Non nobis Domine

by Dsarker


Tertia Partis Secundae Libri - Surrexit Die Tertia

Scootaloo's legs burned as she kept running. The ghost behind them had not paused even for a second, and was faster than she thought was possible. Not that she dared to look back. The one glimpse she had taken of it was still burnt into her mind, and she did not want to refresh it.

She looked to either side, and was relieved that at least Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were still going, although Sweetie Belle looked like she was tiring. In a split second, the only possible decision came to her. "Split up, and keep heading back to town," she yelled, and she steeled herself to turn around.

The sound of their hoofbeats told her without her needing to look that they had obeyed the command without question. All the better, for it meant she did not have to think about what she was about to do. She slowed down, and swerved around until she was facing it again. It stared at her with empty, dead eyes, and she focused on those. While she was looking at them, she did not have to look at the rest of it.

It slowed down, and started walking towards her. Scootaloo took a deep breath, and forced herself to stay where she was. This was the only way to be sure, she said to herself, even if it meant she had to sacrifice herself. Her friends would be safe. That would be all she could do, and that would be enough.

She continued to stand her ground as the ghost got closer. Now it was close enough that she could see almost through it, but what she could see was distorted and hideous. This was it. She would not have to wait long for it to reveal its full intentions now. It leaned in, looming over her, and though its face did not change from the neutral expression it seemed to have had since the start, Scootaloo could feel like it was sizing her up. All of a sudden, a deep peace settled over her. She knew she was facing her final moments, and she would not change that for the world. Of all things, it felt right.

It began to unhinge its jaw, when it turned suddenly. Scootaloo turned to see what it was staring at now. With armour flashing in the sun, the Templars had arrived. The one called Johann had drawn his sword, and as his horse galloped by, he swung it at the ghost. It passed through, and though it had left the ghost unharmed, it was certainly not happy about it. 

Another Templar rode past, and kicked out of his saddle behind Scootaloo. His horse ran off as he drew his shield and sword. The ghost roared at him, though he remained unmoved by its attempt to strike terror in him. Instead, he stepped over Scootaloo, and cleaved his sword through the ghost. As before, it passed through without seeming to cause any harm. This time, though, it struck back, and its clawed forelegs swung past the sword. He moved his shield up to block, and as the ghost struck it, it flinched back in pain, and screamed aloud. 

The Templar seemed almost as surprised as the ghost at that, and Johann came riding back again. Another swing of his sword met with the same result as before, and he yelled something in his own tongue. As the Templar guarding her held back the ghost again, Scootaloo could see another Templar, the one who had named himself Frederick riding towards them. This one, unlike the others, did not carry any armour or weapons that she could see, and she did not understand what they were trying to do. Was he another sacrifice, like she had been?

He pulled something out of his horse's saddlebags. It was a thin piece of purple material, and he kissed it before putting it on, over his shoulders. Then he took something out of the other side, which looked like a wooden version of the symbol the others had blazoned on their shields. He lifted it high, and shouted out some words at the ghost, which roared back at him, ignoring the Templar shielding her now. 

Scootaloo could not help but be transfixed by the battle of wills taking place. Frederick dismounted slowly, continuing to hold the wooden implement high, and continuing to say the same words as he had done before, repeating them over and over. The ghost held its position obstinately, roaring its defiance, as he continued to walk towards it. He was confident and unafraid, though it brought itself up higher, and its appearance became more and more hideous. 

They soon stood face to face, and Frederick repeated the words, slowly and carefully. The ghost roared, and tried to scratch at him with its disfigured hooves. Each time, however, he moved his symbol into its way, and it seemed almost afraid to touch it. Slowly, the ghost gave ground, retreating before its foe, and as he kept pace with it, the slow retreat gave way to rout. It tried to escape, but he continued to shout the words after it.

It had only gone another ten paces when it stopped short, almost as if it were on an invisible leash. It clawed at the ground for a few seconds, and then it turned back. Its face showed true fear now, and Scootaloo's heart stopped for a second. Who could this man be, who could strike terror into such beings? He strode forward, unwavering with his shielding arm. He walked right up to its face, and stopped. He spoke the words again, and it seemed to explode in a flash of light.

Scootaloo gasped aloud. What had happened? The ghost had disappeared, and the man who had dealt with it looked unrecognisable for a second. Slowly, he sagged back, and after taking a few deep breaths, he turned back to face her. His face looked tired, but still he smiled and walked over to her, putting his hands behind his back as he had done the first time they had met. At that, Scootaloo ran over to him, relieved, and threw her forelegs around him in a hug. He seemed a little surprised at the gesture, but after a second matched it.

He said something in his own language, and she could hear, rather than see, the Templar who had shielded her leaving. She let go of Frederick, and fell down in a heap, the nervous energy that had propelled her being expended. He bent down, looking at her with concern. She slowly forced herself back up, and put an uneasy smile on her face. That was the only way she could talk to him. How was he going to understand anything?

