//------------------------------// // Rising Shadows 11 // Story: The Lunar Rebellion // by Chengar Qordath //------------------------------// “Thou art a fool, Shadow Kicker.” Disdain dripped from the words as they left Sunbeam’s mouth. “A golden opportunity to destroy Lance Charger before she could undo all that we have accomplished, and thou hast wasted it.” I had expected to face Sunbeam’s displeasure upon my return to Canterlot, and so I weathered the storm as best I could. ‘Twas why I had waited to give her the news until we stood before Commander Celestia, and in the company of Grandmaster Crossguard. I had hoped that their presence might moderate Sunbeam’s fury. A vain hope, it seemed. I met the archmage’s gaze, maintaining an outward appearance of calm. “I did what I believed to be right.” “And Equestria thanks you for it, even if my Grand Vizier does not,” Commander Celestia cut in smoothly, favoring me with an approving smile. “I am glad to see that my faith in thee was not misplaced. Tell us more of Lance Charger’s peace offer.” I smiled and nodded, partly in gratitude for her praise, but also because her inquiry would deny Sunbeam further opportunity to express her displeasure with me. Her glare made her feelings plain enough, but she held her tongue on the matter. “Yes, let us hear this peace offer from a mare who has no official standing that would allow her to speak for the Ephorate’s desires, let alone negotiate on their behalf.” Crossguard turned to her, a patient smile on his lips. “Vizier, I am sure you are aware that one does not begin peace negotiations by making an official offer. ‘Twould be seen as a sign of weakness by one’s enemies and would damage the morale of one’s own soldiers. The favored daughter of the rebels’ current leader would seem ideally placed to make an offer with authority absent the risks of an official request.” “Or it could be a ploy,” the e’er wary magus countered. “A maneuver to trick us into asking for terms, so that it is we who appear weak.” I do not know if Sunbeam truly believed such was likely or if she merely suggested the possibility to be contrary. “That does not seem likely, given Lance’s reputation.” I frowned, thinking back to our meeting on the island. “She seemed too sincere for it to be a mere negotiating ploy.” “She need not intend deception to play a part in it.” Sunbeam spoke the words slowly, as if we were dullards who had failed to grasp the obvious. “Given her reputation for honesty and excessive honor, only a fool would ask her to knowingly play a role in such ruse. Far easier to lie to her, and then let her repeat those lies whilst believing them to be true.” Crossguard’s expression darkened as he considered the matter. “Such methods have been used in the past with some of mine own knights. The Order of Sol Invictus holds honesty as one of our highest virtues, and so many have sought to have us repeat their lies to add credence to them. There have even been incidents where our knights remained willfully ignorant so that they could hold to the letter of their vows whilst repeating untrue words. Our enemies might well be using a similar tactic.” “I do not think Bright would do such a thing to her own daughter.” I shook my head, e’en more certain of the words now that I had spoken them. “She is a straightforward mare, and such elaborate deception would be unlike her. Especially in the form of abusing her own daughter’s honor. Bright raised her daughter: where dost thou think Lance learned to treasure her honor, if not from her mother?” While Bright did not hold as closely to honor as her daughter did, I suspect that was less a matter of weaker ideals than experience. A young mare demands honor from all around her and is offended when the world does not comply with that request. An older, more seasoned warrior grasps that not all will cleave to that ideal, and readies herself for that reality. “We will know the truth of it soon enough, in either case,” Commander Celestia declared regally. “For the moment, let us proceed on the assumption that the offer is genuine. The terms Lance offers are a reasonable starting point for discussion.” A faint smirk crossed her lips. “And we can continue to improve our defenses whilst speaking. How do they currently stand, Grandmaster?” “Strong, but inflexible.” Crossguard drew forth a map of the Canterlot undercity, unrolling it so that he could indicate several areas within the warren of tunnels. “We have blocked off all known entrances to the undercity and have constructed redundant defenses at major chokepoints. The rebels will be hard-pressed to break our defenses by direct assault: we have stone walls that reach from floor to ceiling, broken only by the gates and arrow slits. If they breach the gates at all, they will face our pikes, which are at their deadliest with stone walls securing both their flanks. All of our forts have light sources placed as far down the tunnels as their line of sight extends, and I have sought to place them in relatively straight sections whenever I can. The straighter the tunnel, the more warning we shall have of the enemy approach.” The old knight frowned, slowly stroking his beard. “Howe’er, I am not fully satisfied with our efforts. Most of our fortifications are only built in a single direction.” I looked o’er his map, thinking on how I would go about breaking the line were I in command of the rebels forces. If a few key positions in the western tunnels were o’errun, the rest of our forts would be outflanked. If they were only built to resist assault from the front, they would fall quickly to an attack from the rear. For all that we might bleed the enemy in the initial assault, the whole network would quickly collapse once they penetrated our line at e’en a single point. “And the depth of our defense lines? I see multiple lines of fortresses.” “Just so,” Crossguard indicated each of the lines in turn. “Our front line fortifications are complete, save for the need to secure their rear. The second line is not quite as refined as the first, but aside from the western tunnels it is largely also complete. The third line is still in the early stages of construction, and the fourth only exists on paper.” He sighed, tiredly slumping back into his seat. ”I have my engineers working as many hours as they can to correct the matter, but we can only achieve so much in a single day. Progress is especially slow in the western tunnels; they are old and difficult to move supplies to, and my engineers caution me that some of them are unstable and must be reinforced. I’ll not build a fort somewhere that the