some of the runes began to glow, the light faded and caused the staff to heat up.  He didn’t stop until he could feel the heat against his face.  “Well that’s going to be a problem.” Turning away from the Sisters, Radiant Dawn scowled at his colleague's troubles. “I thought you said you enacted disruption protections.” “No protection is perfect, you troglodyte,” Topaz grumbled as he tossed the staff back to his retainer.  Radiant fumed a bit, but he ultimately let it slide due to being close enough friends with him to not let pride or ambition compromise their mission, and not wanting to squabble in front of Celestia. “Besides, my protections are designed to slow machine interference, not a straight purging field.  Even if this is primitive magic, it is still powerful.  Honestly, I can’t imagine how the artifacts even still retain power after so many centuries.”  He had not put too much power behind his efforts, but it was enough to gauge the strength of the field that resisted him. “There is worryingly strong power here, like the orbs have been freshly charged.” Rarity sniffed the air, noticing the sterile plastic smell wasn’t as strong as it once was. “Perhaps…”  Closing her eyes to think it over, Rarity tried to pull on her tutelage of ancient artifacts. “What if we’re dealing with a ‘gaping maw’?” Topaz hummed in surprised approval. “It’s a possibility. That was one of the issues with old purging magics.  Instead of dispersing the targeted magic, it denatured it.  Denatured magic is dangerously explosive, unless it is-” He glared at the orbs with renewed respect.  “Repurposed.” “This sort of failsafe or whatever was never mentioned in the journals though.” Radiant Dawn finished, completely mystified by the whole thing. “Such effects are difficult to create.  Somepony must have sabotaged Celestia’s efforts.” Rarity looked at Luna for a few seconds, silently wondering if her instructor was being facetious.  “One can only guess who.” Topaz ignored it all to focus. He hesitated at first before casting a sensing spell over the Sisters to feel out the petrification. The orbs kept trying to drain the spell, so he had to push to keep it going. “Yes…  yes, most definitely.”  He stopped the spell, feeling winded from the effort. “Well there is some good news at least. A soft spell of sufficient force could free them alright.” Radiant Dawn patted Topaz’s shoulder. “So all we need to do is overpower the cleansing field?” “If only.”  Topaz used his magic to tug on one of the orbs floating back and forth between the Sisters’ heads.  “This one constantly renews the petrification.  We need to disable that, along with the field before we can then hit them with a Soft spell.”  He marveled at the complexity of it all.  “I don’t suppose you know how that can be done,” Rarity asked, worried about his answer. Shaking his head, Topaz was not happy.  “Sure I do.  A machine of sufficient size could do it.” Rarity felt compelled to look out towards the ruins of the manor.  “I’m afraid we’re fresh out of those.  Let alone anypony who could use one.” Radiant Dawn scoffed at the very notion.  He didn’t think he was serious, but had to be sure.  “Topaz, surely you're not suggesting tarnishing the Light of Lights with such a thing.  It’s bad enough her holiness subjected herself to the presence of such things.  Doing so with Celestia against her will is out of the question.” Recoiling a bit from Radiant’s unspoken accusation, Topaz waved a warding hoof.  “I only said it in jest of course.  We can figure out how, and if not, we can try relocating the Sisters to Canterlot.” Studying the Sisters’ posture and the anger in each others’ eyes, Rarity sweated a bit.  “I can’t say that would go well.  Given the immense divine power the Sisters wield with terrible ease, the moment they are freed, I fear they would still think they are on a battlefield and raze the castle before we could explain the situation.  Luna more so, I’d wager.” “Perhaps you’re right.”  Radiant took the statue in as a whole and suppressed a shudder at the raw power that was frozen in stone.  “We should exhaust absolutely all of our options here before we try to relocate.  The foulness of the swamp aside, it is not like we are pressed for time. We must do this right, not fast and loose.” Looking back at his old friend, Topaz sniffed the air, causing his gag reflex to twing, being too used to the perfumed halls of the palace and Inquisitorius.  “Foulness indeed.  Would it be too much to erect a chapel of sorts around us to Celestia’s honor… and to give us an excuse to light some incense.” Later that week, during a heavy thunderstorm, the scout elements of the Ninety Second were sniffing around the remains of Bogburg, the same town Turnabout’s militia hailed from. Bogburg had been one of the larger municipalities that remained close to the pre-war border. Now however, the town of twenty one thousand was an utterly abandoned, bombed out, fire swept ruin.  