He, in turn, nodded sadly to her, and then put his hand on her forehead. He traced upon it, and spoke something under his breath. With a pat, he took his hand away, and pointed to something behind her. Scootaloo turned her head, and with relief spotted her two fellow Crusaders coming back, with the other Templars. When they spotted her, they broke into a run, and before long the Cutie Mark Crusaders were reunited.

"Are you okay?" asked Sweetie Belle, looking over Scootaloo's body for a mark of injury.

"What happened to the ghost?" asked Applebloom, still looking a little worried about it.

"Well, I think I a-," began Scootaloo, before being interrupted by Sweetie Belle gasping aloud in shock. "What is it?" she asked, a slight tone of panic replacing itself in her voice. 

"When did you get this?" asked Sweetie Belle accusingly, pointing at her flank. Scootaloo looked down, and there it was - her cutie mark. It was a shield with the same symbol on it as the Templars had, but white on a black background. Her jaw dropped in surprise. When had that happened? 

"I... I don't know," she said, as surprised as her friends were. Even Frederick was staring at it now, and he looked pensive before turning away and walking back to the other Templars. Scootaloo felt the previous tension that had only just released her come back. She looked from Applebloom to Sweetie Belle, from Sweetie Belle to Applebloom, and back again, hoping to see something besides that accusing expression that she had just seen on their faces.

They turned to each other, and after a few seconds, they turned back, smiles once again widespread. "That's a pretty amazing cutie mark," said Applebloom. "What do you reckon it means?"

"It has something to do with ghosts," said Sweetie Belle in a matter-of-fact tone. "Do you feel like you can talk ghost-speech now?"

"I don't think I can," said Scootaloo a little doubtfully. "At least, I couldn't just then." Whether the ghost had actually been trying to talk to them or just roar, though, was a little uncertain. That seemed to be more proof against that being her talent, though.

"Did you fight the ghost?" asked Applebloom, happy to take up the theme now that it was gone. "Maybe you're like a Royal Guard. But against ghosts."

Scootaloo shook her head, and frowned a little. Weren't cutie marks supposed to be... Well, obvious? They were supposed to only show up when you knew what your talent was. If she didn't know it, why did it appear? "I don't think so. All I did was..." She stopped. All that she had done was try to protect her friends. She looked at her cutie mark again. It was a shield - what she had been between her friends and the ghost. A talent for protection? That was a worthwhile talent, if any was. "Maybe it means a talent for protecting people?" she hesitated.

Sweetie Belle nodded, and Applebloom joined her. "That sounds good," Sweetie Belle said. "So, what does that make us?" Scootaloo looked at her, a little confused.

"What do you mean, what does that make us? We're still friends, aren't we?" she asked, not quite sure where Sweetie Belle was going with that question.

"Well, of course we are. But we can't be the Cutie Mark Crusaders if one of us has their cutie mark, can we?" asked Sweetie Belle. "We'll have to call ourselves... I don't know. Something else." She scratched her chin, lost in thought. Scootaloo turned to Applebloom, who was looking a little down.

"Hey, what's up, AB?" she asked, stretching out a hoof to pat her shoulder.

She looked up, a faint half-smile. "Oh, nothin'," she said, in what seemed to Scootaloo to be a bald lie. That struck her as abnormal. Applebloom was usually as honest as her big sister was. That she was lying was making the fact that something was up even more obvious than if she had just said it.

"You're not fooling anypony with that," Scootaloo said. "Now, we're your friends, and we want to help you. But we can't do that if you won't tell us what's wrong." She looked her friend in the eye. "So please tell us. We won't laugh, we won't make fun. We'll just listen, and, if we can, we'll help you with whatever it is you need. You can trust us."

Applebloom took a deep breath, and let it out. In, and out again. On the third breath, she spoke. "It's just that it's always been like this. My friends have always been the first to get their cutie marks, and then they've left me. First it was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Then it was Twist. Now it's gonna be you, and I'll be left alone again." She bowed her head for a second, and when she raised it, she was blinking back tears. "I don't want to lose you!"

Scootaloo shook her head, slowly. "You don't need to worry about that, Applebloom. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are selfish and self-centred. Twist is good, but a little daft at times. We won't leave you like that. You don't really think that the only reason we're friends is because we don't have our cutie marks yet, do you?" She took a deep breath. "Sure, that helped us become friends, but it did not mean we were going to be friends for long. No, what caused that was us spending time together. We worked on this relationship because we wanted it. So that means we're sticking together, no matter what." She looked Applebloom in the eyes. "You know that, don't you?"

"I... I guess," said Applebloom, a little shakily. She sniffed, loudly, as tears began to roll down her face. 

Scootaloo bit her lip for a second, and then she threw her caution to the wind, and hugged Applebloom tight. Sweetie Belle managed to drag herself from her train of thought long enough to join them. "We are the Crusaders, Applebloom. We will never abandon you, or any one of us," said Scootaloo, and she squeezed her friend as if to prove it. "Even after all of us have our cutie marks, we will still be friends, and we will stick together. I promise this upon this cutie mark that I have."

"And I will do the same on my hope of receiving a cutie mark," said Sweetie Belle. "I would rather not receive my cutie mark than leave my friends."

