//------------------------------// // 10 Overwhelmed // Story: The Last Cutie Mark Crusader // by Jatheus //------------------------------// Scootaloo saw a light come on in the farmhouse. Somepony must still be at Sweet Apple Acres, unaware that they were about to be attacked. "Sparklefly," she said, "There are civilians still here." Sparklefly glanced back, “Pibs didn’t check the house? Take a Lightning Dasher and evacuate everypony. Get them to the castle and report back here.” Oddly, Scootaloo suddenly felt amused and was compelled to ask, “Which one of us is actually in charge?” Sparklefly shook her head, apparently unamused, “We’ll figure it out later. Get going!” "Copy that!" Scootaloo replied, her grin fading. Pointing at one of the Lightning Dashers, she said, "Come on." "Yes ma'am!" he responded. They set off at a gallop, and then flew into the air to cover the distance as quickly as possible. They could hear noise from the battle on the other side of town, but Sweet Apple Acres was eerily quiet. From the ground, there was no indication that timberwolves were coming. Scootaloo was feeling a bit awkward with all of the Lightning Dashers around. It was much easier to just have one with her now. They arrived at the house within moments, landing by the door. Scootaloo knocked hard and fast. "It's Scootaloo, open up!" The door opened, "Scootaloo? Where'd y’all come from?" Apple Bloom asked, a bit caught off guard. "Get everypony out, it's time to go." Scootaloo said bluntly. Applejack interrupted, “Hold it there. Go where, now?" "We don't have time to talk," Scootaloo took a frantic tone. "There is a horde of timberwolves heading this way. The shield has failed, and it is time for you to leave." "Oh no! I ain’t goin’ nowhere!" Applejack said stubbornly. "This here is my farm, and I'm not about to let no timberwolves on it." "It is not safe here!" Lightning Dasher protested. Applejack pushed passed Apple Bloom, "And I'm not leavin'." "Applejack!" Scootaloo yelled at her. She took a slightly lower volume before continuing, "We don't have time for this. We will do everything we can to protect your farm and the rest of Ponyville, but right now there are several thousand timberwolves heading this way and I've already lost too many friends today. I can't do my job if I'm worried about your family.” Apple Bloom seemed to understand just how severe the situation was becoming. She said, "I'll get everypony ready," before going back inside. A breeze fluttered through the trees. Scootaloo said, "You can rebuild later; I'll help. I just need you all to be safe.” Much softer, Applejack said, "Alright, sugar cube. Just where are we supposed to go?" "We'll head to the castle. It'll be the safest place in Ponyville." Lightning Dasher said. ... "That's a great idea," Sparklefly commended one of the armored Lightning Dashers. He was the one that had gained a distinctive gash on his right cheek when the changeling tried to blast his head off. "I'm going to call you LD okay?" He snorted at her, "Sure; will you be able to tell me apart from the rest of me?" "Well enough," she answered. "Take fifty with you. There are rocky formations west south west of here. See if there's anything big enough. Just get back as quickly as you can." "Yes ma'am," LD responded, and he gathered up a group and headed off. The Lightning Dasher assigned to be the runner returned, landing hard. "Brax informs that he will send two unicorns immediately; that's all he can spare." Sparklefly sighed, "It'll have to do." “All other positions are still holding," he said. He then galloped off to continue his rounds. Sparklefly rubbed at her bandaged left eye and looked up at the trees swaying in the gentle breeze. "Twilight Squad; well, I guess we’re more of a battalion now. Twilight Battalion, listen up! I've got a plan." ... Pibs felt her heart pounding in her chest. The noise of the fighting from the east side of town by the river was growing louder as she banged on doors and ordered the occupants to evacuate their homes. Most of them had a wild look of terror on their faces. Pibs understood exactly what they felt. It hadn’t left her since they first got into combat in the forest. It would strengthen and lessen in intensity, but fear had become a constant companion. This had certainly been the the most eventful day Pibs had ever seen since her family had been killed. The thought threatened to bring heavy sadness back to her heart. She swallowed hard and hobbled to the next building with her Lightning Dasher escorts following. Pibs managed to push the sadness aside as she approached a coffee house, but the fear was unshakeable. ... Scootaloo and Lightning Dasher led the Apple family, Pinkie Pie, and the Cakes into Ponyville toward the castle. The group was quiet, even Pinkie, which was unnerving in and of itself. There were some ponies running this way and that. Many of the houses had already been shut up, and a growing crowd was already heading where Scootaloo and Lightning Dasher were telling everypony to go: the castle. As they rounded up everypony they could find, they came upon Silver Spoon. She was going to pass by them, heading toward Sweet Apple Acres. "Silver Spoon, what are you doing here?" Scootaloo asked. She replied, "The mayor has put me in charge of the civilians, and we're getting volunteers to help defend the river." "Where is Princess Twilight?" Scootaloo asked. There was a moment of hesitation on Silver Spoon's face, and both Lightning Dasher and Scootaloo realized that she was the changeling, not the real Silver Spoon. She saw the change in their faces as they recognized her for what she was. There was no time to waste. "Get her!" Scootaloo ordered, but it was too late. As they charged in, a bolt of green magic ripped right through Lightning Dasher, killing him instantly. With a single flap of her wings, Scootaloo was in the air, and she came down knife out before the changeling could fire again. The false Silver Spoon deflected Scootaloo's knife, and they both sprawled on the ground. It quickly became a wrestling match as Scootaloo scrambled on top and pushed the changeling's face into the earth, redirecting what would have been a fatal blast; dirt shot into the air and rained down all around. She couldn't get her knife in position. The changeling managed a leg twist, sending Scootaloo tumbling over on her back with her assailant on top. As her eyes glowed green with lethal intent, Apple Bloom’s powerful hind hooves landed squarely on the changeling's chest. Scootaloo heard a snapping noise as her adversary fell hard. Scootaloo seized the advantage, flipping over on top of the foe and stabbing it through for good measure. The changeling, still bearing the look of Silver Spoon convulsed before going limp. Applejack and the Cakes were looking on in shock at what had just taken place. Pinkie Pie and the children were gone. "Come on," Scootaloo said stoically as she stood, adrenaline surging through her veins. She felt odd having killed that changeling. Even with her history with the real Silver Spoon, killing her wasn’t ever even a consideration. There was a strange satisfaction in it that left a foul aftertaste in Scootaloo’s soul. She was brought back to the moment by the others. Apple Bloom was visibly upset, "But, your friend; Lightning Dasher!" Scootaloo glanced back at his smoldering remains. He had practically been incinerated. "He'll be fine," she said. Her statement elicited a disgusted look from the others. "It's kind of a long story, and I'd love to tell it, but we have to get moving. Where’s Pinkie?” “She ran off toward the castle with the young ‘uns when the fight started,” Applejack said. “Let's go,” Scootaloo said dryly. They followed her through the chaos that was overtaking the streets of Ponyville. ... Sparklefly's little battalion of Lightning Dashers had formed up in the trees, leaving only fifty or so on the ground, out of sight. They could now hear the first sounds of timberwolf activity somewhere out in the darkness, breaking the calm of the night. The wind was rustled the leaves of the apple trees and tension filled the air. They had ripped several branches out of the trees to use as makeshift spears. Ahead in the darkness, Sparklefly could now make out movement. They were getting closer. A little here; a little more there. Within moments there wasn't anywhere to look ahead without seeing the steady uneven movement of timberwolves skulking through the orchard. They cascaded over the hills like a tide washing in. Hiding behind the trees, the ground force was prepared for initial contact. Suddenly breaking into a run, the timberwolves swept in rapidly, perhaps not expecting any resistance. According to plan, as the timberwolves approached the tree line on the ridge, the grounded pony's kicked out from behind the trees, taking out the entire first row. Then the second group came down from the trees, knocking out the rows behind. Their momentum was halted, and a snarling and howling went up all across the line as the battle was joined. There were hooves and claws flying every direction. Stamping, chomping, biting, scratching, impaling. The trees were invaluable as shields against the timberwolves, and Twilight Brigade used them masterfully for cover. They had slowed the advance, but there was no end of the timberwolves in sight. They continued pouring through the trees almost as fast as they could be taken out. ... Pibs and her Lightning Dasher escorts had reached the center of town, but that left many houses to check. Her broken fore-leg pulsed with dull aching pain with each beat of her heart. She took a drink from her canteen. “That’s a lot of houses,” the Lightning Dashers said simultaneously. “Yeah,” Pibs said. “I think we should split up. You need to head to the armory anyway and see if there’s anything Sparklefly can use. I’ll take this right and head to the end of town.” “Okay,” the one Lightning Dasher said. “I’ll get everything toward the river on the north side and work my way back south,” the other agreed. “Sounds good,” Pibs said, feeling nervous. “I’ll see you back at the castle.” “Right,” they said together. The three went their separate ways. Pibs had a sinking feeling in her heart, but there was nothing to do about it; she found the next house and banged on the door. ... Scootaloo had led her party past earthen and garbage-made breastworks