The plains surrounding Canterlot were burning. So much smoke rose into the air that it turned the sky into an endless filthy cloud, despite the best efforts of the pegasi normally set to clearing it. That flame was no natural disaster, no accident. It was the direct and purposeful destruction of every village and town for two hundred kilometers, and the loss of every life too weak to flee to Canterlot in time.
Leonidas Tullius watched the destruction from the royal balcony of the Two Sisters, his hand always resting on the sword Princess Luna had entrusted to him as the symbol of his office. He wore it over robes of midnight black, as was the custom of Equestria for their generals in times of war. The garment had been specially made for his human body, large enough that it could cover and conceal his bulky armor, which it almost always did. Leonidas, simply Leo to the native beings here, never grew tired, not even after wearing his armor for months or years straight. He took no food, nor did he sleep. He required neither.
From the balcony, he watched as more Equestrian territory fell. Their army was retreating in good order, but the territory would still be lost. Even without the support of the massive dragons a goblin army was a dangerous thing. How long could any force hold against such awful numbers? Was Equestria doomed to suffer the same downfall that had claimed his home?
“It is as you predicted, Lord General.” A voice came from behind him, though Leo did not jump at it. He had known the old mare was standing there already, and he did not turn to face her as she continued. “The feint drew away every one of the dragons. Canterlot would not have stood a chance without them. Now, perhaps... perhaps we can outlast them.” She moved up to the railing to stand beside him, looking out on the valley. Far below, beings of strange flesh marched and scrambled and skulked ahead in their irregular mobs. There was no order to a goblin army, but there were numbers a full order of magnitude greater than anything within the defenses.
It wasn't as though they were alone on the balcony. As his battlefield command post, a full dozen ponies waited on or near it. Most were messenger pegasi, ready to fly his orders to his subordinates on the walls and in the field on the swiftest wings. The remainder were war-mages or advisors. These had not taken to him with any kindness, not when they normally gave their loyalty directly to the Night Princess herself as commander of all Equestria's armies. Most thought him an amusing pet of an eccentric princess. Only the sword at his waist kept them from enchanting him away and replacing him with someone incompetent.
One had already tried just that. The enchanted blade Achelois had sliced through the spell and then the tip of the foolish pony's horn before the incompetent had finished casting it. A few drops of the pony's blood still stained the hem of his robe.
All this time with them makes me merciful, he thought. Ten years ago, I would've taken the whole head. The mare beside him had been one of the few to support him in the face of great opposition. Clover the Clever was far too old to be involved directly in the battles below, though if she had her way she probably would've been. She had also been the one to speak. “Even so, can the city's defenses stand against so many?”
Leonidas turned towards her, inclining his head just slightly. Clover was the first pony he had met, though that had been far earlier in her life, and on another world. Hearing of the suffering of her people had remained with him long after she had gone. He would not allow that ruin to come upon them again. I will protect those who cannot protect themselves.
“They can.” He did not allow his voice to falter, or show any emotion other than a calm smile. Though ponies had many ways of sensing and conveying emotion, they had roughly the same range of emotions humans did, and were just as capable of recognizing them. If Leo's messengers spoke of him to anyone in the army, they would speak of his perfect confidence and calm.
His soldiers would need every bit of reassurance they could get. Aside from the regulars of his own legion, the army in central Equestria had been all but annihilated. Most of the guards that protected Canterlot were poorly trained, untested youths, or the elderly with no business fighting. The strongest among those were the dogs, old miners that had fled their burrows when the goblin armies took them.
“If we fought the way wars have always been fought, we would already be dead. We don't. Canterlot will not fall.” He lowered his voice, so that only she could hear. “The Unmade have already taken my home from me. I will not allow them to take yours as well.”
Far below, the goblin army swarmed towards Canterlot. The stone fortress was all but unassailable except where it connected to a nearby mountain peak.
“Could you use that speech-enhancing spell for me? I wish to address the troops.”
Her horn glowed faintly with the simple spell. “Ready.”
He nodded, stepping to the very edge of the balcony and calling in a booming voice, “Listen, ponies of Canterlot! Dogs, griffons… every free creature in the sound of my voice!” The low murmur all around the city faded to silence almost at once, as every pair of eyes turned to look up at him. The balcony didn't just have an excellent view of the surrounding area; it also commanded a view of most of the city. His voice, driven by magic, would fill every corner.
“You see the army of invaders marching upon your city! If they have their way, they will burn it all, just as they have done to many others. They will not have their way!” He drew Achelois in one smooth gesture, careful not to touch the scabbard with either end of the double-bladed weapon. The ponies of the city erupted into a single roar of defiance, joined by the barks of numerous dogs and the screeching calls of the griffons. The shout was so loud it shook the surrounding mountains and the castle beneath him. Achelois shimmered faintly in the air above his head, radiating the light of the moon even while he held it in direct sunlight.
