//------------------------------//
// Project: Harmony, chapter eight 
// Story: Project Harmony: Alpha Squad 
// by wubwave 
//------------------------------//

	“I don’t know if I’m cut out for leadership sir...” Sapphire sighed in shame as she sat down before her mentor Sergeant Lollipop.
“Hello to you too Sapphire," Lollipop looked up from the map sprawled across the improvised command center set up in the farm home of friendly locals at her surprise entrance, "what’s wrong?”
Sapphire looked around and found the room to be inhabited by onlookers who sat at the far end of the room and were talking among themselves, or more precisely one was talking and the other was trying to ignore her, “Luna can you take the filly outside to play or something?” she asked crassly, inciting a displeased look from the fellow alicorn.
Luna looked at the young filly that shared the home with her family and who had been talking her ear off for the last few hours as she tried to rest, “….fine,” she grumbled as she escorted the other pony outside under the guise of showing her around the camp.
“I’m turning in my rank Lollipop, I’m not ready for NCO,” Sapphire said immediately as the pair left, shifting her hooves is discomfort trying to dodge any form of eye contact.
“What makes you think that I can do that? I’m not an officer you know, in case you didn’t notice I work for my living,” Lollipop joked as he rolled up his paperwork dismissively and took out another roll of maps in his teeth.
“I’m serious sir!" the alicorn shouted in frustration, "I can’t be held responsible for pony’s lives.”
Lollipop sighed and sat next to his student, removing his hat and stroking his shortly cut mane back, “I heard what happened, and I’m sorry," he said honestly, "but I would be lying if I said there was nothing you could do.” Sapphire bit her lip at those cutting words. “But…" Lollipop sighed, "Have I ever shown you my cutiemark?” the pink pony asked unexpectedly, getting to his feet and removing part of his uniform.
“Um, no sir but…”
“My parents ran a candy shop, that’s why they named me Lollipop," the aged Sergeant pulled up the back of his uniform to expose his pastel colored flank, "I found out my special talent was business, everypony in my family had candy as their mark. I do too, but I’m the first to have money mixed into the image, and the first to join the army. War is a lot like selling candy you know.”
Sapphire gave a confused look as she tried to decipher Lollipop’s cryptic statement.
“War is about spending lives, the lives of your ponies and the lives of your enemy’s. No way around it, nothing in life is free and all that, but you can only hope that what you’ve invested pays off in the end. I hate to say it Sapphire, but you did trade those Ranger’s lives for Luna’s. But you can’t think of it like buying a cupcake with a few bits you had lying around, because that’s not what happened, those Rangers gave their lives so that Luna could save ponies even farther down the road,” Lollipop finished taking a seat.
Sapphire didn’t feel any better and the grim reality of what Lollipop had said didn’t make a lot of sense, but at least she could pretend to rationalize what happened at least for now, “What about Periwinkle? Did he give up any information?” She desperately wanted to change the subject.
“From what the Commander has told me he refuses to cooperate, but the pegasi back at Cloudsdale have their ways of getting information,” Lollipop returned to his hooves and continued his work, "however we have a lead without him. I’ve been talking to the farmers here, and apparently a cloudship visited The White Tail Woods a few days ago, a trade union owned weather vessel to help the crops along.”
Sapphire cocked her head, “and? Rain ships are all over Equestria.”
“Yes they are, but they only operate for large-scale farms that are owned, hired, or leased by the earth pony trade unions,” Lollipop leaned eagerly hoping star pupil would catch on.
Sapphire nodded knowingly, “no trade unions operate out here.”
“Not only that, but according to Mr. Cake, they didn’t even send a downpour, they did however set down at the lake in the valley,” Lollipop said pointing a hoof to the map.
“Maybe they were just refuein’ for the next operation?”
“Except the lake would be dry if a ship of that size was reloading its supply of rain water, instead they just touched down for a few hours, then left without taking a drop with them.”
Sapphire smiled at the good news, something finally made sense, “sir, what’s the plan?”
“Ironwing is talking to the admirals, but as a precaution tell your troops to get some sleep, either way tomorrow we’re leaving…and I tell you what, if you still don’t think you’re not cut out for leading by the time we hit Cloudsdale I’ll tell the Commander. But I want you to keep in mind, I was the one who recommended you…so try not to make me look bad,” Lollipop gave a slight smirk as daintily placed his cap back on.

______
Luna walked across with the open farm land  which had become a tent city of military personnel who were beginning to take apart and repack their gear just as quickly as they set it up. Luna trotted rapidly, hoping her dark coat would allow her to lose the filly that galloped after, keeping pace despite her short little legs.
“Whoaho there! Luna where are you going so quickly?” Cloudsoar asked swooping from above as the dark alicorn ran about. The surprise arrival of the airborne alicorn made Luna skid to a halt as the filly caught up with her.
“You almost got away!” the unicorn filly laughed.
Luna sighed, “Cloudsoar you’re good with kids, and do something with this one.”
“What’s it like to fly? And do magic, where’d you come from, are there more of you, can I be one of you, do you have a secret base?” The little filly shot a machine gun of questions to the witless Cloudsoar.

