Innocent

by Puzzle Piece

Act II: Chapter Fifteen: Soft as a Lightning Strike

When Twilight opened her eyes, she let out a sigh. It was a contented sigh, born of comforting memories awoken by her surroundings. The last few days’ worries could not intrude on this sanctum of her foalhood.

Like any place she’d resided, her study devices stood out in the room most prominently. A large desk with a well-worn stool dominated one wall, ringed with reference books of all subjects, magic and mundane. Bookshelves filled with familiar titles flanked the desk. She could see the empty spaces that her favorite books had once occupied. They were now in Ponyville with the closest of her treasured personal items. The volumes she’d left behind had been given to her as part of her general studies and had less sentimental value than the others.

The walls held star charts and maps that she’d been most interested in. Her old telescope sat by the floor length window, waiting to carry her imagination into the stars once more. Every object had a practical purpose in her studies except two. The pair of pictures hanging side by side were the only purely sentimental items in the room. One was of her family; her mother and father beside her brother in his new Captain’s uniform. The other was a painting of Starswirl the Bearded. It was an original copy from an artist commissioned by Celestia to capture his image. It was also a gift to her that Celestia had given when Twilight had shown interest in the old mage. Enchanted to protect it from age, it was in perfect condition.

Every surface in the room was free of dust even after more than a year away, hinting at the castle servants who had taken the time to care for her things in her absence. She was on first name terms with a number of the castle’s staff but it still touched her that they would go out of their way to do something like dust her unused shelves and desk.

She blinked at the ceiling for a time. She was nearly fully awake now. She knew she would have to get up sooner than later but she wanted to hold onto the feeling of waking up in this room for a moment longer. When she did roll over and put her hooves on the floor, she walked over to her desk, sat down and looked back at her room silently.

Everything was exactly as she left it except that the waste basket was empty. She smiled at it wistfully. There had been dozens of crumpled papers in it when she’d left. All of them were rejected versions of the last report she’d made before moving to Ponyville. She turned her gaze slowly across the room with those days in mind. It was almost possible to believe that she had stepped back in time. That she was still an excitable little filly running around the castle for the first time. That the biggest trouble she got into was being late for a lesson with the Princess. That she wasn’t being catapulted into events that would rewrite the way she thought about the world she lived in.

She got up and accepted the inevitable start of the day. Opening the curtains, she looked out over the waking city. The whole of Canterlot was in shadows and the last of the stars were still fading from the sky. The sun on the other side of the mountain hadn’t reached them yet, but the farther lands were just being touched by its golden fingers. Grey clouds hung over those lands, limp and old. Twilight realized that the Pegasi who normally kept them in check had fled the Trolls who were storming across the country.

A knock at the door told her that she was out of time to wish for better days. The guard she found outside had a box and a bag with him. He passed them to her and saluted before leaving wordlessly. Inside the box she found a folded outfit that she recognized as a mage’s uniform. Wrapped in the clothing was a set of light armor. She looked at it expressionlessly before setting it aside. The bag was filled with the items she’d requested last night.

She checked all of them and rearranged them into a more logical order before slipping on the uniform. She hadn’t brought herself to put on the armor when Celestia knocked.

“It is time, Twilight.” The Princess spoke softly, as if hearing the conflicts in her pupil’s mind.

Twilight took a deep breath and let it out slowly before donning the armor. She looked up at Celestia with as much determination as she could muster.

“I’m ready.”

~*~*~

The sun was not up. Lyra believed she shouldn’t be up either. She trudged along with the other ponies in her platoon as they made their way north. The dull red on the horizon was enough light to see by.

But not enough to wake up to.

“It’s not all that bad,” Goldengrape said encouragingly from behind her. “It’s quite beautiful in this part of the country. This early in the morning, we get to see a different side of the world with the colors just coming into focus and…”

While she appreciated the gesture, Lyra tuned him out. She hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud. Seven o’clock was usually pushing it for her. This was closer to five. Not getting a full night’s sleep was not agreeing with her. She’d been startled out of her bedroll by Blitz before there had been light on the horizon.

