The Line

by Sooks

Ch.6 - Leave

The deck of the Adamant seemed hardly large enough to allow over 200 ponies to stand, but when everyone formed tight ranks, there was room to spare. All of them wore their light uniforms for their coming shore leave: dark blue collars for the airponies, white collars for the sailors, white with green stripes for the crew specialists, and violet with gold trim for the Magicorps. Above them, Captain Candescence stood on the quarterdeck. Below them, Canterlot sprawled out across the side of the heavens-piercing mountain. Its marble and granite buildings shone in the early morning light like pearls, its purple and gold roofs spread like tapestries.

The ship descended until it was level with the dock. The structure was a ramshackle thing, hewn from a convenient cliff just outside of the city. It was assumed that more work would be put into its development, but considering the architects had only had a few weeks to do as much as they managed, it was an impressive piece of work.

The captain waited until the ship had eased into its mooring before starting. "The Adamant will remained docked in Canterlot for the remainder of the day to pick up supplies for the front. Once our stores are full, we will be departing for Dodge Province to rendezvous with our battle group. Unless otherwise noted, you all have the day off. Make good use of it; this is the last holiday you can expect to get for a while. The ship departs at 20:00 this evening. I want everyone back on board by 19:45. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Good. Dismissed." Her first mate, a magenta unicorn with a square jaw and a twitchy ear, called over the group assigned to help move cargo. Comet did not envy the two dozen ponies stuck with the ship; the filly made a beeline for the dock, eager to get off before the captain changed her mind.

"Oi, Shimmer, wait up." Half of Cyclone Company, or the Foal Squad as Rainbow Blaze had kept calling them, caught up to her half way down the ramp. Willow Wisp smirked. "Off in a rush, are you? Eager to see your boyfriend?"

"I appreciate you thinking I'd have a boyfriend, but no. I thought I'd go see my family while I have the chance."

"Not a bad idea. Say, you're from Canterlot, right?" Sun Ray said.

"Yes, thus me going to see my family."

The yellow filly carried on, "How about giving us a tour?"

Moon Beam laughed at her incredulous look. "We'll get out of your way whenever you get where you're going, just... give us the flying tour and show us some landmarks."

"Oh, fine, but you leave when I get home, got it?" The six of them nodded. The filly sighed. "Alright, let's go." The ponies took to the skies, surfing just above the rooftops and over the parks. "My house is over in the west district, so you'll get to see Ecliptic Plaza on the way. You can find any kind of food you want around there: Zebrican, Saddle Arabian, Germane. There's a really good Prench cafe on 3rd Street if you guys are hungry.

"That over there," Comet pointed, "used to be the fort that guarded Canterlot when it was first founded twelve hundred years ago. It used to have a proper name, but everypony just calls it The Bastion now. It hasn't actually been used in centuries, and last I heard, it's being turned into a museum."

"Hey, is there a bank around here somewhere?" Willow Wisp asked.

"Um, yeah, I'll show you when we get closer." Only a few clouds interrupted the clear morning skies. Lily Nimbus caught a small tuft of the bouncy material in mid flight, juggling it on her spread wings before passing it to Stratus like a ball. The seven of them made a game of passing the cloud while performing the hardest stunt they could. Moon Beam won easily when she bounded off the side of a building, barrel rolled, caught the cloud in mid roll, and tossed it with her wing while dodging a bronze spire. It was not clear to anypony whether she or Silver Raindrops was more agile, but it would be a hell of a contest.

Ecliptic Plaza was a wide, circular space oriented along cardinal lines. The broad northern road ran from the plaza all the way to the castle farther up the mountain side, while the southern road headed for Canterlot Station. In the center, a dais carved in the shape of an overlapping sun and moon sat with a shining metal pillar in the center. Atop the pillar was an idol of the sun. It was where, Comet explained, Princess Celestia rose the sun for the Summer Sun Celebration whenever the event was held in Canterlot. For today, the plaza was its regular morning fare: open restaurants, shops, plenty of umbrella clad tables, and lots of ponies heading elsewhere.

"Elegance," Stratus said to himself.

"What was that?"

"Manehattan has more energy than Canterlot," Stratus said of his hometown, "but Canterlot seems to have an elegance to everything."

"You have no idea." Comet rolled her eyes. "Canterlot was a unicorn city before it became the capital. After they came to Equestria, they stopped looking down on anypony, but they still brought all their haute couture customs from the ancient kingdom. It's not as bad as it used to be, but everything is just so... ugh."

"Just so?" Lily said in her I-want-to-annoy-Silver accent.

"Exactly." Comet pointed out a bank to the others and flew in for a landing. The group caught more than a few glances from the ponies waiting in line. They must have been rather dashing, all sporting their matching uniforms and gold pins, but nopony said anything on the matter. Canterlot, the filly mused, where nopony says anything to anypony. The teller looked up from his books and smiled.

"Miss Shimmer, is that really you? Well bless my mane, how long has it been?"

"Good morning, Fine Print. Six months, give or take a week." She smiled. "How have things been?"

"Fine, fine. Just the usual comings and goings, mostly. But look at you. Your folks said you were in the army, but I had to see it for myself. Congratulations." The stallion fussed over a few books and forms. "Now, what can I do for you today?"

"Just a small withdrawal, Mr. Print. My friends and I only have leave for the day."

"That's a shame." Fine Print got up and pulled a record book from the shelf. He set down the ledger with her account and flipped to the page. "Here we are. Oh my."

"Something wrong?"

"Not wrong, no. Apparently, you've been getting paid for the last six months." None of the airponies had known, or really even thought about getting paid for their training. "It's pretty minimal, lots of deductions for expenses, but it looks like your first payment as an enlisted pony just got filed yesterday, and there's an insurance policy that's been attached to your account."

"So how much do I have?" Fine Print showed Comet the ledger. "...That's a lot of bits."

"Hmm," he smiled. He had seen more, but it was hardly a brag for banker to see lots of money. "So, Miss Shimmer, how much would you like to withdraw?"

"Well, since I have it, 300." She leaned in close. "And if, you know, something happens while I'm... I'd like the money in my account transferred to my parents'."

"Of course," Fine Print whispered. The other six took longer, their files not directly on hoof, but the seven of them departed less than an hour later with nothing but smiles. In the past six months, they had gotten rich, and they hadn't even known it was happening.

"You must have lived here a while if the bucking bank teller knows you, Egghead," Lily said. "And he's not much older than you, hm? You ever consider a unicorn?"

"You are not trying to hook me up right now." The look Comet gave her could have frozen lava. But after six months, she should have learned that retaliation only fueled Lily's fire.

"Oh, bless mah stars," Nimbus picked up a Dodge accent from somewhere, "she's blushin' like a virgin on her weddin' day." The pink filly grinned. "I hear unicorns can be a 'magical experience.'"