“I’ll leave you two to it," Luna smiled to herself, "Have you seen Celestia?” Luna asked, stretching her wings, Why am I running from the kid when I can just fly?
Cloudsoar sighed and landed, “Yeah she’s with Candice in the barn. Alright, slowly this time, what did you want to know?”  Cloudsoar asked hovering close to the little filly that looked at the blue alicorn in awe.
“Great thanks,” Luna replied coldly as she took off for a brief flight, leaving her friend and the foal to talk on their own, hoping the filly would start bothering him instead of chasing her tail all the time. After a quick glide to the end of the farm Luna arrived at the barn which was being filled and emptied at a regular cycle as the medical unicorns moved about treating all manner of wounds on friendlies and enemies alike. Luna looked about the sanitized and converted barn for her sister, who was easy to spot since she stood a head above the unicorns and was even taller than Candice who helped in the treatment of patients.
“Celestia, I want to talk,” Luna commanded sternly as her sister finished her bandaging.
“Sure thing," Celestia hadn’t picked up on her sister’s serious tone as she followed sister, "what’s up?”
“Do you remember what you asked me before you teleported me into the farm home?” Luna asked driving to a halt outside the field hospital.
“Um, no.”
“You asked, ‘do you trust me?”
“What’s this about Luna?” Celestia asked quizzically, realizing this is more than just a friendly conversation.
“Do you trust me? Do you Celestia?” Luna asked calmly, trying to keep her temper under control.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I?” The white alicorn gasped at her sister’s question, what did I do wrong? She asked herself.
“It seems that you don’t trust me enough to make the right decision Celestia. I talked to Sapphire earlier, she said that you asked her to rescue me.”
“Luna, I thought you were in trouble, or dead. I had to-“
“I understand, and I’m grateful," Luna interrupted earnestly, "but a few nights ago I talked to Darkbeak.”
Really? She went looking for Darkbeak, on purpose? Celestia wondered as her sister spoke.
”She’s not a bad pony…or Griffon, you know what I mean. Everything she did was for me.”
“Are you sure?” Celestia asked disbelieving.
“She was torn up by what she was ordered to do, but…" Luna chuckled, "but she was proud of what I became. My point is Celestia, you need to let me fight my own battles, because I want you to be proud of me too.”
“I-I am proud of you…" Celestia felt mixed feelings of confusion, sadness and dread but managed to force a smile, "but you’re right Luna, that doesn’t mean I’m leaving you somewhere on the battlefield though. But I want you to promise me something, I want you to always be able to ask for help. Don’t let pride get you killed just because you want to be independent, alright? I am proud enough of you already, I don’t want to be proud at your funeral,” Celestia caught a lump in her throat.
Luna blinked, but after a moment of silence she relented, “Ok…I promise-“ Luna’s sentence was stopped by a pair of long white legs wrapping around her in a powerful hug.
“I also want you to promise me not to scare me like that again alright? Or I will kill you myself” Celestia said as a stream of tears dropped onto her grappled sister.
“Alright- just stop squeezing me so hard…” Luna squeaked tapping her sister’s shoulder under the pressure of her powerful grasp.
_______
“Welcome councilcolts, and senatemares to another meeting of importance,” Minister Clover said scrawling down notes with a field of magic.
“Every meeting nowadays is of great importance,” Councilor Heart Swan added amused.
“Can we get on with it?" Commander Hurricane tapped her chair arm with a hoof while she slumped in boredom, "it’s obviously not important enough for everypony to be needed.”
“All the other councilors are in Cloudsdale overseeing the coronation of the Twilight on the Horizon, and hopefully we will be able to adjourn early,” Minister Clover finished her notes and turned her attention to the white earth pony Heart Swan, "assuming we can reach an agreement. I called the three of us here to gain the approval of a search and seizure, one that involves your trade union Heart Swan.”
“That’s a shocker,” Hurricane scoffed sarcastically, "This is going to take all afternoon.”
“Well Hurricane the pegasi are involved in this as well. The civilian rain ship, Thunderhead has been connected to the incident in The White Tail Woods. Our operators there have a reason to believe it may have supplied the rebels there. It is owned by the earth ponies, and operated by the pegasi,” Clover projected a magical hologram on the council room floor depicting the flight path and schematics of the vessel.
“And you want to search the vessel once it hits port?” Heart Swan asked hoofing the pages of his manifest to find information on the vessel.
“Yes, in the name of cooperation we and peace we would like to cut off any supply lines the rebels may have.”
“Hmmm, very well then,” Heart Swan said closing his book.
“Uh,” Clover stumbled a moment, "hmm, I expected more of a fight from you Heart Swan.”
“ I will have my lawyers draft up a contract agreeing that the military will pay for any damages, it is obvious that the crew were acting on their own accord as they were not supposed to touch down there,“ he said coolly.
“On their own accord, right…” Hurricane scoffed.
“Well I should hope they’re on their own accord, for your sake Hurricane, they are pegasi citizens who call Cloudsdale home port,” Heart Swan said with a confident smile.
“Well then they fall under our jurisdiction," Hurricane said arguing with nopony in particular, "the alicorns are the closest assets we have-”
“They just finished an operation, are they ready to jump into combat again?” Clover asked.
“Of course they are, they’re damn super soldiers if anypony can it’s them.”
_______
“I hope everything is to your liking dear,” Councilor Daisy said sauntering around the state room, turning her nose up at every surface possible.
“Oh yes it is rather nice, not like a pegasus ship at all,” Doctor Shining Star said tapping her hoof on the enchanted metal deck plate.
Daisy let out a sorry sigh, “if you say so, but it won’t be long at least, we’re just staying until the coronation is over then…well do call me if you need anything, oh and I want to take you to lunch tomorrow with the other councilors, I hear Cloudsdale has a very nice downtown,” Daisy said over her shoulder as she walked out and left Shining alone to get some rest after the long flight to the floating city.
Shining threw herself on the bed, “No cloud beds…” she said to herself remorsefully. She rolled over and starred at the opposite wall, examining a small map of the Twilight on the Horizon, examining the map to see which areas are made of weightless metal and what parts are clouds. She rolled onto her side and began floating the miscellaneous object out of her duffel bag.
Shining tossed her spare clothes and books out of the way until she found the trinket she wanted. The dog tags floated to her side and were slung around Shining’s neck with a glow of magic. I wonder where you ponies are now…