Lightning sporadically revealed miles of charred wooden buildings along the city streets. A few stone stand outs remained, casting long shadows over the scouts as they sniffed around for any sign of traps or potential tracker soldiers left behind to catch any holdouts.   Yet all that greeted them were empty streets and darkened windows. A haunting emptiness that let all of them on edge. Being so used to insect or bird song from the plains or forests they had just traveled though, the thunderous rain was all they could hear. What struck them more, was the fatalism that each empty home or shop they saw. Their generals had promised victory in the first year, now only a call to resist remained, and the empty city heralded their future. When no threats materialized, the rest of the Lunarians eased their way inside looking for a place to camp before making the final push into the Mirage. Everyone sagged from the rain and crushing hollow city. They had been pushing themselves so hard over the last month, many of them couldn't fly even if they needed to. Still, despite the unease, the prospect of having a roof over their heads for the following days' rest kept their legs moving.  Towards the river rested a collection of warehouses that used to service the marina. As the first scout pushed the creaking door open, the thestral found the brick construction mostly intact, save for a single large hole in the roof and northern wall where artillery had struck it. The incoming rain was being funneled into a drain, so the ground was fairly dry. Also importantly, time and the rain had cleaned the air of soot and dust. “This is perfect. We could even light small fires without being noticed.” Reluctant to go back out into the heavy rain, the scout trudged on to find his brethren before reporting back to the captain. Within hours, the rest of the company filed into the warehouse, with some of them camping in an adjacent structure that was less intact, but still provided enough protection for a squad to bunker down.  Pinkie Pie and Silver helped unhitch Twilight from her cargo, and the tired mare all but collapsed in a heap. Both of them helped Twilight to stand up, but she could barely move on her own. “Pinkie.  Pinkie, did we make it?” “We’re at the last stop, Twilly. We’re going to rest a bit, okay?”  Her sister set Twilight down near a fire Applejack was making. The warehouse and the surrounding ruins had enough wood for a few fires, so they would not have to venture too much into the ruins tonight.  Twilight was too tired to smile so she flopped her head a bit in a facsimile of a nod. “That’s good.” Silver laid out his sopping wet rucksack to dry while pulling out his sleeping blanket. The rain had gotten to it a little, but the leather rucksack had done its job for the most part and it was dry enough for Twilight to lay down on. “Here, rest a bit while Applejack gets dinner warmed up.” Grateful, and too tired to object even if she wanted to, Twilight nestled into the partially damp blanket.  It was chilly, and matted her fur in places, but fatigue had sunk into her very bones, and her wings shivered from the cold.  Pinkie Pie moved to unclasp Twilight’s armor. “Silver give me a hoof. Without feathers, Twilight’s as vulnerable to a wet cold as a shaved pegasus.” “I’m fine,” Twilight barely croaked out, more out of annoyance of the comparison than anything else.  Ignoring the feeble protest, Silver joined Pinkie’s efforts in removing Twilight’s armor and soaked travel clothes before they too removed their own. Pinkie was in the middle of using her blanket to dry Twilight off when Applejack was done with the soup. “Come here and bring yer bowls, ya’ll, plenty a beans, rice, and pork for all.” It wasn’t long before the four of them were scrunched up close to the fire, each of them weary and cold. Similar fires were spread around the warehouse, and muted conversation and song filled the air.  The warmth of friends and fire gave Twilight enough strength to sit properly to eat by the time Rainbow Dash had done the rounds of ensuring the camp was safe for her to rest as well. “Hey, girls, Silver, mind if I join in?” “As if you need to ask, Dashie.”  Pinkie Pie and Applejack pulled back from the fire to make room for her.  The captain plopped down with her bowl and spoon at the ready. “I can’t tell you how starved I am.” “Well help yourself,” Applejack offered as she pushed the ladle around the pot. The sailor chewed on some tough pork, barely tenderized by the hot soup. The beans and rice weren’t much better, but everyone was too hungry to wait for perfectly cooked and just wanted something warm and soft enough it wouldn’t chip teeth.  