//------------------------------// // 44 - Anything goes // Story: The master and the windigo // by stupidswampdragon //------------------------------// The cup shook. Not just that one cup, either; the entire tea-set clanged. Porcelain dishes wandered around, following the motions of the table... and, in fact, of the entire room. Even the chandelier swung around lazily, the shadows in the room dancing to the rhythm. "Another one," Trixie shuddered. Somewhere in the distance, a muffled boom accompanied the faint shockwave. "Shouldn't we go out and take a look?" "Have you that little trust in Shining Armour?" Celestia covered her mouth, giggling at her student's expense. "Worry not. Since it is he who is looking into the matter, everything will get smoothed out before we could even get there." Staring around in unease, Trixie bit on her lip and stared at the large window. She was expecting something to happen. Something unexpected. Alas, nothing did. The chandelier eventually settled down, bringing the room back to its former, peaceful splendour. Celestia reached for the teapot and poured some fresh tea - and that was the point where Trixie couldn't hold herself any longer. "Aren't you worried?" she leaned forward and slammed her hooves on the table. "Two explosions in such a short time...!" "How do you know they were explosions?" Celestia raised her eyebrows. She put the teapot down and lifted her cup, blowing some cold air over the steaming drink. "Well... what else could they have been?!" Trixie made a face. She thought this was self-evident. "Just about anything, to be honest. Magic comes in too many forms to know them just by sound. But... in my experience, only top villains make this much noise." Celestia shrugged with a short, ringing giggle, then sipped from her cup. "Mmm! You should try this tea. It is really delicious." Completely astonished, Trixie sunk back to the floor, her hooves dropping off the table. "Top villains... and you're this unconcerned?" she stuttered, her ears slowly drooping horizontal. "What of the ponies outside?" "Oh, they should be fine. All the villains are after me... all the time. And in the rare case when they are not? Then they want the Elements instead." Celestia rubbed the side of her head with a tired smile. "Well, right now both of those are in this very room! So no matter which villain is making that noise outside, things will be happening here before long. Might as well enjoy some tea in the meantime, right?" Blinking dazedly, Trixie gave the answer a numb nod. She lowered her head, staring at the tea set with a vacant expression. "Not sure whether Trixie sees you confident... or hopelessly resigned," she admitted in an incredibly absent-minded moment of hers. "A bit of both, really." Celestia shrugged with an honest grin. "It is really nothing but a routine after a few thousand years." "That... wasn't just a boom, was it." Squeezed between a loader and the cannoneer, the sergeant found himself agreeing with that statement. He couldn't put it so eloquently himself; whistling admiringly was all that he could muster. Up until now, he had no idea that cannons - those heavy, ancient ornaments - were so powerful. Tearing his gaze away from the sight, he let out a tiny sigh. There was little point in being awed now; the situation demanded decisions, and quick ones at that. There was absolutely no doubt of that; the houses on the other side of the moat provided the needed sense of urgency. Two had collapsed outright and three others had their front disappear - all of them belching thick, black smoke as their innards turned into charcoal. There was only one silver lining to the devastation: the crowd had indeed began scattering in haste. So at least the order is fulfilled, huh. "I... I don't think we were supposed to do that," the loader on the left gulped, his voice audibly trembling. "Oh sweet Celestia, I don't think anypony was supposed to do that. Ever." "Hush." The sergeant knocked the colt on the head. "We did what we were ordered, and that's the end of it. It's not our fault, so don't worry." The cannoneer gave what sounded like a muffled hiss, yanking his head out of reach. "Don't be so uppity. No matter how much you regret now, you neither would have disobeyed a direct order from the Princess earlier." The sergeant chuckled and rubbed the helmet on his head. "And your regrets don't matter whatsoever now either. So stay an obedient pony and reload." A small shuffle ensued. Not towards the cannonballs, no; all the ponies around the sergeant jumped up and backed away from him, staring at him as if he turned into a weird alien all of a sudden. "What?" he looked around, no less confused than the others around him. "The orders were to fire until the crowd had dispersed. Well, they began dispersing... which is progress, but not what we need." Everypony held their breaths, staring at him in utter silence. Grinding his teeth, the sergeant wondered what he could say to mend this uneasy situation... His braincells were spared the prolonged effort. The loader from before had found his voice, breaking the silence. "That's insane! Reload, you say? Haven't you seen what we've done?! After seeing THAT, is reload all you have to say?" he shouted, gesticulating wildly. "Well, I say we grab this thing and toss it into the moat! I'm not even sure why we