"Alright everybody, time for muster." Mike said clapping his hands together.
The members of the Fellowship Of Leadership began making their way up to the roof of Town Hall. There were many things to discuss and several new people joining the usual group. Sheranda, Kylie, Corina, and 'Becky' were going to join the Fellowship for the first time. Everyone was edgy because a former member was set to join in on the meeting. Jason had asked and after a vote, he was going to join the meeting, but his place on the Fellowship was as closed to him as it was before. He could bring ideas to light, and give updates on his specialty, but he didn't have a vote.
Everyone walked up the stairs and onto the roof, Darryl and Kaneesha keeping their distance from 'Becky'. Andrew took the time to pat everyone on the shoulder so they would know he was present. Every person sat down on the roof in a big circle, Bobby led 'Becky' over next to him and sat her down. She seemed happy as ever but also curious. Kaneesha made a point to sit right next to Joyner.
She leaned over and whispered in his ear,
"Andrew an' I been keepin' an eye on 'Becky' all day. She ain't eaten anything the whole time. She drank a bunch o' water but she had food in front o' her an' she didn't touch it. Ask Jewel."
Mike Joyner turned his head to Kaneesha and furrowed his eyebrows,
"Hey Bobby," he began.
Bobby turned his head away from 'Becky',
"Yeah?"
"Has 'Becky' eaten anything today?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, I took her to get something right after we got her into a dress, why?" Bobby responded.
"But did she actually eat?" Mike asked.
"She must have. Alex gave her a plate and a couple of minutes later it was empty." Bobby replied.
"So you didn't actually see her eat?" Mike asked.
Bobby shrugged his shoulders,
"I was talking to Alex." he quirked an eyebrow, "What's this about?"
Mike turned to Kaneesha,
"Can you counter that?"
Kaneesha nodded,
"She dumped the food back into the cauldron when Bobby was talkin'."
A loud flap of wings heralded the arrival of Princess Luna mere moments before she landed outside the circle,
"I apologize for being late." she said looking around, "Ah, the circle has grown I see. Where may I lay?"
All eyes turned to Jason to see his reaction. He simply sat in place watching attentively. Sheranda, Kylie, and Corina had their eyes bugging out in surprise and 'Becky' was shaking like a leaf.
R.J. and Rachel scooted apart and Luna occupied the vacant spot with a nod of thanks,
"Pray, what were you discussing?"
Mike gestured to 'Becky',
"Our new arrival. She walked right out of the forest today."
"Hey," Bobby said to 'Becky', "There's nothing to be afraid of." he said comfortingly, "She won't hurt you." he put his left arm around her shoulders and patted her.
Princess Luna looked at 'Becky' in puzzlement,
"She seems healthy enough. Was she with your initial group and perhaps got lost?"
Mike shook his head,
"No, I guarantee she's never been a part of our group until today."
"She sure did pick up on how to sow easily enough." Bobby said, "We put her with the seamstress trio and Corina said she did a bang up job."
Corina nodded,
"Her comprehension seemed above par."
Mike clapped his hands together and brought the meeting to order,
"Alright first things first." he turned to Jason, who was sitting between Darryl and Eduardo, "Jason is going to be joining us tonight and every night unless he screws up again. He already knows that at the first sign of trouble he's gone. He does not carry the weight of a vote so he's exempt from them. We also have Sheranda, Corina, and Kylie here with us for the first time." he gestured to each as he named them, "They are observers for now but we'll be taking a vote at the end of this muster to determine their status as members or observers. And finally we have the woman known as 'Becky' with us. For you new people there are a few rules: if someone else is speaking let them finish, do not become belligerent or hostile, do not insult others. Infractions of these rules will not be tolerated and we have ejected people from these meetings so behave like adults and you'll be fine. Princess Luna joins us on most nights. She is to be treated like one of us so be respectful. She does not carry the weight of a vote but her opinions are respected and we listen to her thoughts even if we don't always follow them. Alright first order of business" he gestured to 'Becky', "Our new arrival here, has caused quite a stir."
Mike gestured to Bobby,
"She wasn't dehydrated or starving when Mike found her. She was naked and dirty but she didn't seem to have any sense of modesty. She didn't seem to care that she was naked. Her skin was filthy, like she took a mud bath, but her hair was pristine and she didn't have a scratch on her." Bobby said.
Luna cocked her head to the side, eyes focused on 'Becky'.
Mike gestured to Darryl,
"My vision gets blurry and I get a headache whenever she gets within ten feet." Darryl said.
Luna's eyes narrowed.
Mike gestured to Kaneesha,
"Eretime I look at her it's like I'm seein' double. I was watchin' her all day an' she didn't eat nothin' the whole time."
Luna's eyes narrowed further,
"Have any Unicorns examined her?" the moon Princess asked suddenly.
The Fellowship looked at each other, confused,
"Uh, no." Bobby said.
"May I?" Luna asked, "I promise it won't harm a single Human on this roof in any way."
Bobby looked unsure,
"Uh, not trying to be rude but it might scare her. There's no way for us to tell her what's going on."