"I'm not listening to this." Comet increased her pace.

"Be real, Jitterbug." Willow laughed. "Comet's not looking for a stallion. No colt could satisfy her the way a book can."

The remark could be interpreted entirely decently. But that would require decent company. Lily swooned, "Oh, those poor spines!"

Comet was seeing such a vibrant shade of red, she hardly noticed when she stormed inside. The others followed her in, laughing like a flock of clucking hens. Their blue collars once again caught the attention of the patrons, some with such awe that they forgot to be upset at the ruckus. She turned on them. "Didn't you promise to leave?"

"Sure," Sun Ray said, "but this is more fun," Moon Beam finished.

"If you parasprites don't knock it off, So help me Celestia, I will-"

"Comet?" The filly froze mid sentence. Slowly, like turning too fast would jinx it, she looked over her shoulder. Her father gawked at her, scissors held mid snip in some stallion’s mane. The filly had not really thought of how to handle coming back; she hadn't been able to tell them ahead of time, and she hadn't thought of anything to say for this moment.

So all she managed was a meek, "Hi, Papa." The stallion tapped her father on the foreleg and motioned to leave. He set down his scissors, trotted up to his daughter, and wrapped her in a two legged, two winged hug.

"Welcome home, Shimmerbug." The filly relaxed in his embrace; he hadn't changed a bit. "Oh but look at you," he held her back so he could see her, "with your nice uniform and your shiny wings, you're a proper soldier now. I knew you could do it. And your-" he froze. "Mother of Celestia, your mane! What did they do, attack you with garden shears?"

Comet laughed. "I thought you might say that." She leaned into his hoof. "I missed you, Papa."

"Missed you too, Shimmerbug."

Comet held onto the moment for a little before turning to introduce her friends. "Papa, these mules are Lily Nimbus, Willow Wisp, Stratus Drifter, Sun Beam, Moon Ray," she knew they hated getting their names swapped, "and Stargaze. They're all in the same company as I am."

"Welcome, welcome." The stallion shook their hooves. "I'm Nebula. A friend of Comet's is always welcome here. You," he pointed at Willow, "you especially, your mane looks awful."

"Papa!"

"What, it does! I thought they slaughtered yours, but there' barely anything left on his head. And it'd be on the house, so I'm not wrangling business."

"This time." The filly stuck her tongue out at her father. It felt almost wrong, slipping back into step with the stallion after so long. It felt like years since she had been back in Canterlot, yet she remembered everything as if she had never left.

"Fine, fine. Since my daughter disapproves, young colt, your mane shall have to remain depressing."

"It's fine, Papa, they promised they'd head off anyway." Comet glanced at them expectantly.

Nebula gasped. "Comet, I thought I raised you better than that. These ponies are our guests. If they want to stay, they certainly may." They were locked in a three way staring contest between Comet, her father, and her friends. And yes, Lily was actually giving her best puppy dog eyes. The filly finally capitulated. "Wonderful, now, let me finish with these customers and we'll go somewhere nice. Have you eaten yet?"

"On the ship, Papa, but I did show them the plaza earlier. They might want to try something there."

"Plaza's a good place to start. Now off with you, or else I won't be able to focus. And flip the sign on the way out, Shimmerbug." The filly flipped the sign in the window to "closed" and stepped out into the street. The others were smirking at her more than she liked.

"'Shimmerbug?'" Lily giggled. Comet scowled at her something terrible. "Oh relax, Egghead, your dad seems like a nice guy."

"That's not the point. Why did you guys go inside? You promised me you'd leave when we reached the shop."

"The opportunity presented itself, Shimmer, relax," Stratus said. "What, are you embarrassed of us?"

"Yes! No- look, I needed to talk to my father in private, and now I can't." The filly looked skyward for help, but found only more company. A brick red pegasus descended in a lazy circle and came to a stop beside the gathered soldiers. Silver Raindrops took a moment to adjust her mane and frowned at them.

"There you all are. I saw you take off, and I've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry, Rain. We got caught up following Shimmer on a tour of the city." Willow scratched the back of his neck and chuckled. Comet almost preferred when the two of them bickered all of the time.

"Well, at least I found you. But what are you all doing down here?"

"Just waiting for Papa Egghead. He's finishing up with a few customers." The group made idle chat, largely without Comet's input, until her father came out and locked the door behind him. The chiroptequus stallion set his hat on his head and strode over to the waiting squad.

"Sorry for the wait, kids. Oh, you multiplied! And who might you be, miss?"

"Silver Raindrops, sir. I trained with your daughter at Fort Hurricane." The pegasus curtsied, which earned a silent gag from Lily. Nebula laughed.

"You're from Baltimare, I take it." Rain nodded. "I've only been a couple times. Lovely city, very refined." He kissed her hoof, an act that seemed to displease Willow if his bristling hairs were any indication. "Well now, come on. You kids must be hungry. What do you say we pop by the library real quick and find somewhere nice for brunch?"

"Is Mum working today?"

"Mhmm, and she has a surprise for you." Nebula led them onwards, on foot oddly enough. "So you spent the last six months together. You can't look me in the eye and tell me you don't have any good stories."

"Weeeellllll," Willow sang, "your sweet little daughter broke a guy's nose."

"Wha- Comet?"

"He had it coming!" Comet objected.

"He really did," Stratus said, "Thunder Clap was an ass."

"He's still an ass," Moon Beam corrected, "but he's our ass now."

"And to be fair, he did sprain my wing."

"But you flew over here, didn't you?"

"It was months ago, Papa. You wouldn't know it was ever hurt." The stallion frowned. "Well, Lily, what about the time you got latrine duty for a week?"

"Worth every second! So we're coming out of some high speed exercises," Lily hopped into a hover, "And Lt. Flurry and Cpt. Winter Gale were watching from, I don't know, somewhere off to the side."

Rain cut in, "So Jitterbug gets a horrid idea-"

"I get this awesome idea to show just how close I can get to the deck while holding my speed. We're coming in for a landing, and instead of starting my descent like normal, I go into this massive dive," she swooped in imitation, "gaining even more speed, and pull up only two feet out from them. Captain 'I've seen some shit' didn't bat an eye, but my wake knocked her mug of coffee all over Lt. Flurry. Boy, she was so mad." Lily laughed. "And then I got saddled with cleaning toilets for a week."

There were plenty of other events to be told; Stratus's repeated "offenses" with Lt. Thunderhead, the twins stealing food coloring and pretending to be each other for a day, Willow and Moon Fang nearly coming to blows over something nopony could remember anymore. As they recalled, it was only a few days before The Gambit, and everypony was so wound up, the slightest disturbance could make them snap. Evidently, in some cases, they had.

"Sounds like you kids at least had some fun," Nebula said.

"Wait, fun?" Sun Ray said. "There was fun to be had?" Moon Beam continued. "Where were we?" they finished together. Comet groaned. That was going to be a thing.

