//------------------------------// // 12 Fallout // Story: The Last Cutie Mark Crusader // by Jatheus //------------------------------// Flying above Ponyville was always the best. It was a beautiful morning, with the most vibrant golden and red hues in the dawn horizon. There was a crisp chill to the air that was almost cool enough to bite at ears and noses, but not quite. The smells of dew and grass mingled with the unmistakeable scent of the cooking of breakfasts from homes all across town. Cloud Blazer and Scootaloo glided, the cold air pushing them upward and playing through his mane as they circled the sprawling town. They had been flying since before daybreak, the blackness of which had only been betrayed by the stars shining above and the moon on the horizon. He was completely content to fly around with her forever. It was the beginning of a perfect day. "What about over there?" the stallion asked the mare, pointing to a hilly piece of land west of the city. "Just there on the other side of Sweet Apple Acres?" she asked. "Yes. I think that would be a perfect spot. Just out of town, but close enough to friends." "Yeah," she replied, the wind tossing her mane as they flew. "That would be a great spot for a house." “Come on, you lovebirds,” Pibs teased. “And I thought I had it bad.” “You said it, Pibs,” Nimba called back. The rest of the squad let out giggles. “That enough,” Princess Twilight sang back playfully, smiling at them. And so the nine of them flew over Sweet Apple Acres, heading toward the spot that Cloud Blazer and Scootaloo had picked for the house: their house. The very thought of it filled Cloud Blazer to bursting with a joy and contentment he had never experienced. Everything seemed focused and right with the world. "What's that?" Regal Masquerade asked. "What?" Scootaloo said. "That!" Sparklefly pointed, becoming alarmed. There was a darkness or cloudy void that was sucking in all the light and cheerfulness around it. The grass, the trees, the animals, nothing was able to stay out. It grew larger, and the wind began pushing the squad toward it. As they drew closer a roar grew louder, like a train or the rushing of a mighty waterfall as it devoured everything. "We have to get out of here!” Lightning Dasher yelled. “Go!” Princess Twilight shouted. They turned to fly away, but Cloud Blazer felt caught. He couldn't gain any speed. He turned to look back as the others sped away, and a timberwolf had grabbed his back right hoof. He tried to shake it off, but it was too heavy. He was falling into the void. He beat his wings harder and harder, trying to at least make a powered landing so he could remove his assailant. He hit the ground hard, a shock shooting through his bones. He was sliding still toward his demise. He shook off the timberwolf and began pushing against the unseen force with all of his strength, but to no avail. His squad also wasn’t safe; Nitro turned on them, breaking their formation and they were pulled in. Seeing them go made surviving seem hopeless. Cloud Blazer let go and was sucked into the blackness; the world went gray and streaked passed as everything was consumed by the dark. Pain shot through Cloud Blazer from his right hind leg, and then it echoed everywhere throughout his body. He realized now that he had been dreaming. He could hear muffled voices. He slowly became aware that his muscles were all tensed and he was being held down. Relaxing, he lay flat, and the pressure from those holding him gradually eased. Stabbing pain was still rippling through him, and his breath was heavy, like lead weights were on his chest, which served to make arduous even that simple task of drawing air. He tried to open his eyes. It was dimly lit wherever he was, but not too dark to see. Everything was incredibly blurry. His vision pulsed bright and dark with the sensation of pain that went through him. Something smelled horrible; something else tasted worse. He didn't know what either could be, but the odor was pungently foul. He tried listening, but there wasn't anything at first. After a minute, he became aware of a fire crackling, but it sounded far away or muffled somehow. Unable to move his head, he looked around for it, his eyes darting about to search the room, but the stallion couldn't quite make out where it might be. There was a bright orange blob over to one side, but he couldn't tell if it was flickering or not. As he looked for the fire, something, rather someone approached. Cloud Blazer blinked his eyes, trying to make them focus, but it was no use. He felt whoever it was touch him, and then they began very softly stroking his mane. It was a nice feeling, especially juxtaposed against the pain. Then a voice came from her, speaking softly, but he couldn't make out who it was or what she said. He was mistaken, and realized only moments later that it wasn’t speaking he had heard; she was singing softly. Cloud Blazer sighed with relief; he now knew that he was not alone. ... Scootaloo sat motionless in a kind of listless stupor. Exhausted and out of breath, the battle had left her drained of everything. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth as she forced herself to keep breathing. The ringing in her ears was still loud, but she was beginning to hear more than that. Loud noises would register, though they sounded far away. It was similar to having cotton stuffed in her ears. Her eyes were still functioning perfectly, the grit from the explosion having worked itself out. What they beheld only served to continue crushing her spirit. Pibs’ lifeless body lay still, exactly where she’d been left almost an hour before. Scootaloo hadn’t been there when she’d stopped breathing. When Radiant Pyre had run up the hallway, the few of them that were left had barricaded the opening to stop the timberwolves. Scootaloo was so busy helping with their failing efforts to defend the castle that she hadn’t had time to stay with her friend. Then the reinforcements had arrived and it was over. By then, Pibs was already dead. Scootaloo felt herself sigh. There were no tears; she was far too dehydrated for that. As she stared at the body, Scootaloo became aware that Pibs’ fore-leg, the one that wasn’t broken, seemed to be clutching at one of the pockets in her harness. Scootaloo’s tired muscles pushed her over to the remains of her friend, and she moved her hoof to search the pocket. The only thing inside was a small folded napkin. Scootaloo opened it up, and had she the ability, she would have begun crying. The napkin contained, now pressed flat, the little purple flower that Pibs had found in the forest. It was the one she had picked to send to Lighthoof with her next letter, a letter she would never write. The weight of sorrow piled heavily upon the young mare as she folded the flower back into the napkin and put it into her own pocket. Something else was kindled inside as well: rage. Pibs hadn’t deserved to die like that, none of them did. Scootaloo hated the timberwolves, and she was beginning to hate the changelings too. Conviction began to burn deep in her heart, and she set her resolve on course. She would do whatever it took to stop more of her friends from dying. The sergeant removed one of the dog tags from Pibs’ neck. It occurred to her that she hadn’t retrieved one from Nimba. In all of the chaos of the fight in the forest, there just hadn’t been time. She knew that it was something she was supposed to do, but somehow, it just didn’t seem to matter. “Sergeant,” LD’s muffled voice came through the ringing as he spoke loudly. Scootaloo looked up at him. He was offering a cup of water. The mare took it greedily and drank it down. It was warm, but it was clean and refreshing. She thanked him, but the words only felt like strange vibrations to Scootaloo. He spoke again at the same volume, “They’ve started letting ponies out one at a time. Should we go?” Scootaloo shook her head and said, “There’s no rush.” She sat back down, staring at the cold body of her friend, wishing that she could have done something to save her. Had she only arrived two minutes before, they may have not even been there when it happened. Scootaloo felt her shoulders slump, the futility of her wish weighing her down. She buried the rage and hatred within, knowing that she would need it the next time she faced the enemy. ... Sparklefly had arrived at the shattered remains of the main gate of the castle. The reinforcements that came to rescue them had immediately taken command of the exit and kept everypony sequestered inside. After making initial contact, they brought in water and a little food, but hadn’t let anypony leave for nearly an hour after they had secured the town. Once they got their unicorns in position and removed the bodies from the foyer, they started allowing the citizens to exit one at a time, after subjecting themselves to a scan to detect changelings. One of Brax’s soldiers had been kind enough to bring her a cup of water while she waited. The despair was somewhat lifted from the ponies that had been trapped inside the castle, but their expressions still bore no small amount of concern to say the least. Lightning Dasher Number Seven had also informed her that Scootaloo and Radiant Pyre had survived and also of Pibs’ death. This didn’t come as a surprise, but she was saddened by the loss. Of the nine of them that went into that forest, one was injured so badly that he may not survive, three were confirmed dead, and another was missing in action. They had certainly had a rough week. Sparklefly’s turn to exit finally came, and the unicorn at the gate pointed where she was to stand. She complied. Standing still, she became showered in magic that burned. It felt as if her skin were on fire for a moment, a most unpleasant sensation, but it passed quickly. “You’re free to go; next,” the unicorn said emotionlessly. The acting sergeant walked out into the sunlight. It was bright, but the air, even filled with the putrid stench of timberwolves and death, was cooler than inside the stuffy castle. “Corporal Sparklefly!” Princess Twilight’s familiar voice called to her. She turned and saw the alicorn nearby, surrounded by guards. Her brother, Prince Shining Armor, was with her. There was a sadness in her eyes. Sparklefly approached slowly. The town was buzzing with activity. Soldiers were beginning to clear the carcasses of the timberwolves and changelings that were strewn about everywhere. There wasn’t a direction she could look that was not littered with remains from the battle. The guards watched her sternly as she passed them to approach the princess. “Your majesty,” Sparklefly said with a bow. “Welcome back.” “Thank you,” Twilight said, her tone echoing the look in her eyes. “There is to be a debriefing in ten minutes. I’ve already got Lieutenant Brax ready, but we need to get Sergeant Scootaloo to report on the squad’s actions.” “I’m afraid she may not be up to it, ma’am,” Sparklefly replied hesitantly. “She was in an explosion in that last attack and she can’t hear very well right now.” “I see,” Twilight seemed even more somber at the news. She took a breath, “In that case, it falls to you.” All Sparklefly wanted was rest, but force of will drove her forward. “Yes ma’am,” she replied. “Are you alright?” “Just tired,” she answered. “It’s a small matter; I’ll be fine to give the report.” Prince Shining Armor’s stern expression became a little lighter with a smile, “Don’t worry, by all accounts, your entire squad did a fantastic job, especially for your first time out. I’ll see to it that you get