//------------------------------// // The Battle of Ponyville // Story: Make Some Friends, Shining Armor! // by HopeFox //------------------------------// The arrival of Nightmare Moon commanded the full attention of every pony in the hall, even the ones who had been expecting her. Shining Armor spent a full second and a half staring at her in awe, fighting the urge to kneel before her or flee from her. The depictions in Twilight’s books could not do her justice, nor could the decorations of Nightmare Night, which suddenly seemed like Equestria’s most foolish tradition. Another strike upon his shield brought Shining Armor to his senses. Nightmare Moon was stamping her hoof with incredible force, creating a web of tiny fractures through the shield. Shining directed another burst of energy into his spell, reinforcing it, then surveyed the scene, his mind racing to come up with a tactic to save the day. “Rainbow Dash!” he shouted, giving his first order. “Escort the ponies on the balconies to the floor, and cover everypony you can! Spitfire, keep your ponies in the air and be ready to attack on my command! All civilians, stay together and take cover!” He was about to send somepony to fetch Princess Celestia, but she couldn’t possibly be unaware of Nightmare Moon’s arrival. True to Pinkie’s word, very few ponies were panicking. Some were already retreating into the deeper recesses of the hall, and barricading themselves in with furniture. Shining spotted Apple Bloom taking cover under a table with a white unicorn filly. Scootaloo stood guard in front of them until a grey weather pony herded her under the table with them. Thunderlane came running back into the main hall, carrying a bundle of spears on her back, which the pegasi scooped up as quickly as they could. Nightmare Moon snarled and rose into the air, a small tornado forming around her as she beat her mighty wings. “Where is Celestia?” she demanded, her voice reverberating throughout the hall. “Deliver her to us or be destroyed, peasants!” Shining Armor stepped forward and looked up at Nightmare Moon defiantly, while the Wonderbolts hovered above and behind him. “What do you want with the princess?” he asked her, hoping at least to buy some time. “Princess? We are the only princess in Equestria! We shall strike thee down for thine insolence!” Nightmare Moon’s horn glowed a vivid blue, beginning to charge what was surely a deadly attack spell. “No, you won’t.” Everypony looked up at the main balcony, from which Celestia’s confident, determined voice echoed. There stood the ruler of Equestria, her horn blazing with light. Her armour caught the light and reflected it around the town hall, brightening the dark corners as if the sun had already risen. Tucked under a wing, she carried a spear which most ponies thought was mere legend. Its shaft was of white yew, as long as a stallion, and polished to a brilliant shine. Its head was of a metal unknown to modern craftsponies, as bright as gold but harder than the strongest steel, forged into a conical shape that tapered to a deadly point. Shining Armor had seen the spear once before, in the most secure chamber of the Canterlot Armoury, where it was kept inside a vat of water. He had never seen Celestia wield it in battle. Celestia leapt from the balcony to the middle of the floor, landing gracefully next to Shining Armor. “Must we do this, sister?” she asked as she gazed up at Nightmare Moon, who had alighted atop the shield again. “We were meant to rule together.” “We never did rule together, commander,” hissed Nightmare Moon, venom dripping from her words. “Thou didst usurp my title quickly enough when our subjects offered it to thee.” “You can have your title, your respect, everything you want,” continued Celestia, while the pegasi worked to secure the civilians. “But our subjects need the sun. Let me raise it and leave the past in the past.” “Never!” shrieked Nightmare Moon. “Equestria has basked in thy precious light for these thousand years – no longer! Face me or watch me lay waste to thy kingdom!” “Very well, sister. Then let us do battle.” Celestia turned to Shining Armor, her face etched with sorrow. “My faithful captain, if I am defeated, I leave Equestria in your hooves. I know you will keep it safe.” “Commander, you… you can’t fight her alone, surely,” stammered Shining Armor, looking desperately at Celestia, then up at Nightmare Moon. “We can fight alongside you.” Celestia shook her head and placed a hoof on Shining’s shoulder. “I will not expose my subjects to Nightmare Moon’s wrath needlessly, and anypony who fought alongside me would be in danger from my magic as much as hers. Even if I cannot defeat my sister, perhaps I can drive her away.” She gazed into Shining’s eyes, speaking solemnly. “Protect my kingdom. Find the Elements of Harmony. And trust your friends.” Prince Blueblood ran up to Celestia and threw his front legs around her neck. “Grandmother, please… please be careful,” he begged her. Celestia leaned down and lipped gently at her grandson’s long blonde mane. “We all must do our duty, my little pony. Be strong for me. And tell my daughters…” Her words caught in her throat, and tears were streaming down her muzzle now. “Tell them how much I love them.” As all the ponies in the hall watched, Celestia strode through the doors of the town hall and up to the inner surface of the force field. Shining scraped his hoof against the floor uncomfortably, then opened a window in his shield to permit Celestia’s passage. The shield shimmered closed behind Celestia, and battle was joined. Nightmare Moon watched Celestia carefully as she emerged from the shield. “Art thou ready to perish, sister?” she sneered from her perch atop the shield. “Thou shouldst be ready – thou hast had a thousand years to prepare!” Her horn glowed again, and a silvery-blue beam of shocking brightness leapt from its tip. Celestia sprang into the air with a mighty bound, and the beam slammed into the ground where her hooves had stood a moment earlier. An explosion beat against the shield, and threw up a huge cloud of dirt. Instead of landing after her leap, Celestia spread her wings and took to the air. She gripped her spear in the crook of her right front leg and brandished it as she soared in a wide arc, accelerating at a breathtaking rate. She curved around Ponyville’s bell tower and shot towards Nightmare Moon, leaving a shimmering aurora in her wake. The head of her spear burst into flames as she approached her foe, lighting up the scene with the brilliance of the sun. Nightmare Moon spun around as Celestia evaded her blast, and seemed to have trouble tracking her sister’s approach. When Celestia’s spear lit up, Nightmare Moon turned to face her onrushing foe. Her mane and tail swirled around her, and her body vanished, leaving only the starry nebula. Celestia’s aerial charge brought her swiftly to Nightmare Moon’s position, but instead of impaling her sister, her spear passed harmlessly through the nebula and pierced the surface of the shield. Shining Armor felt himself sweat as he reinforced the shield, while the other ponies watched the battle in awe. The nebula slithered away from the impact and started moving through the air, but Celestia turned and fired several streams of fire at it from her horn. The streams formed into a circle of fire, trapping the nebula