rebels can bring the roof down upon our soldiers.” “Why not simply collapse the tunnels, then?” Sunbeam suggested. “The engineers are uncertain they could manage a controlled collapse.” The old knight scowled down at the map. “I am no expert in tunnelcraft, but they fear that collapsing one tunnel might cause others to fall in turn, or open up new passageways in the rock. Our maps of the undercity are not e’en fully completed, so I hesitate to take any action that might radically alter them. Especially if it might open a vulnerability in our current defenses.” He glanced to Commander Celestia. “If Her Majesty orders it, we will collapse the area, but otherwise I would prefer to hold it so long as our frontline remains unbroken.” “That seems the prudent course.” Commander Celestia’s eyes flicked down o’er the map. “Was there anything else thou didst wish to discuss with me?” Crossguard glanced between myself and Commander Celestia. “There is one other matter. While custom dictates I should first approach Lady Shadow in private on this matter, I would afterwards have to speak with you, Your Majesty. May we dispense with a few social protocols in the interests of expediency?” I had no objection to that, nor did the Commander. Crossguard nodded and continued. “Lady Shadow, I am sure you are aware that one of my young knights by the name of Radiant Day has been courting one of your warriors, a young lady named Nimbus Kicker. He has requested that I convey his desire to ask for her hoof in marriage.” (1) 1: The fact that Radiant is going through Crossguard rather than asking Shadow directly is intriguing. Perhaps he was trying to respect Pegasopolan customs by having the Grandmaster of his order serve as effective paterfamilias in the matter, or perhaps he just wasn’t sure about meeting with the Shadow for a purely personal question when they were in the middle of a long and difficult war effort. I could certainly see Shadow brusquely dismissing him with a rebuke for wasting her time with something trivial if she were in one of her more irritable moods. “Marriage?” I was somewhat surprised by the timing of it. Though I had not kept abreast of the love affairs of my young officers, we had been in Canterlot for only a few short months. “It is perhaps somewhat hasty,” Crossguard allowed, a faintly indulgent smile on his face, “but that is e’er the way the young. No doubt the war only increases their sense of urgency. When death looms o’er us all, many dare things they otherwise would not.” Though the request itself had taken me by surprise, I saw no reason to deny permission for it. In truth, ‘twas usually a mere formality so long as the asker did not have some mark of dishonor upon him. “I grant my permission. He will, of course, have to formally ask Nimbus herself.” A smirk crossed my lips. “Though from what I have seen of them, I doubt she will refuse him unless he makes an utter botch of it.” Mayhaps not e’en then—some mares find a stallion who is a nervous wreck at the thought of proposing most endearing. Crossguard half-bowed his head to me, then turned to the Commander. “In that case, Your Majesty, I would humbly request that you consider performing the ceremony personally. I had thought to make something of an event of the wedding. It would be a great honor for them and would do much to hearten the spirits of our forces.” A faint frown crossed Sunbeam’s face. “A public wedding? And an extravagant one at that, by the sound of it? Forgive me if I fail to see the logic behind thy plan, Grandmaster. Hast thou forgotten that we are a city under siege? A wedding feast and mass festivities are luxuries we cannot afford at this time.” Crossguard met her eyes and shook his head. “I think you forget that sieges are a matter of morale far moreso than supplies, Archmagus. The victory at Avalon Vale is already fading into memory, and will only become more distant as the enemy settles in for the siege.” He pulled out a second map, this one showing a rough recreation of the enemy camp. “Despite the talk of a possible peace, the rebels are making ready for a longer conflict. Right now, the only things our populace can look forward to are misery, hungry bellies, and the ever-present danger of a sack. A few small luxuries would do much to lessen the pain of living in a city under siege. And my quartermaster informs me that we are o’erstocked with perishable food. ‘Twould be best put it to good use ere it spoils.” “The two of them have become warriors of some renown since their role in capturing Rightly Doo.” Sunbeam’s frown faded, and she nodded sharply. “Very well then. So long as we can manage to keep the festivities suitably festive without weakening our defenses in the process, I have no objection to it.” “I am sure Nimbus and Radiant will be most pleased to have thy blessing,” I commented dryly. I then turned to the Commander and saluted. “If there is naught else, I believe we all have other matters to attend to.” We all turned to Celestia, waiting for her to formally dismiss us. Howe’er she did not do so. In fact, she said nothing, her eyes staring blankly ahead as if she were deep in thought. “Commander,” I gently prompted, “Are we dismissed?” A tremble passed down the Commander’s spine, and she turned to face me, her eyes wide and her words muted through the hoof she raised to her mouth “Shadow, what hast thou done?” “Commander?” Celestia’s head turned to me, her eyes seizing mine. I do not know what took me aback more within her expression: the fury, the disappointment, or the dread. “We will speak of this later, there is no time now. Ready our defenses, and quickly. They are coming.” I struggled to make sense of it. “Who is coming? The rebels?” She confirmed that much with a trembling nod. “Where are they striking? What can you tell us of their deployments? Where does the attack fall heaviest? Where will they be vulnerable to counterattack?” The Commander’s eyes were glazed with some sort of shock, and a tremor shot down her spine. “I cannot say. It is not ... I can only see the best of my children, and there is precious little of that right now. The longer thou dost delay, the worse ‘twill be. Please, thou must hurry!” Crossguard put a hoof onto my shoulder and guided me away from the Commander. “Come, Lady Shadow. She would not push us along so urgently unless matters required it. We must reinforce the lower defenses as quickly as possible.” “Aye.” Sunbeam joined us, moving at a fast trot. “If time presses us as sorely as she claims, then follow me.” She moved out of the throne room, myself and Crossguard obediently trailing behind