//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16 
// Story: The Necro Walk 
// by WorldWalker128 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 16


(Current Time)

I tiredly levitated a mug of water to my lips and drank of the contents deeply, quenching my thirst, then poured what was left on my face, but tilted my head up a bit more so as to keep the water out of my nose. With the mug now empty I sent it back to the tray on the other side of the room that had been once been Jackylin's guest room and was now mine, and Applejack's (and Trixie's, though other than me, Jackylin, Applejack, Trixie herself and Lyra, no one knew she was here) room. Lyra had escaped, as Trixie had informed me later after searching most of the castle for her invisibly.
“Trixie does not know where she went, but it is doubtful that she went far.” Trixie repeated to me for the fourth time tonight. I rolled my eyes and relaxed my head back onto the pillow of the sticky (from the humidity) bed. It was the day after the fight, and even though I was still far from healthy I'd managed to set my bones as they needed to be and I healed them down to being cracked rather than broken where they had broken the previous day. I probably would have stayed outside longer, but the clouds mosquitoes were eating me alive!
Now that I'm indoors and much higher up above the ground however, there are less of them, and after I asked for some kind repellent be placed at the window to keep them away, they stopped getting in altogether. Most of the actual daylight hours I snoozed away after enchanting the room to be cooler for my spoiled-self's comfort and blocked the light with a makeshift curtain I made from the cot I'd been given when we first arrived. When the sun had set for real had been when Trixie had arrived and let herself in (and helped herself to one of the fruits that I'd said tasted like a blackberry) and took a rest, herself. 
Applejack had been called to Jackylin's new room while we slept and had left a note behind, which left Trixie and me to ourselves for a time.
When I finally awoke again I resumed healing myself, starting first on my legs so that in case I needed to run from something, I could. Once those I thought I was finished with them I moved first my feet starting with my toes, then rotated the feet themselves. No pain. Good. Leg at the knee.. I raised my legs up into the air next and moved the next section of leg about. A twinge on my left leg.
Lowering my legs again I emptied my mind and ran a sort of mental probe with just a touch of magic along my leg bones until I found the spot I'd apparently missed. Oopsy! A little too much healing! I had overgrown one of my bones a bit and when I turned my left leg far enough to the left the overgrowth scraped against my muscles. Carefully sinking back into 'operate' mode I slowly and extremely carefully dissolved away the excess bone until it was level with the rest of the bone structure, then tested my leg again. Alright. Now for the upper body.
The upper body took several more hours to repair and double-and triple-check to make sure I had not made any errors, and then slowly sat up, once more tired. I looked to the left of my bed but saw nothing on Applejack's cot. I had not expected to see anything, but given that I could hear slight snores I knew that Trixie was still there. 
I looked about the room for a tray of food that had been brought in shortly after I had been placed in the bed, but it was gone. Apparently someone had come for it while I slept, so once more I dug through Applejack's vittles and reminded myself to make it up to her later.
While I ate time passed, and nothing in particular happened other than the bit of food I'd taken dwindling to nothing outside of my mouth and stomach. I took a drink, and drank until my cup was empty before setting the cup down on the table.
Three knocks came to the door and I asked who it was.
“A servant. I've brought some food for you and queen Jackylin's servant, if you're feeling up to eating, champion.”
“Enter.” I replied. A piece of fruit was nice, but one on its own was hardly filling. The servant pushed open the door with his back, and as he turned so he could see where he was going he dropped the tray in astonishment, spilling the food and more drink that he'd brought at his feet. His eyes gaped as did his mouth while his fingers twitched.
“You- but- that's not-” He failed at speaking.
“Oh look, you dropped the food and drink. No worries, though, I'm more thirsty than hungry anyway.” I observed as if there was nothing else wrong with this scene. I poured myself more water from the pitcher and drank again. He suddenly shivered.
“Why is it so cold in here?!” He asked loudly, rubbing his arms briskly with his hands.
“Oh, I did that. Don't worry, when I leave I'll return it to normal.”
“You-” He blinked, his mind still grinding its gears.
“Are you going to clean up that mess, or not?” I asked, pointing a hand at the collage of mess he still stood in. He jumped and quickly left for what he said would be a pail of water and cloth. I smirked as the thought of him spreading wildfire rumors as he went that the queen's champion was already up and walking around. If that doesn't make any possible rivals of hers' wet themselves, I don't think anything short of the moon coming crashing down into the planet will! I chuckled at the cartoony image in my head of the moon doing exactly that and then covering the world in melted and slightly-burnt cheese.
Of course, this would never happen on its own, and I had no intention of doing it, and the moon was not actually made of cheese, so shock and awe would have to do. 