“Urgent news,” he’d said. “New orders.”

Now they were marching, all one hundred and twenty or so of them. Recruits from Ponyville made up a third of their number while a couple of communities south and east provided the rest. Lyra didn’t know half of the names from just Ponyville and hadn’t started to learn the others’. She walked beside Goldengrape and just behind Big Mac. Time Turner was ahead a few rows. Their names were enough for now.

She glanced around and found Canterlot looming above her. She blinked. They were closer to the mountains now than she’d thought. A glance behind her told her that she didn’t remember most of the journey. The sun suddenly crested the top of the mountain, dragging the lands below from the muted cover of the twilight and thrusting it into the sharp focus of the day. Lyra blinked in surprise and squinted ahead.

The lightly wooded foothills below the mountain tapered off into grassy flatlands leading down to the river. The opposite bank was thick with trees and the river itself was bordered by rocks and tall grasses. They were headed for a rise overlooking the river just at the edge of the hills. Other ponies could be seen bustling about between the rise and the river. Lyra woke up in a hurry when she realized how many ponies she was looking at.

From the river’s edge to the base of the rise, what must have been three or four hundred ponies were setting up lines of tripwires in the ground or digging narrow trenches and covering them with grasses. On the rise itself, easily twice as many ponies were milling about, donning armor and distributing weapons. At its center was a row of flags surrounding Princess Celestia and a contingent of the Royal Guard.

The sounds of the army carried all the way to them even before they had reached the river. Voices, indistinct from one another buzzed with excited energy. A shout occasionally rose above the rest, giving a hint at the work being done. As they made their way into the camp, a few ponies waved to them in greeting. But most ponies only watched them briefly before turning back to their tasks. Lieutenant Long Watch wasted no time leading them right to the top of the hill and ordering them to line up.

The Lieutenant approached the Princess and announced himself.

“Your Highness,” he said with a bow. “The Ponyville-Southshire-Woodview Platoon has arrived and is standing by for your orders.”

Celestia nodded as she looked over the recruits. “Very good, Lieutenant.”

She looked behind her expectantly and Twilight Sparkle stepped forward, producing a long scroll. The Unicorn had on a short silver breastplate over a close-fitting navy blue shirt with silver etching. Silver plates traced up the sides and back of her neck. Her hooves were fitted with silver shoes whose star-shaped extensions protected her forelegs. She held the list up so that Celestia could examine it.

“You will join Third Company on the left flank as its second platoon. Set up your supplies here and then make your way to your positions.” Celestia looked out to the west and frowned. “I expect we will not have much more time to prepare.”

The Lieutenant saluted and ordered the platoon to unpack their supply wagons. Lyra shuffled along with them, taking in the commotion around her all the while. Everypony was strapping on armor and fitting lances to their mounts. Lyra accepted her sword as it was passed to her and belted it on. She pulled her armor from the stack on the wagon and did up the clasps. She looked herself over when she was finished and wondered at it all.

The plates on her forelegs and back, with the chain coif under her helmet were more than she’d ever envisioned herself wearing. They were plain steel, not nearly as grand as Twilight’s or any of the Royal Guard’s armor. But as she walked back down to the river, surrounded by more than a thousand similarly equipped ponies, she felt as if she were radiating glorious light.

They wound their way through the traps leading to the banks and lined up facing the trees opposite them. Up and down the lines, ponies from across the region took stances alongside a scattering of Royal Guard lancers and swordsponies. The wind played with the leaves and coaxed a soft rustle from the branches. The river swept by smoothly, mirroring the clear sky above. To Lyra, it seemed too peaceful for a place that was about to become a battlefield.

A pair of Pegasi flew over them from the other side of the river. They landed near Celestia and spoke with her. When they backed away, she stepped out to a prominent vantage point. Her voice carried out to them like a roll of thunder.