some leave.” A little leave would be quite welcome, and Shining Armor, as Field Marshall of Princess Celestia’s armies, certainly had the authority to make it happen. Sparklefly followed as the pair turned and walked toward city hall, their guards staying close. A path had already been cleared, and many of the streets were becoming passable again. All things considered, the town had suffered only minor damage. The buildings themselves were mostly intact, save for a few places where concussion magic had punched holes in rooftops. There were many shattered windows, and lower to the ground, anything that had a corner had been chewed. Sparklefly climbed the small set of steps that led onto the porch and then walked into the town hall. The room was filled with generals and commanders, not to mention every prince and princess in Equestria. They were all around the sides, facing the center of the room. The princesses sat around the innermost circle. They were all here, even Prince Blueblood, a distant cousin of Cadence and somehow removed nephew of Celestia, and Princess Flurry Heart, the adolescent daughter of Cadence and Shining Armor. Discord was hovering above the meeting with a fiendish grin on his face. “Welcome, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Luna said. “Now that thou art here, we shall begin.” The doors closed behind the trio and they approached the center of the room. Mayor Diamond Tiara somehow had managed a front row seat. Sparklefly couldn’t help but sigh at the sight of her. Princess Celestia stepped into the space at the center and spoke, “Through the efforts of our combined strength, Ponyville has been saved. I want to thank each and every one of you for your stalwart efforts to ensure that we did not lose yet another city to the ravenous appetite of the timberwolves. This is our first great victory in what has become an all-out war for our very survival. Some of you are already aware of the full truth of the matter, but it is now time that everypony knows the extent of the great threat that has really been attacking Equestria.” She paused for a moment before turning to Twilight and nodding. Celestia left the center, and Twilight took her place before speaking, “We had come to suspect that the timberwolves had been replicating themselves somehow in a magic pond that lies deep in the Everfree Forest. Almost a week ago, I led a secret mission into the forest to determine whether this was the case. We had nearly arrived at the mirror pool when we were ambushed. It was a coordinated attack to stop us. During the battle, I discovered that one the members of my squad had been replaced by a changeling.” Whispers and gasps rippled throughout the room at her final statement. The princess waited for them to quiet down. “I was captured by the changelings, and I would not be standing here today if it had not been for the members of my squad. The four of them that managed to survive the ambush mounted a rescue, and we escaped only to find Ponyville under heavy attack. It was decided that I should go for help. I’ll leave the details of my squad’s involvement to Corporal Sparklefly.” Sparklefly took a breath as the princess motioned for her to come into the middle of the room. She did so, her legs feeling shaky. Then all eyes were on her. The bandage on her eye began itching, but she refrained from scratching it. Her mouth felt so dry. The nervous pegasus took another breath before she began to speak. “After Princess Twilight was taken by the changelings, teleported away by their magic, we were forced to retreat. By the time we made it out of the forest, two members of our squad were dead, one was discovered as a traitor, and another had been critically injured. We left him in the care of a zebra and a citizen of Ponyville that are living in the wild.” Sparklefly knew that it was safe to speak freely, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was better to not give too much information on some points. She continued, “Using a magic potion that rendered the four of us invisible, Lighting Dasher and myself continued scouting to find the mirror pool, and hopefully Princess Twilight, while Pibs and Sergeant Scootaloo returned to an ursa major cave that we had previously discovered. Both myself and Lightning Dasher were captured by the changelings, and it was then that we discovered how many prisoners they had already taken. One of them was the mayor’s aide, Silver Spoon. Sergeant Scootaloo and Pibs...” she trailed off. Sparklefly’s heart was pounding, and she found herself fidgeting uncontrollably. She took another deep breath, but now she was having a hard time thinking about anything but Pibs’ death. She could almost see her, laying on the floor. “They...” She tried to continue, but it was becoming difficult to concentrate. “We lost several good ponies that day, and in the days to come. Nitro was captured by the changelings while we were still cadets, just for being chosen for our squad. He may be still out there somewhere. It could have just as easily been me that was replaced. His sister, Nimba, was on our team as well. She was under the influence of his magic, and when we were attacked, she couldn’t even defend herself. Regal Masquerade continued fighting after having been shot and stabbed multiple times. Toward the end, he couldn’t even walk anymore, and Cloud Blazer dragged him through the forest, but he kept firing his weapon until they killed him. I have never seen a pony keep getting up after being hit that many times.” The room had grown completely silent. “Cloud Blazer may not recover from injuries he received to protect the rest of us. He brought up the rear in our escape, and he didn’t make the jump into Ghastly Gorge with the rest of us. And Pibs... Pibs was the bravest mare