//------------------------------// // 32: A Friendly Get Together // Story: A Clash of Magic and Steam // by law abiding pony //------------------------------// Dusk had settled over Bogburg, and the Lunarian camp was enjoying a hearty breakfast as everyone waited anxiously for the scout’s return. Largely in the form of quiet singing and other such forced merriment. No one wanted to think about going up against an inquisitor so far from reinforcements, let alone three of them.  The worst bundle of nerves rested on top of a wall. Rainbow’s eyes were fixed to the northwest, trying to catch the first glimpse of her scout.  The distant sound of songs helped ease her concern. If the soldiers were willing to go this far, they trusted her enough to see things through.  Her vigil was interrupted by the familiar hum of Twilight flying over. Upon sighting the aristocrat, Rainbow stood up out of instinctive good manners. “Evening, Twilight. Did you sleep well?” “I’ll go ahead and say it. I’d rather have slept on softer soil than concrete, but at least it was drier.”  The mares shared a short laugh. “I could ask you the same thing.”  Twilight tried to take great care in claiming a spot on the wall to join her friend. She did not have much practice in landing on such thin surfaces. “I didn’t hear that much snoriiiiing!” she cried as she lost her balance.  Rainbow moved to aid her, but Twilight salvaged the landing into a sliding glide before rising back up to try again.  “I can manage, but thank you.” Smirking at the effort, Rainbow eased herself back down.  “Come on, Twilight, you know Star Skipper casts a muffle spell over my tent, or else I would have brought the whole Royal Army on top of us weeks ago.”  With the beginning joking over, Rainbow eyed Twilight’s belly, unsure if she was sporting a bump yet or if it was a trick of the eyes. “I hope you’re not going to try convincing me to let you join the battle.” “Perish the thought!”  Twilight’s footing on the wall was shaky, but she was bound and determined to lay down on it.  “I was taught how to defend myself, not wage war.  I am more than happy to leave that to you.”  Rainbow sighed in relief.  “Now if you need something heavy dropped on a few heads, that I can manage.”  Gingerly, she slowly sat down, keeping her wings out in case she fell.  “That being said, I’ve been doing some thinking.” Rainbow knew that tone.  Twilight only ever sounded pensive when she knew the listener would be rather displeased.  “Why do I get the feeling I’m going to need a drink in about two minutes?” “Believe me, I’d offer some if I had any.”  Ultimately opting to just sit upright, Twilight carefully retracted her wings. "I rustled up some wine last night," Rainbow offered, trying to delay the aneurysm that was sure to follow. “Thank you, but no. My father made me promise that I’d never drink while with foal.  I’d like to at least do right by him in that respect.” At first, Rainbow silently agreed with the sentiment, but then what was asked of her surprised the officer.  “Wait.  What’s wrong with drinking while with foal?” “He’s a notorious teetotaler, and said nopony has any business drinking in the workshop, let alone a child.”  She shrugged with a half-smile.  “And my mother kept the cupboard under lock and key unless she was hosting guests, so I never developed a taste.” Groaning and waving a dismissive hoof at her friend, Rainbow was already feeling the need for a beer.  “Bah.  Drinking’s good for you.  Keeps you from thinking about your troubles at the very least.” “Speaking of which, I’ve been doing some thinking…” Fidgeting nervously, Rainbow felt her flight instinct already rising. The information Rock Salt gave them was a lot to process, and she suspected Twilight would have seen issues Rainbow didn’t catch.  “Can I get the good news first?” “There is no good news,” Twilight replied while scanning the area around them looking for the eavesdroppers that seemed to linger near her at all times. If I didn't know any better, I'd think Rainbow ordered them to shadow me. “Only bad news and weird news.”  Squaring herself up to face some shouting, Twilight took a deep breath. “Given how three inquisitors have failed to free the sisters after weeks of effort, I don’t think the Charlie engine is going to be enough...” As Twilight’s carefully crafted pitch crumbled before it even left her lips, Rainbow Dash shivered from the cold. “After listening to Rock Salt talk about it, I thought as much.” Huffing more at herself than anything else, Twilight nodded. “You suspected the same thing?” “Well, yes. I mean, three inquisitors can’t figure out how to free the sisters?  What hope does the charlie have?  The damned thing was made to keep spells off of cannons, not overpower something that can put out a mile wide field.” “Then you already know the bad news.”  Even so, Twilight was still on edge. “So we just break the statue off the pedestal and fly it back to home. If a charlie can’t do it, I bet my commission the Gear Hall can free the sisters.”  Rainbow felt pretty happy with herself over the plan. “I know it’s a lot more work trying to sneak back, but we’ll do what we need to do.” The following silence threatened to rob Twilight of her chance as the scout could arrive at any moment. “But something else is bothering me. You know I can fly with my armor, but I’m worried about what Rock Salt said.”  