//------------------------------// // Trixie: Pandemic // Story: Game of Worlds // by DualThrone //------------------------------// “Cadence, I’m afraid there’s no sign of our ‘allies’ anywhere nearby,” Anori reported with a bow. Princess Cadence sighed and slumped a little in the seat opposite Trixie’s. “I suppose them seeing Tartarus descending on Ponyville and flying to our assistance was too much to hope for.” She shook her head. “What purpose could it possibly serve for them to come here, offer assistance, claim to be well-versed in how to fight these things, and then disappear when the atermors actually attack?” “I don’t think we can rule out them being in league with the creatures,” Krysa said. “We only have their word that they have done anything beyond what we’ve directly observed them doing.” Trixie shook her head. “I believe them,” she said. “I’m not Twilight but their scrap of cloth was certainly doing what they claimed.” “I believe them as well, “ Cadence said before either of her guards could argue. “I do not believe they had common cause with our enemies. If they had, they had many rich opportunities to show it, many perfect times to drive the knife into our backs, none more perfect than Aunt Celestia completely comatose.” At the mention of Princess Celestia’s state, they all looked towards the room where the unconscious monarch was resting. They’d brought her in shortly after checking in with Shining, who was being very ably assisted by Ditzy Doo and Berry Punch in keeping the townsponies calm and comfortable while fires were put out and buildings inspected for soundness. Nurse Redheart had almost instantly diagnosed the princess as being in shock, a shock so severe that it would have seriously endangered a less supernaturally hardy pony. As it was, Redheart recommended that she be allowed to rest under medical supervision until she had regained cognizance. “I fear our enemy achieved something much better than removing Celestia, Your Majesty,” Krysa said, reaching out to pat Cadence’s shoulder. “They made you do it.” Cadence nodded. “I did what I needed to do,” she said quietly. “I hated it, hated myself for it, but I needed to do it.” She raised her eyes to Trixie, and Trixie automatically looked away at how much pain was in her eyes, and the note of pleading in her voice. “I needed to,” she repeated. Trixie took in a breath and forced herself to meet Cadence’s eyes. “You needed to,” she agreed. “I don't think she was aware of anything around her, except the klesae. I think she would have burned all of Ponyville if you hadn’t… whatever you did.” “I’m certain she would have, and weeped for it later.” Cadence got to her hooves. “Now, we must entrust her to the expert care of Redheart and her staff, and consult with Shining about the defense of Ponyville. Slaying so many of them could have deterred them but if they were willing to risk themselves when we were assured that they prefer the shadows, I doubt losses will dampen their resolve.” “As you will, Your Highness.” Anori and Krysa got to their hooves as well and followed Cadence down the halls of the clinic and out the double doors, Trixie walking along behind the trio. As they stepped outside, Trixie tried to hold her breath against the smell of burning tar mixed with the scents of ozone from the storm clouds the pegasi had gathered and scorched wood. The outer part of the town, where the clinic was, had escaped the holocaust in the center but thick clouds of black soot-ridden smoke had plastered them with streaks of black. “There’s quite a bit of rebuilding to do,” Cadence said in a subdued voice. “And yet if what I heard my aunt say in her rage was true, Ponyville got off light… only two of its population sickened.” “We’ve been fortunate, Your Majesty,” Trixie said. “Carrot Top recognized a serious problem immediately so we could cut the sickness off at its source quickly. We didn’t know the full story, but we purified the infected food before it could turn into pandemic. I’m sure that’s why the atermors attacked here: this is the only place it didn’t work.” “Yes, fortunate, but also benefitting from the fact that my favorite little filly in the entire world has been living here,” Cadence smiled a little. “It’s why Carrot Top would seek you out, why you of all ponies were left in charge, why Spike has been such a big help: my cousin by adoption.” Silence fell among them as they entered the town proper, the scorched skeletons of formerly cheerful buildings surrounding them on all sides. The silence where it was normally very lively and noisy was mildly disturbing and Trixie felt herself shiver involuntarily as they passed through and went on to the library. Because the prevailing winds were blowing the smoke the other direction, the library had a strangely pristine appearance. What it also had was a pony Trixie was certain she’d never seen before leaning casually against the tree to a side of the door. He was the most remarkably unremarkable pony Trixie had ever seen, average in every possible respect: average weight, height, mane length, color, size, everything. He continued to calmly chew a twig as they approached, keeping his eyes on all of them but focusing especially on Cadence. “Your Majesty,” he said with an incline of his head as they reached the door. Cadence looked steadily at him. “It is a foul day which falls,” she said to him in a very deliberate tone, as if reciting something from memory. “And yet fair is the one that dawns,” he replied in the exact same tone before a deeply troubled expression replaced the casual. “I never thought I’d see the day when a town of Celestia’s domain was scorched by its gentle diarch’s wrath. I also heard her howls of soul-deep agony at the evil done to the subjects she loves, and all of this changes everything.” “I agree.” Cadence smiled a little. “Would you like to come inside? Spike has jasmine tea.” “I would love to, but I can’t.” He smiled back