barricades that were now being rapidly constructed around the castle. Each end met at the castle walls and went out circularly, somewhat in the shape of a horseshoe. ”You'll be safe here, just stay inside. We'll come get you when it's over,” Scootaloo reassured the Apple family and the Cakes. "Thanks, sugar cube," Applejack said. “Sorry I was fussy.” Apple Bloom asked, “Where’s Cloud Blazer. Is he...?" she couldn't finish. "What? Oh, no! He's fine. He's here somewhere," she lied convincingly. Apple Bloom seemed relieved. Scootaloo felt bad for lying to her friend, but she just didn't have time or the emotional stability to explain what had happened right now. She put it from her mind as they disappeared inside the castle. "Scootaloo," Princess Twilight called to her. "What is our situation?" There were still thirty Lightning Dashers with her. Scootaloo reported, "We've deployed twenty to the northeast railroad crossing to hold it. We're being outflanked at Sweet Apple Acres; Sparklefly is commanding over two-hundred at that position. They won’t get past us without a fight.” Twilight said, "We need to find the fake Silver Spoon." "That's already been dealt with, ma'am," Scootaloo said. "Is she dead?" Twilight asked. "Yes ma'am," Scootaloo said dryly, still having uncertain feelings on that matter. The Lightning Dasher that was sent to scout landed right beside them. "Pardon my intrusion. There's been an increase in the timberwolves at the bridge. We've got several casualties and need to reinforce in order to hold that position." The princess said, "We're on it! Come with me." "Yes ma'am!" Scootaloo replied. Twilight, Scootaloo, and the Lightning Dashers took flight and headed straight for the bridge. Glancing to her right, Scootaloo could see the fighting at the river was looking more intense than before. The unicorn magic was much less prominent, and there were already many casualties, but they were still holding the timberwolves at bay. Turning back ahead, the bridge was in a much more desperate situation. It was crawling with timberwolves. There were only six ponies left defending it; all of the previously dispatched Lightning Dashers lay dead on the tracks across the length of it. The timberwolves were piled thick and landing blow after blow of their sharp claws onto the defenders, most of which bounced harmlessly off of the armor of those that wore it, but the vicious beasts were pushing them back. The ponies were using the bridge as a bottleneck to help reduce the fighting effectiveness of the enemy, but there were many hundreds trying to cross. The bodies were helping to block the way. "Follow me, we're going in," Princess Twilight called out. As they got near, she sent a purple blast of magic sizzling though the air that knocked a gaping hole in the middle of the timberwolves in a line that stretched all the way across the bridge. They flew in fast, sweeping through the enemy and pushing the beasts back across to the other side. Ferocious fighting met them, inflicting painful wounds throughout the group. ... Sparklefly saw a buildup on the left flank toward the barn, and she redirected twenty of her Lightning Dashers over to that side. Several had already fallen from their injuries, the lack of armor being a primary cause for reducing their fighting effectiveness. Their ranks were spread out more than she'd like, but there were just too many timberwolves. The ponies were holding their own, but they were already tired from their exertions of the day, and the lack of proper weapons was crippling to their abilities. A massive surge in the timberwolves pushed through the line just right of center, and the stick-dogs began flooding through. Sparklefly darted through the air with only a single armored Lighting Dasher following. They charged headlong into the gap, stopping it up, but twenty or so timberwolves got past them and were heading into town. It would have been considered odd behavior if there hadn’t been changelings directing this attack, none of which had dared to show themselves as of yet. Flashes of light bolted through the night behind them. A pair of unicorns had engaged the timberwolves that got through the line, making short work of them. They came up into the weak spot and began blasting away at the incoming enemy, cutting down their numbers. Lightning Dashers reformed the line, keeping the timberwolves at bay. Sparklefly was able to disengage and get back to the unicorns. She took a look up and down the line, and it was holding again. "Thank you, sirs,” she said to the pair of stallions. The taller of the two was white with a golden mane and tail. He had searching blue eyes that implied an unspoken wisdom beyond his years. The other was tan, with a dark brown mane and tail that matched his eyes. “Your arrival was most timely.” "Thank you ma'am. I'm Radiant Pyre, and the short one is Clyde," Radiant Pyre said with a salute. Sparklefly said, "They're building up pretty fast, but we should be able to hold them here a while longer. Do you know if anypony has worked on defenses farther inside town in case we have to fall back? Have the civilians been evacuated?” Radiant Pyre answered, "Yes ma'am. Lieutenant Brax has two squads plus some civilians building makeshift barricades around the castle. If we get pushed back, we're to rendezvous there; it’s a good spot. As for the evacuation, there was not an order for it, but I saw some of yours rounding up civilians and sending them to the castle. Good thinking.” "Excellent,” Sparklefly answered. “Clyde, how would you like to have the high ground?” "Yes ma'am," the shorter stallion replied with a wicked grin. "I'll have one of mine get you on top of that barn. You'll have good visibility on our entire left flank from there; well, as good as moonlight gives.” “I brought some flares. They won't pass me ma'am, not before they’re crispy," he said with a salute. She couldn’t help but smile at his bravado. ... It may have been been Pibs’ idea to split up, but she was already regretting the decision. Now she found herself alone on the south end of Ponyville. The last building ahead of her was the schoolhouse. It would be empty at this time of night, but she felt the need to check it in spite of that certainty. For such a happy place for little colts and fillies to spend their time, it had an eerie feeling about it in the darkness as the sounds of battle came from all sides. She took a sip from her canteen to try to quench the dryness of her mouth. The next sound Pibs heard made her heart sink. Somewhere at the school, a foal’s laughter rang out. Pibs secured her canteen and hobbled ahead as quickly as she could on three legs, the broken one sending pain shooting through with each step. Everything seemed quiet enough, but she turned and ran around the side of the schoolhouse to discover the playground. On the swings, a colt and a filly were playing as if without a care in the world. The air was thick with the stench of timberwolves. This area was beyond the right flank of Brax’s forces. It was effectively a gap in the defenses. Sparklefly had the northwest covered at Sweet Apple Acres, and the river ran across the east toward the south side of town. Between the river and the rocky formations to the west was this undefended gap. Surely there were air patrols, but Pibs hadn’t seen any in the darkness. If there were incoming, she’d have to get out of here, quickly. “Hi!” one of the foals greeted her, leaping out of his swing and trotting up to her. “Are you a soldier?” “Yes, I am,” Pibs replied, trying to sound as friendly as possible. “I’m going to be a soldier when I get big and strong!” the colt exclaimed. Pibs heard a snarling sound somewhere nearby; she had to convince these two to come with her. “Is that your sister?” “She is,” the colt replied as the filly got off of her swing and approached warily. “What are you doing here?” Pibs asked, her eyes scanning for any signs of danger. She knew it was close, but she couldn’t see it. “Mommy said to always come to the school if we were lost or scared,” the little colt recited. “We’re supposed to wait for teacher,” the filly said, hiding behind her brother. That gave Pibs an idea. “Well, you did great,” she tried to sound upbeat. “I was sent to get you. Everypony in town is going to the castle right now so the soldiers can fight off the timberwolves.” “Did you get hurt?” the colt asked, pointing at Pibs’ broken fore-leg. She nodded, “I did while I was fighting. We need to go to the castle.” The filly shrank almost out of sight behind her brother. Pibs had to think of something. “I bet you two are really fast,” Pibs said. “I, I’m the faster, fast,” the colt stumbled over his words in excitement. “I’m fastest!” “Nuh uh!” his sister protested. “I know how we can find out,” Pibs said. “I’ll race you to the castle!” “But you’re all grown up!” the colt protested. Pibs heard a rustling in the foliage nearby. She still couldn’t see them, but the timberwolves were close. “But my leg is hurt. I’ll only run on three legs,” Pibs said. “Come on, I bet you can’t beat me.” She turned as if she were going to run. The light of exuberance filled the little colt’s eyes and he took off at a gallop. His sister, caught somewhere between surprise and anger bolted after him as Pibs trotted behind to keep up. “You cheated!” the filly said. “I’m faster than you!” the colt squealed with delight. The three rushed through the darkness deeper into town. All of Pibs’ senses were on the alert. With every step, stabbing pain intensified and shot through her from the broken limb. As the trio moved up the path, a timberwolf sprang out of the bushes on the right. The filly screamed when she saw it, but Pibs was close. She pivoted on her good fore-hoof and came around with both hind legs. Her kick found its mark in the timberwolf’s throat and jaw as it was about to snap the little filly’s head. Hooves connected with a cracking that sounded like a thunderbolt; the beast fell dead. “Run!” Pibs screamed. The colt moved even faster now, but the filly turned back, grabbing Pibs’ broken leg. She let out a noise that was more a grunt than a cry. Grabbing the filly with her good fore-hoof, she flapped her wings to get into the air. She stayed near the ground to keep the colt close. Pibs felt a little dizzy and sick; she was unsure if they would make it to the castle. ... Scootaloo was fighting desperately