within its bounds. The patch of stars swirled and reformed into Nightmare Moon, who whinnied in anger and dispelled the flames with a wave of her horn. “Your magic is weak, commander!” she shouted. “It always was. Behold the power of darkness!” Dark shapes began to coalesce out of the air around Celestia as she struggled to pull her spear out of the shield. They resolved into sinister shapes that clawed at her – bats, gremlins, snakes, all formed of deep shadow that withstood the light of Celestia’s horn and spear. They tore at her wings, wrapped themselves around her legs, and clawed at her eyes. Celestia shrieked as the shadows tore feathers from her wings and left deep gouges on her legs and flanks. She lashed out with her hooves and struck a shadow or two, forcing them to dissipate, but they pressed heavily on her, forcing her down onto her stomach. Nightmare Moon laughed madly as she swooped past Celestia, sending another blast of moonlight at her sister. The spell scorched Celestia’s flank, burning away a large patch of her beautiful white coat and leaving an ugly wound in its place. As Celestia writhed in agony and struggled against the shadows binding her, Nightmare Moon hovered near her, laughing and firing smaller spells at her. “Giving up already, sister?” she taunted her. She began to build up another tornado around her body as she watched Celestia’s suffering. More quickly than the pony eye could follow, Celestia gripped her spear in her jaws, yanked it out of the force field, and flung it at Nightmare Moon with all of her might, relying more on her hearing than her obscured vision to pinpoint her sister’s position. The spear flew straight and true, and struck Nightmare Moon’s flank. Nightmare Moon screamed as the flaming spearhead buried itself in her body. The shadows around Celestia dissipated as their creator focused her magic on extracting the spear from her side. Quickly, Nightmare Moon tore the spear out, wrapped a magical field around her barrel to staunch the bleeding, and hurled the spear into the maze of Ponyville’s side streets. Celestia wiped the blood from her eyes and sprang into the air, her weakened wings beating frantically. She flew headlong at Nightmare Moon, and they collided with a mighty clash of armour. As they struggled in mid-air, Celestia sank her teeth into the tornado that surrounded Nightmare Moon and took control of it, feeding it with the power of her own wings. When it had grown into a mighty hurricane, she let it loose and kicked Nightmare Moon into it with a powerful buck of her hind legs. Nightmare Moon was only caught in the hurricane for a few seconds before she managed to escape it, but the force of the wind drove her into the side of the Ponyville Day Spa in a painful collision. Celestia seized her opportunity and flew at her sister, shooting bolts of fire from her horn. Nightmare Moon roused herself from her crash-landing site and charged her horn for another attack. No spell seemed to issue from Nightmare Moon’s horn, and Celestia’s dive continued unabated. But just before she struck, a faintly glowing silvery mesh entangled her body and wings, and brought her crashing to the ground. Nightmare Moon laughed and pounced on her sister, her hooves landing on Celestia’s chest with a sickening crunch of bone. “It is over, commander!” she crowed. “Thy centuries of glorious rule are at an end, and so art thou!” Celestia coughed feebly under Nightmare Moon’s hooves, her lips stained with blood. “It doesn’t… have to be… this way…” she whispered to her, in a voice too weak for anypony else to hear. “I beg of you… Luna…” Nightmare Moon stared at the broken body of her sister, and fell silent for several seconds. Then she lit her horn, wrapped Celestia in a field of deep blue energy, and hurled her over the eastern horizon. The ponies beneath the shield watched in horror as their princess did battle with Nightmare Moon, and lost. The Wonderbolts fell to the floor, unable to find the will to fly. Prince Blueblood wailed in grief at the fate of his grandmother. The Mayor placed a hoof on his shoulder, doing her best to comfort him. Shining Armor watched with trepidation as Nightmare Moon advanced towards the shield. The black alicorn was visibly limping, and blood was dripping from the magical bandage around her barrel, but her posture was triumphant. Behind her, more creatures were starting to crawl out of the darkness – some from the shadows around her, others from the direction of the Everfree Forest. “Your commander is no more!” she proclaimed to the stunned crowd. Foals clutched each other and sobbed in terror as the Royal Canterlot Voice washed over them. “We are your only princess, now and forever! Kneel before us and we may be merciful!” “Not without Celestia!” shouted Prince Blueblood, staring up at the wicked alicorn defiantly. “Return her to us, or we have nothing to talk about! Equestria will never surrender to you!” Nightmare Moon laughed, a sharp, barking laughter that showed her to be as mad as she was evil. “Then you will all suffer!” she cried, and rose into the air, even though she winced with every beat of her wings. “Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!” Her mane and tail swirled around her, and her body dissolved into a nebula cloud once more, and streamed away into the darkness. From the shadows she left behind, her army advanced upon the terrified ponies huddled under the shield. Prince Blueblood looked at Shining Armor, shaking with grief and rage. “Did I do the wrong thing?” he asked him. Shining Armor shook his head. “We can’t surrender to her. If the stories are true, she’s going to bring eternal night to Equestria. We have to fight her with whatever we’ve got.” Spitfire cast a glance over the approaching army, frowning as she counted their numbers. “This is going to be tough. What are your orders, sir?” Shining felt the mantle of responsibility settle around his shoulders. This was war, and with Celestia… gone… he was the supreme commander of Equestria’s Royal Guard. He glanced at the approaching monsters, then at the distant view of Canterlot, still shining on the side of its mountain. “We hold out here as best we can. Princess Celestia made a great sacrifice in wounding Nightmare Moon and driving her off, and thanks to that, we have a chance. I should be able to hold this shield indefinitely if Nightmare Moon herself isn’t attacking. I know there are ponies elsewhere in Ponyville, but the army looks like it’ll concentrate its force here. “Meanwhile, I open a window and you send your best long-distance flier to Canterlot for reinforcements. If we get more National Guard down here, we’ll rout this army easily. Until then, we bunker down… but I’ll send Rainbow Dash and a few of her ponies out to protect the rest of town from any monsters that break from the main force.” Spitfire nodded. “I’ll send Major Soarin, he’s the best over long distances. The rest of us will stand by in case the sergeant needs backup. You got all that, sergeant?” Rainbow Dash snapped to attention, her expression grim. “Sir! Ma’am! Sounds good. Should my team leave now?” “Be ready to leave in under a minute, yes.” Shining looked around at the Ponyville weather team, then furrowed his brow. “Where are your corporals?” Rainbow scraped her hoof against the floor of the hall. “Raindrops is having