Chapter 65: Conflicts on the Horizon
“With the sabotaged blood bags, our supplies are low,” Kind Heart said. “But we planned for… an overuse of our supplies, and we have plenty of extra blood bags. I recommend we use some of our extra food supplies every day so that we can start drawing blood from the healthy guardsponies and legionnaires. I think if we draw a bag from every pony once, we’d have more than enough if we get in another fight.”
“Tell the cooks to make heartier meals,” Elias grunted to Book Binder. “How are we on bandages and the like?”
Kind Heart swallowed.
“We’ve cleaned and repurposed as much as we can, but if we fight another battle, we won’t have enough. I would like to take spare tunics, and… I would like to cut up our now unused tents. Tarp is hardly ideal, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll see if anypony can soften it up, but… we need more.”
Elias didn’t blink.
“Get it done then; draft whoever you need to get it done tonight. Anything else?”
“I just need a pot to boil water in so I can bulk sterilize our needles.”
Elias finally looked up, glaring at the pink unicorn.
“You don't need my permission to take a pot from the mess tent,” he deadpanned. “Draft two Solar Guards to help you, they still look left out of camp labor.”
Kind Heart smiled and gave him a nod.
“I’ll get it all done General.”
Book Binder ripped off the section of sheet she had written down the orders on and passed it to the pink unicorn as she trotted from the tent.
Elias poured over the map, marking sections that needed adjusting. They needed to double their speed to make up for their resting days, and with more ponies returning to service after every evening healing, that goal wasn’t too far off. They just needed to make sure the nightly castras would be in safe locations as they caught up to their normal schedule, and without the other generals, and without Scarlet to help comb over maps…
He blocked out that thought and focused on the map, comparing it to the scouting reports he had received on the lay of the land. It had been a long couple of days, but they were making progress, slow it might be. Luckily the maps were up to date and accurate, so choosing out new locations wasn’t too difficult. He was just the only one capable of doing it, so he had to be right the first time, or more ponies would suffer.
“General.”
Elias grunted waving his hand.
“In a minute.”
Supply forms were next. All the paperwork had to stay up to date according to Equestrian military code, and while he hated it in the moment, he understood the necessity of keeping accurate logs. It helped ensure corrupt ponies didn’t have the chance to swipe supplies for re-sale. He wasn’t going to, but he had to follow the dumb rules so that nobody had excuses to drag him down when they were back in civilization.
“General.”
“One second,” Elias said, finishing the paperwork with a hasty signature.
Guard shifts were next. Night Flash and Granite were responsible for doling those out, but they didn’t have the authority to assign Lunar and Solar Guards, and though many were happy to fall in line with legionary authority, he had to avoid stepping on hooves. It would only cause discontent among the ranks if he had his officers exercising the same unilateral power he now wielded. That meant the shifts had to come through him, and he combed over them rapidly, making sure those fresh from the medical tent were getting back in the rotation. He also ensured that only legionaries were assigned to the three traitors. Then there was keeping an eye on Stone Horn, and…
“General!”
Elias sighed and rubbed at his eyes.
“Yes, Princess?”
He could feel eyes boring into his skull, demanding he meet them. With another sigh, he did so, looking up. Her eyes were narrowed as she inspected him, looking him up and down before speaking again.
“I was asking if you were going to bed soon,” she said, her voice low and filled with concern. “It has been over an hour since you dismissed your subordinates.”
Elias looked around, found that, yes, everyone was gone. He stared at the planning table, remembering faintly telling everyone to get some rest sometime before he had started his paperwork. He looked up to Luna.
“Apologies Princess, but I’ll get there eventually. Plenty to do, but don’t let that stop you. It’s mostly just paperwork.”
Luna’s eyebrow raised.
“I’m sure. Once you’re done with your paperwork, you will go to sleep?”
Elias shook his head.
“I have a guard patrol I volunteered for, wanted to make sure everyone is getting a good night’s sleep before we start speeding up our pace in earnest.”
“So after that you rest.”
Elias looked toward the ceiling of the tent, mentally recounting what still needed done.
“No, I still want to inspect our rations, then I need to go to the medical tent for a visit, make sure our wounded ponies are healing up. I don’t want them to feel abandoned, and I may not be a princess, but I like to think it helps when I visit.”
“And after that?” Luna asked.
“Then I oversee the guard shift change,” Elias sighed. “Then I check to make sure our wagons will keep rolling tomorrow. Over the last couple days I’ve found that the cooks are usually getting up by then, so I help carry the ration barrels to the food tent for breakfast.”
Luna nodded knowingly, no doubt she had observed that exact schedule over the last few days. It had been days, right? At least two, maybe three. He wasn’t sure, but she seemed to be.
“And when precisely in that schedule do you sleep?”
Elias’ shoulders sagged. It was going to be a lecture then.
“I don’t.”
“And the last time you slept?”
Elias rubbed at his eyes.
“I took a nap during lunch today.”
“Lunch, which lasts only twenty minutes,” Luna said.
A touch of irritation sparked in Elias’ mind.
“It doesn’t matter, the work needs done, and I’m best qualified to do it. If I lose a little sleep, so what? There will be plenty of time to rest after the march. I can do without for a few days. I’ve done it before.”
Luna rose from her pillow throne, standing slightly taller than him from atop it.