her. To my surprise, she led us deeper into the castle instead of towards the exit. Her intentions became plain enough when she led us to a room which held a large, roaring fireplace despite being unoccupied. Her horn lit, and the flames shot out several sparks that did not come from any natural form of combustion. “Into the fireplace. Quickly.” I hesitated, as I suspect would anyone asked to jump into the midst of a roaring fire. When I did not instantly respond to her command, Sunbeam growled, stalked about, and placed herself directly behind me. Ere I could think to do anything to prevent it, I felt her hooves upon my hindquarters as she unceremoniously kicked me into the flames. Sunbeam’s unique means of transportation is distinctly unpleasant to experience. As one would expect of travelling through flames, ‘twas most uncomfortably hot, and my lungs were thick with smoke and ash. Then there was the sensation of travel itself, as if my body were being torn asunder and reassembled in the space of a moment. ‘Twas not painful, for the experience passed too quickly for me to feel any pain. That did not make it any less disconcerting. As I lay outside the fireplace in my clanhold, hacking and wheezing for breath, Sunbeam exited through the flames, sparing me a brief glance. “Breathe deeply ere thou dost enter the fire, and hold thy breath until thou art clear. ‘Twill spare thy lungs any further unpleasantness. Crossguard managed it when I returned him to his order moments ago, e’en Midnight learned it quickly enough. Thou canst too.” I gagged and spat up something thick with black soot. “Thou couldst have warned me ere thou didst force me into the fire.” “Hindsight often reveals things we could have done, but failed to.” She struck me on the back, aiding me in clearing my lungs. “My daughter was quick enough to find a solution to the problem after her first journey. Besides which, thou wert moving too slowly. Order your clan to muster as quickly as possible, then return to me. I will take us to the front at once.” I began to make an inquiry, but she must have already anticipated it. “Only us. Securing passage through the flames is not easily done e’en for one of my talents, and far harder when done multiple times in short order. If I could move an entire army, would I not have done so already?” “Aye, I suppose thou wouldst.” Though I could see valuable uses for Sunbeam’s abilities e’en if she was limited to only moving a small number of soldiers. The tactical and strategic options opened up by such mobility were incredible. We would have to discuss the matter when there was more time for such things. Howe’er, we would have to survive the rest of the day first. When next I braved Sunbeam’s flames, I took her advice and was thus spared any further unpleasantness. Though ‘twas still not a form of travel I enjoyed, ‘twas hard to argue with its efficacy. My clan would need at least half an hour to reach a place which Sunbeam’s magic had brought me to in a matter of moments. Howe’er, that advantage did come with hidden costs. I emerged from a campfire behind our frontline fortifications and found myself face-to-face with a dozen rebels in the plain, unadorned steel of the Striker clan. Thankfully, they seemed e’en more surprised by my arrival than I was by their presence. My blades lashed out, taking one in the throat ere he could e’en gather himself. The other caught my blade on his hammerhoof, but once more Sunbeam’s enchantment proved its efficacy. My blade glowed cherry-red and cut deep into the war gauntlet. While the impact deflected my blade enough to prevent a killing blow, the rebel still lost half his hoof. I rather doubted he would be in any condition to continue the battle. The rebel soldiers withdrew in shock at my sudden strike, buying me a moment to assess the situation. I quickly glanced to the side and confirmed that I had arrived at the correct destination. While ‘twas unlikely, ‘twas possible that Sunbeam might have sent me to my doom, or that her spell had been somehow misdirected into this ambush. That possibility was disproved once I saw the broken gates of one of our tunnel forts, and while the rebels had penetrated the line, many of our forces were still resisting to the best of their ability. Howe’er, with the lines broken and our forces in disarray they would not last long. Our conscripts could hold the line as part of a formation, but in open, free-flowing battle, the superior training and experience of the rebels gave them the advantage. Not to mention any reinforcement were half an hour away, whilst fresh rebel troops continued to pour through the broken gates. Emboldened by the presence of their allies, the rebels hurled themselves upon my blades once more. My first instinct was to take to the skies, but the low-ceilinged tunnels made that impossible. The rebels moved slowly, spreading out to encircle me. E’en with my skill and the superior quality of my equipment, I would be hard-pressed to survive if attacked from all sides.         Thankfully, I had not come alone. Crossguard emerged first from the flames, his sword shearing through three rebel lances ere they knew of his presence. The blade emitted a golden radiance as it carved through the wooden shafts, briefly blinding the wielders as well. Sunbeam arrived moments later, not e’en bothering to fully exit the flames ere she struck. Flames lashed one rebel soldier, whilst in the same breath a spear of ice struck clean through another’s helm. The encircling forces wavered, taken aback by the sudden appearance of two more ponies from the midst of a seemingly normal fire. I saw their hesitation and quickly moved to exploit it. “Sunbeam! Bring through the army!” To her credit, Sunbeam immediately grasped my intentions. “I have already stabilized the portal. Your clan is right behind us, Shadow!” The rebels facing us discovered a sudden, urgent need to be elsewhere. ’Twould not be long ere the bluff was revealed, but every moment it bought us had value. Crossguard was quick to seize upon the opportunity the rebel withdrawal had opened. He dove into the nearest cluster of our own soldiers and the enemy. “Rally to me, soldiers of Canterlot!” His blade flashed out, and another rebel fell. “Rally to me, and we will drive these rebels back to the clouds from whence they came!” Whilst Crossguard set to restoring our forces, I chose another goal. “We must retake the gates, Sunbeam. So long as the rebels can continue to pour fresh soldiers in, we have no hope of stopping them.” Sunbeam nodded, but her expression was grim as she turned to the fortress gates. “A