Innocent

by Puzzle Piece

Act III: Chapter Twenty-Two: Chasing the Receding Waves

For the first time in four days, the morning light that crept over the mountains to illuminate Canterlot’s streets wasn’t obscured by plumes of thick black smoke. The oppressive shroud that had hung over everypony’s head had faded as the last of the fires were extinguished. The streets had been mostly cleared of debris and efforts were now being made to reclaim the ruined buildings. Some of the missing ponies emerged from beneath collapsed walls and fallen roofs and returned to the joyful embrace of their loved ones. Others were not as lucky, their friends and family shedding tears over their bodies that were uncovered by the workers clearing the rubble. Still others were rescued from the wreckage of their homes to find that they were alone, surviving while everypony close to them had not. These ponies drifted toward the recruiters, signing on for the Army in the absence of anything or anyone to hold them back.

The dead who had been identified were placed in a secluded corner of the palace grounds, the Princesses’ preservation spell still in place, to await proper burial. Spouses and siblings, parents and children alike occasionally visited them to grieve, though most could hardly bear to see the often mangled bodies of those they loved. A few times, a member of the Guard had to escort a pony out of the palace when they became too distraught to remain. One pony was found sleeping beside his wife’s body, a blanket draped over her still form while he shivered in the night. A Guardpony took the stallion to the barracks to warm up and they talked together until the sun rose.

And as dawn waited just below the horizon on that fourth day following the battle, a gathering was taking place near the gates of the city. There was a quiet tension among the ponies as they organized their packs for the long march ahead. Several carts waited nearby, loaded with equipment and supplies. The city was quiet and the air still held the crisp remains of the night’s chill. Private Heartstrings waited patiently for the others to assemble. She watched them all with a quiet contemplation. As she looked at each of them in turn, she could put more names to the faces than before. Others were still nameless to her but she felt that something was changing in the way she saw them. Nopony had been familiar to her in the training camp and only a few more by the time they had fought through the streets of Canterlot. Now, she reflected, there were fewer faces left to learn.

Lyra suppressed a shudder at the thought of Goldengrape and the way hope had sparkled in his eyes just before he’d died. Sergeants Flint Grey and Iron Link had been killed at the river holding their ground on the banks, as had Private Eiffel. She hadn’t even realized it until she’d read his name among the casualties, but Eiffel had lived only a few houses down the street from her. She’d talked to him from time to time down at the market. She wasn’t sure she wanted to feel this kind of pain when the ponies she knew were killed, and she was afraid that learning more names would set her up for more pain. But she gathered her courage and decided that she would rather know the names of those who gave their lives at her side. Each of them deserved to be remembered, no matter how little she knew them.

Sergeant Blitz finished inspecting the ponies’ equipment and went to report to Lieutenant Faircastle. Lyra couldn’t hear what they said but she knew it was dry officer business from the way both Jason and Blitz kept professionally straight faces. Lieutenant Watch was having a much more animated discussion with Sergeant Dash. They were practically talking over each other as they enthusiastically exchanged their thoughts on what appeared to be a shared interest they’d both enjoyed before the war. Dash suddenly stopped mid-sentence and her ears fell back. Lyra could only guess that she’d reminded herself of how much the war was changing about her life and Equestria as a whole. Watch put a hoof over her shoulder sympathetically and they went on talking again, more subdued this time. Lyra watched them a moment longer before turning to the next group of ponies.

Sergeant Waters was still addressing several ponies near the carts. Lyra had already heard from him and knew he was informing them of their marching order and giving out the rotations for their turns at hauling the carts. She didn’t look forward to lugging the cart of tents and camp equipment for several miles but she knew it was the least of the hardships she would be putting up with. Closer to her, Big Mac was talking casually with Private Starling. She could hear enough to know that Big Mac was asking after her training, most notably why she’d wanted to join the Guard. Lyra could tell he had his sister in mind when he asked. From what Starling was saying, it sounded like her father, a member of the Royal Guard himself, had been killed defending the palace. Her family had a tradition of serving in the Guard and now she intended to carry on in his place.