“But this march will not end in a “few” days. If all goes well, we still have a few weeks to march. You will die of exhaustion before then, and then what use will you be?”
His eyes narrowed.
“I’m stronger than you think.”
Luna smiled.
“Of that I have no doubt, but I have received several private pleas to force you to rest. You are pushing yourself too hard, and your ponies can tell.”
“Who came to you about this?” Elias asked.
“I will not say,” Luna answered lightly. “They are looking after your well being, and so must I. It is my duty as princess to look after all of my subjects, which happens to include you.” She nodded toward the tent exit. “Go now and rest. Everything will still be fine in the morning.”
“I still have to-”
“No ‘buts’,” Luna said, cutting him off. “You will sleep now. You do service to no one being in an exhausted state.”
“Is that an order?” he sniped.
She shrugged, and her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Though you have made it clear you are under no compulsion to follow our orders, I will make it so if it will make you rest.”
Elias’ shoulders sagged. He didn’t want to make a fight of this. Mere mention of sleep was making his eyes heavier, and his limbs sluggish. Sleeping sounded good.
“Alright, fine, I’ll sleep.” He couldn’t help but add; “But only for an hour or two. I still need to get stuff done.”
Luna sighed.
“I won’t begrudge you that, but do try and pass away some of your workload so that you can rest longer. I worry for you.”
He straightened his papers into a pile, flashing her a smile.
“Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll be fine.”
“Perhaps, but the world is a lesser place deprived of your snuggles,” she countered with a smile of her own. “My ponies suffer without your warm, embracing arms.”
She shooed him with a wing.
“Go on now, you aren’t going to delay this.”
“Are you accusing me of stalling?” he asked as he scooped up his bed-roll.
“I have seen the worst Canterlot has to offer; nobles that could talk and waste time for days on end in an effort to get their way.” She chuckled. “You are not nearly as adept at that particular art. Now shoo. Sleep. Not another protesting peep out of you.”
Elias rolled his eyes, faintly considering giving her a middle finger. She might take genuine offense to it, however, so he decided to instead just turn away, giving her a wave as he moved toward the tent flaps. Just as he opened it, a brilliant flash of white blinded him followed by a deafening crack of thunder. Sheets of rain began to fall, turning the dusty camp into a muddy miasma within seconds. He sighed, staring out at the lashing sheets of water.
“Fuck me.”
“What is the matter General?” Luna asked, her tone teasing. “I thought you were tenting with Night Flash and Book Binder. Surely that is not so far a walk, even in a squall.”
“I was,” Elias said, looking out to the rain. “But I had Kind Heart move in with them. She was tenting with Bloody Bandage and a few Royal Guards.”
He left unsaid what had happened to them. Luna sagged slightly at his unspoken meaning.
“I see.” She straightened and her smile made a full return. “Come back inside then General. I’m sure you and I can figure out an alternate arrangement.”
He grinned, half-turning back, his arm still holding up the tent flap. Water was already beginning to soak his sandals.
“I have half a mind to go out anyway, try to make sleeping more interesting.”
“Don’t you dare,” her smile took on a sly look, “unless of course you want to get sick. Then you can stay in the carriage all day and snuggle with me.”
His scowl brought out a giggle from her.
“Open invitation, we are still friends after all. Friends snuggle.” She moved over and patted the pillows beside her. “Speaking of, come hither my friend; you shall be sleeping with me tonight.”
Elias immediately flushed red and looked away.
“That won’t be necessary Princess, I’m sure I can find a spare patch of dirt in the healing tent.”
Luna giggled again.
“I should be offended that you don’t want to sleep beside me Elias, but I will brook no argument. Come come, I will ensure you have a nice, healthy sleep.”
He strongly debated ignoring her and walking out in the rain, sickness be damned. They had amended their contract, yes, but outright sleeping with her. Even if it was strictly business, the rumors that would spark! Then again, it was Luna, one of his oldest friends, and definitely his closest one, certain clingy pegasi aside. He didn’t want to offend her, certainly didn’t want a third princess turned against him. Also, curling up against her plush, beautiful fur sounded so very inviting, and being alone would make him think about… A good cuddle would do wonders to keep him occupied.
He sighed and dropped the tent flap. Luna immediately popped up from her seat and cheered.
“Huzzah! I shall finally have my warm pillow returned!”
Elias gave her a look that she proceeded to ignore as she began re-arranging the pillows with her hooves. He extinguished the lantern by the tent opening, then walked back toward the planning table, stripping away his armor, and his sword belt. By the time he was finished, Luna was again waiting, patting a human sized impression in the pillows that she had created. Her tail waggled, and her muzzle sniffed with adorable delight as she waited for him to occupy the space.
He groaned and threw his sleeping roll at her, booping her nose.
“Two hours,” he said. “I still have work to do.”
Luna giggled and laid the roll out.
“Of course, oh mighty General Bright. Even the snuggles of a princess cannot supersede your duties.”
Elias again rolled his eyes as he extinguished the lanterns on the table. He laid down on his bedroll facing away from the blue alicorn. Immediately she flopped down over top him, sprawling over him like a blanket. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck, sighing wetly in his ear.
“Much better,” she hummed. Her hooves kneaded his back. “You’re carrying an awful lot of tension Elias. I will hire you a masseuse. I know this lovely mare from Ponyville that will make you melt under her hooves.”
He yawned, any clever and witty responses falling away as the soft embrace of her fur brushed against his neck.