“Stand fast, my ponies. Our enemy is upon us. We, the brave protectors of our great nation, will halt their advance here and turn them back from our lands. They are here to destroy us and all that we hold dear. Our homes, our families and our dreams; all are in danger. But we are here to stop them. We are here to safeguard our futures. We are here to defend Equestria!”

A great cheer went up from the ponies and the waters of the river seemed to shake with their voices. Lyra joined them vigorously.

I’m here to defend you, Bon Bon, she thought, focusing all of her determination on the thought of the mare, at home and waiting for her.

She drew the sword and twirled it experimentally. To her left, Big Mac set his lance, biting his lip nervously. At her right, a few ponies down the line, Turner’s head was lowered and his eyes were closed. He seemed to be whispering something to himself but Lyra couldn’t hear it over the shouting ponies that separated them.

Goldengrape, standing just next to him, noticed her looking and caught her eye. He nodded to her with a faint smile. She returned the nod. With a crease in her brow and a frown on her muzzle, Lyra set her gaze on the opposite bank. She was ready.

~*~*~

Rainbow Dash looked down on the flashing plates and clinking metal below her. The army was in position along the river and the scouts had just reported the enemy was forming up for the attack. From where she was, high on the hill behind the army with the rest of the Air Corps, she could see the whole of the lines. The noise rising up to her was a mere buzzing in the back of her mind. Her thoughts were drifting through the past few days.

The moment she’d left Ponyville, it was all business. Spitfire’s words were still fresh in her ears, and Rainbow meant to prove that she was as good as she was expected to be.

It will be good to know that we have some real power in our new wings, Spitfire had said. I’ve seen you in action and you’ve got the talent to try to make the team.

The strutting didn’t last long though. Once they reached the camps, the work began. They were fitted with their armor; a mesh jumpsuit that felt like tiny rings against her coat. She brushed at it absently with a hoof. The plates were worked directly into the material, covering the shoulders and chest. The entire outfit was streamlined and the plates swept back to allow for tighter maneuvering.

The shoes were heavy and the forehooves were fitted with retractable blades. She flicked one open and examined it. Eight inches of steel sturdy enough to chip a boulder into pebbles; it was an intimidating weapon to see plummeting from the sky. Their training had concentrated on learning how to use them. Since one of the requirements of the Air Corps was being a strong flier, there was no need to work the recruits in that area. The entire time was spent flying formations in full equipment, as well as learning the signals for orders in flight and the methods of attacking the ground without landing.

Rainbow let the lessons play back in her mind, superimposing them over the field before her. She could see the places her squadron would be covering. The river swept out of the mountain with a fury and snaked westward several miles before turning south again. As it passed their position, it became shallower and wider. It offered a deceptively obvious crossing point since the river was still just as swift. The unwary could lose their footing and be carried away easily.

Upriver, the east bank was sheer and rocky, offering no beach to cross to. Downriver, the river itself was enough of a barrier: Rapids that could rip a raft to bits even before it hit the pillar-like rocks that stuck up in odd places as if teeth were jutting out to snare the unfortunate. This was the best crossing for miles, so they would hold them here.

Rainbow knew this much because she had paid attention during the briefings. From what she’d heard after arriving here, the Air Corps was being treated differently than the Army. It was giving out more details to its members than the ground forces. It was obvious that they believed that the fliers needed more information than the swords and lances on the ground. Rainbow didn’t have any opinions on the subject but she’d noticed it quickly enough.

She glanced over at Spitfire. The Wonderbolt leader had seemed so smooth and quick in her performances while calm and relaxed in social events. Rainbow had seen a totally different side of her in the past five days. Harsh and impatient, she was at every throat to get their squadrons ready for the call to action. Even though she’d cut back on shouting in everypony’s face since they’d received their orders, it had been replaced by a different kind of tension in her voice and her stance.

