Innocent

by Puzzle Piece

Act IV: Chapter Thirty-Three: With the Rising Moon

“What do you make of it, my Captains?” Luna asked, her gaze sweeping the plains leading into the Crystal Empire.

The Troll encampments lay before them, lit from within by fires to ward away the coming night and touched softly by the amethyst glow of the translucent dome that surrounded the Empire. The shield shimmered as the last of the light faded from the western horizon. The camps encircled the Empire’s border and numbered twelve in all, separated by half a mile of open ground between each. The shield covered the city proper and most of the outlying buildings, but not all of them. The exposed buildings had been severely damaged, presumably by the war machines that lay discarded or destroyed at various points around the shield.

Luna nodded to herself. It is good we arrived when we did. The Empire is truly in dire need of us.

Their trek had been a four day hard march north from the battlegrounds at Darkshade Forest. Though Luna had been reluctant to let the Air Corps fly south to answer the Vanguard’s call for reinforcements, Captain Spitfire and her fliers had managed to return in time to make the approach on the Empire’s border with the rest of the Army. The march had been quiet. Much of the high spirits from their victory had dulled after a few miles and only continued to fade. The fresher troops from the eastern volunteers had begun to realize their first taste of battle had been an easy fight and that they were now marching toward what would undoubtedly be a much greater challenge. The more seasoned recruits that remained of Canterlot’s defenders felt a similar sense of dread but an equal share of determination, knowing the Crystal Empire would be facing odds comparable to the assault on their own home, but had stood alone for far longer.

Luna’s officers had reported these sentiments to her and she had told them in turn to see to it the troops knew they would be led to nothing short of total victory in the Frozen North. They would not let their fellow ponies down, who were counting on them to supply relief from the Troll attackers after two weeks of fending for themselves. As she gazed out at their destination, she did not have a single doubt in her mind that she had spoken true.

“It is a siege, your Highness,” Captain Nocturne said as he too studied the enemy camps. “They’ve positioned themselves to cut off all approaches, both for attack and retreat.”

The other Captains stood to either side, each taking in the situation on the frozen plains. They stayed back from the crest of the rise enough that a casual observer wouldn’t notice them from the camps below. Even though the ground was permafrost, the warmth emanating from the Crystal Empire kept the air from plunging to dangerous temperatures. Light cloaks had been distributed to the troops to be worn over their armor while in the north.

“There’s so many of them,” Captain Comet Tail breathed. “There must be hundreds of Trolls in each camp.”

“Thousands,” Captain Gallant Lance observed grimly.

“They’ve really settled in for a long one,” Captain Spectrum said, pointing to a permanent-looking, though hastily constructed building near the center of the camp closest to them.

“It’s the only building though. It must be some sort of command building,” Captain Caboose mused.

“If it was, it would have been better positioned on the top of the rise at the back of the camp,” Captain Flash Point said. “Much easier to see the field or defend in an attack, I’d think.”

“That’s a lot of traffic for a command building,” Spectrum said.

The others could see he was right. A steady stream of Trolls would emerge, briefly tend to some task and then withdraw into the building again. There was also an unusual amount of activity around the building for it being such a late hour.

“Maybe it’s a mess hall then?” Comet Tail asked.

“Could be,” Flash Point said. “But again, it should have been farther back in the camp, don’t you think?”

“No one accused them of being brilliant strategists,” Nocturne chuckled.

They continued to speculate idly and Luna let them. She peered out to the edge of the shield trying to discern the state of the defenses beyond. She spotted what looked like the remains of small battles. Bodies and broken siege engines, as well as the remains of a camp that was settled closer to the shield, were in evidence. She concluded that the defense had not been a passive one. The current Troll camps appeared to be fortified by bulwarks and warded by many sentries. Both sides had dug in and neither would be dislodged easily. She thought she saw movement at the edge of the shield, but one of the Captains suddenly exclaimed, bringing everypony’s attention to him.

“Sappers!” Captain Black Stone blurted. He wasn’t looking at the building that the others were discussing. Instead, he was looking to the other camps. “Those buildings aren’t mess halls or quarters or the rest. They’re sapper tunnels!”

“What makes you so sure?” Gallant Lance asked.

“That shallow hill behind the building,” Black Stone went on, nearly stumbling over his words in his haste to get them out. “It’s not natural. It’s a mound of moved earth! They’re taking it out of the tunnels and piling it at the back of the camp. It’s the same in every camp. They’re digging under the shield!”