“Two hours,” he mumbled, his eyes already drifting closed. “Just two.”
Luna chuckled and nuzzled his neck.
“Goodnight Elias. I will see you in the morning.”
He yawned again. He didn’t want to put up any fight. Sleep sounded so good, and with such a sleeping buddy...
“Goodnight Princess.”
*****
Kindness sighed as the human began to dream. She had never been a fan of the alicorn’s plan, but understood they thought it would bring about greater, long-term kindness and harmony. The short term, however, was far past an irritant. So many souls flowing through their court…
And then there were the nightmares. Oh so many, far too many for the weakened Moon to handle. She had taken to delving into the dream realm to calm dreams as the lunar alicorn saved her strength, but the human… He was a hardy one, that was certain. He had survived for days on naps and daydreams, but now that he was properly sleeping, she was certain it wouldn’t last long. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, even to himself, his heart ached, and his mind conjured up twisted illusions to torture his rest. If only he could see how his friends were no longer suffering. If only she could intervene to offer him the barest of comforts. Still, there were others that would do so, and soon. Kindness felt a smile touch her face as Moon snuggled up against the human. There friendship was excellent; a touch odd in it’s original construction and conception, but excellent nonetheless.
It would certainly be one Elias Bright needed to survive the coming days.
*****
Luna watched happily as her friend fell asleep. She had watched the bags slowly develop beneath his eyes after the incident of sabotage. Ponies had quickly started coming forward, all but begging her to make him rest, or at the very least talk with him. They certainly couldn’t do it, they were beneath him in the army. He could dismiss them with a hand wave, and then rifts would form, disrupting the cohesion they had so carefully developed. No, they needed an agent, and she was glad to serve. So long as she didn’t press him too hard, all would be well, and his health would improve, and with it, the morale of his troops. Of all ponies, Elias would appreciate that angle most of all.
She adjusted her wings, subtly bringing his arms beneath her feathers before she settled on his back. She made sure his head was buried in the fluffiest part of her chest, then closed her eyes, ready to get a touch of her own rest. She just had one thing she needed to do.
She made sure not to use her active magic as she crept into the dream realm. It wouldn’t do to ruin their efforts so close to their goal. She was well practiced, however, and she found Elias’ dream without issue. It wasn’t the same roiling storm she had seen before, but it wasn’t exactly calm either. The clouds were an angry gray, and the occasional flash of lightning indicated some horrors dwelling deeper within. Still, she didn’t need to resolve it, merely calm it. Elias could rest longer if his dreams were calmer.
She strode forward, touching the storm wall with her hoof gently. It bucked in reply, almost as if a nervous dog trying to sniff her to see if she was friend or foe. Luna waited calmly, slowly pushing the hoof deeper in the roiling clouds.
Once her hoof stopped being rebuffed, she used it to take a step forward. The wall immediately tightened around her, the color shifting to a darker gray. Luna remained calm, remaining in place as it tried to push her out. After a few long moments where the pushing didn’t stop, she thought of something that might calm it down further, and she began to hum.
The clouds immediately softened their barrage as the song she and Elias had shared during Hearth’s Warming filled the air. Luna made a mental note to ask him the words to the song, but oh did his dreams respond to the tune. They calmed, allowing her fully into their embrace. She could have used the song to press forward, but she didn’t want to end his dreams. She just wanted him to rest easy.
She turned around, taking a seat with just her muzzle extending beyond the quieted storm wall. She stared out into the dreamscape, humming softly the unknown tune, over and over, happy with the knowledge that Elias would sleep well tonight.
*****
Nightshade stumbled through the rain, sniffing the air quietly. The torrents of water was making it hard to find her mate, but she knew he was close. The air was hot with his scent, she just needed to find where it was concentrated…
Sneaking from the tent filled with not-her-mate ponies had been easy, though ripping that needle from her foreleg had hurt. Without it, it was just crawl beneath the beds, then wait for the guards to duck inside away from the rain, then she was free. Free to hunt for her mate.
Her nose twitch, and her hazy eyes widened with delight as she finally got a whiff of familiar scent. He was near! There was a small scent pocket, undisturbed by the rain, and she sprinted toward it. Her nose led her right to the center of camp, and she was unsurprised to find a large tent. Of course her mate would be there, he deserved the best!
She approached carefully, finding the tent dark. Likely her mate was already asleep, and she had no desire to wake him. She just wanted to slip beneath him and cuddle in. She gently lifted the tent flap, giving it a sniff to make sure her mate was within. Her wings fluttered lightly when her nose filled with a delicious scent. Mostly delicious. The pony needed a bath, but that was for later.
She slipped into the tent, her delirium heightened as she was smacked in the face with a far more potent pocket of scent. Somebody familiar was close, and with a second sniff… there was more than one friendly scene, that was good. She purred with delight. She would relish in having more fluff to sleep beneath.
She trotted forward happily, her eyes closed as she used her nose to locate the sleeping pair of scents. Light snores touched her ears, and she prodded the pillows around the sleeping pair, looking for a gap. When she found one, she wriggled her way inside, squirming between the sleeping pair. She hissed as her belly pulled painfully, but then she was in, squished between fluff on top, and pure warmth on bottom. In no time at all her fur would dry out with so much warmth.
She sighed happily, burying her muzzle into the male scent’s back, inhaling as much inviting friendliness as possible. Her legs wrapped around him, and she began to drift away.