Lyra noted the conviction and fervor in the small Pegasus’ voice and was reminded of her own thoughts before the battle at the river. That confidence had been shattered quickly, though she felt a new resolve was taking its place. She wondered if Starling’s confidence would prove resilient in the face of combat. Lyra didn’t have long to speculate further, because Lieutenants Cor and Zacon arrived just then. The latter was favoring his left side heavily with a pronounced limp and a perpetual grimace. All things considered, Lyra mused, he was in good condition. After all, the same catapult rounds that had reduced sections of the wall to piles of crushed stone had somehow failed to kill this stallion outright. She couldn’t imagine how he’d managed to survive it. Cor joined Jason and Blitz, speaking with both of them briefly before turning to the group at large.

“Fall in, all of you!” he shouted.

Lyra shuffled in closer with the others. None of them were in their armor but they all wore their uniforms, belatedly issued to them by the Army. After having been made in Canterlot, the uniforms were never shipped out to the training camps due to a lack of anypony to deliver them and then dredged up in the aftermath of the battle in the city. The form-fitting tunics extended back to the croup and the sleeves reached the knees of the forelegs. The material was durable and acceptably comfortable. It was dark blue across the chest, with the blue field sweeping back to the hem near the flank while a gold-trimmed white field covered the back, starting at the shoulders. Rank pins were issued at the same time, a pair of which could be found adorning either side of the withers.

Lyra glanced around at them, noting how much better she felt now that she could refer to somepony by a rank instead of having to fish for a name before talking to them. Her silver star glinted dully in the weak light of the approaching dawn. The gold stars of the Corporals glittered faintly as their wearers shifted in place. The azure crescents of the Sergeants stood out in dark patches on top of their shoulders. The silver sunbursts on the Lieutenants were easily distinguishable from the Privates’ stars by their size, nearly twice the diameter. With this consistency of dress, they looked the part of a cohesive unit, even if they didn’t quite feel it yet. While Lyra liked the uniforms as a whole, she was much more grateful for the bath she’d been able to take the other day. The dirt and grime of the camp and the subsequent battles had begun to bother her even through her relative indifference to any and all outside elements.

“Lieutenant Watch,” Cor said once they were lined up in their squads. “Are your troops fully prepared?”

Long Watch snapped to attention as he reported. “We’ve just gotten the last of the carts squared away, sir. We’re ready to depart on your order.”

“Good. And Sergeant Dash. Have you selected your scouting party?”

“Yes sir,” Rainbow answered. “Third Flight will be covering us on our way to the river. From there, I’ll be leading First Flight to scout ahead of us while Second Flight covers closer to the rest of the group.”

Cor nodded and turned to address the rest of them. “Alright, let’s get under way.”

Ponies snatched their saddlebags and the first team to haul the carts was hitched up. The gate swung open after a signal to one of the Guards on the wall and the group of sixty ponies started out. Lyra remembered how pristine the city had looked before the war. She’d grown up there after all. Now the walls had the look of ruins. The round impact marks from the catapults looked like pock marks on a sick beast with cracks reaching out like spider webs so that no sizable portion of the wall was untouched. The once bright alabaster and gold was now dull grey and black. Old blood added brown stains to a scattering of stones near the ramparts.

Lyra looked away quickly, not wanting to remember the city like that. But the field before her was not much more appealing. The ground was torn and trampled by the Troll army and burned in places by the spells that had been thrown at them. Patches of darker earth, still soft under hoof from the blood that had soaked it, hinted at where Trolls had met their end, which seemed to be everywhere. Lyra attempted to avoid stepping in them at first, but quickly gave it up as hopeless. The skeletal remains of the ruined siege equipment were a thin forest of broken beams and limp ropes that marked the end of the killing fields. She couldn’t shake a feeling of unease as the timbers loomed over her, especially the ballista at the rear. She noticed Sergeant Dash pause at one and watched as the Pegasus’ gaze drifted to a seemingly inconspicuous spot near one of the machines. A shudder went through the Sergeant and she took a deep breath to steady herself before continuing on.