"She seems unable to understand you? Well then, she understands tones. In that case, everyone hold back your reactions and speak in a friendly, congenial tone." Luna rose to her hooves and spoke in a casual tone, "I'm going to posture like I need to relieve myself but what I'm actually going to do is fly out of sight, turn invisible, and scan her with magic from a distance. Wave to me as I fly off."
She took to the air and everyone waved at her as she flew down and out of sight. 'Becky' followed Luna with her eyes until she was gone then seemed to relax.
"While she's doing that," Mike continued, "Let's go over a few things. Tine, Kolo, how are we doing on toilets?"
Kolo smiled broadly,
"We nearly done. Got us a nice little model for trial. Chris' be carvin' it for us."
Tina spoke next,
"Our new model is taken from the original Kavim model, just with a few modifications. The original base model Kavim toilet was in the shape of a sideways 'u' with the lower portion made for receiving waste. What we've done is modify that model to take on more of a 'J' shape. We widened the lower part so that it can comfortably support the Human buttocks and the Kavim flanks and it's low enough for any individual of any age to use it. It will require most Humans to crouch low, but it's comfortable enough that both Kolo and I tried it out. The water piping and flushing mechanism is based off the model made by William Elvis Sloan, so it does have a back tank that needs to be filled with water. We don't have any way to produce those pieces yet but once the forge is up and running we'll be churning out toilets as fast as we can. Now our current model is made of wood but we like the idea of using waxed stone instead so we're hoping that the quarry opens up soon. We can make the wooden ones but they're going to be breaking often enough to keep us busy for a while."
Mike nodded,
"Excellent work guys."
Princess Luna landed outside the circle and 'Becky' instantly became nervous again,
"Well, my business is done." she said primly as she lay back down, "Remember to keep yourselves calm, especially with what I'm about to say. Keep your voices casual and lighthearted now, and keep your arm around her Bobby. 'Becky' isn't Human, she's a creature known as a Changeling."
"A what-now?" Bobby asked.
"Lighthearted," Luna said in a sing-song tone, "Changelings are parasites. They feed on emotion. They can change shape at will and are the only species in recent history to launch an attack on Equestria. They nearly took over Canterlot in one day. They are extremely dangerous but not so much in a physical sense. They trick and guile their way around a society until they are found out, then they leave. Their native form looks similar to a black Pony with insectile wings and their legs and horns have holes in them. Their skin is tough and leathery but their horns are sharp. They are capable of using magic and flying and they are quite tough but they're physically weak compared to a Pony. Any of you would probably be a match for it physically."
Mike nodded his head, smiling warmly,
"Well how about that. Bobby has his arm around a giant, black, ugly parasite bug."
"I would like to capture this Changeling for study. We know relatively little about them." Luna said pleasantly.
"Are they sentient?" Bobby asked, maintaining his tone and expression perfectly, "And what kind of 'study' are we talking about here? Live dissection?"
"You wound me Bobby," Luna said in a laughing tone, "We'd never do something like that, in fact I . . . " Luna stopped speaking abruptly.
The lunar Alicorn looked off into the distance with a thousand-yard stare. Her body was completely motionless.
"Uh, Luna?" Bobby ventured after a full minute.
Luna held up her right fore hoof,
"This is an emergency." she said urgently, "Gather your people and arm yourselves." she snapped out of her daze and looked sternly at Mike Joyner, "Now." the intensity of her gaze was almost painful.
"Wait, what's going on?" Darryl asked.
Luna sprung up, into the air,
"Make room inside Town Hall for the Ponies. I'll explain in a few minutes. I apologize for ordering you around but the situation is dire." she took off, swooping down to where the Kavim were conducting their own meeting.
* * *
"So things are coming.along very smoothly." Straight Edge said, "We've got nine houses finished and the frames for fourteen more . . . "
"My subjects!" Princess Luna called out from the sky as she descended, "Make haste for the Town Hall immediately. Gather your families and go there, quickly! An epidemic has taken hold of a Diamond Dog City/State and driven them violently mad. They slaughtered each other in their home to the North-West and are on the move. They may very well be coming here!"
Straight Edge queried his Princess,
"Wouldn't it be wise to have the Pegasi fly the foals to safety?"
Luna shook her head sadly,
"Flankfurt is the closest village and it has already been evacuated. The next closest one is Trottingham and it may actually be less safe than we are here."
"But the Humans are packed into Town Hall." Long Wind interjected.
"Forget your reservations my little Pony. Tonight all of us will be together whether we like it or not." Luna said soberly.
* * *
"What the fuck man!" a young Asian man said as he was bodily pulled upright by Kolo.
The Humans started to become boisterous until Chris put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly enough to make their ears ring,
"Listen up!" Mike said into the ensuing silence, "There's a calamity on its way here. We don't know the details yet but it was bad enough to scare Princess Luna. The Ponies are going to be in here with us. Guide them up to the third floor and keep them there. Those of you who are combatants gather the weapons, those of you who are not, form a line and guide the Ponies up there, now! Sheranda you're in charge of the first floor guiding. Corina you're in charge of the second floor. Kylie you're in charge of the third floor. Once you run out of room send them to the medical station. Any Ponies with medical marks go to the medical station, we may need them. Let's move!" he could hear Luna's yelling from inside the building, 'It won't take long.'
