• Published 11th May 2017
  • 1,080 Views, 83 Comments

The EK - Magi Tail Welkin



The Everfree Kingdom, small but very active. Life and laughs continued in Ponyville, not just for the Mane Six, but every-pony, old and new, living in Equestria’s newest nation. (Everfree Kingdom name by Jay the Brony/ Jay David.)

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Don't Forget the Diver

Flash, Shining Armour went on a walk just outside Sweet Apple Arches, a rather important walk since it also involved Night Light, Shining and Twilight’s father, and Flash’s own father, North Sentry, an Earth Pony with a deep orange almost brown coat, and the standard cut blue mane of the Royal Guard, himself a former member of the First Regiment of Hoof, Major Green Fields did ask him in the possibility of joining the Home Guard, but with a ten year old son to take care of and as a glass worker, and having very attractive and amorous wife, his days and nights would often be packed. Still he did have the occasional story to tell. Today for the walk he wore his heavy-duty waistcoat.

At this moment, he talked to Shining and Night Light about one of his exploits during a tour in Saddle Arabia.

“Well there we were out in the desert, no food, and worse no water. My tongue was so swollen it filled my entire mouth. I would have sold my soul to the Devil for a drink.”

“Dad,” Flash said, “I don’t think Shining or Night Light want to hear about the Silver Enlightenment.”

Night Light grinned and turn to him “Oh it doesn’t bother me, I had a roommate at Celestia’s School who was Silver Enlightened.”, and Shining patted a hoof Flash on the shoulder “And I know a few good soldiers who are.” He gave Flash a quick smirk which surprised the Captain of the Everfree Guard.

Night Light turned to Shining “What’s this special exercise happening on Sunday?”

Flash looked around the area “I can’t say much Night, but it’s to see the planning and secretary skills of the Reservist. We’re setting up in the South-West Windmill.”

North glanced back “No more of that son, careless talk. Now where was I?”, Flash answered “You were in the desert dying of thirst.”
“Thanks Flash. Right yes, my tongue was totally black, and then I remembered an old trick of sucking a pebble, only trouble, no pebbles in the desert,” he chuckled “nothing but sand. But then I had an idea, and I pulled out my Silver Hunter.” From his pocket, he took out a silver pocket watch and opened the front cover of the Hunter Case, “Beautiful watch, it belonged to my father, even has an alarm. And I put it in my mouth, I kept it there for three days and no doubt about it, this watch saved my life.”

Night Light beamed with amazement “What a remarkable story.”, Shining appeared a bit sceptical and Flash looked oblivious, presumably having heard it before. North continue “What’s even more remarkable, when I took the watch out, it still worked perfectly, not lost or gained a second. I’ll show you, I’ll put this into my mouth for a minute or two and you’ll see, let me just set the alarm.” He did so and put it into his mouth.

Flash muttered “At least it’ll keep him quiet for a few minutes.”

On the way of their walk they came across the Major and Porter. The Major looked confused at North as he took a swig from a water bottle, and turned to Porter “Why has he got a watch in his mouth?”

“Perhaps he, watching his drink.” The butler chuckled “Just a little play on words sir.”, the Major shook his head.

Shining walked up “Well Major, are you looking forward to Sunday?”

“It should be an interest day.”

Flash smirked “You going to find it difficult in capturing the Windmill with me Shining, Chrome and Dauntless inside, and Dad’s volunteered too. How are you going to get across all the open ground?”

“Well find a way.”

Suddenly a little alarm went off and North pulled out the watch and laughed “What did I tell you.” He put the watch to his ear “And still going.” He turned around to look at the view from the hill they stood on “Well is that a view or is that a view?”

Flash smirked “You mean you don’t know Dad? You brought us all this way and you don’t even know it that’s a view?”, the other laughed. North smiled but shook his head “You know, I remember as a young colt up here I thought, what a good idea it would be to put up a flagpole with the Equestrian flag flying high over the Ponyville hills, or was that Foggy Dew’s idea? Oh yes, it was Foggy’s idea, me and Helmet Listener put followed his orders and put the pole up, but the thing fell over.” He laughs “Oh dear, the stuff we three got up to as colts. Different to what colts to today.”

Flash sighed “Dad I don’t think we want to hear all your stories. Anyway, you’ve still got a lot of you summer wine left.”

“Sorry I just like remembering.” He turned to Night Light “What kind of stuff did you get up to as a colt in Canterlot?”, now both Flash and Shining rolled their eyes this would be a long afternoon.