Spitfire was rigid, looking out at the landscape. She wasn’t looking toward the trees where the enemy was approaching. She was looking back the way they’d come. The hard line of her mouth and the crease in her brow were the only sign of whatever struggle was going on in her head. Rainbow might have asked her what she was thinking if she weren’t expected to wait in formation for the order to attack with her squadron.

As it was, her squadron, consisting of fifteen other ponies, was spread out around her in groups of four, shifting from hoof to hoof as they watched the forest. They whispered encouragements back and forth and, since most of them knew each other from various weather teams, they were earnest words.

Rainbow didn’t speak to any of them. She was beyond excitement or nervousness. All she needed to be ready now was to find one pony in the sea of soldiers below. He wasn’t hard to spot. His completely black leather armor stood out prominently from all of the steel plate around him. Jason was looking back at her. From hundreds of feet away, they locked eyes and nodded simultaneously. They both knew what the other was about and they needed no words to finalize it between them.

This was a moment of truth for her. She needed to prove that she could do this. That no matter what came, she would not back down. She was determined to protect everypony she cared about, regardless of what he said it would mean. She was strong enough to do this, she told herself. She would not lose herself. She recalled his words now as well.

If you do this, you’ll lose something sacred. She could still remember the tightness of his jaw and the intensity in his eyes when he’d told her this central belief in his life. I’ve spent my whole life defending innocence while losing my own!

She breathed in deeply through her nose and let it out from her mouth slowly.

I’m not going to war just to answer some question about myself, she thought fiercely. I’m not going to be taking lives for some internal fulfillment. I am here to protect my home and the homes of those I love: My friends, my family, my town, my country. This is for them. This is for our future. This is for…

A clear picture sprang into her mind. It was an afternoon in Ponyville, though she couldn’t remember exactly which one. Most of her friends were there and they were all smiling and laughing and just sharing the moment. It filled her with such a feeling of togetherness that she smiled in spite of herself. Almost at once, the distance separating them stung her like a void opening in her stomach and she felt a tear at the corner of her eye. She sniffed once and wiped her eyes with a hoof.

And that’s something I’d kill for.

She took another breath, sharper this time. The trees seemed to be crawling with dark shapes that undulated like waves on a black ocean. A war horn sounded, and another answered. The front ranks of the Trolls marched into the open and stopped just shy of the water’s edge. The two armies stared each other down for long moments. Growls reached the ears of the ponies over the shifting of plates and weapons.

“This is it, fliers!” Spitfire was suddenly at the head of the Air Corps, calling back over her shoulder. “Wings up!”

Wings flared and hooves scrapped the dirt. Satchels of javelins, lying in wait in the grass beside them, were slung over their shoulders. Rainbow shook off her thoughts and focused in on the task ahead. A glance to the right and left put her wingponies in mind. Star Hunter, Cerulean Skies, and Cosmic nodded back at her when they met her eyes. Rainbow knew Star and Cerulean were both strong fliers since they were Ponyville weather team veterans. Cosmic was less familiar but he’d kept up with them in training.

They’re a smooth unit, she thought to herself. We can handle this.

She checked herself one final time and dug her hooves into the ground for traction. At the head of each squadron was a member of the Wonderbolts, providing experienced leadership to each group. Sergeant Fire Streak headed her squadron. He made a quick motion with his wings to indicate the direction of their takeoff.

Down on the field, the horns sounded again, blowing long, energized notes. The Trolls raised their weapons in challenge and surged forward. They waded into the river, the water reaching their chests but only slowing their powerful forms to a fast walk. Occasionally, one would slip and go under, but most kept their footing.

Spitfire was airborne the moment they touched the water. Her squadron, entirely Wonderbolts, followed her up and over the middle of the field. The others took to the air and spread out to their designated zones. Rainbow took her flight in just behind the leader with the other two on her sides. Fire Streak rose directly over the enemy lines and began circling around to attack from immediately behind them. The wind drowned out the sounds from the ground and Rainbow wasn’t able to keep an eye on the pony lines while she was with her squadron.