"Humorous episodes aside, sir, Basic was anything but fun," Silver Raindrops corrected him. "Up at first light-"

"Exercises until breakfast."

"Lectures until lunch."

"Drills and training until dinner."

"And halfway through, when we were all worried about being good enough to pass, let alone survive after Basic?"

"More drills and training after dinner," they all said together. Their muscles started to ache from the sheer memory of it.

"Well what did you expect? You're soldiers. But hey, you made it, right?"

"We did." Comet looked down at her badge. With the sun properly high in the sky, it shone brilliantly in the clear daylight. "Not a single washout in three companies."

"And you should all be proud of that. Come on, Shimmerbug, your mother doesn't know you're here." Nebula started up the stairs. "It would have been nice if you'd written, we would have prepared."

"I would have if I'd known earlier than two days ago." Comet fluttered up the stairs after him, grumbling about not being treated like a foal for things out of her control. They had been so caught up in recounting stories that nopony had noticed they had reached the library. The massive domed structure was at least five stories of faux castle architecture. Stained glass and false battlements adorned its walls. The broad, wooden double doors were flanked on either side by limestone pillars that reached from the entrance to the very top of the building. None of them had any idea how many books lay inside, but it must have been thousands.

The guests took a moment to stare at the majestic archive. "Oi, Egghead, I thought you said the West Library was small!" Willow called up as they started up the stairs.

"It is. You should see the Central Library." Comet led them inside the incredible structure only to reveal its interior surpassed its exterior. To the left and right, the building flew away in seemingly endless hallways. Every floor was cut away in the center to make room for towering bookshelves. Walkways circled the outer walls, allowing ponies near enough access to pluck books from the shelves like fruit from a tree. Shafts of sunlight scintillated between the wooden towers and walkways through the arched glass ceiling, washing the hallway in warm morning light.

The central nexus of the library was the only section with solid floors. On the entry level, a large stone map of Equestria and the surrounding lands was carved into the floor. Stairs led off to the upper levels on either wall. On the far side from the entrance, a circular oak desk provided the reception and check out for the library. Two mares presided, one happily checking off a list, the other fretting over a stack of books that needed reshelving.

“Oh luv, look who I found loitering outside the shop,” Nebula beamed. The mare with the list ceased her humming, looked up, and tapped the fretting mare on the shoulder. She looked back, saw her husband, saw her daughter, and froze stiff as a statue. She suddenly rushed over the desk at speeds everypony was sure would have beaten their best training times and swept up the filly in a massive hug.

“Comet! Oh, my dear little Comet, you didn’t tell us you were coming home!”

“I, ah, didn’t know myself until we were on, hurk, the way, Mum. Would have, oh Faust, written otherwise.” The indigo filly was finding it hard to breath in her mother’s embrace. Her father eased her mother down off of their daughter. “Haaaa. Anyway, we have the day off while our ship resupplies, so I got drafted into giving my squad the grand tour.”

“Oh, oh excuse me,” Comet’s mother turned to the amused company, “it’s lovely to meet you all. I’m Constellation, Comet’s mother. Thank you so much for taking care of her while she’s been training.”

“Well, she was quite a hoofful, but we managed,” Willow said. Rain bopped him on the shoulder. Comet groaned quietly in the corner.

“Oh, dear, we have a surprise of our own, as it happens. You’ll never get who’s in town.”

“Mother, I finished reshelving the books you asked, but there’s one that I don’t think is one of yours. It’s been secreting something for the past hour-” A stallion glided down the stairs holding the offending book in question, but he nearly dropped it when he saw the gathered party.

“Well hello, handsome,” Lily muttered to herself.

“Comet?”

“Tail?” Comet flew over and hugged her brother. “What are you doing here? I thought you were still off in Hoofington with your firm.”

“Paid vacation, little sis. I’m just back for a little while to help out around here.” Comet’s brother ruffled her mane. “You should really let Dad look at that, it looks like a timberwolf cut it for you.”

“...You two cannot possibly be related,” Lily lamented.

“And why’s that?” Comet looked back at the crestfallen filly.

“He’s so… hot!”

“Lily!” Rain gagged the pink filly with her hoof.

“I like your friends, Comet.”

“Tail!”

“Shhh,” Constellation hissed, “we’re in a library.” Everypony was too mortified or humored to say anything. Nebula chuckled the “ah, youth” chuckle that all fathers seem to pick up. “Twin Tail, sweetie, let me see that book.” Constellation fluttered over and gingerly picked up the book from her son. “Oh dear, that’s… unnatural. Let me put this somewhere and we can get going, hm?”

“So, Egghead,” Lily swished her tail, “aren’t you going to introduce us to your brother?”

“Down, you lecher,” Comet growled.

Tail laughed, “Easy, sis. I’m Twin Tail, Comet’s older brother. It’s nice to meet you.” He winked at Lily. The pink filly’s wings fluttered at her sides. Comet shot him a glance.

“Please don’t hit on my squad mates, I don’t think I’d ever hear the end of it.”

~*~

“So you’re only going to be in town for the day?” Nebula frowned.

“For the afternoon, actually. Our ship leaves at 20:00.” Comet sipped her coffee. “I have not had a brew this good in six months.” The eleven ponies sat around a cluster of tables on the Ecliptic Plaza. Nopony could say no to a nice pancake breakfast, and the table was stacked high with golden flapjacks.

“It’s just so sudden. We didn’t think they would give you time to go home before they shipped you off.”

“They didn’t, technically,” Stratus said between mouthfuls of spongy goodness. “We’re just here for the supplies. If it were proper leave, I’d be up in Manehattan. Egghead just got lucky we stopped in the right city.”

“Has Canterlot been seeing a lot of activity since the war started? I didn’t think we had a big supply station.”

“It started about three months ago, I suppose,” Nebula said over the brim of his mug. “They finished the line to Dodge Province, the one that goes through Ponyville, so suddenly the trains are funneling all manner of goods down south. Mostly, it stays in the work districts near the station, but every so often we see soldiers or shipments roll through.”

“But what about these airships you came in on?” Constellation offered Sun Ray an apple slice from her plate. The yellow filly declined, but her blue twin accepted, then fed it back to her. Constellation frowned in confusion but continued. “I didn’t think we had anything like it.”

“We didn’t up until recently.” Comet pulled out her notebook and flipped to the section on the vessels. “They’re completely different from the older models. They actually work, for one thing.”

“Why do you have that?” Stargaze asked.

Constellation pulled out a nearly identical notebook and started copying a few notes. The other ponies stared in awe. “It all makes sense now,” Lily whispered.

“Mr. Tail, Shimmer said you work in Hoofington, yes? What are things like up there?” Rain set her tea down. The lady had learned to tolerate coffee out of necessity, but tea simply agreed with her better.