Once the battlefield was behind them, the mood improved markedly. Some ponies spoke now, keeping their conversations hushed, but earnestly engaging each other. Most attempted to get better acquainted with the ponies they hadn’t seen before. At least half of the group was from the Ponyville platoon but some had joined from among the populace of Canterlot. The Pegasi of the Air Corps also mingled with the Army ponies. Still, it was a few hours before they completely shook off the sobering effects the battle’s remains had on them.

The Pegasi who had been sent out to scout returned around midmorning and reported that there was no sign of the enemy ahead. They’d gone nearly to the edge of the river and all they could find were tracks that were as old as the battle. Cor and Long Watch deliberated briefly before agreeing that the scouts should fly out to the river itself and search for where the enemy had moved to. Cor suggested they stick to the shore instead of going inland, and return as soon as they knew which way the Trolls had gone. Watch wanted them to push on until they had spotted the enemy and could verify what they were doing. Cor refused to let them go so far afield, pointing out that such action would create too long a delay before they had the information they needed to proceed. Though he insisted they needed to know for sure where their enemy was, Watch eventually agreed that a short range search would be more useful now and that a longer range search could wait until they reached the river.

Third Flight set out again and the ponies continued on. Lyra took her turn pulling a cart and her mood would have soured for it if she hadn’t had interesting companions to distract her from the weariness with their colorful conversation. Private Breezy regaled Private Caramel with whimsical stories of his youth. Caramel in turn asked questions that revealed his simple view of the world. Lyra actually laughed out loud at one confused question Caramel asked about a particular couple that Breezy had “interrupted”, causing both stallions to look over at her sharply. Breezy gave her an appreciative and knowing smirk, which she returned before going back to pretending she wasn’t listening. Caramel glanced between them both for a moment, still not understanding.

The weather had been clear and bright when they’d left Canterlot, but the closer they got to the river, the greyer the day became. Untended clumps of clouds drifted aimlessly, lifeless and flat. The sun seemed more distant here, slightly obscured by a faint haze in the air, its light duller and lacking in its usual pleasant warmth. The leaves of the trees seemed less vibrant, though it was hard to tell if it was just a trick of the light or if they had actually lost their healthy luster. Cor paused from time to time to examine a patch of earth or a particular plant. Before moving on again, he always shook his head sadly and looked around as if hoping to find something that he clearly thought was missing. Still several miles from the river, the sound of birdsong was absent and no animals could be seen. Such creatures had taken to avoiding the site of the battle, instinctively sensing the death that had occurred there.

The scouts returned again, subdued, but refusing to say why. They reported that the Trolls’ tracks indicated that they had crossed the river and continued west into the forest. Cor and Jason discussed options while the cart crews were rotated. It was decided that they would make the river crossing and head north along the edge of the forest while the next group of scouts searched for the precise location of their quarry. Sergeant Dash took off with First Flight and winged west, high over the canopy and scanning through the foliage for signs of movement. Second Flight took off as well, staying above and ahead of the group to warn of potential danger close by.

When the ponies reached the fields along the river, all talking ceased again. But the cause was not simply dark reflections on the previous battle. This time, it was out of actual horror at what they saw. It quickly became obvious what had affected the scouts earlier. Where the fields in front of Canterlot had been dutifully and thoroughly cleared of bodies, this field had been scoured in a very different way. The bodies of hundreds of ponies remained sprawled where they’d fallen, twisted and frozen in death. Some appeared to have been tossed about and stripped of valuables. The scale of the field over which they were so carelessly strewn dwarfed the group of sixty as they made their way toward it. Worse still, the ponies lay alone. No Troll bodies could be seen anywhere on the field, giving the illusion of an even greater loss.

As they got closer, they began to see small white stones scattered across the field, in some places lying so thickly that there appeared to be small snow banks in the grass. Each was about the size of a hoof and had a single runic symbol burned onto it. It didn’t take long for it to become apparent that these marked where a Troll had died. The bodies themselves were found closer to the edge of the river, buried in the ashen remains of what seemed to be a series of crude funeral pyres. While the others walked on, resolutely trying to put the sight behind them as quickly as possible, Zacon lingered at the pyres. He walked among them, examining them closely. At one point, he took a scrap of cloth from his pack and marked something down on it with a bit of charcoal and folded it away carefully.

