Crossguard breathed his last ere we arrived at the second line of defenses. Thankfully, the truce held, and we arrived unharassed to deliver his remains to his brother knights.
‘Twas a curious thing seeing the Knights of Sol Invictus take custody of their fallen grandmaster. I had fought and bled alongside Crossguard, yet I knew almost nothing of him beyond what we had shared on the battlefield and in the war room. Though he had once advised me on my daughter’s troubles, I did not know if he himself had any family. Was there a wife who would mourn his passing? Children who would take up his sword and swear to avenge him? Young grandchildren who would miss their kindly old grandfather?
It seemed all the more unfitting when I realized that I knew his killer far better. I had looked to Steel Striker as an ally and respected comrade, and stood at his side when he discovered the horror that had befallen his daughter and the ruin of his family. Though the Striker Clan would live on, Steel’s line would end with him. I knew his moods and his ways, tactics and his mindset, but had only begun to grasp Crossguard’s in his final days. Truly this war was a twisted, unnatural thing to have me know mine enemies better than mine allies.
Yet I could not afford the time to reflect ’pon his death, nor to mourn him. Our short respite from the rebel assault would end soon. The living needed me more than the dead, especially now that command had fallen upon my shoulders. If I did not attend my duty, many more of Crossguard’s knights would be buried alongside him. ‘Twould be a poor tribute to his heroism were I to let his order fall into ruin.
Some good news awaited us ’pon our arrival at the second line: the remainder of our forces had been mustered and armed. While the initial rebel assault had taken our front line by surprise and effectively destroyed it, we had at least acquitted ourselves well enough to prevent them from pressing the attack ‘gainst the second line as well. When the battle rejoined, the enemy would face our full strength, fresh and ready to meet them.
Sunbeam and I quickly sought out our fellow commanders, who had established a temporary headquarters in one of the old buildings left behind by the mining operations. Though the mining equipment itself had long been removed, the building had a few basic accommodations. There was room enough to allow us to discuss our tactics in relative peace and privacy, though with a light coating of dust on account of the recent construction of our fortifications, although when we sought reinforcing materials, much of the timber within the glorified tool shed seemed far too old and rotted to be trusted.
With Crossguard’s death, Noble Quest would presumably take up the mantle of Interim Grandmaster and leader of the unicorn soldiers, at least for the duration of the battle. (1) Greenwall was occupied holding another one of our defense points in the eastern section, and could not be spared long enough to join our council. That left myself, Noble, Gale, and Sunbeam for the impromptu war council.
1: The Order of Sol Invictus chooses its Grandmaster by means of open election where all of the Order’s knights may vote for any member of the Order they wish. While the new Grandmaster is usually one of the high-ranking officers within the Order who has a proven record of skilled command, exceptions do exist. In the election to replace Crossguard, the young war hero Radiant Day received quite a few votes, and might well have taken the post had he not deferred his candidacy in favor of more experienced leaders.
Gale, or mayhaps Noble, had taken the liberty of acquiring a rickety old table upon which Noble had unfurled the most current map we possessed of the tunnel complex, along with markers noting our positions. The chairs were every bit as worn, but served well enough for our purposes. ‘Twas a far cry from the Commander’s war room in her palace, but the battlefield has no time for such luxuries.
Noble Quest held command o’er this section of the line, and so ‘twas to him that I turned for briefing. “How do matters stand?”
The knight’s countenance was grim, though likely that was as much caused by his grandmaster’s death as by the course of the battle itself. “We have lost the first line entirely, and most of our positions were o'errun ere we even received word of the attack. They struck without warning, while most of our soldiers were on leave or attending other duties. We did not expect battle, and there was only a small picket force holding the area.”