She scowled as a hoof prodded her side. A voice chuckled, then prodded her again when she didn’t respond.
“Come on snuggle-bat, open up those beautiful eyes of yours.”
Nightshade huffed and cracked open an eye, squinting as she glared up at…
“Chase?”
Her other eye opened and she blinked at him, then down at the body she was hugging. Elias let out a slight snore in reply, seemingly happy as could be. Nightshade’s brow furrowed and she gave him a sniff, her confusion deepening as she again found that friendly male scent. A touch of clarity swept up her nose, and her ears flattened. She… she hadn’t been smelling Chase, she’d been smelling her other male friend. But...
She looked back up to Midnight Chaser, who smiled down.
“I… Chase I didn’t mean to…”
The pegasus chuckled and leaned over to nuzzle her.
“It’s alright snuggle-bat, it’s alright.”
She craned her neck to try and nuzzle him, but he seemed just out of reach, and she didn’t want to let go of Elias. She sniffled lightly.
“C-Chase?”
The gray pegasus kept smiling at her.
“Don’t worry about me ‘Shade, you’re right where you need to be.”
He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
“Give him your all Nightshade, don’t hold a single thing back.”
She again extended her neck, trying to keep nuzzling the gray pegasus as he backed away, but eventually he was too far, still smiling at her as he faded into the distance. Her nose guided her back to Elias, his scent drawing her like a magnet. He stirred slightly in his sleep, and she immediately clung tighter, nuzzling his neck until he quieted. His warmth filled her chest, and she couldn’t help but yawn and fall asleep, hugging him with all her might.
*****
Elias woke to several things. The first was what woke him up; the sharp stabbing of a rising sun targeted squarely in his eye. The second was the overwhelming smell of wet dog, but that wasn’t altogether unpleasant. There was something he couldn’t place in the smell, something fruity? The third thing was an all-encompassing warmness that made him loathe to move, and coupled with an embracing wall of fluff, it made him very comfortable. Finally was the second reason he had awoken; the sound of chuckling and giggling. The sound was almost impossible to hear, yet hear it he did. He crawled forward from the fluff and squinted at the giggling horde of rainbow colors. A collective gasp filled the air with the appearance of his face, then somebody shouted;
“Scatter!”
The sounds of fleeing hoofsteps filled his ears even as wings closed over his face and dragged him back into the fluffy wall.
“No leaving yet,” Luna mumbled. “Cuddles.”
Elias began to protest, only to moan softly as someone nuzzled his neck.
“Cuddles,” the mystery mare purred.
Sleepy confusion made it so his brain wasn’t quick to ask important questions. He huffed and continued rubbing at his eyes. Once they were clear, he managed to crack them open and glare at the only pony who had remained behind; Gray Granite.
The gray earth pony smiled.
“Good morning General!”
Elias squinted at him.
“Why are you so happy?”
Granite’s grin brightened.
“Just tickled that I’m going to have get a nice bag of bits today. You see, the other officers and I had this bet that you would-”
Elias’ eyes narrowed silently, and the earth pony trailed off. He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head.
“Right, sorry General. Pleased to see you got a good night of sleep.”
Elias rubbed at his eyes again.
“A full night… how behind am I? What happened on the patrol last night? I’ll need time this morning to visit the healing tent, and to check-”
“All checks and patrols are accounted for, manned, and up to standard General,” Granite cut in. “As for your schedule, you are two hours behind normal, but the rest of the camp is on schedule and will be ready to depart on time. Adiutor Binder and First Centurion Night Flash are taking care of all your morning duties. I’m just here to make sure you’re dressed and get breakfast.”
“He will eat with me,” Luna slurred, flopping her chin over his head. “Thank you for the wake up call Centurion. That will be all.”
Granite looked to Elias for permission and the human gave it with a nod. The earth pony quickly left, leaving Elias with the ponies on his back. He looked up, finding shining emerald eyes smiling down. He scowled.
“Where do you get off ordering around my ponies?”
Luna chuckled and nuzzled his face.
“My subjects, so I get executive power.” She snorted in his face. “Also, I have you pinned, so I can do whatever I wish, and the mighty Elias Bright gets no protest. I conquered you, so I give orders.”
Elias tried to wriggle away from her grip, but coupled with the pony hugging his back, he couldn’t move. Not without hurting them both. He huffed.
“So, who did you order to join us? If I remember correctly last night began with just the two of us.”
He looked up expecting to see a playful look but was surprised to find a look of confusion on Luna’s muzzle.
“I thought you had invited Snowball to snuggle with us,” she said. “Is that not the case?”
Elias’ brow furrowed, and he slowly shook his head.
“He said he needed to take a break from feeding on me, something about making sure I don’t get in the habit of overproducing love…”
They both silently looked toward the still silent ball of fluff on his back. Luna, being on top, slowly got to her feet, gasping softly once the mystery pony was revealed.
“Nightshade?”
The thestral grumbled softly, clinging tighter to Elias.
“No noise. Cuddles.”
Elias’s neck strained, causing him to wince as he glanced back at the thestral. She looked horrible. Her fur was slightly damp, and she was covered in splotches of red. The bandages around her barrel were an ugly brown and there was a lot of crust built up around her closed eyes. The thestral sniffed softly and nuzzled his back.
“Cold. Bring back blanket,” she demanded at a mumble.