Leo had learned early on that magical objects did not function for him the way they did for the natives. Lights crafted of spells simply refused to respond to his touch, just as boxes made to keep food cold would fail and allow their contents to spoil in his presence. Achelois, though... this blade had not turned against him.
“Our princesses have gone to dispatch the dragons, but they will return! It is our responsibility to keep the city standing until they do! No goblin footsteps will cross that bridge! No minotaur will scale the walls! We stop them here, Equestrians! This horde marches no further! It destroys no more!” He raised his voice, preparing his sword. “They think we are weak! They think Canterlot will fall as easily as every other city so far. Let's show them how wrong they are! Trebuchets: send them to the crows!” He lowered his sword, pointing it at the nearest mountain to Canterlot, where the goblin army surged towards the feeble lines of defenders on the single bridge like a malevolent tide.
No nation in all of Equuis had seen the likes of human siege equipment before. Leonidas had not tried to spread the advantage to all of Equestria, not with so little time before the war began. He had concentrated his effort here in Canterlot. Over the last decade, he had seen it transformed into a fortress. They would break the armies of the Unmade here like waves upon a sea-wall.
Two hundred trebuchets loosed as one at his first command, sending huge pots of oil and pitch soaring up into parabolic arcs. They came down upon the enemy front in a series of distant explosions, flinging goblins from the mountain and searing the flesh from others. The first charge was broken before it even reached Equestrian lines.
* * *
The Castle of the Two Sisters had seen better days. Amber couldn’t miss the smell of mildew, or the sight of crumbling stone and missing pillars. She wanted to ask Twilight if this place was really safer than the library, but she was too scared.
Twilight led them into the darkness with a horn as bright as the sun. Even the CMC seemed impressed with it, showing none of the fear that Amber felt.
Twilight Sparkle looked even grimmer than any of her friends had been when they dropped off the CMC. Amber could no longer look at her for fear of what those eyes might see. The other ponies hadn’t noticed, but she had.
Well, “Sweetie Belle” had too. She trailed behind them, pretending to worry for her sister. Twilight didn’t pressure her, though she did caution that all of them needed to stay close and not touch anything. “We’re going to the library,” Twilight explained. “I need to look through some of the books.”
Scootaloo was either too blind to notice the change to Twilight, or just didn’t care. “Aren’t you a princess, Twilight? You’re stronger than changelings!”
“Yes.” Twilight sounded exasperated as she walked, occasionally grabbing one of them in her magic to prevent them from stepping onto parts of the floor that would trigger the castle’s defenses.
They had already seen parts of the floor swing into spikes, or encountered blasts of magical fire Twilight dispersed with a contemptuous wave of her horn.
Amber was fairly certain that none of her friends, not even the other drone, could sense just how different Twilight had become. Even standing near her felt like Amber was going to choke in the love that came from her. It was so thick in the air she could practically see it trailing from her.
Twilight had been kind in their days together. She had been sincere and loving and had more strength to give than any ordinary pony. Even so, Amber hadn’t been overwhelmed as she was now. It was almost as though Equestria’s danger had brought new power surging forward.
Against power like this, how could changelings stand a chance? All their stealth and all their plans would mean nothing to ponies who could fling planets and kindle stars.
Twilight was still speaking. “So is the army. But changelings aren’t the most dangerous enemy right now. The army can fight them, but they can’t fight…” she trailed off, shaking her head. “You fillies don’t need to worry about it. He won’t find you all the way out here.”
Twilight flung a pair of big wooden doors open with her magic, with such force that Amber was certain she heard them crack. The Alicorn gestured, and glowing crystal lanterns came to lavender life.
The hall was massive, more books than Amber had ever seen in one place. It was more than Chance had seen either. She kept her voice low. “You think… You think you can find Tirek’s weakness in here?”
Twilight froze, her shoulders stiffening. She looked back, very slowly, eyes fixed on her. “How did you know?”
Amber whimpered. It wasn’t just Twilight’s eyes on her—her friends looked curious too. Spike looked confused, and Sweetie looked frustrated. She didn’t seem in a hurry to help her, anyway.
Magic churned behind Twilight’s expression, and in those eyes Amber thought she might drown. This was the last thing she would see. This was the moment the Alicorn discovered her and tore her atoms apart. My mother and I have been working for him for a year, she thought. We’ve been kidnapping unicorns for him to steal magic from, replacing them with changelings and using them to make weapons for our army.
Amber shook her head, clearing away the voice that wanted honesty from her. She wouldn’t fail her swarm now, not after all she had already sacrificed. It’s too late for me. “It was Truth!” she exclaimed, before she said something stupider. “He did a… cascading probabilistic simulation using… all those Equestrian books we scanned. He only just figured it out! I would’ve told you, but… we left in such a hurry…”
She said it with conviction, but in Amber’s mouth the words felt like ash. From behind the group, Sweetie Belle shook her head in obvious frustration, looking away.