The river was crossed without anypony setting hoof in the waters. The Unicorns levitated the carts, the Earth Ponies and each other across while the Pegasi carried the packs to the other side. From there, they turned north, keeping just inside the edge of the forest. When noon arrived, Jason called for a halt to rest, which everypony greatly appreciated. Meals were broken out from one of the wagons and distributed. The meal was essentially granola bars, some fresh fruit and water. After the long march, nopony complained, but Jason informed them that the fruit would last one more day only. From there on, it would be just the granola. Though some attempt at conversation resumed, the general mood never returned to their previous heights. Lyra heard Zacon commenting that it was probably for the best, that the mood of soldiers should reflect the task at hand and cheerfulness would inevitably be shattered by harsh realities. Cor told him to shut up while Jason refused to acknowledge him at all.

They set out again after half an hour’s rest and continued until late afternoon. Progress was slowed by rough terrain, with the ground turning rockier as they went farther north. The supply carts caused the greatest difficulties, as the lack of roads to follow left them bouncing and catching on the uneven ground. One cart’s wheel broke, forcing the group to stop. Fortunately, Twilight had a spell in one of her books that fixed the damage, allowing the group to continue with minimal delay. As the sun was sliding lower in the sky, Cor announced that they would be setting camp soon. The Pegasi of Second Flight were tasked with finding a suitable location and within the hour, they had.

They set their camp at the base of a large rocky outcropping that rose out of the forest and poked up over the top of the canopy. The carts were lined up at the back of the camp and tents were set up. Rainbow returned with First Flight and reported that the Trolls weren’t nearly as far away as they had expected. She had flown out looking for them but lost their tracks and doubled back. She had been on her way back to the river to try to find their trail again when she’d spotted the enemy camp. It was only a few miles southwest of them. Cor decided to scout the position personally and took a few ponies from Sergeant Waters’ squad, with Rainbow showing the way. The others were instructed to get some rest, since they could expect to move again before dawn.

Sergeant Blitz gave Corporal Big Mac’s team from First Squad the duty of setting watch on the camp and Lyra took the first shift with Privates Caramel and Jack Hammer. Big Mac and Privates Turner and Breezy would take the second shift. The other fourteen ponies of their squad would take their turns another night. As Lyra settled in for her shift, she thought back on the day with a shudder. She was glad she was taking the first watch since she knew she wouldn’t find sleep easily that night.

~*~*~

The moon yielded the sky to the sun as it did every morning, but Celestia had already been awake for hours. Her rest was fitful but dreamless, often finding her waking suddenly, awash in cold sweat and colder fear. Her doubts would not give her peace, so she gave up on sleep and instead walked up to the balcony of her favorite tower. From there, she watched the night recede and dawn draw nearer. When the time came to bring the sun forth, she saw the ponies of the foreigners’ command departing the city. Their group seemed so small from here, crossing such a large field into an even larger world. As the last sliver of the moon disappeared, Luna landed beside her.

“You are worried for them,” Luna said, following her sister’s gaze and guessing at her thoughts.

“So few, going to face so many.” Celestia let out a defeated breath. “It’s impossible not to worry.”

“Despite my many reservations about them, I admit that the foreigners are capable warriors.” Luna looked out at the group for a moment longer before turning to face Celestia. “They would not have proposed this plan unless they were confident of its chance to succeed.”

“Still, it is hard to watch our subjects go,” Celestia said, finally managing to tear her eyes away from the distant group as well. She shook her head, trying to clear away the troubling thoughts, but failing. “They go too far away for me to protect them. I want to be there, to do what I can to see them all safely home again: The candid construction worker, the witty redheaded shopkeeper, the soft-spoken protector, the daughter of the Guard. These beautiful lives and so many more; they will be alone out there. Even Twilight…” Celestia closed her eyes against the weight of her inner turmoil.