I felt mine ear twitch. It was a regrettable lapse on our part, though perhaps an unavoidable one. I had only been in these tunnels for a short time, yet already the confined quarters and darkness pierced only by our illumination gems and torches pressed ‘pon me. No soldier would want to remain down in the dark for days or weeks at a time, save when necessity demanded it. Had we tried to maintain a full army of soldiers who ne’er saw the sun, morale inevitably would have buckled. Especially when the rebels had not deployed in force ‘gainst our positions, and the preparation for any such assault would be visible to them days in advance. Soldiers will bear great privations when they must to do their duty, but they will quickly grow discontented if they see their suffering as needless.
Crossguard and I had agreed that we could afford to keep the tunnels lightly held, rotating in fresh soldiers so none would linger o’erlong in darkness. ‘Twould seem we had erred, for I could not imagine that the loss of the first line would hurt morale any less than longer deployments would have.
Sunbeam scowled down the tunnel, her teeth clenched in irritation. “Pray tell, how is that we were taken so badly unawares? Were our scouts not closely monitoring the rebels? It sounds as though there was almost no warning of the attack ere it fell 'pon us, yet I was assured we would have at least a day’s notice ere they could mount a proper assault upon the walls.”
I frowned, “Aye, that is troubling indeed.” Mine attention shifted to my daughter, for Gale had command o’er our scouts and spies. “Have thy sources failed us in this matter? How did they miss the preparations for a major assault? You assured me that they had not e’en replaced the siege engines we destroyed at Avalon Vale.”
Unbidden, a dark thought entered my mind once more. Might my daughter have withheld information due to her sympathies with the rebel cause, or some lingering anger with me?
No sooner had the idea entered my mind then I worked to remove it. If Gale meant to betray me, I do not think she would have spoken so openly about her own doubts and temptations. A traitor would play the part of the loyal and unquestioningly dutiful daughter so that I would have no suspicion of her true motives. And that was not to mention that if Gale had truly betrayed me, she likely could have inflicted far more devastating losses ‘pon us, such as arranging for my death and then turning the clan to the rebel cause once she took command...
Gale cleared her throat and stepped forward. “I am afraid ‘twill be somewhat difficult to gain a full evaluation of why our intelligence failed until I have the time for a proper investigation. Howe’er, from what I have been able to gather from our scouts, 'twould seem the rebels mustered their forces and left their camps to assault the forts in surprisingly quick order.” She scowled, one of her wings flicking in irritation. “Either the enemy has very effectively evaded our efforts at scouting and compromised all of mine intelligence assets, or they managed to organize the attack so swiftly that they struck ere we could learn of it.”
The latter possibility rang truer to me. If the enemy had so thoroughly compromised our information-gathering capacity, they would have achieved far better results. “Thou wouldst propose that our scouts and spies missed no preparations for a massive attack because none were made?” As I considered the explanation, it seemed the strongest possibility. “They had to have known that we were watching them closely, and likely suspected that we had agents in their camp. They crafted this offensive to keep us as blind as possible. Likely only a few ponies knew of the planned assault ere it was launched.”
Noble frowned and shook his head. “But committing to an assault on a fortified position without careful planning and detailed preparation would be suicide! ‘Twould reduce their army to little more than an onrushing mob of armed soldiers heading in roughly the same direction.”
“And is that not precisely what happened?” Gale countered. “From what reports I have been able to gather, Interim Grandmaster, all of the forts were assaulted at more or less the same time, with none seeming to be a particular focus for a main thrust against our defenses. Correct me if I am wrong, but would they not only have needed to penetrate one of our forts in order to compromise the whole defense line?” She shrugged. “They needed no grand plan to break us; ‘twas enough to strike like a rushing wave and wait to let the water seep through every crack in our line.”
The metaphor did not leave the best image, though I privately consoled myself with the countering metaphor that rocky cliffs have resisted the pounding of the surf for centuries at a time. Pity our defenses were not a cliff, and the rebel army was not water. “The tactic seems to have served them well enough. Our defense was every bit as disorganized as their attack, and on the whole the rebel army has better field commanders than we do.” I paused to acknowledge Noble Quest. “Meaning no offense to the Order and its knights, but your soldiers are only a small part of our forces.”