In tense silence, they all looked again. This time the movement of the Trolls near the building appeared less random and out of place for the time of night. This time, they could clearly see it for what it was; an organized effort to move materials.

Nocturne grunted. “That’s backbreaking work with the ground frozen as it is.”

“But they’ve certainly made progress,” Comet Tail said. “Those mounds are huge for being piles of excavated dirt.”

“How close do you think they are to breaking through?” Spitfire asked.

“It’s impossible to tell from here, and I don’t fancy trying to get a closer look,” Gallant Lance said. “We have to assume time is short.”

“And so we will act now,” Luna said, drawing everypony’s attention. She turned and marched back toward the waiting troops.

“Begging your pardon, your Highness,” Gallant Lance said, trotting to keep up with her. “But what exactly is our course of action to be? Any one of those camps promises to be a battle unto itself, to say nothing of what should come if the others become involved.”

“We will not be attacking the camps at this time,” Luna replied. “We make directly for the Empire itself.”

“Will that not leave us in the same predicament as those already weathering this siege?” Nocturne asked as the other captains caught up.

“And without the element of surprise?” Flash Point put in.

“We came to relieve the Empire and break the siege. Once our two forces are combined, we will have more than sufficient strength to do so.”

“But how will we reach them without becoming embattled by one or more of the camps?”

“For that, we must be swift,” Luna said simply.

“A timely distraction could buy us the few seconds we need to slip through,” Spitfire suggested.

Luna nodded. “Make it so.”

~*~*~

Midnight approached and the Equestrian Army held their position, waiting for the signal to charge between the two Troll camps to the edge of the Empire’s shield, a distance of just over a mile. Once they left their concealment in the low hills of the tundra, the open ground that led up to the Empire’s border would offer no cover for their approach. The Trolls would only need to pinch them from either side and they would be caught in the field, outnumbered and surrounded. It would be a race to see which side could more quickly cross the five hundred crucial yards that separated freedom from entrapment. Unfortunately, the Trolls had only to close the gap with enough troops to slow down the head of the Equestrian column so other units could arrive and engage them. The Equestrians needed to get nearly three thousand troops clear of the Troll lines without being caught in a melee.

And to that effect, the Air Corps was to provide a distraction in an attempt to draw the Trolls away from the Army’s route. The signal came as the Air Corps attacked with javelins at the far edges of the two camps they needed to pass between. In a matter of seconds, the night erupted into noise and motion. Both camps were mobilized almost before the Equestrians had begun to charge. The Trolls formed ranks at defensive positions on their perimeter, scanning the violet-tinged darkness for the attackers. It took them a moment to realize their enemy was above them. There was a brief milling about as they tried to simultaneously take cover and return fire at the Pegasi. But they swiftly organized and pulled heavy wooden canopies over top of their bulwarks to shield themselves from the rain of javelins.

As the ponies closed the gap, many Trolls took notice of them. But none ventured out of the camps’ perimeter. They simply hunkered down to weather the attack, eyeing their enemy from behind their protective structures. The Air Corps shifted their attack to pick off any Trolls that remained exposed and harried them until they sought shelter. The Army made their way between the camps unchallenged. Reaching the shield, the Army slowed to a stop. Now that they were closer, they could see that beyond the shield lay additional fortifications. A ten foot deep trench had been dug and filled with jagged crystals that jutted up like spears. The space across the twenty foot span that separated them from the other side was occupied by a small squad of Crystal ponies who were busy maneuvering a portable bridge into position. As they secured it, the shield shimmered, signaling that it was now permeable.

The ponies wasted no time funneling through the shield and across the ramp to safety, but the gap was narrow and the thousands of ponies could only move so quickly. The Trolls of the camps suppressed by the Air Corps did nothing to stop them, but the other camps had now mobilized and waves of Trolls were pouring across the frozen field from both sides. Though their bulky frames couldn’t match a pony’s gallop, Luna could see that the Trolls were making good time in their lumbering charge. Even though they were a thousand yards off still, she knew the Army would not be able to pass over the meager bridge in time.

“Captain Gallant Lance!” she shouted, lifting off. “Take the Guard and ward our right flank. Nocturne, you and your fliers are with me.”

