//------------------------------//
// Chapter 23 
// Story: Combat Magic 
// by totallynotabrony 
//------------------------------//

	The trek to the top of the mountain did indeed take until sunrise; actually a little bit longer. Rarity’s feet were killing her as the six of them crested the top of Mount St. Helens and descended into the crater within. Rarity reflected that it was lucky the top of the mountain had been blown away or the hike would have been worse.
Feet were remarkable at what they did, but given the choice Rarity decided that she’d stick with hooves. Those didn’t get nearly so tired after walking all night.
There was at least a pleasant gift waiting for them. A pallet, with an attached parachute waving limply in the wind, waited for them in the center of the crater. It contained some of the heavier things they’d had to leave behind at the cabin, like hand grenades and cans of food.
“If they could air drop supplies, why couldn’t we get some more people to help out?” asked Rarity.
“Limited number of qualified personnel,” answered Bear. “Really, it’s a bad situation. Ideally, we’d want more people like us who are fully cleared for the mission, but a force like that takes a while to mobilize, brief, and transport. If we just needed shooters, we might be able to pull Marines from the nuclear submarine base in Washington, but with everything that could go down here and also me changing tonight, we can’t risk it.”
Rarity did not like the sound of that—the United States government seemed terribly bureaucratic and bottlenecked compared to Equestraia’s simple Princess-based system. She did not comment, however, focusing her attention on breakfast instead.
“They gave us real, pleasant-tasting food instead of MREs,” Veronica indicated, gesturing at the pallet. “The downside, though, is that we don’t have a way to heat it.”
Rarity smiled. “I believe I have a solution.”
The large knife strapped to her armored vest was quite useful for ventilating the tops of the sealed food cans. After that, Rarity heated them with a bit of handheld fire.
“You know, you could have just asked for a few hot coals,” commented Loowit, appearing just then. Bear pulled her aside and they had a conversation about the defense of the crater. Rarity decided to instead think happy thoughts and give her feet a rest. If anything important came out of the discussion, Bear would let her know.
The hours began to pass by. Jenny was stationed at the highest point of the crater wall to keep a lookout. She’d been smeared with sunscreen and heavy clothing so she could stay there in the bright sunshine all day.
As the sun started its downward arc into the afternoon, Rarity realized that she hadn’t slept in far too long. She frowned, counting back. Her duty the night before had been interrupted, leaving no time for rest. In fact, she’d gotten a workout instead. Well, that certainly explained why she felt exhausted. Running so far in combat gear would have been bad enough by itself.
Even the rough volcanic soil felt more comfortable than fighting to stay alert. Rarity unslung the precision rifle from her back and laid it down carefully. There was a small boulder nearby that supported her back as she leaned against it. Her enclosing armor, the design that she’d custom made herself, cradled her body and protected her skin from sharp rocks. It was a shame that the Kevlar was soaked with dried sweat, but Rarity had never before thought she would be comfortable lying on dirt, either.
It was strange how an unfamiliar situation could change one’s standards. Like coming to Earth, for instance. Rarity didn’t even want to think about how much she’d changed in just a few short weeks. She glanced down at the assault rifle lying across her stomach. Her gaze dropped further, and her eyes closed. Rarity fell asleep, lying there on the ashen ground.


It was unknown how much time had passed when Rarity awoke, but the setting sun was just a glow on the horizon of the crater. She sat up and stretched, thankful for the rest. Hopefully she would have the opportunity for more soon. The uncertainty and the ever-changing situation took some getting used to.
There was no centralized base station for their operations. The mountain was only meant as a temporary location until the six of them could be evacuated to a more secure location. 
Near where she’d napped, Rarity found Veronica. She gave Rarity a radio and earpiece.
“This is a lot of area to cover,” said the woman. “We’re spread really thin, and this is pretty much the only way we can stay in contact.”
That was unfortunate, but Rarity supposed it was better to be safe than sorry. During the night, it would be more difficult to keep watch. She asked, “Where is everyone else?”
Veronica tapped the button on her radio. “Status check.”
“I’m just about finished with Bear, and then I’m going to talk to Loowit about area defense,” replied Morgan over the airwaves.
“That’s right,” agreed Bear. “I’m secure for the night, but I can’t go anywhere. I’ll do whatever I can from here.”
“I’m watching the south rim of the crater,” reported Jenny.
“And I’m on the west,” added Rob.
Veronica nodded. “I’ll take north. Rarity, you watch the east.”
Rarity nodded. While the prospect of staying up all night again was not appealing, she understood that the rest of them were counting on her to do her share. The military-like structure and order of the group had slowly been growing on her since she’d arrived on Earth. It was nice to have everyone doing exactly as they should and working as a coordinated unit. It was precise, something she could appreciate.
Putting the sun at her back, Rarity walked towards her post. Along the way, she passed Bear, who sat cross-legged in a circle scratched in the ashy soil. As she stepped closer, Rarity could feel the thrum of magic in the air.
“You might want to stop right there,” Bear advised. “As long as the circle’s intact I should be my usual self. I can’t really do much from here, but that’s better than having a wild animal running around.”
Loowit appeared. “I’ll keep you company.”
Rarity noticed she was carrying communications gear like the rest, but hadn’t heard her on the radio earlier. Bear had noticed too and turned away from Rarity, giving the fire spirit a quick course on modern electronics. Loowit did not seem to know much about them. It amused Rarity slightly that she was actually the more experienced one for once.
Climbing the slope, Rarity found her way towards the eastern edge of the mountain. The blown out wall of the crater stretched to the northeast, giving her open space on three sides. Distantly, she could barely see the parking lot in the fading sunlight.
She settled in to wait. Scooting her body left and right, Rarity made a shallow depression in the soil and rocks to comfortably lie in. She checked her weapons, finding them in place. Balancing her long-ranged sniper rifle on its bipod, Rarity scanned what she could see of the area in front of her. Considering that the mountain was the highest point in the region, that was quite a lot of ground. The telescopic scope helped.
The sky continued to darken. Rarity waited patiently. She was in no hurry to fight, if that’s what it came to. She was aware that there were no fallback plans in place if trouble came to Mount St. Helens. They would attempt to break contact and evacuate the area, but the earliest that government reinforcements could arrive would be the next morning.
What it came down to was that there was no more running. If they were found, if Purity’s group attacked again, there would be a battle. Rarity swallowed hard at the prospect and went back to nervously scanning the area.
The concept of being backed into a corner was still difficult to comprehend, despite the training Rarity had received. She knew about fight-or-flight, but despite various dangers she’d faced in Equestria with her friends, Rarity never been so clearly denied the opportunity to choose between the two. Here, tonight, she might have to kill.
Could she do that? Could a normal person? Was taking a long distance shot on an unassuming target morally better or worse than ending a life in her own self defense?
There were no easy answers. Rarity didn’t trust her instincts, not knowing whether they were of pony or human origin. The only thing she could do was make a decision and see it through. There would be no second chances, and she had to be completely sure.
In the distance, there was a faint whisper of something other than the breeze. Rarity gripped her rifle more tightly and strained her ears. The sound was familiar, and Rarity gulped as she realized what it must mean. She was sure it was an approaching helicopter.