The knight waved away mine apology. “I take no offense, for ‘tis an undeniable truth. We might have forged our conscripts into fine soldiers, but we lack for good sergeants and junior officers. Natural leaders like Greenwall are few and far between.”
With that point of pride settled, I rubbed my head and continued my line of thought. “In such a wild and chaotic battle, ‘twould rest on the junior officers to keep their soldiers in line and moving towards their objectives. Thus, such conditions favor the enemy.”
Sunbeam huffed in irritation. “I will add swelling and improving our junior officers’ ranks to the long list of problems we will need to address in the future. Though I recall Crossguard saying that it can take years of training and combat experience to make a good junior officer or sergeant. Since we are unlikely to have several spare years to refine our officer corps, perhaps we should focus our energies ‘pon the matters that can be dealt with in a timely fashion?”
“Though there is little we can do to address the matter in the immediate future, it seems prudent to know where our strengths lie compared to those of the enemy,” I answered tersely. Howe’er, her broader point was not lacking in merit. There was little point in lingering on weaknesses that could take years to address whilst surviving the coming day was yet uncertain.
Therefore, I turned mine attention to the threat before us. “The attack was bold, aggressive, and daring. It suits Bright’s command style.”
My daughter let out a mocking gasp. “The attack matches the style of the enemy army’s acting commander. What an unexpected development, Mother! Mayhaps next we will learn that bears frequently leave their dung in the forests?”
I was in no mood to patiently endure my daughter’s mockery, howe’er harmless. Thankfully, Sunbeam took control of the discussion ere I could speak any heated words to Gale or clip her upside the head. “If she is as bold and fearless as Shadow says, why has she not followed up her success? Every moment she delays grants us additional time to prepare our second line and bring in rested forces from the city. Our forces have quadrupled in the mere minutes since Shadow and I arrived.”
“Mayhaps she does not attack because she cannot,” Noble Quest suggested, indicating several points on his map. “Her force needs time to reorganize and dress its ranks. At the moment, the rebel soldiers are likely scattered all throughout the tunnels. Any attempt at an attack would be more akin to a slaughter, feeding isolated squads into the grinder of our fortress line.”
“So she will take time to consolidate her position first.” Sunbeam scowled down at the map. “And once she has done so, what will her next move be? Another similar attack?”
I immediately shook my head. “Neigh, that seems unlikely. Bright is no fool—she knows she will not take us unawares again, and without surprise, that stratagem is likely to end in bloody failure. Our full forces are manning the second line and ready to receive any attack. One cannot o’erwhelm a ready fortification with a wild charge. ‘Twould be akin to throwing sticks at a stone wall.”
“She can only manage a surprise attack once,” Noble Quest agreed, staring down at the map. “Another likely reason for the current delay is precisely that: she needs time to evaluate our second line and decide upon a new strategy.”
Sunbeam’s eyes narrowed, and she let out an annoyed breath. “And what shall we do in the meantime? I trust we have some plan beyond cowering behind our walls and waiting for her next blow to fall?”
“Of course we do.” I had no desire to fight a war from behind a wall. Though I knew our position required a defensive posture, that went against all mine instincts as a warrior. Pegasi do not hide behind walls—we fly o’er them to slaughter the cowards who use them. Yet now fate had tasked me with holding a wall against mine own kind.
Howe’er, perhaps there was a way to hold the line without hiding behind it. “Mayhaps a counterattack would be prudent if they are disordered? We might e’en manage to drive them back and reclaim our first line of fortifications.”
“A line which I should point out was already rent asunder by the rebels.” Sunbeam angrily swiped a hoof o’er the line on the map, smudging the ink. “E’en if we do push them that far back, we will be left holding broken, indefensible ruins.”
Gale nodded, the creasing of her brow speaking of her displeasure at agreeing with Sunbeam. “Aye, we cannot reclaim our old positions unless we can be sure of having time to repair them. Howe’er, I still think there is merit in a more limited attack simply to sow chaos in the enemy ranks. ‘Twould ensure they gain no more this day.” Her eyes flicked towards the exit of our impromptu headquarters. “‘Twould also provide a much-needed boost to our soldiers’ morale. Their confidence has been badly shaken by the sudden loss of the front line, and we cannot let our work at Avalon Vale be undone. If our own forces fear they cannot match the enemy in open battle...”