slightly. “I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep. You’re the first one I needed to contact, the first on a very long list, and my message is this: all of us stand ready to defend Equestria. You need only ask.” “I ask.” Cadence inclined her head to him and he returned the gesture. “I fear that you’re needed far more in the major cities than here, however.” “We are,” he acknowledged. “But once I’ve seen to that, we are at your service and that of Celestia as well.” He reached up a hoof and laid it on Cadence’s shoulder. “Take heart, Princess. Against you and these good ponies the atermors are nothing, no matter what creatures they call or what tricks they use.” “I wish I could be as confident as you,” Cadence laid her hoof on his shoulder in turn. “I’m just about to speak to my fiance about seeing to the defenses here. The atermors seem unusually interested in Ponyville, enough to attack full-on without regard for loss, and I’m told they never do that. I don’t suppose you know why?” “Communications have been… uncertain since the crisis erupted,” he said hesitantly. “I can only offer my opinion, and that is that they’re trying to break the most effective resistance immediately before you learn too much about them. Clearly you know something, or you couldn’t have slain so many and destroyed their beast.” He removed his hoof from Cadence’s shoulder and looked up at the low position of the sun. “You have my best wishes in this, Princess, and good fortune to you.” Somehow, that the stallion was a unicorn had entirely escaped Trixie’s attention, so the flash of teleportation made her jump a little; the uncharacteristic thunderclap of what she guessed was an unusually powerful teleportation spell made her jump a lot. She stared for a moment where the pony had been before looking at the princess. “Um… who the hay was that?” “A messenger,” Cadence replied, honestly Trixie thought. “I have no idea of his name or even more specifically who he is.” She opened the library door with her magic and walked through the doorway. “All I know is that he’s attached to some ponies who plan to help us, and that he was using an illusionary spell to hide his true features.” “I thought he looked odd.” Trixie followed the princess inside, her two bodyguards turning and taking up position on either side of the library door behind them. The interior of the library was awash in ponies, surprisingly calm ponies given the day’s events, but it was still easy enough to spot Shining Armor. He was in the middle of conversing with Big Macintosh, who seemed to tower over him desipite his own impressive physical presence, when Cadence nimbly leaned around the tall farmpony and kissed her fiance. Trixie was vaguely aware of her saying something else to Shining and him replying, but she found herself being embraced by her own big stallion and pressed herself into his comforting presence. “Hi Mac,” she mumbled as she returned the embrace. “Trixie,” he rumbled, nuzzling the top of her head. “Ya okay?” “I think I will be,” she said. “The last time I’ve seen anything like it was the fight with the Guardian and his puppets. It’s the last time I felt so… small, so dwarfed by what was going on around me, so helpless to do anything.” “Way Ah hear it ya did plenty,” he told her. “Killed a whole heap o’ them. Did your part. Ah’m awful proud of ya, Trixie… Miz Twilight chose right.” Trixie felt her cheeks get warm. “I’m just glad I could help. I think the rest of the town will be doing the important part, erasing all the scars of the battle.” She pressed in closer to him. “Princess Cadence thinks this is just the beginning, that they’ll try again. I’m not sure I’m strong enough to throw the kind of barrages that could truly deter them, or make strong barriers or…” Big Mac silenced her by kissing her lightly. “Ya worry too much.” “I’m not certain one can worry too much, Big Macintosh,” Cadence said, turning away from a resigned-looking Shining Armor. “There will be problems ahead of us, serious ones. If my aunt’s anguished cries were correct, the atermors could potentially make their own army of their twisted victims and if they bring that army here, I’m not sure I can hold the line by myself. Even with Shining’s help, even with my bodyguards, even with Trixie and all the ponies of Ponyville, quantity has a quality all its own and we don’t have quantity.” “An’ so whatcha planning?” Big Mac asked, turning to the Princess and laying a foreleg over Trixie’s shoulders as he did, his tone no less steady than it normally was. “I will go elsewhere to gather reinforcements and aid,” Cadence said. “I know where to turn for help but it is some distance away. I can get there quickly and return just as quickly, but there’s no telling what the state of things are at my destination.” Trixie swallowed, her heart sinking. “You’re going to leave us?” Cadence took in a breath and let it out, nodding. “I must.” “But… without you…” “Without me you’ll be in great danger,” Cadence finished. “Believe me, I know that. But what do we get from me staying here? We buy a little time, wait for the end with everypony feeling better just because I’m here? For this phase of the plan that the overarching evil forces have for our world, we’ve reach an endgame. They’ve removed Celestia; whether it was through their own efforts or by forcing me to restrain my aunt, the result is the same. The other two of my family are far beyond our reach to call home and upon for aid. The Elements are secure with their Bearers, but those Bearers are scattered and beyond our reach as well. The limited number of Royal Guard will remain in the cities to maintain whatever quarantine they can muster.” “And besides that, we’re not an army,” Shining added. “Plenty of military training but by design, there are only enough of us to secure a single city or critical buildings in many cities.” He grimaced and pawed at the ground. “It seems silly now but the Guardian was the first danger to Equestria in history that the