Applebloom took a deep breath, and nodded. "O-okay," she said, and smiled again. Though it was weak, and no-more than half there, it was genuine, and Scootaloo smiled back, before brushing the tears from her face.

"You don't need to worry about being alone, Applebloom," she said. "Nothing will separate us. You could not get away from us, even if you tried to. Remember when we tried hide and seek?" Applebloom nodded, and the slightest hint of a giggle escaped her mouth. That was enough for Scootaloo to join in, and Sweetie Belle followed after, until the three were rolling on the ground laughing.

They stopped at the sound of hoofbeats, and as they stood up, the Templars were there again. Frederick had put away the piece of purple material and his symbol-thing, and Johann and the others had put their swords away. The Templar who had shielded Scootaloo had obviously recovered his horse. Johann and Frederick stepped down, and they both approached the three. When they were almost three paces away, they turned to face each other, and spoke rapidly for some time.

"What do you think they're talking about?" asked Scootaloo in a whisper.

"Dunno," said Sweetie Belle, trying to see if any of the words they had learned were being used. She heard something that sounded like Scootaloo, and another like friends, but whether they were actually saying that or just similar sounding words, she could not tell.

"They're coming, shh," whispered Applebloom. The two Templars walked up to a pace between them, and then Johann got down on one knee. Taking his smaller weapon out, he held it by the blade, and started drawing in the dirt with the hilt. Scootaloo looked at it a second, and then recognised it. 

"It's a diamond dog," she whispered. "I drew one for him when we were trying to rescue you." The girls nodded, and they kept watching him as he drew another image. This one was strange. It looked like a pony, and yet did not at the same time. Scootaloo looked at it, but shook her head. "I don't have a clue as to what that is."

"Could it be that ghost?" asked Applebloom. "If not, I've got nothing." Scootaloo looked at it, peering at it closely.

"It kind of looks like it," she ventured. "If you look at it from the right angle." She looked up at the Templars, seeing if they could give more clarification. Johann scratched his chin for a second before his eyes lit up. Taking a step forward, he stepped on the image of the diamond dog, and squished it out. Then he turned to Frederick, who did the same for the other image. 

"I guess it was the ghost, then," said Scootaloo. "Ghost," she said to the Templars, and they repeated it in turn. Another word learned. That was good. Even so, they looked like they were still waiting for something. It clearly was not just a word learning game. 

After a few seconds had passed, Frederick pointed at the ghost again. "Ghost?" he said slowly, the word still unfamiliar to him, and shrugged his shoulders, then pointed at the diamond dog and shrugged again. At that, it clicked for Scootaloo. They were looking for other ghosts, and they thought the ghosts were with the diamond dogs. She did not understand why they thought they were, but that could come later.

"Come on, girls, we've got to show them where the diamond dogs live again," she said. She nodded to Frederick and Johann, and after they had once more remounted, the three started leading them to the diamond dog caverns.


Every diamond dog loved the sight of gems beyond any other. It was more than mere desire. It was almost an addiction. As such, it was only the cracking of whips that kept the dogs moving through the Crystal Mines of Canterlot, rather than merely looking at the gems and salivating.

Him-Enthroned had no such troubles. For one, He had miners already digging His share of the crystals (that is to say, all of them), under His light in His authority. Secondly, He had learned to ignore His desires to fulfil His greater good. They were only hours away from reaching Canterlot, and even once there, they would have to wait for the bulk of the army to arrive. Any delay would frustrate His plans far more than the short delay would seem. So He would wait. That was why He was here, after all.

He looked down at the mob of dogs moving through the mine. On either side of the column, there stood the whips, cracking their namesake loudly. The dogs who were unfortunate enough to have it crack upon their sides whined loudly, but moved faster the next time. He turned aside, and back to the dog who had begged to come into His light and to speak to Him personally. Such a thing was so rare that He had been intrigued, and allowed him to enter.

"Well?" He asked him. "What did you want to speak to Me about?" Two of His guards flanked the petitioner, who looked almost half-dead of fright.

The dog took a deep breath, and began to speak. "Oh, Great One," he said. "I come from the caverns below, with grave news. Ghosts are flying through the halls, and spreading fear and confusion. The whips are losing control, and the ghosts have  even started killing dogs. Worse, dog fights dog in the terror. I was one of five Your council sent to warn You, and I alone survived to bear the news to You." As he finished, he bowed his head in submission to Him.

For His part, He scrutinised the messenger who had survived. "You have seen these ghosts with your own eyes, then?" He asked, keeping his face still. If the pony's curse was happening, then He needed to seal the caverns off below before the ghosts came up to plague them here. How could He do that, though, if they could pass through solid substances? Then He remembered the curse's wording, and laughed cruelly. The messenger had said something, but whatever it was it did not matter.