kept them around!" Puckering his mouth, the sergeant silently admitted to that logic; he found that answer to be the closest to his heart, too. Alas, his mind thought otherwise. "Look, kid. I know this wasn't pretty... and that we've probably followed some orders we seriously were ought to double-guess." He turned to the smoking cannon with a sigh. "But, what's done is done. The mess down there is done, too. All we can do now is follow things through." "Follow it through?!" the loader gawked, then frantically motioned at the street below. "What in Tartarus are you saying, Sir?! That we keep firing, knowing full well what the results will be?!" The sergeant cocked his head to the side so he could stare the colt right in the eye. "Yeah, I do." His voice sounded cold, even to his own self. He had thousands of misgivings, but something deep in his mind gave him all the confidence this decision required. If only he knew just why he was so certain about this plan... "Well, I refuse that order!" the loader threw himself to the ground. "If you want that cannon firing, you better do it yourself... sir." The others were clearly siding with that pony. Looking around, the sergeant found himself surrounded by the full crew lying on the ground. This was a clear result. He sighed and gave a curt nod, openly accepting his defeat. "Well, as you wish! I'm not forcing this on you," he shrugged and began walking towards the stairs. "But if you are really intent on sitting this one out, then I suggest that you leg it real fast instead." An unsure voice rose from behind. "Uhhh... leg it real fast, sir?" "Yeah. Run for it. Before this tower gets contested. You can't just fly away from here once things get hot, after all." The sergeant mused as he pulled the stairs' trapdoor open. "If that crowd down there doesn't go away, they will surround the walls... and they will get in there before long. And I can assure you, they'll probably want these cannons silenced. Permanently." "Like we've got a problem with that," the loader snarled. "We're quite ready to dump this lump of metal into the moat ourselves... sir." "I know that." The sergeant chuckled dryly, his last word distorted by the grunt as he tore the heavy wooden door open. "Think anypony down there is the same privy to our inventory, though?" He gave the tower's crew one final look. Their tacit refusal seemed to lessen; they were only wavering now, looking at each, their eyes openly betraying their hopeless confusion. "They wouldn't harm us," the loader shook his head wildly, trying to shake his doubts away. "They aren't like you, sir. They wouldn't go that far." Unlike you... That gave the sergeant a moment of pause; he had to think about it. In all his life, he never felt really unique. Quite the opposite; he was always a little bland. He was a little refined, but only to the point where he shirked away from the too wild; reserved, but only to the point where he would distance himself from others; knowledgeable, but only deeply enough so the bothersome quandaries avoided him. His lips pulling to a lethargic grin, the sergeant felt reassured that he belonged to the largest crowd: the one of the completely unspectacular. And being of such an average mind had never made him more worried than at this moment. "I only wish I was that special." He finally shrugged and began making his way down the stairs. "Anyway, if I were down there, on the receiving end of this Tartarus-born surprise... well, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't just sit idly and watch this madness unfold. I'd be outraged, and I'd fight tooth and hoof to put an end to it. I'd destroy these cannons! Make sure there would be no-one who could repeat this travesty." He didn't wait for the reaction. He was in the narrow tunnel before anypony could answer, descending towards the rampart - first at a walking pace, but soon in a full trot. He had to check on the other towers. He also had to raise the other troops. The main gate must not be breached - if the wall fell, they would be in trouble real quickly. No, even worse than that. They would be done for. The sergeant was certain that the crowd, while currently awed, would soon be enraged. He would act the same way: back away in shock at first, only to rebound in fury. And the subject of that fury will be all the troops on this wall... me included. No matter how much he sympathised with those poor devils down there, the sergeant was fairly partial to making through this night. Just got to hold out until Celestia comes and sorts this mess out, he thought as he barrelled out the doorway, darting towards the next tower at breakneck speed. Just then, above him, the cannon sounded again. He yanked his head left; barely in time to see the moat breaking into a tall geyser. The spray of misty water was something else, almost reaching five metres in height. That sight was equally impressive and fearsome; even the sergeant shuddered a little, despite being on the cannons' side. This plan better work! Because if it doesn't- well, it's already a bit late to leg it now, he frowned and pulled his head low, bracing as the wind battered him for passing moment. That gave him a fleeting second to appreciate his previous concern of getting home on time... and to voice his opinion on the retrospective moment. "What the heck am I doing..." His