Chaos reigned as people scrambled to obey. Morris guided Darryl, Eduardo, and Spearman to the crates of weapons and shields. The cracked open the crates and beheld their armaments, still in the same condition.
"Incoming! Make room!" Kolo yelled as baggy-eyed Kavim began emerging from their buildings and heading for the front door of Town Hall at a brisk trot.
Sheranda stood at the front door, arms and legs crossed with the person next to her, forming a living guide rail for the Ponies. The first one, a Unicorn mare approached cautiously and slowed down, 'It feels like we're intruding.' she thought. A hard push from behind got her moving and she followed the Human guide rail. A Human female and a Unicorn stallion met her at the top of the stairs and helped guide her up to the third floor. Seeing the Human and Pony who were well known to always be together, shored up her courage and she trotted up to the third floor.
Down on the first floor the weapons were being distributed among the more than two hundred Humans who had undergone any sort of combat training or were strong enough. Every lumberjack was present and every one of the people Eduardo had personally trained were there too. Eduardo's people selected their shields, swords, and spears and got out of the way so others could get to the armaments. They lashed on their scabbards to their baldrics and slipped their shields onto their left arms and stood at attention with their spears in their right hands.
Mike Joyner looked at the group, impressed,
"Phalanx work?" he asked.
Eduardo nodded,
"If this is a defensive fight, we should be able to hold off a little bit, but it's far from ideal. See those shields? They're tiny for us. We need bigger ones. The swords are small and she spears are short too. Our gear is sub-par hombre. We'll give it our best, but don't expect any miracles."
R.J. held a sword in his hands and swung it a few times,
"I can't work wit this no mo'. I need me somethin' wit a bit o' weight to it." he tossed the sword back into the crate and walked over to one of the tool crates. He flipped open the lid and retrieved one of the full-length axes.
He hefted it in his hands and smirked,
"Yeah man," he looked up and slung the heavy implement over his shoulder, "If I'm 'bout to throw down wit somebody, this is what I'm usin'."
Princess Luna glided into the building, right over Sheranda's head, and landed among the assembling Humans,
"Oh dear." she said quietly, "These weapons seem too small for you."
"What's this about, Princess?" Chris asked.
Luna turned and spoke loudly,
"My apologies for my lapse earlier, but Celestia contacted me telepathically. It is a link between Alicorns, normally used only in emergencies. She said that a City/State of Diamond Dogs has suffered a strange epidemic which causes them to go violently insane . . . "
"What are Diamond Dogs?" Alex asked.
Luna thought for a moment then shrugged,
"They are roughly as tall as Humans. They walk on two legs, they have fur coats, and their arms end in paws which sport eighteen inch claws that can cut through rock with ease. They can tunnel through dirt and rock almost as easily as you or I can move through water. Their jaws and teeth are hard enough and strong enough to crush bones to dust. The Commanders of the Royal Guard estimate there to be between six hundred and three thousand of them. They are sending three thousand of the Royal Guard here to defend the town but they will take time to arrive. We need to hold out until they get here."
Chris stepped forward waving a hand,
"Hold on here. Why don't you just cast a spell that cures every one of them that's infected? You move the moon, surely you can do this."
Luna lowered her eyes slightly,
"Would that I were able to. I cannot do what you ask, nor could Celestia, or any Alicorn. T'would require a long series of spells. The first to seek out every Diamond Dog in the world, the second to isolate each in turn, the third to detect the disease, and the fourth to cast the correct spell, which I would have to develop while studying the disease. The moon is but a single object upon which I can force my will. Each consecutive spell lessens the effect of all others I have to maintain and so many at a time would kill me almost instantly. If the Diamond Dogs were all touching each other, I could use a chain spell to affect them at the same time, but some magical diseases alter spells. Since I've not heard of this disease before, the likelihood of its source being a magical one is unfortunately high. Were I to attempt to use any spell on the infected Diamond Dogs, it could alter their very bodies." Luna shook her head sadly, "No, I'm afraid I can be of no help in that regard." she looked almost ready to cry, "There has been a great loss of life among the Diamond Dogs already, and it seems as though there will yet be even more." she looked away, out the doorway where the last of the civilian Kavim were heading toward the stairs, "We love all intelligent life in the world and the loss of but one hurts us as though it were one of our own children." her voice softened into a whisper, "None of you know the grief it caused Celestia and I when the massacre happened."
She shook her head suddenly and turned back to the armed Humans,
"I cannot solve this problem for you, but I can help you solve it." she looked around at the small weapons and shields then at the mass of left over weaponry, "Your stores of defensive armaments will be replenished later." she turned to Mike, "What is your battle plan?"
"I was going to say a phalanx with our people holding the doors and windows on this ground floor but since these Diamond Dogs can shear through rock, it's useless. What I wouldn't give for a couple hundred rifles." he said looking off toward the door.