At some point I vaguely recalled getting back into bed, and when I next awoke it was to see that Jackylin was snoring next to me under the sheet and shivering slightly. I looked at her, blinking the blurs of my vision away to make sur eI was not imagining her being there and yawned. What in the world is she doing here? Doesn't she have her own bed? Not wanting to disturb the new queen I stealthily made my way off my bed and lowered a foot to the floor, and then quickly snatched it back. Brr! Apparently my magical air-conditioner still hadn't worn off while I was sleeping, and had leeched all the warmth out of the stone flooring overnight. Slowly I lowered my somewhat hairy feet down to the floor again, knowing the inevitable chill was coming, hesitated half an inch above it, and then placed my feet on it again, forcing myself to keep contact this time until I adapted. It wasn't fun, but at least I could not stand up and walk to the bathroom.
When I came back Jackylin was shivering harder, so I removed what was left of the 'air conditioning' and let the hot and humid air flow back into the room. Almost immediately I began to sweat and not for the first time wished I was back on Mythica where the weather didn't feel like something out of a dinosaur movie. 
Since I didn't really have much else to do with everyone else being asleep and most of the work to be done resting on Jackylin's shoulders anyway, I went for a walk. I passed three servants and four guards, all of which either saluted me or scrambled quickly to one side to get out of my way. All of them stared at me in shock or fear, but none of them said anything beyond a hasty apology for being in my way, though none of them actually ever were. When I reached the front gate I exited and strode out across the grounds towards the jungle treeline, which was a good distance away. I never made it to them, however. The sky had been cloudy when I'd left, but I'd not paid the sky much attention until the first fat raindrops splattered down on and around me. I tilted my gaze upward a little just in time to see a flash of red lightning arc from one cloud to another. Wow. Been a long time since I've seen one of those! Ugh, I feel as old as these Gaea-people seem to think I am! I frowned. Getting older sucks.
As I turned around to head back to the castle I passed several of the few thousand that turned up to see the Contest as they made their way across the open area to the worn cobblestone road, pulling along a small cart piled high with several different things from clothing to a tent to a wooden crate that smelled faintly of blood. Probably their food. They did not seem to recognize me, for they said nothing to me after looking me over, but that was fine by me. Nearly half of the audience had only come to see a fight, and they'd received one. Once it was over with, they'd left. The others had stayed to help dismantle what was left of the arena as a souvenir or had stayed In the hopes of either meeting their new ruler or perhaps the winner of the Contest. Jackylin had dived into her duties immediately which had all but eliminated any chance of that, and I'd been laid up in bed until yesterday, which meant that very few of the audience that had not been in the first few front rows had no idea what I looked like, and likely would not recognize me now, as this group had not.
Now back indoors I wandered the castle with no particular direction in mind for an hour, and then began heading back to my room where I was met by a frowning Trixie, a still-sleeping Jackylin, and Applejack, who was standing in front of the window and watching the rain, which had turned into a downpour, fall from the sky without the aid of a Pegasus. Her back was to me, so I could not see her face, but I had seen the faces of Ponies on their first trip to Earth stare open-mouthed at rain that fell all on its own, and I could guess at her own.
“You made it hot and sticky in here again!” Trixie scolded. “Why did you do that?!”
“Because in case you haven't noticed, Jackylin decided to spend the night with us and she was freezing.”
“But she chose to come back here when she had her own room to sleep in!”
“And you came along when I told you to stay back in Equestria.”
“And I thank you for removing that enchantment of yours, Jacob Lighthand.” Came Jackylin's sleepy voice from the bed.
Trixie and I and Applejack turned our heads toward her. Applejack then after only a few seconds returned her attention to the storm outside. Lightning flashed several times, stabbing above us, and into the jungle in the distance. The castle vibrated for a few seconds, then the booms of the various bolts came and we covered our ears, which wrung for several minutes after we'd uncovered them.
I snapped my fingers next to my ears several times to make sure I could still hear, and, satisfied that I could, asked Jackylin why she'd rejoined us.
“Trixie is more interested to know why you chose to join Jacob in his bed rather than order him onto the floor as you had before.”
“Well, if anyone outside of our little group asks, it is not unheard of for a king or queen to bed their champion if they are of opposing gender as a bonus reward for their victory. The real reason is because someone tried to kill me last night, and my guards did nothing to prevent my assassin from coming into my room, which means that probably the only people I can really trust around here are you three.” She looked smug. “And news of Jacob walking around in near-perfect health after taking the beating he did in less than a week has made those under me more than a little wary of you. At the moment the safest place for me to be is wherever you are.”
“Won't your being continuously around me make you look weak in the eyes of everyone else?” I asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs.
“Given that you've proven yourself to be stronger than the king, not at first, and I'll be sending you, Applejack, and Trixie back to Mythica in a few days, anyway. I still have a lot of information to digest, but once I've at least partially secured my position here I'll have you take a letter back to my father and grandfather telling them about the success of our mission.”
“An' wut then?” Applejack asked, coming away from the window to join our little chat. “Are you gonna keep yer promise?” Jackylin nodded.
“I am a woman of my word. Ponyville will be off-limits.” There were a few moments of silence between us, and then Applejack continued, her expression becoming suspicious.
“Only Ponyville?” Applejack asked. “What about the rest o' Equestria?
“That, I'm afraid, may be out of my hands.”
“What?! Now just hol' on a dern minute, there-” Jackylin interrupted her before Applejack could finish and said
“Before you take that sentence any farther, let me ask you something.” Applejack frowned from being interrupted, but nodded. “On our way here, did you hear a single bird, or see a single small animal running around?” Applejack thought about this for a moment, then shook her head.
“What's that got to do with-”
“Everything. If I halt the invasion completely, my entire species will probably starve to extinction in just a few more decades unless we suffer a world-wide plague that cuts our population down to one-third our current numbers. Besides, I can't stop the invasion even if I wanted to. Families that care about their children will not sit back and watch them starve, and my reign would be a short one indeed if my entire planet was angry with me.
“I can try to aim their efforts more at fishing and hunting simpler animals rather than attacking your country, but even if I can get the city and all the towns and nomads to acknowledge me as their leader I'll still need word to be sent to those hunting parties in your world, and then they have to choose to obey them. Another thing to keep in mind is that even if my people do stop attacking your country, you'll still have to contend with your Gryphons.”
“It don't sit right with me, being a part of the only town that's really safe...” Applejack said in an unsure tone. “Still, I reckon we're off to a good start, all things considered.”