steps slowed as his whole being paused, his limbs freezing up as well as his thoughts. He gave the smouldering houses a glassy stare; the destruction, while appalling, was secondary to the sergeant's shock at his own actions. Defending this wall to the bitter end... didn't think I was this brave. Turning his head a little, he looked at the golden top of the tall, sparkling white tower. He wouldn't have bet on those colts holding out with him either. Not even after that half-baked speech of his. It felt a little strange, the whole Guard being so dutiful all of a sudden. The confusion didn't mire him for too long. Another gust of wind blew past him, and the prickly sensation cleared his doubts. He shook his head and continued running to the next tower. There was duty to be done. "Master! Is Master all right?" "Gonna' be... hnng! Gonna be better in a sec!" Lyra growled and pushed against the bed. "Oh... all right." Snowy nodded, uncertainty clouding her words. "Is Master sure about that?" "The only thing fo' sure is that place is comin' down before long." Axiom wisecracked from the outside. "So no matter how yer' feelin' Boss, ya' should really be gettin' outta' there." The gloomy prediction gained additional sense of urgency when the cannons boomed again, the noise immediately followed by the tell-tale sign of an enchanted cannonball exploding on impact. Everything around Lyra shook, and fine-grained dust rained down on her. Her hiding-spot didn't cave in on her just yet... but easily could have. She already understood how flimsy this house was. Those cannons didn't even need a direct hit; a close impact would have been perfectly sufficient to bring the whole building down. The previous volley, while off-target, had already done considerable damage. The room had halfway collapsed already, and only Equestria knew how long it would be before the last supports gave out on their own. Struggling so hard she felt the veins in her neck bulge, Lyra pushed against the ruined bedframe once again. The wooden construct groaned and creaked in protest, finally giving away to the pony's power with a loud snap. Loud being a relative word, that is; Lyra barely heard a thing. Her ears were still ringing, and any noise making it through were all off-tone and washed out. I'm getting into these situations way too often, Lyra thought to herself as she pulled herself out from her ruined cover. Glass and wooden splinters cracked under her hoof as she got up, then silence followed as she stopped moving. She was staring right at the palace walls. Which was a truly splendid sight, but... But a rather surprising one for a pony who was expecting a wall to block the view. That side of the room was completely gone. Only a heap of bricks hinted that something used to be there moments ago. Should have expected this much, Lyra made a face. Things were going too smoothly lately, weren't they? "Nice to see Master being all right, even after all this mayhem!" Snowy popped up in her view, blotting out large parts of the palace wall. "Master is sure getting durable!" "Not sure if I'm durable enough for this," Lyra rubbed the side of her aching head. "How's things on the outside?" Despite the creaking ceiling above, she was weary to go out just yet; she wanted to steel herself for what may greet her. She knew what cannons did to living beings, and she didn't wish to see her memories replayed in flesh. "Well, it's a little hard to explain..." Snowy stammered, glancing around awkwardly. "There was a huge flash, and..." A knob forming in her throat, Lyra had a solid idea about what made the windigo trail off. "Don't be losin' yer appetite yet, Boss. Things have barely begun!" Axiom shouted, his voice coming from the outside. "A little too early for ya' to hit the backstreet, wouldn't ya' agree? Ain't this yer' personal war? To make a better world or somethin'?" It's almost like he's around to pester me, Lyra growled. Her anger was rather superficial, though; deep down, even she understood that Axiom was simply pointing out the uncomfortable truth. Sure wish he didn't put those truths so tactlessly, though. "Follow me," Lyra barked to Snowy and stormed to the ruined wall, wobbling as the loose bricks slid under her hoof. The remains of a curtain dangled in front of her, gently waving as the lazy currents moved. She shoved the rags to the side... and then steeled her face. The very first thing that greeted her was an older, brown gryphon. He was mostly flat on the heap of bricks, precariously propped against the buckling wall; lying like a log, still and completely uncaring about the madness surrounding him. Lyra realised the situation at first glance. She couldn't bring herself to look away for some reason, though. She recognised that gryphon - it was the barkeep from that inn earlier. The one which was blown up because of her having been there before. This is my fault, Lyra felt her lips wobble. He saved me, and I... I... She flinched away, forcibly tearing her gaze from the unmoving gryphon. There were dozens and dozens of others lying similarly motionless - all near the houses, huddled to the walls as if the buildings could protect them from the danger. Gulping dryly to stifle the stench in her mouth, Lyra quickly realised the grim joke: none of those gryphons and ponies were killed by the cannons. Not directly. None of