Rainbow tilted an ear her way. “When the inquisitors tried to use their staves, they grew hot and were unusable. I don’t think I can carry the sisters out of here.” Rainbow’s ears went flat in a hurry and she stared at her friend. “But your armor is a machine.” “A magical machine,” Twilight clarified. “There’s a real possibility if I try to fly near the statue, I’ll get burned alive in the attempt.”  It was not a prospect Twilight had any intention of testing. “We need a third option.” “We can carry them out of there the old fashioned way then,” Rainbow countered, standing up as her nerves got the better of her.  “We dropped the engine over ten times on the way here,” Twilight rebuked with calm force. “Granted it was never more than a foot or so, but the charlie is designed to resist being rattled around. We can’t say the same for stone.” Giving her friend a stink eye, Rainbow was now shivering from more than the cold. “You still haven’t told me the weird news, and somehow I know I’m going to hate it.” “I’m not exactly pleased with it either, but it’s the best chance I can think of without seeing the statue for myself…”  Swallowing the lump in her throat, Twilight pushed on. “We need to take at least one inquisitor alive.” Disbelief and a halting laughter is all that Rainbow could do after hearing that. “Oh that’s funny. I thought you said weird, not suicidal.”  She took to flying slow orbits around Twilight to keep herself from locking up. “I’ve heard plenty of fool’s errands ever since I got entangled with you, but this tops them all!”  Before Twilight could reply, Rainbow shoved her face into Twilight’s own. “And believe me, I had to train alongside fresh LTs!  Damnation, they must have been scraping the barrel on half of them.” “I know it’s much to ask…”  Twilight tried to cut in, only to be rented over by Rainbow.  “Much?!  Twi, we’ll be lucky to win this in the first place, let alone trying to capture one of them.” Twilight firmly, and slowly pushed Rainbow back out of her personal space. “If you can think of a better plan, then by all means.  We have one corporal-mage with us, and I don’t see him being able to equal even a tenth of an inquisitor's prowess.” Scowling hard enough to pull a muscle, Rainbow jumped at the first thought. “Then we skip trying to free them here.  We look for a boat to take them out of the swamp. The Royal Army must have missed something we can use.” “Let’s assume we do. Then what?” Twilight countered sharply. “The river empties out into Lake Roan, back into Equestria.  And that’s assuming the inquisitors aren’t missed by the time we can get a boat over there and sail back here.  If Equestria as a whole finds out we’re here, they’ll be all over us in a week. If we can’t fly, it’s over.” “Soooo, what? We go in there, bust some heads, and then have a nice brunch over tea to convince them to help us of all ponies?” “I’m still not hearing a workable counter plan.”  Rainbow threatened to drift away, so Twilight grabbed her by the shirt to hold her in place. “Listen. Purge fields are sort of like waves in water, and the charlie will act like a stone, giving the inquisitor just enough space between both fields to use the staff.”  She let go, having made her pitch.  Rainbow backed away and had to process the idea for a bit. “There’s no way to promise I can take one alive, let alone uninjured enough to do this.  And all of that hinges on if we can trust an inquisitor long enough to do it. Which I don’t need to tell you is impossible!” “It’s our best chance of returning home alive,” Twilight rebuked firmly, matching Rainbow’s own hard gaze.  The following silence was deafening. Rainbow said nothing as her mind ran wild. Halfway through a thought, she paused to fix a skeptical eye on her friend. “You’re too smart for this.” Blinking, Twilight ruffled her wings, suddenly uncomfortable under the intense and sudden scrutiny. “What do you mean?” “Back when Rock Salt was giving us the rundown, you reacted to the name ‘Rarity’.”  Grim satisfaction came from seeing Twilight’s squirming getting worse. “Who is she to you?  She’s the one you’d rather see left alive, isn’t she?” Averting her gaze, Twilight’s wings kept wanting to flare, but she kept herself grounded. “I - I owe her my life, and in a roundabout way, Pinkie’s freedom.” Tsking, Rainbow’s moody soured heavily. “Look, Twilight, I’m not going to risk my soldiers’ lives just so you can get some petty shots in at her expense, inquisitors or not.”  I thought you were better than that.  The last bit almost left her lips.  Twilight felt rather insulted and jumped into the air, and came within inches of slapping Rainbow. Her first bitter retort curled her lips, but she managed to soften it. “I don’t trade in lives!”  Twilight still wound up to slap her, but restrained herself, if barely. Rainbow had prepared to dodge, and was caught between surprise and disappointment the strike never came.  “If anything, I would wholeheartedly thank her for scaring me onto that boat, but I wouldn’t ask this of you for that either.”  Heaving a pair of heavy sighs to calm down, Twilight shook herself. “Rarity spared me the hangmare’s noose when I was eighteen.  Two years before I defected.” Rainbow remained in stunned silence long enough for Twilight to keep going. “She caught me red-hooved making overtures to the abolition movement. She could have just let her superiors add me to the list of names, but she went out of her way to spare me.  I don’t care what her reasons were for, she didn’t have to do it.  “I can’t - I can’t ask you to avoid harming Rarity, if it is really her. But I have to do something.” Shamed by her misjudgment, Rainbow’s snark faded. “What does she look like?” As they carried on, the scout arrived at last.  