//------------------------------// // Act II: Chapter Seventeen: Between the Flash and the Boom, Part 2 // Story: Innocent // by Puzzle Piece //------------------------------// None of the Guards were present in the throne room. They’d left of their own accord, sensing that staying would have been intrusive. Even though the rest of the city was humming with activity, this one room was silent. Silent that is, except for the soft rustle of feathers and an occasional sniff. Luna lay next to her sister with her wing wrapped around her tightly. Celestia had given up trying to speak of her pain, since her voice broke every time she began. Instead, they just nuzzled and took comfort from the warmth of the other’s closeness. Luna could think of nothing more she could say that would lift the burden on the shoulders beside her. When the Guard had stood and fallen beside her in the first battle, it had nearly broken Celestia’s resolve. Luna knew that her sister would do anything to keep everypony safe. She also knew that it had been impossible. As much as their deaths had stung her, the feeling of helplessness and guilt were what truly hurt. This last battle had been more than she could handle. She had made it all the way to the throne room retaining some semblance of composure. Luna had been waiting for her there. The instant their eyes met, Celestia had collapsed. It had been so sudden that they’d feared she was injured. Unfortunately, the injury was of the spirit and while it would not kill, no medicine could cure it. A Guard, recognizing the time was not right to speak, passed Luna a report silently before he and the others left the Princesses. Luna had read it after Celestia had regained some control of herself. There had been little in it from which to draw reassurance. A disturbance outside the room brought Luna back to the present with a start. The voice of a Guard was heard and then a deeper voice answered. There was silence and then the door swung open. Prince Zacon stepped through with a Guard trailing after. “Your Highnesses,” the Guard bowed hastily. “He insisted on an audience with you.” Luna gently disengaged from Celestia and stood. She caught Zacon’s disdainful glance directed at Celestia and her eyes narrowed. “What do you want?” she asked coldly. “We’re dispensing with formalities already?” Zacon asked with amusement. “Good. Straight to the point then.” He gestured for the Guard to leave. The Guard gave him a look of indignant disbelief and then turned to Luna questioningly. She nodded. “You are dismissed, Corporal. We would have no one else in attendance for this meeting.” The Guard’s surprise was quickly concealed and he bowed out of the room. The doors swung shut again. The two Royals remained separated by the vast room, measuring each other. Luna didn’t like what she saw. His gaze was confident and direct. Whatever he was here for, he was not going to be turned aside lightly. Luna resisted the urge to glance at Celestia’s still form behind her. Zacon would likely have taken it as some sign of indecisiveness. But while the Guards could be sent away from what would likely be a bitter and heated argument, Celestia could not. And in her fragile state, Luna was not sure how she would cope. Zacon started forward as he spoke. “I hope you know why I’m here.” Luna’s eyes narrowed further. “We could guess.” “Then I’ll not waste time.” He cleared his throat. “You are not going to win this war. Not unless you accept the meaning of war.” Luna sucked in a breath. Behind her, Celestia made no sound. Luna gave it another second before responding. “And what, pray tell, is that?” “Simply, it is kill or be killed,” Zacon said evenly. “Your ponies have enthusiasm for defending their homes. They have shown devotion to you and this country. They have even shown promise on the field of battle. But all of that means very little if they cannot see what it will take to win.” “It is no mystery what it will take. They know. And together, we will overcome these Trolls.” Luna fixed him with a stern gaze. “Make no mistake, Prince. I will not let Equestria fall.” “You have just illustrated my point, Highness.” Luna blinked. “Allow me to draw your attention to your choice of words, about not letting Equestria fall in particular. You see, both you and all the rest of those ponies out there are fighting this war as if they will outlast this enemy and then they will go away. It is not so.” “They cannot wage war forever,” Luna retorted. “Nor can you,” Zacon replied sharply. He let out a breath of impatience. “In the last few days you have suffered two defeats, lost leagues of ground, and roughly half of your troops. And this is only the beginning. If you cannot win on the