//------------------------------//
// Bedfellows 
// Story: The Abundance 
// by defender2222 
//------------------------------//

“War makes for strange bedfellows”

-Old Saying





The reunion with her parents had been wonderful, but like all great things it had been forced to end much sooner than Twilight would have liked. The needs of the rebellion outweighed her desire to curl up in her mother and father’s embrace and Twilight had been forced to finally move away from them and join Shining and the other leaders of the resistance in plotting their next move.

The ‘management’ was an odd collection of ponies. They represented all different facets of Equestrian life, from the poorest to the richest, the famous to the infamous to the unknown, and everything inbetween.  Many of them were not soldiers or warriors in a traditional sense but civilians that now found themselves engaging in a fight they had never sought.

There was her brother, of course, and a few remaining royal guards that had managed to escape the attack on the castle. Twilight was surprised that they weren’t bucking and snorting and demanding to be in charge. The guards she had met at the palace had always been a bit arrogant (which, she supposed, came with the territory) but these stallions were more than willing to listen to the ‘civies’. They weren’t shellshocked either… it was simply a matter of them being soldiers who found themselves in a war with a new type of army and accepting that it was either adapt or die.

It was of little surprise that the Doctor was part of the planning committee. Though he cracked a few jokes and put on the airs of amusement it was clear to Twilight that his anger over the mistreatment of Derpy was coloring his thoughts and leading him down dark paths he might not normally follow.

So too was Spitfire's inclusion of little surprise. The pegasus was more than willing to go on any mission they could come up with, no matter the danger, if it offered a chance to avenge the fall of the Wonderbolts. Twilight's mind mentally flipped through her research on mental illness (one of the many topics she had gone over during her studies with Celestia) and she came to the conclusion that Spitfire was suffering from survivor's guilt.

One of the most shocking members was Flim of the Flim Flam brothers. It was hard to tell it was him, at first; his clothing was gone and his face had suffered from some mild burns that had eaten away his coat, leaving him scarred. He said little of what had happened to his brother or how he had ended up in his condition; all he had told Twilight shortly before the meeting began was that he was on her side and that she had nothing to worry about when it came to his allegiances. Shining had vouched for him, which had gone a long way towards reassuring Twilight.

"We are all starting over," her brother had stated when she had pressed him on the issue. "Who we were before is gone."

The rest of the leaders were ponies Twilight had never met. There was a unicorn from Phillydelphia who had become separated from his wife during their escape. A grim looking earth pony who was dressed in clothing 50 years out of date who kept glancing at his wife and two daughters, as if wnating to reassure himself that they were still there. A pegasus mare with a tornado cutie mark kept gnawing on her lip till it bled.

And now joining them were an alicorn and a dragon.

Spike had grown just enough so he could look down at the table they were gathered around without having to sit on Twilight's head. He pointed a claw at the map Shining had laid out, gesturing towards a town with a bright red circle around it. "I've never heard of Winniepeg."

"It is up north, near the Crystal Mountains," Shining stated.

"And you really think this is where we should strike?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, I do," Shining said.

Flim nodded, his horn glowing. Around the map little red blocks began to dance around different areas, circling particular areas. "If you look here you can see that the queens have been setting up patrols and guards around all the major cities and points of interest." He began to gesture at cities. "Each of them is either of emotional importance to them, such as Ponyville, strategic, like Manehattan and Detrot, or where they are currently holding court." He pointed his right hoof first as a circle of guards that surrounded the Rocky Plains, then Sweet Apple Acres. Clyde, the grim earth pony, looked upon the Rocky Plains and his frown grew all the more deeper. "There is only one spot where we can't explain the amassing of their forces."

"Winniepeg," Spitfire said.

Cyclone, the mare with the bloody lips, clicked her teeth together. "We don't know if they have a secret prison set up or some kind of lab that is working on magical weapons. None of our spies have been able to get a good look."

"We have spies?" Twilight said in surprise.

The Phillydelphian, who Twilight later learned was named Whistle Wind, flashed her a smug smile. "Let's just say Queen Fluttershy isn't the only one to have a way with animals."

"So you want to attack the city, is that it?" Twilight said, her tone making it clear she didn't like the plan.

"No," Shining stated,  agreeing with her unspoken denouncement. "But I do want to send a team in to take a look. It could be a trap but I don't want to miss out on an opportunity to deal a blow to the queens."

One of the other guards, an off-white stallion named Blade Buster, nodded his mighty head. "We need to make our move and soon. If we don't we are risking the queens finding us and putting on unneeded pressure."

"What did you have in mind?" Spike asked. "A 2-pony team? A squad?"

"Something inbetween. No more than five in." Shining turned to his sister. "I want you and Spike part of the infiltrators." Twilight opened her mouth but her brother cut her off. "I know it is sudden and you just got here but Buster is right; we need to move and we need to move now. If you don't think-"

"We're in," Twilight said firmly. "I don't like but we're in."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Let it not be said you aren't generous!" Faith exclaimed sarcastically, stumbling into his posh cell. "You deliver beatings quite well and hold nothing back!" The moment the guards had gotten him out of earshot of the queens the beating had come with viscous vigor. The magic dampener on his horn had prevented him from fighting back and his ability to dodge attacks had been reduced by the iron chains on his ankles. They had struck hard and fast, providing him with lumps and strikes as they saw fit. 