The Civil Guards entered the front doorway and strode up to Luna. The lead Guard began chattering with Luna about something or another and Mike couldn't help but to admire the Guards' armor. It was thickly plated and actuated beautifully, 'Or armor, heck anything would help at this point.'
"Hey Mike." Chris tapped him on the shoulder, "How about we try having each person slide one shield as far up their arm as possible then putting a second one on. I mean yeah the Diamond Dogs could cut right through it but if we keep them far enough away if would help."
Mike nodded his head,
"Do it." he turned to the gathering of people, "Where's Andrew?"
"Gah!" came a frustrated yell three feet in front of him, "I'M RIGHT HERE!"
Now able to see the irritated black man, Mike had to make a decision and it wasn't easy,
"Andrew," he began, "I need you to fight. How well can you hide, do you think, if you were . . . outside with the Diamond Dogs?"
The entire assembly of Humans fell silent. Kaneesha looked between the two men, fearing what Andrew's answer would be. It was extremely risky.
Andrew took a deep breath and his face hardened to stone,
"Well enough." he answered simply.
"I'm going with you!" Kaneesha said forcefully, "Ain't nobody can see like me, you need me!"
Mike turned his head, puzzled,
"What do you mean?"
Kaneesha and Andrew shared a look before Kaneesha said,
"I can see in the dark."
"What?" Bobby asked, "How?"
Kaneesha shrugged,
"I don't know, but it's been gettin' stronger every day. I can hear birds flapping their wings from across town, I can smell when someone's on the rag," she made a gagging motion, "I can taste every spice and plant in every bite I eat an' I can feel vibrations along the ground if I'm facin' the direction they're commin' from. Andrew an' I have been testin' it for over a month now. That's how I know where he is, I can see everyone an' that's how I knew that 'Becky' weren't Human."
Luna's ears perked noticeably and she turned her head,
"Truly?" she asked.
Kaneesha nodded her head,
"Yeah."
"May I test you?" Luna asked.
Kaneesha looked unsure,
"Test me? Will it hurt?"
Luna shook her head,
"Not at all, but it is a somewhat rare spell. Normally only foal doctors know it. It tests an individual's Magerium. It is painless, I assure you."
Kaneesha shrugged,
"Uh, sure I guess."
Luna closed her eyes and her horn lit up indigo for a brief moment before her eyes snapped open,
"Good gracious." she said, "You DO posses a Magerium! It's different from what I've seen before, but you have it!" she turned to Andrew excitedly, "May I?"
Andrew shrugged,
"You know what, go for it."
Luna proceeded to do the same to Andrew,
"You as well!" she looked around at the gathered Humans, "How many of you, I wonder." without further preamble, she lowered her horn and cast out at Kolo, Spearman, and R.J.,
"All of you!" she said excitedly, "All of you have it!" she turned to Tina and cast on her.
Luna's face contorted for a moment before her eyes opened slowly and she backed away several steps,
"Tina, I believe?"
Tina nodded, looking very unsure,
"Y . . . yes?"
"We must speak later, after this is over." she turned back to Mike, "We will deal with this later. For now, we need to give your people what they need." she took a breath, "I said I couldn't help by curing all the Diamond Dogs and that's true, but I can help your people. I can fortify this building to make the stone impervious to the Diamond Dogs claws. I would meld the stone and seal us in THEN make the stone impervious, but the more something is altered by magic, the harder it is to affect with magic. It conducts magic better but it's Thamaturgic dispersal that allows for enchantability and the mass of an object does matter in that case. Thamaturgic conductivity is a natural byproduct of magical altering . . . " she looked around at all the lost and confused Human faces, "Let's just say, 'I can't do that'. There are some things I CAN do with much smaller amounts of material, especially if it's no longer in it's natural state."
"You mean you can manipulate steel easier than raw iron?" Chris asked.
Luna nodded,
"Correct."
Chris practically leaped into the closest weapon crate. He dug around and pulled out four shields and tossed them onto the ground.
"Could you meld these four shields together?" Chris asked.
Luna nodded,
"Into what shape?"
"Um . . . "Chris looked around, "Hey Morris, can I use one of your pieces of paper?"
Morris nodded then walked over and handed Chris a sheet of paper. Chris held it up and bent the sides inward just enough for a curve.
"Like this. Each one needs to be about four feet tall and as hard as you can manage." Chris said.
Luna nodded and lowered her head. Her horn glowed indigo and the four shields glowed so brightly that everyone had to cover their eyes. The glow dissipated after a minute and there lay a tower shield where previously four small round shields had been. Chris walked over to the tower shield and picked it up then looked at the back.
"Hey, you even got the straps right." he slid it onto his arm and and lifted it up and down, "I don't know what the proper balance is supposed to be but it feels really light. I could hold this all night."
Luna nodded happily,
"I did as much as I could to it in one spell series. I reduced the weight by more than half and it's now harder than diamond. It will never break by conventional means. I can make a few more if you like . . . "
"Could you make armor and longer swords using just the materials we have here?" Chris asked, pointing into the weapons crates.