Princesses couldn’t overthrow by themselves, and he appeared only six months ago. The Royal Guard has never needed to be an army.” “What about Lord Ersari and his…?” “Whatever they mean to do, they clearly mean to do it in their own time and in their own way,” Cadence said. “It may well be that they’ve devised a great design to save us all and are waiting for the right moment to use it. But we can’t sit about and hope that some mysterious people we know nothing about will swoop in and rescue us. We must be proactive, and that means that I leave for a time.” “But I and my mate will stay,” Krysa said. “We may not be royalty of Equestria but we can, and we will, help you in this.” She nodded in the direction of Shining Armor. “And needless to say, Shiny isn’t the captain of the Royal Guard because of his good looks.” “And even with your well-trained gift for reading a crowd, Trixie, you have many more assets here than you realize.” The pink princess stepped closer and lay a wing over Trixie’s shoulders, giving her a kindly smile. “The Apples are a strong family with deep roots in this town, and I dare say that even their elderly matriarch won’t take an attack on her home lying down.” “Eenope,” Big Mac agreed. “The weather pegasi assigned to Ponyville have been flying with Rainbow Dash ever since she joined. She’s tested them; I believe they’re as ready as any others to assist.” Cadence used her other wing to sweep broadly over the assembled townponies. “A town that managed to gather all six of the Element Bearers into a single place simply by existing will never be just another quiet village in a corner of the kingdom. This room is full of talent; your task will be to use it well and not give in to despair.” Trixie found herself leaning slightly against the comforting presence of the alicorn before she caught herself and nodded once. “Do you have any idea how quickly you’ll return?” “It’ll depend on the state of mobilization,” Cadence replied, stepping away from Trixie and lighting her horn. A piece of chalk that Trixie had seen Twilight use when she needed to create a safe space for magical experimentation floated over and Cadence began drawing the basic elements of a runic containment circle. “The aid I plan to call on is directed by ponies with amazing foresight, but an attack by enemies they’ve never heard of before is hard to foresee.” “And these ponies need you to ask them before they do anything?” “More like they need me to tell them how they can help,” Cadence finished the basic circle and then drew a wider one and began to scribe the magical symbols that would attune the circle to the kind of magic being used. “They’re stuck observing at a distance and are aware that things look very different up close, so they need my help to be as useful as possible.” Trixie watched as Cadence finished the second circle and its symbols and then to her surprise, drew a third and began to scribe it. “Princess, where are you going?” “A great distance,” Cadence replied, looking over the second circle. “Technically the spell I’m using only needs the two circles but the magi who devised it told me that doubling the containment elements was always the safer route, and we’re in a library full of ponies. That, and I’m not the technician that Twilight or the other magi is and I want to be sure.” “A great distance… like Bitaly? Cadence paused to think. “A bit further than that, I think, but not by much.” The third scribed, she began to draw a fourth. “I don’t think I’ve seen the distance formally measured and because of this particular spell, I’ve never had to travel it. There are times that being born into a rather excessive font is convenient instead of merely being useful.” Trixie would have continued questioning Cadence, unable to shake the feeling that something wasn’t adding up, when a rather dapper-looking earth pony wearing a starched collar and green tie derailed her train of thought by clearing his throat pointedly.  “I beg your pardon, Princess, but we’ve finished checking the remaining buildings for structural soundness,” he said in a handsome accent straight from Trotsford. “If you’ve a moment…?” “I don’t,” Cadence replied, starting to draw in the fourth circle’s runes. “And even if I did, the affairs of the town are to be directed to Trixie Lulamoon, and it is to her that you’ll make your report Doctor.” The doctor turned to Trixie and looked her up and down with an expression of distaste. “You’re having me report to a charlatan?” he asked in a tone as disdainful as his expression. “If that’s how you prefer to think of her, yes.” The princess finished drawing the runes and looked levelly at the pony. “But whatever you call her or however you think of her, you will report to her. Now I have somewhere important to go and no time for this. Trixie?” “Yes Princess?” “Doctor Whooves led the effort to assess the structural soundness of the buildings still standing around the town square,” she said, gesturing to the affronted-looking doctor.  “Receive his report and do your best. My cousin-by-adoption chose you for a reason and it’s not only because of your magical gifts. Now, this is going to look horribly unsettling but it’s only the spell maker’s puckish sense of humor in operation.” Cadence lit her horn and leaned down, touching it to the outermost circle. The entire circle glowed pink and then the glowing flowed inward to the third and then to the second. The moment it touched the innermost circle, greenish flames leapt from the chalk line and rose to the height of Cadence’s chest. The princess gave a little exasperated sigh before smiling a little and unhesitatingly stepping passed the three outermost circles and directly into the sputtering green flame. The flames responded by going instantly from a low circle to a blazing inferno but Trixie felt no heat at all from them and based on how Cadence didn’t miss a step,it was clear that they were harmless. The moment Cadence was fully inside the innermost