the victims were torn asunder; their bodies were perfectly intact. It seemed unlikely that exploding-enchanted cannonballs would be kind enough to grant such a dignified passing! These poor things were done in by the falling brick... or whatever debris that hit them, Lyra sighed as her mind struggled with the irony. All because the cannons hit the buildings instead of the crowd. That was one stunning conclusion though, going completely against her expectations of prolonged cannon-fire. Turning around with a dizzy head, Lyra couldn't help but wonder how it was possible at all. The combined firepower of six cannons should have decimated that crowd; even just one shot could have carved a bloody path. So just how in Equestria was the most of the crowd still unharmed? It seemed like a complete mystery - right until the next cannon round struck, that is. Yanking her head to the crack-like noise, Lyra found herself staring at a strange, blueish ripple in the air. It enveloped the cannonball and remained in place even as the projectile exploded; only then did it finally dissipate, disappearing like a the harmless waves on the surface of water. Only this was in thin air. What... was that? Lyra blinked at the surreal sight. Magic? "Huh. So Shining is still at it... quite the resilient fella'," Axiom hummed from above, then pointed a hairy leg towards the moat. "Still, I doubt he'd last much longer. Think we should check on 'im, Boss? I mean, we're kinda' done for the moment he calls it quits." The last sentence told Lyra everything she needed to know. "OUT OF THE WAY!" she bellowed right away, breaking through the packed ranks of her confused army. "PRINCESS COMING THROUGH! MAKE WAY!" Her voice worked wonders. Most of her 'army' had already fallen silent, awed by the new 'magic' the defenders had used against them; this also made it easier for Lyra to force her way through, though. Gryphons and ponies moved out of her way, backing away so widely that she had an empty circle form around her. The fact didn't escape Lyra's notice, but she had no idea how to react to it. Being revered was to her liking; it made it easier for her to order her new underlings around. It also showed signs that she was losing her touch with the crowd, however. They were starting to be awed of her. Well, I wouldn't treat myself too friendly either, she chuckled darkly. Not after I brought everypony to these cannons. She glanced up as another cannonball landed in the moat. The resulting explosion knocked water almost a dozen metres high, spraying a huge area with light rain. I should have known better, Lyra bit on her lip and shook her head. I have fought in so many wars, yet I forgot about cannons! All these deaths are my fault. I should have surrounded the palace and waited until the defenders ran out of food. Seriously, what is wrong with me, ordering a charge so casually?! I don't even have siege equipment- She stopped for a moment, hesitating as the thoughts collided in her head. She remembered spending so many nights planning the various ways to take the Royal Palace, but such tactics had never occurred to her. Not even once. It was almost as if she had never seen actual combat before... as if she had been doing all that planning from a mere civilian's perspective. She shook her head angrily and resumed barging through the crowd. There was no point in regrets! Not when she was standing at the walls, staring at the cannons firing down on her. Regrets would get their own chance, later... but for this moment, only deeds were acceptable. We have to break through, Lyra glared at a tower, then doubled her pace. We have to break through, or else we'll all perish here. "This was another explosion! Trixie is sure of it!" the loyal student whined, now continuously staring at the window. "There's something big going on out there! We should really take a look!" Her expectations were dashed. Despite the obvious urgency in her words - and her voice - nothing followed. The porcelains on the table clinked as they rocked around ever so slightly; the shadows lurched around, following the movements of the chandelier... but nothing more. Celestia remained silent, opting to drink her tea instead of breaking into the righteous crusade she should have. "Master...!" Trixie cried out, her voice mixing equal amounts of pleading and hurry this time. "Please!" That seemed to work, at first. Celestia lowered her cup and stared at the table with immense focus; the white alicorn's forehead became rich with wrinkles for a few seconds, her effort palpable... ...but then she shook her head and simply placed the cup back on the table. "You are far too hasty, my most esteemed student." The Sun Princess chuckled, giving Trixie a light grin. "There is a time and place for everything... and this is not our time. Not yet." Gnawing on her lip, Trixie nodded. She then looked out the window and wondered just when their time would be, if this wasn't it. "Don't you love the smell of gunpowder? Such a nauseating smell... chock-full of nostalgia." "Nostalgia, you say!" Luna snorted, the brief move merely hinting at the full extent of her disdain. "You are surely mistaken. We never wanted to see this happening again...!" Standing on the highest balcony, she had a pretty poor view of the battle. The wall was quite far away; she could only see that the soldiers