fine plan in theory, but the gates have been smashed to pieces. Alas, I do not have a gate-repairing spell.” She frowned and shook her head. “Still, I can buy us a temporary respite, if naught else.” “I will take whate’er thou canst provide for us.” E’en a temporary respite would at least grant us time for an orderly withdrawal to a more secure bastion. Perhaps that would be the best course of action regardless. If this fort had fallen so quickly, then ‘twas likely others had as well. Crossguard had warned us that one fallen fort could compromise the entire front line. ‘Twould be prudent to secure a withdrawal to the second line, and then decide upon our next course of action from there. Sunbeam’s eyes flicked o’er the gates, taking in their condition and the enemy deployment. A confident smirk graced her lips. “They have not properly secured the gates. Small surprise, given the state the assault left them in. If we strike quickly we should be able to cut them off without too much trouble. Canst thou keep them disoriented whilst I prepare my spell? A wall of flames should suffice to hold them back.” She frowned in thought, and amended, “Though I will need to replace that with a wall of ice if it is to hold more than a few moments.” “‘Twill need to hold long enough for us to clear the remaining rebels and make our withdrawal,” I duly informed her. “I leave it to thee to decide which of thy spells is best suited to the task.” She only needed a moment to reach her decision. “If we are to hold for that long, then an ice wall is our best choice.” She rolled her shoulders and grinned at the broken remnants of the fortified gates. “Let us not delay. The longer the breach remains unsealed, the more rebels we face.” “Aye.” I saw no reason to delay any longer and charged for the enemy, seeking out whomever might be in command so that I might end them. In battles such as this, the best plan was often to disrupt the enemy’s capacity to take coordinated action. With nopony to give orders, an army was little more than a violent mob. Sunbeam faded from sight, presumably hiding herself in order to better prepare her own spell. Howe’er, she did not leave me unsupported. A dozen ponies in my clan’s colors sprang up from the aether, and the illusionary soldiers joined my charge. The rebels near the gates were shaken by the approach of so many enemies, and their line faltered, leaving me with a relative clear path to their commanding officer. I nearly hesitated when I saw who commanded them. While many of my kin had returned to the fold, some yet remained loyal to the rebel cause. Spark Kicker, whom I had faced in one of the war’s opening skirmishes, was among their number. When her eyes met mine, she snarled and dropped into a defensive posture, barking several orders to the ponies under her command. Where before I might have hesitated to face her, this time I knew my duty. Tragic as it was, Cyclone’s death had put certain matters into perspective for me. My duty did not change just because the enemy I faced across the battlefield wore my clan’s colors or shared blood with me. There were Strikers whom I was closer to in blood than some of my own clanponies. And yet, just because we stood opposed to one another did not force us to fight with no quarter. “Spark. Yield or withdraw, kinsmare.” The young warrior answered me with a cold glare. “Not this time, kinslayer. This battle will only end when one of us spills the other’s heartsblood.” I answered her with a grim nod. “So be it, then.” I stalked towards her, my blades at the ready. Spark approached as well, but briefly turned aside to speak to one of the Chargers within her ranks. “Inform thy mater her quarry is here!” So Bright sought me? Small surprise. ‘Twas her way to seek out commanding officers and strike them down. She had been eager to find Sunbeam at Avalon Vale, and no doubt she was e’en moreso now that Sunbeam had eluded her in that battle. Several other ponies began to move alongside Spark to support her, but a single pointed look from her sent them elsewhere. ‘Twould seem that young Spark wished to face me in single combat once more. Her companions were quick enough to engage mine own illusionary escorts. While they would likely realize the deception soon enough, by that point the duel would be joined, and none would interfere. I was more than willing to accommodate her wish. “Come then, kinsmare. Let us dance.” I closed the remaining distance and offered a first careful strike, taking her measure. Spark dodged the blow without any great difficulty, and answered with an aggressive counter that nearly o’erextended her. ‘Twas a young mare’s blow, full of fire, fury, and the thirst to earn a quick, glorious victory. “Thou art no kin of mine, thou craven whorse! Not after what thou forced upon Cyclone!” I blocked the blow easily enough, and let efforts to goad me pass unremarked. My pride was not so fragile that I must answer her taunts with steel. “Cyclone’s death was his own choice. He did what he saw as his duty, I did mine. ‘Tis not too late for thee to choose differently. Many of our kin return to the fold.” I struck at her legs, for my clan’s training with Crossguard’s knights had revealed that many of us neglected our hoofwork. ‘Twould seem that the rebels had also become aware of that vulnerability, for Spark leapt into the air and gave a single quick flap of her wings to buy distance from me. “Aye, until I become inconvenient! If thine own father was naught but a pawn to thee, then we would be less than fodder.” She closed in, trying to take one of my wings with her blades. As before, I met her o’eraggressive strike with an easy defense. This time, I let magic flow into my blades, and when they met Spark’s they struck deeply into her weapons, the hot steel scorching her wing and crisping her feathers. She fell back with a startled yelp. Only then did I answer her. “Neigh, kinsmare. Thou wilt have to earn thy forgiveness with good service, but 'tis a true amnesty offered to all who wish it. I would see my clan restored to wholeness.” Spark drew further back, inspecting her wounded wing and gingerly flexing it. It functioned well enough for most purposes, but ‘twas clearly impaired. Her lip curled, and she snarled in defiance. “I do not believe thy lies, Shadow!” “They are truths,” I answered calmly. “Accept them or not.” Now that one of her wings lay wounded, I exploited the hole in her defenses, hoping to bring about an end to the battle ere she forced me to wound her more sorely. There was only one way for Spark to block my blow, and to her credit she did not flinch from it. Her