The Major and Porter walked away, the thought about how to capture the Windmill filled the Major’s mind, he would have to discuss this with the Platoon.


In the hall, the Major stood before a chalkboard, the Platoon sat around in front.

“And so, every-pony,” the Major spoke “this is without doubt, the most difficult exercise we have so far tackled.” He turned to the chalkboard, a curd map of the area for the exercise “To sum up then.” He tapped parts with his officer’s stick “Here is the Windmill,” right in the middle of the board “inside Captains Sentry and Armour, with North Sentry, Chrome Blade and Dauntless Doo. A wall up here,” indicating to a line at the top corner, then down to a wavier line near the bottom “The river here, boathouse here,” at the left corner, then to tree, three beside the boat house, and other at the top right corner “And here bushes and trees,” he then circled his stick around the black of the board “All around the Windmill complete open ground and not a scrap of cover anywhere. Now our job is to get across the open ground and plant a dummy explosive inside the Windmill.” He turned to the platoon “Any suggestions?”

“Permission to speak sir?” Cold Steel asked, “What about a tunnel sir?”

“Tunnel?”

“Yes sir, we can all go behind that wall, and we can dig a hole, we go deep down and then we dig straight, then when we think we are under the mill we did up and Celestia willing we’ll be in the mill.”

Beside him Lucky scoffed “Or else in Griffonstone.”

The Major sniffed “I think you’re entering the realms of fantasy Steel. Logistically and timewise it would be too much trouble to dig.”

Porter spook neck “I’ve got an idea sir, I remember a play, I can’t remember the title, but some King, dressed his troops up in bushes so they could attack the offending castle.”, the Major hummed and tutted “That’s an old military trick Porter. And we’re facing against two officers of the Royal Guard, I got trained to look out for that trick, so no doubt they’ll have been also.”

Time Turner tapped his hoof on his chin before speaking “I have an idea Major, what if one of us disguised ourselves as a log then we could float down to river to mill.”

The Major paused “Yes, that sounds a rather good idea, the only thing is some-pony would have to push the log, and I don’t think any-pony can hold their breath for long.”

Caramel spoke “We could hire a boat and have it toe the log.”

The Major shook his head “No, that area of the river is cordoned off, no boats are allowed, if we sailed one up and the enemy in the Windmill saw it they would know something was up. We’d need another way of moving the log.”

“Well,” Time Turner said, “going back to pushing, why no some-pony in a diving suit?”

Every-pony laughed, well expect for Vigil.

“Don’t be absurd Turner.” The Major said chuckling “Who’s got a diving suit.”

Vigil raised her hoof “I’ve got a diving suit.”, they all turned to her. The Major eye widened “You have? How did you come be that?”

“Well,” the Mortician said sitting straighter “many years back I was in the South Luna Ocean with a fellow failed apprentice Breton his name was,” she sighed “we were lovers. We were diving for pearls so we could get the money to open a shop together.”

The Major rolled his eyes, now came one of Vigil’s long stories, just as bad as North Sentry.

As Vigil spoke the memories played across her mind, her eyes glazed over into a thousand-yard stare as she relived those events.


She stood on the deck handling Breton’s pipe and lifeline while some locals they hired worked the pumps. The sea crystal clear and smooth as an infant foal’s top lip.

Suddenly she felt four pulls on the lifeline, it meant he wanted to come up, and from the harsh tugging it must have been trouble. She looked down and she gasped.

Breton wrestled for his life, with a giant squid.

Vigil didn’t hesitate. She grabbed a spear and dived. Down into the depths. She plunged the head deep between the two large, hideous eyes. The sea filled with the black ink of the squid. She gave the signal and up they came.

Back on the deck she unscrewed his helmet. She gasped and laid him down. The locals pulled Breton up too quickly. Breton suffered a fatal attack of the bends. Decompression sickness, going from the high pressure of the ocean to the low pressure of the air caused his lungs to burst.

Vigil cradle him in her lap, as tears fell down her face. His hoof took hers “V,” he said, “when you get back, make sure my mother gets all my property.”, Vigil leaned downed and kissed his forehead. He exhaled.

Overnight she built her first coffin since leaving the Necropolis, and they buried him at sea.