some kind of seizure. Thunderlane dragged her into a back room and is taking care of her. Should… should I call him back? She’s only one pony…” Shining shook his head. “As long as you trust the rest of your team, it’ll be fine.” He took another glance at the army outside, then walked behind the Mayor’s podium, raising his voice to address the crowd. “Listen up, ponies!” he called out. “I know this looks bad, but we have the numbers, the training and the magic to get everypony through this alive. We will be safe here while –” A crash came from behind Shining, as of a door being kicked off its hinges, and both Spitfire and Rainbow Dash ran towards him, shouting something. Shining spun around just in time to see a yellow creature charge out of a back room and pounce on him, bearing down on him with immense strength. The creature resembled a pegasus, but its wings were webbed like those of a huge bat, and as it hissed aggressively at Shining, it displayed a pair of wickedly sharp canines. Shining fell onto his back and struggled with the creature, trying to push it off him, but it pinned his legs to the floor and latched onto his neck with its jaws. Shining Armor cried out as the creature’s fangs sank deep into his neck. He thrashed about in an attempt to free himself, but found himself held fast in the grip of its jaws and legs. He felt himself growing weaker, and the colour seemed to drain from the world as he lost blood. He tried to cast a spell to lift the creature away from him, but the pain and shock made it impossible to concentrate, and the magic slipped away from him. Shining was dimly aware of heavy blows striking the creature, and he could barely see the blue-grey form of Rainbow Dash above him. Gritting his teeth with the effort, he gave a mighty thrust of his legs and tore the creature’s jaws from his throat. Between his efforts and Rainbow Dash’s, they seemed to get the upper hoof, and the creature was forced to disengage. It spread its bat-like wings and flapped away through a window of the hall. As it retreated, Shining caught a glimpse of a symbol on its flank – three bright red drops of blood. Spitfire helped Shining back onto his hooves. “Are you alright, sir?” she asked. “What was that thing?” Thunderlane staggered out of the back room, dazed and with a dent in his peytral. “Ma’am, Raindrops has turned into some kind of monster!” he gasped to Rainbow Dash. “I couldn’t stop her, she…” “We fought her, corporal,” said Rainbow Dash, putting out a hoof to steady Thunderlane. “She got away.” A shriek came from above her, and she lashed out with her spear, impaling a vaguely bird-shaped creature of dark mist that was attacking her. Shining snatched up his spear and brandished it at some more flying creatures that had entered the hall, and he looked up at the windows of the hall with a sinking sensation in his chest. The moon shone a bright silver, and the night sky was a dark velvet, unobscured by any magical shield. He planted his hooves firmly on the floor and tried to gather his magical energy, but when he cast his shield spell, the world spun around him and he fell flat on his face. “I can’t do it,” he whinnied as Spitfire helped him up again. “I feel so faint…” He pressed a hoof to his neck, and it came away with an ugly red stain on his white coat. “You’ve lost blood, sir,” said Thunderlane, and he wrapped a bandage around the captain’s neck. “You’ll live, but… what do we do now?” Shining Armor looked up at the monsters flying into the hall. There were only a few yet, but more were coming every second, and the monsters on foot would be beating at the doors soon. He surveyed his forces – the Ponyville Weather Corps, the Wonderbolts, and Princess Celestia’s four honour guard pegasi, plus the other pegasi of Ponyville and any other reserve forces who lived here. “Alright, new plan!” he shouted, addressing everypony in the hall. “Spitfire, send Soarin to Canterlot. We need a company of National Guard here, stat!” Spitfire nodded to Soarin, and the blue stallion took to the air at once, weaving his way expertly through the attacking monsters and striking out towards Canterlot. “Rainbow Dash! Take the weather corps, raise the reserves, and escort the civilians to the safest buildings in Ponyville. The hall isn’t safe anymore,” he continued, punctuating his speech by knocking out a monster with a well-placed buck, “but your ponies will know the best places to defend. Go!” “Aye, sir!” Rainbow Dash saluted crisply and took to the air. “Right, Ponyville! You heard the captain. Civilians, divide into groups of twenty, and we’ll escort you to your shelters. All reserves, consider yourselves activated! This is war! Private Flitter will take the first group to the Carousel Boutique, leaving in thirty seconds! Move, move, move!” Shining took a moment to observe the locals’ well-disciplined reaction to the danger, and Rainbow Dash’s capable leadership, and felt just a little more confident that they could survive the assault. “Wonderbolts, honour guard, you’re all with me. Our job is to hold off these monsters. We need to keep everypony safe until the National Guard reinforcements get here. Got that?” “Got it, sir,” said Spitfire grimly. She rose into the air, spear at the ready, and the Wonderbolts formed up behind her. Celestia’s honour guard took up a position alongside them, their faces lined with determination to avenge their princess. “Get ready to attack on my order, then,” said Shining, as the first group of civilians prepared to make their escape. He watched the monsters, and Rainbow Dash and her ponies, holding for just the right moment. “Wait for it… and… now! For Celestia!” Apple Bloom felt a gentle leg curl around her body and drag her out from under the table. She looked up into Applejack’s face and hugged her tearfully. “What’s going on, sis?” she asked in a trembling voice. Applejack pointed to the middle of the hall, where Shining Armor, Spitfire and their troops had moved into an aggressive formation. “We’re gonna have to move, sugarcube,” she said, brushing her muzzle against her sister’s cheek reassuringly. “The hall ain’t safe, so we’re evacuatin’ to someplace that is. You remember your drills at school, right?” Apple Bloom bit her lip to keep it from trembling, and nodded. “I remember. Are we going to Sweet Apple Acres?” Thunderlane touched down beside the Apple family as they gathered themselves together. “No, it’s not safe either,” he said grimly, looking over the group. “The buildings are too old and too spread out, and it’s too far from town. I’ll be taking you to Rich Manor. It’s built to stand up to assault.” “Sounds good,” said Big Macintosh, who had one leg out to support Granny Smith. “We can rebuild if we lose buildings, but not if we lose ponies.” Scootaloo poked her head out from under the table. “What about me?” she asked, trying to look brave. “I should stay with Rainbow Dash and my parents, right?” The white unicorn filly who had shared the table with them was being led away by a pair of unicorns, accompanied by another armoured pegasus. Thunderlane knelt down to look Scootaloo in the eye. “Rainbow Dash is leading the evacuation, and your parents are helping other groups get to safety.” He beckoned with a hoof, and Rumble and Featherweight approached the group. “Feathermay is helping too, and they all trust me to get