on the bridge. It had become a complete knock-down drag-out fight in close quarters. Even if she’d had more bolts for her crossbow, she didn’t have time to reload it. Timberwolves were climbing over the piles of the dead to get at them. The ponies were down to half strength now, but they were determined to hold the bridge if it killed them. Scootaloo was becoming concerned that it might come to that, but there wasn't time to dwell on such thoughts. There were just too many timberwolves crawling through that had to be smashed. The one edge they had was Twilight’s alicorn magic and her ability to blend it so seamlessly with physical attacks. She would create a weak shield to take a hit or to, then crush the incoming enemy with her hooves. Sometimes she would blast away with concussive magic that would blow the beasts apart. Scootaloo had previously seen the princess perform much more powerful feats. She was saving her strength. The training she’d had in Cloudsdale had improved her abilities as a fighter. A blinding flash of light from the river swept through town and lit up the night. It was quickly followed by a boom that rattled the structure of the bridge they were standing on. Scootaloo glanced back, but it was too far away to see what had happened, and there were buildings blocking her view. It was soon followed by another, and another that was much farther away. The Lightning Dasher scout landed behind them. Scootaloo only had a moment to glance back; he was looking as tired as everypony else was, and he'd been wounded. He now wore a bandage that was already soaked with blood on his right flank. "Ma'am," he shouted to Princess Twilight. "Brax's forces have destroyed the bridges on the east side of Ponyville to slow the enemy advance. He requests that you keep this bridge intact and hold it. That is all." Scootaloo called back, "If we have to hold this thing, try and get us some reinforcements, we're getting slaughtered over here." A fresh push from the timberwolves swept into their lines, and the fighting continued with Twilight loudly blasting magic to thin their numbers. Scootaloo didn’t know if the scout had heard her. ... Sparklefly had withdrawn herself to the rear. She'd been thrown against a tree, and her wing hurt. She didn’t think she’d be able to fly for a while. Her previous eye injury had soaked the bandage on the left side of her face. One of the Lightning Dashers had just removed it and was applying a fresh one. She was weary from the day. Her legs ached, her wings were bruised, she'd been cut and shot, who even knew how many times, and she was afraid she’d lost an eye. As Lightning Dasher completed the bandage, Sparklefly took a very concerned look at her fighting line. It was holding, but without any reserves. It wouldn't take but a fault in one position to send the timberwolves crashing through again. "Hey, Sparklefly! We found some gear at the castle,” LD, the Lightning Dasher with the gash on his face, called from overhead. She looked up just in time to see him and his fifty flying overhead with large rocks strapped to their harnesses hanging beneath them. They flew passed, circled up and came down between the trees, letting their payloads hang just low enough to smash timberwolves as they went by. The rocks were heavy enough that they pounded through them like a hot knife through warm butter. Timberwolves were going down left and right. The ponies were gaining the advantage. A volley of magical energy took out the Lightning Dasher that was standing next to Sparklefly with a direct hit to his head. She dropped low and returned to the line, taking cover behind a tree. LD and his group were now taking fire as well and dropping fast. The reduction in their numbers didn’t go unnoticed. Clyde and Radiant Pyre began firing their own lethal magic in the direction of the changeling fire, but the trees obscured the result. Three successive explosions split the night somewhere on the other side of town. Sparklefly had no way to know what it was, but it couldn’t be good. If they could just hold out a little bit longer, maybe help could arrive. Sparklefly realized that this was a problematic hope at best. They'd only sent that request to Cloudsdale a half hour ago, maybe. They would be on their own for at least another hour or two. In the mean-time, they were paying dearly for their lack of armor. ... Pibs was distracted by the sounds of things exploding somewhere near the river and didn’t see the tree limb that caught her full in the face. She tumbled through the air as the the filly on her back screamed. She was able to manage a half twist and not land on her broken limb, but she got a mouthful of dry dusty earth. Her broken fore-leg was throbbed with a stabbing pain. The little filly fell off and crashed into a fence that ran alongside the road. The little colt ran back to them. “Are you okay?” he asked, puffing for breath as his sister let out a loud wailing cry. He looked up behind them and yelled, “Look out!” Pibs tired muscles pushed her upright as she glanced backwards. A timberwolf was mid air, jaws wide open; it was too late to avoid the beast. It collided with the armored pony, sending the pair of them sprawling. Teeth sank into Pibs’ right shoulder, penetrating her armor and ripping at her. She got her legs against the body of the creature and pushed it away, but it shook its head to deepen the wound. If she hadn’t been wearing armor, the beast might have ripped her shoulder to shreds. Pibs found her knife and jammed it into the throat of the timberwolf multiple times until it released her. She pushed it away and scrambled back onto her hooves, and then she drove a death blow through the head of her adversary. She staggered backward, her energy spent. Assessing her shoulder proved impossible, but while it was bleeding, it didn’t seem to be a deep wound. Turning back to the foals, they were hiding behind the fence. Without even time to catch her breath, Pibs said, “I’m fine. We have to go!” Both of the little ones were crying quietly now. The memory of what Scootaloo had done for her in Canterlot came to mind. “Hey,” Pibs said softly as she drew closer. “We can’t have any of that.” She looked directly at the colt. “My name is Pibs, what’s yours?” “Shrub Keeper,” he said with a tremor of fear in his voice. “You’re the oldest. You have to protect your sister. You have to get her to the castle.” Over the sounds of battle on the other ends of town, more howling could be heard. “You hear them,” Pibs continued. “There are more coming. You won’t be safe until you get to the castle. I’ll do everything I can to help you, but you have to be strong right now.” “I’m scared!” the little colt whined. “I know you are. I’m scared too,” Pibs admitted. Shrub Keeper sniffled and through a confused look said, “But you’re a soldier.” “Nopony is old enough or well enough trained to not be scared sometimes,” Pibs said softly. Her eyes quickly scanned the area before looking back at the little colt. “To be a soldier, they teach us how to overcome it and keep fighting. Right now, I need you to run to the castle. I’ll be with you, but if I fall behind or anything happens to me, I need you to keep going.” “Okay,” the little colt said shakily. “Promise me; Promise Pibs that you’ll get your sister to the castle.” “I...” he hesitated. “I promise.” “Okay, now move!” Pibs said. As the foals started running, the colt was practically dragging his sister along behind him. Pibs did a final check around to make sure they weren’t in any other immediate danger. No threats spotted, she trotted to keep up with the children, her broken leg and hurt shoulder shooting spasms of pain with every step. ... Scootaloo and the remainder of their force had been compelled to retreat back across the bridge. There were only six of them left, including herself and Twilight Sparkle. The situation was bad, but Princess Twilight seemed determined to stop the timberwolves at this position. She hit them with a temporal phase spell that slowed their movements a little, but they kept coming. Even if strength didn’t give out, which it soon would, there just weren’t enough of them left to properly defend. Another Lightning Dasher fell from a swipe to the throat. He sputtered as he slammed to the earth, but nopony could help him. In moments, he bled out and died; now there were only five. Scootaloo had a brief flash of her own mortality when she heard a battle cry from behind that quickened the flow of blood through her veins, and twenty earth ponies from Brax’s force charged in to the rescue. They were fresh, and they swept right into the timberwolves, pushing them back across the bridge. Scootaloo and the squad, exhausted, followed behind them and joined their formation. ... Sparklefly was there, but it happened so suddenly that there wasn't a thing anypony could have done about it even if there had been twice as many of them. The failing light of the latest flare that Clyde had fired revealed timberwolf numbers surging to such a point that they were crawling and clawing over each other to get at the defensive line on the ridge. They were simply overpowered, and any sense of a proper fighting line crumbled within moments. Sparklefly was horrified to see her brigade getting completely destroyed. Radiant Pyre was beside her, blasting away freely at the timberwolves. "We can't hold this," she said gravely, mostly to herself. Then she cried out as loudly as she was able, "Fall back! All personnel, fall back!" Casting a glance over at the barn, she could see that Clyde was firing nonstop into a mass of timberwolves that was trying to get up the side of the structure at him. The Lightning Dasher that had been with him lay dead nearby. "LD, go get Clyde off the roof," she called to him. With a nod, LD dropped his little boulder, smashing three timberwolves, and then he sped off to the barn. And so the retreat began. Sparklefly and Radiant Pyre turned and took off at a gallop back toward town, and with one of the Lightning Dashers lifting Sparklefly due to her injured wing, the rest of her shrinking brigade took to the air. ... Scootaloo was impressed by the earth ponies that had reinforced their position. However, just when things were looking up, it fell apart. One of the Lightning Dashers began shouting something inaudible from the rear, and Scootaloo turned to see a mob of timberwolves coming at