Luna gently laid a wing over Nightshade’s back.
“My friend, what are you doing away from the medical tent? You need a proper bed and proper observers.”
The thestral’s hooves latched onto Luna’s wing and tugged it closer. She snorted softly, her eye just barely cracking open.
“No, best sleep with Fuzzy and Warm.” She waved a hoof. “Come, cuddle time.”
Luna giggled, looking up to Elias.
“I’m going to guess that you are ‘Warm’, General.”
He didn’t match her smile, instead clearing his throat and nodding away from the bandage-wrapped thestral.
Luna’s smile fell slightly, and she subtly resettled herself so that both of her wings, as well as a few pillows, covered Nightshade’s head.
“We cannot keep quiet about Midnight Chaser,” Elias whispered harshly. “I will not lie to her.”
“She is no condition to hear the truth,” Luna whispered back. “An emotional blow like that may very well kill her.”
“She needs to know,” Elias hissed. “It will devastate her if she finds that she can’t trust us to tell her the truth!”
Luna frowned.
“Elias, we must wait until her physical health has improved somewhat. Once she is of clearer mind-”
“I will not lie to her!”
“Elias, I understand, I truly do, and I share your desire not to lie, but she may well die if we tell-”
Crusted, hazy eyes glared at the two of them as a bedraggled head rose. Nightshade squinted at Luna first, then with a snort looked to Elias. Her muzzle curled into a soft smile, and though she winced, she extended her hooves.
“Cuddles. Good nestmates cuddle.”
Elias turned away from Luna, knowing she was going to hate him for this. He reached out a hand, gently grasping one of her hooves and lowering it.
“Nightshade, I know this is going to be hard to hear, especially banged up like you are, but Midnight Chaser is gone. He-”
“All the more reason for cuddles,” Nightshade sniffed, her eyes wetting with tears. “Good nestmates cuddle when times are bad.”
She pushed his hand away and again extended her hooves. Elias sighed. Judging by her runny nose, the glazed look in her eyes and the ill smell wafting off of her, her wound was in the opening stages of infection and she had a fever. She probably only processed his every other word. Luna sighed, and she moved around the thestral’s back, embracing her with her wings.
“Nightshade,” Luna murmured, “my oldest friend. Your mate, Midnight Chaser is-”
“Gone,” Nightshade spat, glaring back at the alicorn. “Elias just said that. I don’t need you to rub it in!”
Her burst of fury wavered as her lip trembled and she began to shake. Tears filled her eyes, and she again extended her hooves toward Elias.
“C-cuddle,” she said. “G-good nestmates c-cuddle when…”
Elias gingerly picked the thestral up and held her tight, rocking her back and forth. Nightshade held on a moment more before breaking down. Soft sobs racked her body as she clung tightly to him, and she buried her head in his chest. Elias let out another sigh, looking to Luna as he kept rocking her back and forth.
“I need to prepare for the day,” he whispered.
She nodded silently, her hooves reaching out to pry Nightshade away. The thestral, without opening her eyes, let out a shout of panic and clung tighter.
“No! You can’t leave, I won’t let you!” Her leathery wings slapped painfully against his back and she wrenched her hips to the side, forcing him to flop back down. Not loosening her grip, Nightshade wriggled upward, nuzzling his cheek.
“I won’t lose another one,” she whispered. “You’re never leaving my sight again.”
“Nightshade, I have to-”
“Never!” the thestral snapped, giving him a side-eyed glare. “You’re staying right here until I heal up, then we’re getting you a full compliment of bodyguards.” She sniffed his hair and paused, then added. “Actually, I’m your new bodyguard, effective now.”
She abruptly sat up and shoved him away. She hissed as she tried to stretch, then glared at the bandages wrapping her belly.
“Need to fix that first, and this headache…”
She shook her head and met Elias’ eyes.
“I need my armor, and some devoted time with a healer. Do you still hate Doctor Scalpel?”
“He and I worked it out…” Elias stood up and began putting on his armor. He needed to start doing, Luna could handle the feverish thestral, he just needed to convince her to stay. “Nightshade, you’re visibly ill and need rest. I’ll assign Scalpel to you, but no armor. You need to sit, and process-”
“Who did you lose?” Nightshade cut in.
Elias paused, then slowly continued strapping on his armor.
“Scarlet,” he said quietly. “But even I took a little time to-”
“We can do that later,” Nightshade barked. “Chase wouldn’t want me laying about while my only other stallion-friend is risking his life for me. I only have the two of you, and now I’m short…” She sniffled, then gave herself and aggressive shake. “And stop that! Stop trying to make me think about him! You’re still alive, so you’re my focus now because you-” she jabbed a hoof at Luna “-and she give the best cuddles in Equestria! You’re going to keep giving them too!”
She stalked forward, jabbing his leg with a hoof.
“So no more protests out of you! Another word and I’ll beat you up again.”
Elias raised an eyebrow.
“You barely won last time when I had a broken arm. What makes you think you’d win this time?”
Nightshade tried to puff out her chest, but instead clutched at her belly and winced. She looked away, her muzzle scrunched up in frustration.
“I- I’d figure out something, don’t worry about it. Just a session or two with the doc and…”
Elias crouched down and stroked her ears, drawing a purr from the thestral. He gave her a smile and kept scratching her ears as he spoke.
