//------------------------------// // Cry Havoc // Story: Once Beyond the Gates // by Quill Scribe //------------------------------// Once Beyond the Gates ~Quill Scribe~ Chapter 8 - Cry Havoc The air above Equestria was my home for days. Clouds rushed passed me like a constant flow of ethereal cotton. Occasionally a town or forest would blur beneath me momentarily, allowing me to keep my bearings. I flew like a mare possessed, not sleeping or eating, my only desire was my destination. On the dawn of the third day of flight I passed over a mountain range. Beyond, the terrain began to obscure with a layer of snow. Ahead of me in the distance a city rose up from the white coated ground. Its high stone walls guarded it from the outside. Its buildings interspersed with tall pine trees. Stalliongrad. My body's physical limitations began to catch up with me. I was sore all over and fatigued from the magic pumping through my ley lines for days. If I'm going to face the "loyalists" I'll need to be at my best. The exhausted and hungry pony I am now won't be enough. I winged my way to the outskirts of the city, landed behind a group of trees, and threw a thick cloak over myself to keep warm and hide my wings. I took the nearby road and approached the open city gates. I passed through into the city proper without so much as a peep from the guards on duty. I expected more security from a city on a warfront. I slowly through the city proper, fatigue slowly creeping upon me. Boarded up storefronts and houses with shuttered windows lined the slate paved streets. An ominous silence hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Where is everypony? It was strange to see a city as big as Stalliongrad this empty. Being from Manehattan and then Canterlot I had grown accustomed to the large crowds. The first building I approached was a tavern. It was one of the few buildings with lights on and an un-barred door. It wasn't in shambles but it wasn't new either. The brown paint that coated its stone facade was faded and chipping. Its door was aged and splintering. The faded sign that read "The Pine Log Lodge" hung creakily from its post. I pushed the door open and passed inside. "Welcome ta the Pine Log Lodge young'n. What can ah do fer yah today?" A large, middle aged earth pony greeted me from behind the nearby desk. "I need a room for the night, and a dandelion salad," I responded. "How many rooms does yah family need?" "It's just me. Only one room. Single bed, and lots of quiet." He raised an eyebrow at me and slid a key across the desk towards me. I took it and trotted off to my room for the night. While the tavern was only slightly run down, the room itself had seen much better days. I ignored the mystery stains on the curtains and sat experimentally on the bed. Its broken coils groaned and creaked in protest of my modest weight. Deciding the floor was a better option, I pulled the pillows and comforter off of the bed and onto the floor. I lay down of them, covering myself with my cloak like a blanket to insulate myself from the biting cold of the northern nights. It didn't take long to drift into blissful unconsciousness. My rest didn't last long however. I was roused in the early morning hours by a distant thumping. I looked out the window and saw the sun just beginning to peek over the horizon. I groaned in annoyance and rolled over. My eyes snapped open again when I heard the insistent knocking that had woken me before. I grumbled and dragged my half asleep self to the doorway. "Excuse me, miss? We're with the guard. We'd like to have a word with you." I paused on the other side of the doorway. On one hoof I really had no idea what they could want from me, and that caused my brow to furrow in concern. One the other, I could possibly get some much needed information from them. I threw on my cloak and opened the door slowly. "What can I do for you gentlecolts?" I put on my best innocent face in front of the two armored ponies that stood in the doorway to my room. "Miss, a mare your age shouldn't be traveling alone this close to the border, it's just not safe. I'm afraid you'll have to come with us to the barracks until we can get you home." This might be a good opportunity. They probably have maps of the military installations there. We can find the camp and fort. Maybe even the Loyalists. I nodded to the guards and followed them out into the empty streets. We walked in silence to the entrance of a large tower set into the city wall. The cacophony that greeted me upon our entrance was of stark contrast to the silence and serenity of the outside. An earth pony and a pegasus stood over a wooden desk that was covered completely in maps and other papers. "What do you mean the camp was obliterated!" An earth pony in a captain's uniform yelled; my heart skipped a beat in my chest. "Just that sir. Our scouts reported a single unicorn approaching the training grounds and then, chaos. Fire raining from the sky, shadows coming alive, guards dropping like flies. We barely managed to get the survivors of the initial assault to the fort." I stared blankly at their battlefield map as they bickered. The thought of Long Shot in danger overrode all of my other desires. After burning the map into my mind I lowered my stance, bracing myself. First I find Long Shot, then I can track down the Loyalists. I've got to move. Now! My wings snapped into flight position with a loud scraping of metal, shredding my cloak. The guards took notice of me and stood, frozen in shock. I used their distraction to my advantage and rushed out of the tower