Luna trotted over and rose onto her hind legs then placed her fore hooves on the edge of the crate and looked inside,
"I believe I could. It would take a bit of time though and more than a bit of magic but I could probably make . . . forty suits of armor with appropriately sized weapons to go with them."
"We need to know the Diamond Dogs E.T.A. Kaneesha, could you head on up to the roof and keep an eye out?" Mike said.
Kaneesha nodded and darted toward the stairs,
"Just let me know before Andrew heads out."
"He needs to concentrate when he's out there." Mike called after the young woman.
Chris was busy setting out shields in groups for Luna when Alex chimed in,
"Armor would be too difficult. Ask her to make breast plates, bracers, shin guards, and helmets instead."
Darryl walked around the main floor and counted the windows,
"Hey Mike, there's twenty five windows and each one looks to be three feet wide and three feet tall. What do you say, two or three people at each one?"
Mike walked over and examined the windows with the Marine,
"Ideally I'd put four people at each one but we won't have enough armor for everyone. They'll have to use the fortified walls as protection and use spears and axes for full offense only." he turned to the front main door, "I want a single shield wall with swords right at the door with spears behind them to help keep the enemy at bay. We'll need to keep some people in reserve for any casualties." he looked back at the windows then to the Civil Guard just standing around looking confused, "We'll ask them when Luna's done." he looked back over to the shields.
Luna had already finished four shields so Mike began placements,
"I need four people with shields at the front main doors pronto. Lose the spears and use your swords. We'll come and outfit you as each piece is completed. I need eight people behind them with spears ready to thrust over top of the shields. Those of you who have swords, stab outward between the shields but keep it tight and don't overreach, we can't afford a breech in the shield wall. More than anything, do not retreat. If the enemy gets a foot in the door push them back. Most casualties are accrued when you retreat so stand firm." he looked around as Eduardo's people looked at one another, "Where are my shield-men?"
Four people reluctantly walked over and laid down their spears and shields then took up the new tower shields and headed for the front door. They were followed by eight people who set down their shields and walked over to stand behind the shield-men.
Luna took a brief break from forging armor and turned to the Civil Guards,
"You're certain all the civilians are inside?"
The Civil Guard Sargent, a Unicorn named Searing Light, nodded respectfully,
"Yes your majesty."
"Good," Luna said, "Move some of these crates to the center of the floor so that the sides line up and station all the Unicorns on top of it. Earth Ponies and Pegasi, go gather the cobblestones from outside and carry them upstairs for the civilians to throw down on the Diamond Dogs. Go!" she turned back to the mounds of weapons and shields and sighed, "Back to forging."
The row of shields-men stood aside as the Civil Guards began hauling the cobblestones up to the people and Ponies waiting on the second floor. Bobby, Cessily, and Morris collected their bows and crossbows and headed upstairs. They weren't front line fighters and they knew it, but they could provide support from above. Andrew Masonete collected his quiver of javelins and strapped on his knife. Darryl walked over to the crate of weapons and sighed, 'I really want to use my war hammer but the shield wall needs a commander.' he reluctantly tossed his war hammer down on the pile of weapons and picked up a tower shield.
He looked down at the new swords being forged. They were three feet long, four inches wide at the base and angled down to sharp points at the tips, similar to the old 'Medieval' style swords. He collected five of them and carried them over to the other shields-men, then distributed them among the others. He set down his shield against the nearby wall and took the old swords back to the reforging pile. Eduardo took up a spear and stood with the spears-men behind the shields-men.
"Be careful with those blades." Luna said suddenly, "Their enchantments make them sharp enough to split a hair and they're nearly unbreakable."
R.J. walked over to the spears-men and began giving the instructions,
"Aiit guys, yall be safe cause o' this shield wall, but yall gotta protect them in turn. Them spears got reach so yall gotta reach out an' touch someone like that old phone commercial. Be careful where yall stab. Aim fo' the head, especially the face, eyes, an' neck an' be careful o' the shield guys. Yall protect them and they'll protect you."
Kolo pulled his heavy hammer out of the tool box and hefted it in his right hand,
"Oh man, this feels good in my hand again." he bent over and picked up a shield then slid it on his arm, "Man this thing be light as a feather. I'ma cave me some skulls wit this baby."
Luna took a break from forging and a trickle of sweat ran down the side of her face,
"Please do not be so callous. These beings were once civilized. Their deaths are horribly unfortunate but seemingly necessary."
Kolo took a couple of steps and knelt down next to Luna,
"I know, believe me I know. I'm jes tryin' to psyche myself an' erebody else up so they ain't so scared. The way I see it, these Dogs is sufferin'. We doin' them a mercy by endin' that sufferin'. I ain't no killer yo highness, but morale be important to any fightin' force. The first battlefield be in the mind an' I'm just trying to win that one early." he spoke quietly into her ear.
Luna inclined her head slightly in respect,
"Very well." she turned back to the weapons and armor on the ground, "Back to work."