Applejack had run out of pepper and dried spices days ago. “Wish we had some bread. Hell, some hard tack’ would do if we had it.” “We’re going to rest all night tomorrow,” Rainbow announced. “Too many of us are strung out, and not for nothing, I’d rather not sleep inside a creepy black magic infested swamp.”  She got no argument for the rest. “I’ll set some boys out to fish out of the river. And who knows, maybe some choice grass or flowers if we’re lucky.” The thought of eating more unflavored grass made Twilight groan. “Please no more grass. I just want a cheesesteak sandwich with onions and peppers.” With a cheeky smirk, Applejack leaned over. “Maybe you can hit Luna up for one when we free her. You know, as compensation.” “Pah, and waste the favor of a goddess for a sandwich?  Perish the thought.”  Twilight settled for another spoonful of hard rice and chewy pork. It was bland but filling. She had to eat with her hooves though as her wings were still trembling from exhaustion. “I’m just glad the return trip can be done without carrying the engine back.” “Ha, you’re not the only one.”  Rainbow jabbed a wing behind her to the resting troops. “They’ve done a great job, but the bellyaching could rival an orphanage walking past a candy store. Not that I blame them.” Twilight yawned sleepily, and struggled to keep from spilling her bowl. Silver caught it and held it steady. “You should drink the rest then lay down, Twilight.  I’ll dry your armor and clothes out.” Pinkie Pie went to her sister’s side and laid down beside her to share her body heat. Twilight fell asleep before she could even thank her. Pinkie looked to Silver. “I’ll thank you for her,” she said with a side smile.  Too worried over Twilight to share the weak laughter, Silver managed to nod at least. “I’ll dry yours too then.” As he went about using tent poles to hang things up, Applejack and Rainbow pulled back from the fire to give him space for the clothes. The armor had to be dried manually, yet Silver did so without complaint.  “Hey, AJ, I’m going to go back to my tent with Jacks and the others to plan some things. You think you can manage to scrounge up some fishing poles?” Wearing a sly grin and rubbing her nose, Applejack was already feeling hungry for some seafood. “If there’s fish in them waters, they'll be dinner in no time. I’ll take anypony who can handle a line.” “Awesome. See you in the evening,” Rainbow offered a hoof to which Applejack bumped it.  Taking to the air, Rainbow made her way to the opposite side of the warehouse where her ‘command’ tent was. The thing was barely big enough for her sleeping spot and some out stretched maps. Her officers were all camped near her as well.  Presently, they were all huddled around a fire of their own. Upon seeing her approach, they stood up out of respect.  With a nod from Rainbow, they relaxed a bit. “How are the boys?” “Tired, ma’am,” said First Lieutenant Pine Needle. “But in good spirits now that they have cover from the rain.” “And that we’re almost there.” “Good, good.”  Rainbow huffed and sat down by the fire. The cold air of the coming frost made all of them huddle around. “ Feather Dance, Seabreeze, you already posted the watch schedule?” “Yes, ma’am.” Nodding mechanically, she stared into the fire, falling into deep thought. Her officers remained, but kept the peace, believing she was in prayer or strategizing.  The truth was far different. Part of Rainbow was still saddened by not remaining a sergeant. Her officers were competent and respectful enough, but there was that lack of easy camaraderie that she missed. Her lieutenants were all nobles. Lesser ones with more prospects in the military than a comfortable inheritance, but nobles all the same.  They didn’t match her sense of humor well. During off time, they spoke of a younger high life she couldn’t relate to, and talking about her commoner upbringing was a recipe for embarrassing herself if the cards weren’t right. If anything, Twilight would have fit the role as captain better in Rainbow’s eyes were she not a pegacorn. Maybe if she had that armor from birth… There was nothing for it though. The emperor himself saw fit to grant her the bars, and by damn she was not going to prove her emperor a fool. “Fellows, we’re going to rest here for a day or two. The last thing we want is somepony falling out and losing some damn engine part to the swamp. I want salvage and fishing teams drawn up by moonrise to find any wood or food we can stock up on as well. What coal we brought must be saved for the engine.” “I’ll handle that one ma’am,” Pine Needle offered readily.  “Seabreeze, I want you and your boys to scout further afield, but don’t enter the Mirage. It’s druid territory and I want us all together if things go sour. “Feather Dance, see to the boys’ health and spirits. I want to know that when we free Luna, we don’t look like a ragged bunch.”  She looked back out at the closest soldiers outside her officer circle, and very few of them were showing much energy. “It’d shame us all.” “Should I have them inspection ready?” Feather Dance asked half jokingly. Rainbow seriously considered it though.  This was no simple rescue mission, Luna herself was on the line. It would give the air corps a good first impression if they could manage that. Then again… “Oh I see how it is, you lot barely keep your rifles clean while resting in the capital, but you want to be parade ready in the middle of a swamp for Luna?” She asked, matching Feather’s dry sarcasm.  A short laugh and curt smile crept onto Feather Dance. “With respect, Captain, She who protects is a bit higher on the ladder.” “Just a bit?” Rainbow asked with a chuckle of her own.  Just a bit, ma’am.” Rainbow drew herself up and dropped the humor. “Let’s see how the swamp treats us first before we make anything official. At the very least I want everypony’s weapons to be clean.” “Aye, that we can do.” The sun was setting while Applejack rested on the riverbank and a large wooden panel she had ripped off a dresser. The home it had come from was a hollow shell, save for the basement where she had found the thing, along with plenty of string for dozens of fishing lines.  Although her heart pined for the salty air of the sea, to feel the waves under her, the best she could do was sit on the panel and pretend it was a deck. The overgrown reeds around her offered plenty of concealment from any possible patrols, but the scouts had determined the Equestrians had no prescience for miles.  A bucket sat next to her as well, already filled with two fish. The two years without the town had brought the fish back in abundance. Life, for this short moment, was good, save for a lack of rum to warm her belly. Wings on the air brought her attention to the sky. Jacks and two soldiers came in low over the reeds, hefting some buckets of their own.  “Hail, sea cat, had any luck?” Yawning, Applejack got up and raised her bucket of two fish. “You don’t honestly think any of you air jockeys can beat me in fish in’ do ya?” Jacks landed to claim the fish. “I’d hope not or what else would we need a sailor for this far inland?”  “Teaching some of you how to shoot for one,” Applejack challenged.  “Is that right?”  Jacks returned with a competitive smirk. He grabbed his carbine and tossed it over to Applejack who took it. “Five slips you’ll miss the fish.”  Jacks grabbed one of Applejack’s fish, a river trout that was easily a foot long and prepared to toss it into the air.  She tilted her head a bit in mild confusion. “You really want me to fire this when we’re trying to lay low around here?” Jacks cursed under his breath, and reluctantly fished out a few slips and gave them over to one of his escorts.  “You just lost me money, sea cat.” Applejack checked the weapon, and found it wasn’t even loaded.  “You’re a piece of work, Top Shirt.” She threw the weapon back at him, which he caught with a cheeky smirk. The reeds behind Applejack rustled, and everyone panicked before hastily taking up firing positions. Applejack saw another reed shift and she leveled her revolver at it.  “I’m the furthest fisher out here, so Ah know you ain’t one of us.  Come out nice and slow you and you might leave without some new holes,” she called out with her command voice.  The reeds shook more until a mud covered earth stallion with pieces of plants on his head stepped out. He certainly didn’t look like a trooper so the soldiers partially lowered their weapons. “I hope you don't waste the life of those fish. That aside, I was beginning to think you machine kin had been driven out completely.” “Machine kin?” One of the soldiers asked dumbly.  “Who are you?” Applejack holstered her pistol, thinking he was an out of sorts homeless bum that the slavers missed.   He tried to wipe some of the mud off his face, but with fur all he managed to do was spread it around. “I’m Rock Salt, the last of the Crookback druids of the Mirage.  Is Commander Turnabout still here?” “If you mean the local militia, they fought to the last,” Applejack said as she fought back bitterness. “Silver said you helped them a couple years back.” “More like it was in reverse, but I thank you for the sentiment.”  Rock Salt stopped trying to clean himself until he could get in the river.  “Bit of a ways from the swamp ain’tcha?” Jack asked as he finished getting the other fish ready to carry out.  “It was hardly my choice. The Equestrians have returned to my village.”