It was gloomy out at the Equestrian camp. Up above, the full moon hung over Rarity’s head like a bad omen. A brisk cold wind whipped through the ghost village, kicking red and golden leaves about. The day’s efforts once again proved fruitless.  She was tired, hungry, and utterly miserable in the eerie village. So it was with great satisfaction that she sat down at Lock Stock’s fire. He was spit roasting a fish and had some nicely seasoned vegetable stock already warmed up.  During their long stay, Rarity and her retinue had made their camp in between four houses and covered up much with tent canvas to shield them entirely while also granting them the added space of the four dwellings. The supply pegasi had not exactly been happy carting in a quartet of mattresses, but that they had been paid handsomely.  Lyra was also present, and had been offering a happy melody until Rarity walked through the tent flaps. She and Lock Stock stood up out of respect. “Ma’am, Lock’s got some dinner ready, and I cooked us some grilled peaches and caramel.” Giving a fatigued smile, Rarity removed her hat and sat down next to the fire with thinned grace. A headache was already pounding at the base of her horn, and she rubbed it with a grimace. “You’re both too kind.” Lock Stock whipped up a bowl and cutlery. “Come and join us, ma’am.  Finally got that Cloudsdale salt for the fish.  You’ll love it.” “I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to this.”  Rarity bit into her fish and had to keep herself from moaning out of delight. She ate far more quickly than normal, still giving the others time to get their share of the food.  Lyra was loath to ask the daily question, but it was her turn.  “How’d it go today?” Her mood already dropping, Rarity fussed over some vegetables.  “Radiant is convinced Luna is behind our failure so far, but I’m beginning to think the sisters are blind to our efforts.” The other two shared a worried look. It was one thing for them to speak of such things quietly between each other. For Rarity to voice such a thing out loud…  Lock Stock idly chewed on some squash before asking the question both he and Lyra were afraid to ask. “What makes you think that?” Rarity was already cursing herself for giving word to her own thoughts, but they were out now. “I just.  Celestia doesn’t answer my prayers. We pray directly in front of her, and yet nothing. Not even a whisper. Why!?” Hazarding a reply, Lyra pawed at the ground. “Maybe we don’t know how to listen?” It was hardly a new quandary. In fact such ideas were postulated in the inquisitorial academy. “I hope that’s all it is.”  Rarity ate more of her food until a nagging absence struck her. Looking around, Rarity grew worried. “Where’s Fluttershy?” “I haven’t seen her since lunch,” Lock Stock replied with little concern. “Said she wanted to do some cleaning today. She’s probably camping out to get closer to nature or something.” “She already thinks our camp is no different than the woods, Lock Stock!”  Turning to Lyra, Rarity was getting a bit agitated. This wasn’t like her friend at all. “Did she check in with you that she would be staying out?” “No.” Lyra tensed as the energy in the room was getting high. “I’ve been fishing all day.” Rarity jumped to her hooves, only to hear a gunshot. Another, a third, shouting sprung up all over the camp.  The three of them burst from the tent to find a pony standing barely ten yards away, and aiming straight at them.  Rarity barely had enough time to recognize the mirrored eyes of a thestral. Time seemed to crawl for a moment as Rarity tried to power her horn for a shield, but the bullet was simply too fast. Rarity found herself being pushed aside as Lyra tried to save her.  Time snapped back to normal with both mares on the ground, and Lock Stock already firing his pistol, striking the retreating thestral.  Rarity pulled herself up, finding blood all over her. Shocked and surprised, Rarity couldn’t think of anything to do other than to check on her friend. Lyra was bleeding from the side of her neck. “Lock, cover me!” Not even waiting for a reply, Rarity levitated her friend and she usher back into the tent. Lyra was trying to thrash about due to the pain, but Rarity kept her held tight. “Hold still, I’ll close it.” Lock Stock remained outside and stayed close against the mossy stone walls. Hastily reloading, Lock Stock kept an eye out, but the darkness gave the enemy all the advantages.  Suddenly, a flare gun launched a shot into the air, giving enough light to reveal a second thestral lining up a shot. Lock Stock dove away right as a bullet struck the wall, peppering him with bits of stone. By the time he tried to aim at his attacker, the soldier was already gone. A third popped up from behind another building, but as soon as she saw Lock Stock aiming to shoot her, she scrambled back into cover.  A shot buzzed past his head, forcing Lock Stock to scramble back near a new wall. This time he spotted the Lunarian first, only for the flare to burst, flashing everyone, and ruining his nigh vision. Damn they brought a mage of their own?! Rolling away to make himself a moving target, no less than four shots came his way. Three struck the wall while the last one struck the butt of his long gun, throwing it out of his grip.  