Noble cleared his throat. “While all you say is true, we must consider the battlefield. This is not Avalon Vale—this is a battle in dark, cramped, and isolated tunnels. There are risks here that we did not face before. We cannot see any threats beyond what lies directly before us, or easily communicate between our forces. Maneuvering will be slow, and far too often the left hoof will not know what the right is doing.” He pointedly traced out the spiderweb of tunnels criss-crossing the mountain. “With poor communication and maneuverability, we might well find large portions of our forces isolated, surrounded, and destroyed without e’en knowing of it until the enemy presents us with their corpses.” His somber tone and choice of words made it clear he disapproved of this plan, though he was mayhaps too courteous to openly call it folly.
“That would make caution the prudent choice,” Sunbeam opined. “E’en moreso since the hour’s truce we gained from the fight ‘tween Crossguard and Striker is nearly ended. The rebels can follow time as well as we can, and will surely either have prepared their own attack or made ready to receive our counterstroke.”
I reluctantly agreed with their analysis. There were many risks involved in a counterattack, and while I was not averse to a certain level of risk in warfare when the rewards justified it, this seemed too much. Better to consolidate our position and only venture from it once we were certain the second line would hold. I turned to Noble Quest. “If the rebels attack us again, where is their main strike likely to fall?”
The knight immediately pointed to a particularly byzantine tunnel complex. “Our defenses are weakest in the Western Tunnels, though I do not know if they can actually manage a proper strike in that area. Those tunnels are a maze we still have not fully unraveled. Since we do not have a fully satisfactory map of the area despite holding it, I rather doubt the enemy does. They would likely lose most of their attack force without e’er seeing our defenses.” (2)
2: After the war, there were rather persistent rumors of lost rebel or loyal soldiers still wandering the tunnels, or even forming hidden societies deep underground. In all likelihood these were inspired by the story of Tall Tale, a rebel deserter who managed to live out most of the war by hiding in a small cave far from the fighting and subsisting on a diet of mildly poisonous mushrooms. Once he got out of the hospital, he managed to gain brief celebrity by publishing a grossly exaggerated account of his adventure. I suspect that the mushrooms he ate were hallucinogenic; his claim that he kept a pet ursa which befriended him after he cleaned its teeth is rather obviously dubious, as is his claim to have been appointed as Celestia’s ambassador to the mole people.
Sunbeam answered his assurances with a dismissive wave, and a note of lowborn coarseness entered her voice. “Perhaps any attack would be kind enough to lose its way, but I do not think we should trust our defenses to fortune. She has always been a fickle bitch, and this day has already shown that she does not favor us.”
I rubbed my chin, staring down at the map in the vain hope that I might find some brilliant insight which had eluded me thus far if I studied it a few moments longer. “Aye. I am disinclined to simply do nothing and hope the rebel attack force loses its way. Tell me more of the Western Tunnels.”
Noble Quest nodded and dutifully did so. “The area is one of the oldest sections of the mines—old enough that many of the proper mining tunnels have collapsed, and others are in danger of doing so if heavily used. Every tunnel that collapses opens up new passageways that might lead to anywhere in the network, or nowhere at all.” He sighed, running a hoof along the bridge of his nose. “Trying to fortify the area has been a nightmare, and that was before we needed to worry about rebel attacks.”
“Wonderful,” Sunbeam groused, glaring sourly at the map as if it were somehow to blame for our troubles. “And I suppose we cannot simply establish one fort where these western tunnels connect to rest of the network?”
Noble tapped a line drawn across one of the tunnels. “We have attempted to do exactly that with our fort here, but the condition of the tunnels has been slowing our work. We have had to spend as much time reinforcing the ceiling as actually building walls. Not to mention that since we don’t have the Western Tunnels fully mapped, we cannot guarantee that the fortress is safe from being outflanked.”