you kids somewhere safe.” Scootaloo drew herself upright and puffed out her chest. “But I can fight! I can help protect everypony!” “Not today,” said Thunderlane, placing a hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Rainbow Dash and your parents need to know that you’re safe, or they won’t be able to concentrate on their own battles. But I do need you to be brave, so the other fillies won’t be too scared. That’s what pegasi do, they’re brave enough for all three tribes.” “Okay!” exclaimed Scootaloo, and she offered a high hoof to the two pegasus colts, which was enthusiastically met by Rumble. Featherweight seemed not to notice the gesture, and was busy staring at a photograph he held in one hoof. The children shuffled closer together, and were joined by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. The latter’s glasses were fogged over, and Diamond Tiara’s muzzle showed the stains of recent tears. “I hope we get home s-soon,” she mumbled, her voice catching a little as she tried to steady her breathing. “We’ll be safe there. It’s always safe there.” “We’ll be there in no time,” said Scootaloo confidently. “Thunderlane won’t let anything happen to us, and Rainbow Dash is in charge of the evacuation. Nothing gets past them.” Wordlessly, Featherweight held out the photograph he was toying with. It depicted Nightmare Moon standing on top of Celestia’s defeated form, laughing. “Well, yeah…” said Apple Bloom hesitantly. “But she’s gone, right? Princess Celestia hurt her real bad and she had to run away. It’s just a bunch of monsters and stuff now.” Diamond Tiara nodded hurriedly. “And Shining Armor and Spitfire fight monsters all the time! We’ll be fine. We’ll be totally… fine…” She trailed off into tears, and Silver Spoon put a leg around her shoulder to comfort her. “We will be fine,” insisted Scootaloo. “If anything gets past Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, it’ll have to go through me before it can hurt you guys.” “Get ready to move!” shouted Thunderlane. The foals huddled together under the watchful eyes of Filthy Rich, Diamond Dazzle and a few of the Apples, and were gradually herded outside. Thunderlane looked up at the sky, and the children followed suit. The Wonderbolts were wheeling through the sky in perfect formation, leaving trails of smoke and lightning in their wake. They flew high over Ponyville, and engaged a horde of shadowy creatures that resembled bats. The shadows were small and nimble, but the Wonderbolts corralled them like sheep and tore them apart with their spears and hooves. “That’s our opening! Move!” came the order from Thunderlane, and everypony began to gallop. They ran north from the town square, with Applejack at the front of the herd and Big Macintosh guarding the rear, while Thunderlane soared overhead, keeping a watch on their path. The herd weaved its way through the mostly deserted streets of Ponyville, following a path that Thunderlane mapped out for them. As they passed near Quills and Sofas, Thunderlane called Applejack to a halt and made the civilians wait while he scouted ahead. A few tense moments passed in silence, and children waited nervously in the calming embrace of their parents and siblings. Without warning, a trio of timber wolves burst from the shadows and jumped on Thunderlane, latching their thorny jaws onto his legs and flanks. He whinnied and bucked, and thrust his spear through the body of one wolf, which collapsed into a pile of sticks. Blood ran down his legs from where the other two savaged him. Applejack, Apple Fritter and Diamond Dazzle rushed forward to assist the soldier, and assaulted the remaining wolves with their hooves while the other adults stayed with the children. Scootaloo jumped up and down in excitement, while Featherweight looked through his camera at the fight and the other children cowered in fear. The four ponies made short work of the timber wolves, but the herd pressed on to avoid being caught when the wolves inevitably reformed. Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were visibly shaken by the encounter, and Featherweight had still not said a word since Nightmare Moon’s appearance, although his saddlebag was full of photographs of monsters. Scootaloo and Rumble ran at the front of the group of foals, doing their best to keep the others’ spirits up with their confident façades. Just when the ordeal seemed to be never-ending, the tall gates of Rich Manor came into view. The gates were sealed with an iron crossbar, but an elderly indigo earth pony was waiting just behind them, with a kitchen knife gripped between his teeth. The approach seemed clear, and Diamond Tiara galloped forward with a jubilant cry. She was brought up short when Scootaloo latched her jaws onto her tail, and she rounded angrily on the young pegasus. “Let me go, you dodo!” she snarled, struggling to get free. “I’m nearly home!” “Don’t break ranks!” retorted Scootaloo through her clenched teeth. “Never break ranks! That’s how ponies die!” As the two fillies struggled, Thunderlane touched down and walked carefully towards the gates, his spear at the ready. A motion in the hedges surrounding the manor caught his eye, and he dove into them, grappling with some unseen monster. A cacophany of angry squawking sounds came from the hedge, and the ponies held their collective breath as Thunderlane fought his foe. With a triumphant cry, he dragged what looked like a large snake out of the hedge, hurled it into a nearby rainwater barrel, and fastened the lid tight. “Come on, the coast is clear,” he called to the other ponies, and they advanced quickly towards the gates. Diamond Tiara mumbled an apology to Scootaloo as she hurried to the gates alongside her father, then looked up at Thunderlane. “What was that thing?” she asked Thunderlane breathlessly. “That?” replied Thunderlane, waving a hoof at the barrel. “That was a… uh…” He looked over the foals, some of whom were in tears again. “Just a snake. Not even venomous. Would have given you kids a scare, that’s all.” The pony behind the gates hauled up the bar with surprising strength, and pushed the gates open. Filthy Rich stepped forward to shake the stallion’s hoof warmly. “Randolph, I’m glad you’re alright,” he greeted him. “Was there any trouble here?” Randolph shook his head and slipped the kitchen knife into his belt, while surreptitiously kicking a blood-stained rag out of sight. “Been a quiet night, sir,” he replied. “Nothing worth frightening the children over.” The ponies hurried into the manor, and Randolph barred the gate behind them. Soon, the entire herd was safely ensconced in the Riches’ living room, being comforted with hot toast and cold apple cider. “So, what now?” asked Applejack. “We just wait here until it’s all over?” “That’s the plan,” said Thunderlane. “I’m going to report back to Sergeant Rainbow Dash. We’ll hold off the enemy as best we can, and you should be safe behind this fence and these walls. In the unlikely event that anything breaks through, there are enough able-bodied ponies among you to defend the foals, right?” Applejack nodded grimly. “We won’t let anything get to them, you can count on that.” Thunderlane gathered the three pegasus foals together. “You all did great out there,” he assured them. “Rumble… I wish I could stay here, but I promise you’ll be safe. Scootaloo, good