I have ever known.” Tears had begun running from Sparklefly’s eye and soaking the bandage. “She was so afraid from the moment we first came under attack until she was killed just over an hour ago. She continued pulling her own weight even after breaking a leg. Nearly a week, she lived in constant fear, but she never once let any of us down.” Sparklefly looked around the room, her vision blurry, but she read mostly compassion on the faces that returned her gaze, from the princesses on down the ranks. It was a kind of somber reverence that stared back at her; it was as if they understood. She cleared her throat, realizing that she was supposed to be reporting on their movements. It took a moment to remember where she had been. Sparklefly paused, shuddering as she remembered Drob and Ash Eater asking her questions in the dark. She decided to omit this and continued, “Sergeant Scootaloo and Pibs went into the ursa cave and brought a pair of ursas that created a distraction. Because of this, Lightning Dasher and I were able to get free. We thought that Princess Twilight was with us, but it turned out to be a changeling. While I fought them, Lightning Dasher made it to the mirror pool and copied himself enough times to wipe out all of the changelings and timberwolves in the area. Once that had been accomplished, we found the real Princess Twilight, and collapsed the entrance to the mirror pond before returning to Ponyville.” “Thank you,” Princess Twilight said, signaling that it was time for Sparklefly to leave the floor. She walked toward the Princess of Friendship, a little wobbly, and sat down beside her. Lieutenant Brax then marched to the center of the room. He started, “When the attack on Ponyville began, we had a little over eighty to defend the city. Our shield collapsed near sunset on that first day, and I immediately sent out scouts to request reinforcements. I had already been informed of the changelings in the Everfree Forest, but we didn’t know the extent of their involvement. It seemed reasonable to assume that the scouts had a chance of getting through. Once Princess Twilight and her squad returned, I came to suspect that all of my scouts had been intercepted. The attack was laid out deceptively. We set all of our defense toward the forest on the east side of town at the river, where they hit us initially. What we didn’t know, was that the changelings had been moving the timberwolves to surround us even before the shield went down. Acting Sergeant Sparklefly over there took it upon herself to deploy her force, now numbering in the hundreds due to the magic mirror pool, on the west side of town to keep us from getting outflanked. This bought us the time we needed to get the citizens into the castle. Once we were secure inside, we fended off several small attacks over the course of many days. They hadn’t actually breached the castle until this morning. During our siege, we sent out Princess Twilight for help, and our unicorns scanned everypony to make sure there were no changelings among us. As for our ability to hold the line as long as we did this morning, I again have to credit the foresight of Acting Sergeant Sparklefly, who began preparing our last barricade before the door even came down.” Sparklefly was certain that she felt herself blush as she ignored the urge to scratch at her eye bandage. She didn’t feel proud of herself or how she had expected it might feel to be considered as heroic by others. She mostly felt embarrassed. She did notice a peculiar look on Prince Shining Armor’s face that was echoed in his wife’s visage. Undoubtedly they would have strong feelings about changelings, considering their history with them. Princess Twilight again took the floor. “As you know, the last time the changelings came, they were a great threat to us all. The challenge ahead is even more dire than that attack. They have been infiltrating our ranks for at least a year, probably longer.” “I’m afraid that will have to wait,” Princess Celestia spoke as she stepped forward. Twilight returned to her seat as the supreme ruler of Equestria continued, “We have a much more pressing matter to discuss before we deal with the changelings: the destruction of the mirror pool.” “Oh, goodie!” Discord interrupted as he did a somersault. “I do love to make a little chaos now and then.” Celestia ignored his comment and added, “I’m afraid that for security purposes, I must now ask everypony under the rank of general to leave the room.” There was a small amount of commotion as they all began to go. Sparklefly also stood to leave. “I’ll fill you in on what I can later,” Princess Twilight said. “Would you do something for me?” “Anything,” Sparklefly replied. “Please go check on my friends and Sweet Apple Acres. I haven’t had an opportunity to see how the battle affected the orchard.” Sparklefly nodded and said, “I’ll check on all of your friends.” Twilight smiled warmly and replied, “Thank you.” Soon the acting sergeant was outside, and the door to city hall closed. Finding Scootaloo seemed the first order of business, as she was much more familiar with the princess and her friends than was Sparklefly. ... Scootaloo found herself in awe of how different Ponyville seemed. The cleaning up of the town was a massive undertaking, but the number of soldiers that had arrived were making fast work of it. They had set up a solid defensive perimeter all along the edge of the Everfree Forest, and now the CAP was a thousand strong at any given moment. Every one of the survivors, which was the entire population of Ponyville and seventeen soldiers, were magically scanned by a sadistic unicorn that seemed to enjoy making the procedure as painful as possible. Once they were allowed to move about freely, they all went to the river and drank