“Nightshade, take time to get better,” he said softly. “Let Luna and Scalpel take care of you for a few days so that you can come back one-hundred percent, because that is what I want,” he quickly added as Nightshade’s mouth opened in protest. “I took over the entire army Nightshade. Everyone except you and I are either traitors or dead. I need your help, but you can’t provide it until you’re healthy.” His hand shifted to feel her forehead. “Even now you feel warm. If you dove back in right now, you might make a bad call because of a fever, then what risks will I have to deal with?”
Nightshade winced.
“I-” her eyes darted back and forth for a moment, then she wilted “-that could… Alright. I’ll stay with Luna.” She jabbed his chest with a hoof. “But only until I’m better, then I’m watching you back 24/7!”
Elias grinned and nodded. Getting to his feet, he said;
“Glad to hear it. Now, let’s get Scalpel and some breakfast, yes?”
He glanced up to Luna, who looked fluffed up with pride. She smiled brightly and gave him a nod as she rose from her pillow throne. Before she could climb down though, a loud rumble filled the air. Eyes shifted to Nightshade, who flushed red, pointedly refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.
“I think that answers that.”
Nightshade punched his thigh.
“Shut up or I’ll be the one to kill you.”
*****
Pyrelight stood by the front gate, a nervous frown on her muzzle. Technically it was an abuse of authority to order the gate guards away so that she could watch the gate alone, but she needed the privacy, while also not shirking her duties. With what she was thinking about asking General Bright…
She shook her head and stared forward, trying to hammer her brain into submission. It was an uphill battle, especially with that stupid gem sitting around her neck, whispering it’s coaxing, terrible words. It wasn’t evil, just… insistent. Also destructive. Very destructive. Part of her still regretted going behind everybody’s backs to get the spell removed, but the freedom she now had. She shuddered, still getting twinges from her horn. It was one of the first times since childhood she had been without her horn ring. It had been specially enchanted to be invisible, so most ponies had no idea she wore it constantly, they just thought she was bad at magic.
Unfortunately the opposite was true. She was very good at certain types of magic, as the gem was keen to remind her.
It is merely light, like the sun, it whispered. It is such chilly day, why not warm it up?
Pyrelight ignored the thoughts, knew that it was only the spell manipulating her inner narrative to convince her to relearn it. It was a strange property destroyer spells had, but she had practiced tirelessly to resist the call, even with her horn ring. Early on her parents had suggested that learning self-control would allow her to go without the ring, but as time passed, she came to realize the necessary lie for what it was; another layer of protection. If the horn ring had ever failed and she hadn’t been trained, thousands could have died.
Now though, now the solution was close… if she could go through with it. She had the spell removed knowing she could resist the call of the spell, and for weeks she had! It had been easy to ignore it’s call, but then came the battle… She again shuddered. So much fire had filled the air, some of it from her own horn. While it was liberating to finally use her special talent, it wasn’t without fear. The gem had practically been shouting at her to absorb the spell once again, and when the solar guards had broken and ran, she had very nearly relented. It was subtle, the spell. It always seemed to know just when to pick at her thoughts, but that was just her projecting. She still remembered the explanation Princess Celestia had personally given her, and there was nothing to suggest that the spell actually had a mind of its own. It retained a sense of… eagerness from it’s original creator.
Eagerness that wouldn’t leave her alone. If she had succumbed, no matter the mental justification she would have made of saving her friends, she would have killed them all. Anything that would have harmed the minotaurs would have swept away the ponies as well. She took a breath, scuffing her armored hoof in the mud. Her plan would work. General Bright was stronger than anypony, and he didn’t have magic. He couldn’t be tempted to use the spell. All she needed to do was talk to him in private, then give him the gem and tell him what it was. From there, he’d keep it safe, probably convincing Princess Luna to lock it away in some deep vault when they got back to Canterlot., especially if the rumors surrounding the pair were true.
That thought brought a smile to Pyrelight’s muzzle and drove away the whispers from the gem. There were many rumors around General Bright, most interesting being his relationship with a princess and his proclivity for snug-
Instinct and hundreds of hours of practice drew her gladius as hoofsteps crunched through the frozen brush before the castra.
“Halt and approach slowly!” Pyrelight barked.
She bit her tongue, following her training to not reveal a thing about the castra or the occupants within. Guard doctrine had guards declare who they were guarding to ward off those who may just be confused, but General Bright had taken the legion away from that habit. There were plenty of people who wished the princesses harm in their weakened state, so shouting their location wasn’t ideal for keeping them safe.
Pyrelight took a step back, making sure she was blocking the castra entrance as a voice called out from the trees.
“I am from Saraj, a runner for Shah Gelsey!”
Pyrelight’s eyes narrowed, and she took a second step back toward the castra.
“I said come out,” she snapped. “A runner has nothing to fear here, but anypony who won’t show themselves has something to hide. Come out now, or I call out a dozen legionaries to drag you out.”
Her ears flicked as the nervous shuffling of hooves crunching frozen leaves filled the air, then a taller, thinner sort of white stallion appeared. His muzzle was far longer than that of normal ponies, and he wore far more clothes. The tall-pony smiled, and his tail flicked nervously.
“This is the army of Equestria, yes?”
Pyrelight looked him up and down, seeing no obvious weapons, but those could be hidden in the stallion’s saddlebags. He’d need to be searched. Her eyes flicked back up to meet his.