doorstep of your capital, you cannot win across the rest of your country. And that is where the majority of this war will be fought.” Luna again listened for some sign of a reaction from Celestia but none was evident. “Do you have a point?” she said at length. “If not, stop wasting our time with your doom-saying.” “My point is that you must make them leave. And even if by some miracle you manage to drive them off, they will undoubtedly return. You need to do more than just push them out of your country. You need to make sure they never threaten again.” “They will learn not to violate our sovereignty after they have seen our strength. Just as in the past when our enemies have become allies once our differences are resolved.” “And what strength are they going to see? This pathetic display?” Zacon gestured to Celestia where she lay, still curled up at the base of the dais of the thrones. Luna stepped between them defensively. “Our strength is not in us as individuals,” Luna said. “It is in our unity.” “I see,” Zacon nodded. “So your powerful leader, who has resolved to protect her subjects without the aid of any significant security forces, needs all of you to fight her battles for her, else she cannot win?” “Do not twist words,” Luna hissed. “You know full well what I mean.” “Clearly. But it remains her place to do the protecting when she has prepared little else for the task. And here you stand, between the two of us, fighting her fight for her. I did come to speak with her after all.” “My sister grieves. You expect anything else?” “Actually, yes. I expect her to lead, not whimper in a corner. Although,” he said, pausing thoughtfully. “I don’t know why I expect even that. It’s not as if any of you have given me real reason to think you’re even capable of this level of fortitude. It’s surprising that your race has lasted as long as it has. Surely some other enemy could have decimated you by now.” Luna frowned deeply. “Regardless, the lack of understanding of this conflict is laughable. I’ve heard them talk of going back to their lives like nothing will have changed when this is over. It is a foolish hope that can only distract from reaching victory. In the end, only the ones who can put aside what they wish could be again, will be the ones who live to see what is afterward.” A muscle tightened in Luna’s jaw. She glared at the stallion before her. “But that can only be if they are led to victory. And judging from what I see here, that isn’t going to happen. Your army is undisciplined and ill-trained. I saw those troops running. I heard the order to retreat and it was given long after your army began abandoning the field. Admit it! The order was only given so that they could be spared the shame of being called deserters!” Luna had finally had enough. “The field was lost!” she countered sharply. “It was a choice between retreat and annihilation. Even with some elements of the Army already running, the rest needed to be withdrawn.” “At least let those honorable enough to stand their ground do so,” Zacon said, raising his voice. “Let them die with honor, distinguished from the cowards who left them to their fate!” A growl built in Luna’s throat as she shouted back. “You may write off our lives, but yours is no more important to us than any one of our subjects! Whatever standard you are holding us to matters even less. You chose to stand with us, remember?” “You think I’m doing this for you?” he practically laughed. “I’m fighting for the thrill of battle! For the glory of victory! I am here to stand beside my brothers-in-arms because I will not let them stand alone. Now, my blade has tasted blood in this world and it is not sweet enough for me to waste mine defending such a collection of weak-spined, soft-hearted, ignorant ponies!” “You’ll silence your insolent tongue if you intend to keep it!” Luna’s mane flared out behind her and a shockwave of energy followed her voice across the room. Zacon did not flinch as the wave passed over him. “What part of all that I’ve said here makes you think I can be intimidated by the likes of you?” he replied coldly. Luna’s nostrils flared. It was Zacon’s only warning. Her wings extended and she rocketed toward him. The glow of her horn was a streak in the air as she swept past him. A deep hum resonated through the room after the impact and Zacon slid back several feet. His armor glowed briefly where it had been struck and a shower of azure sparks scattered across the floor. In a fluid motion, he swung his Axe up and held it before him defensively. He grinned past the handle at her. Luna leapt into the air and shot a bolt of energy at him. He parried it with the Axe and it exploded into the floor behind him. Luna dove and