them from the Ponyville side of the bridge. Either the river side where Brax was defending or Sparklefly at Sweet Apple Acres had let them through. No report had come from the scout, which could only mean that things were getting bad. “Contact rear!” Scootaloo cried out as she thundered across the bridge toward the incoming timberwolves. Several of the earth ponies joined her, but dividing their force made them weak at both ends. They were now completely cut off. Scootaloo considered flying away, but the earth ponies wouldn't be able to retreat. Fighting their way out seemed the only option. They didn’t have anypony to spare, but they needed help. Twilight was relying more heavily on her magic now, a clear sign that the situation was only getting worse. Pointing at one of the Lightning Dashers, she called out, "Go find Sparklefly and get us some reinforcements!" He bolted straight up into the air and turned toward Sweet Apple Acres, but he didn't even get past the river before he was shot down by changeling magic. Twilight grunted in frustration and let out a blast that ripped all the way across the bridge. More timberwolves filled the gap in moments and charged toward them. No help would be coming. ... Pibs got dizzy and fell to a sitting position as the world spun around her. She closed her eyes and held her head with her good hoof. The broken one felt numb and tingly, which was better than the pain, however it was undoubtedly not a good sign of her overall health. “Are you okay?” Shrub Keeper, the little colt, asked. “I’m fine,” Pibs said. The fit passed after another minute or so. The sounds of battle began growing louder, or perhaps closer. Recovered, Pibs regained a standing position. The three of them continued forward at a much slower pace. They had arrived near the heart of town, which appeared to be deserted. She wasn’t sure why, but Pibs was overcome with a strong feeling of dread in addition to the fear she already felt. “Get down, behind that,” she pointed to a garbage can that sat beside a building. The little colt and filly did as she asked without question. Pibs also pressed herself flat against the wall. Between the position and the darkness of night, they were well concealed. From this vantage point, she could see the town hall across the open area that surrounded it on all sides: town square. Everything seemed quiet, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen, and so they waited. If they’d kept running, they’d have made it across the square by now. Pibs had just decided that her nerves were getting the best of her when a small pack of timberwolves ran by in the town square ahead of them. They had come from the east side of town. “Follow me,” Pibs said. Turning back, they went back amongst the buildings and turned to the west toward where Sparklefly would be defending Sweet Apple Acres. If she had harnesses or were in better condition, she might try to fly the foals to the castle. As it was, she didn’t think she could carry more than one, and leaving either of them behind was out of the question. Attempting to sneak through town seemed to be the best option as they moved silently to the next building. ... Sparklefly quickly assessed the new position they had found. LD and Radiant Pyre were with her. ”This'll do, reform the line here!" she ordered. They had found a place on the west side of town that the houses were close enough together to provide some structure to slow the timberwolves down. Looking around, she could tell that her brigade was as tired as she was. They had outpaced the timberwolves, but not by much. They would only have a couple of minutes to prepare for incoming. The bandage on her injured left eye was burning again; she wondered whether it was something that would heal properly. "I'm sorry about Clyde," LD said. “What happened?” Sparklefly asked. “He had never made it off of the barn. They were all over the roof, and he fell back to the other end. Two more seconds and I’d have been there before he fell off the back into the swarm of them. I just couldn’t get there in time.” "Not your fault," Radiant Pyre said coldly. "I'm going topside," he said, trotting off to a nearby house. The line was reformed and ready for action. Radiant Pyre began firing from a second story window, illuminating the timberwolves and helping to cut down their numbers. Another daylight flare was fired by somepony on the other side, but it went up directly over Ponyville this time. It illuminated the battlefield in a pale blue light. It revealed the ever-increasing numbers of timberwolves as they swarmed through, overrunning Sweet Apple Acres and coming into the outskirts of town. The situation was grim. Sparklefly calculated that half of the Lightning Dashers must have already been killed on the farm. The savage beasts arrived, and her weary force joined the battle once more. ... The bridge was lost, and Scootaloo knew it. By light of the last flare that had been fired, it was plain that they were completely overrun by the burgeoning numbers of the timberwolves. She, Princess Twilight, and the remainder of the earth ponies had all fallen back to the center where they were fighting for their lives, backs to each other. All of their Lightning Dashers had been killed, and no reinforcements would be coming. They really had only two options left. They could either abandon the bridge and hope they survived the jump into the river, or they could stand their ground and die fighting. Green magical light from overhead caught Scootaloo’s attention. Twilight threw up a shield at the last second. The impacts of the magical attack smashed loudly into it. The princess burst away into thin air, appearing above the bridge near their assailants. She let out a blast of magic and then teleported again before they could fire at her. Popping up behind them she killed another one. The last three turned to flee, but she cut them all down before returning to the bridge. “We’re in trouble,” Scootaloo called to the princess, who was directly behind her now. “We have to get out of here,” Twilight called out. “You mean we’re going swimming?” one of the earth ponies called back. “Can you teleport us?” Scootaloo asked. “Not in the middle of this. We’ll have to jump!” “Buy me five seconds and consider it done!” the earth pony yelled. “How long can you survive the river?” Scootaloo asked as she reared back and came down, crushing a timberwolf. “The rest of my life,” he yelled back, grunting as he smashed another one. “Longer than here!” In another time and place, Scootaloo might have been amused by such a statement. “Five seconds; you've got it!" the princess replied as she let out a burst of magic that shattered many and pushed even more timberwolves this way and that back away from the ponies. It electrified the air and send a burning tingle throughout Scootaloo’s body. Twilight staggered before regaining her balance. Without a hesitation, all of the remaining earth ponies jumped off of the bridge, diving into the river below on the downstream side. Scootaloo and Princess Twilight also leapt, wings bearing them through the air, leaving the timberwolves and the bridge behind. They were compelled to stay low and fast by incoming fire. The river nearly lapped against their hooves before they put enough distance from the bridge to gain altitude. As they climbed into the sky, Scootaloo was in a kind of awe at the destruction before her. An orange glow of flames from the Everfree Forest was helping to light the town. Brax's forces had fallen back from the river and were retreating house to house as the timberwolves advanced. The southern side of town and Sweet Apple Acres were completely overrun, and the fighting on the west end of Ponyville was intense. Their right flank had been turned, and timberwolves were sweeping up the line. Sparklefly's side was on the verge of being routed. "There!" Princess Twilight called out, pointing down at the river below. All seven of the remaining earth ponies had surfaced without their armor. They were making for the bank at the northeast corner of town. It wasn’t exactly a safe place, but it was better than the other bank, and it would be fine for a brief rendezvous. Princess Twilight and Scootaloo turned, flying down to meet up with them. ... Sparklefly’s canteen was empty, but thirst was the least of her worries. Their right flank was heavily embattled, and she didn’t think they’d be able to push back again. "This position is folding; we must withdraw!" LD yelled to Sparklefly. She was pretty sure that his assessment was correct. Just then, the Lightning Dasher scout came down. "Ma'am, Brax's force has suffered heavy casualties. They are falling back to the castle barricades, and he orders you to do the same. Princess Twilight’s position on the bridge has been overrun. Nopony has seen them.” "Copy that! LD, go get Radiant Pyre safely back to the castle." She then called out very loudly, "Twilight Brigade, we are leaving! Fall back to the castle!" Their right flank had been crushed by the timberwolves, and their retreat went badly. Timberwolves had already gained the town behind their position. They had no choice but to fly out. They fought their way into the air, only to be shredded by changeling magic that split the sky. Their organization fell apart on the way. LD and Radiant Pyre stayed close to Sparklefly and the Lightning Dasher that carried her as they sped toward the castle. ... Pibs managed to get the foals and herself concealed in a bush just before the pack of timberwolves ran through. They had avoided two other groups already. The defenses of the town must be in poor shape to let so many through. She could already see the top of the castle in the distance. It wasn’t much farther. She just had to wait for their moment. She took a drink from her canteen, a difficult task while shaking. Pibs tried to calm herself by thinking of her friends. They were counting on her to complete the evacuation, and these two little ones were part of that. She had to get them to the castle. The little filly was crying, and it started getting a little noisy. Pibs shushed her and whispered, “Just a little longer now and we’ll be at the castle. Don’t you worry, little one. I need you to be brave like your brother. Be brave for Pibs.” The little colt was also scared, but he stuck his chest out proudly at the praise. At this moment, Pibs would