My Little Destroyermen: Walker on Water

by The Atlantean

Chapter 29

Twilight’s arm was held in a sling as she sat at Keje’s side table in Salissa’s Hall, cradling Sunset’s blotched leather scrap in her hands. To her right sat Sandra, Matt, and Alden, while Gray, Spanky, and Adar lined her left. Keje was directly across at the head of the table, and Bradford lounged on a beanbag-like cushion nearby, enjoying a mug of Lemurian beer. A Grik map was spread across the table itself, seemingly tainting the otherwise beautiful room.

Outside, Salissa had been swarmed by partygoers as the Lemurians and humans celebrated their shared victory against the Grik. Here in the Hall, however, the tone was much more somber and serious. Everyone inside was on a need-to-know basis, minus the American officers that couldn’t make it without shorthanding Walker.

“You were right to keep this ‘under wraps’,” Keje mused. “The Grik know much more of the world than we do, and their numbers are immeasurable if that… thing… is correct.”

“They must be destroyed!” Adar cried. “They defile the very nature of the Scrolls with this… abomination! This must be burned!”

“Let’s learn as much as we can before we burn it,” Matt cautioned, waving his hand.

“Oh, of course! Learn everything that we can use to eliminate the Grik!”

“Twilight? Is there some kind of spell you could cast?”

Twilight shook her head, still somewhat zoned out of the conversation.

“Okay. So, the--”

“Even Tirek didn’t kill anypony.”

“What?”

“Tirek took our magic, but he didn’t kill anypony. Discord spread chaos across Equestria, but he didn’t kill anypony. Nightmare Moon tried to plunge Equestria into eternal darkness, but she didn’t kill anypony. Nopony I’ve fought to save Equestria from actually killed ponies.” Her face hardened. “Show me where they are, and I’ll show them what’s it’s like to lose their friend.”

“I don’t believe the Grik even have friends, Twilight,” Courtney said, “and even if they did, I doubt the relationship lasted longer than a single mating session. From what we’ve seen, their warrior class might as well be considered animals for all intents and purposes. We know nothing about any upper classes that they might have other than that they exist and are educated to some degree.”

“That’s an excellent point, Mr. Bradford, and it’s one of our best advantages over them. We actually care about our people,” Matt replied. “It looks like they know about Surabaya--I mean, Aryaal, and there’s no splotch next to it. All other trees on the map--likely Lemurian settlements--have one. They don’t know Baalkpan yet, and I think that’s because we sunk the scouts. They’re going to push for Aryaal.”

“Should we really help them? They’re heretics. They believe that the stars are just dots in the sky! Dots! They fight wars for fun! Must I go on?” Adar clenched his fists and turned red in the face, an accomplishment considering his silver fur.

“They’re still Lemurian, are they not? Potential allies.”

“Then send me,” Twilight suggested.

“We still need to figure out how to use your magic stuff, and your Guards still need to complete their training.”

“I thought about it on the way down from Baalkpan. I’ll give you the instructions, and you can build the thing. It’s kinda like a refinery, but it turns oil into condensed magic, which you can then mold like copper. Just don’t melt it, or it’ll explode. Life magic is pretty volatile.”

“You’re not seriously considering going down to Aryall right now, are you?” Alden asked.

“I am, and I will. My Guards and I can do this.”

“I have a really bad feeling about this.” Alden grimaced. “We shouldn’t. Not yet. How do we explain to everyone back in Baalkpan that we just let an entire regiment go off on its own? It’s a bad precedent.”

“Say we’re gathering more information. We don’t know how they fight in an open field, or land at all for that matter. I can find out for you, and you can prepare a second expedition to reinforce me.”

“Not the Guards. They’re too underprepared.”

“Sergeant, this is my regiment we’re talking about here.”

“And you’re gonna get them killed.”

“Not if we do this right. What if, against all odds, we actually have a large force isolated from help for a prolonged period of time? We need to know how to survive alone.”

“This isn’t like holding a beachhead, Twilight. You will have absolutely zero--I repeat, ZERO--support out there.”

“And we don’t right now? What logistical train has been set up? We’ve been on our own for months. Setting up a refinery in Baalkpan doesn’t change that.”

Sandra carefully placed her hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “I know it hurts. But you can’t go off like this. Dying won’t bring back your friend.”

“She’s right. Losing you will only make our situation worse,” Matt said.

“I--alright. But only because you’re Captain.”

-------------------------

Dear Princess Celestia,

Sunset Shimmer has been lost. We sank one Grik ships the other day and took a second and third as prizes, Walker’s crew leading one, while I led my own troops into the other. We discovered that the ship I took had taken Sunset prisoner as… rations… leaving only a couple scraps of her jacket as evidence she even existed.

Your former student… my student… my friend, just gone. I’m sorry, Princess.

I failed.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Author's Note:

And with this, we begin the crusade.

Comments

[Celestias Paladin]

The Grik are lucky that Twilight and Celestia have yet to Tame the Squall, for Sol Invicta would come looking for her wayward student

[Yutah123]

Don't give up yet, Twilight! She's out there, and she needs your help...