Faith looked like an absolute wreck. His left eye had swollen up so much he could barely see out of it and his ribs ached every time he took a breath. Silver ichor dripped from the several gashes on his flank and his one wing was twitching as it attempted to repair itself. His mane was matted with silver blood and his horn felt like it had been cracked after a nasty stomp.

He'd never given them the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. He'd known the beating was coming the moment he left the table and had prepared himself for pain. Instead of howls of agony he had thrown out insults while wearing each bruise like a badge of honor.

"You do your sister proud, Sweetie Belle," Faith said, running his tongue along his teeth, checking to see if any had been knocked out. He knew it would be really painful to regrow a molar.

The age progressed mare glared at him as she slammed the barred door of his cell. "If Queen Fluttershy didn't want you alive I would have given you much more, abstract."

"Such a brave little girl fighting a chained stallion," Faith mocked, spitting out a wad of blood. Sweetie Belle made a move to attack and Faith let out a laugh as two of her guard held her back; they realized that any more damage would mean the abstract wouldn't be healed by the time he had his next audience with the queens and questions about just how harmonious the guards were would be asked.  "Pain and scare tactics... useful on those that aren't expecting them. But you know that it will take more than that to truly hurt me, don't you? Pain is my friend... I was raised in it. Not physical pain, like the wreckage you have made out of my body. Mental pain... soul pain. Pain was my mother, my father... it was all I knew for so long that when I finally felt joy it was nothing more than torture. You have little hope of inflicting true pain on me."

"Is that a challenge?" Sweetie Belle said with all the sweetness in the world.

"Yes," Faith said simply, sitting down on the floor and watching his blood stain the carpet. "Your queens fear me... with all their skill and power they are slow to strike me. What hope do you have? You are nothing more than a child forced into a mare's body. You have a blank flank and no magic or skill. You are nothing more than an ant waving its leg at a hoof." Faith waved his own hoof dismissively. "Go get your maids... it would not do well for you to have to explain all this blood on the floor." Faith smirked as best he could with his aching jaw. "And learn how to fight... you lash out like a child having a tantrum. It is... pathetic."

Sweetie Belle screamed in outrage and it was only the strength of her guards that kept her from ripping open the cell and burying Faith once and for all. The silver alicorn merely listened as she cursed, waiting for her to leave before curling up into a ball and letting out a moan as his body attempted to reassemble itself.

~MC~MC~MC~

"I had been hoping Faith would be back by now," Shining said, adjusting his saddle bags. Each of the 5 members of the infiltration team were wearing black catsuits, much like the ones Twilight, Pinkie and Spike had donned when they had snuck into the royal library. "Be nice to have another alicorn on the team."

"We'll be ok," Twilight said. In the end her and Shining had decided they needed to balance the team, fearing that have too many fliers or magic users would blow their cover. Many of the members of the rebellion had not been happy being left out but had agreed that the fivesome was the best of the best.

"I will return, Derpy," The Doctor stated, placing a hoof on her shoulder. The pegasus merely continued to stare off into space and the TIme Lord let out a sigh before looking over at Blade Buster. "Do not let her come to harm. She means the world to me."

"Don't worry, Doctor. I will protect her with my life."

The Doctor smiled at that. "You are a good chap." Checking to make sure he had his sonic screwdriver, the stallion turned to Spitfire, the last of the team, and nodded. "Well... onwards and upwards."

"Good luck, all of you," Whistle Wind said. "Be safe and be on your guard."

"We will. And we'll return as soon as we can." Shining Armor, Spike, Spitfire and the Doctor pressing their flanks against Twilight's as she focused. "Alright, here we go."

Spitfire took a deep breath. "You're sure you can do this?"

"Absolutely," Twilight said. "Besides, as Faith says, 'Now is not the time for fear.'"

"'That comes later.'" Spike stated, finishing the quote just as Twilight's magic flared out and teleported the team away.

~MC~MC~MC~

Rarity had been right in her assessment that the cell was not at all designed for prisoners. Save for the bars (which were of course padded) the cell looked more like a small hotel room than a place of confinement. There was even several books sitting on the table, though a glance at them showed that they had been hastily put together by the queens to help convince their prisoners to convert.

"You have a death wish or something?"

Faith twisted his head, grunting as the bones in his neck snapped back into place, allowing him to walk without pain searing his soul. "I think my special talent is annoying ponies. That or delivering a nice monologue." He edged over to the side of his cell so he could speak to the prisoner in the cell next to his without shouting. "And I suppose I do… I have now nearly died so many times I’ve lost count.” Faith looked at his wing in annoyance. “My greatest weakness is the physical things, it seems.”

“Are you sure it isn’t running your mouth?”

“Ha bloody ha. I am sorry if my bones breaking awoke you."

"You are sarcastic... you should be good for a laugh."

"I sense this place could use more laughs."

"This whole world can use some giggles," the mare said. "So... you have just moved in."

"Indeed. Well, I suppose we should introduce ourselves. We are going to be escaping this place together."

"We are?"

"Indeed. I don't plan spending the entire war down here." Faith stuck one of his uninjured hooves through the bars.   "I am Faith."

After a moment a blue leg reached out to touch his.

"Trixie."