“It is,” she said carefully. “What message do you carry?”
The stallion’s eyes lit up and he turned back, flipping open his saddlebags and pulling out a letter in his teeth. His tail waggling, he smiled brightly, trotting forward.
“A letter for her Majesties!” the stallion muttered through the letter. “The Shah calls for aid!”
*****
“Minotaurs have surrounded our great city for weeks, and we’ve been unable to send out any messengers!” Aabhavannan, the messenger, said.
The command tent was packed with his command staff, as well as a dozen other ponies. Elias stood with his arms crossed, eyes narrowed and glaring at the tall horse. He almost matched Luna in height, was the first equine that could actually meet his eyes without looking up. Elias found he didn’t like it, especially with the almost too excited smile the stallion bore.
“They came not long after we received word that your march had begun,” Aabhavannan continued. “Unfortunately, our normal guard force was depleted. Shah Gelsey had sent them to our southern border, to ward against the zebra raids. When the minotaurs came, we attempted to send runners to recall them, but none have escaped.”
“Until now,” Elias said. He glanced back, found Celestia and Luna side by side, combing over the letter. Nightshade sat beside Luna, trying to peer over the blue alicorn’s shoulder while Kind Heart and Scalpel worked at healing her belly. She was looking less hazy, and some of her bravado had faded with her fever, but though her eyes showed immense grief just beneath the surface, she was visibly steeled.
He looked back to the stallion.
“I find it very convenient that only now that we defeated one minotaur army, you come to tell us of a second one that we need to double our pace to destroy.” He took a step toward the horse, trying his best to tower over him. Luckily for him, the stallion shied back, giving him precious centimeters in height. “Why should we trust you? My legionaries saw changelings picking apart the battlefield a few days ago. How do I know that you’re not one of them and working with this army of yours to exhaust us?” He stepped forward again, and the horse seemed to shrink, quivering as he met Elias’ glare.
“General, enough,” Luna called. “Stop terrifying the poor stallion. The letter is legitimate.”
“And how can you tell?” Elias asked, not looking away. Aabhavannan gulped.
“Gelsey is an old friend of ours,” Celestia said. “In fact, she and I were pen pals when she was but a pranses. She likes to hoof-write her letters rather than dictating.”
“And when I returned, she began sending each letter with a stalk of lavender,” Luna said. She drew a long stalk of purple from the envelope and smelled it, sighing happily. “I’ve been trying for years to make my lavender as fragrant as hers but she keeps her gardening secrets well. Her flowers have always held our envy.”
“There is also the matter of her magical signature soaking this letter,” Cadence said. “It’s easy to sense and soaked with worry and desperation, but not panic. A changeling needing to mimic this signature would need to keep her calm enough not to let her desire to escape to leech into her other emotions, something that is near impossible.”
Elias’ glare at the Saddle Arabian runner finally faltered, and he looked back toward Cadence. He found others similarly staring in her direction in open surprise, and she blushed slightly, fluttering her wings.
“What? A changeling invaded my wedding, and I’m a princess.” She raised her muzzle in the air, sniffing snootily. “It’s my duty to be informed about my enemies and being an expert on changelings fits. I’m allowed to detect emotions other than love you know.”
Elias blinked slowly, then shook himself and looked to Luna.
“So you believe he’s telling the truth?”
The blue alicorn offered him a warm smile.
“I do, General.” The smile faded and she glanced back to the letter. “But it’s contents are worrying. If Saraj has been under siege for so long, I fear for the state of her people. Tell me,” Luna said, addressing the stallion, “how are you food stores? I cannot imagine a city so large can be fairing well.”
The stallion bowed low, his eyes never rising as he replied.
“In truth, Princess, there is more to Shah Geley’s gift of lavender than there might seem. When I left the palace with the letter, she had just given orders for her gardens to be cut down and eaten. The lavender represents a day’s ration, a final gift to you should I fail in my mission.”
Celestia let out a gasp, while Luna looked at the lavender in her hooves with new, grim light.
“Wood Chop, take down a letter!”
The guardspony stopped polishing the head of her axe and blinked at the white alicorn.
“With what Princess? I don’t have a pencil.”
Celestia stared blankly at the earth pony, then looked to Elias.
“I… am used to my assistants having writing materials.”
“She’s your bodyguard more than anything,” Elias said. “Adiutor Snowball, the princess’s letter.”
The loveling buzzed over to Celestia, drawing a feather and parchment from his enchanted saddlebags. Celestia sighed with open relief at the sight of such materials, and she straightened, dictating quickly.
“A call will be sent out to Canterlot and the surrounding towns. Every baker, chef, and farmer will triple production, and the mages of the Royal Canterlot Institute will prepare a storage room with preservation spells. The royal dining room will suffice. I want wagons filled with food prepared for the portal opening. They shall follow our welcoming committee through the portal as soon as it is linked.”
As Snowball finished up the letter, Celestia looked to Elias, who still had his arms crossed. Her wings flapped nervously, and she smiled.
“Can you do it General?”
“Can I do what?” Elias said. “There are many things I can do, but I’m not magical.” He rolled his shoulders and stepped toward the map table, nodding the white alicorn over. She joined him at the table, followed quickly by Granite, Book Binder, and Night Flash. “We have nearly two weeks of marching left at our current pace,” Elias said, pointing at their location on the map. “We can move faster, but the faster we move, the more we leave behind. The more we leave behind, the less prepared we are to break a siege.”
