//------------------------------// // Battle Plans // Story: The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation // by thehalfelf //------------------------------// Battle Plans “What!?”  Ignoring the cement around my hooves I dashed to the nearest window, turning my gaze across the city.  Sure enough, just over the crest of the outer walls I could see a wave of black steadily approaching the outer walls, complete with rock-hurling catapults.  Deep breaths, Twilight, don’t panic.  “Okay, what do we do?” “We do have procedure for something like this,” Midnight said, stepping from the shadows.  “Seeing as how many of our soldiers are out on raids or reconnaissance, we will pull troops from the outer walls and bring them--” “No.  That would leave all of the citizens without protection if the walls are breached.  We need a new plan,” I interrupted. “With all due respect, Miss Sparkle,” Midnight shot, somehow managing to make the honorific sound distasteful.  “You do not have a military background, to my knowledge, nor are you in charge of our armies.  I understand you were Princess Celestia’s personal protege, and are maybe used to keeping some form of consul with her, but it works differently now.” “I agree with her,” Rarity spoke up, cutting off my scathing reply.  “We freed this city, and they allowed us to make base here, knowing full well that it may bring Chrysalis’ ire down on them.  In return, we protect them, and last I checked retreating is not protecting.” The dark unicorn lowered his head.  “Of course.  I was simply stating standard procedure for something like this.  What would you have us do, Commander?”  He stressed the last word, tossing a pointed glance my way.  I found myself sorely missing the unicorn I trekked across Equestria with and wondering where he’d gone in just a few short hours. “Twilight?”  I nodded in acknowledgement of the white unicorn before casting my gaze out the window.  This is what Celestia was talking about.  Out of the Mirror room five minutes and important decisions were already hooved out to me.  Stifling a whimper, I turned my attention to the problem at hoof, reluctantly dredging the plans for Manehatten’s Burrow from its coffin in my memory. “The outer walls are easily over two feet thick and I don’t see any siege engines powerful enough to break them down, so going through the walls isn’t likely,” I muttered to myself, though everypony else leaned in to listen. “How does she...?” I heard Rarity ask, but Midnight hushed her. Ignoring the conversation in the background, I continued my verbal thinking.  “Flying over the city to attack from the inside would just open them up to attack by magic from the ground, and would probably result in hundreds if not thousands of casualties before the invasion force even breached the walls.  Likewise just landing troops on the walls themselves isn’t practical.  Can’t go over, can’t go through, can’t go around, that only leaves....” “Down,” Applejack finished for me.  She turned towards Midnight.  “Get word to the messengers.  Get all ponies off the wall tops, but leave the inner bastion garrisoned.  Also get groups of unicorns throughout the city and have them monitor movement.  The second a mole digs underground five miles outside the walls Ah want to know about it.” Midnight saluted before taking off down the corridor at a brisk trot.  “Twilight,” Rarity said as the unicorn left the hallway.  “How do you know all of these things?  The Twilight who left Ponyville with us didn’t really strike me as one skilled in military strategy.” “That was three years ago,” I replied softly, desperately trying to shove the Burrow plans back into my memories, along with my shame.  “A lot has changed.” “Twilight?” Applejack began, as quiet as I was, “what happened to you, sugarcube?”  Another impact shook the keep, almost drowning out her words, but I understood clear enough.  I needed to tell them.  Even if I didn’t want to, they deserved the truth, but not now.  I had barely managed to tell Celestia, and she already knew.  How would Rarity and Applejack react when they found out that much of what they had gone through was my design? Rarity, noticing my hesitation, leapt to the rescue.  “Maybe now isn’t the time to catch up?” The earth pony looked like she wanted to argue, to press me for information, but at a look from Rarity, she relented.  “Yer right.  There’ll be plenty of time to catch up when things slow down here.  Ah’m goin’ to prepare interception teams in case the Changelings try anything fast.  Ah’ll see you two at dinner tonight.”  Without another word, she spun on her hooves and walked down the same hallway as Midnight. “I suppose I can take some time to show you around, if you’d like,” Rarity said to me after Applejack’s tail disappeared around a corner. “Sure.  I’ll need to know my way around, especially if a fight breaks out,” I replied.  “And we should probably get Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.  