Rainbow noted the other squadrons on their flank taking similar positions. Spitfire and her squadron were already diving, javelins falling amongst the Trolls as they cleared the tree line. Rainbow didn’t have time to see any more because her squadron pulled into a shallow dive and she led her flight in with them. She pulled a javelin from her satchel and drew back. They threw them all together. The projectiles whistled toward the enemy and struck home. Howls were just barely audible beneath the canopy. Still diving, they readied another javelin each. They threw them again and could hear the roars of pain clearly over the wind in their ears.

A movement from Fire Streak signaled them to ready their blades. Rainbow flicked hers open and picked a target from those just emerging from the trees. The squadron broke formation and dropped out of the sky. She hit her Troll with bone jarring force. The blades cut through the matted fur and thick muscle of her victim and she felt blood splash over her hooves. With a kick to the shoulders of her enemy, Rainbow lifted off again, pulling away from the shouts of anger that chased her.

An axe passed in front of her muzzle, close enough that she could see the carved notches in the blade. She watched it for one heart stopping second as it twirled away and fell back into the mass below her. She ascended as fast as she could and looked around to find her flight again. They regrouped and climbed higher. The rest of the squadron was circling around for another pass but Rainbow and her wingponies were out of position. They hurried to catch up but by the time they began their dive, the others were pulling away.

Rainbow made a split second decision and pulled up. Her wingponies followed her and thus avoided the hail of weapons that had been anticipating them. They wheeled around to rejoin the rest of the squadron, who had taken a position higher up. Fire Streak seemed to be looking for an opportunity to strike without incurring the wrath of the Trolls who were now expecting them. Rainbow took the opening to scan the battle herself.

The other Air Corps fliers were raining javelins on their targets or returning to the Equestrian side of the field to grab another satchel. Only Spitfire’s squadron was still diving into melee near the middle of the battle. As Rainbow watched her flight, her eyes were drawn to the ground forces. The edge of the river was a mass of bodies. The pony lines, who had intended to hold the Trolls at the water’s edge and catch them in the restricting current, had been forced back hundreds of feet.

The steel plates of fallen ponies stood out prominently from among the grey furs of the dead Trolls. Magic rained from the hillside where the mages stood but made little headway in the enemy ranks. The Trolls pushed forward relentlessly and the Equestrians were giving ground rapidly. Looking downriver, Rainbow was horrified to see the water running red and thick with bodies. She shook her head to try to ignore it all and pulled up closer to Fire Streak.

“Sergeant!” she yelled. “We have to get in there and help them!”

He looked at her sharply. “You think I don’t know that? We also need to do some good. That’s why I’m looking for the right spot to hit.”

She would have said more, but he gave her a withering glare when she opened her mouth again. She dropped back into formation and bit her lip. She could see the Army being pushed back with each passing second. She saw Celestia herself charge down the hill surrounded by the remainder of her Guard. Her heart leapt for a moment to see the golden light of the Princess’ horn streaking toward the enemy. But they met the Troll lines as if they’d struck a wall. Celestia carved away at her enemies only for more to take their place. The Trolls continued to advance steadily.

Rainbow ground her teeth as she watched helplessly. At last, Fire Streak turned into a shallow dive and she followed eagerly. They threw javelins as they passed over the enemy. Headed straight for the front lines, Fire Streak called back to them.

“Don’t pull out right away. Just keep flying and striking!”

With that, he rolled over and dove hard. The squadron rolled with him and they plummeted into the midst of the Trolls. Just before they struck, they leveled out and flew just above the heads of the enemy. Their blades reached out to clip the Trolls, causing a swath of casualties to reel from them as they passed.

When they pulled away and circled over the pony lines, they heard a ragged cheer from their friends on the ground. Rainbow frowned. From the air, she could tell that their attack hadn’t slowed the Trolls for more than the span of a breath. But all the ground forces saw of it was the Air Corps felling enemies. It gave them hope and the impression that their fight was getting easier. It was far from the truth.