Darryl and Spearman hauled a small pile of helmets over to the shields-men and helped them put them on. The helmets were shallowly conical and fit snugly on each person's head. Darryl and Spearman headed back to the armor as Chris piled it up. They returned to the shields-men with shin guards and fastened them to each man's shins then strapped them down tightly.
Meanwhile Mike Joyner was positioning people by each window as evenly as he could. He placed at least two spears-man and one axe-man at every window, then gave them instructions on what to do. He had finished about half the windows when Kaneesha ran down from above.
"We got someone commin' from the North! It's just one though!" she darted back upstairs after she delivered her message.
"GUARDS INSIDE NOW!" Luna bellowed.
The Civil Guards retreated inside, most still carrying stones. The Unicorns got into position on top of the crates stacked in the middle of the floor and all turned away from each other, facing outward so they could see every window and the doorway over everyone's heads.
Darryl and Spearman carried the next load of armor to the shields-men, the bracers. They strapped on each one as quickly as they could then Darryl put on his own shin guards, bracers, and helmet. He picked up his shield and stood with the others, right in the center.
"Alright boys," he said loudly, "Shields up and swords out! Stand firm and don't retreat! If you can't get in a good stab just keep your shield up and wait for the right moment! Don't take any unnecessary risks! The spears-men behind us have our backs and they're the ones who are going to do the most damage! Spare shields-men, get behind us and keep a shoulder pressed against our backs to make sure we don't get pushed back! Whenever someone needs a break, sheath your sword and put both hands on your shield! Fresh shields-men, get into position on the sides! Tired shields-men, step back slowly and the shields-men on either side of you will side step to fill the gap! Fresh shields-men, slide in sideways to prevent any breeches in the wall! Grunt all you want boys but keep the yelling to a minimum!" a flicker of motion caught his eye, "BRACE!"
The shields-men's shields clanked against each other and Darryl felt a firm shoulder against his back. The movement flickered again and a sword clanged lightly against a shield. Whatever it was, was running full-tilt toward them. Fingers whitened as the men gripped their weapons tighter. They were nervous and scared but ready for whatever came at them. Fears drifted through their minds. Thoughts of their friends and in some cases loved ones who were waiting upstairs ran through their minds.
"Open up yall motha fuckas, open up!" Mario LeBlanch yelled as he ran, pell-mell at the shield wall.
"Let him in!" Darryl yelled.
The shields-men stepped to the side and let Mario through. He was panting heavily and sweating profusely as he came through the door. He collapsed onto his knees, heaving for breath. His hands were shaking furiously and he was nearly convulsing.
"Close *pant* up." Mario panted.
The shields-men closed the gap,
"Close the gap behind me." Darryl ordered, "Shields at rest but stay alert." he stepped back slowly and the shields-men on either side of him closed the gap smoothly.
Mike Joyner began barking orders as he walked over to Mario's panting, prone form,
"Darryl and Spearman get the breastplates on as many people as you can. Kolo and Chris, start distributing as much armor as you can. Try to have one fully armored person per window." he knelt down next to Mario, "What happened?"
Mario panted, struggling for control over his breathing,
"Motha' fuckin' *pant* werewolves man. I *pant* know it sounds crazy *pant* but it's fuckin' true. *pant* They came from *pant* North. Hundreds of 'em. *pant* They commin' here. Had to *pant* warn yall."
Mike rose to his feet and nodded,
"Rest up for now Mario. We'll deal with you later."
Luna turned and addressed the Civil Guards,
"Spread out and assist the Humans where you can, but do not get in their way. If the Diamond Dogs get inside it's going to be pure chaos. If they get inside, help the Humans push them back out. The civilians have to be safe."
"Your majesty," a voice addressed the Princess from the direction of the stairs.
Beacon and Ashley were walking away from the stairs and the former Guard continued,
"Where may we be of assistance?"
Luna turned to Ashley,
"Do you wish to fight with the defenders?"
Ashley clenched her hands into fists but her face was calm,
"I'll go where he goes." she rested her right hand on Beacon's back, "He's stayed with me and I'll stay with him."
Luna smiled,
"Very well. Select a window and assist as necessary. If the Diamond Dogs break through go straight up the stairs. It will be on you two to cover the retreat. Am I understood?"
Ashley nodded,
"Yes Princess."
Luna then turned to Beacon,
"Listen to me while she retrieves what she needs. Do not act in concert with the Civil Guards. You are not a Guard anymore, you are a partner. You work with Ashley. Where she goes, you follow. If the enemy breaks through, go straight up the stairs and cover our retreat with her. Hopefully it will not come to that but it is a possibility. Understood?"
Beacon bowed before Luna,
"Of course my Princess."
"Guards," Luna addressed loudly, "Go back to retrieving cobblestones until I give the word."
The Civil Guards saluted and went back to their work as Mike walked over to Luna, his trident in his right hand and one of the small round shields on his left wrist,
"We're about as ready as we can be right now." he looked around the people waiting for the eventuality of the attack, "Is there anything else you can do for them or your own?"
Luna looked up at Mike and smiled then looked around the Town Hall,
"They are all my own." she took a deep breath, "The constant barrage of claws against the walls may eventually break through in some places. All of my magic will be focused on fortifying the walls but if they break through . . . I will join the battle myself if necessary. What will you be doing?"