They must be wondering where we are by now, and all of this shelling must have Fluttershy practically catatonic.” Rarity motioned with a hoof, and we set off deeper into the impromptu keep. ♣♣♣♣♣ Our first stop was my quarters, a room I was going to be sharing with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie; Rarity hadn’t planned on bunking all three of us so soon, and we didn’t want them in the general barracks.  It would be a tight fit with three ponies and all that the resistance recovered from my library in Ponyville, but we would make do.  It was also just a couple of halls away from the room that held the Mirror, which was a plus. The next room over I didn’t get to see the inside of, Rarity said that there wasn’t enough time, but she told me it was her and Applejack’s quarters. From there, the last two places we went to see physically was the armory--one of many--and then back to the office I visited first upon my arrival.  Already inside, waiting with varying degrees of patience, were Applejack, Fluttershy, and a massive pink missile that nearly took Rarity and I off our hooves. “Twiliiiighhhht! You’re okay!  And Rarity!  Ohmigosh I thought you were all dead!  I mean, I know Twilight wasn’t dead, because she came here with me, but they took you away, and we got separated, and Fluttershy was stuck on my back because she wouldn’t move, but now you’re here and we’re all together again, and...”  Pinkie blinked and took a deep breath, looking around for possibly the first time.  “Where’s Dashie?” Fluttershy squeaked, I lowered my gaze, Rarity and Applejack exchanged a glance.  “Where’s Dashie?” Pinkie asked again, more firmly.  Our hug dissolved, and she fixed us all with a death glare.  “Where is Dashie?” “Pinkie, darling, Applejack and I have exhausted every spare resource, trying to find all of you.  We found Twilight easy enough, but that was it.  We... do not know where Rainbow Dash is.” “You don’t know...”  Pinkie deflated, pulling back away from us and into herself.  “That’s okay.  At least us five are all together again...” “It’s not like that, Pinkie,” I said, stepping forward.  “We haven’t found her yet.  But we will.  We will end this, together.  I promise.”  I turned to look at the others, planning fully to capitalize on this motivational protagonist speech.  “We’re going to end this siege, we’re going to find Dash, and then we’re going to take back Equestria.  Together.” “Ah take it you have a plan, then,” Applejack said, “to break th’ siege?  Maybe some more information you shouldn't have?” “Applejack!” Rarity snapped, “what is wrong with you?” “Nothin’,” the earth pony shot back, “Ah just want t’ know how Twilight knows what she does.  The only ponies who would know that much are the ones who designed or built it.”  She turned to me, looking a lot less angry that I first thought.  “Ah mean no offense, Twi’, but if you got somethin’ in that head o’ yours that can help, we need t’ know.” “Applejack!” Rarity practically shrieked.  “What are you saying!?  It’s Twilight! Do you think she is a spy?  A traitor?  A plant to tear us apart?” “‘Course not!  Ah just think that it’s a mite strange, her showing up in time fer the Changelings to.” Rarity stalked up until she was muzzle to muzzle with Applejack.  Whispers passed between the two, heated from even where I was standing.  Pinkie Pie huddled in the corner, not sure what to do.  Fluttershy padded quickly over to my side and hid her face in my mane. After almost ten minutes, I think, of silent argument, I trotted over quickly and forcibly separated the two.  “Enough!” I shouted, easily loud enough to drown out their protests.  “I was captured by Chrysalis, okay?  I never made it out of the wedding hall.  She captured Spike too, and used him as leverage to make me work on her defense strategy.  They’re called Burrows.  I tried to defy her, so she tortured me and, when I resisted, killed Spike.” I glared at Applejack, trying hard to keep the memories from overwhelming me.  “Happy now?” “Twilight,” Applejack said softly.  On cue, the others began to move towards me, but at that moment, I wasn’t really in a cuddly huggy-kind of mood.  I pushed between Rarity and Fluttershy, and exited into the hallway.  I wandered the keep for a few minutes, struggling to remember how to get where I wanted to go, but at last I found it. I walked through a nondescript wooden door, into a dark room.  Faintly I could see the outlines of two sets of runes on the floor.  I sat directly in the middle of the two rings, hunched over until my head rested on the cold stones, and finally let go. ♣♣♣♣♣ The door to my prison burst open, flipping pages in books and sending loose papers skittering all over the room.  I dove from my chair, rushing to bow as low as possible before she came. “Twilight Sparkle! a voice exploded from the doorway.  A sheaf of papers flew through the air before bouncing off my head.  Careful to remain respectful, I waved along the floor with a hoof until I felt one.  With a little more work, I moved the papers to where I could read them.  “Do you think I am stupid?  Explain yourself, now!” “These are the plans you wanted to convert the Burrow project into a form for Cloudsdale,” I replied.  “I did exactly what you asked for.” “Yes, but this plan calls for it to be pulled to the ground!  