shot again. After deflecting again, Zacon barely brought the Axe up in time to block her horn as she came down on him. A clear, high note rang out as the divine weapon met the blazing horn. They both skidded back from the forces that were released. Luna’s pupils had contracted to pinpricks of hatred. Zacon’s were dilated with anticipation. Luna charged and Zacon braced himself to meet her. Thunder shook the room when they collided. Zacon’s hooves slid on the tiles of the floor under the pressure of Luna’s advance. Her horn burned as it pushed at the haft of the Axe. The muscles in Zacon’s neck bulged with the effort to hold her back. Their eyes were mere inches apart. Suddenly Zacon’s eyes went wide. Too late to stop it, he saw what she was going to do. The blast from her horn hit the top of his helm and nearly caused him to fall over backwards. No longer holding the Axe against her, he was vulnerable and Luna took full advantage. She reared up and brought both forehooves down across his muzzle. The Axe fell from his mouth and clattered to the floor. Luna turned and kicked out with her hind legs, sending Zacon crashing into a pillar. He dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. The doors burst open and five Guards rushed in. Luna held up a hoof to stop them. “Stay back!” She turned again to where Zacon was struggling to rise. “I will handle him.” The Guards looked confused but followed her order. They stood barring the door, wary of danger. Zacon managed to regain his footing. A faint smile touched the corners of Luna’s mouth when she saw the glimmer of uncertainty in his eyes. Her horn glowed for a moment but sputtered out. She was momentarily at a loss as to why her telekinesis hadn’t worked until she noticed the shimmering light on his armor. She realized the enchantment must be resistant to magic. Otherwise, she reasoned, her other strikes would have had greater effect as well. Zacon noticed that something hadn’t worked for her and rushed to exploit her hesitation. She shot a bolt of energy but he turned it aside with a forceful hoof. She shot again and he let it strike the plates on his shoulder, slowing his charge marginally. She braced and he slammed into her. They rolled the length of the room and smashed into the far wall. Some of the Guards took involuntary steps into the room at the sight of the Princess on the floor. Luna was the first to rise, using a surge from her wings to lift herself free. Zacon rolled over and regained his hooves. Luna landed and winced. She looked down and saw blood dripping from a shallow wound beneath her mantle. Her blood also fell from one of the blades on Zacon’s armor. The stallion did not appear injured as he picked up the Axe again. He faced her, no longer defensively, but as if waiting for her to move first. Luna waved off the Guards again, though they backed off more reluctantly this time. She swept her wings back and crouched low. She circled slowly while Zacon matched her steps. She faked one way and then another, until he gave a huff of contempt. She made a lunge that turned into a feint and then lunged to strike. He tracked her movements easily and was ready for her. He blocked the blow with a plate and brought the Axe down on what appeared to be a hole in Luna’s defense. At the last second, she ducked, caught the haft with a hoof and turned it aside. In doing so, she had turned his head away from her. She could just make out his startled expression before it disappeared in a flash from her horn. Zacon fell across the floor, once more bereft of his Axe. Luna stepped toward him, head held high. Zacon pushed himself up and glared at her. “Don’t you have any other tricks?” He seemed half way between annoyance and mockery. “I don’t need more than this to deal with you,” she replied contemptuously. “Oh really?” he smirked. He held his hoof out, pointed directly at her. She waited, but nothing seemed to happen. Just when she was about to taunt him for being ridiculous, she sensed the movement. She ducked low as the Axe spun past her. It ripped through her mane where it remained suspended after her sudden move. The severed portion dissipated into the air and was replaced as her mane billowed out again. Zacon frowned as he caught the Axe in his mouth. Luna allowed herself a small smirk of her own. Zacon snorted in frustration and advanced. Luna watched him and then began giving ground. He wasn’t charging. He was just walking toward her. She wasn’t sure what he intended but she knew he wouldn’t do this without some sort of plan. Without any other warning, Zacon was on her. Using surprising dexterity, he turned the Axe to make multiple passes at her before resetting his stance. Luna jumped back a