and into the air towards the direction I believed the training camp to be in. # Acrid, black smoke rose from the ruins of the camp. Giant crystal spires poked up through the remains. Some fires still burned among the rubble of the barracks and guard towers. One pony did all this? I tore through the ruins looking for a sign, a feather, anything that would lead me to Long Shot. I found nothing but broken armor, weapons, and charred rubble. My heart beat frantically in my chest as I turned over the body of yet another pegasus. Not him. Did he make it out? That's when I saw something. A tuft of maroon feathers blowing gently in the breeze, caught under a fallen support beam. My heart caught in my throat as I choked back a desperate sob. "No! No, he can't be gone!" I screamed. I panicked and tore the wooden beam from the ground with my magic, tossing it across the ruined camp. To my relief there was no pony buried underneath. I picked up the feathers gingerly, tucking them away in my saddlebags. He had to have made it out. They must have retreated to the fort. He might be there! Hope lent speed to my wings as I took off like a shot into the air, trailing a brief stream of dust in my wake. I winged my way east towards the fort. I flew for several minutes, slowing only when I saw very unnatural storm clouds looming over the monolith that was Fort Hammerfall, sending torrents of rain and lightning towards the ground. It was complete chaos, although I'm not sure what I expected a battleground to look like. I had seen them in my visions, but never this active. Armored guardsponies flew overhead and ran along the ground, crisscrossing the battlefield. Individual skirmishes broke out everywhere they encountered the enemy forces. I dropped closer to the ground to get a better look at their opponents. Most wore heavy black cloaks that concealed their bodies, but the few that had thrown back their hoods to reveal a midnight blue coloring stirred my darkest memories. A feral scream rubbed my throat raw while I rocketed towards the ground. The unfortunate unicorn I descended upon loomed next to a fallen guard, preparing to deliver the last spell the guard would ever see. He and the guard looked up as my scream reached their ears. I struck the unicorn with the force of a comet. I felt a satisfying crunch as his legs buckled. His spell fizzled as he was driven into the ground, sending a spray of mud into the air. A warm wetness reached my hooves when I stepped off of the injured unicorn. I looked over to the groaning guard. I've got to help him, he's losing a lot of blood. We don't have time! Do what we came here for! Let me out; we can end this now! I shook my head, trying to clear it, and scooped the guard onto my back. Taking to the air was more difficult with the extra weight, but not impossible. I soared towards the battlements of the fort, weaving between the errant spells and arrows being launched between combatants. I landed on the battlement, gently laying the unconscious guard at the hooves of two stunned archers. I whirled back around and dove off into the battlefield below. The three cloaked ponies I landed in front of reared back in surprise. I tipped one onto his back with a telekinetic push. As the other two recovered I flapped my wings, rocketing forward into one of them. One of my fore-hooves connected with his jaw, taking him out of the equation. My final opponent turned and fled as two guards approached. They charged after him, nodding in acknowledgement as they passed me. I was in the thick of battle, adrenaline pumped through me, heightening my senses. I could feel the ebb and flow of the battlefield around me, almost like I could see where the combatants would go next. The guards called it combat awareness. The gryphons called it zanshin, or reserved mind. For me, it was the beginnings of something else entirely. Weaving through friend and enemy alike, I made my way to a group of guards being cornered by enemy pegasi. I allowed my wings to carry me above several ponies' heads. I unslung Long Shot's rifle, and cocked it. My target was the pegasus closest to me. I moved to place him between myself and the next pegasus in line. Get closer, we aren't exactly the best shot. I was nearly ten feet away from them when the group of pegasi turned their attention towards me. I gave them no time to move and bit down on the trigger arm. The shell was propelled from the barrel by a massive telekinetic push. It hit the lead pegasus in the shoulder and unleashed its payload. He and the two pegasi closest to him were swatted out of the air as though a giant hoof were brushing away flies. Shouldering the rifle, I landed in front on the guards. My weight shifted, and I changed direction abruptly, speeding off towards the next set of pegasi. Anticipating my maneuver, one of them slid to the side, catching me in a clothesline. I felt my throat collapse and fell to the ground. The two pegasi landed next to me, the larger one placing a hoof on my neck, choking me. My vision began to darken as I struggled against the two pegasi. I began to hear a familiar musical tune. Well, at least I'll get another shot at them when I wake up. A bright light cut through the darkness at the corners of my vision like a knife. A familiar voice called out to me. The larger pegasus turned his head, his eyes widening in surprise. A head sized metal sphere caught him squarely in the face, knocking him and his partner off of me. I turned my head towards the light, my chest heaving for breath. What I saw nearly stopped my heart. A trio of mares charged onto