What’s the point of having a floating city if we have to keep it tethered to the ground for it to work!?”  My body was enveloped in a sickly green aura and lifted into the air until I was muzzle to muzzle with my unwanted visitor. Chrysalis glared at me through the shimmery haze of her magic.  “Well?” she demanded, shaking me like a ragdoll.  “Answer me!” “I-It was the most practical way to make the walls.  According to my research, the secondary clouds that compose Cloudsdale’s outer layers aren’t thick enough to support material from the ground.  Primary clouds can, but those are in the middle of the city, and heavily populated by buildings.  There are just too many risks, and it would only wall half of the city,” I replied, trying to keep the acid from my voice. “I did not tell you to give me excuses.  I told you to create a Burrow for Cloudsdale, and you failed.”  Her voice dropped to a soft whisper.  I didn’t want to listen, I knew what was coming.  “Remember, you are just a pony.  We don’t need you, Twilight Sparkle.  You are expendable.” With a flick of her head, Chrysalis sent me flying into the opposite wall, sending books clattering down to the floor.  A burning pain erupted in my leg.  Sprained, at least, hopefully not broken.  Again.  Before I could take a closer look, a hoof pressed down on my chest, pinning me to the floor. “You are expendable, Twilight,” Chrysalis hissed.  “And you would do well to remember it.”  I watched from the corner of my eye as she left my chamber.  “She failed again,” I heard her say to the guards outside my door.  “Please ensure she doesn’t again.” I squeezed my eyes shut just before the guards entered the room, locking the door behind them.  Then the first blow fell,and I squeezed them tighter. Finally, after what felt like hours, my vision cleared.  I sat up slowly, wincing in expectation of pain that had faded a long time ago.  With practiced ease and a deep breath I shoved the memories back inside.  There was no place for them here. At least, not yet. ♣♣♣♣♣ “Hey, Twi’,” Applejack said as I entered the room.  After my retreat to the Mirror, I made my way back to the office to find a soldier waiting for me.  During my absence, the changeling army had finally reached the outer wall and set up a camp.  Rarity, Applejack and the others had moved to a location known as the ‘War Room,’ but had seen fit to leave me with an escort. “H-Hey,” I replied after a couple of failed attempts.  Both of us looked at each other for a long, awkward hoofful of seconds. Then Applejack spoke, and it all vanished.  “Look, Ah wanted to apologize--” “Later,” I said, striding forward into the room and taking a good look around.  The War Room was brightly lit by torches and lanterns, to make up for the lack of windows.  Various maps hung along the walls, detailing Manehatten, the town hall, and even the walls of the Burrow, though those had much less detail.  In the middle of the room was a large table, surrounded by chairs.  One last map sat atop the table, a very detailed rendition of Equestria and surrounding area, even going as far north as the Crystal Empire.  Various colored markers adorned the map, some on cities, some towns, and some just sitting in the middle of the countryside.  Some still had arrows near them; mobile armies and the direction of their travel. “Glad you could join us,” Rarity said.  She motioned with a hoof to the chair on her right.  “We were getting worried.” “I needed a moment,” I took the offered seat, and gave Fluttershy on my right a smile.  “I’m fine now, what’s the situation?” Applejack took another open seat, between Pinkie Pie and Rarity.  “The changelings have set up a camp outside of the outer walls.  Unfortunately, their siege engines aren’t close enough to do anything about them.  Thankfully, they aren’t strong enough to do any damage to the walls.”  Another shot from outside hit..  “At least, not yet.” “As for the response forces, since they’re still armed and ready from your trip, I have Midnight and the ponies from the former Canterlot Outpost each heading their own response team of five others, evenly spaced in the civilian quarter.  More soldiers are armoring up and dispersing throughout the city.  Within an hour, we will be organized enough to field three separate shifts.” “With all due respect,” a crisp voice interrupted, “why are we telling civilians this?”  That voice, I knew him.  I glanced across the table at the only other pony in the room, a white stallion in tarnished Guard armor, who I hadn’t seen since Shining’s graduation.  His presence here wasn’t exactly reassuring. “Snowhoof, how... nice to see you again.”  I gave him my best half-watt smile.  “What are you doing here?” “Major Snowhoof here is one of our best advisors.  He is the one who organized the remaining Guard after the Fall, and is essential to their cooperation.”  Rarity’s tone was pretty clear.  I don’t like this guy, but we have to put up with him or there will be problems. Which was great.  Because I didn’t like him either.  