Experience taught him he should be bayonet charged soon, so he backed away towards the tent, still seeing spots in his eyes from the destroyed flare. He recovered his weapon, only to find the chamber had a bullet-sized dent in it. Discarding his now unusable rifle, he pulled out his pistol, but no further attack was forthcoming. Shots still rang out all over the camp, and a new flare was launched, but no soldiers, save the one he shot, were visible.  His pistol followed his frantic gaze, and still nothing proved to be a threat for the moment. Where’s the follow up?  They should be storming my position. From the ruins of the manor, he spotted a fast moving bolt of lime green magic rocketing into the air. Following it, he saw it was headed straight to the flare. Turning away as quickly as he could and shielding his eyes, a loud crackling pop echoed from above and the world was cast into darkness once again.  A shadow moved, and he fired in haste. The shock struck true as he was rewarded with a cry of pain. Yet he did not pull back in time for a second soldier he missed to take a clean shot and struck Lock Stock in the chest.  As he fell, he saw the grass beneath him ripple blue. As he crashed to the dirt, hundreds of needles shot up from the ground, striking down five and causing three more to flee. Rarity was at his side a moment later looking him over “Where were you hit?” She asked needlessly as she magically ripped his jacket off to find the source of blood.  A shot buzzed her ear and a second grazed her shoulder. The searing pain made her stumble before turning about and launching ten caustic needles of acid into the air which quickly shot towards anything alive that wasn’t next to her or the tent.  Amidst the echoes of panic and pain from her spellwork, Lock Stock grit his teeth angrily. “Go,” Lock Stock choked out, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. “Our job’s to protect you, not the-” He coughed up frothy blood. “The other way around. Get out of here.” Rarity pulled up a shield as he hefted him onto her back. “Have you learned nothing?” Her barrier was not only a glowing magnet to bullets, but the purging field was already tugging on it, causing wisps of blue to be pulled off while a bullet rippled it like water.  Holding him tight, Rarity gave up on the barrier, and bolted away to slip past the tent and towards the center of camp. A third and fourth flare were launched into the sky, giving Rarity a visible path. She didn’t need to go far. The center of camp was only a short ways west of the statues.  She jumped over a dead unicorn and weaved through the streets. A shot from above caught her by surprise, only for Lock Stock’s flank to take the hit.  She shot a deadly bolt of ice zeroing in on the shooter. The bolt curved after the soldier and veered off course, only to strike her in the wing, causing the pegasus to fail from the sky.  More gunfire erupted, only now more of it was outgoing.   “Rarity!” called Radiant Dawn as soon as she rounded one last house and came upon the center of camp. Here, Radiant Dawn had corralled four other unicorns and two pegasi into a pitiable defensive line using the old chieftain’s house as a bulwark. “Get over here!” A grenade landed near Rarity and she tripped trying to grab it with her magic and fling it away. She never hit the ground upon seeing Radiant’s amber magic grab both her and Lock Stock and pull them to safety.  The pair crashed into a table and Lock Stock tumbled not too far further, but at least now there was a stone roof over their heads and gunners on the windows.  Rarity scrambled to her hooves and saw one of the unicorns tending to a wounded retainer. “Suture, Lock Stock needs help!” Barely seeing the medic notice the call for aid, Rarity was pulled aside to join Radiant Dawn by the ruins of the front door. The old wood was shot to pieces, so a second table had been overturned for protection. Mages had erected barriers over the windows that allowed bullets to pass, but would bounce any grenades back outside.  The whole house was awash with a rainbow of magic motes being pulled off the barriers, making it harder to see threats. Rarity scrambled to his side which was next to the only opening in the building big enough to climb through.  Sporadic gunfire lingered on, keeping everyone’s heads down. One shot buried itself into the table, splashing them with splinters.  “Where is Topaz, sir?” She called out over the noise while brushing the wood off her duster.  Radiant was a sea of calm discipline. His eyes never left the open door, and his horn glowed slightly with a readied spell. “Dead.  I would be too if the second shot was a hair to the left.  If we could have had our wards up, this ambush would have never happened.” Then you should have taken my advice and made camp over the manor’s ruins.  A few exorcism rites would have made it just fine.  Rarity had to quash that bitter and currently unhelpful thought.  A target outside tried to poke his head out from behind a house. Instantly, Radiant grabbed the soldier’s head with his magic, instantly feeling the hot pain of forcing his magic into a disruptor field. He held on just long enough to yank the soldier out of cover, allowing a unicorn on the other side of the exit to gun him down.  Radiant rubbed his head trying to recover from the effort. “Where are the rest of your retainers?” Spotting a thestral, Rarity fired an ice bolt, but the target was already fleeing before the spell ever left her horn. The spell went awry and crashed uselessly into a wall.  Angry at missing her target, Rarity settled back into waiting. “Lyra took a bullet for me, but she still breathes. No word on Fluttershy.” For a few moments, no more threats popped up, giving Radiant a breather. “Rock Salt. He must have killed Fluttershy somehow.  