Back in Equestria Vigil found Breton’s mother and explained everything. But on the matter of property, apart from the clothes he got from the Necropolis and the odd picture, Breton only owned the diving suit and the pumps, nothing else. His mother said she couldn’t take it, no use for it. Vigil reluctantly payed for it and took it with her. It sat in a spare room.


As she finished with tears down his muzzle her expression turned to dread “Every time after that, whenever I went down in that diving helmet, I could hear dear Breton’s voice cry out. Help. HELP!”

The Major, sitting down with Porter, rubbed his hoof over his face. He stood up and cleared his throat “So, we take it you have a diving suit.”
Lucky spoke up “Hey sir, maybe instead of getting a dummy log to hide, maybe we can persuade Cipher to disguise himself as one.”
The Major shook his head “We’re not allow to enlist outside help for the exercise itself, we can only use what we can supply ourselves or what we find on the exercise ground. Besides as far as we know about Changelings, they can only cast illusions around their bodies, not anything else, so the fake explosive would be out in the open.”

“Permission to speak sir?” Cold Steel spoke “I’ll got to Miss Cheerilee and I’ll borrow that imitation log for the School’s Hearths Warming Pantomime, it’s my size.”

“I don’t think she’ll approve.”

Waddle, now wearing uniform appropriate to a military chaplain, clerical dogs colour and black shirt underneath his tunic and pecked cap with a cross badge, spoke up “Well Miss Cheerilee appears to do anything if it allows her time with Big McIntosh Apple, I could arrange a proper date for them.”

Porter spoke up “Do you think that’s wise? Remember that Hearts and Hooves Day a couple of years back.”

“Oh, it wasn’t their fault, it was those sweet Cutie Mark Crusaders trying to do something nice and things got out of hooves.”

Zecora nodded “No-pony involved should guilt on their conscience. No-pony knew of the Love Poison’s potence.”

The Major mulled over this before finally saying “Very well, there’s nothing else we can do tonight. We’ll parade here tomorrow night and discuss the plan in detail. Dismissed.”


Next evening the Major, with a bird warbler around his neck, checked over Vigil inside the diving suit, she did not have the glass in she could breathe without the air pumps. Time Tuner and Windy Miller stood ready at the pumps.

Once he knew her to be okay he walked down the hall, the other of the platoon all spread out. “Right,” the Major said, “lets run through the plan in detail.” He stopped at the chalkboard and pointed to the boathouse “Now we’re here in the boathouse. And Vigil will push Cold Steel in the log up the river to be level with the Windmill. Now,” he turned back to Vigil “what do you do when your level with the Windmill Vigil?”
“You give me one tug on my lifeline. Then I stop, and give a responding tug on the line myself.”

“Good, now after Vigil has stopped I will give one blast on my bird warbler,” he turned to Porter “and what do you do then Porter?”

“When you’ve given your warble sir, I shall start to create the first diversion.”

The Major nodded “Right, Clover?”, Lucky Clover responded “Well, when you’ve warbled and Sergeant Porter starts the first diversion, I going to help him with it.”

“That’s right, what happens then Vigil?”

“While the diversion is attracting the attention of the defenders in the Windmill. I quickly tilt Steel in the log onto the bank.”

“Excellent.” He looked to the office “Steel? Where’s Steel?”, Lucky answered “He’s dressing up as a log.”, the Major sighed and shouted, “Hurry up Steel, shouldn’t take you all this time to dress up as a log.”

Lucky went to the door and opened it, he held his hoof out “And here we have Betty, in a nutty little one-piece woodland ensemble.”

Steel shuffled sideway out of the door in a tree made from rubber, his back hooves just sticking out from under the bottom. He then waddled up the major. The large branch on the left bent inward looking like the tree saluted.

The Major spoke “Alright, stand easy Steel.”, the tree dropped to the floor. The Major hummed and turned to Porter “What do you think Porter?”

“I don’t know what to think sir, I really don’t.”

“Well it’s too late to change are plans now, we’ll just have to go through with it and hope of the best.”, the Major turned to the tree “Steel? Where are you?”

Half-way down the trunk a little flap opened and Steel’s face appeared within it “I’m here sir.”

“I see. Now, we’ve just gotten to the bit where you’ve been tipped onto the bank.”, Steel nodded, “Alright, what do you do then?”, the tree got up causing the Major to back up a bit. From inside the tree Cool Steel explained “While Sergeant Porter is diverting I make my way up to the Windmill.”