teeth clenched as her remaining wing blade met my blazing hot one, and that wing too was maimed in the exchange. “Lies!” she shrieked, her voice thick with pain. “Cyclone fell upon his blade because thou didst orchestrate it! Thou wouldst gladly shed all of our blood if thy unicorn queen asked it of thee.” I met her wildness with stoic calm, gently shaking my head. “Cyclone's death was his own choice. Aye, I forced his withdrawal, but ‘twas his decision that a single defeat so shamed him that he would take his own life to be free of it. I would gladly have welcomed him back into the fold had his pride allowed him to ask for a return. He chose death instead. Do not repeat his error.” Spark attempted to withdraw further as I closed in upon her, but she soon found her back to the wall. She could see her own ending approaching. “Call him 'Father' before me, then. Show me thy desire to mend the rifts in my clan by starting with the greatest.” I wasted no further time, closing the remaining distance in a single smooth motion that ended with my blade at her neck. Fortunately, I had thought to extinguish the flames first. “He was my father, aye. And then he fell from grace, as did so many others. End this madness.” Spark stood against the wall, panting for breath and trying to twist away from the blade at her neck without distancing herself so much that I might close in further. “Thou hast named him as thy father. A start, then. But thou shalt ne'er be forgiven for his passing. Though the weak may return to thy fold, those who remain true to the clan will not bend their knees to thee, kinslayer.” A defiant, almost mad light entered her eyes. “Thou wert spared thy father’s blood, or too craven to take it directly. I will not grant thee that. Dirty thy blades with kinsblood or release me. But know that if I am free, and thou dost survive this day, I shall seek thee on the field once more. So long as I live, I will ne’er cease my efforts to redeem my clan with thy heartsblood.” “So be it, then.” In truth, I did not have the heart to slay one of mine own kin, e’en after all that had happened. Mayhaps I could have managed it if forced to do so in the heat of battle, but this was another matter. Spark was beaten and at my mercy. ‘Twould be more akin to an execution than a battle. Howe’er, I had other options available. My blades flashed out in a dozen carefully measured cuts. Spark stared at me in confusion as none of the strikes pierced her flesh, but a moment later my intent became clear. First her blades and then her armor tumbled off of her, the straps holding her gear in place neatly severed by my strikes. Spark let out an indignant squawk as she realized I had left her wearing naught but the padded undershirt that accompanied her plate. “Thou art my prisoner. Report to Canterlot, and thou wilt be treated in accordance with such status.” Under the circumstances I could hardly spare an escort for her. I would not be surprised to learn that she had no intention of behaving with honor and would return to the rebel camp rather than turn herself in for captivity. Howe’er, I owed my kin the chance to do the honorable thing, and she was unlikely to be a great threat unarmed and unarmored. I turned my back on the beaten mare, intending to see to the rest of the rebel soldiers in the area. While the loss of their leader would discomfit them, they would require more attention to fully break. Attention I intended to give them. Ere I could do so, I heard Spark screaming behind me. Sunbeam struck an instant later , dropping her invisibility spell as she lashed out with a dozen tightly focused beams of fire that carved into the rebels ranks. Each strike was precisely aimed, leaving behind small but quite deadly holes in the helmets of every remaining rebel soldier near the gatehouse. Sunbeam conjured her wall of ice ere their bodies had e’en fallen to the ground, blocking off the entrance to our tunnel and denying the enemy any further reinforcements. I might have praised her admirable performance were it not for the smugly satisfied smile adorning her face. Instead I merely nodded, acknowledging her valuable contribution. Howe’er, when I turned about to check the rest of the gate, the sight that awaited me stopped me cold. Spark Kicker lay flat on the ground, a single neatly-burned hole in the middle of her forehead. I spared a glance to Crossguard’s forces to ensure he had matters well enough in hoof that he did not require our immediate aid. That done, I whirled back upon Sunbeam, glowering fiercely at the mare. “She yielded.” Sunbeam answered with an uncaring shrug. “I had already calculated the spell to include her among its targets by the time she yielded. Changing it would have delayed sealing the gate, and I could hardly offer her the chance to dodge without alerting the others of their peril. ‘Twas unfortunate, but war is a violent and brutish thing. She would not have had this fate if she had chosen differently when this war began.” She glanced down at the corpse of my kinsmare. “Thou didst not see her final acts. She was reaching for a weapon. ‘Tis quite likely that she only yielded to keep thee from killing her. Ponies do desperate things while under duress. The instant thou wert foolish enough to turn thy back to her, she would have planted a knife in it.” I spared a final glance at my fallen kinsmare. “Mayhaps she would have. But now we shall ne’er know the truth of it, shall we?” Sunbeam regarded the mare she had slain. “No. But I prefer living in ignorance to learning the truth with thy death, Shadow. She was our enemy and showed no sign that she intended to change her ways. I will not imperil our own soldiers in the vain hope that one of our enemies might reconsider their current allegiances.” She turned her back on Spark. “Now come, Shadow. We have a battle to win.” With the gate sealed and Crossguard rallying our forces, we were able to dispatch the remaining rebels behind our lines in short order. Howe’er, it was at that point that our plans went awry. Crossguard mounted the walls, looking through one of the arrow slits at the rebels below. Though they had been stung by their reversal, ‘twould not be long ere they would be ready to assault us again. The old knight frowned as he took in the scene. “We cannot withdraw yet.” That was not welcome news. “Sir?” I turned my eyes to our own forces. Half were either dead or too badly injured to fight, and most of the rest were tired, wounded, or both. E’en if they could somehow repel a second assault, ‘twould only be a matter of time ere the rebel forces struck us from behind. Given