have given anything to have one of her friends with her. ... Scootaloo helped the last of the earth ponies out of the water. None of them had drowned, which brought their total number to nine. They were sitting by the bank, watching the fighting in town in an eerie moment of peace that they had found. The sound of the river made it difficult to hear much else. Scootaloo asked, "Do we ferry them in two by two?” Twilight shook her head, "No, too dangerous. Even if I shield us, we’ll be a huge target.” Covered in sweat with eyes that betrayed the level of effort she’d expended, she looked exhausted. No sooner had this been suggested than magical attacks filled the air on the west side of town. Scootaloo felt sick to see so many ponies being shot down, especially since she knew that Sparklefly and Pibs were somewhere in the middle of it. "Well, what then?" Scootaloo asked. Twilight seemed engrossed in thought and didn’t reply immediately. Scootaloo took a look at the earth pony soldiers. They were all wounded in one way or another. There were bruises and cuts on everypony. Several had been hit with shrapnel as well. “We can teleport,” Princess Twilight finally responded. "Into the middle of that?" one of the earth ponies asked, seeming uncertain. "No," Twilight said. "We'll go directly into the throne room. That should be far enough away from the fighting. I didn’t want to do it from the bridge because I was afraid I might leave somepony behind. I can take all of us at once, but I need a moment to concentrate.” They stood silently for a few moments while Twilight prepared herself. As the magical energy began to envelop them, Scootaloo felt almost weakened from it. It was similar awakening to find your muscles won’t respond for a while. Then, with a flash of light and a loud popping sound, a blast of wind seemed to hit from all sides. The next thing Scootaloo knew, she was in the throne room of Princess Twilight’s castle. They were standing on the large map that had sent the princess and her friends on many adventures. The room was filled with a collective gasp of many citizens of Ponyville that were already crammed inside. ... Sparklefly and many of the Lightning Dashers came in for hard landings at the barricade. The night was full of shouting and the sounds of battle. LD and Radiant Pyre were still with her. Timberwolves were roaring, aimlessly charging through town, prowling for anypony that they could find. They finally reached the barricade, getting over the top of it. Brax was in the center, shouting orders, and the remains of his platoon had formed up around the makeshift defenses, and they were already pushing timberwolves off of the east side. About two dozen Lightning Dashers had already landed and formed up as well. The rest came in at a steady pace. "Where's my scout?" Sparklefly called out. "He got shot down," one of the earth ponies informed her. A quick count of their forces painted a dismal picture. They had only a hundred and thirty-four Lightning Dasher's remaining in Ponyville, and Brax's forces weren't doing much better. Only twenty-five of his earth ponies, three unicorns and one pegasus remained. The rest of his pegasi had been sent out hours before to call for aide, but none had returned. Well below half strength, they had basically now abandoned the entire town. The only good news was that the citizens had been safely evacuated into the castle. They were safe for the moment, but it was fewer than two-hundred soldiers that now stood between them and death and the paws of the timberwolves. Sparklefly reported in to Brax, "At your command, sir." Brax said, "The battle does not go well, but we have you to thank that we've lasted this long." Princess Twilight came out of the castle with Scootaloo and joined them. "What is our situation, lieutenant?" Brax bowed slightly, "Grim, your majesty. Every one of these defenders is worth ten or more timberwolves, but even so we are outmatched.” Scootaloo said, “It looks like Pibs got the civilians all safe for now, but it won't be long before they hit us with everything they have on all sides.” "I agree," Sparklefly said. "Did you bring any survivors back from the bridge?" Brax asked Twilight. "Only seven made it back with us," she replied. "That brings our total strength to a hundred and seventy-four with three unicorns and one alicorn. We might make something out of that," Brax said. Twilight said, "Now that we're all in here, I thought I might try a barrier." Brax agreed, "Go ahead, but my unicorns have been trying ever since the town shield collapsed. They haven't been able to get one to hold together. The attempt also seems to be draining on them far more than before." The princess said, "Maybe we can channel our strength together and work something out. Please send the unicorns to the observation post on top of the castle. I'll meet them there immediately.” Brax said, "Yes ma'am." Twilight trotted briskly into the castle. “Have you seen Pibs?” Scootaloo asked. Sparklefly’s heart sank, “No. Not since I sent her to start the evacuation.” Sounds of heavy fighting caused Sparklefly to spin around, and she saw a group of timberwolves get over the west wall. "Come on!" she shouted at Scootaloo, and the pair charged into the fray along with several dozen Lightning Dashers. The roar of battle became deafening. Shrieking, howling, shouting and smacking, destruction was so widespread that it drowned out everything else. The Lightning Dashers pushed back and stopped the tide, but the timberwolves had piled on top of each other at that point to get over the barricade. From the top of the little wall, Sparklefly could see by the moonlight that there was just no end to them. The town was completely lost except for their small barricade around the castle. ... Pibs and the foals were close now. They could see the castle, and they were nearly ready to make a run for it across the last fifty yards of open ground. To Pibs utter horror, that was when the defensive shield went up around the structure. Timberwolves were growing thick in number on all sides, and she was trapped in the open with two foals. They hadn’t been spotted yet, but it would only be a matter of seconds, minutes if they were lucky. The darkness wouldn’t keep them concealed for much longer. They had to get inside somewhere, anywhere. The nearest building was little more than a house with a thatched roof, but it would be far better than remaining outside. There was no time to waste. “Stay here,” she said to the colt. She flapped her wings, flying up the side of the building and finding a window. It wasn’t high, but it was locked. She turned around and kicked with her hind legs, a difficult maneuver in the air. It was enough to shatter the window. The little foals squealed as glass rained down on them. Timberwolves snarled nearby. Pibs turned about and quickly pushed in the rest of the glass with her booted hoof before dropping back down to the ground. The little ones seemed okay, but the colt had a trickle of blood running from a small cut on his forehead. “You okay?” she asked. He was fighting back tears, “The glass fell on me.” “I’m sorry,” she said as she picked up the filly. “We’re going inside.” The little one squirmed, making holding her with one hoof difficult. Flying up, they made it to the window, and the little one scrambled through it and to the floor inside. Dropping back down, Pibs lifted the colt from the earth. He was much heavier, but he held on to her, which made him a little easier to carry. He worked through the small window, thudding to the floor inside. Climbing through herself proved to be more difficult than Pibs had expected. With only one good fore-leg, and the other sending shooting pain if anything touched it, she had to be careful. Falling from this height would have been problematic to say the least. Pushing her head through the window and gripping with the one good fore-leg, she stopped flying to fold her wings up, catching herself on the outside of the house with her hind legs. She pushed and wriggled, finally coming through and landing awkwardly on her right side, broken glass crunching beneath her. Pibs could have laid there all night, but she had to keep going. The house was a two-story, so the first thing to do would be to block the door with whatever she could find. If the timberwolves got in, maybe the stairs would provide another way to slow them down. ... Every muscle in Scootaloo's body was aching from the effort she was exerting, and she was pouring sweat into her armor. Killing timberwolves was very strenuous work. They had been defending the barricade for what seemed like hours. In fact, it had only been a few minutes; the weariness from the day threatened to overcome her. They were constantly on the makeshift wall, and the ponies were pushing and kicking, cutting and killing. Given the size of the barricade and the force that was pressing to get in, every soldier was now in play to defend their position. The armor they were wearing was very effective against the beasts. Scootaloo had already received several glancing blows that would have otherwise inflicted serious damage, but instead they bounced harmlessly off of her. She was, however, already freely bleeding from several gashes that caught weak spots that the armor didn't cover. As soon as she would knock back one timberwolf, another was on her. The barricade wouldn't hold much longer at this rate. A magical purple light suddenly washed over them all, and it formed a shield that was just a little larger than the perimeter. As it hardened into place, an entire row of timberwolves was split in half to one degree or another, killing them where they stood. With enemy reinforcements cut off, it was only a few minutes before the barricade was clear. Scootaloo looked around, almost frantic to find another enemy as adrenaline continued to surge through her. Sparklefly said, "Calm down, we've got them for the moment." She was breathing very heavily, and also covered in sweat. The bandage on her eye had begun turning red again and needed to be changed. Brax called out, "Water! Take water and rest in place!" He didn't have to say it twice. Scootaloo took her canteen and took a long, satisfying drink from it. She could easily drink all of it, but she capped it again instead. There was no way to know how long the shield would hold, and she didn't need to weigh