their fill. Food was still a problem. They had run out. The soldiers shared their rations, but they hadn't brought enough supplies for the population. The first order of business after the timberwolves were cleaned up was the solemn task of burying the dead. Lieutenant Brax had organized a brief commemoration for those who had fallen. The grim truth was that there were very few bodies to bury. All who had died outside were never found, save for scraps of armor. The survivors were given the remainder of the day off to rest. Several were hospitalized. Of the enemy killed, there were nearly a hundred changelings, and an uncounted number of timberwolves. The one point of interest to Scootaloo was that there was no body matching the description of Ash Eater. There was a good chance that he had escaped yet again. Everything sounded to Scootaloo as if she were listening through a pane of glass, but that was a drastic improvement from just a few hours before; that nagging ringing persisted still. She walked on her three good legs beside LD and Sparklefly; a dry warm breeze was beginning to carry the stench of timberwolves and death away from town. The mist from the morning had completely evaporated, and now there was hardly a cloud in the sky. The Apple family was just ahead of them. As it came into view, Scootaloo's heart sank at the destruction that had been the Sweet Apple Acres orchard. The barn and the house were still standing, but the trees were in pathetic shape. The party had come to a halt as they gazed at the damage. Apple Bloom had started crying. Big McIntosh stared silently at the desolation that had been the fields he'd been working for his entire life. The trees that still stood had been stripped of their leaves, and many of their branches. Many more looked to have been uprooted or burned, hit hard with unicorn magic during the battle. "Now, now, sugar cube," Applejack said, pulling Apple Bloom close. "The important thing is that we're all okay. We’ll replant all of it; every single last tree.” “But you heard what Doctor Horse said this morning,” Apple Bloom protested. “You’ll lose the baby if you keep on strainin’ yourself.” Scootaloo was concerned about that development. She’d heard how Applejack had helped build the final barricade and block it to keep the timberwolves out. That sort of stress can’t be good for a mare that is at least half-way into a pregnancy. “Quit your fussin’ now,” Applejack replied. “I won’t let anything bad happen to your nephew... or niece.” Scootaloo followed the Apple family as they approached the farm. Every passing step brought home a moroseness as it became even more clear what they had lost. Even the prized tree that grew the giant apples had been uprooted. Food was already scarce in Equestria, but now Ponyville would not be able to contribute. Things were only going to get worse. As they passed the barn, the cellar door lifted slightly with a squeaky hinge. It was the reaction of the others that first got Scootaloo's attention, as she didn't hear it. Sparklefly and LD bolted into position between the Apple family and the opening door, weapons raised. Scootaloo heard a muffled voice from inside. "EUP. I'm coming out," a stallion said. The door slowly opened, and a unicorn emerged. "Clyde!" Sparklefly practically shouted. The tan unicorn was looking a bit rough: his helmet was dented, he had a black eye, and he didn’t put any weight on his left hind leg. Scootaloo was wondering at his sudden arrival, uncertain whether he might be a changeling. She didn’t have to wait long to find out. Within moments, two squads of pegasi, each of which carrying a unicorn, landed and started shouting as they raised their crossbows. Clyde obeyed their instructions, laying down on his belly and putting his fore hooves over the back of his head. He lay there, making no movement as they disarmed him. “Scan him, corporal,” a sergeant said. Scootaloo waited, feeling much better now that the situation was under control. After each unicorn had used their magic on him, one of them said, “All clear.” “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, soldier,” the sergeant said. “You’ll need to report to your commanding officer. Return his weapons.” “Yes sir,” Clyde said dryly. He was clearly not pleased with the greeting he had received. That quickly, the CAP squads took back to the air and were gone. The entire affair couldn’t have lasted more than three minutes. Clyde seemed a little confused when he spoke, addressing Sparklefly, ”Were you able to hold this position? I thought you had retreated days ago.” “We thought you were dead!" LD exclaimed. “I saw you fall off of the roof.” Sparklefly added, "We did fall back, into the castle. How did you survive?" Clyde shook his head back at the cellar, "I hid from them. I was fighting on the roof, and it got really bad. There were so many timberwolves up there that I just couldn't hold them back. When they were almost on me, I slid down the back side of the barn, falling off to the ground. As I went over the edge, I saw a swarm of them down there. I fell right into them, which is how I twisted my ankle and got this," he gestured at his black eye and dented helmet. "At the last second, I teleported into the barn; I accidentally took two of them with me, but I made short work of them. After you all fell back, I picked my moment and made for the cellar. I've been down there ever since. Lucky for me it was stocked with dried apples and cider.” Looking at Applejack, he added, “I’m afraid I helped myself.” Applejack nodded, “Don’t you worry none about that; I'm just glad they went to good use."