“Quieter, I guess.” Twin Tail considered the question over a bite of pancake. “Not a huge percent of ponies are off to war, but enough to notice the trolleys are emptier. The logging groups just west, though, are working overtime. Probably some ponies are taking extra work with them. Things pretty much just keep going, though. Hoofington is an old town, and ponies there don’t like things changing.

"To be honest, the only big impact the war's had on me was when I heard Comet had enlisted. It was surreal, but it's kind of hard to deny now." His eyes scanned her blue collar. "To be fair, it looks good on you."

"Thanks." Comet poked at her pancakes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself."

"Don't worry about it, sis. Dad and Mother said you were off only a couple days after you signed the papers. Seems like they're racing you guys around as fast as they can."

"They need ponies down south," Stargaze said, as if that was all that need be said.

Constellation frowned. "Is the war that bad?"

"From what our sergeant has told us, no, not yet." Rain sipped her milk. "They're expecting things to get worse, it seems, but right now things are remarkably passive."

"Can you imagine if we sit on the front for a year, poking at each other until both sides call it off?" Willow bit into a big slice of pancake. "That would be something."

"I wouldn't mind getting paid to sit around Dodge for a year or so," Stratus laughed.

"Oh, Comet, did you get the books I sent?"

"I did, Mum, thank you. They were teaching us near to nothing on dragons before we got the journal you sent along. It was utterly fascinating."

"I'm pretty sure it saved our flanks a couple times during The Gambit."

"'The Gambit?'" Nebula asked. The airponies explained their final exam and all of its scaly, magical nature. Comet hid her tapping hoof by digging into her pancakes. "That sounds like an awfully extreme final exam."

"It's kind of nice, though, really," Rain said. "We've had a chance to 'fight dragons' in a safe environment, so we have a sense of what to expect when the time comes. We're not as likely to freeze up."

"I'm pretty sure Gale nearly messed himself when the glimmerbacks turned on us."

"And you didn't?" Willow shot Lily an incredulous look. "Those suckers are mean as sin."

Nebula turned to his daughter to find her completely absorbed in her coffee. He put a hoof over hers. She looked over at him and smiled, but he had long ago seen through that smile. It was the same one she had worn when she had gotten bullied as a filly, or when she lost her favorite book and had spent all afternoon looking for it, or the morning after she'd signed up for the Guard. He smiled for her, and she knew he could see right through her. It made her smile a little more genuine; she had been hoping he would.

"So, Mr. Twin Tail," Lily Nimbus cooed, "what do you do up in Hoofington?"

"I work at a law firm, Miss Nimbus. We mostly settle work disputes, sometimes contracts, nothing too interesting, I suppose. Not when you've been training to fight dragons and jump off airships."

Comet did not believe that her brother and her squad mate were flirting. In front of her. In front of her parents. In front of their squad. At all. She bapped her brother on the back of his two tone mane. The siblings exchanged a glare, ignoring how put off Lily seemed by the loss of his attention.

"So," Nebula chose to ignore the awkward air that had settled over part of the table, "I was thinking that, if you kids would like, we have a few options. The museums are all open if you just want to walk around and look at something. We could head down to the shopping district and see about some souvenirs or keepsakes for your deployment. Or, we could head back to the shop and I can try to make something decent out of your manes. Celestia knows, they're all awfully short, but I think I can do something with them."

"I think the Air Guard cut them short for a reason, Papa."

"Sure, but cutting short and butchering are two different things." If there was one thing Comet knew not to do, it was attempt to argue with her father on manecuts. "We could also fly around and see the sights, if you would prefer. Canterlot has plenty of history to go around."

"I don't know about the museum, but I'd love to get a closer look at the palace," Rain said. The others agreed.

"Well why don't we finish up here and head that way," Constellation said. "Who knows, maybe being in the Air Guard, they'll let you onto the grounds."

"You can't get on the grounds?"

"Oh no, certainly not. The main garden is usually open to the public for tours, but the grounds proper is closed off without an appointment."

"Stella, dear, you make it sound like the princess is locked away." Nebula chucked. "The palace is open a few times a year, for things like Hearth's Warming Eve, but most of the time they try to keep the traffic to official business."

"Well, unless we have an official military reason, I wouldn't expect any difference," Stargaze mused.

~*~

The soft spoken pony was correct about the grounds proper, but their status did give them access to the gardens without the need of a tour. The hedgerows, flower bushes, and statues seemed to stretch on for miles. The group wandered among the sights, stopping to argue on a peculiar statue of a creature seemingly made of all manner of creatures. Constellation suggested a game of hide and seek in the hedge maze, but Lily wouldn't stop hopping over the walls to find her prey. After her third scolding from Rain, it was evident the game wasn't going anywhere.

They stopped for a break down by one of the large pools, marveling at how smooth the water stayed even in the wind.

"That has to be magic," Silver Raindrops said, "the wind would disturb the water no matter how perfectly you construct a barrier." When Willow tapped the surface, however, it behaved just like normal.

"Maybe it's just a peculiarity." The lemon pegasus continued to swish the water. A large orb of liquid suddenly detached itself from the surface, floating above the lake in a soft, golden glow. The group looked around for the source of the spell until Stratus pointed out a pair of unicorns on the far bank. One of them wore a violet collar nearly identical to theirs. He was entertaining the other, a pearly white mare with a purple mane, by splitting the orb of water repeatedly and playing with the parts.

"Hey, is that Night Light?" Comet squinted, and sure enough, it was. So the mare was the girl he had been talking about. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lily preparing to take off, and she leaned over just in time to grab the filly's blustery tail before she zipped out of range. The indigo pony's strength was only enough to stop Lily, but Stratus's aid was enough to bring the hyperactive pegasus back down to earth.

"I think they'd appreciate a little privacy, Jitterbug," Comet said. Rain looked over at the pair, glanced at Willow, and nodded sheepishly. Lily looked at her squadmates, then back at the pair, then burst into giggles. She kept laughing as they departed from the lake.

~*~

The shopping district was everything the gardens were not. Even on a weekday afternoon, ponies were bustling every which way, eager to jump on deals, pick up regular goods, or just enjoy an afternoon off. The schools were just letting out too, so plenty of energetic fillies and colts were out with their friends.

The twins insisted on a "jewelery store," more of a knick knack emporium really, so in the group trotted. Even the grungiest shops in the district maintained a pristine environment; the dim lighting came across as mood lighting rather than a lack of anything better, and the dust wafting about added a soft orange glow to everything. The twins disappeared down an aisle of coats and frilly shirts while Rain and Lily dragged Willow over to a counter filled with glittering gems. Stratus and Stargaze, meanwhile, seemed rather interested in a series of globes made of all manner of materials.

"So, sis," Twin Tail snuck up behind his sister, "how have you been?"