Sunbeam stared thoughtfully down at the map. “How likely dost thou think they are to attack there?”
“It depends on how much they know from scouting, spies, and any prisoners they captured.” The knight frowned at the thought that others of his order might be facing interrogation e’en as we spoke. “It is the weakest point of our defenses, milady. If they are aware of that fact, then it will almost certainly be the focus of their next assault. If they are unaware of the weakness, they will likely begin the next attack with scouting probes, which might well uncover it in any case.”
“Thy point is well taken, Noble Quest.” Mine eyes drifted to what lay behind the second line. “What is the condition of our third line of fortification?”
“Incomplete,” the knight answered tersely. “I have our engineers and miners working to correct that as swiftly as possible, but one cannot build a proper fortress in a few hours. Especially not with our resources limited by the siege and most of our strength deployed for battle.”
I turned to the map, trying to visualize the narrow lines of the tunnel network as a mental image of the battlefield so that I might think upon how to resolve the current situation. “We must not allow the enemy to find any weakness in our line. If it is broken in one place, the rest will quickly crumble, and we cannot fall back any further. We must hold the Western Tunnels.” I closed mine eyes, trying to imagine the maze of cramped, intersecting tunnels. As I did, I realized the answer to my current situation. “This warren of tunnels seems an ideal place to lay a few ambushes. We know the terrain better than the enemy, and they will have difficulty responding in such tight quarters.”
A slow smile crept onto my daughter’s face. “Aye. We can harry them relentlessly if Bright attacks the area in force, and if she sends in scouts to find a path for her main force, we can dispose of them and leave the rebels blind. We will need a few of the miners who know the tunnels to guide our forces, but I am sure that can be arranged.”
Noble wasted no time confirming it. “They are civilians, though. I do not think they would care for serving on the frontlines of war. Howe’er, I am sure we can persuade them by appealing to their duty to Queen Celestia.”
“And perhaps some additional hazard pay,” Sunbeam added with a smirk. “Patriotism is all well and good, but I find gold to be much more reliable.” She considered that for a moment, then shrugged. “Though this war is going to be rather painful for the royal treasury, so perhaps we should try appealing to their sense of duty first.” (3)
3: Considering the economic slump Equestria suffered after the war, I have to agree with Sunbeam on this one.
I waved the matter aside with an irritated growl. “Motivate them howe’er thou wilt, so long as they provide the needed information. I have ne’er understood why some civilians are so fearful of battle.”
“Likely because they do not have a lifetime of training to prepare them for it,” Sunbeam answered with a wry smirk. “That is why we call them civilians.” The remark earned a hastily choked-off snort of laughter from my daughter, which only widened Sunbeam’s smile. “So, whom shall we send in to do the actual ambushing? I would prefer to reserve my magi for more open battlefields, where their skills would see better use.”
“The Order has ne’er been especially skilled at ambush warfare,” Noble Quest opined. “’Twould seem Sunbeam’s jest had lightened his own mood, for he added, “I suspect we have ne’er fully recovered from Grandmaster Forthright’s declaration that camouflage is the color of cowardice.”
That left only one option, though e’en if Sunbeam and Noble had asked for the duty I would have reserved it for my clan. Pride stirred in my breast as I declared, “There are no better ambush fighters in all Equestria than the ponies of the Kicker Clan. I will take a force into the Western Tunnels and see to it.”
Sunbeam’s countenance darkened at my declaration, and she let forth a long-suffering sigh, murmuring something most unkind under her breath. When she addressed me properly her tone was reproachful. “Is that wise, Shadow? Who is in o’erall command of our forces at this critical moment?”
“I am.”
The Archmagus spoke with exacting slowness, as if I were a dull-witted child. “And should the commander of Canterlot’s defenses abandon the walls to lead a detachment on a high-risk mission where she will be out of contact with the rest of her army? An army in desperate need of her leadership and support for their wavering morale?”