herself down. Sparklefly was sitting beside her, both of them breathing heavily from the hard work they had done defending their section of the barricade. She tossed her empty canteen to the ground. Scootaloo passed hers, and her friend took a drink before returning it without a word. Scootaloo hadn't noticed before, but the civilian hospital staff was all around the field, treating injuries of the wounded ponies. By the look of them, they'd been at it for a while. Lightning Dashers were also darting about, treating the minor injuries. Scootaloo and Sparklefly weren't bad off, and the few cuts and gashes they had were bandaged in no time. "We're going to need another count," Sparklefly said. "I'll come with you," Scootaloo offered. Sparklefly only nodded. It was miserable work, walking over the dead to count the living. Most were now being piled just left of the castle entrance, around the side. The numbers that they came back with were even more depressing than they'd expected. Falling back and holding the barricade had cost them fifty-three ponies, forty-one of them Lightning Dashers. If that rate held up, Scootaloo was pretty sure that none of them would see dawn. They returned to their place on the barricade, laying down to rest. Sparklefly vacantly said, "I never got to thank you for before." "What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked. "I know we haven't really talked about it,” she continued as if forcing the words out, “but I've been having a lot of trouble ever since Canterlot. I commanded there, and my friends got killed. If you'd have been with me, you might have been killed." Scootaloo shrugged, ”It wasn't your fault, you know. It was a bad situation." "I know,” Sparklefly said thoughtfully, “but ever since then, I've been unsure of myself, but today you believed in me. I can’t tell you how much that meant. Thank you." Scootaloo smiled at her, "Don't mention it. You're strong and smart; much more than you realize. Seriously, you had us use ursas as a weapon. Who does that?” Brax called out to everypony, "The shield should hold for now. I want everypony that is able to sleep if you can. Officers, report to me for assignment," Brax ordered. Standing upright, Scootaloo asked, "Will you be able to sleep, Sparklefly?" No answer came. Sparklefly had already drifted off while lying there. Scootaloo smiled at her, and then walked briskly over to Lieutenant Brax; Princess Twilight was with him. Two-thirds of Brax's platoon had been killed or wounded since the battle began, and his lack of remaining officers was a testament to that fact. Twilight said, "We're confident the shield will buy us a few hours, but it took all of us to get it formed. If it doesn't hold, we won't be able to try again for a while." Brax said, "That'll do. I'm afraid that we might be in a very bad situation here. We have water and food inside, but with every pony in Ponyville to support, I don't think it'll last more than a day or two.” “Only a day or two?” Scootaloo was shocked. “Diamond Tiara said there was a large enough stock pile to feed the town for a month?” “If that store of supply exists, it is not in the castle,” Brax replied grimly. The princess said, “I’ll find her and ask about it. Are reinforcements on the way?" Becoming grave, Brax said, "I have no reason to believe that they are. None of my scouts have returned." Scootaloo's heart sank at this news. She knew that Sparklefly had also sent at least one out for help, but they hadn't heard from him either. Twilight said, "Then there's nothing we can do but hold here for now. If the others got through, help will be on the way. If they didn't, there's no reason to think sending additional scouts out will be helpful tonight.” The lieutenant grimly started, "If they've been intercepted..." He didn't have to finish. They all knew what it would mean if nopony in Cloudsdale even knew that they were under attack. The timberwolves began slamming into the shield in a great rage. It encompassed the entire castle, so there was no way for them to get in. The sound was loud like unsteady drums being hammered relentlessly on all sides. "They won't be able to break it," Twilight said confidently. "Still, I'm going back up top to be ready in case the changelings discover a way to get through.” Brax said, "Back to your positions. Nothing to do now but rest and wait. I’ve got a few sentries that are ready to raise the alarm if anything happens.” Scootaloo returned to her position where Sparklefly lay fast asleep. She somehow looked much younger sleeping there. They'd all been through so much in the past few weeks that they didn't seem like the children that they had been not long before. Dealing with life and death made them feel much older than their years, and it showed in their eyes. But as Sparklefly lay in peaceful slumber, she looked again like the nineteen year old girl she was. Scootaloo wasn't sure how anypony could sleep with the timberwolves pounding away at the shield. She looked over the barricade at them. They were actually destroying themselves by slamming into the magical field. They didn't seem to be affecting it, but it wouldn't hold forever. Scootaloo sat down, recalling the events of the day. Regal Masquerade, Nimba, Cloud Blazer... She slammed shut her mind on that, shaking her head. It was too soon to think about them. Scootaloo laid down beside Sparklefly, trying to quiet her thoughts, which then drifted back to Cloud Blazer. She felt horrible leaving him behind, but what else could they do? At least he was receiving care. While she was certainly weary enough, she wished she were able to get some sleep... ... The house in which Pibs now found herself was dark. She pulled closed the shutters on the broken window and locked it, obscuring even the little moonlight that had been coming in. “Stay here,” she whispered to the foals. Moving silently, Pibs checked the rooms on the second level that they now occupied. There were two bedrooms, and a small study that had no windows. She made certain that all of the windows on the upper floor were locked. At least they’d have some warning if any changelings tried to get in. She ushered the little ones into the study and shut the door. There was absolutely no light inside, and the filly began crying again. Pibs found a lantern and gently shook it, agitating the fireflies that were contained in it to produce their soft glow. There was a desk in the study, which had a single chair; on the wall away from the door were bookshelves that went from the floor to the ceiling. The other walls had pictures on them, and in one corner stood a small fake plant. The little colt was blue with a light blonde mane. He had a nasty cut on his forehead that was bleeding freely where the broken glass had hit him. The little filly was pink, a darker pink than Pibs herself, and she also had the same light blonde mane as her brother. She held on to him tightly. “Okay,” Pibs said. “I have to search the rest of the house. I need you two to stay here.” The colt nodded, but the filly just continued to silently sob. It was enough to break Pibs’ heart, but she had to make certain that they were all safe for now. She quietly left the study, returning to the darkness of the house. As she moved down the stairs, they creaked under her weight. The scent of fresh baked bread filled the air. Pibs’ mouth was dry, but her eyes and ears were sharp. If anything had moved in the darkness, she would have detected it. The only thing she could hear was snarling of timberwolves outside the house. She padded to the door; whoever lived here had been thoughtful enough to lock up everything before they left. Pibs took the extra precaution of securing the entrance by dragging a sofa in front of the closed door, a difficult task with one broken leg, but she managed. Moving into the kitchen, she discovered that there was indeed fresh bread. It was still a little warm inside, so whoever lived here must have only fled in the last hour. She took the bread and some water without hesitation. Returning to the second floor, she found some clean towels in the bathroom before returning to the study. The foals gasped when she returned, but they seemed relieved to see her. “I found some bread. Are you hungry?” she asked. “You shouldn’t take things that don’t belong to you,” the filly said. “I know,” Pibs replied. This was hardly the time to worry about such things, as their survival probably depended on using anything they could find. However, Pibs herself felt a little guilty about it. “We need these things if we’re going to make it to the castle,” Pibs said. “I’ll tell you what. We’ll leave a note so when the owners come back, they’ll know it was us and we can repay them.” The filly seemed pleased by that and took a piece of the bread that Pibs offered to her. “I don’t like the crust,” she said with a frown. “Don’t eat it,” Pibs answered, turning her attention to Shrub Keeper. “Hold still.” She used the water and towels to clean him up. This process involved no small amount of squirming and squealing from the little colt. With a broken fore-leg, making a bandage proved rather difficult. After a half hour of struggling with it, Pibs managed to get the wound wrapped enough to stanch the bleeding. Once that was taken care of, Pibs sat down and took a drink of water. It tasted much sweeter than her canteen usually did, a welcome surprise. The bread was also incredibly satisfying; there is nothing quite like the delicious fluffiness of freshly baked bread. “Can either of you write?” Pibs asked. “I can!” Shrub Keeper volunteered proudly. “I know all the letters.” “I want to!” the filly chimed in, seeming less worried than before. “You can’t,” her brother frowned at her. “You don’t know how.” She pushed him, tears forming in her eyes. “Hey,” Pibs said. “You can both write.” Searching the desk, she found some paper and quills, but only a single inkwell. “You have to share the ink,” she said, eyeing them. “We need to write a note and tell the ponies that live here that we used some of their things, and that we’ll repay them.” The foals went eagerly to work, the colt was writing, and his sister was happily scribbling on her page. Some of the shapes she drew were attempts at letters, but there were also some crude pictures forming as well. With the foals distracted, Pibs slipped out and went downstairs to a window that faced the castle. The shield was still holding. That was great news for everypony inside, but it might be the thing that gets her and the foals killed. She shuddered at the thought. The ground between the house and the castle was completely covered with timberwolves. They were constantly cramming closer to the castle. The shield flickered as they impacted into it, though it showed no signs of failing. The next problem: how to get herself and two fillies to the castle if the shield failed. In her present state, Pibs couldn’t just pick them up and go, but that is precisely what she needed to do. They didn’t have harnesses. Perhaps they could jump on her back and hang on. Pibs felt herself frown; if they fell off, she’d never forgive herself. She left the window and went to one of the bedrooms. Stripping the bed, she took one of the large sheets. If she wrapped the little ones in it, maybe she could carry them that way. She returned to find them still working with quill and ink. “I did it!” the colt proclaimed. Pibs took the note and read it. The writing was as rudimentary as one would expect from such a little pony: ‘To the owner of this hows. Thank you for the stuff we use. We ate bread. We needed towels. We ar sorree that we took them without asking. We will get new stuff for you.’ Pibs smiled and took the quill in her mouth. She added her name to the bottom so whoever found the note would know how to find her. “Read mine!” the filly said, waving the paper at Pibs. There wasn’t anything legible enough to read on it. Perhaps it made some kind of sense to the child, but Pibs couldn’t get anything out of it. “That’s perfect,” she said as she placed the papers together on the desk. By the dim light from the lantern Pibs opened up the sheet she had brought and worked it into a shape that could carry the foals. Then, for practice, she had them jump inside. She bundled it up, throwing the ends over her and grabbing hold with her good fore leg. The first attempt was almost laughable. They didn’t even get off the ground before the little ones tumbled out onto the floor. They giggled, which lightened Pibs’ spirits a little. Her broken leg was throbbing with a stabbing pain now in addition to the dull ache that consistently burned. By the fourth attempt, she had figured out how to keep it all wrapped up and fly with the foals inside. Half the night must have already been spent, but another check revealed that the protective shield guarding the castle was still holding. Pibs made a little bed in the study with the other sheets and blankets from the bedrooms and left the little ones when they fell asleep. This wasn’t exactly intended, but they were also exhausted from the day. With everything well in hoof, Pibs returned to her position at the window at waited. The timberwolves were so thick outside that the stench of them had penetrated the house. Their foul fume overpowered any other scent that might have been in the air. It was a lonely vigil, staring out at the shielded castle and hoping that she’d be able to get there, to safety. It was only fifty yards or so, but there were so many timberwolves that she could have walked there without touching the ground. Pibs waited, but she was completely drained from the day. Unable to fight it off, she succumbed to a state where she could still see the shield and the timberwolves outside, but she was not aware of any of it. Her eyes were open only through force of will. She was in a light sleep-like state in a matter of minutes, filling her semiconscious thoughts with sweet imaginings of Lighthoof. ... Sparklefly awakened to a tearing shattering sound that split the night. She leapt to her hooves to see the shield was disintegrating under a glow of green magic. It split like fracturing glass under the pressure. She could just make out changelings on the rooftops of nearby houses against the early morning sky. Scootaloo scrambled to a standing position. Blasts of purple and blue magic began flowing freely from the castle tower, ripping through the shield, punching holes in it. The shots were well aimed, impacting all around the changelings, killing several of them. The sky was lit with purple and green bolts, a heavy exchange of fire. The shield collapsed, and Sparklefly could hear Brax shouting at everypony to prepare for contact. The timberwolves slammed though the failing barrier, running directly into the barricade. They came from all sides simultaneously ramming the defenses, breaking them down in several points. The ponies fought to keep them out, kicking and crushing their assailants as they tried to gain entry. It was a complete melee. ... Pibs was awakened by the noise. Her confusion only lasted a moment before she found the window and saw the shield collapsing and the ensuing magical firefight. With not a moment to lose she leapt from her chair. Accidentally putting weight on her broken leg, the pain that shot through her body reduced her to a crumpled heap on the floor as she crashed into furniture. Cold sweat poured from her forehead, and her body went numb as an icy shiver worked through her. Feeling was beginning to return as she forced herself off of the ground, taking care to not make the same mistake again. She banged her shoulder into a chair, regained her balance and worked her way back up the stairs and into the study where the foals still slept. “Up, up!” Pibs shouted. “It’s time to go!” Both of the little ones seemed confused, but Pibs managed to get them into the makeshift carrying sheet and wrapped them up as they had practiced. She pulled it over her shoulder and held it in place. It was then that she realized the error in her plan. The only way to get out would be the front door. She quickly negotiated the hallway and flew over the railing and down to the first floor. With effort, she pushed the sofa from in front of the door and unlocked it as quietly as possible. She took a breath, steeling her courage and opened the door. The timberwolves had their backs to her, a complete stroke of luck. With determined flapping of wings, Pibs shot out, accelerating like a rocket and gaining a little altitude. The only thing that saved her was the fact that none of the enemy had been aware of her presence, a truth that wasn’t wasted on her. She bolted through the night, wind in her face as she sped toward the castle. Several rooftops and the castle tower had caught fire, and the barrage of lethal magic that shot back and forth showed no signs of abating. The makeshift barricades were completely surrounded, practically overrun by enemies trying to claw their way inside. Pibs dropped lower, aiming straight for the open great doors. She went through them with far too much speed. With no way to stop, she did a half turn, slamming into the staircase back first. The last thing she heard before passing out was the filly screaming and a great deal of shouting. ... Sparklefly and Scootaloo fought viciously, side by side, the roar of battle all around. The stench of timberwolves, sweat, and death choked the air. Somewhere on the other side of the barricade from them, Sparklefly heard a massive explosion that rocked the earth beneath her hooves. She turned to see part of the barricade had been destroyed, pieces of it ripping through ponies and the air. No fewer than thirty EUP soldiers fell dead where they had stood defending the wall. Shards of exploded timberwolves also filled the air. The unicorns redirected their fire to the breach, taking out the changelings and trying to keep the hole blocked, but it was too big. Within seconds savage beasts were flooding inside the perimeter. "Fall back! All personnel, fall back!” Brax began shouting madly. "Fall back to the castle!" He then charged alone headlong into the gap, pummeling timberwolves on his way. Scootaloo shouted, “Everypony fall back to the castle!" And so they all left the line. The timberwolves poured over in hot pursuit. Once the enemy had gained the barricades, it was a slaughter. The changelings sprayed lethal bolts of magic from all sides, raining death down on the retreating ponies and the attacking timberwolves alike. Sharp hot pain ripped through Sparklefly as she took a hit to the flank and fell to the ground, the taste of earth and blood in her mouth. Scootaloo, bleeding from a neck wound, helped her up. Together they followed the retreating group toward the great castle door. Many of them were cut down before they made it. Scootaloo took a hit to her side and went down, taking Sparklefly with her. Sparklefly heard something pop. They were surrounded by chaos and death. The air buzzed with lethal magic and shrapnel flying in every direction. Something bounced harmlessly off of Sparklefly's helmet. She pushed Scootaloo forward, and regaining their hooves, they made a final mad dash for the relative safety of the castle. Brax was right behind them, and they all got in together. The lieutenant wasted no time in slamming the large wooden door behind them. He was bleeding from several injuries, not the least of which was in his head. Blood covered half of his face, making for a grotesque visage. "Get the unicorns to put another shield up!" he ordered as they put the heavy cross-beam in place to seal the entrance. "Secure all windows! I want to know if anything even thinks about trying to get in here." Sparklefly took a small drink from her canteen, which had been refilled when the medics came around. Scootaloo inspected her latest injury. "How bad is it?" Sparklefly asked. “Barely a scratch,” Scootaloo said. "What about mine?" Sparklefly looked at Scootaloo's side, and a large wooden projectile was sticking out. It must have been part of a timberwolf that had exploded from a direct hit of changeling magic. The shard had penetrated her armor, burying itself in her side. "You'll live," she tried to sound unconcerned. She also noticed that Scootaloo was holding up her right fore-hoof. "Did you hurt your leg?" "I must have. I felt a snap, and now it hurts,” Scootaloo admitted uncertainly. The inside of the castle was crowded with the citizens of Ponyville. Their eyes were wide with fear. The defenders didn't look much better. There wasn't a single one who wasn't injured in multiple places. Their numbers had been reduced to a total fighting strength of only forty-seven, twenty-three of which were Lightning Dashers. "Hey you two, let me take a look at those wounds," one of