 Scootaloo felt a little relieved to hear his story. It was nearly miraculous that he had survived the siege by himself. If only all of them could have been so lucky. ... Sparklefly assisted with distributing the remaining food stores of Sweet Apple Acres to the town. It was Applejack’s idea to make sure they got everypony fed, and between what was left in the cellar and the changeling ravaged stores in city hall, they managed to achieve this. However, the situation was becoming problematic. As long as they’d had crops in production, they were able to maintain the food supply, but now there were no more crops. It wasn’t just the orchard; all of the farmland in Ponyville had been trampled. Maybe a dozen apple trees had survived, but that wouldn't be nearly enough to feed Ponyville. The more Sparklefly considered this problem, the more hopeless the future was beginning to look for all of Equestria. Food had been becoming scarce already. The loss of Sweet Apple Acres was certain to be felt far and wide. Sparklefly was looking over the desolation on the farm as she thought about these things, occasionally rubbing the bandage on her left eye. It didn't hurt as much now, but it frequently itched. She would be glad when she wouldn't have to wear the bandages anymore. Having been practically raised on an apple orchard herself, Sparklefly knew just how much work it would be to put this one back together. Their own efforts in Apple Loosa were not quite so grand as this, but the kindred spirit she shared with the Apple Family made Sparklefly want to help. As she sat there, she heard the flapping of wings and a soft impact of hooves against the grass nearby. Turning her head, she saw Princess Twilight approaching. She quickly rose and bowed to her. “How was the meeting?” Sparklefly greeted her. There was more sadness in her eyes as she looked about the farm. Twilight said, ”You can relax. No need for formalities right now.” Sparklefly slouched into a more comfortable stance. “This is the worst of it. I’m technically on leave, but I did check on all of your friends with Scootaloo’s help.” “How is she?” the alicorn asked with concern. “She hears a loud ringing in her ears, but the doctors think it is only temporary. She can already understand speech again, but we sort of have to shout at her.” “I see,” the princess replied thoughtfully. “So, you were promoted to sergeant while I was away?” "Yes, ma'am, acting sergeant; Brax needed another officer." “Well, it turns out that it will be a permanent promotion; congratulations. What is the status of Twilight Brigade?" Sparklefly’s heart felt heavy as she recalled their losses, ”I think we can safely be considered a squad again. As far as I've seen, only two Lightning Dashers survived the fighting in Ponyville, but that doesn't count one that was injured very badly; he is not expected to make it. Another one suffered some injuries, but they are mostly minor. I sent Scootaloo to the infirmary. She hurt her leg, was hit in the side, and of course the hearing loss from the explosion that killed Pibs. We all have more cuts and bruises than I cared to count. I've somehow managed to sprain one wing, so I'm unable to fly for the time being. Also, LD tells me that my eye is a total loss.” "LD?" Twilight asked. "Yes ma'am; I had given that nickname to one of the Lightning Dashers, and he wasn’t at the gate when the timberwolves crashed through. He was on guard duty on the tower. Lightning Dasher Number Seven was with Scootaloo after that explosion. The others were all defending the door and held it until the rest retreated, but not a single one of them made it out." Princess Twilight let out a sigh that was filled with remorse, ”I’m sorry we took so long getting here. I couldn't let anypony leave Cloudsdale until we'd scanned them all." She paused. "We should have come sooner." Sparklefly wasn't sure what to say. “Well, we did save all of Ponyville." "Yes," Twilight said slowly. Looking around the remains of Sweet Apple Acres, she added gravely, "But the cost... it will only grow higher.” Sparklefly was concerned, "Are you alright, ma'am? Is there any way I can help you?" Smiling weakly, Twilight replied, "I'll be fine. For now, just rest." ... Scootaloo, in spite of her difficulties, heard rumors that were circulating about the entire royal family being in Ponyville. Not only the five that had been in Cloudsdale ever since the Canterlot had fallen, but Prince Shining Armor, he and Cadence’s daughter, Flurry Heart, and even Prince Blueblood had come. This would be the first time that all of them had been gathered in one place since the war began. Cadence had returned from her mission to the Griffins without success. She was unable to convince them to join the fight. Despite his track record for the past decade, Discord’s return was met with suspicion by the good citizens of Ponyville. Scootaloo, with no real basis, suspected that the nasty things she heard were coming from the mayor’s office. Unfortunately, there was no way to be sure. His disappearance hadn’t been a mystery, and by all accounts, he had helped with the battle to save them all. Scootaloo was annoyed by the ignorance that pervaded such rumors. One of the most interesting things that Scootaloo heard was that when Princess Twilight arrived in Cloudsdale, it was shortly after a changeling Twilight had left. Based on Sparklefly’s observations while in captivity, Scootaloo was certain that it had been Queen Chrysalis herself. The imposter had reported that there was nothing to be gained in the Everfree forest, that the timberwolves were breeding on their own, and that there was no magic to it at all. Upon her arrival, the real Princess Twilight immediately scanned the changeling squad that had remained in Cloudsdale and they were captured. Queen Chrysalis had already been gone nearly a full day before Twilight and Lightning Dust arrived, which made tracking her impossible. After