She turned to lead the charge but stopped short when she saw that the Empire’s defenders had already deployed a holding action to buy time for her troops to reach safety. Two more ramps had been put in place on either flank and Crystal ponies were rapidly forming lines outside the shield. In front of them, they set up stands that held slender crystal bows. They started firing immediately, resupplied with baskets of arrows by additional ponies running back and forth across the ramps with practiced efficiency. The arrows fell among the charging Trolls, piercing fur and biting into flesh. Where they struck, a layer of ice rapidly formed, impeding movement in joints that froze in place and under foot where arrows had struck the ground.

The Trolls seemed prepared for this and produced square wooden shields that they held in front of and above their leading line to catch the arrows before they could find their mark. This slowed their shuffling charge to a determined march. The archers slowed their volleys to conserve ammunition, keeping up just enough pressure that the Trolls couldn’t break cover to pick up the pace. Luna watched from above, mesmerized by the fluidity of the counterstrike. Likewise, Captain Gallant Lance had held his troops back to allow the Crystal Ponies to engage. They both returned to the crowd passing through the shield and soon found themselves safely behind the barrier, looking out at the Trolls.

The Crystal Ponies withdrew with the same smooth movement, escaping before the Trolls could close the gap and deal any damage. Some spears were thrown in rage, falling short ineffectually. One Troll even approached the shield where the last pony had slipped through and slammed his fist against it. The Trolls then marched back toward their camps, collecting their dead along the way. The Pegasi of the Air Corps slipped through another gap high on the shield and the stillness returned to the frozen plains. Luna looked for the pony in charge of the defenders and saw Princess Cadence approaching. Luna assembled her officers and marched to meet her.

“Your troops are a welcome sight,” Cadence said after they had exchanged formalities.

“As was the aid in reaching you provided by your own forces,” Luna acknowledged.

“Not to mention the warmth,” Spectrum muttered as he loosened his cloak.

“Tell me, what is the situation here in the Empire?” Luna asked briskly.

Cadence sighed heavily. “This stalemate has been a difficult one. We had hoped at first that we could wait them out behind the shield and let the harsh environment force them to leave. But they seem as well equipped as they are stubborn.”

“And more devious as well,” Luna replied. “Were you aware of their efforts to breach the shield?”

“They have tried numerous siege machines and even brute force of arms. None have succeeded. They seem content to keep us trapped.”

“Not quite,” Luna said gravely. “We observed what appeared to be sapper tunnels in the camps that surround you. They may be digging under the shield as we speak.”

Cadence balked. “If that’s true, we’ve no time to lose! We have to do something to stop them or they’ll overrun us.”

“Why not just extend the shield over the new opening after they break through?” Black Stone suggested.

“It’s not as simple as extending the shield,” Cadence said, shaking her head. “This shield is maintained by Prince Shining Armor. He’s the only one powerful enough to do so. And while a dome is a relatively easy shape to maintain, trying to add small patches to cover new gaps across the city would be too much for any mage to handle alone.”

“What of your own shield?” Gallant Lance asked. “I thought you had been the one to protect the Crystal Empire from King Sombra.”

“I was,” she said. “But I was holding back a spirit of fear and hate. My shield’s power amplified hope and love within the Empire, which sadly isn’t enough to ward us from the physical aggression of these Trolls.”

“Not to mention that they would likely dig around that shield once one breakthrough is blocked off,” Spitfire added. “They’ll dig the whole world out from underneath us if we don’t stop them.”

“We could let them have those openings and simply meet them at the chokepoints.” Flash Point said. “With the Army’s help, your defenders could keep them from bringing their numerical advantages to bear. Plus, we’ll have them surrounded for a change, just for the poetic turn of events.”

“While that is an enticing strategy, I have to point out that there will be at least twelve breaches to cover,” Gallant Lance replied. “That’s not a number I like. Not to mention what other surprises they might be preparing for us down there.”

“And it would be too great a risk to give them the chance,” Cadence said, nodding. “I won’t take such risks with the lives of the Crystal Ponies.”

“But what else can we do to stop them?” Spitfire asked. “We can’t exactly reach them underground.”

Cadence looked back at the city, frowning. “We might need to evacuate.”

Luna snorted. “I should think not. We’re here to rout these invaders, not flee from them.”

“With all due respect,” Cadence said, treading carefully with her words. “I don’t see how that can be done. I have to see to the safety of my subjects. What better course is there?”