The mare was always too hopeful about him.”  Kicking himself for such oversight, he risked casting a divination spell to see if anyone was trying to sneak around the house itself.   “He better hope that I never see him alive,” Rarity seethed at the mental image of her friend dead by Rock Salt’s hooves.  “We should focus on ourselves first,” Radiant chastised. “Retribution can wait.” And wait they did.  A minute passed, then two. Only silence now, save for the whimpers and cries of the injured and dying.  “They must be allowing us to exhaust ourselves with the barrier.”  Rarity turned back to the mages, seeing they were so fatigued they had resorted to sitting in a pool of sweat.  “All of you, rest, they’ve pulled back.” Four minutes had passed when Radiant ended his divination spell. He collapsed to a sit, and his breathing was labored now. The purging field had taken an alarming amount of mana out of him thanks to the sensing spell. “I count seventy seven of them. All around us too.” Still nursing her own mana-fatigue induced headache, Rarity hid her aches and pains well. “What should we do?” “You need to escape, child.”  When Rarity sat there aghast at the suggestion, Radiant spoke more forcefully. “Get out from under this field and get help.” “I’m not leaving you here,” Rarity fired back. “Nor am I leaving Celestia to them either.” Pride in his student had to be pushed aside for the situation. The noise outside was quiet now. Not even a token shot to keep their heads down, but he was not about to poke his head out to check. “If we haven’t freed her yet, what hope do they have?” He puzzled aloud. “It’s not like they can just fly an engine here, and even if they did, it couldn’t possibly be large enough to matter.”  A worrying idea intruded on the stallion. “Could they be here just to spite Celestia by killing her?” “They wouldn’t!” Rarity proclaimed with shaky conviction. “If we wouldn’t harm Luna without Celestia’s direct blessing, then why would they do that?” “Remember chapter ten verse seven of the Book of Swords?  ‘Do not allow fear to sunder your armor of dignity. Desperation breeds dishonor.’  It is entirely possible they’ll do just that since they are losing this war.” His words struck Rarity with terror, and her own fears started spiraling until a memory of her last encounter with Blind Speaker came upbiddened. That's right. I told him to seek out Twilight Sparkle. Could she be here?  I wonder if the rumors about her are true. “Madam Rarity,” a tired and reverent voice called from behind her. The medic Suture was covered in someone else’s blood from the chest down, with splotches on her face. “Your honor, it’s Lock Stock.” Torn between wanting to be beside her friend and protecting the door, Rarity could only ask a question. “Will he make it?” “I’ve done what I can to slow the bleeding, but it’s those Lunarian bullets. I can’t locate them with my magic, I need my tongs to get them out of his chest and flank.  If I can’t get to my tent in the next few hours,” she was pleading with both inquisitors now, “I won’t be able to save any of them.” “I will do it,” Radiant declared firmly. “Rarity, watch the outside, but remain here. Our magic needs to rest, and if they aren’t going to force an assault, I’m all for it.” “Yes, sir.”  Rarity settled in behind the table, occasionally sending a divination spell around the house’s immediate surroundings. The cries of the injured both outside and in made it hard to think. Rarity had never been to war. It was not death that unsettled her, as long as it was in service to Celestia, but the false calm.  The enemy was out there, waiting, and they had surrendered the field to their shadowy foes. What made things worse was the purging field. By now she and Radiant would have warded the house and sent a torrent of homing magic at the Lunarians. At least they didn’t bring any artillery. As much as she wanted to focus, her fears kept pulling her to the not so distant statue of the Sisters still in full view thanks to the moonlight. While keeping her eyes searching for threats, Rarity started to pray for guidance. Anything to give her a sign.  Barely a word into it, there was a metallic crash on top of the house’s clinic. Stones came loose and dust rained upon the patients. Rarity shielded her head with her hooves, and noticed metallic clanging on the roof directly above her before a steel bathtub rolled off the edge and came to a rest a few feet away.  Quirking her head out of astonishment, Rarity was taken completely off guard by the second impact. A cornerstone clipped the edge of the exit, forcing Rairty to jump back.  Flinching from falling pebbles, a massive piece of granite now clogged the door, but the impact had fractured the roof enough to open it to the sky. Torn branches and shredded leaves obscured several fliers in the distance peeling away.  Radiant Dawn stumbled into the remains of the room, sporting a gash across his back. “What was all that?” He hissed out from the pain.  Rarity leapt to his side, worriedly looking him over. “Artillery of some kind. Possibly a trebuchet.” “A trebuchet?!”  He growled. “How in blazes could they have possibly built a damned trebuchet without us knowing about it?!” Rarity pointed at the massive stone, easily four ponies big. “Well something threw that at us.” Giving the stone a once over, it was far too heavy for even a four pony team. Radiant let his injury drag him to laying down. “Damn it all. I was hoping we could use the siege to recover our strength. I - I. I don’t know what to do.”  