were firing one barrage after another, each flash illuminating the towers for a split second, but not giving her any idea what they were aiming at. She would have loved to fly there, to at least check things out! And by the Moon, she would have done so too! ...if not for one complication. She was contractually bound to make both herself and her sister stay in the Palace. She had no choice in the matter; she had signed a blank contract centuries earlier. A one-sided contract that came back to haunt her in the worst moment. "Spoken as expected of a pony standing at the top." The Source doodled absent-mindedly, tucking the Geis scroll back under its green robes. "This country was born amidst this smell! But you are the leader now. Of course you would never want to smell it again." The wind woke up for a second, bringing a thick, almost nauseating smell with it. Sulphur, Luna snickered. The last time she had bathed in this stench, she had overheard a general joke about it... she had largely forgotten about that buffoon, but she could never get his words out of her mind. Smells of victory, doesn't it? She had never longed for such victories. She couldn't imagine anypony doing so either. She would have discarded those cannons long ago if the decision was up to her - but Celestia wanted to keep them around. As reminders, of the old times. So that ponies couldn't forget where they came from; so that history couldn't repeat itself. Fairly safe to say that idea has failed us, Luna made a pained grimace as another barrage echoed. "Don't look so angry. What you see isn't some tragedy. It's merely change." The Source turned its hood-covered head to the distant wall. "And while I can see how no pony at the top would like it... to me, your rejection is nothing but hypocrisy. You weren't afraid of wars when you were the one doing the conquering." Frowning, Luna looked the other way. She had never wanted any part in a victory brought by gunpowder. The accusation annoyed her, but only mildly so; she had never expected a conceited, power-drunk fool to understand her motivations. "In the end, nothing is truly eternal. Dreams vanish, and even the dreamers themselves wake up... eventually." The Source sighed and glanced back to Luna. "The old must go as it gives way to the new. You will be replaced, just as General Hurricane and other leaders of old were. I really thought you'd understand such necessities." "We could really feel that necessity of change... had you not forced us to sit back and watch." Luna rolled her eyes, motioning at the wall. The air rippled, and the palace shuddered at the newest barrage of cannons. "We have no idea how this madness came about, but we are certain that we could have stopped it with ease." The Source turned around, its sharp, fang-like teeth glittering against the rays of the setting sun. "I know you could have." The game-master nodded. "My problem is that you would do so, actually. This desire of yours! A forever unchanging world, shaped to your vision..." "If that is your sole accusation, then we are fully satisfied." Luna smiled. "Only a perfect world would have no reasons to change." That was a nice comeback - it had to be. Even the Source was at a lack for words. The haughty game-master remained silent, finally turning away to stare at the battle for a few moments; a few lengthy moments. A few moments that were long enough to tell Luna: she had won that encounter. "Is there such a thing as a 'perfect world', though?" the Source asked after a long delay. "What of me, for example? I'm quite far from being satisfied." "Well, your complaints have been duly noted!" Luna cackled wryly and turned around, pacing towards the door which led back inside the palace. She only paused before the last step, turning her head so she had a good look at the game-master. "That is what this farce is all about, is it not? You are leading your chosen avatar against us. And once we prevail, you will depart... and then we have won your game. For good." "Indeed. Should that happen, you will have this static world all to yourself." The Source shook its head, its words overflowing with melancholy. Never once did the game-master look at Luna during this time; the violet-red eyes simply stared into the distance. "Makes me wonder whether you are truly so short-sighted... or if you are merely opposing me out of spite, like Hurricane opposed you. Unable to deny the truth, but unable to admit it either." Frowning, Luna yanked her gaze back to the door in front of her. The dark-brown wood was hardly anything to marvel at, but was still better than the dual-coloured, nonchalantly accusing eyes. "This is the truth we have always believed in." She sighed loudly, opening the door with her magic. "We are sorry if you find it lacking... but we are sticking to our principles." She stepped forward, one leg after another. The sun soon disappeared from around her, and the comforting darkness of the palace interior shrouded her. Then the voice reached before she could shut the door behind. "Then you won't hold it against me if I'm also sticking to my own principles, then." "Where the heck is Shining?!" Lyra growled. Nopony gave her any answer - they all just backed away, silently and in absolute haste. Even those wearing armour. Especially those wearing armour. Oi, oi... come on now! Isn't he like, your