“Before we can concoct a plan, we must know how much time remains for us.” Luna said, looking to the stars thoughtfully.

“I thought not knowing how long we had was the reason we were in such a hurry to begin with.” Black Stone said, confused. “How would we even find out?”

“Leave that to me,” Luna said, calling her Night Guard to her.

~*~*~

The lazy hours of the night stretched on. An hour had passed since the ponies had charged the gap and reached the shield. The Troll camps were silent again, waiting for their next opportunity to strike at their enemy. A faint mist began to creep out from the shield across the frozen ground, worming into the Troll camps to the south and obscuring the ground until the fires burned like islands in a sea of clouds. With a sudden surge, the fog rose high into a wall and rolled over the whole of three camps. They vanished from sight completely, the light of the fires snuffed out and even the light from the Empire’s shield unable to penetrate into the depths of the billowing mass.

Luna and her Night Guard slipped through the shield and into the concealment, making their way toward the middle of the enveloped camps. They winged through the fog mere feet from the ground and soundlessly landed at the edge of the Trolls’ perimeter. The sentries posted there were slumped against the bulwarks, asleep. The ponies snuck past them and into the camp proper. The glow of Luna’s horn lit up her smile. The sleep spell woven into the fog in the central camp had succeeded. Trolls were sprawled around the dead campfires and leaning against supply crates. Luna led the way between them toward the building that hid the tunnel entrance, careful not to brush against any of them. The spell was fragile from being stretched over such a wide area.

The camp seemed larger now that she was inside it, the dense fog taking away any point of reference that could help her judge their progress. They had passed hundreds of Trolls and tents when the building’s hulking form appeared before them. Roughly hewn logs formed the roof and walls on three sides but the side facing away from the Empire was wide open. Luna peered cautiously around the corner and saw a dozen Trolls laying beside a gaping hole descending into the ground. She signaled the others to move inside and stand watch. She and Nocturne entered the tunnel, which was tall enough for them by a full foot and wide enough for six ponies to march abreast.

The carved earth was reinforced with timber braces set at intervals and Luna counted them as they walked deeper. Each was spaced out about five yards apart with a dim lantern hung from the crossbeam. The edge of the Empire’s shield lay eight hundred yards from the Troll’s camp and as the tunnel stretched on past the hundredth brace, she concluded it would easily reach. She couldn’t confirm her suspicions though, because she and Nocturne were brought up short by several Trolls collapsed in the middle of the tunnel. They appeared to have succumbed to the sleep spell while hauling another cart of earth up to the surface. Luna knew they wouldn’t be able to move them without breaking the spell and there wasn’t enough space for either of them to slip by. They swiftly left the tunnel again.

“They’ve gotten too far for comfort,” Nocturne whispered once they had rejoined the other Night Guard. “We could knock out the supports and collapse the tunnel. That would set them back a long way.”

Luna shook her head. “If we could reach the other tunnels, I would agree, but we cannot. We will need to break this siege before they are able to breach the shield.”

“That could be only hours away in the other camps,” Nocturne whispered urgently. “We don’t have the numbers to drive them off. What can we do?”

“We do not have the numbers, no,” Luna said with a sudden smile. She looked around the camp, where even objects a few yards away were indistinct in the heavy fog. “We must return to the Empire at once. I have a plan.”

They retraced their steps as swiftly as they could, emerging from the camp and crossing the gap back to the Empire and the welcoming glow of the shield. Her officers stood together, waiting anxiously for her return. Cadence was still there, and Prince Shining Armor had joined her now. He looked drained, his eyes were half-lidded and he leaned against his wife for support. He managed a crisp nod when Luna greeted him but otherwise appeared to be ignoring his surroundings.

“We’ve concluded that the Trolls have made far too much progress for any delay,” Luna said, gazing about at them all. “But I believe I know a way to break this siege before they manage to breach our defenses.”

A murmur passed through them and Cadence spoke up.

“What could it be? The Army may be enough to defeat any one camp, but it will not be just one camp that they will have to contend with.”

“I agree,” Gallant Lance said. “We outnumber one camp three to two, roughly. But there’s no way we can get through before both our flanks are engaged. You saw how quickly the enemy responded to our rush to reach the shield.”