step with each swing. He swept out with a wider strike and she was forced to leap completely over him to avoid it. Landing behind him, she prepared to shoot with her horn, only to find his Axe whistling toward her head again. She ducked and then dodged to the side to avoid the follow-up that slammed into the floor with enough force to leave a deep gash in the tiles. Bits of her mane were cut off and vanished as she continued to dodge, reappearing as soon as it was gone. It effectively created an afterimage of her movement that was visibly bothering Zacon. His swings became wilder and driven more by anger. Luna jabbed at him with her hooves, forcing him off balance and slipping away before he could retaliate. She wove around him fluidly while he made powerful but poorly guided assaults on the space she had once occupied. Just as Luna was thinking of ending it, Zacon turned and swung with unexpected accuracy. It came so close to clipping her head that her ears flattened themselves against her scalp instinctively. While she was still reeling from the close call, he brought the butt of the Axe around and hit her under the chin. She backed away with a stagger and tried to see her opponent through watering eyes. She found him a moment too late. He rammed her with his shoulder and nearly knocked her off her hooves. He spun hard and the Axe came around with him. It connected with her mantle and an explosion shook the room. Luna picked herself up after what felt like minutes of disorientation and looked around. Zacon was coming to his hooves again, already looking to charge. She saw the place she’d been struck. A faint trail of steam rose from the lighter mark on her otherwise black mantle and another bleeding gash had appeared on her chest. Anger built in her to match the pain and her horn flared to life with new intensity. Zacon made it halfway to her when broken tiles and bits of stone from the damaged pillars pelted him from all sides. He tried to push through the hail but the debris clung to him. The pieces tightened and Zacon looked down in dismay. He was lifted off his hooves and held in midair by the telekinetic barrage. “Now, Prince Zacon Crimsontide, are you intimidated by the likes of ME!?” Luna’s eyes shown with pure white light as she shouted the last word. Zacon was slammed into the floor and then into the far wall. He scrabbled madly to escape but could find nothing to grip. He struggled with his bonds but Luna only pressed the chucks of stone tighter. As he struck surface after surface around the room, his struggles became weaker and weaker. Many square feet of the room’s once pristine floors and walls were pounded into rubble by the heavy blows. When the Axe fell from Zacon’s grip and his grunts of pain could be heard above the crunch of stone, Luna let him drop. She walked over to his limp body and contemplated it silently. The Guards entered the room hesitantly. Luna paid no attention to them now. He might have been dead if not for the rise and fall of his chest and the rasp of his breath in the sudden stillness. Then one hoof stirred. Zacon’s eyes opened marginally and looked blearily up at the Princess. Possessed by some lingering anger that he was even still conscious, Luna prepared to strike again. “Enough!” Luna blinked and the white glow in her eyes faded away. She turned to see Celestia standing over them both. Though her face was still lined with pain and sorrow, her eyes held an authority that froze Luna in place. “He is done.” She put a guiding hoof on the other’s shoulder. Luna let out a shaky sigh and turned away, pressing a hoof to her injuries. “You did not come here simply to mock us,” Celestia said, addressing Zacon. “You did not come here just to fight us. So tell us, why are you here? What made you do all of this?” Zacon stirred again in the small crater he’d been left in. With a supreme effort, he was able to force himself more or less upright to respond. “Highness,” he began. Blood leaked from his mouth and he spat out a glob of it. “I had to do something to get your attention. Now, I believe I have it.” “Explain yourself then, Prince,” Luna commanded impatiently. Celestia gestured to Luna to calm her. Luna huffed contemptuously. “I had intended to explain,” Zacon replied, finally able to regain his hooves completely. “You see, when I began this confrontation, you were trying to deflect my accusation. As I started down more offensive paths, you saw that your words alone would not stop me.” He paused to wipe more blood from his mouth with a hoof. “That is what I am trying to get you to see about this war. These Trolls are not going to be turned aside. They must be met with force equal or greater than they have brought