the Lightning Dashers said. It was the one that Sparklefly had nicknamed. "Thanks, LD" she said to him. "LD?" Scootaloo asked. LD replied, "Yeah, she felt the need to give me a nickname. I think all of the rest of us are jealous." One of the other Lightning Dashers snorted at him. They sat quietly while he tended to their wounds. He was wearing a few extra bandages himself. They could hear the timberwolves outside, testing the perimeter. There were also occasional blasts from the tower. The unicorns and the changelings were still exchanging sporadic fire. Sparklefly dryly said, "Those reinforcements need to hurry up and get here. I'm tired of hogging all the fun." LD chuckled at this. Scootaloo did not. The stallion stood and walked away without another word. “Ow, be careful!” a familiar voice said. Sparklefly turned to see Pibs on the stairs. She was being lifted by one of the Lightning Dashers. They opened the blanket she was wearing to find two little foals inside. “Pibs!” Scootaloo yelled. Pibs looked up, gave a weak smile and waved her good hoof. She was carried down to them. The little ones followed her. “I know you always wanted a family, but where’d you find kids in the last few hours?” Sparklefly asked lightly. “They were at the school,” Pibs said. “South side of town. They didn’t know where their parents were, so I brought them here when the shield collapsed.” “Wait a sec,” Scootaloo said, “you mean you were out there this whole time?” Pibs looked a little sheepish, “Yeah, we were stuck when the barrier went up.” Sparklefly threw a salute, “I am amazed. You are made of sterner stuff than I thought you were.” Pibs blushed, “I’m just glad you guys are okay. Sparklefly, you’re bleeding!” Taking a look at her flank, which was bleeding, she shrugged, “It’s a small matter; I’ll live.” Lightning Dasher said, “I’ll see if I can find the parents of these little ones.” “Thanks,” Pibs said. “Go with him.” The little colt and filly nodded warily before following Lightning Dasher. LD returned with a fair amount of fresh bandages and antiseptic ointment. "This is bothering me, so I have to ask," Scootaloo started, "LD are you the original Lightning Dasher, or are you one of the duplicates?" "Yeah, I'm the real one. Well, I think I am," he suddenly looked very uneasy. "Honestly, I'm not sure. If we survive this I don’t know how my next family reunion is going to go.” “What do you mean?” Pibs asked. “Well, I can’t just go home and say, ‘Hi mom, there's more of me now.’” The four of them shared an awkward moment, but they were interrupted by shouting. "Scootaloo? Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom was running through the crowded castle. Looking right at Scootaloo, she didn't recognize her at first. "Right here, Apple Bloom," Scootaloo said waving her hurt hoof. Apple Bloom stopped dead in her tracks, "You look awful!" she exclaimed. "Yeah? Well it turns out that this hero stuff is a lot harder than anypony told me in the brochure,” she said sarcastically. “Maybe you should get a refund,” Sparklefly quipped. Apple Bloom ran up and gave Scootaloo a hug. Sparklefly saw her wince in pain. Apple Bloom had apparently nudged that right fore-hoof, but then she let go. Apple Bloom said, "I kept hearing horrible things. They said everypony defending outside was dead." LD snorted, "Not hardly. There's enough of us left to keep those timberwolves out, don't you worry about it." He put a hoof under her chin. Apple Bloom said, "Don't be a pig," slapping his hoof away. Sparklefly was sure she caught a dejected look from several of the Lightning Dashers, LD included. Scootaloo asked, "How's the rest of the family? Are they alright?" "Yeah," Apple Bloom answered. "We've been down in the dungeon this whole time. My sister seems okay, and Pinkie Pie keeps singing and dancing to keep everypony cheerful, but I don't know how long she can keep it up. Did y'all hear anything from Fluttershy? Big McIntosh and I tried to go get her when all of this started, but we couldn't get through." Scootaloo answered, "Her house was overrun by the time we got back from the forest.” Apple Bloom looked nervous, “I hope she’s okay.” LD said to Scootaloo, "This is going to hurt a bit." Before she could ask what, he pulled the shrapnel from her side. Scootaloo gritted her teeth and stamped her hind hooves on the floor. Then LD got it bandaged beneath the armor to stop the free-flowing blood. Apple Bloom asked, "Where's Cloud Blazer?" "He's not here," Sparklefly said, totally unaware of Scootaloo's previous deception. "What do you mean he's not here?" Apple Bloom was suddenly very alarmed. "Scootaloo said he came here with y'all!" Scootaloo tried to speak carefully, "Apple Bloom..." On the verge of tears, Apple Bloom asked, "Is he dead?" "No," Sparklefly answered immediately. "He’s with Zecora." "But why?" Apple Bloom asked, fear written across her face. Scootaloo somberly forced the words out, "We got into a nasty fight yesterday. Nitro was a changeling, and he led us into an ambush. Regal Masquerade and Nimba were killed, and Twilight was captured by the timberwolves. During our escape, we had to jump into the Ghastly Gorge and fly away. The timberwolves were so thick we couldn't get off the ground anywhere else. When we all jumped, one of the timberwolves caught Cloud Blazer, and he fell to the bottom.” Apple Bloom was restraining from crying, "How bad is it?" LD shrugged with his answer, "I don't know. It's bad. In all honesty, I was surprised the fall didn't kill him." Pibs continued the story, "That's when your friend showed up. Sweetie Belle, wasn't it?" "You saw Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom’s concern was tempered with excitement at this. "Yes," Scootaloo answered. "She used her magic to move Cloud Blazer to take him to Zecora. They went to work on him immediately with some of her potions.” "This doesn't look good," LD said when he got to Scootaloo's right fore ankle. It had already swollen up much larger than the other one. "Does this hurt?" he asked, gently applying pressure. "Ouch!" Scootaloo cried, smacking his helmeted head with her other hoof. "Of course that hurts, you chowder head!" "Relax, you big baby," he said nonchalantly. "It's just a sprain. I'll have to see if there's any ice. You need to stay off of it for a few days." "Yeah, I'll get right on that," she quipped. “Chowder head?” LD asked. “Just get the ice,” Scootaloo growled at him as he walked away. "So, how did you get the princess back, and how come there are so many of… of him?" Apple Bloom asked pointing at LD. Sparklefly answered, "We went back to rescue Twilight, and we were captured by changelings. There is an old magic deep in the forest called the mirror pond." "Pinkie Pie," Apple Bloom said, realizing what must have happened. "Yes," Sparklefly acknowledged. "We managed to get free, thanks to some handy lock-picking skills by this one," she gestured at one of the Lightning Dashers as he took a bow. "Then we made for the pond, but Lightning Dasher was the only one that made it. Somewhere over a thousand duplicates later, we were able to kill most of the changelings and get back here." “Pibs and I brought a pair of ursas to cause a distraction,” Scootaloo said proudly. “We were pretty awesome.” Pibs shuddered, smiling nervously. Sparklefly continued, "Yes, you were pretty awesome. That's also where we found several prisoners, including one called Silver Spoon." With an understanding look at Scootaloo, Apple Bloom said, "So that's why you killed her earlier." "Yeah, that one was a changeling; probably the one that took the Ponyville shield down in the first place," Scootaloo said. LD had returned with ice for Scootaloo, and now he began dealing with Sparklefly's injuries. He started with the burn on her flank. A stinging pain shot through her as he applied antiseptic on the area. The relief afterward was nice. He got it bandaged, and then started with the ointment in the smaller wounds that burned with each use. Scootaloo asked, "Why didn't Discord do more to help with the timberwolves?" Apple Bloom pawed the ground and said, “Nopony has been able to find him since any of this started. When the shield first collapsed, some of the towns folk blamed Discord. I heard that he got kind of mad and said that if after all this time the good folk of Ponyville still didn't trust him, he'd just stick with his friends. After he'd said that the rest of us were on our own. At least, that's what Applejack told me that Snips told her. Snips heard it from Ditzy Doo-" "I get the idea," Scootaloo replied. “Wherever he is, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind when he gets back.” LD finally got to Sparklefly's wing. "Can you spread your wings for me?" Sparklefly slowly stretched her wings out as far as she could but was only able to get them out a little less than half way. It felt like stabbing fire was shooting through her, and she began to sweat. She could feel bolts of pain shocking her all over as LD gently touched a few places near a swollen joint. She focused on her breathing to put her mind elsewhere. "That's enough, thanks," LD said. Sparklefly let her wings rest, feeling a great amount of relief. Her breathing was heavy from the effort. She wiped the sweat from her face. “They’ve been getting gradually more stiff since our little fight with Drob. Then I got slammed into a tree.” LD said, "The good news is they're not broken. You've got a bruise on one, and the other looks like a sprain." LD also had several small cuts and a few gashes that Sparklefly noticed. He removed the bandage from her left eye. She could tell by his expression that it was not good. She couldn’t see anything out of that side. He shook his head at her. "This isn't going to heal. I'm sorry, Sparklefly; you're blind in your left eye." Sparklefly could only think of Regal Masquerade and Nimba. She said, "It's a small price considering..." LD finished his treating of Sparklefly, giving her a fresh bandage on her eye. "We're a mess," Sparklefly said to the others. Scootaloo snorted at her; Pibs groaned. Apple Bloom said, "I'm just glad y’all made it." The timberwolves pounded on the door, startling everypony nearby. Many of the soldiers sprang into combat stance, ready for action. It was then quiet. Sparklefly rubbed the new bandage on her left eye and said, "I'm not sure any of us have made it yet."