They pulled back to a higher altitude and hovered there. Fire Streak signaled them to throw the rest of their javelins. Rainbow pulled one and scanned for a target that would make a difference. What she saw almost made her wings stop flapping. In just the few seconds she’d looked away, the entire pony line had fragmented. Whole platoons were breaking off and retreating.

No, she corrected herself. They’re fleeing.

The right flank, where Celestia held the base of the hill and backed up by the mages, was the only hard point in the Army left. Rainbow cast about desperately to find anypony still standing elsewhere on the field. That was when she saw the remains of the left flank. Easily recognizable among the Army steel was the leather armor worn by Jason and Cor. They stood on opposite sides of the remaining troops, their weapons blurring as they turned from Troll to Troll.

Cor swung a sword to stave off the enemies closest to him so that he could take clear shots with his bow. Jason’s blade was a dark streak that slipped smoothly from one enemy to another. It was almost mesmerizing the way it turned and spun around him. Zacon stood alone atop a mound of bodies just beyond where the rest of the ponies stood, shouting unintelligible yet clearly audible challenges to his foes. His gold and silver armor was painted crimson with blood and his axe clove the bodies of any Trolls that got too close to him.

The ponies around them fought with intense fervor, perhaps spurred on by their perceived success alongside the three warriors. While the Army caved in around them, this small contingent stood its ground. And while they remained impossibly outnumbered, they did not seem ready to yield. As moments slipped by, the gap between them and the rest of the Equestrians widened.

“Retreat! Fall back to Canterlot!”

Celestia’s voice barely rose up to them over the fighting. She and her Guard were desperately trying to disengage from the crushing waves of Trolls. The mages on the hill behind her turned and bolted as soon as she gave the order. Rainbow blinked when she saw one of the mages hesitate. Armored and uniformed, Twilight looked back at Celestia apprehensively, torn between following her order and helping her escape. Rainbow was momentarily distracted by her surprise that the Unicorn was even here.

“We’ve got to stay with the others, Dash!” Cerulean shouted in her ear.

Fire Streak was calling for them to attack the area around the retreating Princess. Before the squadron could dive, Rainbow cut them off.

“What about them?” She indicated the other group, which wasn’t even attempting to withdraw. “They need our help more than the Princess.”

Fire Streak looked as if he was going to pop a vein. “Are you questioning my orders?!”

Rainbow froze for a second, knowing that she’d overstepped her bounds but unable to back down.

“Nopony is close to them except us. If we don’t get to them, they won’t even know to retreat. They’ll be left behind without…”

Streak didn’t wait for her to finish.

“I don’t have time for this. Everypony to the Princess!”

He turned and sped off. Most of the squadron followed. Rainbow just hovered there while every squadron in the sky converged on the Princess and her Guard. She glanced behind her and was surprised to find all three of her wingponies waiting for her. At once, she took on as commanding a stance as she could.

“While they’re all busy getting the Princess out of here, it’s up to us to let this group know that the retreat has been sounded.”

The three of them nodded firmly.

“Let’s go,” she said, wheeling and pulling into a sharp dive.

The four Pegasi dropped onto a cluster of Trolls and cut them down. With Rainbow in the lead, they catapulted themselves parallel to the ground and through the Trolls separating them from their allies. Rainbow spun her body in a tight spiral as she wove between Trolls, trying to put enough momentum in her blades to pierce the tough hides. Each time her blades contacted a body, she could feel the force of it through her whole leg.

When she knew she couldn’t keep swinging, she pulled out and turned to see her wingponies. They emerged from the throng intact and unharmed. A single axe followed them up but Star Hunter grabbed it out of the air and threw it back.

“We’ve got to let them know that they need to get out of here. Spread the word!” Rainbow shouted.

They all dove again, this time to hover near the ground and scream at the ponies on the ground to retreat. Most of those that heard gave them a glance and kept fighting. The others were too caught up in the melee to notice the Pegasi at all. Rainbow found Jason and tried to get his attention.