"When those curs pass into here, they will be safe. And they never will. Your old masters will never own you again, dog. You are Mine," He said, lifting him up. "Now... Go." With those words, the messenger fled from His presence. Here at last, the rewards of courage and discipline. He had no further need of the council, and now they were dissolved. His laugh echoed throughout the chambers, to the dogs below, to His dogs now. Some of them turned to see Him, and He smiled down at them. No more would they be held back by cowards and fools! Now they would take possession of this world, and all it held. The only thing that could make this moment better was if the fool pony who had tried to curse Him could see it reversed now. He had not cursed Him, but rather blessed Him. 

The thought of that irony would not leave Him till He died. 


A sudden rapping at the door was the sound that woke Luna, Princess of the Night and Caretaker of the Lights, and she was not entirely thrilled. The sun was still up, and she had only just got to sleep. Taking a deep breath to try and calm herself, she called out. "Who is it?" she asked, hoping it was something important.

"Twilight Sparkle," came the reply, slight muffled by the door, and she groaned. Not that she disliked Twilight Sparkle - she did get along with her - but at this hour of the afternoon, it was all too early to talk about what was inevitably going to be something intricate and complicated. Unless it was about the Templars again. Or about the earthquakes that had hit the city. Or about some friendship lesson. Thinking about the possible alternatives, the last one seemed the best.

Whatever reason, though, wishing her away would not change it. Forcing herself awake, she stood up, and pushed her bed away. As it slid back into the wall, a cunning spring feature pushed out the throne of office in its place. She sat herself down, and appreciated deeply the added cushioning it had now. "Come in," she said, composing herself in her regal dignity.  

The door opened, and Twilight Sparkle walked in, a troubled expression on her face. Though, to be fair, her expression was usually unreadable. "What do you want, my sister's pupil?" Luna asked, her tone as formal as she could manage without doing the so-called Royal Canterlot Voice. That brought back memories, and she did not want to think of that time right. Shaking her head a little to shake the memories, she focused on the unicorn before her.

"Your Highness," she began, lifting up a black-metal ring. "I was, as you know, helping the guards with the rescue efforts. While I was doing so, I found this ring in the Museum of Canterlot. I would not have noticed it, save for two things. One was that it had protected the pony who lay upon it from rubble falling upon them. This protection was powerful, and magic in origin. The second was that it had a name inscribed upon it. Your name. I brought it here, for it seemed like only right to return it to you." She lifted it up with her magic, and had almost passed it to the Princess, whose face had turned stoney, when it broke free, dropping to the floor and rattling.

The Princess looked at it, frowning slightly. What a time for it to return. "Thank you," she said eventually. "I had almost forgotten about it." She stayed where she was, not sure whether she wanted to take the ring again. Especially since the last time she had borne it, it had turned so catastrophically. "Thank you," she said again. "Was that all you wanted?" She had not turned from the ring.

"I... Your Highness, I was curious," Twilight said. "Who gave you that ring, and why? Why did they have it, not you? Did you lose it?" Luna forced herself to look up, and saw Twilight Sparkle looking at her earnestly. Why did she want to bring up these memories? Did she not know how painful they were? 

No. Of course she didn't. Nopony ever talked about those times. Twilight Sparkle probably had no idea what had happened, or why it was so painful for her. Her sister had not talked about those times, and how had that helped her? "Very well, Twilight Sparkle. I will tell you. In hearing of these events, you must keep the knowledge alive. Do you agree?" Twilight nodded, slowly. "Very well, then. Let's begin with those questions, and if you have any more, ask them afterwards. Are we agreed?"

"Yes, Your Highness," answered Twilight. "I will listen." She sat down, and looked up at her attentively.

"Good," said the Princess. "Your first question. Who gave it to me? My brother, the Prince. He gave it to me as a gift, to protect me. This was... Oh, over a thousand years ago now. We were on the throne, my sister and I, and he had been given the title as well, though he did not have the responsibility of the sky. He and my sister never got along, and truthfully, I think he did it partly to anger her. At the time, though... Well, your second question, as to why this museum had it. The ring did not come with me when my sister banished me. I do not know what happened to it, but it must have eventually been found, and taken to the museum as a rarity. When I returned, I doubt they remembered the inscription upon it." She shook her head. "I had forgotten about the ring myself, so I am not surprised they did as well."

"Your brother?" Twilight asked. "The one who disappeared?" Luna nodded. "Why didn't he take the ring back? And why did he disappear in the first place?"

"That I cannot answer, Twilight Sparkle. My sister said to me that he blamed himself for what I had become, what had befallen me. He did something very severe to himself," she said with a wince at her own wording. "He severed his own wings. Where he is now, nopony but himself knows. He is still alive, though. His son is Prince Blueblood, though how such a vapid and self-obsessed nincompoop could be the offspring of such a pony I do not know. And the unicorn who you have seen with me is a messenger of his, an agent who works for me. He has been instrumental in keeping me abreast of developments since I left. Even he, though, does not know where he is."

Twilight frowned. "If he's working for your brother, he must be communicating with him someway. Have you asked him?" Luna nodded.

"Of course I have, but he has not told me," said Luna. "Trade secret, he tells me." She frowned this time, looking at the ring again. "If he did blame himself for what happened to me, then he may be trying to keep me safe."