"Fine, I guess." Comet absentmindedly fiddled with a clockwork contraption of curious cause.

"Just fine? Something bothering you?"

"Not really..."

Twin Tail looked at her expectantly. "My oh my, when did my sweet little nerd of a sister start lying to her older brother."

"There's the pot calling the kettle black." Comet stuck out her tongue. "It's not really a big deal, Brother. Basic just kind of took a lot out of me. It's nice to have a little time off, even if I wasn't expecting it." There was silence between them for a moment, then Comet felt a hoof tracing the hem of her collar.

"Didn't believe Mother when she told me, you know? When she said you enlisted. I just... couldn't believe you, of all ponies, would even consider becoming a soldier."

"It came as a bit of a shock to me too, really." She hummed. "I didn't really think about it. Part of me just kept saying it was the right thing to do, so I did." She tugged on her badge. "Honestly, I thought I'd wash out in under a month after I got there, then two months, then three... Then, suddenly, I was an airpony."

"You really are." Twin Tail smiled at his little sister. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do too." Comet looked over her shoulder at her squad. "I think I found good company, at least. They can be a pain, but I trust them."

"Well, if you trust them, I will too. Just come back, alright? Mother would lose it if you didn't."

"I know... I know." Comet hugged her brother tight. "Look after them for me, alright?"

"I already put in to cut my time at the firm for a while. I should be able to be back often enough."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, be safe. Ok?"

"Right." The two separated. For a moment, Twin Tail looked like he wanted to say more, but when nothing left his mouth, he gave her a quick smile and went over to their father. The filly wandered over to a counter by the back wall. All manner of small trinkets, from pins to earrings to horn ornaments, were arranged in the glass countertop.

"Oh my, why did nopony tell me we had soldiers in our store." The shop keep, an aged unicorn mare, waddled out and made busy with a display. "Welcome welcome welcome, ask about anything you like. Happy to serve our service ponies, yes yes."

"Do you have this in blue?" Moon Beam held up a frilly yellow top for the shopkeep to see.

"Got it!" Sun Ray popped up an aisle away, sporting the same shirt in a deep blue.

"Trade!" The two tossed each other the appropriate shirts and disappeared into the aisles again. Rain grabbed a pair of earrings and took them over to the mare. Comet, meanwhile, found an utterly captivating piece of art near where Stratus and Stargaze were discussing globes or astrolabes or something.

A broad canvas, as wide across as her wingspan, was hung up on the wall. In the corner, the words, "Equestria and The Surrounding Lands" was painted in sweeping calligraphy. All across the canvas, mountains, rivers, woods, and every other manner of landmark were intimately drawn in colored inks. Most maps the filly had seen extended only as far as Equestria's border, but her home country was only a small portion of the center in this case. Lands she had never heard of sprawled as far or farther than the whole of her nation. It must have taken an explorer their entire lifetime to put this together.

"An eye for cartography, miss?" Where had the shopkeep come from? Her smile was warm enough, and Comet overcame her surprise.

"I've just never seen anything like it. This must have been somepony's life's work."

"Not one, no. It was a project years and years ago to document the world. Records from the pre-Equestrian tribal migrations, various expeditions and territorial surveys, records from adventures in all directions, spanning generations, all to make this map."

"And you have it? I mean, no offense, it just seems like it would be in the Canterlot Archive."

"It is. This here's a commercial copy." The shopkeep tapped the edge proudly. "Only a few dozen ever got made. Won it at an auction for a wonderful price."

"Is.. is it for sale?" Comet asked. The shopkeep smirked.

"Near everything is, dearie, for the right price." The elderly unicorn tapped her chin. "But you seem to appreciate a good map, and I can hardly deny a soldier a decent bargain. How about... 100 bits?"

Comet looked over the vast canvas. "Done," she said.

"And will you be buying that as well?" The unicorn nodded at her left wing. Cradled inside was the curious contraption.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was still carrying it. What is it, exactly?"

The unicorn opened her mouth to reply, then promptly shut it again. "I... don't rightly remember. I can't even say where I got the darn thing. I suppose it's just been gathering dust for however long."

The filly fumbled with its rotating surface for a moment while she thought on it. The construct was about the size of an orange, all bronze gears and brass parts inside a sterling silver frame. Whenever she rotated part of it, it made tiny clicking noises as it ticked along from state to state. It did not have any discernible markings to denote time or language, or any code for that matter. It was simply a thing.

"I'll give you ten bits for the... it."

"I'd have settled for four," the mare cackled. "Let me wrap up this canvas for your, dearie." Comet almost offered to do it, given the mare's age, until her horn lit up. In no time at all, the canvas was neatly rolled and wrapped in paper.

The group departed only a few minutes later, almost everypony with some item or another.

“What do you hear, you two?” Stargaze asked the twins as they exited, a bag of trophies sitting on each of their backs.

“Nothing but the rain, Tinker,” they replied together. Comet gave them a confused glance, but they only shrugged. Off to the side, Willow and Rain were bickering quietly and quickly.

"You don't have to wear it, you oaf, just... keep it, alright?" Rain insisted.

"Fine, but only because you asked so nicely," Willow mocked. The filly passed him one of the two earrings she had bought, tiny rose quartz spheres suspended in a web of silver loops. With nowhere to stash it, Willow stuck his through the corner of his collar opposite his badge. The red filly seemed satisfied with that.

"Anypony have the time?" Nebula asked. Stratus Drifter and Stargaze raced to make use of one of their combined five new pocket watches.

"Four pm," Stratus said first.

"Wow, Screwup, I never pegged you for such a watch enthusiast."

"Well, you mules never asked." Stratus huffed. "Stargaze knows a ton about clocks, globes, all kinds of devices."

"My dad is a watchmaker," the purple colt explained, "and the shipping captains would always come to him to get their watches checked after a long voyage. They always had stories to tell."

"Awww Stratus, you found a friend!" Lily beamed. The charcoal colt growled at her.

"Anyway," Nebula cut in, "you kids only have a couple hours left, hm? How about we do something with those manes, then we see you all off with a nice big dinner?" Comet let out an amused sigh; her father was clearly not about to let the mane issue go, and the promise of free food was hard to oppose.

~*~

"So, Shimmerbug," Nebula said as he grabbed his favorite clippers, "what's on your mind?"

"What makes you think something is?" The filly fidgeted under her barber's apron.

"Don't play that game, Comet. Something's been bothering you all day. What is it?" Comet should have known better. She wanted to see her father because he would be able to read her like an open book. She could ask him for help without having to say anything.

"You remember us talking about The Gambit?"

"Mhmm, with the dragon constructs?"

"That one, yeah. Well, they didn't tell us they were constructs." Nebula started clipping at the fringes of her mane. "I guess they wanted to keep the realism of the fight going. Everything felt and looked real; we all thought we were actually fighting dragons. If we'd been able to stop and think about it, it probably would have been pretty obvious."