job keeping Diamond Tiara under control. And Featherweight…” He eyed his protégé with concern. The light yellow foal was still silent, and clutching his camera and photographs with an iron grip. “Featherweight, you’re safe now. You’re with friends. Talk to the other kids. I’ll be back once Ponyville is safe, okay?” Featherweight nodded silently, and brushed his muzzle against Thunderlane’s shoulder. Thunderlane nuzzled Featherweight back, then drank a hasty glass of cider and took to the air, heading for the centre of town, where he could see a rainbow blur zipping between buildings. Five minutes later, a rosy force field sprang up around the manor, and its inhabitants breathed a sigh of relief at their renewed safety. The moon still shone down upon them malevolently, reminding everypony that the one constant in Equestria was gone. Shining Armor pulled his spear free of the pterodactyl-like creature that he had been fighting, and its body fell to the ground far below him. “That’s the last of them,” he muttered. “Everypony okay?” “We’re good, sir,” said one of the white pegasi drawing Celestia’s chariot. Shining had commandeered the vehicle in order to get a pegasus’s-eye view of the battle. Celestia’s honour guard were formidable combatants on the ground and in the air, and could respond to the slightest tug on the reins more quickly than to a shouted command in the thick of battle. Two guardsponies were hitched to the chariot, while the other two flanked it, spears drawn. “How’s the prince doing?” Prince Blueblood was seated next to Shining in the chariot, sweating profusely. “I am quite well, thank you,” he responded, gripping the front of the chariot to keep himself upright. “I wish you’d let us evacuate you to one of the Ponyville buildings,” said Shining. “We need to keep everypony safe, and you especially, with Celestia gone.” The prince shook his head. “I won’t abandon Equestria in its hour of need,” he insisted. “Especially not when that thing that took my grandmother is still out there.” “Fine, just stay out of the way,” Shining muttered. He turned his gaze back to scanning the horizon. A rainbow blur streaked through the sky towards him, and before he knew it Sergeant Rainbow Dash was hovering next to the chariot and saluting him. “Sir! I just got a report from Corporal Thunderlane. The Rich Manor party is safely evacuated.” She pointed to the tall, thatched-roofed manor with a hoof. “Think you’ve got another shield ready?” Shining massaged his temples, and took a swig from the bottle of cider that sat in a basket on the floor of the chariot. “Should be able to manage it. Give me a moment.” He squinted in the direction that Rainbow Dash indicated, trying to focus on the manor. Blueblood glanced in the same direction, and his horn briefly glowed a gentle sky-blue. “That’s two point three one miles, bearing north thirteen degrees east,” he said without hesitation. Shining paused briefly in surprise, then focused his magic and conjured a shimmering shield to cover Rich Manor. “Thank you, highness, that was very…” He slumped backwards in his seat, his vision blurring again. “Very helpful.” Spitfire glided along next to the chariot. “What’s the status of the evacuation now, sergeant?” she asked, taking advantage of a brief lull in the aerial fighting. “Nearly finished, ma’am!” said Rainbow Dash proudly. “Private Blossomforth is taking a party to Sugarcube Corner now. I’ve set the rest of my ponies to patrolling the streets – Thunderlane reported a few bands of hostile ground forces looking for stragglers.” “Sounds good,” said Spitfire. “I’ll send Colonel Fleetfoot to assist the Sugarcube Corner party. If they’re the last ponies left on the street, they’re more likely to run into trouble. How long until reinforcements get here, captain?” “Should be here within ten minutes,” said Shining Armor, his eyes still closed. “Five if Major Soarin is as fast as he says he is. Maybe longer if he has trouble mobilizing the guard. We didn’t train for this scenario.” “We can hold out that long, sir,” said Spitfire. “The weather corps have the ground under control, and we’re doing alright in the air. As long as Nightmare Moon herself stays away, we’ll make it.” A Wonderbolt with pale blue hair rushed up beside Spitfire. “Captain!” she exclaimed, gesticulating in the direction of the Everfree Forest. “We’ve got a major problem on the ground!” Shining Armor jerked upright and opened his eyes, and the pegasi all began moving towards the forest. “How major are we talking here?” he demanded. As if in response, a deafening roar came from the direction of the Everfree Forest. The chariot and the pegasi rushed ahead, and Shining’s jaw dropped when he was what was approaching. A huge bear, its coat shimmering like a night sky full of stars, was lumbering along on the ground, heading directly for Ponyville. Shining stared for several seconds before he found his voice. “Ursa Major…” he gasped. “I’ve read about star beasts, but I never thought we’d have to fight one…” “Star beast, huh?” asked Spitfire. “So how do we kill it?” “We, ah… we don’t. They’re practically invulnerable. The best we could do is lure it back into the forest. Shouldn’t be hard – they’re not smart. But it’ll be dangerous.” “Danger is what we live for, sir,” said Spitfire. “Wonderbolts! Attack pattern Buzzing Mosquito. Harass the Ursa Major and get it to follow us back into the Everfree Forest. We’ve done it with dragons, we can do it with this critter. Attack!” The Wonderbolts swarmed around the great bear, diving between its paws and batting at its head with their wings. Shining used his magic to support them by raising temporary shields, which shattered under a single blow from the bear, but protected the pony behind them for just long enough. Spitfire wheeled and banked in the night sky, leaving a trail of fire behind her as she dodged the bear’s attacks. The Ursa Major snarled and lumbered towards her, swings its paws clumsily, but then it stopped and shook its head. It slowly turned around and began moving towards Ponyville again, roaring in anger. “It’s not working!” shouted Spitfire. “Why isn’t it taking the bait?” Shining racked his brain, trying to remember what he had read about star beasts in his training manuals. “Nightmare Moon must be controlling the Ursa Major!” he shouted back. “Forcing it to attack Ponyville! It’s a creature of the night sky, like her!” Prince Blueblood had been cowering in the base of the chariot while the Wonderbolts fought the monster, even though the chariot was hovering at a safe distance. He poked his head over the edge and surveyed the scene nervously. “Highness, get down!” snapped Shining. “We might lose this fight!” “I will!” he shot back. “It’s just that that’s an Ursa Minor, not Major. The stars on its coat match the Ursa Minor constellation.” “It’s a juvenile? But it’s huge! Alright, thanks for the astronomy lesson, but unless you have an idea for how to send it away from Ponyville, stay down!” The prince squinted at the massive bear, then concentrated, his horn glowing brilliantly. As Shining watched, the stars on the Ursa Minor’s coat swirled, then settled into a pattern that resembled their old configuration, but inverted. The plan clicked together in Shining Armor’s mind. “Attack again!” he shouted to Spitfire. “The bear’s lost its sense of direction!” Spitfire