“That’s right.” He turned back to the Platoon “Now when Steel reaches the Windmill I shall give two blasts on my bird warbler, and what happens then?”

Waddle came up “When I hear you give two warbles on the warbler I start the second diversion.”, then Lucky added “And I help him with it.”
“That’s right.” The Major said and turned to Steel “Now Steel, the second diversion will give you enough time for you to get to the mill. You flatten yourself along its sides, so Captain Sentry and the others inside cannot see you.” He walked to the board and continued “You then divest yourself of the log, and climb up the ladder here.” He pointed to the crudely drawn ladder on the Windmill “And throw the bomb through the window.” He turned back and almost ran into the tree he pushed Steel back before asking “How are you going to carry the dummy bomb?”

“I shall have that tied between my legs sir, I tried my tail, but it was too painful.”

“How will you do that?”

“I shall have a piece of string tied around my waist and the bomb with dangle between my knees sir. And at of point of my choosing I will untie the string and the bomb with drop onto the floor sir.”

“I see,” the Major said a little unsure, he turned to Porter who held an alarm clock on string “Give him the time bomb Porter.”

“Yes, sir.” Porter walked up to the log and looked about “Keep still a moment Steel. A little difficult sir, I can’t quite see how I’m going to get the…”, in mid-sentence a little door at the bottom of the tree opened and a hoof grabbed the clock. The door shut.

Porter chuckled “Rather neat wasn’t it sir”, the Major sighed “Alright, tie it on Steel.”, the tree stood up and being leaning about. The Major said, “Do hurry up I want to try this out.”

“I’ve only got one pair of forelegs sir.”, the Major rolled his eyes “Give him a hoof Clover.”

Lucky nodded and knelt at the door flap. Cold Steel explained “Now look Lucky I’m tying a knot so put you’re hoof on it.”, Lucky reach in. Steel then said, “Not there!”, Lucky moved his hoof. After a little while he stood back up. The Major ordered “Let’s see you try to release the bomb. Off you go.”

The tree start jumping and shuffling. Then the clock fell out.

Lucky reared up let out his wings and did a chicken impersonation. The Major glared at him before turning back to Porter “Well that seemed to work.”

“Yes, would you like me to put the bomb back in again?”

“Oh no, we can’t go through all that nonsense again, let’s just assume it’s inside. Now standby every-pony because I want to run through this from the start. Take up your positions.”

A bunch on the Platoon wheeled in a trolley and readied to put Steel in the log onto it.

The Major walked over to Vigil “You alright Vigil?”

“Yes sir.” She turned to Doctor Time Turner and Windy “Now don’t forgot boys, remember what I taught you and keep up a nice steady pressure.”

Turner nodded “Don’t worry Miss Vigil we’ll keep pumping.”, she nodded and looked to Caramel how cleaned the glass “And don’t forget the signals. If I give four tugs on the lifeline that means I want to come up, it you give me four tugs you want me to come up.”

Caramel nodded “I’ve got Miss Vigil, two different signals, four and four.”

“Clever boy.”, the Major rolled his eyes “Put the glass in Caramel.” Caramel screwed the glass into place and the Major turned to Turner and Windy “Start the pumps.”, they began cracking, and the suit started to fill with air. The Major turned to the other side of the room “Porter, Padre, take up your positions.”, they did so, and the Major returned to Vigil, and helped her up “Now let’s get her into the water.”, they guided her to the trolley with Steel in the log lying flat on it. The Major tapped her on the shoulder and she started to inch her way forward.
“Now Vigil makes her way out of the boathouse, into the open river.”

“Gurgle, gurgle.” Steel yelled “Gurgle, gurgle.”, the Major narrowed his eyes and walked up “You alright Steel?”

“Yes sir, that’s just the water gurgling against the sides.”, the Major turned back and shook his head “I see.” He walked up the wall. Standing on it, a pole with a mirror attached “Now I shall be looking through my periscope,” he took it and lifted up to eyes level and push it parallel to the wall and looked at the mirror, giving him a view of the hall “Vigil is now submerged and is pushing the log along the river. She has now reached a point opposite the Windmill.”

Caramel gave a tug on the lifeline. Vigil stopped and tugged at hers once.

The Major gave a warble and looked at the makeshift periscope “Now that’s the signal for the first diversion. Porter?”

“Yes?” The butler called from the end of the hall with Lucky and two other ponies.

“Are you diverting?”

“We’re doing it behind the wall sir.”, the Major looked at him “That means I want able to see you.”