“They will not be alone, sister.” Luna stepped closer and nuzzled up against her comfortingly. “They will have each other. One of Twilight’s friends is at her side, and is an Element Bearer herself. Nor are they without other familiar faces in their midst. The brother of the Element of Honesty is among their number. And they know your thoughts go with them. They are anything but alone.”

“But to go forth into such danger…” Celestia paused, struggling with an inner conflict between her deepest-seated beliefs and the requirements placed on her by the current situation. In the end, she was forced to put aside her feelings in favor of harsh realities. “No matter its importance or its power in other matters, friendship is no shield against the blade. Even the Guard, led by myself and Shining Armor, paid for our victory with more than twice as many lives as their entire group. It doesn’t leave much hope for me to cling to.”

“I know,” Luna conceded. “And rationalizing it will not ease the concerns we both wrestle with. But I know for certain that when next they meet each other in battle, it is the Trolls who should be worried, not our ponies. After all, when I say they are more than a match for any Troll, I speak from experience.” Luna rubbed the spot where Zacon’s blades had cut her, smiling wryly at the memory.

Celestia smiled back, more warmly. “Thank you. Once more, you shore up my resolve, even just with your presence.” She nuzzled the other briefly. “But there is work yet to do. Come, we must see to our troops.”

They both lifted off and descended into the city. The Army was stirring awake and already officers were gathering to coordinate their work. Sergeants roused their squads and directed them out of the camp and into the surrounding field. At the west end of the field, three Captains stood, observing and conversing in hushed tones. They were Captain Gallant Lance of the Royal Guard, Captain Spitfire of the Air Corps, and Captain Comet Tail of the Army. Comet Tail was the last surviving Captain from the five original companies that had fought at the river. He was also one of the few remaining officers left in the Army above the rank of Sergeant who had not originally served in the Guard. It was beside these three ponies that the Princesses landed.

Celestia knew that no squad had been untouched by losses. Every company had been, as Captain Gallant Lance had put it yesterday, “sufficiently depleted” so that the only way they could continue to function was to combine them into new units that would be at full strength. The Captain of the second company had yet to be named. From what Celestia heard, that had been the subject of the Captains’ conversation before they fell silent with the Princesses’ arrival. As soon as formalities were out of the way, each Captain reported on their progress in mobilizing their forces again.

“The Air Corps is ready to fly at your order, your Highness,” Spitfire said. “After figuring in new recruits, total strength sits at nine squadrons.”

Celestia acknowledged her report neutrally.

“The Royal Guard is prepared as well,” Captain Lance said somberly. “We number at one hundred. Of our infantry, there are ten lances and twenty swords. Our air squadrons have forty wings while the Mages’ detachment totals at thirty.”

Celestia took a deep breath as she absorbed those numbers before turning to Captain Comet Tail.

“The, um, Army’s current strength is two full companies,” he said, after hesitating until Celestia nodded for him to begin. He was obviously flustered but trying his best not to show it. “So, uh, we have about four hundred forty troops. That’s including the new recruits as well. We’re, um, not quite ready. There’s a lot of confusion over new units since we’ve just rearranged most of them. Plus, the other company still needs a captain. Was I supposed to pick somepony or did you have a particular officer in mind?” he finished with a slightly pleading tone.

“I believe that judgment rests with you, Captain,” Celestia said apologetically. “The other Captains can certainly offer advice, but the decision must be yours.”

His ears fell disappointedly but he nodded in acceptance.

“Thank you for your reports,” Celestia said, addressing all of them. “Time is not on our side. We must launch our counterattack before our enemy has had a chance to recover. Therefore, we must be ready to depart tomorrow by midmorning.” She glanced at her sister. “Luna will lead our forces out to drive the Trolls from Equestria and take our lands back.”

“You will not lead us yourself?” Captain Lance asked, looking concerned.

“No, Captain. I must stay here and coordinate the rebuilding of the city, tend to the families who are grieving and see to it that Canterlot comes to no further harm.”

He glanced between them a few times, his face impassive. Without any further hesitation, he saluted. “As you will, your Highness.”