“I did,” Luna replied with a nod. “And I saw how they were slowed by the Empire’s defenders. Worry not, for I have taken it all into account. We must not fight them on two sides, for we cannot win such a battle. Instead, we must find a way to engage on a single front. And in order to facilitate that condition, I shall crush them under the weight of their own brutish recklessness.”

They all glanced at each other. She did her best to hide her smile, knowing they were uncertain of what she meant but hoping it was a miracle she could truly conjure.

And conjure it I will.

“First, we must move a line of troops into position on either side of the sleeping camp. I will draw the fog back so that the adjacent camps can see our troops. Our goal is to draw them out, and when they pursue us, we shall slip back into the fog and withdraw to the Empire. The Trolls will find only their brethren in the sleeping camp.” Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “But when they are rouses from my spell, those mists will be transformed into a waking nightmare. They will not see Trolls surrounding them, but monsters.”

“They’ll tear each other apart,” Shining said. Even as tired as he appeared, his voice carried a keen edge, as if afraid. “They won’t even know what they’re doing until it’s too late.”

“Exactly,” Luna said. “I need a unit of lancers, swift and light. Captain Comet Tail, your company will be ideal for this mission.”

The Captain saluted and left to assemble his troops. Luna watched him go briefly before turning back to the rest of them.

“Meanwhile, we will prepare for the second phase of the plan.”

As Luna oversaw the companies’ preparations, she carefully maintained the spell over the Troll camp. It was a mild strain, but since she was merely easing them into sleep in the middle of the night, it was not too difficult. Come morning that would all change. Not only would she have to prevent them from waking with the dawn, but she would also have to prevent the mists from being burned away in the sunlight. The night was waning but there was time still for her plan.

Comet Tail’s company was briefed on their orders and they marched across the portable bridge onto the plains beyond the shield. They vanished from sight and Luna moved to the eastern edge of the mist to watch her plan be carried out. Some of the officers, as well as Shining and Cadence, joined her. They waited in silence for the lancers to move into position. Minutes passed. When Luna judged they should be ready, she lifted her head and made a sweeping gesture with her horn. The edges of the wall of fog receded on both sides, exposing much of the frozen land between the camps once more.

Just visible on the new edges, the company of lancers stood ready. When they could see the Trolls standing watch at the edge of the adjacent camp, they began shouting and taunting them. There was a muted reaction from the Trolls as the sentries stood motionless and the camp roused itself to the commotion. The ponies continued to shout and stamp their hooves in challenge as more Trolls gathered behind their barricades to watch.

“I take it you were expecting a more energetic response?” Nocturne observed from behind Luna. “Doesn’t look like they’re taking the bait.”

Luna could see that most of the camp had crowded to that side of the camp and she smiled.

“Don’t be so sure,” she replied. “They’ll come out of their hole once they feel prepared.”

She knew they wouldn’t be able to resist being called out so brazenly. She could see they were being wary and attempting to gather for their charge subtly. But she knew their efforts would be in vain. No matter how they tried, no preparation would see them free of her trap. When they did charge, it was a thunderous wave that poured out of the camp at the ponies, a mass of burly forms bristling with weapons and screaming with rage. The ponies held their position for a few seconds before slipping back into the concealing fog. The Trolls followed them in with wild abandon.

Gone were the careful formations and cautious advances to stop them from reaching the Empire’s shield. Gone were their own shields and the fear of icy arrows. They saw that the ponies were moving toward their allied camp still lost in the mist and they could not hold back. Their lines dissolved as the Trolls rushed to reach the hidden camp before the ponies could do their damage. Those ponies who watched alongside Luna saw them vanish from sight, though the battle cries still rang out across the plains and reverberated on the shield. At the shields’ edge, the lancer company began to return. They ran hard up to the shield and skirted it to the ramp. Each lancer crossed back into the warmth and safety with grateful sighs. Captain Comet Tail waited beyond the shield, ushering his troops inside, counting them as they passed until he was sure they had all made it back and stepping through himself.

The instant they were all out of the mist, Luna’s horn flared and the mist changed color from natural grey to a deep blue, tinged with purple. The shouting voices of the Trolls fell silent for a brief moment before the night erupted with screams of terror and the sound of battle. The ponies could do nothing but listen as the Trolls struggled with their unseen assailants. Luna smiled again, knowing what they saw, or thought they saw. The spell that had once kept one camp sleeping had placed waking nightmares in the minds of the Trolls now lost in the swirling fog. They would find no Trolls beside them, but misshapen and twisted figures reaching out to them, attempting to drag them away into the blackness of the night.