superior or something? Why are you cowering instead of answering me?! Lyra glared at the cowardly soldiers. A cannonball exploded above, sending everypony around her squirming on the ground; the dichotomy in the scene was tremendous. Your companions are literally blasting us to shreds with those cannons, but me giving you a stern glare is enough to break your will? Did I wind up with the faulty lot or some- She stopped as her eyes settled on the closed drawbridge. Somewhere beyond that gate ly the palace - and somewhere in that palace waited Celestia and all the assorted servants under her control. "Axiom, you visited that place with Pinkie." Lyra muttered. Her voice was shaking; she had to keep it low, and in doing so, she was absolutely failing to keep the tone in check. "Was there any servant who could incite an army to..." The huge spider carefully tip-toed around a whimpering pegasus soldier, then turned slightly to give his master a warm, congratulatory grin. "That'd be Lust. If me memory serves me right, that lion could invoke any sorta' feelings in anyone... Celestia's original servant, he is." Axiom chuckled. "What tipped ya' off, Boss?" A weird, screaming screech cut through the air on their left. It landed straight in the front of a house, collapsing the wall even before it exploded, throwing piles of bricks into the air like confetti. "Ah-ha." Lyra smirked and rubbed her face, completely unfazed by the lethal fireworks. "Should expect our foes to fight to the last then, huh?" A servant who can fuel absolute zeal towards his Master... should have figured. What a perfect match for Sunbutt. Glaring at the closest tower, Lyra watched a long flame flare up for a moment, then disappear just as rapidly; then, just as quickly, a screen and an explosion followed. I'm sure up against an annoyingly effective pair, it seems. "Heard your'... lookin' for me?" Blinking to her right, Lyra flinched a bit. Shining was the one addressing her, but she could barely recognise his voice. The captain was in shambles; he was carried by two other ponies, his limbs dangling as if he was a lifeless doll. "I'm ok. Iz' the... shield." Shining forced a smile, or something to that effect. His effort was met with little success; he was so tired that his face barely responded to his will. He couldn't get beyond a lethargic smirk. "These cannons are... better than I'd thou-" Lyra yanked her head upwards: a round detonated precisely above them. There was no danger, as the impact was absorbed by the blue barrier; but at the same time, Shining twitched so greatly that he almost brought his aides to the ground with himself. He's not looking so hot... he really could fold any moment now, Lyra gulped dryly, the skin on her legs prickling. This is bad. Without his barrier, the casualties are going to- She had to act: those cannons had to be silenced. She moved without thinking; she knew the way battles flowed. She was up to this challenge! She didn't need a magical servant to convince her underlings to fight. Showing an example they could emulate had always worked just as well. "¡A MÍ!" she screamed, trying to overpower the noise of the surrounding chaos. "¡RÁPIDO! RÁPIDO! A MÍ!" The ponies around her snapped to Lyra. They didn't understand the words, and understandably so; Lyra wasn't calling on her own brethren this time. That wasn't the language of Equestria. She had no time to whip their spirit into fighting shape; instead, she needed the readily reliable fighters of her entourage. Gryphons. This was specifically why Lyra had to learn their language. She wasn't a fluent speaker by any means, but she knew enough to demonstrate that she took the effort. That she was respecting their culture. That she was worthy to lead them - if only for a little while. Observing the gryphons drift into the open, Lyra held a hoof to her aching head. She remembered her reasons for diving into the gryphon culture, and with acute clarity at that. Those gryphons - those mercenaries - had been her treasured auxiliaries. They were the sole reason she had been able to force the accursed Hurricane into a stalemate on the fields of San Palomino. Were it not for the fierce warriors, the pegasus army could have bled her troops dry with ease. This is... this is not me either, right? These aren't my memories, Lyra grit her teeth, vaguely aware that she was being surrounded by curiously chattering gryphons. This is another general... but not even the same as the last time. One even older. Sneaking a glance at the oddly content-looking spider, Lyra's headache doubled. Oi... isn't there a disturbingly consistent theme to your backlashes? Weren't you supposed to be unable to control what gets jammed in my head, you eight-legged crony...? A gryphon drew her attention away. A fairly young-looking gryphon at that, with reddish-brown feathers around his neck, waving his paw just in front of Lyra's nose. "Princess, were you calling for us just now?" Lyra flashed a toothy grin, then pointed her hoof at a tower. "Sure was," she said, her words emphasized by a particularly loud explosion going off against the blue barrier ahead of them. "Feel like helping me get vengeance for your comrades... amigo?" "They aren't going away," the corporal grimaced. "We're landing shots right on that barrier now, but they aren't even budging. Do they have a death