Luna stepped forward and Celestia stepped back, allowing her to take command of everypony’s attention.

“Though most of our troops are ready to march, they are not all accustomed to their units. I suggest new recruits be drilled with their squads and squadrons, while those recently recovered from injury continue to rest. We must all be ready in more ways than orderly equipment, and I intend for…”

Luna was interrupted by a sudden commotion from the gates. A messenger galloped up to them and bowed. He was flushed and excited, and he spoke eagerly even as he gasped for breath.

“Your Highnesses, you’re needed at the gate at once!”

Both Princesses sprang into the air and winged swiftly to the gates. Spitfire followed, arriving just behind them. The guardsponies at the gate saluted and directed the Princesses’ attention to the outside of the gates.

“I’ll be a stone feather,” Spitfire said in disbelief, her jaw hanging open slightly.

An army was moving toward the city, coming up the slopes and weaving through the wreckage of the battlefield. Hundreds of soldiers marched up the mountainside, making directly for Canterlot. The steel of the armor and weapons gleamed in the sun as banners and pennants flapped in the light breeze. The sound of the rhythmic marching rose up to them and gained in power as the columns drew closer. The bob and sway of the raised spears, lances and battle standards created the illusion of an ocean of metal advancing toward them. The orderly ranks approached to a hundred yards of the walls and halted at the signal of a precisely coordinated series of voices throughout the lines.

Several figures moved to the head of the columns. Two wore the golden armor of the Royal Guard and the others were outfitted in steel Army plates. They marched, steady and synchronized, until they stood immediately below the gate itself.

“Your Highnesses,” the leader called. “Captain Flash Point reporting. The Eastern Equestrian Volunteer Expeditionary Force has arrived and stands ready to answer your call to arms.”

He and the officers beside him saluted, as did the entire force behind them. The resulting shift in armor and hooves was harmonious thunder. Celestia was stunned. She kept looking out at the ponies in the field before her, standing in neat and orderly rows, clean and polished armor gleaming. Spitfire was similarly speechless. After a moment of silence, Luna took charge.

“Welcome Captain. We deeply appreciate you and your Expeditionary Force for answering this call. We invite your troops to make camp and rest from your journey and for you and your officers to meet with us inside to discuss the situation.”

She nodded for the guards to open the gate and admit the officers. Lower ranked officers throughout the Army issued a series of orders and the columns broke ranks to set camp. Captain Point and the officers beside him trotted in through the gates and the Princesses winged down to meet them. Spitfire stayed on the walls, staring out at the troops.

“We never received word to mobilize,” the Captain explained. “But when we saw the smoke rising from the city three days ago, we hastened here immediately. It seems we’re too late.”

“Not at all,” Luna said. “I should commend you for your initiative. We could not spare the messenger to summon you due to the pressing circumstances. Your arrival now though is most timely. With our forces consolidated, we will finally have the advantage against our enemy.”

“To that effect, I believe a full report of our forces is in order?” Flash Point turned to one of the other officers with him and the pony in question produced a scroll which Flash Point unfurled and read off. “We have assembled ten companies with a combined strength of twenty-two hundred recruits as well as five complete squadrons of Pegasi for the Air Corps. We’ve furnished our own equipment and supplies and completed a full week of training. We’re ready for battle and at your command.”

He stowed the scroll and snapped to attention proudly, as did the other officers.

“That brings our full strength to…” Luna paused to do some mental calculations. “Nearly three thousand troops. Very good. We will meet again tomorrow morning to inform all companies of the plan. Until then, you are dismissed.”

As the officers saluted and returned to their troops, Luna turned to Celestia and saw that she was hardly paying attention.

“Sister?” she asked.

Celestia started and looked around, finding Luna peering closely at her, concern in her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been a mess lately, haven’t I?” Celestia sighed. “I just can’t get the image out of my mind of those ponies that died defending the river. This new wave of recruits looks exactly like them. Only there are more now.”

“It is good that so many ponies are willing to rise up in defense of their homes and country. Without them, we would have no hope.”