The hidden battle lasted for two hours. The screams and clashing of weapons were distorted in the mists, echoing across the plains. Luna stood and gazed out at the mist with a small smile of satisfaction. A pony near her commented that the Trolls of the farther camps were watching the fogbank but hadn’t moved. She didn’t even glance away, concentrating on her spell and its results. As the glow of the rising sun warmed the horizon, an eerie silence fell. Luna allowed her spells to end and the fog began to dissipate. When the sun had risen to light the frozen plains, the camp was fully uncovered. What had been left in the wake of the night’s battle was a killing field.

Bodies were draped over bulwarks and tents, heaped around trampled campfires and spilling out of the camp on both sides. The camp had the look of a tornado’s path. Isolated Trolls scattered throughout the camp began to venture out from under tarps and overturned crates to see that they were among the few to survive. They quickly retreated to the adjacent camps where they met up with the reserves that remained behind. There was a buzz as they recounted their experience to their fellows but a new commotion brought them to anxious silence once more. Many more ramps had been hauled to the edge of the shield and the Equestrian forces were swiftly forming up ranks to march out.

The moment the Army left the confines of the shield, the devastated camps fled while those farther along the shield’s edge began mobilizing to attack. The pikes that made up the bulk of the pony forces formed lines facing east, a huge wall of bladed shafts. Platoons of Crystal lancers joined the lancers from Canterlot on the southern flank. The Crystal archers of the Empire formed up to the west with the Air Corps above, preparing to ward the rear. Luna, surrounded by her Night Guard, hovered high over the pike lines to get a clear view of the entire field. The sunlight streaming across the snow-frosted land turned the eastern horizon into radiant silver. The dull-furred Trolls stood out against it starkly like a stain spreading across a fine tablecloth.

They marched with their square shields raised, two thousand Trolls in the first camp’s wave and four more waves forming up behind it. With a signal from Luna, the pike formations began to advance. The gap closed quickly and the two armies met with a crunch that sounded across the frozen plains. Many ponies were jolted off their hooves by the shock of their pikes digging into the shields and the weight of the Troll lines behind them. The shields took the brunt of the first contact well, protecting the Trolls enough to push into the thick of the phalanx, but once they met the next row of pikes, the shields became a hindrance. Some of the pike heads that lodged in the wooden shields began to burrow through, cracking them until they splintered. The shields that remained intact were impaled by more pikes, which multiplied the resistance against the Trolls’ advance. With large swaths of the shields brought to a halt, the Trolls behind them couldn’t move forward.

The clash turned into a scrum, with the Trolls forcing their way deeper into the forest of blades that separated them from their foes and the ponies thrusting and desperately digging in against the sheer number of attackers. Trolls attempted to push under the pikes with their shields, some even managing to reach the ponies they sought. Those few made a mad account for themselves before being swallowed up by the advancing formation. As the last of the shield bearers fell, the Trolls began to falter, cut and impaled by the inexorable pike wall. There was a scramble to retreat as many gave up that they would be able to win. A contingent broke away from the rear and swept to the flank in an attempt to bypass the pikes only to be met with a solid row of Crystal lancers. As the lancers made their first pass, each group tearing into the other viciously, the Canterlot lancers dove into the melee, scattering the remains of the ragged Troll counterattack.

The Trolls broke and fled, having been reduced by a third of their number. The pikes pursued at a steady march, allowing the Trolls to out-pace them. The advancing ponies watched as those Trolls melted into the next wave, bolstering their numbers and shouting warnings to the front of the line. Luna heard them giving advice on how to best pierce her lines and she scowled. She looked to the rear to see how the other flank was faring and found that they had brought the enemy to a halt with withering volleys of ice arrows. The Crystal archers were no longer conserving ammunition, intent on breaking the siege here and now. The Trolls were being inundated by the frost that spread under their feet and across their shields. It seemed that fighting into the dawn’s light was also holding them up, since the unusual concentration of arrows was coming from a blinding curtain of sunlight that reflected off the snow as well. They had, in fact, set their shields against the ground to form a solid wall and stopped their advance completely.