"Princess Luna," began Twilight Sparkle, "What actually did happen then? All I know is what the book said - that you were jealous of the attention the ponies gave to your sister's day, rather than your night. But why would that turn you into... Well, into Nightmare Moon? Why did your sister banish you?"

"I have not talked of those matters for some time. Well, now is as good a time as any." Luna took a deep breath, and cast her memory back over long-past events. "It was just over a thousand years ago. The thirteenth time Discord had risen to strike terror into the hearts of ponies. My sister and I had just returned from a disastrous mission to the Crystal Empire, during which Discord had arrived to announce his arrival. King Sombra, who had invited us to attend their annual Crystal Heart ceremony, whatever it was called, had tried to stop him, but was corrupted by Discord's magic. We had to flee back to Equestria, and confronted Discord. Although he was returned to stone, he had planted the seeds of corruption within me. Celestia remained pure. They were just seeds for the moment, and would not necessarily sprout."

Twilight was sitting, rapt. "What happened next?" she asked, eyes open wide. 

"We returned to the Crystal Empire, and the seeds began to work in me. Rather than attempting to cure Sombra, I was impatient, and worked with my sister's aid the ritual to seal off the Crystal Empire. We said we would work to restore it later, but I had no intention of doing so." Luna shook her head. "We returned to Equestria, and I looked at the adoration we had both received, and decided that I deserved more. My brother watered those seeds, unknowingly, and it was not long before I was lost to pride, envy and jealousy. I looked for ways to become more powerful, and to spread fear. Fear would give me all that I wanted, you see. Finally, I believed I was more powerful than my sister, and I went to her, bearing that ring which my brother had just given me, with him at my side. I demanded my rightful position, and renamed myself Nightmare Moon. My sister tried to reason with me, but I was truly lost. The seed of corruption had not been my fault, but I gave into it, until I believed the lies it was spewing. At the last, my brother turned to join Celestia, and they tried to stop me. They... Well, as you can probably guess, they succeeded. The rest, of course, you know." She smiled at the unicorn. "You were there, at least."

"I see. That is a lot to process, Your Highness," Twilight Sparkle said after a second. "I... I have a lot to think about now. May I beg your leave?"

Luna chuckled. "Of course, Twilight Sparkle. I will be here if you have any questions. Until then, fare well."

As the unicorn left her, Luna looked again at the ring. What a time for that to come back, when she had just this morning been working with her brother's agents against her sister. Was it a sign? A message? A reminder? Was it just random chance? Whatever it was, that it had turned up now was quite ominous. She lifted it up, and slid it onto her horn. A cool feeling settled over her, and she remembered how it had felt the last time. This time, though, perhaps she could redeem herself from that last time.


Starlight Charmer was not a strong pony. She was not overly persuasive. She did not possess great ambitions. What she had were two major talents. She found it easy to hide and remain unnoticed, and she had a great memory for what she had seen. She had been just a little foal on a school visit to an art gallery when she had been found.

She had been sketching one of the images she had seen, when a hooded pony had approached her. "You have a good memory," he had said, "for seeing that image ten minutes ago." He had explained that he was searching for such unique ponies, and that when she had finished her school days, if she needed a job, he would have one for her.

It had been good so far, over the past three years, being a secret watcher, and if he had not told her about her talent so long ago, would she have ever found it? So, even despite her being a little uncomfortable sneaking down through the old Canterlot Mines, she was ready to endure it.

To the pony she worked for, she was known as T.14, and she in turn knew him only by the codename he had given her, B.03. He had sent her down to investigate the mines, and had given her no further details. It was the usual thing, and she had not questioned it. It would not be too dangerous, and if it was, she could hide easily enough.

She continued making her way through the mines, when she could begin to hear something from deeper inside the mine. She paused for a second, listening to it. It was a steady beat, though it was disordered and discordant. And it was getting closer.

There was a second beat that she could pick out after a minute. Like the other, it was getting closer. With it, she could hear harsh voices, speaking aloud, and she tensed. Diamond dogs. They were not supposed to be here. Could they be the ones behind the earthquake? No, that seemed impossible. They might have the motive, but not the means. Whatever had caused the earthquake, though, was still uncertain. She had to keep going, and that meant getting past the dogs. It was time to put her second talent into use, and hide. When the dogs had passed, she could go and keep up the search. She took a piece of paper from her saddlebags, and quickly penned a note to B.03. In mines. Diamond dogs passing by. Will report number when they have passed me. With a crack, she sent it off, and found a craggy rock formation to hide in.

The double beat kept getting closer, and the voices got clearer. It was not long before they were passing before her, and Starlight Charmer could see how many of them there were. At first she was shocked, and then by stages horrified, terrified, and disbelieving. There were so many of them, being driven forward by shout and whip. There were more than she could count, and the very prospect of counting them scared her. This was no mere clan, no mere group of bandits or petty thieves. This was an army, and clearly intended for Canterlot. The sheer array of weapons was enough to convince her of that. That they were crude did not take away even an inch of her fear. 