circle, the flames flared brightly, enough that Trixie had to avert her gaze a moment, before puffing out. The chalk circles remained behind but the spell had clearly worked, as the princess had vanished. Trixie took in a deep breath and let it out. I guess now we just wait and hope the atermors don’t return before she does, she thought. I hope that whatever or whoever she’s going to get help from is powerful enough to just leave us. But she knew she couldn’t voice any doubts. In a way, this was going to be like a performance and everypony who’d ever been on a stage knew that you never let the audience know that anything's wrong. Everything is always part of the plan, especially when it wasn’t. “So Doctor… Whooves, was it?” “Yes,” the doctor replied with a sigh. “Doctor Time Turner Whooves, PHD, Trotsford.” Trixie turned to look him over curiously. “Maybe it’s the tie and collar, but I don’t remember seeing you before.” “I wouldn’t be surprised, I’ve only come to Ponyville of late to visit my fiance. But the Princess instructed me to deliver my report on the structural soundness of the town square buildings to you. So if you’ll step over to the table…” “Just a moment.” Trixie turned to look around for a certain purple and green baby dragon. “Spike?” “Yeah?” Trixie jumped a little as Spike seemed to appear out of thin air right next to her. “Could you translate any technical things for me?” Trixie gave her best sheepish smile. “I’m a showpony and I’m guessing that Doctor Whooves is an engineer.” “Yeah.” Spike turned to look up at Whooves. “Bachelor of Applied Sciences, Master of Applied Sciences in Metallurgical Engineering, PHD in Applied Sonics, eight years ago?” Time Turner looked taken aback but after a moment smiled. “Why, yes, that’s correct. I was aware that Twilight Sparkle keeps very up-to-date on the sciences but still surprised she would take notice of a somewhat… esoteric field.” Spike grinned. “Twi’s weird. She pays more attention to obscure fields than really well-known ones. Anyway, I’m here if you need me Trixie.” “Right.” Trixie looked at the doctor. “So, what do you have to report?” “Despite quite a bit of exterior and facade damage, the buildings ringing the town square are sound,” Whooves said. “Equestrian design, especially in smaller towns, puts a lot of emphasis on colorful and aesthetically-pleasing facades so there’s a great deal of material between the exterior and the load-bearing walls. It helped that the local weather team was attentive and avoided doing any serious water damage. My personal advice is that the load-bearing beams be replaced as soon as practical, but the structures should be safe for ponies to enter to get some things if they want.” He paused and sighed. “With a single exception.” “The town hall?” “Actually, despite the drama of the windows melting out of their frames and the shingles catching fire, the town hall is the soundest structure of all,” the doctor said. “Extremely heavy single-cut stone walls and roof supports laced with kilned crossbeams. Practically impervious to fire and water damage. No, the one structure is Sugarcube Corner. It’s round shape prevented the exterior heat and water from compromising its integrity but the heat carbonized a great deal of sugar and this in turn ignited and burned hot and long. I’m afraid the interior was gutted and some of the support beams badly warped. My own opinion is that it’s unsafe to enter without bracing the suspicious sections with engineered elements.” Trixie gave Time Turner a nod. “Thank you, Doctor. How hard would it be to get some engineered elements?” “Impossible,” Whooves said. “I have enough engineering training to assess structural soundness but building temporary supports to make it safe would require a trained structural engineer, and the closest one I know of is in Canterlot.” “Ah know a bit,” Big Mac rumbled. “Ain’t refined much, but Ah’ve had ta brace up barns an outbuildings before. Smart pony from Canterlot could prolly do it real neat an’ tidy but get some beams, some nails… could make somethin’ work for the Cakes.” Doctor Whooves looked at Macintosh for a moment before nodding. “I suppose it’s not building roof trusses,” he said before looking at Trixie again. “Is there anything else you want, Miss Lulamoon?” Trixie was about to shake her head to him but a thought stopped her. Princess Cadence and Twilight Sparkle both wanted me in charge. “Actually, Doctor, do you have enough engineering to point Big Mac at where the supports would do the most good?” Whooves looked taken aback. “I… suppose.” “Then go with Big Mac, gather whoever else he wants to have help, and do the pointing-out,” she said. “After that…” she paused a moment, thinking. “If we’re going to keep everypony here, it’d help to have extra space so after Sugarcube Corner, come back here and see what you can do.” “I’ll… do that,” Time Turner turned away, still looking a little stunned as if the last thing in the world he’d expected was to be given instructions. Big Mac stepped over to Trixie, kissed her on the forehead, and then followed Whooves away. Trixie noticed that several stallions fell in behind him without a word or even a gesture from the solid farmpony, and even a few of the older colts. Trixie then turned towards Shining Armor, who was looking as surprised as Time Turner but with a grin that broadcasted approval. “Captain Armor, I doubt we can do a whole lot about lots of creatures coming to attack Ponyville but is there anything we could do that might delay them or make it harder for them to get in?” “Entrenchments.” Both Trixie and Shining Armor looked towards Spike. “Entrenchments,” he repeated. “Make trenches and pile up walls of dirt between them. The idea is to slow them down and delay them until Princess Cadence gets back, right? And maybe delay them even longer until her friends get here, right?” Both of them nodded to him. “Well, earthworks get you the most effect from the least amount of time and