Though there was logic to her words, I did not agree with them. “A commander's place is at the frontlines with their soldiers. How will morale fare if I do not face the dangers of battle alongside my clanmates? I heard no objection from thee when Crossguard led from the front.”
“Yes, and look how well that ended.” Sunbeam’s callous tone regarding the Grandmaster’s death made Noble Quest stiffen in barely contained fury, but she did not deign to notice his offence. “A commander's place is where she is most needed to win a battle. Right now, this army needs a strong and confident leader, not another pair of blades cutting down scouts in the dark.”
I could see no easy counter to her argument. “Gale? Thine opinion?”
Gale met mine eyes. “I agree with Archmagus Sparkle, Mother. Your place is here, where you can command the whole army.” She drew in a deep breath. “I will lead the force in the Western Tunnels.”
I misliked the idea of sending Gale so far from my side, and she had ne’er held command o’er so large a force before. Her first command should not be in such a critical front. “Neigh. Thy talents would be best used at my side.”
Gale was not pleased by mine answer—wounded pride and a hint of sullen resentment burned in her eyes. ‘Twould seem not all the wounds of our earlier discord had been healed. No doubt she had also hoped to earn some measure of glory on the battlefield. ‘Tis a common impulse of young soldiers. “By your word, Mother.”
Sunbeam chuckled. “I ne’er would have thought to see Shadow Kicker carefully keeping her children in their nest. Very well; if not thine own daughter, then who else wouldst thou trust with this task?”
Noble Quest cleared his throat. “If I might be so bold, I have command experience and am quite familiar with Crossguard's maps.”
I was uncertain of accepting his offer. Though I would not hesitate to fight alongside the Order’s knights or to put a few of my soldiers at the Order’s disposal, ‘twas quite another thing to put a unicorn in charge of a clan battleforce. Howe’er, I was sure the knights were every bit as uncertain when placing their forces under my command. If we intended to have a single unified army, then I could not insist that no outside pony e’er hold command of a clan force. My clan’s pride was not more important than the army’s unity.
My mind resolved, I nodded to the unicorn knight. “Work closely with Sergeant Stalwart. He is no officer, but he knows the soldiers well and will be a great asset.” I turned to my daughter. “Gale, send out scouts and consult thy contacts. Find an opportunity for a limited counterstrike. Ideally, an isolated detachment we can entirely destroy. I want to hurt them, and as importantly, I want our soldiers to see that we still can hurt them. When the chance comes, thou wilt lead that strike.”
Gale took this news far better than she had my previous declaration, a tight smile on her lips. “At once, Mother.”
“Good.” I turned to the last of our number. “Sunbeam, thou knowest thy magi far better than I. Use them to make life unpleasant for the enemy. Kill them if thou canst, but more than that, I want them disrupted and demoralized. Target the field commanders. If Bright is keeping her command structure decentralized, then we will destroy them piecemeal.”
Sunbeam answered me with a cold, hungry smile. “If I might make a suggestion, have thy counterstrike force the enemy into a tightly packed area. The tighter they are squeezed in, the more my magi can destroy in a single swoop. We will turn these tunnels into a death trap.”
“Aye.” I glanced down at the map one last time, committing as much of it as I could to memory. “They have driven us back onto ground we know far better than they do. Ground we have spent more than a month preparing for this battle…” Despite everything, I could not resist a dark smirk. “Ere this day is done, I intend to make them regret that.”
When the truce finally passed, we were greeted with an unexpected sight. Rather than an enemy offensive or e’en a few probes to test our defenses and resolve, envoys approached our gates: Bright Charger herself, with her son Dusk bearing the truce flag. ‘Twas a surprisingly small escort for the acting commander of the rebel forces.
Sunbeam scowled down at the two of them. “I trust I do not need to remind thee how badly it went the last time we bargained with the rebels?”
I shook my head. “I will not accept a duel with Bright, though she will surely either offer me one or have Lance challenge me yet again. We would gain nothing from the battle, and I know full well that I am unlikely to best either of them in combat.”