True to her word, a week later Applejack was summoned to Jackylin's meeting room and was given a note stamped with blue wax and was ordered to take it to her town's hunting team in Mythica. Not ten seconds after Applejack informed me of it a second summons came to me, and Jackylin officially informed me that I was to go with Applejack as an escort so as to ensure that the message arrived with no interference from an outside force. I bowed to her as a subordinate normally would and turned to leave, but she halted me before I could exit the room and motioned for me to come closer again. Closer and closer she motioned me until I was mere inches from her face.
“I need you to wait one more day before the two of you leave. Make up some excuse, I don't care what, but I need you to stay until midday tomorrow.” I raised an eyebrow and asked what was wrong, as she sounded nervous. “Although most of the representatives have either gone home or back to Mythica both Faltos and Lady Yishna's daughter are still here, and Faltos has been a bit more smug than usual. I think he's planning something.”
“Any idea what?”
“No, but he's never been one to get rid of his competition directly. If you eat anything, make sure you get it from the kitchen and prepare it yourself.”
“I've had it up to my ears with your people's diet. Just point me in the direction of the animal food-storage, and I'll get something from there.”
“No, send Applejack. It won't look suspicious that way. Oh, and we're looking suspicious to the guards standing like this. Hold still.”
“Wha-?! Mmph!” Jackylin grabbed both sides of my face and pulled it to her own, her lips parting a bit, baring her sharp pointed teeth which scraped against my own lips, and bit my lower lip a bit, making it bleed. She pushed my head back a little, gave me a predatory grin, and then (to my creeped-out disgust) licked my lower lip once with her rough tongue.
“That says you're not like us even more than your teeth do. You're blood is sweet compared to ours.” She whispered. In a voice louder than needed she announced that she'd miss me, and would await my return, then she grinned again, my blood on her teeth, now, and her expression still predatory. I shivered but forced a wicked grin of my own and bowed to her.
“I live to please, queen Darkfist.”
“And you've yet to fail to do that, Lighthand. Now go and prepare, and leave when you are ready.” I bowed again, and left, feeling her gaze on her back as I left and blood running down my lip and into the beard I'd grown whilst staying on Gaea. I'm glad she's not my enemy!  An image of her using her teeth to rip my throat out came to mind and I swallowed and rubbed my neck as I trod down the hall back toward my room. The irony of being more surprised by her teeth than her kissing me without warning had not escaped me. Ah, to be young and attractive again...nah. Being young and attractive had gained me the attentions more often than not from women not of my own species.