the battlefield. A mint green unicorn played a lyre, unleashing waves of sound, forcing a crowd of cloaked ponies apart. Lyra? Sister! A plum earth pony wavered between the enemy, yelling obscenities. Leaning unnaturally out of the way of their blows, sometimes stumbling forward to land a hoof on them. Berry! Sweet Celestia, she's drunk. Leading the charge was a cream colored unicorn. She stopped next to me and stood her ground, twin black orbs floating next to her. She sent one flying into another pony who got too close. "Come get some, you sons of minotaurs!" I got to my hooves with a little assistance from Lyra. I stared at the trio, dumbfounded. Berry's hoof connected with my cheek with a forceful slap. "That was for making us worry about you and running off like that. I don't know what's got your tail all twisted, but you should have asked for our help! Aren't we friends?" "How in the fiery pits of Tartarus did you find me?" I asked. "You know what? Never mind. I've got to get you girls inside." I concentrated and popped a bubble of force into existence around us. I threw myself into the side of the sphere as hard as I could. Aided by telekinetic magic, I pressed onward towards the fort. # My wings carried us to the top of the walls just as the first of the enemy siege ladders locked into place. I landed, offloaded my friends, and whirled to face the ponies climbing up the ladder. As I gathered energy in my horn for a spell, three more siege ladders locked into place. "Get to safety!" I yelled. While I watched them run down the stairs to the ground inside the fortress I reached out with telekinetic magic, feeling out the spring loaded spikes that locked the ladders in place. I greeted the first pony to reach the top with a mirthful grin. She let out a terrified squeal as I dislodged the ladders from the wall, pushing them backwards into the empty space beyond. A small group of guards that had gathered to repel the ladders cheered loudly. I turned towards them, but as I did their cheers died out. A high pitched whistling had replaced the noise. I whirled around as a blast of light and heat impacted the fortress wall. A fireball? A second impact shook the battlement. I peered out over the battlefield, searching for its source. The faint glow of a third blast drew my eyes to a wheeled scaffolding in the center of the battlefield. On it stood a trio of cloaked unicorns, each casting in succession. Got you now. Using the battlement wall for leverage, I pushed myself off into a flight trajectory that took me straight at them. I anticipated the first ball of flame, twirling around it with only minor difficulty. The second followed almost directly after, its flames impacted an invisible wall inches from my face. I had barely cast my forcefield bubble in time. The third fireball came directly after the second. I could feel the heat of it as the impact cracked my shield. A mere ten meters away from them, the fourth hit. My shield fragmented. I could smell burning hair from my singed mane as the force of the blast knocked me towards the ground. I gritted my teeth in anticipation of the impact and the broken bones it would cause. It was an impact that never came. I felt myself decelerate rapidly as a strong pair of hooves held me aloft. "A battlefield is no place for a civilian, kid." I opened my eyes and saw a mountain of off-yellow and pink with feathers. She was the largest pegasus I'd ever seen, bigger than Long Shot, maybe even almost as big as the princess herself. Is that a pegasus or a house?! A bright glow distracted any further thoughts. I threw up a silvery dome over us and brought a false wing up protectively between us and the glow. The fireball smashed through my shield and the remainder splashed harmlessly against my outstretched metal wing. She looked down at me with a mixture of annoyance and gratitude before drawing a massive claymore from a sheath between her wings. Sword held firmly in her mouth, she charged the base of the scaffolding and sliced a support clean through. It tumbled to the ground under its own weight into a pile of broken wood, metal, and pony. "Captain Barricade! Captain Armor is giving the order to fall back to the fortress. We're fighting a losing battle out here!" A maroon pegasus shouted at her as he landed between us. She turned towards him and ordered, "get this civilian inside, double time soldier. I'll spread the word." My heart soared as he turned towards me. His dark purple mane blew back, revealing a face I could never forget. His eyes lit up with confusion when he saw me. "Sigil! What are you doing up here? Why aren't you in Canterlot?" He asked. Lost in my joy, I forgot all about the reason I had come north in the first place. I rushed him, wrapping him in a tight embrace as though if I let go he'd vanish. I couldn't respond before he spoke again. "C'mon Sigil. I'm happy to see you too, but we've got to get back to the fort." He pushed me off of him, much to my disappointment, and took flight towards the walls of the fort. I followed closely behind. The Guard's forces scattered below us, making a hasty retreat to the relative protection of the fort. As we landed safely, the last of the soldiers made it inside. A magenta glow from the fort's central tower caught my eye. A magenta dome that encompassed the entire fort sprung to life from a blue maned unicorn's horn. Enemy spells and weapons splashed harmlessly against it. My eyes widened at the display of magical talent. That was impressive, to say the least. Who is he? He seems familiar... I breathed in sharply as a