gave a wave of acknowledgement, and led her team in a renewed attack. They jabbed at the bear with their spears and buzzed past its nose, eliciting an infuriated roar from the young beast. When they disengaged, it ran directly away from Ponyville, and was soon lost in the canopy of the Everfree Forest. Shining gave a cry of elation, and turned to congratulate Blueblood. “Good job, high… oh,” he trailed off, seeing the prince slumped in his seat and snoring lightly. “Well, don’t worry, I think we’ve won the day. Er, night.” The Wonderbolts fanned out to patrol the sky once more, and Spitfire returned to Shining’s side. “We did it, sir! We’re not out of the woods yet, there are still critters in the sky and on the ground, but I think we can hold on.” The two captains heard a shout from above them. “Incoming!” They looked up to see a blue pegasus gliding towards them from the north-east, his chest heaving and dripping with sweat foam. “Soarin!” exclaimed Shining, and wrapped the exhausted pegasus in his magic, guiding him to alight in the chariot. “National Guard’s coming, sir!” he wheezed. “Full company, hundred ponies. Three minutes behind me.” Shining Armor felt the tension flow out of his body. They were saved. The war had only just begun, but at least they had won this battle, without a single casualty. “Well done, major. I’ll get Soarin and Blueblood to one of the safe houses. Spitfire, hold the sky until reinforcements arrive.” He flicked the reins and directed the honour guard down towards the Ponyville streets. They were descending gradually when a mint green burst of light erupted above Sugarcube Corner, breaking the monotony of the journey. “That was a distress flare!” he exclaimed. “Get there as quick as you can!” When the chariot arrived at Sugarcube Corner, Shining Armor found Rainbow Dash standing outside, with one wing draped around a sobbing green unicorn mare. He vaulted out of the chariot and ran to the sergeant’s side. “Take Soarin and the prince to the hospital!” he ordered the honour guard. Rainbow Dash perked up as the chariot started to pull away. “Bring back Doctor Stable and one of the nurses if you can,” she urged them, her voice choking with barely restrained tears. “We’ve got wounded in here.” The chariot sped away, and Shining turned his full attention to Rainbow Dash. “What’s the situation, sergeant?” he asked, bracing himself for the worst. “Sir! No hostiles left inside! I’ve got my ponies taking care of the wounded and the… the casualties, sir.” At Rainbow’s words, the green unicorn began a fresh bout of sobbing, and Rainbow began stroking her mane soothingly. “I should stay here with Lyra, she’s taking it pretty hard.” “That’s alright, sergeant,” said Shining, not wanting to put any pressure on either pony. “The Wonderbolts have the sky under control, and our reinforcements are only a few minutes away. We should be secure now.” He took a deep breath and stepped over the remains of Sugarcube Corner’s front door, which had been barricaded and then smashed to pieces. He was greeted by a scene of carnage. Tables had been overturned and glass display cases shattered, and cakes and pies were strewn about the dining area. The bodies of a dozen of Nightmare Moon’s gremlins and nightmare beasts were piled in a corner. Shining hoped for a brief moment that the battle had been entirely one-sided, but trails of fresh pony blood staining the floor told their own story. Several wounded ponies were sitting or lying on the floor, having their wounds tended by soldiers or civilians. A short blue earth pony mare, whom Shining recognised from his tour of the town as the proprietor of Sugarcube Corner, was bringing food and water to the wounded and their carers, doing her best to put on a brave face while trembling visibly. Shining Armor stood next to a Weather Corps soldier he recognised and tapped her on the shoulder gently. “Private Flitter, right? Can you tell me what happened here? Informally, I don’t need a full report.” Flitter stared at her hooves, seeming reluctant to meet Shining’s gaze. “We weren’t here, sir. We were fighting Nightmare Moon’s forces on the other side of Ponyville. Nopony knew there was another unit here. We thought they were safe with Private Blossomforth.” “Nopony’s blaming anypony for this, private,” Shining explained calmly. “I was fighting an aerial battle alongside the Wonderbolts when all this happened. Nightmare Moon’s army takes advantage of the darkness, and… there’s not much we can do to counter that right now.” Flitter nodded hesitantly. “The ponies sheltering at the Sweet Shoppe were the first to realise that there had been an attack here. We were nearby when we saw Lyra’s distress signal, and we’ve been tending to the wounded.” “You all did the right thing, private. There are reinforcements and medics on the way.” He swallowed hard, dreading the next question he had to ask. “How many casualties were there?” “Three, sir. Private Blossomforth – she was one of Lyra’s best friends – and one of the Wonderbolts. And a… a civilian, sir.” Shining ground his hoof into the floor to prevent himself from swearing. Civilian casualties were the worst sign of a military failure. No wonder the usually confident and carefree Rainbow Dash had been so distraught. Hopefully, Shining would be able to reassure the Weather Corps that the failure was on the part of nopony but him. He left Flitter to her work, and walked behind the front counter, where he saw three equine bodies covered with sheets. Two had a dog tag placed on top of the sheet, by which he could identify Private Blossomforth and Colonel Fleetfoot. He gently drew back the third sheet with his magic, for long enough to identify the face of Haute Cuisine, the chef who had served him at his lunch with Filthy Rich and the Mayor. Shining felt a chill settle into his bones. Less than twenty-four hours ago, he had been receiving both a wonderful sandwich and a lot of good advice from this pony, and now he was dead, thanks to Shining’s inability to counter Nightmare Moon’s tactics. He removed his helmet and bowed his head solemnly to the three corpses, then replaced the sheet. Slowly, numbly, he wandered back into the dining area, and found Pinkie Pie lying on the floor, being carefully given drinking water by Mrs Cake. “Hi there!” she exclaimed as Shining drew close, sounding as chipper as ever. “How’s it going?” “Eh, not bad,” said Shining reflexively, before actually thinking about what either of them had said. He knelt down next to Pinkie Pie and looked over her injuries. She had a few bandaged wounds on her neck and barrel, but her right hind leg was covered in blood-stained wrappings, and was sitting at an ugly angle. He looked back up at her face, to be confronted by her ever-present grin. “Isn’t that painful?” he asked, indicating her leg. “It’s okay!” she replied. “It only hurts when I laugh. Tee hee!” She trailed off into a mad giggle and slumped back against the pillow under her head. “She’s in shock,” explained the tall yellow stallion lying nearby. “I think. She’s like this most of the time anyway.” Shining turned to face him. “Mr Cake, right? This is your home, and your wife’s?” He nodded, and reached up a hoof to nudge Mrs Cake gently. Shining saw that Mr Cake had taken the brunt of several physical attacks, although his injuries seemed to be