Nothing particularly exciting happened the rest of the day, and well on into the next day until only a little more than an hour remained before midday. True to Jackylin's advice I fed myself directly from the kitchens, once more found myself craving spinach leafs, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, and sunflower seeds, and eagerly looked forward to our departure.
Now that this nation knows I can use magic, or at the very least am not a normal person, I think I'll lift me, Applejack and Trixie up on a big flat stone and levitate us back to the gateway. We'd certainly make better time than walking even if it wears me out. I was sick and tired of meat, sick and tired of the humidity, and sick and tired of the mosquitoes and the looks of awe or fear from everyone I met. When I finally get back to my own dimension, I'm going to find someplace nice and secluded and of cool temperature, build a house, and retire there.
Applejack and Trixie had been packed ready to go yesterday, and since I'd not seen a single clock since coming to Gaea I was relying on my wristwatch to tell me when it was time to leave. It turned out that I didn't need it though.
The castle rocked and a few carved stones fell from the ceiling and I could hear the sound of several explosions going off throughout the castle. My first thought was that the castle was under attack, and then another explosion went off in the dining area, killing three servants, two guards, and inuring one of the cooks when part of a table was hurled in through the serving window and stabbed her in the side of her right shoulder. The room filled with dust, smoke, the smell of sulfur, and panicked shouting from the survivors.
Choking on the dust that now filled both the kitchen and the eating area, and nearly blinded by the sudden dimness due to the only window now mostly covered by debris and the torch on the other side of the kitchen having fallen into an open water barrel, I abandoned what was left of my plate's contents and strode to the door-less opening that led from the kitchen to the dining area and quickly crossed the room, worried for my companions.
I would have run through the halls, but others were panicking and running to and fro, seemingly with no destination in mind other than not wanting to stay in place in case another explosion went off where they had been standing a few seconds ago. Always before there seemed to be very few people wandering the halls, but now it was as if a fire alarm had gone off inside an office building, only those in an office building would have had some destination in mind. Finally, I lost patience and decided to fly over them horizontally instead.
When I arrived at our room I  found that the room we'd been staying in was intact and both Ponies were alright. They asked me what had happened, but other than knowing the sound of explosions when I heard them (and then having to explain the kind of explosion I was talking about and how I knew it) I was unsure about anything else.
“I'm uh thinkin' we should get outta here while the roof's still above us!” Applejack declared.
“Trixie agrees!”
“Me too, but I think I'll check on Jackylin before we do. Yesterday she said she thought Faltos was going to try something. Maybe this is it.” 