“Well, of course not, we’re doing it behind the wall.”, the Major fumed “Alright let’s start again.” He turned to Caramel “Give four tugs on the lifeline Caramel.”

“Right sir, thank you very much.” He gave the tugs with a little too much force and Vigil fell onto her back. Quickly Caramel got to her side as did Zecora and Lucky to help her up. Once up they could just see through the glass she started gasping at the pipe in her mouth. The Major turned to Turner and Windy “Turner more air!”

“We’re pumping as hard as we can Major, doesn’t help the pump is a little shift.”

“Major!” Lucky called.

“Yes?”, the grey Pegasus pointed to Caramel’s back hooves standing on the pipes. The Major quickly push him off.

Porter spoke “Perhaps we should take her helmet off sir.”

Caramel answered “Oh, you can’t do that Sergeant, she might get the bends in her head.”, Lucky snorted “No-pony would tell the difference.”
The Major tapped lightly on Vigil’s shoulder and when she turned to him he raised his right hoof, a common gesture to mean approval, as in say something his okay. Vigil raised her right hoof as well, anything okay on her end. The spare members of the Platoon pushed her and Cold Steel back to the start.

The Major went to the log, Cold Steel still gurgled away. The Major asked “Alright Steel.”

“Yes sir, okay sir.” A right hoof come out of the door. The Major nodded and went back to the wall, he got a little tangled in the pipes and lifeline. When he reached the wall, he turned back to address the platoon “Take up your positions every-pony. Everything ready?”

“Late Post Major!” called a voice and Cipher walked in and stopped “What going on here.”

“This is no concern of yours Cipher.”

“Whatever it is its surreal, a pony dressed up in a diving suit, pushing a pony on the trolley dressed as a log. I can hardly believe my eyes, even we Changelings couldn’t come up with something so bizarre.”

“Gurgle, gurgle. Gurgle, gurgle.”, Cipher blinked “What was that?”

“That’s the water gurgling passed.”, Cipher blinked and handed the letters over “Don’t go away, Fluttershy has got to see this.”, he quickly flew off. The Major blinked “Fluttershy?”

Porter called out “Perhaps he’s convinced her of a little ride through the countryside.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Porter, you can get hopelessly romantic sometimes. Let’s start again.”

Just then the door to hall opened and Cipher, followed by Riolu and to every-ponies surprise indeed Fluttershy rushed in. Riolu rubbed his eyes. And Cipher looked to the shy Pegasus “What did I tell you Fluttershy, a pony in a diving suit, pushing another pony on a trolley, dressed as a log.”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said blinked “I hope they’re both okay. What in Equestria is this about?”

The Major called over “This is top secret, it involves the exercise on Sunday. You must keep it a secret.”, Cipher tilted his head and turned to Fluttershy, the mare nodded and Cipher shrugged “What the military get up to.” And the Post-stallion and company left.


In the South-West Windmill the defenders stood guard.

Flash and Shining looked out one window looking towards the river. North Sentry looked out the one of the other looking over most of the open ground. Dauntless and Chrome stood about the room, currently they played Go Fish.

The Prince of the Crystal Empire turn to his former lieutenant “What’s the update on the military chaplain?”

“Ones been picked and will be here by next week, apparently, they’ve chosen one straight out of Crown’s House in Fillydelphia. Twilight’s offered him a room in the Castle if he can’t find any other accommodation.”

“Didn’t she get Mayor Mare to give Cipher his own home?”

“Only so many houses spare to go around, why do you think the Waterbury family are in the Three Chimneys up on the hill? Speaking off Cipher what do you think of him?”

“Decent pony. I’ve still got some reservations over Changelings but the town like him and he isn’t causing any trouble, just like Thorax when he stayed with us.”, Flash smirked “Cipher’s not going to grow those odd mandible horns is he?”, the two chuckled. Shining spoke “I’ve seen the way he and Fluttershy glance at each other, reminds me of me and Cadance,” he then glanced and Flash “And a certain other relation and a guard.”, Flash blushed and glanced away.

From his window, North Sentry called over “Any sign of the Major and his lot Flash?”

“Nothing so far Dad.”

“Well,” he checked his watch “it’s only quarter-to, they’re not due to start until two o’clock.”

Shining came over “I make it quarter-past North.”

“What? Good heavens the Silver Hunting must have stopped.” He started winding it up. Flash walked over “You know Dad, I don’t know how the Home Guard are going to get over all that open ground.”