wish or something?" Raising his eyebrows with a bored frown, the sergeant simply hummed. He was wondering the same thing himself. Not even Captain Shining could resist this concentrated barrage forever. He would slip up sooner or later - and the next shot would land straight in the crowd. That would be a bloodbath for certain. Snickering at the possibility, the sergeant pulled his head down from the parapet. "Go tell the colts to stop firing," he mumbled to the corporal. "You've got the towers on the right... I'll handle the ones on the left." The corporal didn't anticipate this order. The yellow pegasus' wings shot out, and his jaw dangled hanging. "But... but sir, the crowd is still down there! Weren't you saying earlier that they'd lynch us if we didn't disperse them?" Grumbling faintly, the sergeant nodded. He had certainly said that much. He had no idea how to explain that order, though. He'd received a letter from Princess Celestia; that much was clear. But that letter could have been interpreted differently... and that was up to him. And the more the sergeant kept thinking about it, the less sense his own orders made. He wanted to hold this wall. It felt more imperative than anything else in his life! He simply couldn't explain why. He had said that he wanted to stall until Celestia arrived, but that was a lie made up on the spot; a lie so convincing that even he had fallen for it for a while... but the truth was far less glamorous. He didn't want the wall to fall. That was all there is to it. But now, as the sooty smoke on the opposite side grew thicker and thicker, doubts began catching up to that burning desire. The sergeant could tell that something was amiss. His ears ringing from the cannon-fire and his nose burning from stench in the air, it was plain obvious that something had gone off the rails. He couldn't see the why though. Why did he insist on those orders in the first place? Why...? The corporal next to him jumped, so suddenly that he startled the sergeant. "SIR! FLIERS INBOUND!" That sounded important. Grumbling to himself, the sergeant glanced up. A thick stream of gryphons were in the air already. They were taking off from among the burning houses, heading towards the left-most tower. Guess past mistakes don't really matter at this point, the sergeant sighed and turned to the corporal. "Order everypony to grab spears. Looks like we got ourselves a proper battle now." "Si- y-yes, sir." the pegasus faltered. Then he snapped to attention and blasted off, diving towards the troopers idling beneath them. Left alone, the sergeant glared at the gryphons... then squinted at the farthest tower. He certainly hoped the crews knew how to deal with this danger on their own. It the towers fall... this wall is as good as lost. Gulping dryly, the sergeant dashed towards the endangered tower himself. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he understood that he had to defend the wall. At any cost. "Gnnh!" Lyra winced. She was far from being comfortable, with sharp talons digging into her skin. Hardly a five-star service, she chewed on her lip, trying to keep herself from complaining out loud. She had no choice but to endure anyway; this was the only means of transportation available to her. No pegasus volunteered to assault the towers, and gryphons were far too prideful to allow anypony to ride on them. Short of swimming across the moat and climbing the vertical wall on her own, being carried by sharp talons was Lyra's best choice. Of course, those talons seemed a lot less of a deal-breaker whenever she heard the deep, echoing crack of a cannon going off. Her escort, a young gryphon from the extreme southern desert, reacted to that noise predictably. He screeched something in a high-pitched tone and veered violently to the right. Lyra shuddered; she hated being yanked around. Even if the talons hadn't scraped her skin, she still would have found her stomach turning. She wasn't a pegasus, for crying out loud! She didn't enjoy flying - even when she wasn't being shot at. All she had understood was that she was some nine-ten stories high, and that dropping from such an altitude would rapidly rearrange her into a very flat, pancake-like pony. "NO! Don't turn!" she yelled to the gryphon, her voice largely lost to the reverberating, thunderous noise of the cannons. Above open water and between a huge wall and the flat building-fronts, every loud noise became a lot louder. Far more scary, too. Still, Lyra at least managed to catch the gryphon's attention. Hastily beating his wings, he peeked downwards... Seeing his face made Lyra gulp. That gryphon was really afraid. These aren't my auxiliaries, Lyra realised. They are plain civilians. They could be brave by default, but they still have no idea what's going on. A loud crash sounded behind them, rapidly followed by a detonation. Despite being so high up, Lyra could feel her innards shift as the wave of compressed air hit her - and then she yelped briefly, when the gryphon carrying her dropped lower. "DON'T TURN!" she cried out again, as loudly as possible. "WE'RE SITTING DUCKS OUT HERE! GET TO THE TOWER! STRAIGHT TO THE TOWER! Ah... torre! LA TORRE!" "Easy to say!" the gryphon grumbled, but changed his direction nevertheless. They turned sharply, but after a short bout of sick dizziness, Lyra found herself staring