Mike hefted his trident with a resigned expression,
"I'll be fighting right alongside my . . . our people."
Luna peered at his trident,
"That belonged to Proud Hoof." at Mike's curious look she explained, "The Unicorn stallion who led the massacre attack. He did so because his family heirloom weapon was taken. You have it." she looked at the weapons more closely, "Could you lower the head down to where I can see it more closely?"
Mike lowered the tines for her,
"My, my," she said, "This is indeed ancient. Aethersteel if I'm not mistaken. A truly rare thing. The art of forging aethersteel has been lost for centuries. If magic is channeled through it, its unique power becomes active."
Mike looked at his fishing tool oddly,
"Would it be more effective if I let one of the Unicorns use it?"
Luna shook her head,
"Nay, tis yours now. Use it as it was meant to be used, to protect."
"Is there any way you could let your sister know what's going on? I imagine the battle would go much more smoothly with two Alicorns here." Mike said.
Luna shook her head,
"I'm afraid not. Celestia is overseeing Trottingham in case the infected Diamond Dogs split up. Trottingham is much more densely populated and is nowhere near as defensible as New Humansville. Should the Diamond Dogs attack, it would be nothing short of a slaughter. The Civil Guard number less that four hundred and the Pegasi Regiment of the Royal Guard won't arrive for an estimated half hour yet. An hour and a half will pass before they arrive here and who knows how long it will take the main body of the Royal Guard to arrive. We have done all we can for the moment," she smiled at Mike, "Unless you feel inclined to make a speech."
Mike smirked,
"Not just yet, but I do have something in mind. I'm going to wait on the timing of anything inspirational. I've heard that waiting is the hardest part."
Luna grunted thoughtfully,
"It tends to be, especially for those who are not warriors or soldiers. The anxiety builds and makes their imaginations run wild. A rousing song would lift their spirits but I'm afraid nothing comes to mind."
Their conversation carried easily around the well designed acoustics of Town Hall.
Alex Ludwig set down his axe,
"I'll be right back."
He darted upstairs while everyone else just stared at him. He returned a few minutes later carrying an odd looking acoustic guitar.
He took the guitar and plopped himself down on one crate opposite the front main door and began strumming the guitar. He played an acoustic rendition of Citizen Soldier by 3 Doors Down. The tune was easy to recognize and in a matter of moments there were more than a hundred voices joining in on the lyrics.
Luna was impressed with the song. It was what the people needed. She turned her eyes to the Civil Guards as the last of them trickled through the doorway with cobblestones. They were looking nervous. Their training was nowhere near the quality of the Royal Guard but they stood ready to do what they needed to lay down their lives to defend the civilians waiting above. She bit her lip in frustration, 'They need just as much encouragement as the Humans do.' she waged an internal battle with herself and decided to do what she thought best despite what her sister would say later.
"Guards," she addressed loudly, "Gather around me in a circle and touch your muzzles to my outstretched wings."
The Civil Guards moved to obey as the lunar Princess' horn began to glow. The light from her horn flashed brilliantly and the Humans had to shield their eyes from the intensity. Luna's horn dimmed, leaving her wings hanging limp by her sides.
"Would you play that marvelous song a second time please?" Luna asked.
Alex shrugged and began playing the intro again. The Humans were more than happy for a repeat performance. They began stomping their feet to the tune and sung the words loudly. Mike was confused at first but the Civil Guards were obviously listening to the words. They seemed intensely affected by the lyrics. They stomped their hooves adding their own sound to the impromptu percussion section. By the third chorus they actually joined in the lyrics and their intense voices melded in near perfect harmony with those of the Humans.
"On that day,
When you need your brothers and sisters to care,
I'll be right here,
Citizen soldiers,
Holding the light for the ones that we guide from the dark of despair,
Standing on guard for the ones that we shelter,
We'll always be ready,
Because we'll always be there."
As the song finished, the Humans and Ponies looked at each other in a new light. There was a sense of cooperation present that had been in its infantile stages, but suddenly it blossomed forth into something more akin to kinship. Not willing to waste the time or the moment, Alex launched into God Bless The U.S.A. He thought quickly and decided to alter the lyrics for every sentient being who was present.
"If tomorrow everything was gone,
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start all over,
And work hard through pain and strife,
I thank my lucky stars,
I live where I do today,
Because in this land there's freedom,
That no one can take away,
And I'm proud to be in Equestria,
Where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the ones who fought,
To give that right to me,
And I'll gladly stand up, next to you,
And ensure she doesn't fall,
Cause there ain't no doubt about this truth,
We're brothers, one and all,
From the fields of flowers that smell so good,
To rippling stream and brook,
From the forests rich with living wood,
Beauty's everywhere you look,
From the cities, towns, and villages,
Anywhere that freedoms ring,
Let us all stand up together,
Lift our voices and siiiiing,
Every voice joined in on the chorus,
"And I'm proud to be in Equestria,
Where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the ones who fought,
To give that right to me,
And I'll gladly stand up, next to you,
And ensure she doesn't fall,
Cause there ain't no doubt about this truth,
We're brothers, one and all."