that this fort had only held because of our personal intervention, it seemed safe to assume that others had fallen. “We cannot hold here. With our line compromised, they will outflank and destroy us.” “Perhaps so.” He removed his helmet, inspecting it thoughtfully. “But we cannot know whether any of the other forts have fallen. I will grant it is possible, perhaps e’en likely, but ‘tis by no means certain. What if one of the other forts near us still holds? Our withdrawal could lead to their doom.” He sighed and shook his head. “I will send scouts and messengers to the other forts as quickly as possible to see if they hold, but I will not abandon the soldiers there just because they might have fallen to the enemy.” ‘Twas a noble course, yet one that could easily lead to disaster. In any defense, there comes a time when one must abandon their current position lest it be o’errun. The warrior who attempts to defend every point will inevitably waste his strength in last stands that might have been prevented by strategic withdrawals. The worst of it was that Crossguard likely knew this very fact, yet he remained unswayed. He would not wish to turn from battle and endanger the other forts, e’en though in all likelihood they had already fallen. Howe’er, perhaps there was a way to more swiftly gain the needed information. “Sunbeam, canst thou travel to the other forts through the flames?” “I could, so long as the fires have not been extinguished.” For a moment I dared to think we had found a solution, but Sunbeam quickly dashed those hopes. “Howe’er, I will not do so. We already emerged in the midst of one rebel attack by traveling through the flames. I will not risk finding myself in the middle of an entire rebel army next time. Though I could do appreciable damage with a good death curse, I would prefer to remain alive.” Crossguard reluctantly nodded, waving the matter away. “So be it, then. Lady Shadow, Archmagus Sparkle, I thank the both of you for your aid in this matter. Howe’er, I cannot in good conscience order you to remain here. This may well be a doomed venture, and e’en if it is not, there are other fronts where your skills will be sorely needed. I hope I will be able to rejoin you once the battle is ended.” A faint smile graced his lips. “For all the risks of this course, I share Sunbeam’s preference for not dying. Sadly, the rebels do not seem inclined to accommodate our desires.” “One’s enemies are usually most inconsiderate in that way.” I pondered my options, and reluctantly decided upon my course. “I wish you luck, Grandmaster. Once my clan arrives in force, we will drive towards your position posthaste.” “Thank you, Shadow.” He opened his mouth to make some final parting remark, but paused and whipped his head about to face the rebel lines. I followed his gaze and saw their ranks stirring. Though I had intended to make my departure shortly, I confess that my curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to see how the rebels intended to break Crossguard’s redoubt. Mayhaps ‘twould provide some warning of how they had managed to so quickly o’errun our position here. Such knowledge could be a valuable asset in the coming battles. Howe’er, my hopes that the rebels might unveil some secret weapon came to naught. Instead, the cause of the disturbance became plain enough once Steel Striker emerged from amongst their ranks, accompanied by an escort of his clan’s best warriors, one of whom bore a white banner. As he drew near the fort, his eyes locked upon us. Moments later Steel confirmed his intentions. “Shadow. Crossguard. Parley?” Crossguard looked to Sunbeam and myself for confirmation ere he answered. “Very well, Ephor Steel. I will parley with you.” The laconic Ephor nodded, then waved his own escort back. “Leave the fort. Speak on neutral ground out of range of both our forces.” Sunbeam’s voice dropped to a harsh whisper. “Need I say that this could be a trap, or is everypony here competent enough to have already considered that?” No sooner had she made the suggestion then I found myself frowning and shaking my head. “I do not think Steel would play us false. The terms he offers would expose him to danger just as much as they do us. Perhaps moreso; with a wall to hide behind we could more easily prepare a hidden strike.” “And perhaps we should do exactly that.” Sunbeam waved down towards our crossbow-wielders.  “A single good shot from one of them could turn the course of this entire war.“ Crossguard was quick to rebuke her. “Few things are more dishonorable than attack in the middle of a parley. If we must resort to such dishonorable tricks to win, then perhaps we do not deserve to do so.” He looked the Ephor up and down, taking his measure. “I believe he speaks the truth also. Though we should not be blind, let us not assume false intent when he has not dealt dishonorably with us in the past. Let us meet with him. At the very least, it gives us time to withdraw our wounded.” “Always thou art o’erly suspicious,” I chided. “Some day thou wilt learn that the warriors of Pegasopolis fight with honor.” Sunbeam conceded the matter with a disgusted wave. “Aye, they have not betrayed us yet. But it only takes one betrayal to cost us dearly.” Steel waited below our walls while we discussed the matter, his face an impassive, patient mask. One might have mistaken him for a statue, were it not for his occasional slight movement. Crossguard nodded to Sunbeam, and the archmagus reluctantly opened a passage through her ice wall to allow us through. Steel awaited us at the passage’s exit, and Crossguard greeted him. “We will meet with you, Ephor. Please lead the way to your chosen neutral ground.” Steel wasted no time doing exactly that. Once we had left crossbow range of our fort, he turned to face us. “Offering terms.” His eyes flicked to the base of the wall, where many fallen rebels yet remained. “Enough dead, ours and yours. Duel for it.” Sunbeam’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “And only for the fort? Nothing else?” The Ephor met her with a flat gaze. “Doubted you would accept more. Why offer?” ‘Twas oddly heartening to see that my old comrade from the Ephorate remained as laconic as e’er. “Who commands the fort?” Crossguard stepped forward. “I do.” Steel’s eyes passed o’er the old knight, and he nodded. “Us, then. If you accept.” Crossguard’s own eyes evaluated his potential foe, no doubt measuring his chances in such a battle. “I will accept, on the condition that all of the ponies under my command are granted safe passage to leave should I be defeated.” “Agreed.” Crossguard nodded. “Then we