It pained him to say it, and he doubly ashamed his protégé was the one to hear it.  Rather than fall into despair, Rarity went about taking off her white duster and turning it inside out to mask the blood.  “What are you doing?” “Buying you time.”  Rarity shook her duster, satisfied it would serve as a white flag.  Radiant magically grabbed her by the foreleg. “Don’t. They’ll kill you. Better I do it.” Not relenting, Rarity pulled her duster free from his attempt to magically grab it. “Instructor. You always say I rely too much on treaties. I like to think it’s because I’m good at talking. Please. If it can be done, I’ll do it. If I don’t come back… It was an honor to serve you, Radiant Dawn.” Tearing up, Radiant hugged her, not caring if the retainers saw him. “Celestia be with you, Rarity.” A third crash came down, this time the stone missed the house, but only by inches. Yet it was still close enough to give everyone a scare.  Shoring up her strength and voice of authority, Rarity gave one last nod to her mentor before climbing up to the hole in the low ceiling. Magically levitating her duster outside and waving it, she yelled “Parley!  I call for parley!” She waited behind cover, still waving her duster. She tried listening for any sort of response one way or another.  It wasn’t long before a chorus of ponies started repeating ‘parley’ and a few voices gave orders to hold fire.  Alright, Rarity ol’ girl. Stiff upper lip and carry yourself with dignity. A flare was launched high into the air, trailing a tail of sparks. Rarity kept her ears flat as she gingerly climbed up to survey her surroundings. She quickly counted twenty fliers overhead, all of whom had their carbines at the ready, but not yet aimed exactly at her. Shoring up her courage and grace, Rarity climbed fully out onto the roof. She stopped waving her duster, but kept it floating close by, even as the purging field made that difficult.  It was only then that she saw eight more soldiers in the Lunarian black and silver uniforms taking cover around the squat druid houses. The way they were prone, she couldn’t tell if they were aiming to kill, or simply were keeping their hooves off the triggers. “I would speak with your commander,” she firmly requested.  “She’ll be here,” one pegasus yelled derisively. His schadenfreude was palpable in both his words and his smirk. Looking more closely, she could see Sergeant stripes on his sleeves. “Now put that down and keep that horn of yours nice and dark.  Wouldn’t want to think you’re violating parley now would we?” For a moment, Rarity pondered if she should leave her duster on the roof. Even if the Lunarians guessed she was an inquisitor, wearing her mark of office would only agitate them more. …No. if I am to die, I will do it with dignity.  “But of course.”  Flipping the duster back over, she donned it once more. Mixed reactions swept over the soldiers upon realizing the duster did in fact belong to her. Some jerked their carbines at her, others pulled back from instinctive fear. Only the sergeant remained as he was. If only we had not been exhausting our magic all day, then that fear would be justified. Everyone fell into deathly still silence, save for soldiers flying down to recover the wounded and dead. It was only then that Rarity allowed her gaze to wander over the camp. She saw Topaz’s still form by the fading embers of the campfire. More than a dozen bodies wore the silver and black, many more were wounded.  We couldn’t have been fighting for that long. Did Radiant really claim that many before being driven back?  A part of her wished she could have been at his side when the attack started. The thought made her gaze return to Topaz. Perhaps it’s for the best that I wasn't. Casting such dreary thoughts aside, Rarity focused on what she could actually say that wasn’t going to be a surrender. Not too far away, Rainbow Dash was leading Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie through one of the few straight paths the village had, and heading towards the Equestrian camp. Rainbow was beside herself with giddy pride that she only gave moderate effort to hide.  “I can’t believe it!  My boys beat down three inquisitors in a matter of minutes!  Oh man.  They will write songs of this night!”  Even if she wasn’t the one who’d get to wear the Bearer of the Eclipse, the honors her unit would receive for such an unthinkable victory and so far behind enemy lines made her such a ball of energy that she had trouble staying on the ground. Trailing behind the ecstatic bat pony, Twilight Sparkle’s armor still felt warm to the touch when she was grazing the upper edges of the purging field when she dropped the bathtub and stone on the house.  The armor had been shut down, and was not drawing upon her magic.  “I’m sure those songs will leave out the effects of the purging field.  Even I know Inquisitors heavily rely on enchantments for their battle prowess and endurance.  This is the one place where they’re just highly skilled mages.” Pinkie Pie giggled at the sentiment and nuzzled her sister’s cheek to placate her.  “Oh let her have her fun.  It’s all going to go away as soon as we have to count the dead.” “True enough.”  Twilight felt her stress slowly bleed away with her sister’s affection.  “I must say, it was genius of you to have some fliers dive alongside the stone to guide it on target.  I’d have never hit the house without that.” “I like to think your brains rubbed off on me.” Pinkie Pie giggled as she enjoyed Twilight’s company.  