work.” “Spike’s right,” Shining said. “Equestrian armies back in the day used to do it all the time: find a nice place to camp for the night and then spend an hour digging. I was gonna suggest some wood and stone, maybe draw stores from the farms around Ponyville, but it’d take a long time to lay them out, even longer to build, and we don’t have any idea when the atermors will come back.” “Exactly. Spike, you probably have books that explain everything I need to know about earthworks but never thought to ask, right?” He nodded. “Then go with Captain Armor, scoop up any ponies you need, and see what can be done. Maybe even collect some lanterns because with all the digging, nothing’s going to be growing there anyway.” “Sure thing,” he responded. “OK Shiny, where do you want the first line?” “Between here and the Everfree, of course.” Shining Armor looked at the townponies still standing around. “OK, anypony who knows anything about using a shovel, c’mon. We want to at least make some trenches before night.” “We’ll get some lanterns,” a striped-mane pegasus in the crowd said before Trixie could ask. “If you have to stop, it won’t be because it’s dark.” “Thank you miss…” Trixie paused a moment to run through her memory “...Blossomforth.” “It’s part of the job,” she shrugged although Trixie detected the slightest hint of a smile before she went out the door followed by the rest of the ponies wearing the lapel pins marking them as the local weather team. “Captain Armor, will you need anypony to keep an eye out for them?” Both Trixie and Shining turned to see Ditzy Doo adjusting her mailmare cap, one of her golden eyes fixed in their direction. “Um…” Shining looked somewhat uncomfortable. “I… don’t know if I can ask that of you, Miss Doo.” “You aren’t,” Ditzy informed him matter-of-factly. “So do you need anypony keeping an eye out for them?” “I…” Shining looked helplessly at Trixie. “I think Shining is uncomfortable asking somepony with your eye condition to go flying over the Everfree looking for monsters,” Trixie said, keeping her face straight and knowing by now exactly what was coming. Or she thought she did. When Trixie had stumbled all over herself trying to find a polite way to ask the mailmare about her strabismus, Derpy had sighed and fixed both eyes on her in an expression of exasperation. This time, however, Derpy smiled a little. “I’m not the town mailmare because somepony had pity on me Captain,” she said. “I don’t get lost, ever, and I always know where I’m going. So do you need somepony to keep an eye out for these atermor things or not?” “I… yes, I could use that,” Shining said. “Thank you Miss Doo.” “Glad to help,” Dtizy beamed at him pleasantly and followed the weather team through the open door. The moment her tail disappeared outside, Shining turned and looked at Trixie. “Perfect sense of direction?” “I’ve seen her navigate storms so severe that she couldn’t see more than an inch in front of her nose,” Trixie said. “I’ve never been clear on why she wasn’t recruited into the weather team.” “They probably saw the same thing I did and came to the same conclusion,” Shining looked after the pegasus. “It’s not an unfair conclusion, even though it’s wrong. Anyway, good luck to you Miss Lulamoon; of all the times somepony could have handed you responsibility, this is probably the worst sort of timing.” “Yes it is,” Trixie sighed as she watched the Captain of the Royal Guard and Spike walk out the door to start laying out fortifications. I can’t imagine why Twilight thought I was the right pony for this, she thought as she found a spot to lay out of the way of the ponies that remained in the library. Even without the atermors, I could just barely manage my own life before Macintosh came into it, and she stuck me with an entire town. And now there’s an infection loose, evil creatures attacking, Princess Celestia comatose, Princess Cadence gone, an army probably coming to kill us, Twilight and her friends out of reach, and the people who said they’d help are nowhere to be seen. She lay her head down and watched the remaining adults corral the younger ponies and occupy them with books; notably, the adults made sure they were between the children and both doors and windows at all times. At least it can’t get much worse than this. “I spotted them coming through the Everfree from the south,” Ditzy was saying as she tapped her hoof on the southern edge of a crude map of Ponyville. “I had no idea how many there are but based on the mass I saw, I’d say twenty to each of our ones.” The evening had gone by with very little drama to it and the morning came with Trixie waking up laying against the solid build of Big Mac who was still sleeping the sleep of the honestly exhausted when a floor-shaking kerthump announced the return of Princess Cadence looking more at peace than Trixie had seen her be in the short time she’d known the pink alicorn. An attempt to ask her how things had gone were cut short when she immediately disappeared in a more conventional teleport, presumably to find Shining. It was shortly afterwards, just as Trixie had concluded that Cadence would be out in the field and not returning anytime soon, that Ditzy had entered with Spike, Cadence, and Shining in tow. “How fast were they coming, Ditzy?” Cadence asked  “And how far were they when you broke off to return?” “About as fast as a pony at full gallop,” Ditzy said. “And they were just passing west of the old castle when I came back.” She tapped her hoof against her chin thoughtfully. “Speaking of that, they were giving the castle a wide berth. Like, a very wide berth, like they were afraid of it. But it looked as abandoned as ever.” “Maybe there was a touch of Nightmare Moon around it still?” Trixie suggested. “If she’s not the same pony as Luna, they might know her and be afraid enough of the magic she left behind to stay far away from it.” “I’m sure the atermors are terrified of Nightmare Moon but their creations are mindless,” Cadence