He was always envious of Shining, who was just an all-around better soldier--sibling bias aside. And yet, another part of my psyche reminded me, he survived, and Shining didn’t. Now I disliked him even more.  But if he was important... “Well, it is always good to see an old friend.  So tell us, what are your plans to lift the siege?”  I steepled my hooves, careful not to bump anything, and rested them on the map table. “Well I don’t see how that’s any of your concern,” he spat.  “Or those two.”  He pointed to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.  “I have a plan, but you three do not need to hear it.” “I would like them to, and last I checked, I was in charge,” Rarity spoke up, raising a hoof to stop Applejack’s own retort.  “Please, Major, educate us.” “We need to get word to Cadence--”  What did he just say?  “--it wouldn’t take too much more time for her to send troops here instead of Vanhoover--”  Cadence is still alive?  “--And all we need to do is hold out, sally forth troops when Cadence arrives, and then resume our initial attack plan.” Why didn’t anypony tell me she was still alive?  I wonder if anypony else made it out of Canterlot, like my parents...  Dimly, I could hear Rarity continue the conversation under the background noise of my much more important thoughts.  “That is your master plan, then?  To wait for somepony else to come save us?  Even if we could get a flyer out of the city without being slaughtered by the changelings, it would still be at least a month for forces from the Crystal Empire to make it here.” Focus, Twilight.  I gave myself a mental slap as Applejack joined in the strategy discussion.  “And a lot can happen in a month, Major.  More changelings are probably on the way.  Fights are gonna break out, ‘specially when food stocks start to run low, an’ that’s not even countin’ skirmishes.  The changelings are gonna get in eventually, and we’ll have to fight them off.  Ponies are gonna die, and we don’t have a lot to replace them with.”  Yeah, take that, Snowhoof.  Coward. The white stallion in what I imagined to be purely decorative armor sniffled.  “Fine.  I take it, then, that you have a better plan?” At that, Rarity blushed slightly and shot a look over towards me.  “Well...” ...I didn’t like the sound of that. ♣♣♣♣♣ “Psst, Twilight, are you still awake?” I rolled my head to the left, where the hissing voice came from.  “Yes, Pinkie, I am still awake.  And I will continue being awake, until you are quiet enough to let me sleep.” “Have you come up with a plan yet?” We were lying in our room, hastily modified with a couple more beds for Pinkie and Fluttershy.  Everything was dark, peaceful, meant to promote sleep.  Except for the hyperactive pink pony lying just a few feet away.  “No.  Not yet.  I was going to sleep on it, remember?  Kind of hard to do that when I can’t fall asleep.” Of course, there was no point going to sleep now.  The changelings had apparently learned that if they aimed higher, they could lob massive rocks or whatever it was they were shooting into the city itself, and it was like teaching a foal to whistle.  Every few minutes, they would hit something else.  Some close, some far, but almost every shot was followed by a flurry of movement outside of our door, if not screams and cries and loud, scary rumbles. Which was probably why Fluttershy had decided to forego her own bed, and instead cram into mine.  I suppose it could be worse, the heat of midsummer is fading and the nights are actually getting chilly.  A pegasus wing makes a better blanket than a blanket any day. The snores next to my head tell me that Pinkie has finally fallen asleep.  Now if I could just get those changelings to stop trying to destroy the town we forcibly took from them I could get some sleep!  With a groan, I shoved my head under my pillow, attempting to use the faux-cardboard to block out the sounds of war.  It almost worked, too, until sompony burst into our room, and pretty much ruined everything. “Wake up!” the interloper shouted, banging his hoof against the open door.  “You three, get up!  We’ve been breached!  They need you in the War Room!” And, of course, by the time I launched my pillow at the door, he was already gone.  “T-Twilight,” Pinkie poked my side with a shaky hoof.  “What does he mean, ‘we’ve been breached’?  Are the changelings inside the walls?” I detached myself from the pile of ponies, making sure Fluttershy was awake and ready to go before dropping to the floor.  “Probably.  We should go see what they need from us.  Stick close, okay?” We ran through the keep, headed towards the War Room.  Every so often I was able to glance through a window.  If we were being attacked, they hadn’t managed to breach the inner wall yet, and the thick stone the town hall was built from deadened most of the sound.  If I didn’t know better, I would say it was just a normal night. The War Room, once we arrived, was already very lively.  Snowhoof was really going at it, and by the shade of red his face was, he had been going for awhile.  “--have planned for this, Rarity.  The Changelings are very efficient; they probably had a team working on the tunnel before they even made camp!  