Satisfied that she needn’t worry about the rear guard, Luna turned back to the pike lines. They closed the gap with the Trolls steadily, and the Trolls approached with a more cautious march. When they met, it was less of a crunch and more of a grating and scrapping as the shield bearers jockeyed with the pikes for an opening. In pockets, Trolls began to make gaps and the pony lines were in danger of being pierced in a dozen places when Luna decided to act. Diving toward the center of the line, she let forth a rapid series of blasts from her horn, targeting the breaks in the line. As she landed, she sent out a ripple of force that scattered the Trolls where she touched down.

“Forward, Equestrians!” she shouted, charging ahead and swinging her horn in a wide arc that cut down a pair of Trolls cleanly.

Her Night Guard descended beside her and pushed back the Trolls on either side of her. The ranks of the pikes surged at her call, surprising the Trolls who had counted on the relatively slow advance to worm their way into the formation. Trolls were pushed down, cut and trampled under the thousands of thundering hooves that drove into them. The second wave of Trolls broke apart and fled, just as the first had. The pikes that cut at the heels of the Trolls took their toll, catching hundreds in flight. The third wave stood in the path of the charge, at first resolute, but suddenly a horn sounded and most of the rear of their troops broke away, heading north around the Empire’s domed barrier. Only the shield bearers remained, digging in to face the ponies. Luna looked ahead farther and saw that all of the Trolls from the other camps had also turned back. Elation flooded through her and she let out a shout, urging her troops on.

Another blast from her horn shattered the center of the shield formation and the pike lines slammed into the rest. Hafts snapped and shields splintered as the ponies overran the Trolls. The horns of the Trolls continued to blare in the distance and soon all the camps were emptying. Thousands of Trolls lumbered west, back into the tundra and away from the Crystal Empire. Eyes aglitter, chest heaving with excitement, Luna watched them go until they had put the first hills of the tundra’s rough terrain behind them. She let out a cry of victory and swooped toward the ground. She looked around at the various platoons restoring order to their formation after their wild charge and called to Captain Gallant Lance.

“Where is Captain Nocturne?” she asked once he stood before her. “I want him to take his flight after them to be sure they are leaving Equestria completely.”

“Princess,” Gallant Lance began anxiously. “Nocturne won’t be able to lead a flight. He was injured. Badly.”

Luna felt her excitement drain away in an instant. Gallant Lance pointed the way and she rushed to where Nocturne was being tended. Three ponies were gathered around him, one wrapping his wing in bandages, one splinting his foreleg and one easing his dented armor off. His breathing was a rasp and every time he was jostled, he winced. Luna tried to remain expressionless but caught herself biting her lip in worry. Nocturne must have noticed because he spoke up hastily.

“Don’t mind the wing,” he said. “Just a bit ruffled. It’s the ribs that have me grounded.”

“But you will be fit to return to duty?” she asked.

He flexed his wing slowly, grimacing. “Not for some time, I’m afraid. Tenebris will have to take my place beside you.”

“Lieutenant Tenebris!” Luna called, not taking her eyes off Nocturne’s injuries.

The Bat Pony appeared before her a moment later. She was slimmer than most, even among the more slightly built Bat Ponies. Tenebris cast an anxious glance at Nocturne and quickly averted her gaze.

“Yes, my Princess?” she asked, her voice much too soft to carry the same sharp tone the formalities usually took from any other officer.

“I need you to take a flight after the Trolls and be sure they do not mean to return,” Luna said. “If indeed they leave Equestria, report back so we may relocate our forces to drive out the rest of these mongrels.”

“I’ll be back the moment I am sure, Princess,” Tenebris replied with a bow.

Luna watched her gather a flight and quickly chase the night over the horizon. Once she was out of sight, she turned back to Nocturne, but she was interrupted by Gallant Lance and Spitfire’s approach. They were discussing the casualties, which were still being tallied.

“All I’m saying is,” Gallant Lance said, clearly making an effort not to raise his voice. “Regardless of where we’re needed next, we’re not going anywhere for some time.”

Spitfire was obviously unhappy with that because she turned immediately to Luna.

“What do you say, Princess? What is our next move?”

Her tone was far more aggressive than usual and it gave Luna slight pause.

“We must be sure the enemy has left for good,” the Princess said. “They have withdrawn for now but they are numerous enough to be a grave threat should they return. Once they are dealt with, we must return to central Equestria and defeat the Troll forces there.” Luna raised an eyebrow, guessing at why she might be cross with the other Captain. “Why? Does Gallant Lance say differently?”