For the moment, she stayed close to her sister in case fighting broke out again. And yet, part of her wanted to meet Rarity as well. After things calm down and I can say something without getting splattered at least. Rainbow Dash strode into the center of the Equestrian camp. Her troops had taken the time to remove the wounded, and started lining up their dead brethren.  For those not busy with the sick and dead, there was an electric sense of victory floating among the soldiers, and it gave Rainbow more than enough bravado to approach Rarity without losing steam.  The sisters remained back a bit, letting Rainbow reach the house alone. She felt their absence in a hurry, and it was only the twenty or so flying soldiers in her field of vision that gave her enough courage to stand within a scant few feet from the imposing unicorn.  Even in defeat, the Inquisitor evoked a primal fear in Rainbow.  A spider could be crawling on her leg, and leave her less on edge. “I have answered your parley,” Rainbow said with the hoity vocabulary Twilight had insisted on. Even so, Rainbow only went along with it because of her rank. “And am ready to receive your surrender.” “I am not here to surrender,” the alabaster unicorn stated with firm conviction. “An inquisitor hasn’t surrendered in over four hundred years, and I am not about to break that.” Rainbow decided to call her bluff, and was unmoved by the declaration, interpreting Rarity's conviction for acting like she was superior to everyone. “You won't look so smug with a hole in your head. The only reason you even bothered with parley is because you don’t have any other choice. So why don’t we just get down to brass tacks.” “I have already made my choice,” Rarity corrected with otherworldly grace despite her haggard appearance. She jumped down to be level with Rainbow Dash, her duster billowing in the wind. “In the house behind me, my superior and four of his retainers are empowering Skyfall.”  Rarity allowed a faint grin to shine through upon seeing Rainbow and the others recoil, with many flying back several feet. “Ah, so you’re familiar with it?” Rainbow grit her teeth, and willed herself to stand her ground. “I know it’s suicide.  You’ll kill everypony in the whole village including yourselves.” “True,” Rarity nodded easily.  She carried herself as a pony who had already accepted their death. “But all of you are far from home, and my betters already know about our efforts here.  Others will take up my task, and I highly doubt Lunaria will even think to do the same until long after we’re done here.  Assuming your expedition is even repeatable.” “That’s all a damn lie!” Shouted a familiar voice. Everyone looked to Applejack who had been one of the soldiers closest to the impromptu bunker. “You can see it on her face as plain as the day she loves.  She ain't got no Skyfall brewing.” Rarity’s right ear started twitching at being called out, and she started hearing her heartbeat in her ear. “Are you so willing to take that chance?” Lies or not, Applejack was not too keen on getting any closer to an inquisitor. “Damn straight Ah am.” Before Rainbow could take advantage of Rarity’s stumble, the mage tsked audibly. “Very well, if bluffing is off the table, then the game is adjourned. Proper introductions are in order: I am Rarity Belle of her most holy inquisition.” Grinding her teeth on whether or not to withhold that information, Rainbow ultimately felt it would be seen as pointlessly rude to hide it. “Captain Rainbow Dash of the Imperial Air Corps and the Ninety Second Rifles.” Rarity inclined her head away from Rainbow to focus on the aristocrats a fair distance behind the thestral. “And the erstwhile Lady Twilight Sparkle and Pinkamena. So nice to see you again.”  The moonlight strangely made the pegacorn’s wings glint, but Rarity couldn’t investigate further at the risk of being distracted. Stopping in front of her sister before Pinky could say something to escalate matters, Twilight gave a curt nod. “Inquisitor Rarity Belle, I never did get a chance to thank you properly for the hat. I still have it you know.” If Applejack calling Rarity’s bluff threw her off, Twilight's admission left Rarity completely speechless. So much so that for the briefest of moments, Rainbow and the others did not see an inquisitor, but just a mare. “You - you do?” “Oh yes.  Anytime I wear it to an event, it becomes quite the talking point. Not one dinner goes by without somepony asking who made it, something I have understandably withheld. Perhaps one day they might recognize it as your work.” Rarity trembled in place.  Sorely feeling the absence of her wide hat to hide her face, Rarity felt the past few years of agonizing over Manehatten falling apart. “I see.”  She choked a laugh at how she was a mess. “I thought for sure you would have destroyed it at sea.” Through it all, Rainbow Dash had humored Twilight so far by letting her speak, but martial concerns were always on her mind, and she couldn’t shake the feeling Rarity was stalling for time. “Pleasantries are over. Inquisitor, I’m allowing you a chance to save whoever else is inside that house by surrendering.” Rarity’s wavering emotions cooled instantly and her hardliner demeanor returned in full force. “You ask me to do what will not happen, and to leave Celestia alone to a thestral’s vengeance?  