And after the raid of Dodge Junction, you should know that they don’t seem to suffer from magical fatigue like our unicorn magi do.” “Well Ah didn’t hear you comin’ up with anythin’!” Applejack shot right back.  Her, Rarity, and Snowhoof were crowded around the center table, a detailed map of the streets of Manehatten haphazardly thrown across it.  There was a black mark near one of the outer walls -- possibly the changeling entry point -- along with two colored arrows: green for patrols, red for civilian evacuation. “I had a perfectly acceptable plan, if you recall--” Applejack snorted, shaking the loose armor she wore.  It was pretty obvious her and Rarity had just woken up as well.  “Yeah, Ah remember yer plan, hide.  But ya know what?  They still would’a attacked us if we did what you wanted.” Snowhoof blew air out of his nose, but said nothing, for a time, until he saw the three of us at the door.  “Your guests are here, Commander,” he said to Rarity with a wave at us.  “Now maybe we can get something accomplished,” he continued under his breath, but none of us paid him any attention. “Are you girls okay?”  Rarity turned to look at us, pushing her frazzled mane out of the way.  “They haven’t made it this far into the city, have they?” I took a moment to direct the still half-asleep Pinkie and Fluttershy to chairs.  “No, I don’t think so.  What happened?  I thought they had just set up camp a few hours ago, how have they already got through?” “We are not entirely sure.  A few minutes ago, we had reports of changelings in the city.  We followed the carnage back to their point of origin,” she pointed to the black spot on the map.  “There is a hole, here, that we suspect leads outside of the wall.  Troops are stationed at the entrance on our side to prevent another incursion, but we have not sent any through ourselves.” “That’s nice, they got through, but why are we here? Not to be rude or anything, but I am tired, and I still need time to come up with an acceptable plan to break the siege,” I replied.  With a wave towards the others, I trudged onward.  “Not to mention Pinkie is terrified of even the word ‘changeling’, and Fluttershy is...” Rarity and Applejack nod.  We know what Fluttershy is like now. “Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep,” Snowhoof spits from his side of the table.  Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anypony actually stand near him if they can help it.  I wonder why?  “But there are more pressing problems.  Namely: the changelings that came in, they never went out.” For once, I think Pinkie processed something before I did.  The only warning I had was a rather shrill, “there are changelings inside the walls?” before she all-but vanished in a pink blur.  Rarity caught my eye and raised a single eyebrow.  I shrugged, and looked to Fluttershy, who nodded and slowly trotted over to a shaking pony-shaped lump of map in a corner. We watched the mute pegasus attempt to comfort the shivering map for a few moments.  My attention was pulled away by Rarity sidling up to my side.  “What happened to those two?” she whispered in my ear.  Applejack moved over as well, forming a triangle of secrets near the door. “Pinkie was captured,” I whispered back, “imprisoned in the dungeons beneath Canterlot, and, when I didn’t cooperate, dumped into the crystal mines.  Alone.  For two years.”  Rarity winced and shot another glance to our pink friend.  “Fluttershy... I don’t know.  I hadn’t heard anything about her at all, but we found her in the Everfree Forest, in the old castle where we found the elements.” “Oh, dear.  And she was silent the whole time?” I nodded.  “I don’t know if we’ll ever find out what happened to her.  She could be physically incapable of speech just as easily as she doesn’t want to talk.  I have no idea.” “Sorry to interrupt,” Snowhoof says, forcing his way over into our little pow-wow, “but there are changelings loose within the walls, and an invading army outside.  Maybe we should spend a little less time gossiping, and more time trying to win this war.” I’d like to think I’m a patient pony, really, but this guy was almost too much.  I mean, they have a right to know what happened to their friends, not to mention fellow Elements of Harmony.   “We are working on it,” Rarity replied, glaring the larger stallion down.  “We have teams of ponies scouring the city as we speak.  That will suffice, unless you have another plan?” “Of course.  We just need a suitable pony to use as bait, and--” Thankfully, for Snowhoof, a loud crash and scream cut him off.  Without thinking, I yank the sword from the sheathe across his back, pointedly ignoring his protest, and charge out into the hallway, followed closely by Applejack and Rarity.  The hallways is empty and silent--the echoes of sound long since faded away. Confused and directionless, I reached out with my mind.  Even now, months after the return of my magic, it still felt weird to draw upon more power than a simple levitation spell.  Various points of light appeared around us, stirring sleepily as they attempted to shake off sleep.  