minor. “I’m sorry you had to fight. We should have had more soldiers here.” Mr Cake shook his head. “There isn’t a pony here who wouldn’t fight to defend Ponyville. And we couldn’t let anything happen to Cup here.” Pinkie Pie nodded her agreement, and Mrs Cake bowed her head silently in thanks. Shining Armor sat with the Cakes and Pinkie Pie for another minute, helping Mrs Cake to change one of Pinkie’s bandages. Shortly thereafter, an amber unicorn in a doctor’s coat rushed through the door, followed by two earth pony nurses and a pegasus from the National Guard. “Sir!” shouted the pegasus, saluting crisply. “Major Hummingbird, National Guard, fourteenth company! We’ve secured the sky and perimeter around Ponyville! What are your orders, sir?” Shining jumped to his hooves and shook off the lethargy that the sight of the dead and wounded had instilled in him. “Glad you’re here, major. Have your ponies comb the town for any remaining monsters, then report back and we’ll issue an ‘all clear’. And send a squad to the hospital and set up escorts for medical staff and patients.” The major saluted again and hurried off to direct his soldiers, and the doctor rushed to Pinkie Pie’s side. “Don’t worry, Miss Pie, we’ll have you in the hospital in no time. Just let me give you something for your leg.” Pinkie Pie sat up and grinned her manic grin. “Oh boy, is that ketamine? I heard it makes earth ponies fly like plegaflubb…” The doctor levitated the insensate Pinkie out the door and onto a waiting hospital wagon, to which Celestia’s honour guard were hitched. “We’ll be back for the others. Nurse Redheart, take charge of the wounded.” Around Shining Armor, the ponies of Ponyville slowly took charge of their town, tended their wounded, and tried to make sense of the tragedy that had befallen them. The Ponyville clock tower showed midday when Shining Armor addressed the town from a podium in the town square, but the full moon still loomed in the night sky. The timely arrival of the National Guard reinforcements had driven the last of Nightmare Moon’s army from Ponyville and its surrounds, and all of the seriously wounded were being treated at Ponyville Hospital. The force fields surrounding the houses had been lifted, and it was safe to roam the streets again. The ponies who were not patrolling the borders or tending to the wounded were gathered in the town square, to hear Shining Armor’s speech. Shining took a deep breath to calm his nerves as he looked over the crowd. These were ponies who relied on his protection. They needed to know that he could keep them safe, and that Equestria had a future. “Ponies of Ponyville!” he began, projecting his voice over the crowd with his magic. “Ponies of Equestria! Today is a day of tragedy, a day that will be remembered as a black day in our history. But it is not a day without hope. “Nightmare Moon is real, and she has declared war upon Equestria. She sent her army to attack Ponyville today, but her army was defeated! The ponies of Ponyville and the Royal Guard banded together to defend against her creatures of the night, and were victorious! “Three ponies gave their lives to defend Ponyville today. Colonel Fleetfoot of the Wonderbolts and Private Blossomforth of the Ponyville Weather Corps were killed in the line of duty. Haute Cuisine, a civilian, made the ultimate sacrifice protecting his fellow ponies. They will all be remembered and honoured.” Scattered sobbing broke out amongst the crowd, and Shining Armor took a moment to calm himself as he felt tears rising to his own eyes. Once the crowd had settled down, he continued. “Thanks to these ponies, and thanks to the valour of the Royal Guard and the discipline and preparation of the citizens of Ponyville, Nightmare Moon’s forces were repelled. I have assigned a squad of National Guard to reinforce the Ponyville Weather Corps, so if they attack again, Ponyville will be well defended. “Now, as many of you saw, Princess Celestia fought Nightmare Moon in personal combat, and was defeated.” A groan spread through the crowd, and an audible gasp could be heard from the National Guard reinforcements. “She wounded Nightmare Moon gravely, though, and drove her away from Ponyville. We believe that Princess Celestia is trapped within the sun, just as Nightmare Moon was trapped within the moon. Equestria’s most powerful unicorns will be doing their utmost to bring the Princess back, as well as take control of the sun and moon again. “In the meantime, Equestria is without its Princess. Therefore, by my authority as Captain of the Royal Guard, I hereby proclaim that Equestria is in a state of martial law! The Royal Guard will take command of all government bodies, and will direct all of Equestria’s resources to three tasks: the restoration of Princess Celestia, the defeat of Nightmare Moon, and our continued survival in the absence of the sun.” A great murmur spread through the listeners, and even the soldiers looked dismayed at the idea of martial law in Equestria. Captain Spitfire caught Shining Armor’s eye and nodded solemnly to him, indicating her approval. “This state of martial law will last for one month! If Princess Celestia is not restored to us by that time, then sovereign power will be returned to the civilian government in the form of the Triumequirate, one representative from each pony tribe. Each tribe should choose its representative before that time, so that there is no conflict or lapse in government. “Until that time, I will carry the title of Dictator of Equestria, with ultimate authority over all of the kingdom. I appoint Captain Spitfire as Magistra Equitum, to rule both government and Royal Guard in my absence. Together, and with all of you, we will work to bring this terrible chapter in Equestria’s history to a close. We have not been without Celestia’s guidance in more than a thousand years, and if we cannot bring her back, we will do our utmost to rule as she would. “What does this mean for Ponyville? As the ranking officer of Ponyville’s only garrison, Sergeant Rainbow Dash is now in command of Ponyville’s government. Madam Mayor, you and your office will of course remain essential to Ponyville’s smooth functioning, but you are to report to Rainbow Dash and implement all of her orders.” The Mayor and Filthy Rich seemed to take this instruction with quiet equanimity, while Rainbow Dash herself flared her wings in panic. “We will not let Equestria starve. We have food stores and contingency plans to prevent famine in the case of massive crop failure or an invasion, and our earth ponies will find new ways to grow food if we cannot quickly restore the sun. Our pegasi will protect Equestria from Nightmare Moon’s monsters, and our unicorns will find a way to bring Princess Celestia back to us. We will not perish. We will not falter. And we will not surrender!” The crowd cheered and stomped their hooves. Perhaps not as enthusiastically as Shining’s usual audience of soldiers might have, but Ponyville was still reeling from an attack worse than anything the Everfree Forest had ever thrown at them. The townsfolk returned to their homes and businesses to repair the damage and find ways to move forward with their lives, while Shining relocated to the town hall to meet with his soldiers and some key local figures. A group of very worried-looking ponies attended Shining Armor