said confidently. “They would have no idea who Nightmare is and wouldn’t know to fear her.” “It doesn’t really matter why they avoided the castle,” Shining looked down at the map. “They’re coming here, coming fast, and we just have some earthworks. I’m… not really sure how to handle this. Evacuate the town to Cloudsdale or some other pegasus refuge that they can’t reach? Fortify the library and hope for the best? I’m just not sure.” “Help is coming,” Cadence assured him with a pat on the shoulder. “I wasn’t aware of just how well prepared my allies were, or how thoroughly they’d considered how to get help to any part of Equestria very quickly. At this point, help isn’t days away but hours.” “But what army can deal with twenty-to-one odds?” Shining shook his head. “It doesn’t really matter. At the rate Miss Doo was describing, they’ll be here long before any help and unless we can somehow hold thousands of… whatever they are for hours, your allies can only retaliate not save.” “What about that Quarantine Flag thing?” The four of them looked at Spike. “They said it can quarantine an area, right? Make sure nothing gets in or out?” “But we don’t know how to use it,” Trixie pointed out. “I just saw it nailed to a door, not how they made it work. And you may need to do something completely different to quarantine instead of just trap an atermor.” He shrugged. “It’s a flag; put it on a flagpole. It’s not like it’s going to make us worse off, right?” “You have a point.” Trixie looked at Ditzy. “Last I saw it, it was nailed to the door of the Carousel Boutique. Would you mind to go, see if it’s still there, and find a way to put it on the pole on top of town hall?” Ditzy looked dubious. “It’s not dangerous, is it? I’d have to hold it in my mouth after all.” “I’m not Twilight Sparkle so my sense of it was sort of vague.” Trixie looked at Cadence. “What about you Princess?” “It’s harmless if you’re not an atermor,” Krysa said, causing Trixie to start a little. It was all too easy to forget that the two bodyguards were constantly on hoof, hovering protectively near Cadence even when she was pressed gently against Shining as she was at the moment. Mentally settling herself, she turned to look at the Royal Guard to find that she had the Quarantine Flag hanging by one of its many frayed threads from the corner of her mouth. “Kryssa…” Cadence said with a note of chiding. “Sorry Cadence.” Kryssa put the flag down. “But it’s inert at the moment. I think it needs some kind of anchor to work properly. Or contact with an atermor, but Princess Celestia vaporized all of the ones in town.” “I think Spike’s right,” Ditzy said, leaning down to take one of the threads between her front teeth. “Putting it up can’t hurt and maybe it’ll cause the atermors to get scared or hesitate. While I’m there, I could see how much closer the…” she stopped a moment, thinking “...diseased are.” “That would be appreciated Miss Doo,” Cadence smiled at her. “Thank you.” “No need to thank me Princess, I’m glad to to it.” Ditzy gave Cadence a quick bow, repeating the gesture to Trixie to her surprise, and opened the door, only to just barely avoid colliding with Blossomforth. “‘Scuse me Ditz.” Blossom deftly sidestepped the mailmare and gave Princess Cadence a bow. “We have all the lanterns gathered and hung Your Majesty,” she said. “They’re looking a bit dim, though.” “But weren’t we going to move the lanterns to the earthworks yesterday?” Trixie asked. “My fault,” Shining said. “It took us a while to get some stands up and by the time we had them, we had the weather team return them to the farms to protect them during the night. Although I’m sorta surprised they’re already fading.” Cadence grimaced. “Even with all of Spike’s help, I’m not a runic transcriptionist,” she said. “Mine are very crude compared to even Aunt Celestia’s, and she’s the first to admit that she has no great ability with rune work. I’ll see what I can do with them but I’m afraid they’ll never quite be what Aunt Luna or even Twilight could make of them.” “Why not ask the pony who made your teleportation spell?” Trixie said. “I’m sure if she can make a long-range teleportation spell, she can put runes on a lamp like the ones we need.” Cadence smiled a little at that. “I’d dearly love to but especially now, she’s unavailable. Not because she wouldn’t come if I called, but because she would come if I called, neglecting things that are much more important to help me. I can’t ask her to do that.” “More important than saving a town full of ponies?” “Her responsibilities are on the scale of entire nations Trixie,” Cadence leaned over to give her a light nosing. “A town is important but on the scale of nations, it’s of minor importance at best. Besides, she’ll be working to expedite the reinforcements, or so she told me when I visited.” “Um, this is great and all but is there anything else you’d like the weather team to be taking care of, Your Majesty?” Blossom said with a hint of impatience. Cadence nodded to Trixie who turned to look at the pegasus. “I’m sure it’ll make it much harder on them if they have to slog through torrential rains and lightning,” she said. “Try to find some. If there’s none around, is there any severe weather you can make?” “We could try to make some twisters,” Blossom said, furrowing her brow thoughtfully. “It’d be hard to get the right wind velocities without a pegasus who can sonic rainboom or the right focus without a proper anchor--you wouldn’t believe how good Fluttershy is at keeping a steady wingbeat--but it’d be worth trying. Princess, I don’t suppose you or your guards have any familiarity…?” “I’m told that I’m as regular as a metronome,” Cadence smiled, her eyes twinkling. “But I think my bodyguards would be…” She stopped, her eyes on the door, and Trixie followed her gaze. Standing in the doorway, having apparently entered through the door that Blossom had left open behind her, was the vulpine Forheest Sadow. The creature looked different than