are in accord.” “One moment.” Sunbeam hastily interposed herself ‘tween the two combatants. “We surrender the fort if Crossguard is beaten, but there has been no talk of what will happen if he is victorious. We must have some prize from it.” Steel was silent for some time, mulling o’er his response to that. “Information. Polaris’s army was betrayed from within. If I am beaten, you can have the name of that traitor, and all those who conspired with him. Second will tell you if I perish.” Now that was an intriguing offer. Though Famous Spear yet lingered in our dungeons, accused of that very crime, I had always doubted his guilt. If Steel could confirm it, that might well put my doubts to rest. And if he were innocent, ‘twould be good to know of the hidden traitor in our midst ere they could strike again. “I judge the offer acceptable.” “As do I.” Sunbeam’s voice dropped to a low murmur, “Assuming he speaks truly.” “I would not dishonor myself with a lie,” Steel answered stiffly. A faint frown creased his face. “In truth, I mislike working alongside traitors.” Sunbeam smirked. “A strange sentiment, coming from one of the leaders of a rebellion.” Steel met that comment with a scowl, but did not dignify it with a verbal response. Instead he nodded to Crossguard, then stepped back several paces. Two of his own clanmates moved to his side, presumably to counter the presence of myself and Sunbeam. He spoke a few quick words with them, presumably instructing them as to the terms of the duel, and then the two withdrew. I took our cue from that and similarly withdrew from Crossguard’s side. Steel rolled his shoulders and spread his wings, readying himself for the coming battle. Crossguard drew his own blade, then saluted Steel with a flourish. For his part, the Ephor merely nodded and then planted his hooves, waiting for the knight to begin the duel. Grandmaster Crossguard warily approached him, his blade held out defensively to ward off any sudden strikes. For his part, Steel took no action beyond slight shifts to ensure that the knight remained squarely before him. At last Crossguard closed the distance, lashing out with a few quick jabs to take his opponent’s measure. The first exchange revealed much. Steel did his best to block and counter the strikes, but his hammer hooves afforded far less reach that Crossguard’s longsword. Steel’s reactions were slow and ponderous, and e’en though Crossguard was the elder of the two, it seemed that Steel wore his years far more heavily. I was reminded of the tales I’d heard of the Ephor’s old war wounds, and how some days they pained him so badly he could barely rise from his bed. At the time I thought the stories exaggerated, but now that I saw Steel on the battlefield... As Crossguard took his opponent’s measure, he grew more confident and began to press more aggressively. He was not so impetuous as Spark had been, and did not immediately try to finish the battle. He was e’er mindful of his defenses, wary of a possible counter-strike from Steel. ‘Twas entirely possible that the Ephor was feigning weakness in the hopes of drawing his foe in. If so, he was putting on a performance worthy of the stage. Steel could only block half the strikes Crossguard directed at him, the rest clanging against his armor. To Steel’s credit, his plate seemed up to the task of deflecting the knight’s blows, but ‘twas only a matter of time before the blade found a weak point. As Steel continued to fall back, Crossguard gave him a moment’s peace. That brief respite heralded greater danger, for the knight’s blade flashed with brilliant light. Steel’s eyes clamped shut against the sudden brightness, and Crossguard swiftly exploited the opening. With an extra moment to ready his strike he found a weakness, and his blades sliced at the vulnerable knee joint of Steel’s armor. The blade crunched into the thin mail, and Steel grunted in pain. His leg nearly buckled underneath him, but he forced himself to keep his balance with a furious snarl. If his old war wounds did pain him so badly, then ‘twas likely he had a strong capacity for resisting the pain of fresh wounds as well. Steel lunged for Crossguard, leading off from his unwounded foreleg. Howe’er, Crossguard anticipated the move and dodged the clumsy charge with a single deft sidestep. Crossguard’s maneuver left him in an excellent position to strike at Steel’s unwounded foreleg, and he promptly did so. Steel staggered at this second blow, giving Crossguard the opening he needed to strike a telling blow. His bladed stabbed out, sliding easily between a gap in the Ephor’s shoulder armor. Steel fell back with a hiss of pain, and Crossguard’s blade was thick with blood when withdrew the tip. The Ephor fell to his knees, letting out a further groan of pain as his wounded joints struck the hard stone of the tunnel floor. Crossguard withdrew from his opponent, holding his blade at the ready, but giving Steel time to recover his hooves. When Steel could not swiftly do so, Crossguard lifted the visor of his helm. “Well fought, sir. I will give you the opportunity to surrender honorably, Ephor. You have been wounded. There is no disgrace is forfeiting now.” Steel grunted and slowly forced himself back to his hooves, rolling his wounded shoulder. “This?” He removed his own helm, then flexed his neck, showing a few of his old war wounds, then glanced back to his shoulder. “Just a scratch. Had worse.” Crossguard’s eyes hardened, and he lowered the visor of his helm. “If that is your choice, then I shall honor it.” He brought his blade up to an en garde position. “I will offer mercy if you ask for it, but so long as you fight I will not shy from a killing blow.” Steel softly chuckled, straightening his shoulders. “Understood. I will offer you the same terms.” The old knight quietly shook his head. “Ah, the pride of Pegasopolis. Though I suppose I am guilty of that sin as well. If we are both too proud to submit, then this could only end with one of us dead.” Crossguard closed in and swung at Steel’s legs once more, likely hoping to fully cripple one of them. Howe’er, Steel had anticipated the blow and took to his wings this time. While the tunnel ceiling was low, there was still room enough for him to clear Crossguard’s low-swinging blade. The Ephor then propelled himself forward with a powerful flick of his wings, closing in on Crossguard far more swiftly than his earlier lethargic efforts at defense. Crossguard was caught badly off guard by the sudden advance, and his blade was out of position to prevent Steel from closing. He managed a last desperate swipe at the Ephor, striking