"But they didn't give you that time, hm?"

"I was nearly eaten, Papa." Comet glanced at him. "I didn't know I would have been teleported away, I just thought, 'this is it.' By the time it was over, I was dripping, literally dripping in fake dragon blood. But it was warm, like the real thing..."

Nebula had to stop; his daughter was shaking too much for him to cut properly. "Oh, sweetie." He rubbed her shoulders. "You shouldn't feel bad about that. Even if it was fake, you thought it was real. You went through something nopony should have to deal with."

"But I did, and I'll have to again. The real thing is coming." She looked at the chiroptequus stallion. "If that one was so scary, what am I going to do when we face a real one? What if my friends can't trust me to keep it together?"

"Do you want to let them down?"

"Of course not."

"Then I know you'll find a way." He pressed her into the seat, pointed her head forward, and resumed trimming. "I know telling you to buck up won't help. I don't think what you're going through is something somepony can handle alone. But the same way you want to be sure you can help your friends, I know they want to help you.

"When you came into the shop today, you had more friends following you, laughing and smiling with you, than I'd ever seen you with. I could tell you trusted each other. They love you, Shimmerbug, and your mother, your brother, and I love you too. You won't be alone, sweetie. And we'll be waiting for you." Comet reached up and fumbled for his hoof. He took it, and for a moment they sat there and silently said everything else that needed to be said. "Especially Miss Raindrops and Lemon-boy over there. I think they'll be watching each other's backs plenty."

"Isn't it the most obvious thing?" Comet laughed.

"Painfully obvious." Nebula hummed to himself. "Now sit still, I want to get to all of you before dinner. Except maybe the pink one, her mane seems fine."

"I'm not sure what her hair would look like any longer."

"Probably like her name." It took Comet a moment to catch up to her father.

By the time Nebula was done with the lot of them, Comet admitted, they all looked far better than they had that morning. Nopony could cut a mane like her father; stylists and hairdressers be damned, his work was art. Willow was the last one in the chair. When he came out to find everypony waiting, his hair had been evened out to allow the slight curl to spring. All of the normal spring to his step, however, was gone; he practically limped along with his tail between his legs.

"Cheerleader, something wrong?" Stratus said. The yellow pegasus looked at him for a second, then back to the shop where Nebula was still cleaning up, then at Rain. His gaze held on her, searching her silver eyes, and a rapid fire conversation jittered on his jaw. When her gaze didn't break from his, everything about him, his back, his neck, his posture, seemed to lock in place. With a huff, he reared up, grabbed the brick red filly around the neck, and kissed her for all he was worth. Rain's surprise lasted only a quarter, maybe half of a second. Comet noticed her father walk out, hat on his head and smile on his face.

He locked up the shop and trotted beside his daughter. Sooner or later, the pair had to come up for air, but that moment had yet to arrive, nor the moment Lily and the twins would stop making cheering catcalls. "Good boy," Nebula whispered just loud enough for the filly to hear.

~*~

A veritable feast of Germane and Veneightian dishes lay sprawled out in front of the ponies. It was usually not acceptable to bring cooking from the two neighboring restaurants together due to their rivalry, but they had made an exception for the freshly enlisted airponies. Wine was poured, plates were piled, and everypony took a seat at the table. But while everypony agreed a toast was in order, nopony could think of a good one.

To everypony's surprise, Lily stood up, raised her glass, and said the most profound thing any of them had ever heard her say. "To today. Whatever we may face tomorrow, today has been good company, good food, and the best sendoff we could hope for." That, everypony could drink to.

"Thank you Mum, Papa, for hosting us for the day."

"Of course, dear. We weren't about to leave you on your own on your one day back." Constellation nuzzled her daughter. "Now, eat, eat, you can't be late." The airponies dug in to their feast, devouring everything in front of them. Nebula and Constellation ate some, but mostly sat back and looked over their party.

"Sis, I know you'll be busy, but I have a favor to ask you."

"What is it?" Comet asked without bothering to swallow.

"Don't go out of your way for it, but if the chance comes, could you grab me a dragon scale?"

The gears in Comet's head churned, and she slowly nodded on autopilot. “If I can."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Tail," Willow said. "We're airborne most of the time. Not a lot of dead dragons for us to loot scales from."

"That's true. Eh, it was worth a shot. If only you were an earth pony, Comet."

"Long lineage of chiropteqi, Brother. Fat chance," Comet deadpanned.

"Can I ask a potentially rude question?" Rain directed to the parents. They both nodded. "Shimmer and Moon Fang are the only chiropteqi in our squad, and there weren't many at Basic at all. I know they weren't among the tribes that migrated to Equestria, so... mmm, this sounds rude, but, where did you come from?"

"You'd be surprised how often that comes up," Twin Tail said. Comet kept her mouth shut.

"To tell it true, Miss Raindrops, we don't know." Constellation twirled some pasta on her fork. "The most popular theory is that remnants of Nightmare Moon's magic influenced a group of pegasi not long after her banishment. Some think our people are indigenous to Equestria, and we existed in small numbers before the three tribes even got here. But no evidence has been found to support either claim, so we simply accept that we're here."

"I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect-"

"We know, Rain." Comet tried to control her temper. "It can just be a touchy subject. Our neighborhood has always been nice to us, but not everypony understands that chiropteqi are essentially pegasi."

"Comet has never been good about her temper with the subject, so it's best not to bring it up," Nebula said matter-of-factly. Constellation and Tail nodded in agreement.

"What? I can be plenty cordial about my heritage!"

"Shimmerbug, you knocked out a boy's tooth when you were ten because he wouldn't stop calling you a bat."

The filly turned on your brother. "You told them!?"

"The school told us, dear. We decided you'd had enough to deal with for the day, so we let it go."

"So apparently Egghead has a pension for aiming at the face." Whatever wine this was, Stratus liked it.

"Hey Screwup, if you're too drunk to fly, we are leaving you here," Lily warned. Despite being the smallest, the pink filly was putting away nearly as much wine as he was.

Meanwhile, Willow and Rain kept muttered back and forth at their end of the table. Their whispered conversation kept getting louder and faster until finally the yellow colt hissed, "Fine." and stood. He pulled out a folded piece of paper and set it on the table. "Mr. Nebula, sir, you and your wife have been wonderful hosts. We can't thank you enough for allowing us to spend time with your family today. But if it's possible, I'd like to ask something of you.

"My family is in Cloudsdale, my mom and dad and two little brothers. I wrote a letter for them, and I was hoping maybe you could send it off tomorrow. I wouldn't be able to get it done tonight."

"Of course, son." Nebula accepted the letter. "Anypony else want to send a letter off before you go?" As it happened, everypony had taken a page from Comet's notebook and had done just that. A fine stack of letters sat at the end of the table. "We'll get these sent out first thing tomorrow, don't you worry. But in return, you look after each other, you hear? Your parents are waiting for you to come back, same as we are." Each of them mumbled their thanks.