she had the last time Trixie had seen her, mostly in that she was now wearing silvery form-fitting armor instead of her robes, and was leaning lightly on a staff that was longer than she was tall. There was also something harder and more violent in her features than the placid and pleasant expression she’d always maintained before. “Who brought the flame to this place?” she asked, any trace of the refined accent she’d used before completely gone. Instead there was a monotone deadness in her voice, and she spoke lowly. “I’ve a much better question,” Cadence replied, stepping away from Shining with her own featured turning hard. “Where were you when the atermors came to Ponyville? Where were you when they pulled one of those klesae beasts from the Void to set upon my people? Your master…” “You have never met my master Princess,” Forheest interrupted. “Lord Bloodwynd is a treasured ally of the lord to whom I owe fealty, but I am not his servant.” She took in a breath. “But you are right, I failed you, I and the honorable lord and lady that came with me. But I must know this, Princess: who brought the flame to Ponyville?” “My aunt,” Cadence said. “She was all but mad with pain and grief at what the atermors have done to her people and she burned like her sun.” “I see.” Sadow looked at Trixie. “I saw the earthworks as I came, and the faintly flickering lanterns, and the Quarantine Flag flying. I am given to understand that the flying ponies of Equestria can mold the weather, and I expect you will do that as well.” Her eyes flickered to Blossomforth before back to Trixie. “Your decisions in this are correct, and it speaks well of your mind that you made them. But I do not see a fool in you; you know that your defense will be drowned in the tide of the Twisted whipped on by their sadistic masters.” “It only needs to hold until help comes,” Trixie said. “Princess Cadence says she’s called on help from somewhere else. But speaking of the weather, could you get working on that Blossomforth? I think Anori and Krysa will want to linger a bit longer but I’m sure Princess Cadence will release them in time to help.” “Sure.” Blossomforth bowed briefly to Cadence and stepped around Forheest to leave the library. When Blossom had left,  Sadow turned an odd look on Cadence. “Did you not say that Equestria no longer had the ponies that were her stalwart soldiers in ages past?” “I don’t recall saying that.” “You tried not to, but you did regardless.” Sadow tapped her chin with a finger. “I had expected that we might need to preserve you for a time, but after was meant to be a desperate struggle indeed. Additional help changes things entirely; now I can fully commit to this battle instead of husbanding my aid until the crucial moment.” Shining and Cadence looked at one another and each exchanged wary and confused glances with Trixie. “What do you mean, ‘husbanding your aid’?” Shining asked. “Isn’t there just the five of you come to help us?” Sadow broke into a broad grin. “Lord Bloodwynd called me ‘the adjutant’, Shining Armor,” she said. “Didn’t you wonder what I was the adjutant of?” “I think we were more focused on you being here to aid us rather than the specific titles you have,” Cadence said. “So you’re the adjutant of something, implicitly some kind of army or unit of an army. I don’t suppose it occurred to you to call upon your soldiers and leave them to shield Ponyville while you ran off chasing will-o-the-wisps?” Forheest blinked a few times before turning to look at Anori with an expression of distinct annoyance. “We left you with a fairly specific message about our intent. Did you manage to forget it, Guard?” “I told them what you told me,” Anori retorted. “You told me that you were going off to chase some atermors around the Everfree.” “No, we told you that we were going to track the path of some atermors to see what routes they were traveling to get to Ponyville.” Forheest sighed. “We wanted to set tripwires and ambushes for them, perhaps cut down a goodly number. It turned out that where they weren’t going was more important than where they were, and it is that matter that kept us away from Ponyville during the confrontation with the atermors and their pet. I’m still unclear how atermors could possess a kazim stone much less use one, but it matters more that the klesae was driven off and the stone smashed to let it out.” “The old Castle of the Two Sisters?” “Hrm?” Forheest looked at Trixie. “You said where they weren’t going was more important than where they were,” Trixie said. “Was where they weren’t going the old castle in the Everfree?” “Actually, yes.” The kitsune tilted her head curiously. “You’re aware of it?” “Yes.” “And you didn’t call on the thestrals there for aid?” “Um, thestrals?” Trixie looked at Cadence and Shining before looking back to Forheest. “What’s a thestral?” “A magical hybrid of dragon and pony,” Cadence said. “When Aunt Celestia was consumed by Nightmare Flare, she transformed at least some of the Wonderbolts into imitations of thestrals. Very pale I should add, because thestrals are distinct for being extraordinarily light on their feet and lithe, whereas Aunt Celestia’s creations were brute enforcers.” She looked at Forheest. “I’d thought the hybridization magic would have faded when she was banished with Luna.” “The work was done by a hand of such consummate skill that the change was both wholly beneficial and completely permenant.” Forheest frowned. “So they were being entirely accurate when they claimed that their settlement was unknown to the ponies of Equestria. Unfortunate, but at least we located them and conveyed the danger to them. We suspect that the atermors can feel the magic that still lingers about their race and kept their army out of immediate reach because they didn’t know what sort of magic they were dealing with.” “How’d we not know about them?” Shining frowned heavily. “An entire race of ponies we never even knew existed living so close to Canterlot