against you.” “You think we are not trying?” Celestia asked. “You think there is some effort we are not expending?” “You are not willing to accept loss,” he said, nodding. “You grieve your fallen troops and yet soldiers exist to die for their people. If you intend to protect your subjects, you need to use your soldiers as a shield against attack.” “My soldiers are my subjects as much as any other pony,” Celestia replied, affronted. “I will not treat them like tools to be used until they are broken and then discard them. I intend to protect them all equally.” “Then they will die equally,” Zacon answered evenly. “For there is no way to protect them all.” “How can you know that no other way exists?” Luna asked. “By leading my own people through hundreds of years of war,” he said, looking at her severely. “And barely twice as many of peace. I know what it takes to drive an enemy to submission and I know the consequences of failing to prevent their resurgence.” Luna and Celestia exchanged a glance. “Let me put it simply,” Zacon went on after a pause. “You are defending and only defending. If you intend to win, you must go on the offensive.” “How can we do that when we can hardly slow their advance?” Celestia asked. “My companions and I know ways to fight an enemy who outnumbers us. I may be flying in the face of protocol, but I believe we can turn this war around if we could have a more active role in directing battles.” Luna gave Celestia a troubled look but the other ignored her. “You think that you can lead my ponies to victory?” Celestia asked cautiously. “Yes, and without a doubt,” he replied confidently. “I have seen all the potential in them that I need to.” “And you will do so with the utmost respect for their lives?” “Sacrifices must be made, but I know the value of such losses well. Those willing to make that sacrifice are among the most honored by my people.” Celestia thought hard while Luna sized Zacon up. Even though he still had to wipe an occasional trickle of blood from his lip, he didn’t seem severely shaken by the fight. Luna had stopped her own bleeding with a steady supply of telekinetic pressure on the wounds. He was tough, she was forced to admit. Dangerously so. If he was half as skilled in tactics as he was in brawling, he very well could do them some good. Still, Luna had reservations. More than seeing him get his way in the end, she didn’t like the sound of this Prince taking over the command of their troops. “I accept your offer to assist us further,” Celestia said at last. “But on these conditions.” Zacon nodded and waited for her to elaborate. “You will not send my ponies to their deaths. In battle, they may die,” she admitted. “But you must never put them in harm’s way when other options are available. Their lives matter to me. They must matter as much to you if you are to lead them.” “I agree,” he replied. “And you will never, I repeat, never antagonize us in this way again. You will speak plainly to resolve your problems. We cannot spare the energy it takes to fight amongst ourselves.” Zacon grinned as he nodded. Luna frowned at him. She didn’t doubt that he would follow the directives but she knew that he had enjoyed their fight immensely. That attitude bothered her. He was being asked to value the lives of the ponies he would be leading when he reveled in battle. It left her with a worried knot in her stomach. “Finally,” Celestia continued. “You answer to us in all matters of command. Our orders supersede yours, although you can offer council at will. And my Captains will be above you as well. They answer to us alone.” “All reasonable terms, Highness,” Zacon said. “I will be sure to stay within these bounds. I only need enough authority to lead troops where they are needed. I have no interest in directing the larger battle.” “Very good. I hereby grant you the rank of Acting Lieutenant and place you in your own command, independent of all others. You may give orders to troops in the other commands as you need to in the field and take extended command with our express permission. You will be issued a badge denoting your new rank and our officers will be notified of it. Your companions will receive the same rank and privileges once they have agreed to the terms. I wish you luck and sincerely hope that you can help us. There is no doubt that we need it.” Zacon bowed formally and straightened with a wince of pain. “You will likely want to wash up and rest. I can have a room prepared for you.” Celestia gestured to a Guard, who left to carry out the tasks. “My thanks, Princess.” Zacon said. “I will retire to, er, ‘wash up’. Then I believe I will be looking over the troops. I want to put together a list of those I think can handle