pair of maroon hooves and wings wrapped protectively around me, drawing me in close to the pegasus they belonged to. I nuzzled in close, just for a moment forgetting where we were. "Sigil, you shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous. Why did you come?" I turned my gaze down to the ground. "I was tracking somepony. I was told they'd be near Stalliongrad, but when I got there I heard about the training camp..." I paused as my eyes began to water. "There you two are!" Lyra called out. The three mares ran up to us, completely ruining the moment. "Awe!" Allie cooed, smiling sweetly at us. "I hope we aren't interrupting." I just know that somewhere out there, there's a pony named Murphy who hates me with every fiber of his being. Unwillingly, I extracted myself from Long Shot's grasp. "N-no of course not! I was just about to explain to Long Shot what I'm doing all the way north." Nice save throwing yourself into the fire there. Maybe I should do the talking. The ponies all turned to look at me. I sighed in defeat. I told them everything I'd left out before. The visions, my plans to gain power, even the thoughts that were mine and also not. Lyra didn't even bother to let me finish. She wrapped her hooves around me and cried softly. "It's all my fault Siggy. I should've stayed..." "Lyra, stop it. It's their fault. All of it," I said. Barricade sauntered up to us, clearing her throat to get our attention. "Touching reunion, really. Long Shot, get the civilians to the barracks, then meet the rest of the troops in the courtyard." Long Shot snapped to attention and guided us gently to the barracks. The break room he took us to wasn't overly uncomfortable. "Sorry girls, I'll be back for you after the meeting. Orders and all, you understand, right?" He said to us. We nodded in assent. After he walked off I turned to the rest of my friends. "I'm going to go check out this meeting of theirs. Stay here where it's safe." "How do you expect to get past the guards?" Berry inquired. "Do you really think they'll waste the forces necessary to keep us in here in the middle of a battle?" I asked rhetorically as I trotted out of the room. Several minutes later I made it to the fort's courtyard. It seemed as though every guard in the fort was in attendance. I held back towards the edge of the crowd. Barricade and the blue maned unicorn were addressing the gathering. "... Barrier should hold out until reinforcements arrive. When they do I want all unicorn squads to provide cover for Barricade's fliers. Earth ponies, your squads will provide suppression fire with your crossbows and anti-siege weaponry. Barricade, I turn the floor to you." "Thank you Shining Armor... Alright, listen up maggots. Fleethoof, take two of our fastest fliers to Canterlot to gather reinforcements. I want squadrons two and four to harass the enemy from the sides. Whatever you do, don't let them regroup. Squadrons one and three, take a head-on approach. Each of you carry a unicorn with you for magical support." "Troops, combat operations begin at dawn. We'll break their ranks and drive them from Equestria for good this time! Direct any questions to your immediate superior officer. Dismissed!" Guardsponies filed out of the courtyard and back to their posts. I singled out Long Shot and caught up to him on his was to the fortress walls. I looked around at the soldiers wandering the battlements. "Hey Shotty. Do you think we could go somewhere private to talk for a few minutes?" He nodded at me, looked around, and motioned for me to follow. I followed him down to the ground level of the fort and into a secluded corner near the tower. "Sigil, why aren't you at the barracks with the girls?" I looked around, making sure we were alone before speaking. "I was so scared, Long Shot. After I heard about the training camp being attacked I mean. I don't think I'm strong enough to keep you safe. I need you to take this so you can protect yourself." I pushed the rifle I had brought into his grip. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. I don't think I could bear it. I'm so sorry Shotty. After how I hurt you I wouldn't blame you if you hated me. After everything you've done for me. The little, meaningful gestures given unconditionally." I closed my eyes and turned away from him, unable to look him in the eyes. "I was terrified. Afraid of how being around you made my heart skip and my head swim. Afraid that if I let you get too close you'd disappear too. I was afraid because..." My voice became very small, almost imperceptible. "... Because I need you." He's so quiet. Didn't he hear me? Or is this his answer?. After a few moments Long Shot spoke. The warmth in his voice made me turn back towards him. His friendly smile melted away the last of the walls of ice I'd built around my heart. "Sigil, I could never hate you. I'll always be there for you. I'll prove it to you every day if I have to. You can't just get rid of me that easily." As his wing reached out and pulled me close to him, my heart ran a marathon in my chest. My cheeks felt like they were on fire. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. I closed my eyes as I leaned closer. I can be happy, right? Just this once? I felt a hoof on my chin, tilting my muzzle up to meet his. I wrapped my hooves around his neck and shoulders, feeling the warmth of his breath on my face. No turning back now. A loud bang rang out like an enormous bell as something massive slammed into the shield. Our eyes snapped open, our lips mere millimeters apart. In the distance somepony yelled in fear. "Dragon!"