“Jason! Celestia’s ordered the Army to fall back. You’ve all got to get out of here!”

Jason swept his sword in a wide arch and earned just enough time to respond.

“It’s not like we wouldn’t leave if we could. They’ve got us boxed in!”

Rainbow could see that he was right at a glance. They were being pressed on three sides and the Trolls were trying to wrap around behind them to cut them off completely.

“I’ll think of something! Just hold on,” she yelled.

Jason didn’t even acknowledge her. Trolls continued to fall around him while he deftly twisted away from their attacks, but he was running out of room as they closed in tighter around the ponies. Rainbow swung around to the other side of the fighting. Cor was backing away from a pair of Trolls hastily while he readied another arrow. He stumbled on a fallen pony and nearly went down. The Trolls leapt forward to take advantage of the opening. Before Rainbow could move to help, they thrust their spears at him.

Both spears were knocked aside at the last second by a large stallion barreling into the Trolls from the side. With a sword in his mouth, he parried an axe while kicking the two half-trampled Trolls into the dirt. Cor nodded to him and fought on. Rainbow’s heart jumped into her throat when she recognized Big Mac’s copper mane beneath his helmet. She only hesitated for a moment though.

“Cor!” she called to the archer. “We’ve got to find a way to get everypony out of here! The rest of Army is retreating.”

He looked up at her in surprise.

“Why didn’t someone say so?”

He looked around quickly and his eyes widened when he saw that the rest of the Army wasn’t anywhere near them. He frowned critically and then nodded to himself. He pulled one of the few arrows left in his quivers and called out loudly.

“Everyone get ready to make a run for it! I’m going to give us an opening!”

A few ponies called out brief affirmatives. He drew the arrow and aimed it over the heads of the Trolls between them and the rest of the Equestrians. The air around his bow crackled with energy as his horn lit up brighter. When the arrow’s entire shaft was glowing brightly, he released. The arrow flew from the bow and rocketed into the enemy mass, hissing and sputtering. With a thunderous bang, it exploded over the heads of the Trolls. Most of the Trolls were knocked to the ground by the force of the blast alone. Others close to the center were ripped apart by shrapnel from the enchanted arrow.

Everypony turned and rushed in that direction as if a floodgate had opened. The remaining Trolls tried to pursue them but the gap widened as the ponies accelerated into a full gallop, leaving the shuffling Trolls behind. Rainbow hovered for a moment longer to watch the last ponies disengage. Jason had to yell at Zacon repeatedly before the big warrior followed. When she was sure they had escaped, Rainbow and her wingponies wheeled after them. She flew over the field slowly, gaining altitude and trying to get a picture of the whole battle.

The forested side of the river was littered with Trolls impaled by javelins. There were less than Rainbow had thought. She frowned and turned her gaze to the river itself. The shores were a killing zone. Trolls that had been caught in the water had been helpless to stop the spears and lances waiting for them. But sheer numbers appeared to have won them the beach, and with it, the ability to swing back. Where the front of the pony forces had been, there was a definable line of first casualties.

From there, it became clear that the ponies had not stopped falling back. The bodies thinned out only because the Trolls had gained ground too fast to cover every patch of grass. Most of the traps had been sprung but appeared to have merely inconvenienced their advance. For every few Trolls that were sprawled across the ground, a pony’s torn body could be found next to them. Rainbow tried desperately not to look for familiar faces among them.

The four Pegasi left the field as quickly as they could. None of them looked back, each just concentrating on making it back to Canterlot. Behind them, the Trolls had already abandoned the pursuit and were moving the remainder of their troops across the river. The pony forces trickled back together, though some never returned. They made the slow journey back to Canterlot in relative silence. The wounded were helped along by their companions and every eye was downcast. As the day wore on and the noonday sun passed overhead, Equestrian scouts reported that the Trolls had made no move to advance.