She knew, though, that if she gave into her fear, they would find her. She turned to a ritual that her contact had taught her. She pictured herself holding a box, and taking her fear and placing it in the box, and then closing it. Separating herself from her fear, she looked on the dogs with a clinical detachment. What weaknesses did they have?

The whips proved they were being forced into this. Presumably keeping them from the gems and crystals within these caverns. If they were out of those bounds, they might disperse without force. That was not a certainty, though, and she forced herself to keep looking. Most of them had no armour, so they would be far more vulnerable to the Guards' weapons than vice versa. That would not be much, though, if they had such numbers. They needed some way to spread disorder and chaos into their ranks, and they would need to mobilise the Guard in numbers not seen since the last war. Unless..

If they could hit the dogs as they emerged, as they came out of the tunnels, and funnel them into kill-zones, then their numbers would work against them. But once they had emerged into the city, they would overwhelm the defenders. The message had to be sent, and had to be sent soon. She had to wait, though, until the horde had passed, or the message would not be sent at all. As she did so, the horde stopped, and she watched as a particularly large and brutal-looking diamond dog was carried on a  onto the scene. Carrying him were four dogs, wearing embossed armour. Another four surrounded him, carrying curved wicked-looking swords, and in the same armour. Starlight Charmer paled. This was the leader. This was the one behind these dogs of war.

He began to rant at them, and Starlight Charmer felt her fear recede. Again with the ridiculous-looking ranting, the 'It is time to destroy Equestria' and the 'Ponies must die for their insolence' that they always did. They never seemed to think too much of ponykind's capacity to stop them, and that always caught them unprepared. This one would be no different in that respect. She just had to wait, and inform B.03 of their numbers and intention, and their form. He would spot the weaknesses she had and more. Jolly Old Equestria would prevail. She did not doubt that anymore.

As they began to march again, she breathed out the tiniest sigh of relief. Now the waiting was over. Her mission was of no importance compared to this news. When they had passed beyond her view, she slowly and quietly drew out a quill and paper. Shortly, she sketched the scene in words, but before she could send it off. she heard a laugh, and felt one of those curved blades slowly and gently press against her throat.

"Boss wants you alive, pony. But he'll take you dead if you try and send that message," said a voice behind her. "You gonna come quietly?"
 


From the deck of the Even Chance, Shining Armour overlooked the land below him. They were almost a hundred metres above the ground, but it was covered by forest so thick that the ground could not be seen. It did not sit well with him.

Behind them, almost three kilometres away now, the smoke was still rising from the railway station. The zebras had butchered every pony there, no matter if they were stallion, mare, or foal. The twenty barbarians who had lingered there were now dead, their bodies burning, but the damage was done. The track had been sabotaged, and he had had to leave a full squad of engineers behind to repair and relay the track. If he had to fortify Canterlot, he would need every engineer he could get.

"Movement!" called one of the sentries to port, and Shining Armour hurried over. There was something rustling the trees, though whatever it was was still hidden.

"Trees rustling," said the Captain, and he spat overboard. "The zebras could be right under us, and we still wouldn't see it." He took a deep breath. "Keep on route. No point wasting time on a probable."

The port scorpions were released. The little contraptions had a nasty sting, and they had helped soften up Equestria's foes in the past. Even so, they did not have limitless supplies of their ammunition, and if Canterlot was in danger, they might not have time to restock before they were pressed into action. They could not afford to waste shots.

Shining Armour made his way back to the stern, shaking his head. He was almost on the verge of canceling the watch, but that would be a gift to anyone trying to attack the ship. They would keep them, and respond to each alert as if it was a definite attack. Even if they were frustrating. It made him wonder, though, if this was what it felt like to be the Princess. Every single danger, even if it was not real, was something that they had to respond to. He only had a few hundred souls with him who would be threatened by a failure to respond. They had to look after every pony in Equestria. Any mistake would be too grave to forget.

He turned to the hourglass that was embedded in the wall next to the ship's bell. He still had almost one and a half hours before he was off-duty. He stretched a little, letting the tension and frustration out there. An officer was not allowed to show emotion or weakness among the enlisted Guardsponies. It would not do to unsettle them like that. Especially not now, cut off from home and ready for duty at any hour. There was nothing for it but to remain calm.

"Movement!" called another sentry, and with a sigh, Shining Armour moved to check this one. No doubt it would another doubtful. This time, however, when he came to inspect it, it was in a break in the forest. Something was definitely moving in there. Pony size, and a big group of them. The scorpions were loaded, and swiveling over them. But the movers were in shadow, and they could not see their form.

"Close recon," he ordered, and two pegasoi swooped down. They did not complete their patrol as two zebras jumped out and brought them down. 

That was it. "Loose at will," he said, and the thumping of the scorpions was interspersed with the high-pitched whining of crossbows joining in. Forms began dropping and stopped crossing. They continued loosing for ten seconds before stopping.

He could investigate the bodies. He could try and retrieve the two soldiers, but it would be too late to save them, and retrieving their bodies would cost more lives. "Helmsmare," he bellowed. "Get this ship moving again!" It would not be good for morale, but another ten ponies lost would be even worse. Two for as many of the zebras as they had taken down would be a good deal for the moment. Anything more would be folly.