Spitfire didn’t say anything, but shot Gallant Lance a sour look.

“Not strictly, your Highness,” he answered, clearing his throat. “We’ve got a high number of wounded and they will not be able to travel for a few days at best. If we were to move against the enemy before that, we might be doing so at dangerously reduced strength.”

“I see,” she said, glancing at Nocturne once again.

Then Luna looked out at the rest of the troops who still combed the battlefield, gathering weapons and assisting the wounded back toward the Crystal Empire. She saw now the many that could not walk under their own power, leaning on a pony for support or else being carried. There were hundreds. She felt a twinge of guilt for cheering at her victory but she shook it off. She had won another battle, and as costly as it had been, it meant she was one step closer to ridding Equestria of this scourge. She couldn’t afford to second guess herself now, for this surely wouldn’t be the last difficult aftermath she would oversee.

A soft pulse went out from the heart of the Crystal Empire and a wave of warmth spread with it. The shield fell away and the spires of the palace glinted in the dawn’s light. Cadence and Shining Armor approached a minute later, the latter looking greatly recovered. He was still as disheveled and his eyes had the shadow of sleepless nights in them, but he stood tall and his stride was purposeful and sure. The lines of worry that had crossed Cadence’s countenance were also gone.

“We’ve overcome this threat,” Cadence said when they were close enough to speak. “And the spirit of the Empire’s citizens has been restored. Now we must make plans to prevent the danger from returning.”

“And we shall,” Luna nodded. “We will linger to allow our troops the rest they need before they can take to the field again and that will allow our scouts to determine the enemy’s intentions. Once we are sure they are gone for good, we will need to purge them from the rest of Equestria. And with the Empire’s added strength marching south with us, we can…”

“March south?” Cadence interrupted. “The Empire’s forces can’t leave the north. We would be defenseless. They must remain here.”

“The Crystal lancers are among the best in Equestria’s history,” Luna said, matter-of-factly. “And having seen the effectiveness of the archers, I admit I would miss them in future engagements.”

“Luna, thousands of Trolls fled west. What is stopping them from coming back? We need defenders here. You have this whole army, the combined strength of the rest of Equestria! We only have the ponies of the Empire to defend our homes with. You saw how badly we were outmatched. If the Trolls should return, or…”

“Cadence!”

Luna managed to keep her tone low but couldn’t help a hint of her desperation creeping in. Cadence clamped her mouth shut immediately, taken aback.

“Please,” Luna said, stepping closer. “We will not leave until we know the Trolls have left the Empire’s borders completely. But the rest of Equestria needs us just as much. I am only asking for a number of troops to come with us to their aid. I believed in your ability to protect the Empire until we arrived, and you did. I ask that you believe in me now.”

Luna waited for her reply anxiously. Cadence’s expression remained concerned, but after exchanging a glance with Shining and receiving a nod in return, she let out a defeated sigh.

“Take a platoon of archers and lancers then. That much is owed to you for being here to save us when you did.”

Shining stepped forward and put a hoof around her shoulders encouragingly.

“Don’t worry. We can handle whatever comes next. We only need to hold on to faith in each other.”

“Thank you,” Luna smiled. “And the rest of Equestria thanks you as well.”

Cadence excused herself to rest. Shining exchanged hurried whispers with her before turning back to Luna. Luna watched Cadence go and gave Shining a curious look.

“I know your being here is a sign that the situation in the south is being handled, but I still need to ask.” Shining took a deep breath before going on. “How is Twilight doing? And Celestia, for that matter?”

“Our sisters were well when I left,” Luna said with a slight smile. “Celestia is tending to the aftermath of an attack on Canterlot and Twilight is assisting in countermeasures against the Trolls’ continued activity in central Equestria. If you are planning to remain here, I can give them word you are also well when I see them next.”

“Canterlot was attacked?” Shining gasped.

Luna held up a hoof to stop him. “Let us retire somewhere to discuss what has happened in your absence. It has been a long night.”

Comments

[OP Omni God-Emperor Doom]

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7743218

Agreed, because Luna is a prideful, and envious bitch. That she is gonna get her "precious" ponies killed, all because she didn't listen to the "foreigners" that are total experts to warfare and the battlefield!!!!