Ask yourself if matters were reversed if you would agree to the same.” Seeing the escalation Rainbow seemed to be wanting, Twilight sped up to Rainbow’s side with Pinkie in tow. “Captain,” she warned while tugging on Rainbow’s sleeve. “Remember what we talked about?” Some of the soldiers were so on edge they had switched targets to Twilight, thinking she might have been trying to attack their commander. Though Rainbow kept a stern glare on her face, her quiet tone belied a different mood. “You really think this’ll work?  She’s an inquisitor for Luna’s sake.” “On the contrary, it will work because she’s an inquisitor.  They’re loyalty is to Celestia, not the Church in and of itself.” What does that even mean?  Working her jaw, Rainbow was nervous enough that her wings were jittery. “Fine. You talked your way out of Fay Hunter shooting you, maybe you can do this too.” With a grateful nod first to Rainbow, and then a knowing one to Pinkie, the sisters stepped in between the captain and inquisitor. “Inquisitor Rarity Belle,” Twilight started trying to push her flight instinct aside as best she could. “While my sister and I serve Lunaria.” Twilight kept speaking without reacting to Rarity’s astonishment. She instead directed an incriminating glare out over the flying soldiers. “What my fellows always love to remind me, is that I was born an Equestrian. Which means I understand Equestrian sensibilities, and can best serve as a mediator between everypony.”  She waved at the two. “What say you?” Having already known about it, Rainbow spoke first just to make it official, and spoke loudly enough that the soldiers could hear. “I’ll certainly take it under advisement.” Rarity cleared her throat, and looked Twilight over, having to take her measure of the mare yet again. “I will hear you.” Pinkie Pie stepped up. “Let’s get more immediate issues addressed first, yes-yes?  A complete cease fire shall be in place for all within the Mirage. Medical attention and administering the dead shall take place quick-quick. This cease-fire shall remain in place until the matter with the Holy Sisters is resolved.” “I don’t want any resupply deliveries made aware of our presence,” Rainbow stated with a stern warning. “The last thing we need is a horde of you sun-lovers coming down on us. You might be an inquisitor, but I know somepony could easily countermand your orders.” “That is understandable.”  Rarity would have waited a token amount of time to respond, but the dying were at stake. “I can see that done only if Fluttershy’s body is returned to me for proper burial.  She’d probably prefer it, but I won’t see her rotting away forgotten.” Thinking it over a bit, Rainbow scanned the skies looking for someone. “Private Star Wind!” One of the flying troopers dove down and landed nearby. He tried to focus solely on his commander and not the Inquisitor. “Yes, ma’am?” “You still remember where you left the druids?” “Yes, ma’am.  I’ll need a thestral’s eyes, but if they’re still there I can find them.” “Good.  Get to it.”  Rainbow jerked her head away from the village. As soon as the scout and a bay pony departed, Rainbow looked over the other mares with a worried look before setting on Rarity. “Satisfied?” So she is dead after all.  Rarity wanted to take righteous vengeance then and there, but the lives of the rest of her brethren had to take priority.   “I am, you have my thanks.” “Excellent,” Twilight clapped victoriously. “Then we should adjourn, so word can spread, everypony can get a chance to breathe, and we can move forward on how to handle freeing the sisters.”  “I will let my people know of this,” Rarity started before Rainbow could speak. Bowing a bit to each of them, she took her leave and retreated inside the house.  Rainbow pulled the sisters aside and walked away from the house to talk. Applejack sprinted over to listen in out of curiosity more than anything else. “Alright, Ladies, I’ve let you run it this far, but you better spill it about why I shouldn’t put a bullet in all of them once the goddesses are free.” “Wouldn't that be plan A anyway?” Applejack chimed in.  “That would be dishonorable for one,” Twilight stated unconvincingly. “We would still-” “Cram your honor,” Rainbow harshly cut in. “At that moment, I’d have one, maybe two inquisitors on my hooves without surprise and exhaustion evening the playing field. And technically, I can argue that accord ends the moment they’re free.” “That’s a stretch and you know it, Captain,” Applejack tapped a hoof on Rainbow’s ribs.  “A stretch no tribunal would ever rule a conviction on,” Rainbow shot back with a grunt. “You can't tell me they won't be thinking the exact same thing.” Pinkie all but shoved her muzzle into Rainbow's ear. “But if you do that, we can’t end enstripement.” “End it?!”  Rainbow pulled away and had to rub her ear. “Where did that come from? Wait...” Rainbow narrowed her eyes at the two sisters, suspicion riding high. “How in blazes would letting them live make that happen?  You said letting the inquisitors run back with Celestia would make the war last until we’re all dead or striped.” “She lied,” Applejack stated bluntly, earning quizzical irritation out of Rainbow. “What?  All you cloud sniffers were losing your nerve. I’d’ve preferred a strong truth, but the lie got you all moving again.” Rainbow fumed at Twilight for confirmation, the pegacorn shrugged her wings. “Merchant’s Creed Two Thirty Nine: never be afraid to mislabel a product.” “Fine. Fine!” Rainbow fussed while shaking her wings to disperse some stress. “Never thought I'd see the day I'd be standing next to an inquisitor without giving them a steel diet. So how is this going to work?”