"Was that so hard?" Rain whispered once Willow had sat down. The colt muttered something in response, but a kiss on the cheek brightened his mood and set his wings aflutter.

"Well look who it is." Night Light trotted up to the veranda railing, his lady friend leaning affectionately against him. "So many newbies at one table. How's it going, Shimmer? "

"Sir," the filly saluted.

"Please not here, Shimmer, we're on leave." The other airponies all saluted as well. "I hate all of you."

"’Sir,’ hmm? It's nice to see you getting a little respect," the white mare giggled.

"Mum, Papa, this is Arcanist Night Light. He's a crew member of our airship."

"Sir, Ma'am. It's been a pleasure getting to know your daughter and her friends. This is Twilight Velvet. Velvet, these are the ponies I was telling you about."

"Lovely to meet you all."

"Likewise, Miss Velvet. Night Light spoke very highly of you."

"Oh did he now?" The white mare cast her company a sultry look.

"Miss Velvet, you look familiar. Do you work at the Central Library?" Constellation asked.

"Indeed I do. How did you know? Wait... Ms. Stella? From the West Library?" The mare beamed. "Oh my, it's been ages. How are you?" And suddenly the two mares were lost in a bottomless conversation about books, filing, and library gossip. Among various forms of gossip, library gossip was considered one of the least interesting, yet there it was.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt," Night Light lied well enough, "but I must see my lady home before I head back to the Adamant. You should finish up too; we don't have long."

"Yeah, but we can fly." Lily pomfed her wings. "We'll be back in no time."

"Do I have to make it an order?"

"No, sir. We won't be late."

"Good. See you ponies back at the ship. And see if you can't get a few bottles of that wine to bring along, it's a good brand."

"It was nice meeting you all." Twilight Velvet waved before the pair set off. "So I'm 'your lady' now, hm?" they heard her say as they trotted into the evening.

~*~

While Nebula and Twin Tail boxed the scant leftovers to take home, Constellation took Comet aside. When they were well out of earshot, she turned to her daughter.

"Mum, before you say anything..." The filly struggled with her words. "I know. I know you're worried, I know Tail's taking time to help out, I know... I'm sorry things turned out like this." She found herself wrapped in her mother's leathery wings.

"Oh, sweetie, you don't need to be sorry. Yes, I'm worried about you, but we're all very proud of you. And don't worry about us, we'll be fine. You'll be out there protecting us, hm?"

"That was kind of my reasoning, actually." The hug tightened.

"I'm glad your friends came along, to be honest. It was comforting to get to know the ponies you'll be working with. They seem dependable."

"They are, Mum. We won't let each other down."

"I know, sweetie, I know." It's funny how words escape into nothing when they're most needed, but neither pony could find anything else to say. Comet felt a dampness through her collar, but only stroked her mother's mane.

"Sis, you're going to miss your ship if you don't leave," Twin Tail called. The mother and daughter squeezed each other one more time before parting.

"Come home safe."

"I will." The filly gave her brother and father a quick hug, and lined up with her friends. Twin Tail had her oversized map tied across his back- something to look forward to when she got home. Nebula passed his daughter a small bundle of towels and winked at her before she fell in line with her friends. The squad turned back to face their hosts. Stargaze was the first to salute, the rest soon followed, and then they were multicolored streaks vanishing into the evening sky.

Comet was sure she would have to hide some embarrassing emotion from her squad as they raced for the dock, yet a mental rundown showed everything in order. Everything was right where it needed to be.

~*~

Canterlot was a serene, crystalline landscape at night despite its active nightlife. Lights cast faint halos off the surrounding walls, blue and orange sparks in a sea of hidden pearl. Shop lights and home lights winked out, club lights and street lights winked on. From the commercial district around Ecliptic Plaza to the Academy of Music on the outskirts of the city, the night settled in. The city traded one life for another, like the changing of the sun and the moon.

Celestia wished her sister could see what had become of their ponies. So many reveled in the night now, washing the fatigue of the day away in good company and merriment. The thought bothered her every night, without fail, for centuries, and would for centuries to come. Her one hope to end her nightmare lay lost somewhere in the forests to the southwest, and she lacked the power to make use of it even if she were to find it. Every night, the same thoughts, the same wish, the same nightmare.

Today, however, a new trouble had infiltrated her mind. A fine, late summer day deserved a fine, late summer walk through the gardens, and she had found herself wandering down near one of the mirror lakes. It was a delightfully secluded location, so much so that she had often disappeared there in her younger days when she wished to escape incessant nobles and advisors. Few places awarded her such peace.

For once, however, the alabaster princess had not been the first to arrive. Intrigued, she slipped an invisibility spell over herself and eased up to the edge of the clearing. Very near to her, Night Light, whom she recognized as one of her castle guards from not too long ago, was courting a lovely white mare from the Central Library. Celestia smiled to herself. She was glad to have thought of the spell; it would be a crime to interrupt such a moment. Across the bank, she spotted a second party arriving. Celestia quietly teleported closer to inspect the new arrivals.

Eight of the eleven winged ponies all wore matching blue collars with golden wing pins tacked to the corners. So they were ponies of the Air Guard. Celestia's heart sank. They were so young. All of her subjects were young in her eyes, even the elderly, but nopony could deny it here.

How could she have let this happen? War was on their border, and they were sending fillies and colts to fight. And it was all because she had not been able to mediate a solution.

"A thousand years and some," The princess said atop her balcony, "and still not enough." She looked up at the iconically cratered moon. "Oh Luna, I could use your company." The princess sighed. In the distance, eight specks took off in formation, heading for the airship dock just outside the city. It was not hard for Celestia to put two and two together.

The solar monarch sat her crown back upon her head. Her ponies were racing bravely for their fate, knowing full well what it may be. She could hardly sit by and mope while she had cards left to play.

"Drum Beat," Celestia said to one of the guards standing watch outside.

"Your Highness." The guard saluted.

"Would you fetch me Ink Well and Scribe? I need them to bring me every document we have on dragons. Every. Document." The guard nodded and raced down the hall. When the princess exited her chambers, the other guard fell in behind her. "Now that I think of it, Spear Head, could you rouse the Command Council?"

"At once, Your Majesty." The unicorn guard disappeared in a puff of magic. The princess smiled inwardly. Her guards could be counted on to do just about anything. As she stepped into the large chamber that had been serving as a war room, she gazed over the map of her country etched into the center table. A maid was cleaning a stack of papers that had fallen, but offered to prepare a pot of coffee when she saw the alicorn enter.

"That would be lovely, Back Stitch, thank you." The maid departed at once. The princess smiled without mirth as she took a seat at the end of the able and whispered, "It's going to be a very long night."