“Indeed.” A pleased smirk crossed Sunbeam’s face. “Especially since I have no more tanglehoof to offer thee for this meeting.”
I chuckled softly. “I doubt Lance would let herself be taken by surprise again. I half-expect she will have modified her helmet since I last saw her. A protective grille o’er the mouth and nose would seem a prudent addition.”
That earned me a dry chortle from the mare, but the mirth did not last. “It occurs that since thou art unlikely to yield the fort to her without a battle nor face her in a duel, there is little point to negotiating with her at all.”
“We do not know what Bright wishes of us,” I countered. “It may be something as benign as making arrangements for us to recover our dead for proper burial, or perhaps a new offer to exchange Rightly for the magi, now that they believe themselves in a stronger bargaining position. Or it may e’en be that Steel died of his wounds, and she has come in his stead to fulfill his promise to name the traitor who struck down Polaris’s army.”
Sunbeam answered with an annoyed huff. “Oh very well then, do as thou wilt.” I knew her well enough to grasp that this was as close as pride would allow her to come to conceding that I was correct, and more importantly, that she was wrong. “Shall I accompany thee?”
“Neigh.” I looked down at Bright once more. “Her son accompanies her; it seems fitting to have my daughter at my side for the talks.”
“Then I shall remain at the walls and keep a close watch for treachery.”
With that matter settled, I wasted no time securing Gale and a truce flag. The gates opened within a few short minutes, and we walked out to meet the rebel leader.
As I approached Bright, I noticed a tension in her limbs and her eyes’ fixation upon me. Her son’s eyes similarly lingered on Gale, though I suspect his reasons were not as strictly martial as Bright’s. She had exchanged her usual jousting lance for a lighter version with a thinner shaft and larger head. ‘Twould not stand up to the force of a high-speed aerial charge, but ‘twas far better suited to the close-quarters combat we would face in the tunnels.
When I drew up a few paces away from Bright, I espied a wild light in her eyes. She must have only just arrived from some other battlefront if a measure of battle lust yet stirred within her. When she said nothing, I broke the silence. “You requested this meeting, Bright. What is it you desire?”
“What I desire?” Bright turned her back to me, slowly pacing around her son. “I desire many things. Victory in this war. Freedom for Pegasopolis and the earth ponies. An end to Celestia’s rule o’er Equestria. But above all else, I want what any mother who sends her children into the maw of war prays for: for all of them to return to my breast when this madness is ended. There is nothing more foul or unnatural than for a parent to bury their child.”
Mine own eyes turned to Gale, lingering long upon her. “Aye,” I agreed. “What mother could not pray for that?”
Bright took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “My greatest desire ... yet I have already lost it.”
She whirled about, and something slammed into my breastplate. Bright’s lips drew back in a furious snarl, and she shouted so loudly that I could feel spit striking my face. “You stole that from me when you murdered my daughter! Now all I have is vengeance.”
Pain exploded in my chest, as if mine entire body had caught fire. My legs trembled and finally gave way beneath me, yet I did not immediately fall to the ground. Mine eyes finally left Bright’s enraged face, drifting down to try and find the cause of my sudden weakness. Then I saw what had taken me in the chest: Bright Charger’s lance.
Gale shrieked and lept at the Ephor, but Dusk met her halfway. I tried to shout at her to run, but instead bloody froth erupted from my lips. She was so focused on mine own plight that she did not see Dusk until he struck her down with a quick blow to the head.
One of my wings twitched in a feeble effort to bring my blades to bear, but Bright contemptuously swatted the attack aside with a single armored foreleg. The wound I left behind was barely e’en noticeable, and I had no strength left to make another attempt. I could not e’en focus enough to activate their enchantments. Flames flicked across them for a moment, then slowly died.
The shaft of Bright’s weapon finally gave way with an audible snap, and I fell to the cavern floor. Fresh agony erupted from my chest, yet I could not e’en scream.
The last thing I saw was Bright Charger’s hate-filled face. “A better death than you deserve, but at least it is death.”
Darkness claimed me.