that, they had to scan everypony in Cloudsdale. They didn't catch any more changelings, but several ponies disappeared rather suddenly and were not seen again. Among them, three of the EUP drill instructors that had been training new recruits. The need to ensure there were no changelings in their ranks was what slowed their efforts to mount a rescue for Ponyville. The medics were rather fussy with Scootaloo's injuries, which irritated her greatly. They kept talking in whispers, and her hearing difficulties made it impossible to listen to them when they did that. They did tell her that there was no major damage and that her hearing should recover in a few weeks. Apparently, LD was the only remaining member of Twilight Squad that was still fit for duty at the moment. Lightning Dasher Number Seven had fractured a leg. They gave Scootaloo fresh bandages and re-wrapped her sprained right fore ankle before letting her go. They didn’t have the bed space for injuries as “minor” as hers. Considering the sudden shortage of lodgings for the soldiers, Scootaloo was lucky. Applejack insisted that she, Sparklefly, and LD stay with them at Sweet Apple Acres, which is where she was now headed, hobbling on her three good legs. On the bright side, that would give her plenty to do in the medical leave she was bound to get. She would have to go check on Cloud Blazer as soon she got a chance. It was all she could do to not think about what might have happened to him after they left. Not surprisingly, she hadn’t heard anything. This left the mind to wander. Upon returning to the farm, the sergeant saw a single pony laying down in the middle of the orchard. Even across the distance, she recognized the silver pony with a blue mane. Scootaloo crossed the ground in just a few minutes to discover that it was indeed Sparklefly. She was sleeping in the early afternoon sunlight. Scootaloo decided not to wake her and turned to walk off. "You don't have to go," Sparklefly said loudly, without opening her eye. Stopping in her tracks, Scootaloo turned back and said, "I didn't want to disturb you. You look very peaceful there." "I've always been a light sleeper. How are you not exhausted?" Now that it was mentioned, Scootaloo was sleepy. A nice warm patch of grass in the sun sounded like a wonderful place for a nap, and the CAP flying overhead made it feel completely safe. “Mind if I join you?" "Please do," Sparklefly said with a yawn, her eye still closed. Scootaloo found a soft patch of grass nearby. There were very few that hadn't been completely trampled flat by the battle. This one wasn't under a tree and had been warmed by the sun all day. It was nice to have a friend close. Scootaloo had a fleeting thought that Pibs would love this before remembering that she was gone. The absence left a cold emptiness inside that even the grass and sun couldn't warm. Somewhere nearby, a bird sang its cheerful song, completely oblivious to the battle and suffering that had taken place. ... Hunger woke Sparklefly from a restful dream. There was still a little food in her pack, but she decided to save it for later. Instead, she took a mouthful of grass and chewed on that. The afternoon had become early evening, and Scootaloo was gone. The morsel she ingested helped cut the edge off of her hunger pain. She rubbed her bandaged eye and laid back down to try and sleep some more. To cease expending effort was rewarding, but her mind ran through the events of the past week. It had been filled with great hopes and folly. Scootaloo had made a good account of herself. She was shaping up to be a fine soldier. The loss of their comrades was still raw in Sparklefly’s soul. She didn’t try to bury her feelings this time. She had time to allow herself the luxury of letting them consume her for a while before she drifted off into slumber once more. ... Scootaloo was leading a regiment by air into the Ghastly Gorge to get Cloud Blazer, and the sun was already low on the horizon. It had been at least five days, and she was glad that she’d been given permission, not to mention a thousand ponies to retrieve him. Scootaloo pushed out of her mind any thoughts that he may not have survived. She couldn't think like that right now. Scootaloo led them around and down into the canyon. Cautiously avoiding the Moray Eel caves so as not to end up becoming dinner, the landing party set down not far from Zecora's home in the rock face. The stones and earth were still warm beneath her hooves. She put down the sprained one very lightly, but then decided against it, keeping it off the ground. All was quiet but for the river and the sound of pegasus wings flapping overhead, all muffled to her ears. LD, Radiant Pyre, and a few dozen others had landed with her, but the rest of them continued to circle above looking for any threats. Fifty or so of the pegasi patrolling above had unicorns with them, which would be invaluable if they ran into changelings. Radiant Pyre was walking beside Scootaloo and LD. Sweetie Belle's massive boulder still blocked the entrance to the cave, a promising sign. With a purple glow of magic, the unicorn stallion lifted the giant stone and set it aside as easily as though it were a pebble. "Sweetie Belle? Zecora?" Scootaloo called out. A banging was heard inside, and Sweetie Belle appeared presently. Deep lines marked her face as if she hadn’t slept for days on end and carried great worry. Her mane was rather unkempt and a smear of some kind of green paste streaked the side of her face from her cheek down onto her neck. "Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, her initial trepidation fading. She started to gallop forward, but stopped short when Radiant Pyre stepped in front of Scootaloo. "Halt!" he commanded her, giving Sweetie Belle pause. "Please stay