the maneuvers I intend to lead. My companions should be summoned to my quarters to discuss the terms they will need to accept before joining me.” “I will see to it they are informed of your wish to speak with them.” Zacon bowed once more and left. A Guard led him off in the direction of the guest rooms and the door shut again. The remaining Guards stood about uncertainly. They looked as if they wanted to say something but also didn’t want to question the decision. Celestia returned to the base of the throne, lying down again with a sigh. She was visibly drained by the confrontation. Luna remained where she was, staring after the Prince for a long time. The more she thought about him and what he’d said, the more she was forced to admit that she agreed with him. What they were doing wasn’t working. They needed to change their strategy if they were going to win. Maybe he could be that change. She wasn’t sure. But there were a few things she was sure of: More ponies were going to die before this was over. They would have to accept that. They would also need to safeguard their future. If these Trolls had attacked them without provocation, something would need to be done to stop that from happening again. Celestia might think that they could find a way to make peace. Luna would do nothing to prevent it. But where Celestia might shy away from such action, Luna would be willing to deal more harshly with these invaders. ~*~*~ When the messenger knocked on the door, Jason was showing Twilight the specific movements of mana in the air as the heat was drained from the water to freeze it. He caused the rippling energy to glow as it passed from his hoof to the water suspended in front of them. Twilight mirrored the motion and the globe froze over at her direction. “You’ve progressed remarkably fast,” he said over his shoulder as he moved to answer the knock. “Practice will increase your speed and reduce the strain of concentrating on each step.” Twilight nodded and continued to change the water from liquid to solid while Jason opened the door. “Ah, I was told by one of the servants that you would be here,” the Guard said. He peered past Jason curiously. “I had been skeptical that I would find you in Miss Twilight’s personal quarters, but I see that I was correctly informed.” Jason hoped that his face showed none of his thoughts. “What was it you needed me for?” “I am to inform you that Prince Zacon Crimsontide requests your presence in his quarters to discuss an important matter. I can escort you there now if you are ready.” Jason looked back at Twilight. “I’ll continue practicing on my own,” she said without looking at him. “We can move on to new lessons when you return.” “I guess I am. Lead on.” They started off down the hall. “We’ll need to collect Prince Cor Hightalon as well before I take you there,” the Guard said. “That’s fine,” Jason replied absently. He was suddenly apprehensive of Zacon’s ability to send Guards to find them. After several halls disappeared behind them, the Guard stopped at a door and knocked. There was no answer and the Guard knocked again. This time they heard a thump and low grumbling before the door cracked open. Cor frowned out at them. “I thought I asked not to be disturbed.” “Your exact words were ‘not to be disturbed for as long as possible’,” the Guard said. “I apologize, but you are needed now. Prince Zacon Crimsontide has requested your presence to discuss important matters.” “Should have known the scaly bastard would be behind this,” he muttered and closed the door. The Guard looked confused as he mouthed the word ‘scaly’. After a moment Cor returned, now fully dressed and equipped. “Let’s get this over with.” “This way,” the Guard said, leading them off again. “Any idea what this is about,” Cor asked, looking over at Jason. Jason shook his head. They remained silent until they arrived. “These are his quarters.” The Guard stood aside and took a post outside the door. “He said that he wished for you two to meet him inside.” Jason nodded and opened the door. “Ah, come in! Come in!” Zacon called as soon as he saw them. They found him sitting at a table on the far side of the luxurious room. His armor and Axe rested beside him. He wore his tunic still and was eating pastries. A long roll of parchment was unfurled on the table next to him. The ink and quill sat untouched beside it. “It’s good you came so quickly,” he said with a wide smile. “I had intended to write out a list of the troops I believed would make the cut but then I realized I couldn’t do so with these damnable hooves. You shouldn’t have any such troubles with those horns.” Cor stared at him blankly. “What cut are we talking about?” Jason asked cautiously. “Of