and we knew nothing about it? More importantly, how the hay’d they stay out of sight when Twiley and her friends went to the castle to get the Elements of Harmony? If there’s any kind of magic around them, why wouldn’t the bearer of Element of Magic notice it? All the time I knew her growing up, Twilight was always very sensitive to nearby magic, part of her abilities with it I guess.” “A mystery for a later time,” Sadow said. “What matters is that they exist and are eager to aid you. With the other armies gathered to us, we should be able to hold the line until either Lord or Lady Bloodwynd can call upon the full power of the Quarantine Flag to seal Ponyville off from further attack.” “You can’t?” “The Flag is the tool of the jeikitsu,” Forheest said solemnly. “They found it, they molded it, and endowed it with its purpose. It will do the bidding of anyone but it will only show its greatest power when called upon by a warrior of mingled kitsune and jei blood.” “Well OK.” Shining nodded. “Well, I can call upon all the ponies of Ponyville with even a lick of fighting ability. How soon can your soldier be in place, Forheest?” “As I said at our first meeting, you may call me ‘Forest Shadow’ although my name more accurately translates to ‘shadow within the forest’.” She smiled. “As to when my soldiers will be in place, they are already in place. A small detachment went back to retrieve superior defensive weapons but their strongest power is already in the field, waiting for the deadliest moment to strike.” “They plan to hit them in the flank when they make for our earthworks,” Shining said. “Just so.” Forest stepped over to the crude map table. “The battle plan is that the Twisted will rush upon your works to slaughter the defenders. When they’ve emerged enough from the Everfree, my soldiers will rake their lines and and with their cavalry, will charge the flank. The rest will sweep into the earthworks and use them as a secure firing position to inflict mass casualties while the melee part holds them in place. Meanwhile, the thestrals will cut their extended lines and force most of them to turn and fight, and then will commence mass hit-and-run tactics. The Bloodwynds and their retainers will be with the thestrals so they can do what the jei have always done best: cripple the forces of the Evils by slaughtering their leadership.” “Your plan is to kill everything you can.” Shining looked up at Forest. “It is, before they do unto us what we would do unto them.” “There is no possible way to save the thousands of victims of their plague?” “They are called ‘Evils’ for a reason, Shining Armor.” Forest leaned across the table to lay a hand on the unicorn’s shoulder. “It slakes their lust for suffering to force mortals to cut down their own friends, neighbors, and families. It is among the many purposes of the plagues.” “Twilight wouldn’t accept that there’s such thing as an unbreakable spell,” Spike said. “Nightmare Moon proved that even the most powerful magical things we know of, the Elements of Harmony, can’t make an unbreakable spell.” “Nightmare Moon is an extremely unusual case but…” Forest shrugged. “Equestria is the most magically-infused place I’ve yet seen,” she said. “I doubt it’ll do you any good little dragon, but handing the atermors even more humiliation and defeat would be richly welcome. Do what you may; it’s inevitable that there will be more crippling wounds than outright death, and you will shortly have many subjects to experiment on.” “I thought you said…” “Much of what happens after a culling is walking among legions of crippled fallen and putting them out of their misery,” Forest interrupted Shining. “It isn’t often that the slaughter is in the heat of battle.” “Will you be commanding your soldiers personally?” Cadence asked before Shining could say anything more. “They have their own commanders,” Forest said. “Many of them hardened veterans of wars fought before I was even born. They already understand the stakes, the odds, and what I desire of them; to interfere more would cripple rather than help. What of you, Princess? Will you command your reinforcements?” Cadence gave her a smile. “As with yours, they have their own commanders and my interference would do no good. I wish I could be sure of how they’ll approach, but several options were discussed and each would have them coming from a completely different direction: from the direction of Trottingham, from the Friendship Express station in Ponyville, even from the air. They’ll be wearing armor with my cutie mark on it to distinguish themselves.” “Can you give me any idea of what form they’ll take?” “Whichever one suits their needs at the moment, I imagine.” Cadence shrugged. “I’m the Princess of Love, Forest Shadow. I represent that particular force, the way Aunt Luna represents the moon and Aunt Celesia the sun. I’m far from helpless but a deep understanding of military matters isn’t part of my training or learning.” “Fair enough.” Forest frowned. “Well, we can’t put this off any longer. At the rate I last heard of them, the Twisted will arrive in mere minutes and everyone will be needed. Yourself, the Captain of the Royal Guard,” she looked at Trixie. “And you, Trixie Lulamoon. Whether you can fight or not, your place is with this town and its ponies, and with that stoic and handsome stallion that dotes on you.” Trixie found it surprisingly easy to look up at the kitsune and meet her eyes without flinching at the intensity. After that klesae, after the sight of that poor colt and his mother, after seeing Princess Celestia go mad with rage and grief, after watching Princess Cadence forced to step in and save Ponyville from her, after being murdered by the Guardian and being brought back, an onrushing doom isn’t even going to be in the top five worst things I’ve seen in the past year. She squared her shoulders and reached a hoof up to rest on the cap Rarity had sewn for her, and then the matching cape. “Then that’s where I’ll be.”