“But where, Luna, am I to draw hope from when I know that so many of these lives will be lost before the end? Oh, listen to me. I’m starting to talk in circles.”

Celestia turned away and sat down, her head lowered miserably.

“You have every reason to feel this way, sister,” Luna said, taking a seat beside her. “I struggle as well with the knowledge that our country is suffering so. But I draw my hope from seeing ponies who have not given up. I see in them a fire that will not be extinguished by this threat. It is true that the peace over which you’ve ruled has left them ill-equipped for war. But that peace also gave them something worth going to war for.”

Celestia looked up at Luna, her expression begging for Luna to say more, to give her something to grab hold of that could lift her spirits again.

“This beautiful land is more than a country to them. It is home. One that you have helped to make good for them,” Luna said with emphasis, laying a hoof on Celestia’s shoulder. “And it is that home that they wish to see preserved. Every one of these ponies came here with that goal. Though they fight, struggle, endure great pain and even die, they remain strong. They remain here, at our side and at our command, because they believe in us to lead them, not just to victory, but to the days of peace once more. That is my hope.”

Celestia nodded mutely and Luna waited, giving her time to be ready to speak.

“Still, the odds against us are staggering. I can hardly imagine overcoming them.”

Luna nodded understandingly. “It has been difficult and there are still great challenges before us. But we can already see the first glimmers of victory.”

“We can?” Celestia asked.

“Truly, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ve been winning this whole time.” Luna turned to look west, her gaze traveling farther than her eyes could see.

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked, still not following.

“Though we have lost ground to them, even had destruction visited on our cities, they have paid a terrible price for it.” Luna spoke evenly and without any significant emotion. “We have slain many times the number of their soldiers as they have of ours.”

Celestia looked away from her sister, scowling in disgust. “I refuse to count bodies as a measure of victory.”

“And yet, it will come down to that when this is finally finished,” Luna insisted. “Their numbers cannot be infinite. If this new offensive proves more effective than our defense thus far, we will inevitably wear them down until they can no longer pose any threat.”

“But at what cost, Luna?” Celestia snapped angrily. “How many ponies must we throw away to that end?”

Luna faced her sister’s anger with a steeled gaze. “If I have any say in the matter, far fewer than we have lost already.”

They glared at each other for a tense moment before Celestia relented.

“I’m sorry sister. I should not be angry with you,” Celestia said, standing up and looking out across the city. “I can’t help but feel a burning anger deep inside me when I think of how little I can do to stop all of this.”

Luna stood up with her.

“All that can be done here and now is to repair the damage as best we can. That is where you can do the most good, sister. You can be the beacon for them that they sorely need. Set your mind at ease and think not of battle. I will bear that burden.”

Celestia nodded. “I will try.”

They embraced briefly before Celestia left to oversee the next stages of reconstruction. Luna watched her go but her mind was elsewhere. She was finally being left in charge of the situation, finally given the chance to make a difference. And what a difference she would make! She took a deep breath and let out a confident sigh. Tomorrow, she would lead the Army out to retake Equestria. Tomorrow, she would take the first steps toward proving Prince Crimsontide wrong about Ponykind.

Comments

[Amethyst Blade]

[The laid back hunter]

Whats the crossover of???

[forrest yuchnitz]

And tomorrow she'll lead everypony into a massacre

[Puzzle Piece]

7742974 That's a tricky one to answer, though I'm surprised no one has asked yet. These characters come from a universe of my own making. I've been working toward getting published but I'm using fanfiction to improve my skills along the way as well as get some feedback. It's been a group project between me and a few friends and one of them threw a joke around that became the idea for this fic. The character Zacon technically belongs to him, and he created the Troll character, Ragnalau, specifically for this project. The rest belong officially to me. None of my other partners' characters are present in this fic. If you're looking for a genre, I'd say Fantasy/SciFi/Adventure because these obviously magical creatures have contact with post-modern humans. If there are any other questions you have, whether to understand something in this fic or just out of curiosity, don't hesitate to ask. But you might want to PM me if it isn't directly about the fic.