course! The main business first.” He pushed the plate back and got up. “The Princesses and I have come to an arrangement. In exchange for the authority of a field command, I have agreed to give them victory.” That was when they saw the silver sunburst emblem pinned to his chest. “Is that…?” Jason began, pointing at it uneasily. “How did you get them to make you an officer?!” Cor burst out. “Oh, it was a simple matter.” Zacon dismissed their alarm with a wave of a hoof. “We discussed our options and eventually they saw that I was right. Now as I was saying…” “No, hold on,” Cor interrupted. “That ‘eventually’ part has me worried. You’re sure all you did was discuss it?” Zacon continued to smile but now it was touched by wicked amusement. “There are many ways to express opinions and even more to work out disagreements. Is it really so important how I managed it?” “I think because it’s you we’re talking about, it is important to make those distinctions.” “Very well. Princess Luna and I did battle. It was quite invigorating to say the least. She did more than just impress me. She beat me!” He laughed loudly. “You…fought…the Princess?!” Cor’s jaw fell open and his eyes threatened to pop out of his skull. “I did indeed! We exchanged words beforehand of course. But it was the only way I could truly get their attention. Once they knew how serious I was about my assertions, they became more open to my suggestions.” “Stop, just…stop.” Cor turned away with a hoof covering his face. “I can’t even…” Zacon walked over to him and slapped him on the back jovially. “Ah, you’ll manage. Besides, winning this war has been the goal the whole time, right? Now we can do it! As if you two had come up with a better plan?” He looked between them in challenge. Neither met his gaze and his grin broadened. “Just as I thought! Now let’s get down to business.” He moved back to the table and sat down. “The two of you have been offered positions as well, provided you accept the terms laid out by the Princesses. Since they are basically the same things you’ve been telling me to do from the beginning, I can’t imagine they will give you pause.” “I’ll read the fine print for myself, thanks,” Cor said dryly. “It was to respect the lives of those we will lead, follow their orders and only give orders at the right times to the right ponies, something or other about the Captains still being above us in the chain of command and lastly to never again do what I did to get all of this.” Zacon waved his hoof vaguely as he listed the terms off. “It’s all fairly straightforward.” Cor frowned but didn’t object. “If I’m understanding this correctly,” Jason said hesitantly. “We’ve been given the authority to give orders in the field. Which means we’ll be able to lead missions as we see fit? Like build a team?” “I think we need to ask for specific permission to form a team, but it sounded like the option was on the table.” “I don’t have any problems with this, actually,” Jason said, looking over at Cor. “What?” Cor demanded. “How can you not have a problem with this?” “Zacon’s right,” Jason said, completely straight-faced. “The goal is to win. I don’t really care how he got this position. I’m going to take advantage of it.” “You don’t even want to address the fact that he just forced his way into another country’s command structure without the slightest plan as to what he was going to do with it?” Zacon grunted. “I did have a plan. It was to get us the positions we needed.” “Needed for what? We’re already helping. What more were you looking for?” “We need to change the pattern of engagement,” Zacon stated, shuffling the papers around. “We need to strike. And not head on, because we’ve already seen how well that goes. We need to hit them without actually engaging.” He gave Cor a meaningful look. “Your actual plan is to lead hit and run offensives? Avoiding direct engagements?” Cor cocked his head to one side. “That’s very….unlike you.” “Oh, I never intended to lead such operations myself. I knew you would be better fit for that task.” “But you didn’t even ask if I would do it!” “I did not need to,” Zacon shrugged. “You remember what you said before the first battle? That if you had time and a team, you might be able to pull off one of your maneuvers? Now you will have both. Make use of them.” “I…can’t believe I’m agreeing with you on this,” Cor said, letting out a breath of defeat. “But I actually can’t find a reason not to.” Zacon grinned but Cor continued. “Except that you went way out of bounds doing this.” Cor jabbed an accusing hoof at him. “Don’t think because it worked that it’s the proper way.” Zacon grunted indifferently. “If we’ve cleared all that up, you two still need to meet with the Princesses