Alex smiled and played on,
"From the Unicorns to the Pegasi,
Everypony and Human as well,
Let us all now stand together,
And give these bastards HEEEEEEELL!
Cause I'm proud to be in Equestria,
Where at least I know I'm free,
And now there is another foe,
To take that right from me,
So let us stand up, fight them off,
The right everybody has,
Cause today we won't lie down and die,
LET'S KICK SOME FUCKING AAAAAASS!"
The roar of approval from everybody present was enough to shake the floor. Alex looked around at the cheering mass of brave souls and smiled.
"They're coming!" Kaneesha yelled, speeding down the stairs, "From the North-West."
Mike and Luna looked at each other, someone had to ask,
"How many?" Luna took the plunge.
Kaneesha was already at the armaments crates,
"Hundreds, I couldn't get an exact count."
A distant howl pierced the night and the shields-men took up their armaments,
"Alright men," Darryl said, "Don't exhaust yourselves this may take a while. Remember stabbing motions, thrust hard and aim for stomachs if you can. The more slippery blood is on the ground, the harder it will be for them to press against us. We're on a slight elevation of about six inches so we won't have to worry about slipping as much." Darryl's long absent fox friend, Shadow, appeared at the front main doorway and nuzzled the Marine's leg.
Kaneesha and Andrew slipped out one of the windows as Leo descended the stairs,
"Sorry I'm late yall, but I ain't hidin' up there shakin' an' hopin' somebody esle dyin' instaed o' me. He walked over to the armaments crate and pulled out his Kavim sized claymore sword. Mario pushed himself off the ground and limped over beside Leo.
"Make room bro," he said with a nudge, "You ain't the only latecomer." he pulled out a short sword and discarded it then turned to the remains of the pile on the ground and picked up Cessily's halberd.
Jason Campbell strode down the stairs and selected a spear from the pile left near the crates,
"Don't worry." he smirked, "I know who the good guys are this time."
The time had come and Mike cleared his throat loudly, garnering everybody's attention,
"We stand together today, not as outsiders or natives but as fellow free people joined by the bonds of unity." he turned his head, looking at each individual in turn as he spoke, "We have all had our struggles," he opened his arms wide and turned, encompassing everybody, "Some of those struggles have been more profound than others, but those struggles have brought us together." he closed his arms and wrapped his fingers together, "We have come together through trials of blood, sweat, and tears and look at us now. We stand side by side, united in our goal, one goal, preservation." he pointed to each group at the windows and door as he spoke, "This singular goal is, at its core, the right of every living thing." he placed his index fingers against his head, "It is ingrained as an instinct and bred through the trials of life. This is a first for all of us, this unity of thought and action, but through unification, we are stronger." he twisted his fingers, "Like the strands of a rope, individually we are strong, but together we are indomitable. These Diamond Dogs are a twisted sort of blessing to us, for tonight, for the first time," he threw his arms wide, gesturing widely, "We have the chance to show the rest of the world that it doesn't matter what we look like!" he made a slashing motion with the trident in his right hand, "It doesn't matter how different we are! It doesn't matter that we come from different WORLDS!" he pointed to Luna, "What matters is that if we work together, there's nothing we cannot accomplish! No matter the odds! No matter the struggles! No matter the difficulty! WE WILL GO ON! WE WILL SURVIVE! AND WE! WILL! WIN!"
Luna spread her wings and rose into the air,
"Listen well, defenders of New Humansville." Luna said loudly, "Tonight you stand, united in battle for the first time. The histories will record this battle as the pivotal moment when two different peoples united as one voice and one body and met a challenge heretofore never seen in our world. This was the moment when unity and harmony sung their songs together and overcame their greatest obstacle yet. Tonight has already been a victory in your minds and hearts," she reared back and slammed her hooves against the floor, "Now let us take our victory over all else! Let there be none who doubt our perseverance! Let there be none who stand against our right to live! Let us join together in battle and let us claim victory over the enemy! We fight not against our Diamond Dog neighbors, but against the foul disease that has desecrated their minds and bodies! Let us declare, this day that it will go on taking no more lives! It is finished! The line is drawn and we will end the suffering it has inflicted! The harmony of life has been corrupted and tonight we will set it right!"
Darryl spotted dozens of shifting forms in the darkness, running straight for the Town Hall,
"Here they come! Brace!"
"FOR ALL OF US!" Luna shouted from the air.
They could see the Diamond Dogs slathering, foaming mouths, their blood-stained claws, their beady eyes. They clenched their weapons, forcing their instinctual fear down.
"FOR HUMANSVILLE!" Mike yelled heading over to one of the windows.
The Diamond Dogs could see the defenders and their pace sped up into a near charge. The men braced their legs and leaned forward anticipating the impact. Hundreds of the Diamond Dogs packed the streets of New Humansville. A Darryl's feet, Shadow growled as savagely as any fox ever did.
"IT'S HAMMER TIME YALL!" Kolo bellowed.