still, ma'am." His purple magic lit up his horn, and then engulfed Sweetie Belle briefly. "What is this?" Sweetie Belle asked, wincing from the sting of his magic. "Procedure," he replied dryly. Zecora stepped slowly out of the cave and spoke as she walked, “Allow them to see who you are, young Sweetie Belle. In a moment, we will test their truth as well.” "They have to scan everypony for changelings," Scootaloo explained, unsure of exactly what Zecora meant. “Twilight taught him how.” Radiant Pyre then scanned the zebra with his magic. “They’re clean," he said, weariness in his voice. There was a moment of silence as they stood there in the heat. Zecora, wearing some of the same green paste on her face in a tribal pattern, approached slowly. She dipped her hoof in a small bowl that she had brought with her, and smeared the contents across Scootaloo’s forehead. “This salve is a zebra potion of truth,” Zecora’s heavily accented voice explained. “If you are a changeling, it provides the proof.” The zebra also applied the cold, thick solution to Radiant Pyre and LD before she stepped back and regarded them. Radiant Pyre grimaced at her. “Thanks,” LD said flippantly. Scootaloo’s heart was pounding in her chest as she began to ask, "Cloud Blazer..." but she couldn't finish. "He's alive," Sweetie Belle replied. Scootaloo nodded, trying to bury all of her emotions, which were truly a jumbled mess. The four of them went inside. When Scootaloo saw her injured friend lying on the table, she had to work even harder to suppress her feelings. They were much more focused on sadness now. If it were possible, the stallion looked even worse now than when they had left him here. He was swollen over much of his body, and the foul smelling remedies that Zecora had applied were all over him. His breathing sounded ragged, but it was strong as his chest slowly rose and fell. If she hadn’t known it was Cloud Blazer, Scootaloo wouldn’t have recognized the mangled lump of flesh that lay there. Radiant Pyre scanned him, causing a spasm through the disfigured pegasus, but after that was done he left them alone, returning outside. “We’ll go as soon as you are ready, but don’t take long,” he said as he exited. LD didn’t say a word; he had become completely stoic. "We've come to take all of you back to Ponyville," Scootaloo said, turning to Sweetie Belle. "We'll need everything,” Sweetie Belle replied, gesturing to the shelves in Zecora’s cave that were filled with flasks of various kinds of potions and ingredients. “He still needs the medicines.” Scootaloo nodded, ”We brought enough wing-power to move whatever you need." "All these things will be needed for sure, if young Cloud Blazer will have a cure," Zecora added. “But another thing I have for you, changelings can be revealed with this brew.” The zebra pointed at a small jar of green paste. “The same kind you used on me?” Scootaloo asked. Sweetie Belle nodded, “Zecora made it after you left. If you put it on a changeling, it will force them to return to their original form.” With the look of a sudden remembering, Sweetie Belle asked, “So you found Twilight?” Scootaloo smiled thinly, “We did, and she’s safe. I’ll tell you about it later, but we need to get back before dark.” The Pegasus ponies were expeditious to their work of carefully clearing Zecora's cave. Sweetie Belle put another immobilizing spell on Cloud Blazer, and they took him outside, harnessing him to LD. He was in much better shape than Scootaloo at this point, otherwise she'd have insisted on carrying him herself; as things were, she didn’t have the strength to argue about it. They took to the air, climbing up out of the Ghastly Gorge, and leaving it behind. The sun set as they left the canyon, and it was getting dark. The wind was cooling off, but the warmth of the day hadn't been completely stolen by the night yet. To Scootaloo, the air smelled clean somehow. It was an incredible relief to have Cloud Blazer back again. As they approached Ponyville, an intense light, brighter than the sun, lit up the entire countryside. Everypony that turned was nearly blinded by it. There was a violet tinted white flash first, and then a red glow coming from somewhere deep in the Everfree Forest. It got bigger and bigger like a giant fireball. Scootaloo noticed that the trees were bending from a wind that was blowing out from that point, and it came toward them fast. The shockwave rippled through the trees, and when it reached the regiment, a loud boom was heard; Scootaloo felt the vibration from it in her chest. It was not deafening, but for them to be as far away as they were, it was more than a little unsettling. They were all hovering now, staring back as the fireball spread out and a massive smoke cloud rose up in its wake. It looked very much to Scootaloo like a giant tree or mushroom of smoke reaching high up into the sky and towering over the forest. It dwarfed everything else by its sheer size. The smoke cloud from the explosion must have been a dozen miles away and was soon indistinguishable in the gathering night, and the pegasus regiment continued on, landing in Ponyville only minutes later. Everypony in town was in a near panic by what had just unfolded on the other side of the forest, the lack of actual knowledge causing a frenzy of rumors. Wild stories about the princesses going into the forest before the explosion were spreading like wildfire. Others said that another attack was already underway by the changelings, despite EUP forces quickly and strongly maintaining that there was no truth to it. There were consistent reports of the ground rumbling or an earthquake, which was unsettling considering how far away the town was from the event. Scootaloo was sure of one thing: nothing could have survived a blast like that.