Twilight shrugged. “Oh.” She turned away, the focus of that phenomenal power turning back to the books. “Yes, well. Did Truth’s…” She repeated the English words Amber had used, her pronunciation almost as bad: “probabilistic simulation—did it discover anything we could use against him?”
Behind her, Sweetie Belle sighed with relief. You’re the worst queen I’ve ever served.
Amber ignored her, following Twilight through the books.
“Truth recommended the Zeus Hypersonic Javelin. Or failing that, a low-grade fission explosive. 15 kilotons should be enough.”
“Fission explosive…” Twilight repeated, looking serious for a moment. “Can Truth make us one? Knowing him, he probably already has.”
“Well…” Amber shook her head. “OMICRON cores aren’t able to refine nuclear material. The ones who built them didn’t like the idea of them being able to build weapons we couldn’t control. We could build a refinery, but… it would probably take months. Years, maybe.”
“Years.” Twilight Sparkle sighed, then looked up to the rest of her friends. “This whole wing of the castle is safe. There's a bedroom down that way, and a kitchen Spike and I keep stocked down that hallway there.” Her eyes flashed briefly, power than made Amber and Sweetie Belle both scrunch down and away from her. She didn’t notice. “Do not leave this wing for any reason, do you understand?”
Twilight waited for a verbal yes from each of them before turning away and setting to the library. “Help me, Spike. The way to save Equestria is in here somewhere.”
Sweetie Belle’s voice sounded from behind them, quiet. “We should cook something! Twilight’s bound to get hungry trying to search this whole library!”
“We,” Apple Bloom repeated, eyebrows going up. “Ah reckon you better watch, Sweets. We don’t want tah poison her.”
The unicorn pouted, grumbling assent in a way Amber could only take for convincing.
“I guess we could.” Scootaloo pawed at the ground with one hoof, her wings buzzing. “I wish we had the Prism out here. Bet whoever Tirek is, he wouldn’t stand a chance against her!”
“The Prism doesn’t have weapons, Scoots.” Apple Bloom reached to one side with her mouth, undoing a velcro strap. One leg freed, she proceeded to scramble out of the exoskeleton one limb at a time. No sooner had she climbed out than the thing folded up onto the floor, limbs collapsing on themselves to a third of their original size.
“Yeah, I guess.” Scootaloo nudged Amber with one shoulder. “When this is over, we gotta’ do something about that. I bet Truth could make us some real big ones! Maybe even one of those Zeus… hyper…rainbolic… things.”
“He could make weapons, but… probably not one of those.” Amber followed behind the crusaders as they walked in the direction Twilight had said led to a kitchen. “It’s a satellite, you have to keep it out in space.”
“Psh.” Scootaloo shrugged her tiny wings. “You eggheads could make it work somehow.”
Amber didn’t argue. She did meet Sweetie’s eyes, and think toward her, What’s your plan?
Her reply came quickly, though the unicorn seemed determined not to meet her eyes. I will drug what we make with a powerful sleeping agent. You can give it to the princess and kill her while she is incapacitated.
* * *
Bree watched with satisfaction as Leo turned the hearts of this army towards Canterlot. Had she really disagreed with him, she might’ve had trouble resisting such an argument. It was hard to resist a voice of such absolute sincerity. Charles sounded like that, whenever he talked about Slavers.
“Dogs of mine, see what I have shown you. See that if the changeling monsters win here, they will come for us next. If we fight now, the ponies will fight beside us. If we stand by and do nothing, we will find the insect army at our burrows, and no friends left to come to our defense.”
“If you cannot see it as an act of mercy, if you cannot see it as honor to the old promises, see it as the only chance we have of survival. Even a mighty dog can fall to many weaker foes. If the changelings win, they will drown us in their drones. We’ll kill them by thousands but choke on the dead in time. To fight now is our only chance.”
Leo sat back down, folding his arms across his chest. Bree watched the crowd mutter and boil, seething on the edge of decision. Predictably, it was one of the gray-robed squires who stood. “I’ll fight with you, Leo.”
A dozen or so of his lieutenants thrust their weapons high into the air, and the room echoed with barks.
“And I!” Another squire rose, to more wild barking. The hall broke into a maelstrom of chaotic barking, shouting, and weapons thrust to the sky. Dogs watched Leo, but mostly they watched her.
This was Bree’s moment. She could turn the tide of this crowd if she wished, and follow Richard’s orders. Well, if she had actually cared about what the king really wanted, she wasn’t sure what she would’ve done. Probably call him and ask what to do about the invasion.
But Leo didn’t know they could do that, and Richard didn’t know about the invasion. Bree might be the weakest of these mighty people, but the power was in her hands.
Bree didn’t stand—she would’ve only looked sillier if she had. Just because they obeyed her didn’t mean it was a good idea to draw attention to how small and feeble her body was.
“Prepare our army, Sir Leonidas. We will march on the native village as soon as we are able, and join with the pony army there. Together we will take back their capital.” And conquer it for the Steel Tower.