to be officially given your ranks. Afterwards, the real work begins.” They gathered the papers, ink and quill and left to see the Princesses. As they walked, Jason leaned over to Zacon slyly. “Did you really attack Luna?” he asked. “No,” Zacon said. “She attacked me.” Jason raised an eyebrow. “And she beat you?” “Yes.” “So are you going to stop acting like they’re pushovers now?” Jason grinned. “Of course! I’ve known that they have potential for some time. And I’ve finally gotten them to show it. Now things will be more interesting!” They arrived at the throne room and were admitted by the Guards. Luna and Celestia were waiting, obviously prepared for the coming ceremony. The Captain of the Guard stood to one side, observing. Zacon strolled in casually while Jason entered with a formal march. His expression was forcedly neutral. Cor shook his head and reminded himself he needed to stop acting like anything he did here was supposed to make sense. ~*~*~ The sun was setting the day after the battle at the river. High over the banks, a pair of Pegasi scouts circled the Troll camp. They had been there for hours now, part of an observation mission. They made lazy passes back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Boredom had driven them from their positions in the cloud cover. Flying in circles at least gave them something to do. The level of activity had been low for the entire day and their relief wasn’t due for several more hours. They didn’t care about stealth since the Trolls were bound to know they were being watched by now. Corporal Smoky Trail flew just ahead of Private Cross Winds as they turned again toward the river. Cross stretched his wings out fully to catch an updraft. The last of the sun’s warmth penetrated his feathers and coat to ward off the chill of the high altitude. It was a good feeling and he knew that he needed to savor it. All at once, there was a great commotion below. The Pegasi halted and hovered, trying to discern the cause. They weren’t close enough to make out individual voices, but with a glance at each other, they decided not to chance getting any closer. It seemed as if the entire camp had decided to mobilize at once. Tents were being torn down and fires were being smothered. The clank of equipment rose and fell in waves. Then a line of dark forms emerged from under the cover of the trees on the opposite bank. Trolls surrounded what appeared to be massive carts. They pushed them into a row and stopped. “We should report this,” Cross said, drifting nervously in the direction of Canterlot. Smoky waved him back, his eyes glued to the ground. “We don’t have anything to report yet. They’re just moving around so far.” “They’re moving though. They look like they’re preparing to march.” “We’ll deliver a report once we know for sure.” The camp went suddenly silent. The tense expectation in the air made the hairs on Private Winds’ neck prickle. “I don’t like this. We should get out of here,” Cross said, barely speaking above a whisper. “I just want to see what they’re going to do first. It won’t help to say we saw them move if we don’t even know which way they’re going.” From below, they heard a thrumming sound. “What in Tartarus…?” Smoky said, squinting downwards. A huge spear hit him in the ribs and kept going. The force of the projectile ripped his body in half. His startled expression froze on his face before he plummeted toward the ground in a shower of blood. A cloud of feathers fluttering after him were all that were left as he fell out of the sun’s fading light. “Smoky!” Cross yelled after the dead Pegasus. His outstretched hoof hung in the air, its futile offer to assist still not ready to accept that nothing could be done. The thrumming came again but with more strings lending their rough voices to the grim symphony. Cross yelped in panic and flew. The spears sailed past him and kept going. He looked up and gasped. As they reached their full height, they turned over and fell back towards him. He turned and looped to avoid them but he couldn’t keep track of them all. One clipped his flank and pain seared through him. He knew he was bleeding badly but he forced himself to fly on. Every wingbeat told him that he was in bad shape and getting worse. The thrumming repeated and he closed his eyes to prevent himself from looking back. He couldn’t maneuver now, even if he did know where they were. At any moment, he expected to be hit and knocked from the sky. He fixed his eyes on Canterlot and homed in. The horror in Smoky’s face as he watched half of his body fall away from him kept Cross’ wings moving. He was just daring to hope that he could escape when the spears came back down. He was dead before he heard them.