North chuckled “I think we should keep our eyes open for a load of bushes.”

Shining tapped his hoof on his chin “That old trick?”, Flash shrugged “Considering how old-fashioned the Major can be I wouldn’t be surprised.”


In the boathouse, the Major watched as Caramel finished putting Vigil into the diving suit. “Right, just a quick check before start.” He turned to the fake tree beside him “Steel?”, Cold’s face appeared at the top flap “Sir?”

“Have you go the dummy bomb tied between your legs?”

“It’s quite comfy thank you sir.”

“Right, I’ll have a look it you don’t mind.”, he opened the door at the bottom and peered in “That’s good.” He shut it and turned to Caramel “Put the glass in.”, Caramel screwed it into the place and the Major turned to the corner where Doctor Time Turner and Windy Miller stood ready “Start the pumps.”, the two began cranking.

Vigil started pulling on her lifeline, Caramel spoke “Major? Miss Vigil’s just pulled four times on her lifeline, that means she wants to come up.”, the Major frowned “She’s already up you clown. Stop pumping.” He unscrewed the glass “What’s the matter Vigil?”

“I just want to scratch my nose.”, the Major groaned and shook his head “Alright then, hurry up.”, Vigil raised her hoof and rubbed her nose for a second or two. Then she put it down. The Major frowned “That enough?”

“That’s it.”, the Major rolled his eyes and put the glass back in and called “Right start the pumps.”, Turner and Windy started turning the cranks again.

Caramel began doing so last checks as the suit filled and he helped her climb down into the water. The Major turned to the tree “Ready Steel?”

“Yes sir, okay, thank you sir.”

“Good luck.”, Steel’s hoof came out of the door. The Major took it and shook, then he turned to the spare members of the Platoon “Right, lower him down onto the raft.”, as they did so the Major then helped Caramel with helping Vigil into the water.

The door to the boathouse opened and the log on a raft, just visible above the waterline came out, followed by a diving helmet, which then went under the water, only a small amount of bubbles showed any evidence of something there. The raft then floated down the river.

In the boathouse, the Major put the makeshift periscope out and looked at the mirror “Right, they got to a place level to the Windmill.
Caramel gave a pull on the lifeline.

The raft stopped.

A tug from the lifeline came from Vigil.

The Major nodded “Take over the periscope Caramel, I’m going to sound the signal.”, Caramel took hoof of the pole and the Major went over to the other end of the boathouse, put his bird warbler to his mouth and gave a blast.


Flash looked through his telescope and said, “I think they’ve started.”, North and Shining came over with their own spyglasses and Flash pointed “Over at the wall.”, they all looked through their binoculars and telescopes. North spoke out loud “What the Devil are they doing?”
Behind the wall, a large group of spears bobbed up and down moving along it, they could hear Sergeant Porter giving out the commands. North narrowed his eyes “Why are they drilling? They ought to be attacking us. It’s typical of the Major’s Coronal Blimp mentality.”

Shining asked “Do you think it could be a trick?”

North shook his head “No, it’s impossible, I count fifteen spears it a whole platoon.”

Flash narrowed his eyes ‘Fifteen?’, did the Major seriously give Zecora and Reverend Waddle spears?

Shining inched up to Flash and whispered, “Was your dad like this in the First Hoof.”, Flash shrugged “He had some truly awful experiences with pompous officers, I don’t know much, but I know he really hates old officers, he might be having a relapse.”


On the riverbank, Vigil surfaced and pushed the raft closer to the bank before pushing the log with Steel inside it onto the back. With the tree on the ground she submerged again and made her way back to the boathouse.

Meanwhile Steel found the top flap of the tree, the one allowing him to see, stuck. He stumbled off hoof first into the river. He struggled onto the raft again and stumbled onto the bank. Meaning he’d lost time.


The defenders still watched the spears.

Then Porter called “About turn!”, suddenly the spears went in reverse.

Shining blinked “Why are they marching backwards?”

Flash commented “Something’s up. It can’t be all the platoon, but how’s Porter doing that?”


Behind the wall, Porter, Lucky Clover and two other ponies carried a special rig with the spears tied to it.

The marched to the end of the wall and Porter called “About turn!”, the carriers turn around, but the spears didn’t.

Porter skill called out the orders then glanced to Lucky “Lovely, isn’t it? About turn.”, they turned around again and the spears went backwards again.