As the Even Chance got back up to speed, Shining Armour cursed the entire race of zebras. Barbarians, cultists, tricksters. They were the spawn of Tartarus in living form, and now they were invading Canterlot, there would be no peace until they were utterly destroyed.


The Templars drew closer to the same mine they had first seen just over a month ago. The sun was dropping on the horizon, but Johann, at least, still felt energised from that same beam that Celestia had attempted to use to stop them. The foals who were guiding them stopped in front of the entrance to the mine, and Johann dismounted. He walked over to them, and caught their attention. “Scootaloo,” he said. When they turned to look at him, he stooped down and after a second of thought, he began to draw the tree that Twilight had taken them into at first, and then other houses. Then he drew arrows pointing towards the drawing of the village, and pointed at the foals.

They did not seem to take the suggestion to go home with good grace, and there was some talking between them. When they tried to appeal, though, he shook his head. They stood for a few seconds, looking at him with pleading eyes, but he remained resolute. Johann would not allow the young ones to face danger from those things that had captured them again. More than that, if what Frederick had said was true about the being that had threatened them, he could not allow an innocent soul to face it unprepared.

“A spirit, given form,” Frederick had said. “Who or what caused it to spring up here, I do not know. All I know is that it was unable to withstand the power of the Cross, and that is what will protect us. If that young one had been touched by it, I do not want to imagine what might have happened. Death would not necessarily have been the worst.” That had set Johann’s mind to thinking, and he had forced himself to close off that topic then and there. To think more on that topic would drive you insane. That the Lord had conquered such creatures, and given them the authority to do so again, was all that he needed to think about. Though they were untouchable by the material, Frederick was the spiritual warrior who would fight that battle.

“Will there be more of them?” Johann had asked, and Frederick had shrugged.

“Possibly. Until we know what caused it, or why it was here, then there is no answer possible. We will have to keep on with this battle regardless, and face them down when we see them,” he answered. That led them to the creatures they had fought the first day they had been here. Frederick had said that they were being led to them, and that they may have been the cause. What evidence he had of that, he did not say, but Johann was more than willing to hear his counsel.

The mine, then, was what loomed before them as the foals made their way back to their home. He looked to the other Templars, his brothers, and the first trace of doubt crossed into his mind. What could they do? How could four or five warriors stand against numbers uncounted? He shook his head at that, though. Four or five warriors could not do that. It was impossible by human deeds. However, four or five warriors and the Lord of Armies could stand against any foe. Their hands had done it before, and by God’s will they would do it again. 

This time, though, the spiritual battle that went with the physical one was clearer. Rather than merely doubt or lack of faith, it was an obvious fight against visible foes, and that, oddly enough, made it easier for Johann. This fight was one he could see, and that meant that though he did not have a weapon to fight against this foe, he did not have to fear it as much. He motioned to his brothers to dismount, and leading his horse by the hand, he entered the mine again. 

It was as dark as it had been the first time. The only light came from ahead, and from what he could tell it was from flickering torches. He slowly led his horse through the tunnel. It did not like it anymore than he did, but at least he knew the purpose for this mission, and unlike the beast, knew that there would be an end to the darkness.

They emerged into the same cavern he had been in the first time, and the light was a relief. Darker than it was on the surface, it was still far brighter than the tunnel, and was easy enough to see by. 

He looked across the cavern. The beast-men were still inside, though far fewer in number, and the ones that were left were making their way through a large tunnel on the other side of the cavern. The Templars would have to ride right across. As he climbed back into the saddle, he could see the beast scatter, and a white thing flew through them. He breathed in deep, and let it out. There were more of the spirits. They were definitely coming from here, then. That, at least, made it simple. Rather than further investigation of the area to find the source, they merely had to go deep within the hostile holding and they would find it.

His brothers joined him in the cavern, and quickly remounted as well. He drew his sword from its sheath. “For the Temple and for Christ!” he yelled, and kicking his horse into a canter, he led the way down the ramp. The beasts heard something, and some of them turned. If they had been afraid of the spirit, they seemed far more afraid of them, and as the clatter of horseshoes filled the cavern, the beasts started running through the tunnel.


"Canterlot ho," called the watchmare, as the enchanted bell rung three times to mark the half hour. Shining Armour sighed. There really was no rest for the wicked. Only another half hour, and he would be off duty.

“All hooves on deck,” he ordered, and with that order, the sergeants started making their way through the decks, waking the sleeping and interrupting dinner. He could remember his first time as a second lieutenant on active service, and if the sergeants hadn’t changed beyond all reckoning, he would wager that they enjoyed this duty above all others.

He waited on the quarterdeck as the Guards mobilised on the deck ahead. They formed in four solid lines, with ten spaces absent. He looked on them, and smiled. It felt good to be leading his soldiers into an honest battle again. He waited until they had formed up, and then nodded to his sergeant major, Ironside, who began bellowing. “Come to attention, you lazy maggots!” he yelled at the Guards, most of whom were already at attention. It was the same love of discipline for discipline’s sake that he was known for.