Five of them, however, stand out. “The Mirror!” I shouted, before racing off down the hallway.  Applejack hobbled past me on three legs, trying to tighten down her armor mid-run.  Even Rarity started to pull ahead, horn crackling with energy.  I attached the stolen sword to my back and just tried to keep up, partly thankful that I was behind.  After all, if I was in charge of leading us to the Mirror, I doubt we’d make it in time. By the time we arrived at the mirror room, it was already too late.  Through the massive hole in the wall where the door used to be, flanked on either side by the bodies of ponies who used to guard it, five changelings scuffed their holy hooves in the ground, apparently trying to erase the runes. “Hey!” Applejack and I shouted at the same time.  We kind of differed from there, though.  She went with, “What do y’all think yer doin’?” I ran in and clobbered one over the head with my sword. And it all kind of went downhill from there. The changeling I hit dropped hard, unconscious or dead.  That drew the attention of the other four, which gave Applejack enough time to charge in and knock another out cold.  By then, though, the remaining three had recovered, and were aiming their horns directly at us.  I had just enough time to get close to Applejack and throw up a quick bubble shield before they attacked. There was a slight problem, though.  It was a quick shield.  It had power, plenty of power, but hardly any real structure.  “Applejack!” I shouted over the hiss of magic smashing against my shield, “where’s Rarity?” “She ain’t that good at fightin’!” Applejack replied, warily eyeing the bursts of green spraying harmlessly across my shield.  “She ran t’ get help!’ A sharp crack echoed through the inside of my barrier, halting conversation for a moment.  “I hope she hurries!  This isn’t going to last much longer!” “If we have to, I can take the one on the right if you take the one on the left!” “What about the one in the middle?”  I charged my horn briefly and used the energy to try and patch the growing crack in the shield wall. Applejack shrugged.  “We’ll just have t’ make do.” I took my eyes off our attackers for a brief moment to look through the hole in the wall.  There was no sign of Rarity, or her help.  Just to make everything a little worse, a deep hum shook the air, likely signaling the end of my poor little shield.  “Get ready!” I shouted. Honestly, I was terrified.  The hum was just getting deeper, which means that whatever spell was charging was growing in power.  I had never been on the receiving end of something this strong, and I was beginning to wonder if my battered shield could even slow it down. But I wasn’t going to wait and find out.  “Go!” I shouted in the instant before I dropped my shield.  Applejack dove right, I dove left, just as a massive burst of green energy shot past us, through the outer wall of the keep, and into the night beyond.  Everything fell silent for a moment, the calm in the middle of the storm, broken all too soon by the crunch of metal on scales. Apparently, Applejack had made it to her target, and they were now rolling around on the floor.  Changeling the third, the middle one, was still exhausted from releasing his massive bolt of energy, so all that was left was me and my initial target. I stared down my enemy, daring him to make the first move.  I hesitantly pulled my sword to the front to make a barrier of deadly metal between the two of us.  Up to this point, changelings like this had mostly only used magic, but it didn’t hurt to be careful.  Applejack rolled between us, and I used the momentary distraction to attack. Screaming at the top of my lungs, I charged forward, sword pointed out in front of me like a lance.  The changeling tried to jump out of the way, but not fast enough.  I heard a crunch, followed by a wet, sliding sound, until I was nose to nose with my foe.  He coughed, once, before the light slowly faded from his eyes. I just killed something.  I mean, yeah, I’ve killed before, like during my escape from Canterlot, but never... never so close. And the worst part?  I didn’t really even care.  I’d read stories and accounts of people taking lives and being changed forever, or hating themselves, but I honestly didn’t care.  Just another thing to file away for a moment when my life wasn’t in danger, preferably in the presence of somepony who knew what the hell was wrong with me.  Besides the obvious. “Twilight!” Applejack shouted, drawing my attention back to the outside world, “look out!” I quickly glanced up just in time to see the last changeling, now recovered from his last attack, charging his horn again.  I moved forward to add another notch to my sword, but it held fast, stuck in the corpse of my last victim.  Focusing more energy into my horn, I tugged as hard as I could, even going as far as to wrap my hooves around the hilt to pull, but it stuck fast. As soon as it was apparent the sword was a lost cause, I let go and dove away, but never felt the bolt pass by.  Something crashed into me, knocking me over.  A hot, sticky liquid splattered on my barrel, just before my vision went black.