in the town hall. The Mayor and Filthy Rich were conferring with each other and scribbling notes on their clipboards, and Applejack ran between them and Big Macintosh as she discussed the food situation with them. Spitfire and her four surviving Wonderbolts distracted themselves by tending their weapons and armour, and conversing quietly with Major Hummingbird, Sergeant Rainbow Dash, Corporal Thunderlane and Celestia’s honour guard. Prince Blueblood was sitting on the floor, cradling Princess Celestia’s spear carefully. Its flame had gone out. “Alright, is everypony here?” he asked. “Good. I’ve got some specific orders I want to issue, and if any of you have questions, now’s the time to ask.” “I got a question,” said Applejack boldly, raising one hoof. “How much of that there speech did you actually believe?” Shining hesitated, taken aback by Applejack’s forthrightness. “Uh… all of it?” he hazarded. Applejack looked sceptical, and he could see that her doubts were reflected in the other Ponyville ponies. “Look, I don’t know how we’re going to get Princess Celestia back. She might be trapped in the sun, or she might have been banished somewhere else, or she could even be…” He paused and bit his lip, unable to finish that most awful thought. “The point is, we can’t predict that. If my guess is right, once we’re able to raise the sun again, we’ll be able to free her. We controlled the sun in the days before Equestria’s founding and Celestia’s rule, and we can do it again, once we defeat Nightmare Moon.” “And how are we going to do that, sir?” interjected Rainbow Dash. “We saw how she wiped the floor with Princess Celestia.” “She didn’t ‘wipe the floor’ with her, sergeant,” said Spitfire. “She beat her, but it was close. I was watching that fight closely – Nightmare Moon isn’t as good a fighter as Celestia w… is. She’s got stronger magic, that’s all.” “That’s right,” said Shining Armor. “Celestia wounded Nightmare Moon, badly. If we can corner her with enough ponies, we can defeat her. And no, I don’t know how we’re going to do that when she can turn into stars and vanish into the night. But we’ll figure out something. This is the worst crisis Equestria’s ever faced, but it’s not the first one. “Now, Sergeant Rainbow Dash. Are you up to the task of governing Ponyville for the duration of the emergency?” Rainbow Dash flicked her eyes back and forth around the Ponyville ponies, then nodded grimly. “Sir, yes, sir! I mean, I just need to make sure our defences are solid, and then let the Mayor do her job, right?” Shining nodded. “More or less. Madam Mayor, do you have a plan for dealing with the food shortage we’re going to have without the sun?” “I do!” said the Mayor. “We always have good food reserves, thanks to Applejack and her management of the other farmers. We’ve planned for both local crop failures and the possibility of our crops being needed in bulk by other towns.” “The plan is to harvest everything that’s even vaguely edible right away,” Applejack explained. “We can make our unripe apples into apple jam, apple jelly, all kinds of extracts and juices… it won’t be tasty, but it’ll keep ponies’ bellies full. Granny Smith has plenty of recipes for unripe apples. I’ll meet with the other farmers and we’ll come up with a way to use what we’ve got.” “We’ve still got most of the Apple family here for their reunion,” added Big Macintosh. “I guess it’s too dangerous for them to travel, so we’ll find places for them to stay. They can help us and the other farms with the harvest, since we’re gonna want it done as quick as we can.” “I’ll work out a system to ensure that the farmers don’t suffer financially for harvesting early, too,” said Filthy Rich. “It’ll need to be backed by the government, of course, but I think it’ll be better for Equestria than just ordering farmers to do it. Which is, of course, within your authority as Dictator.” Shining swallowed hard, feeling the burden of governance weighing heavily on his shoulders already. Economics were not his strong point. “Uh, yes, I can see that you’re right, Mr Rich. The treasury will issue some war bonds or… something. Now, Major Hummingbird, are Corporal Diamond Rose and her squad ready to assist Sergeant Rainbow Dash in the defence of Ponyville?” The leader of the Fourteenth Company saluted. “Yes, sir! They’ve moved into the weather station for now, and they’ll see about finding other lodgings later. Corporal Diamond Rose is eager to serve at the sergeant’s direction.” “Glad to hear it. I can see that Ponyville is well looked after. Now, I need to issue some important orders. Captain Spitfire, I need you to escort Prince Blueblood personally back to Canterlot, along with the soldiers who will be returning there. He’ll be needed to assist the civilian administrators in Princess Celestia’s absence.” “Got it, sir,” said Spitfire. “But you’ll be coming with us, right? You’ll need to command the guard and the government from Canterlot.” Shining Armor shook his head. “I won’t be going to Canterlot. You will be governing in my stead. That’s why I named you my Magistra Equitum. There is another mission I need to perform, away from Canterlot.” “But… but sir. We need you to run things. Your strategic expertise, your leadership…” Shining took a deep breath as he looked around at the soldiers and civilians who now served him. “Before Princess Celestia went to fight Nightmare Moon, she told me to do three things – protect Equestria, find the Elements of Harmony, and trust my friends. The Elements of Harmony are a weapon that Princess Celestia used to defeat Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago. If I can find them, I can use them to put an end to this war without anypony else needing to die. “And she was right – I should trust you. You’ve proven that Ponyville knows how to defend itself, and that Equestria’s safety is in good hooves. You can command the guard as well as I can, but Celestia has given me this mission personally. I’m putting my faith in you, Captain Spitfire, just as Celestia put her faith in me. Will you govern and protect Equestria until I return?” He turned his head to encompass all of the ponies present. “Will you all serve Equestria in its hour of need?” Spitfire saluted crisply, and the rest of the soldiers followed suit. “Yes, sir!” she exclaimed. “We won’t let you down, sir.” “Now, wait a minute,” said Big Macintosh. “You ain’t going into the Everfree Forest alone, are you?” “Yeah!” agreed Rainbow Dash, leaping into the air and hovering right in front of Shining. “I gotta go with… I mean… I gotta send somepony with you.” “No,” said Shining, putting his hoof down. “I’m doing this alone. Celestia assigned this mission to me, not anypony else. And I need to evade Nightmare Moon’s attention. I don’t know how much she sees, with the moon hanging in the sky like that, but one pony can pass through the forest more quietly than an army. Besides… for all we know, this could be a suicide mission. We don’t know exactly where the Elements are or how they’re guarded. The only life I’m willing to throw away on this mission is my own. You all know what to do – be about your assignments, and I’ll be about mine.” “But…” came the objection from more than one mouth. “That’s an order, ponies! I’m counting on you to be at your posts. Now go and make Celestia proud of her little ponies. “Dismissed!”