straight at the tower, her eyes level with the top. She even had a clear view of the crew there. They were working in a hurry - some were putting wet clothes on the sizzling-hot metal, but others were already pouring gunpowder down the front of the barrel. Oi! That's like, super dangerous! Lyra shuddered at the scene. No sane cannoneer would have done that. Waiting so little between two shots... Then her concerns over rapid-firing cannons faded, her attention drawn to a wholly different fact. Two ponies were pulling the whole assembly sideways, rotating it until she was looking down the black barrel. She broke into a cold sweat right away. While she wasn't expecting to face grapeshots, an enhanced cannonball going off next to her would have ruined her day all the same. "TURN!" she yelped, her speech turning increasingly hasty as she spotted a pony rolling something suspiciously spherical to the barrel. "TURN, YOU STUPID GRYPHON! TURN! TURN!" She even kicked wildly at the last word. Just in time, too - for a spear whizzed past her, nicking her moving leg. Had she remained still... They're really going all out! she hissed with clenched teeth. A shrill shriek hit her ears; she glanced there out of reflex, just in time to see as a gryphon dipped into the moat. Lyra paid that scene a dry gulp. Combat between intelligent creatures... there mere thought made her uncomfortable. Sure, she had seen plenty of monsters getting beaten up - she had done so herself, even - but monsters were fairly acceptable targets. They always had nefarious intentions, and protecting the world from them was a noble undertaking. There were no monsters around this time, though. It's like my past battles, she drew a deep breath of the foul, sulphur-smelling air. It's just like what I'd grown so tired of. All this senseless, wanton... The gryphon yanked on her hard, but she barely noticed. She was too busy fighting her rage; rage which she had inherited from generals who had lived and perished centuries ago. Generals who all truly believed their wars to be the last. But this world really hasn't changed at all! Lyra heard the angry voices snarling in her head. How can this scene be repeating, time after time?! What could have gone this wrong?! Were all those sacrifices really- "Good... luck!" Spaced out in her fury, Lyra was puzzled when those words reached her. She was given no time to get her bearings either; she was thrown high in the air, and was flying freely before she knew better. It was such an unexpected situation that she couldn't even panic. She twisted her torso and glanced behind, expecting some sort of explanation of the gryphon... and her heart sank when she reached understanding. Her carrier was already dipping towards the moat, a spear sticking out from his side. Her eyes going wide, Lyra tried to reach the limp figure. In vain, of course; both of them were in a freefall, drifting further and further from each other. Wha- wait- That couldn't have been right. It simply couldn't be right. She refused to accept it. It's her fault, isn't it? The wind battered against her Lyra. She turned around and looked down; it took her this long to realise that she was plummeting towards the water. She would crash into the moat and die; either the impact crushing her or drowning later, with all her legs broken. The Guard in Ponyville ran away... but here they are fighting like lions. But this isn't their choice, is it? It's Sunbutt... she brainwashed this lot. That's it. Has to be! Spears passed her on both sides, one even grazing her from her rear tights to the front. The airspace became a lethal theatre; from the corner of her eye, Lyra watched as dozens of gryphons danced around, trying to avoid the rain of the shiny metal weapons. There was even background music; detonations ripped through the air constantly, almost joining into an eerie, deadly rhythm. Turning her attention back to the water below, Lyra noted how close the blue surface seemed. She could almost reach out and touch it already. But she wasn't afraid. She was simply furious. Furious that such an obscene part of history could be re-enacted. That the lives she had ordered to be snuffed out were all lost in vain. That all those battles, all that pain had been for nothing but a temporary reprieve. That the chance brought by those sacrifices had been wasted. It's your fault, isn't it? Sunbutt! You led us to this point! So this is... your fault. It's your damn fault! A feeling surged in her; one she was intimately familiar with. The moat rushed towards her. Her nose almost touched the waves; she could almost smell the water. But she wasn't afraid in the slightest. Neither of water, nor of the chilly coldness that spread through her limbs. She knew she wouldn't die here. No, that's not right... She couldn't die. Not until she accomplished her task. Not until she had set everything right. Clenching her teeth, Lyra twisted herself around. She landed with her rears first - and the moat promptly turned into an icy slab beneath her. She landed nice and soft, the impact barely rocking the ice around - and then she vaulted straight away, barrelling towards the cold, white marble wall. She would have justice served. And if those foolish mortals on the wall would stand in her way... Roaring with the likeness of a ice demon, Lyra decided to teach them a lesson.