“As you were,” Shining Armour said. “We are within sight of the city, the very reason we left the Crystal Empire. We are here for one reason, and one reason only. Canterlot is under threat.  The zebras are invading, and Canterlot’s Guards cannot hold against them. We are there to put our possessions, our bodies, our very selves, in between these zebras and the ponies of this city. This is the reason you have become Guards, because you lay down your life for your people.

“We do not fight for glory, we do not fight for gain. We fight so that others may be protected. We fight to defend those who cannot defend themselves. This is what you have signed up for. This is why you trained. This is why you serve.

“Look out at the city, all of you. Look at it. Look at its spires, look at its walls, and look at its beauty. This is created by peace, by those ponies you protect. These zebras, these barbarians, want to bring it down. You will stand between these destroyers and civilisation. Now stand, here and now, for the people of Equestria, against those who want to bring death and destruction!”

With that, he stood back, and the Guards on deck began to cheer and hoot. There was thumping on the deck, and the hoofbeats of the cheering Guards. Shining Armour watched, nodding and smiling, when he noticed one of the guards to port-side. He was looking over the edge of the ship, and there was clearly something that was disturbing him.

“Hold on, Ironside,” he said. “Find out what’s going on over there,” pointing at the disturbed-looking Guard, and with a nod, his sergeant major started moving towards him.

He had not taken five steps when the Guard turned back. “We’re under attack!” he screamed, as a dagger slammed into the back of his head. He took a single step forward and collapsed, blood pouring from the dagger now embedded in his head.

Pandemonium ensued in the deck, with soldiers scrambling for weapons. The scorpions began sweeping across both sides of the deck, thumping as they loosed. Captain Shining Armour moved down to the deck, loosening the spear at his side, and drawing his crossbow. He slid a bolt home, and moved across to the port.

Looking down, he could see several grapnels hooked onto different parts of the ship. The scorpion ports within the hull of the ship, the side of the ship, even the portholes. On the ropes attached, zebras climbed, swords in teeth. One of them, the one who had thrown the knife, was almost at the top. Shining Armour pointed his crossbow at it, and pulled the trigger. The bolt thumped into its head, and it dropped from the rope to the ground below.

How in the nine layers of Tartarus had they managed to get these ropes attached? They were barbarians with no machinery. They did not even use bows. He looked around, and spotted one that was different. The other zebras were black and white, but this one was black and yellow, marking it as a zony. More than just mere colour, this one had wings, and it was flying around, two more grapnels across its back. That was the obvious answer.

“Bring it down!” he yelled, pointing at it. The scorpions and now the crossbows began closing in on it, but it was moving too fast to hit. It was useless. He let it go on for a few seconds, but they were only getting further and further away from it. 

“Belay that. Pick your targets and loose at will,” he said, reloading his crossbow. He loosed it again, and another zebra fell. The rest of the Guards were joining him, but the zebras were climbing too fast and in too many numbers. He could feel the airship begin to lurch beneath him as it took the weight of the climbing zebras, and his heart began to sink. If they kept coming like they were, they would barely be able to reach Canterlot, let alone the landing platform. 

There was a cry behind him, and he turned around, and his jaw dropped. The zebras had begun to board, and were beginning to fight with the ponies on deck. “Repel boarders, and keep them from taking the ship. For Canterlot and for Equestria!” he yelled, and drawing his spear, he leapt into the fray. 

The first zebra he faced had the curved sword that was typical of their kind. It charged at him, swinging the sword widely. With the haft of his spear, he parried the sword aside, and stabbed it through the chest. He drew it back out, and it fell down, choking. He spat. Another of the murderers was now dead. Private Fall Bird would be avenged, and Canterlot would be protected. He looked around him, to find the rest of his soldiers fighting a pitched battle. The zebras were crazed enough to get the initial push, but they were being held back by the disciplined Guards. 

Even so, the scorpions had stopped, and more and more of the zebras were climbing on board. If something did not happen soon, they would overrun the Guards, no matter how well they fought. Shining Armour kept fighting, spitting another zebra through. Their only hope was to throw the zebras off, and get the scorpions firing again.

“Push them back,” he called, and spotted the zony circling in on the deck. It was, he could see now, a mare, and he froze for a second. He shook off that sympathy, and called out to her. “Come and face me, zony cur!”

She heard him, and began diving at him and drew her own sword. He readied his spear, and as she swooped by him, he stabbed out at her. She swerved across, swinging her sword down. He moved his spear up, and parried the blade with the haft. He turned around and thrust up again, but she had already moved out of his range. She swung around, and he could read the hatred in her eyes. 

“You have held us back, strangled us by your mercy. Well, this is my own Mercy!” she called, raising her blade. 

Shining Armour readied his spear. “You have chosen this path yourself, not us. And now you will die for it, murderer.”

They stood, watching each other for a second, and then leapt back into the duel, while around them, ponies and zebras fought for control of the ship, and Canterlot continued to come closer towards them.