Jackylin had not been in her meeting room, nor was she in her bedroom. Instead we eventually found her after searching the entire castle and returned to our room to gather our things, concluding that she'd been buried under a pile of rubble somewhere and it was no longer safe, nor smart, to remain on Gaea. As I followed Applejack through the door a knife appeared at my throat for a second, and then was pulled away followed by a sigh of relief from my left. I turned my head and Applejack spun around. Trixie poked one of my legs with a hoof and asked why I'd stopped.
“I told you, didn't I?” Jackylin said rhetorically, and crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed and face toward us. “I knew he'd try to pull something before you left; if he kills only me and not you, then he runs the risk of you either avenging me, or trying for the throne yourself. If he kills only you, then I'm still in charge, and I'd have him executed.”
“So what happens now?” I asked.
“We leave.” Applejack said simply. Jackylin nodded.
“After this failed assassination attempt he'd have to be a fool to stick around any longer. Lady Yishna's strong sense of honor makes it unlikely that her daughter will have planned this and probably stayed only to be a witness of my death if Faltos were to succeed.” Still hearing footsteps outside I let Trixie in and shut the door. If there was still an assassin or two around I didn't want a knife in my back. Seeing the puzzled look on my face, she elaborated. “Lady Yishna's people are not devoted to any one leader, but rather to the station of leadership itself. Not once in recorded history have they sought to rule our nation as a whole, and if Faltos could prove himself more clever than me, then they'd serve him just as they would have served me.”
“And serve him they will!” came a familiar voice from beneath the bed.
My gaze fell to the space between the bed and the floor as a small figure crawled out from under it and pushed itself up on its hands. Jackylin's knife pricked the figure's neck and it halted, but still lifted its head to reveal the child I'd spared from the labyrinth trial. She smiled grimly. “I die today, but I bring others with me to visit Nix!” The girl let herself drop to the floor while reaching into two of her front pockets with crossed arms. 
Jackylin reached down to grab her, but recognizing the pockets she reached into I opened my mouth to warn Jackylin and the others to get away from her. I got the first to words out, but by then the girl had withdrawn her hands and brought her ball and the spark rocks next to one another. She closed her eyes, and I knew it was too late. The rocks swirled in her hand, and a small fountain of tiny lights erupted from them. There was a flash of light, the feeling of something hitting me, and then a loud bang followed by my back, arms, legs, and skull hitting the wall, and then nothing.

When next I came to, I felt pain all over, and I couldn't move. Something or someone was pushing against my side, and I felt something wet on my face.
“Answer Trixie! Are you alive, Human?!” I tried to mumble something, anything, but only managed to push a little air through my lips accompanied by a soft whistling sound. “Trixie thinks that he dead!” Trixie said in a shaky voice. She coughed.
“Move over, girl!” Came Applejack's voice. The sound of one set of hoofs striking stone drew closer while another moving away sounded as well, and then something soft and warm was pressed against my nose. I breathed out a little harder than I already was. “He's alive, ya git! Him being conscious is another thing, though.” She was silent for a moment, then said “Here, you grab one arm, and ah'll grab his other. We're getting outta this madhouse 'afore something else happens! With what's left uh Jackylin being spread all over the room and him out cold, it's only uh matter uh time 'afore some of these sharp-teeth Humans decide to have us fer supper!”
I felt my arms being lifted, and as Trixie and Applejack began dragging me out of what I assumed was left of our bedroom, I felt myself slipping away again. My eyes already closed, my thoughts melted away, and I passed out.