Waddle, standing in a field of sheep, next to a large and loaded sack, waited at his post when two warbles sounded. ‘Oh dear,’ the vicar thought ‘there’s the signal, where can Lucky have got to?”

The Pegasus landed “Hey Padre haven’t you started the diversion yet?”

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

“I’ve been helping Sergeant Porter with his diversion I can’t be everywhere. Let’s get on with it.” He reached into the sack and pulled out a helmet and he explained “We put these helmets on the sheep and then we take them up to the mill.”

“I can’t see why we should put the helmets on the sheep.”, Lucky rolled his eyes “Because when they see them coming they won’t know if it’s us dressed up as sheep or not. And while they try to figure it out Steel will be in the Windmill.”


The tree made its way up to the Windmill making a surreal sight.

Steel opened the flap to get his bearings.

A bark sounded and he looked down. A dog sat neck to him. Steel yelled at it “Clear off, go away.” He stood up and ran, the dog followed. When he reached the Windmill, he stopped and looked back at the dog “Clear off.” He whispered. But the dog started sniffing his hooves ‘Oh dear.’ He thought.


In the boathouse, Caramel called “Major? Mr Steel has reached the mill.”

“Right,” the Major called and addressed the Ponies in the boathouse, including Vigil, out of the diving suit, sitting down and rubbing her hooves through her mane “now we’ll meet up with Porter and others at the rendezvous and move in for the final assault.” He moved to the door.

Vigil stood up, but stumbled slightly. Caramel came running up and steadied her “Have you caught a douse of the bends Miss Vigil?”

“No colt come on. Good work with the lifeline and pump every-pony.” And they left.


Steel finally got the dog to go and got out of the log. The clock attacking as the bomb bangled just below his flank.

Half-way up the ladder the alarm went off. He tried to reach behind himself to stop it.


“Listen,” Shining said “sounds like an alarm.”

“Ah!” North said, “It must be my watch.”, Flash narrowed his eyes as the alarm stopped “Sounded as if it came from the back.”, he started to turn when his father yelled looking through binoculars “Good God! Look at this!”, the two officers looked through their spyglasses and blinked, Flash spoke first “Not bushes, but…”

Shining finished “Sheep with helmets on? Have they gone mad?”

“We’ve won!” came a voice from behind, they turned around as Cold Steel at the window threw the alarm in.

Down of the ground the Platoon assembled and Lucky spoke “He’s done it sir, he’s thrown the bomb in.”

North Sentry threw the clock out. Steel dodged it. The ladder tipped. Steel caught hold of one of the Windmill sails.

The Major called “Come on, some of you try and get him down. The rest come with me to get their surrender.”

On the sail, Steel yelled “Don’t panic, don’t panic!”

The Major walked to the door and called “Don’t worry Steel we’ll get you down.” He tapped on the door.

North opened it, the Major spoke “I’ve come to accept your surrender.”

“What are you talking about I threw the bomb back.”

“Don’t split hairs we’ve won.”

“Total rubbish, we won.”

Shining came down and put his magic shield between “We’re not going to get an argument, not with Mr Steel up there. Let Captain Sentry decide.”

Flash came out the doors and glared at his father “This exercise was to see if the platoon could get the bomb in without being spotted, which they did.” He turned to the Major “Therefore in the context of this exercise, we surrender.”

Then they felt a gush of wind.

Cold Steel started shouting as the sail started moving “I’m alright! Don’t panic!”. He went around twice. Then when he reached a point where the sails levelled with the river he jumped off. He dived into the river.

The Platoon rushed to him as he emerged.

Lucky snorted “Great dive Steel, I’d give it a ten in the Equestria Games.”

Cold Steel shivered as he got up, but he saluted the Major “Mission accomplished sir.”, the Major smiled “Well done Steel.” He turned to Zecora “Give him something warm.”, she nodded and the Major turned to the rest of the platoon “The rest of you let go pack up.” They all nodded.

Flash walked up to the Major “Very well done Major, some things were a little shaky, I’ll want a full report of the plan.”
“Of course, sir.”

“But me and Shining Armour and spoken and we think we can arrange a weekend of advanced training in Canterlot.”

“Really?”, Flash nodded “But we’ll get back to you on that one.”, the Major nodded and saluted, then he went to help the Platoon.

Author's Note:

Next time we see North Sentry it'll be in a more sympathetic light.

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