at one of his wings, but the blow lacked enough force to bite too deeply and could not have stopped Steel’s advance in any case. The blow seemed far too minor compared to the one Steel struck in return. His hammer hoof stove in Crossguard’s helm, bending the visor back and staggering the old knight. I doubt he could see or breathe properly after the damage Steel had inflicted on the helm. Though I could not see the old knight’s face, the blood pouring from the warped slit in his visor told a grim tale. Crossguard blindly flailed about with his blade, desperately stepping backwards as he did so to buy himself a few precious seconds to recover. He frantically clawed at his damaged helm and finally managed to rip it fully off his head. Crossguard’s nose had clearly been broken by Steel’s blow, and it seemed he had cut the insides of his lips against his own teeth. While Crossguard had managed to gain a few moment’s respite with his frantic swings, the effort quickly exhausted him, and then Steel moved in to finish him. The Ephor continued closing in, accepting more blows to his thick platemail in exchange for planting his hammer hooves in Crossguard’s face a second time. ‘Twas then that I realized Crossguard’s critical disadvantage. While the years had not taken his speed the way they had Steel’s, they had cost him his constitution. A younger warrior might have shaken off the strikes and carried on, but the old knight could not. Steel, by contrast, had become so accustomed to the pain of his old war wounds that he seemed unaffected by the injuries Crossguard left him with. He gladly accepted Crossguard’s blows just to gain the chance to strike his own, for he could easily afford to take three blows for every one he landed on the old knight. Steel struck him again, and Crossguard’s hooves failed him, The Grandmaster stumbled and fell onto his side with a dazed, vacant look in his eyes. His face was a ruin; e’en if he somehow survived the battle, he would likely be unrecognizable afterwards. Steel looked down at his fallen foe and offered a final respectful nod. “Well fought. Pity you unicorns never learned to trade blood for victory.” Steel reared up on his hind legs, preparing to deliver the deathblow. Howe’er, in that moment, he exposed the weaker armor of his underbelly to his foe. Mayhaps Crossguard was not quite so badly wounded as he seemed, or mayhaps he had taken Steel’s lesson to heart. Whate’er the case, he managed another one of his spells that produced a blinding flash of light. In the instant that Steel was blinded and off-balance, Crossguard drew a stiletto and plunged it into Steel’s belly as many times as his failing strength allowed. As his foe shuddered from the blows, Crossguard answered his remark. “Blood for victory? No. F-fight to h-hurt the enemy. Blood—blood for blood... leaves ya ... bleeding out. What I always taught the squires.” Steel howled in pain, the unexpected assault tumbling him onto his back, Crossguard’s sidearm still buried in the flesh of his stomach. As he fell, he twisted about, angling himself so that his falling momentum was enough to let him one last parting blow against his enemy. The strike smacked Crossguard hard across the muzzle, and once more the knight fell. For some time both combatants lay on the ground. Both of them yet lived, though given the severity of their injuries I did not think either of them was likely to survive the battle. Steel perhaps might manage it, given how often he had failed to die in the past, but Crossguard looked far too fragile. In truth, ‘twas surprising that he had possessed enough strength to manage his final assault. More importantly for our immediate purposes, neither of them seemed capable of returning to their hooves. Once I judged that enough time had passed, I stepped forward. “‘Twould seem neither of them is capable of continuing. Shall we call the match a draw?” Steel’s second, a younger cousin whose name I could not recall, stepped forward and nodded. “Aye, I think we shall. Will you agree to a truce to withdraw them for medical attention?” “I will.” I would have made the request myself had he not done so first. “An hour’s truce, then? “Agreed.” With that matter settled, chirurgeons from both sides rushed forward to tend to their wounded leaders. We quickly escorted Crossguard back to our fortress, but I could not fail to see the grim looks on the medicae’s faces. ‘Twould seem my assessment of Crossguard’s condition was accurate. Sunbeam took a place at my side, her countenance grim. “I hope thou art ready to take command, Shadow. Crossguard will be lucky to survive the rest of the day, and e’en if he does somehow manage it, ‘twill be many long months ere he can take the field again. Stallions of age heal slowly when they heal at all.” “Aye.” Now that the command was mine, I knew the first order I would have to give. Much as it galled me to countermand one of Crossguard’s last commands, there was no other choice. “We must withdraw. The position is untenable. The rebels will not attack us while the truce holds, but they can finish the rest of our forts and position their forces to crush us the instant it ends.” My eyes turned once more to the chirurgeons tending Crossguard. Though I had only an outsider’s knowledge of medicine, I could see that their movements no longer held the urgency of those trying to save a life. They merely sought to give him what comfort they could before his passing. I turned to the Archmagus. “Canst thou aid the chirurgeons with Crossguard?” “I will make the attempt.” Sunbeam strode o’er to Crossguard’s side, heaving her spells o’er the old knight. When she finished her initial work she turned to me, a deep frown on her face. “It may be within my power to save his life. ‘Tis hard to say; my healing is not gentle, and he is in a fragile state.” Grim tidings, but no worse than I had expected. “So be it. I would rather kill him in an effort to save his life than stand idly by and do nothing as he slips away.” Sunbeam nodded, but her countenance grew e’en darker. “That is not the full of it. E’en if I can save his life, his brain is badly damaged. What remains of his mind is ... not enough. He would live, aye, but as a mere shell of the stallion he once was. Likely he would need constant care and attention to merely survive and tend his most basic needs. Ending his days as a senile dotard seems a poor reward for such long service to Equestria.” I considered those words and knew there could only be one answer. “Let him die as a knight of Equestria, then.” I could only pray that we would not join him for many years yet.