__ __ __ __ __


Faltos smiled, self-satisfied as he watched from a window a pair of colorful prey dragging the former-champion of the Contest across the courtyard to some overgrown shrubbery and hide both him, and themselves beneath it. There were times when friendship and loyalty were of great benefit to one's self. The trick, of course, was making sure that you used someone else'  loyalty or friendship to your benefit.
The female child the previous king had chosen as one of his labyrinth killers had been friends with the hidden-weapon specialist known only as Nix, and she wanted a chance for revenge, and he had been quite happy to give her that chance. It had been a simple thing to direct her anger and sorrow at Jackylin, whom had convinced that Lighthand person to fight for her. Lighthand had, according to her, spared her rather than kill her, so her ire for him was lessened a little, as Nix had once done the same thing for her, but she was still resentful for it having been him that had done the killing, and still wanted to pay him back for it. If that smaller explosion he'd heard thirteen minutes ago followed by the elder being dragged out of the castle by the two Ponies rather than walking was any indication, both the girl and queen Darkfist were dead.
Faltos turned halfway around as the sound of a set of footsteps reached his ears. It was the daughter of Lady Yishna, Sheena Hawkthorne.
“Greetings again, Sheena. Your word on queen Jackylin?” Sheena's face turned a pale shade of green, to which Faltos smirked.
“She is dead, certainly. Most of her body is splattered against the walls and across the floor of her champion and servant Pony's bedroom. There was more in a few other places of the room that might have been from other sources, but queen Jackylin Darkfist is certainly a queen no more.” Faltos continued smirking.
“And so ends one of the shortest female reigns in known history. How soon can I begin my occupation of office?”
“Immediately, if you so desire.”
“Excellent. Do I have your people's loyalty?”
“As always, king Faltos, my people serve the crown.”
“Yes, yes!” He made a dismissive gesture with a hand. “I know of your people's traditional standing in most matters political, but if I give the order for direct war, will your people's fighters arm themselves and move out as quickly as possible?”
“We are always armed, king Faltos.”
“Good.”
Faltos withdrew an envelope from a hidden pocket inside his shirt. “Take this home to your mother and have her send runners carrying copies of this to every town and village and holding. 
“The previous king wanted to waste time and lives with raids, and Jackylin Darkfist wanted to make peace.” He turned his gaze back out of the window. “I am going to send out people into Mythica in force, and crush what's left of their military forces and spirits. It's time to end this drawn-out war!”

A few hours later a servant came to Faltos while he dined on fish from Gaea's only ocean. He brought word that the Ponies that had been hiding in the bushes were on the move again and were following the dirt path away from the castle. Faltos nodded and thanked the servant.
When he was alone again Faltos called for the servant child that he'd been using as a spy and told her to deliver a note that he was going to write to Lyra's room. He did not, of course, say that it was Lyra whom was staying within it, and told her to slide the note under the door, and leave. Half an our alter, a knock came to his door and a voice said the words 'chuckling crooked'.
“Enter.” He replied simply, and the door's knob turned and the door swung open to reveal- no one. Contrary to the visual, however, the clopping sound of hoofs on stone approached him and the door swung shut of its own accord.
“You called, master Faltos?” the invisible Unicorn asked.
“Yes. It seems that Jackylin's pet Ponies are attempting to get away. They probably intend to go back to your world and warn your rulers that whatever it was they came here to do has failed. I want you to follow them, and if it becomes necessary, stop them by any means required.” Lyra hesitated, but bowed when he raised an eyebrow and frowned slightly.
“It will be done, master.”