~*~

“Do y’all think this is a bucking pleasure cruise?” a unicorn spat, her words slightly slurred, as Comet and her party set their new belongings down. “There’s not a chance in Tartarus any of that is goin’ near my bunk.”

"Are you two sharing a bunk, crewmare?" Willow looked up at Comet. "Wow, Egghead, I didn't know you swung that way, but I won't judge." He backed away from the indigo filly's glare with a chuckle.

"None of our stuff is going anywhere near your bunk, Ensign," Comet grumbled. "Now are we going to be ok, or do I have to report you for being drunk at your post?"

"What do you mean, at my po-" The ship rocked like a cradle as it freed itself from the dock. The winged ponies had no trouble with a rocking deck; clouds rolled and rearranged themselves constantly. For a land loving unicorn, especially one who couldn't correct themselves with magic, the sensation was less familiar.

"We're airborne, Crewmare, which means we are to be at post for the evening in five minutes. So, do we have a problem?"

"She could always just break your nose, too," Moon Fang said from his bunk. Thunder Clap grumbled something indistinguishable. The unicorn realized she had been cornered, snorted at the filly, and headed for the top deck.

"Oh Celestia, I hope that doesn't become a regular event," Comet sighed. She set her contraption and the bundle of towels on her bunk and shook her head. It had been a long day, but that little scene aside, she could not have asked for a better one. As soon as her stuff was stowed, she found Moon Fang and apologized for not taking him along- she had not planned to take anypony, she explained hastily. He just laughed it off. She could never understand how nothing phased him.

"Don't worry about it. It was fun just wandering around and seeing things on my own. So what did you get?" Moon Fang fumbled her contraption curiously. "I saw the stuff the others got, but what... is this?"

"I'm not sure, but it was interesting enough to hold on to. I also got a map, but it's with my family."

"You'll have to show it to me some time. And that?"

"Oh, yeah," Comet said as she shifted the roll of towels, "we had some standing orders after dinner." She tapped her hoof on the towel, and a muffled clink of glass could be heard. "I couldn't exactly disappoint Night Light, could I."

"Tartarus' backside, Shimmer, when did you-"

"My father snuck them in." She smiled. "He paid for them, I'm sure."

Willow guffawed. "You're old stallion's alright, Comet. Faust knows I owe him."

"What for?"

The yellow colt glanced at Rain's empty bunk. "He gave me some good advice. Come on, we have to be on deck pronto." The ponies dropped their things and headed for the deck.

"What was the advice?" Moon Fang asked Comet.

"Don't know, but he sure acted on it."

"Oh?"

"With Stuffshirt. For two minutes."

Fang laughed. "Finally." If Willow could hear them, he didn't seem to care. The top deck, despite standing orders, was laden with crates and barrels marked with the Equestrian sigil. Some of them were being hauled down to the lower levels, but many were already secured in place. It was clear why they weren't reaching the top speed they had made the day before.

"Cyclone Company!" Rainbow Blaze stood on the deck. He didn't seem pleased, but he wasn't particularly mad either. Perhaps it was just him being a soldier. Comet couldn't recall seeing him be properly official. "You guys and gals better not make a habit of scraping in at the last minute. Report to the armory for fitting. Celestia forbid we run into a lizard out here, I don't want you flying in nothing but your fur."

"Sir!" The company saluted and headed back downstairs to the armory. The ballistae sat unloaded in their stations, hatches closed to keep the drag lower. In the armory, the number of heavy rounds had more than tripled.

"You think these are all for the Adamant?" Lily asked. They skirted past the heavy metal bolts to the back room. A dozen gleaming sets of armor stood on wooden hangers, another few dozen stacked less ceremonially in the back. A glaive pointed straight out from each suit, sharp edges gleaming in the candlelight like polished silverware.

A trio of unicorns waited for them. "Our combat wing is here at last. Well come on, each of you pick a suit and we'll make the necessary adjustments." Each pony slipped into a suit without trouble; they were nearly identical to the ones they had trained with, with a newer helmet and breastplate and fewer scuff marks being the only differences. At least the straps were all in the same place. Suddenly, tendrils of magic danced all across Lily, Gale, and Thunder. The unicorns muttered to each other as they fitted the suits to their new owners.

"I'm worried about the straps is all. They don't seem well fitted to the mail. Big guy," one of the unicorn's tendrils jabbed Thunder in the side, "Be careful about forcing too much weight on this rear strap, hm? Come see me if it starts to get loose."

"You'd argue Canterlot isn't fastened well enough to the damn mountain, you twit." Lily's collar sat too high on her neck, but a few quick fixes set it just right, like it was a part of her. The unicorn fussed about the filly's diminutive stature, causing the pink pegasus to turn a darker shade of red.

"Well maybe it isn't."

"We are not having this discussion again." The magic was suddenly groping Stratus, Comet, and Moon Fang. The filly let out a yelp at the frankly intrusive arcane feelers. "You, stop being so small."

"I didn't exactly ask for it," Comet fumed. The unicorn seemed to shrink everything for her, but by the end, the suit of armor fit like a cutie mark. She flexed her wings, her legs, everything was completely unimpaired. She tried on her helmet, finding thankfully that it didn't slide down her head.

"Oh wow, you lucky foals." Rainbow Blaze sauntered in, smiling at the kiddies in their shiny new armor. He was wearing his own suit, similar in make but dramatically different. "Enjoy it while it lasts, newbies. One fight and it'll be covered in scratches, dents, and dirt. And you'll hate every inch of it." Like a model on a runway, he showed off his suit. A myriad of scratches and slashes danced across his golden plate, some short, some long and deep. A long trio of slashes had nearly cut through the armor along his back and had been crudely reinforced. "One of those suits in the back is for me, I hope. I'd hate for some lizard to land a hit there again, all this plate wouldn't count for anything."

"We have suits for half your company, Sergeant, you included. Vanguard for you, right? We can fit you for a new one now, if you'd like, or you can wait till we land." Obviously, he wanted the fitting then and there. Along the side of his helmet, two long claw marks trailed across the dome, down the visor, and ended half way down his side guarder.

"Last swipe of a dead dragon," he said. "They're not done just because you stick them, newbies. Remember that." He looked over the squad. "Clap, Raindrops, Force, Bolts, you're with me for first CAG. Fang, Ray, Drifter, Stargaze, second. Shimmer, Beam, Wisp, Nimbus, you're up third. Get some sleep while you can, you're shift will end around dawn. First CAG, head up to the deck and take watch. I'll be up as soon as this fitting is done. Dismissed."

Sleep was going to be a precious commodity. The second and third watch groups made straight for their bunks. When they arrived, they found the late night crew shifts doing the same thing. The unicorn from earlier shot Comet a withering glare, but said nothing. None of them stopped to remove their armor. They were immediately in their bunks and hoping sleep would take them soon.