__ __ __ __ __


Twilight Sparkle frowned as she examined Lighthand's staff.
After careful examination she had determined that it contained three magical signatures within it, but they seemed to be almost blended  together in places. Because of this blending it was rather difficult at first for her to conclude that there were in fact, three separate signatures, but every time she decided to put it down a sense of familiarity began nagging at the back of her mind. There was something...special about that staff. Something that she almost-remembered like an echo of a childhood memory, but whenever she tried to reach out and grab it it slid out of her grasp once more. Setting down the staff for the eighteenth time in the last three days Twilight sighed, feeling frustrated.
Really she already had enough on her plate to worry about without also studying a magical tool that she could not use, but she couldn't help it. Every time something new and interesting came along her mind latched onto that one thing and she found herself unable to focus on anything else productively.
“Spike!” Twilight called.
Today the post office was closed, but Ponies still came to call at the library in hopes of having one extra letter sent, and the number of them had only grown over the last few weeks as more and more travelers, refugees, and volunteers that had heard of little Ponyville's transformation came expecting shelter, safety, or just plain wanted to see it. In a way it reminded her of the summer sun celebrations that she'd attended in the past before the war started, but the similarities ended with the swelled numbers and hungry mouths. Written on the faces of those that came in was not anticipation, but sorrow, desperation, and on the very rare occasion, hope.
That last one, hope, had been more common ever since the citizens of Ponyville had started constructing a second wall of defense around Ponyville, as well as weapons. Some had even begun taking a few simple combat lessons from the guards that had come with Applejack or had been injured in the recent confrontation at the now-leveled ruins of the royal castle in the Everfree forest.
The majority of princess Luna's army had remained on-site to make sure no straggling bands of Humans that had been out hunting would be getting away into the woods or back home to their world to report their disaster to their leaders, but nearly half of them had either marched onward for Manehatten or were recovering from injuries either at their base camp or there in their no-longer-little town.
As they had for more than a month, the Human encampment a few miles away had done nothing to harm Ponyville, and in truth she was, to her surprise, even finding herself growing comfortable around the few that occasionally came to town to trade for more fruit from the Apple-family orchard, and she wasn't the only one. Several of the more curious foals or young fillies (when their parents weren't around, that is) would frequently approach them and ask them questions concerning their world, how many different animals they'd eaten, what their favorite colors were, and so forth. At one point she'd seen one of the Human females teaching a group of three foals a game involving four cups with five dice in them each.
It was strange, considering they'd been enemies to now see them almost getting along, even if it was only with this small group of them.
But is it really so strange? Twilight wondered as she watched Spike coming up from the basement into the library proper. Rainbow Dash had once been friends with a Gryphon, and they predominantly eat meat, and most Dragons eat meat, too, yet I love Spike.
“What is it, Twilight?” He asked. Twilight trotted over to him and gave him a hug, to his mild confusion. A moment later he returned the hug. There may yet be a peaceful ending to this war.


__ __ __ __ __


The fight for Manehatten was won less than a day after Thanatos arrived at the city, but by the time he had arrived the Humans, two packs of Diamond Dogs, and some hundred or so surviving Gryphons had breached the city's outer wall in two places, routed the stationed Pegasus sky-patrol force, and set fire to the north-western quarter of the city. Nearly two thousand from both sides of the conflict combined were dead, several hundred were injured, and a few dozen soldiers and civilians were missing. With most of the Pegasi in the city dead it took three days to finally put out the last of the fires (the Unicorns and Thanatos were busy trying to save the lives of the dying at the time).
We had such hopes for our genetic descendants. Thanatos thought, depression at the forefront of his emotions. Epiales especially had great plans for them. How did it come to this? A call for help from outside one of the many outdoor medical centers drew his mind back to the present and he stepped outside to see an adult earth-Pony carrying what Thanatos assumed was his foal. The foal was bleeding from both a head injury, and a one of its legs, which was bent at an odd angle. Quickly Thanatos rushed to his side and closed his eyes in concentration. After a few seconds his face became sad and he opened his eyes again and looked the father in his eyes and slowly shook his head.
The father dropped to the ground as tears pooled in his eyes and wailed at the top of his lungs. Thanatos set a hoof on his left shoulder while the parent mourned, and looked back toward where he knew Everfree forest stood.
Yes, we made a mistake. Whether it was in the raising of the Humans, or in creating them to begin with does not matter anymore. All that matters is that I make up for that mistake and protect our little Ponies from that mistake now. Perhaps it's time we took the fight to them.