He glanced up.
“Truth be told, I have no intention of pushing my ponies to the breaking point. If they will need to fight at the end of this march, then they will need to be rested, and they will need to be steeled.” His eyes flicked up to Aabhavannan, who gulped nervously. “Which begs the question, how many ponies have you talked to? How loose has your tongue been? Are you truly a runner coming to ask for help, or are you a spy, allowed to slip through the siege to spread panic?”
As the stallion again shrank beneath his glare, a hoof gently touched Elias’ hand. His glare softened as Celestia stared into his eyes.
“He is no spy General,” she said softly. “But even if he is, I know our ponies. They will not be afraid, not with you at their lead, so I again ask; can you do it?”
“With our wounded we’ve been marching slower, we still aren’t back on schedule,” Elias said, somewhat hesitant to answer the question directly. Was it really all on him now? If he made even one mistake, was it all going to be for nothing? “At our current pace-”
“We do not have weeks General!” Aabhavannan protested. “Saraj needs aid now!”
“I know that!” Elias snapped. “But maybe if your Shah had planned for the possibility of minotaurs attacking like I had, your city wouldn’t be under siege. Now shut up or the first thing I’ll do when I liberate the city is burn it to the ground.”
His glare flicked back to Celestia.
“And you, what kind of question is that? ‘Can you do it?’ Do you expect me to say no? Don’t ask me stupid questions, and instead offer me solutions, or at least get out of my way so I can think of them.” His face twitched with irritation at the too-full tent. Sweat beaded on the back of his neck and slithered down his back. “All of you, get out! If you aren’t going to help me develop a plan, I want you outside and preparing the camp to move! Starting later isn’t helping us break a siege.”
His eye twitched as nobody moved, but just as he opened his mouth to bellow the command, his officers roared into motion, shouting commands and shepherding ponies out of the tent. Elias braced his hands on the map table and simply stared at the well-marked piece of parchment. Celestia’s stupid question was bouncing around in his head; ‘can you do it?’ Was that supposed to be her showing doubt, or just more pressure? It wasn’t like he was under enough, oh no. He only had to do all the work of any entire army, duties which had been split among eight generals. No, now not only did he have the pressure of making sure an entire army stayed safe, including all of his closest friends and three de-powered alicorns, but now he had to worry about doing so with an enemy army ahead, besieging a city he had to save before they starved to death.
Worse still was the lack of any other good planners. Chaser and Everfree were both dead. Nightshade was still sick and nursing a wound, and a glance over his shoulder found the thestral looking a touch less steely, and a touch more teary. She might try to hide it, but she had just lost her mate. She wasn’t going to shake that quickly. With Scarlet dead as well…
Elias closed his eyes and shook his head. He couldn’t focus on what was gone, only one what remained. He’d gotten a good night of sleep and had a handful of dried meat for breakfast. That would be enough to at least get the army through the day, then he could pour over maps as soon as they stopped for the night, looking for some way to shave time off of…
He paused as he felt a hoof manipulating his hand, forcing his fingers to uncurl, and then re-curl. He looked toward the hand to find a blue hoof in it and a glance toward the hoof’s owner found a smiling Luna. Elias glanced around, found the tent empty. Feathers brushed his neck, and a giggle filled his ear as the blue alicorn moved closer.
“There is no need to worry my friend,” she whispered, her muzzle wet in his ear. “I wouldn’t dare try something is dastardly and forward as hoof holding while there are witnesses about.”
Elias gave her a side-eyed glare.
“I’m on the verge of a panic attack and you’re making jokes?”
Luna smiled.
“Because you panicking is silly Elias. I know that you are going to get us to Saraj safely, and I know that you will come up with some kind of plan to relieve the city, and I think you know that too.”
He held his glare on her for a second more, then looked back to the map, taking a deep breath as he did so.
“Of course I do, but your sister could remember that she’s the centuries old alicorn with a millennia of ruling under her belt. A touch less of absolute reliance on the twenty year old would be nice, as would an idea or two.”
Luna giggled.
“Ideas you would reject.”
“Just because her ideas would be bad doesn’t mean that I can’t bounce off of their stupidity,” Elias said.
“That’s more like it,” Luna hummed. “Don’t panic my strategic little human. There is no need to.”
Elias waved her away with his free hand.
“Yeah yeah, I’m the ‘Hero of Canterlot’, apparently infallible in my military brilliance. Try to appeal to my ego more why don’t you?”
“I prefer to appeal to my snuggle buddy actually.”
Elias felt his face flush crimson as her lips brushed his cheek.
“You will be sleeping with me from now on General,” Luna whispered. “Feel free to take as long as you like in the evenings with your planning sessions, but know this; I will get my snuggles one way or another. If that is every night on the road to help you rest, or once you have liberated Saraj and I kidnap you for the center of a new cuddlepile, I care not.”
She withdrew, pulling her hoof from his hand. Elias stared after her as she trotted toward the tent entrance.
“I go now to recruit Nightshade to my efforts,” she said, looking back. “She needs some good, innocent fun.” She winked at him. “Do try not to fall to my wiles too easily, General. The chase is half the fun.” She waved a wing and trotted from the tent. “See you tonight!”
Elias stared after her for a long moment, then said to himself;
“How was that supposed to be motivation?”
“Don’t kid General, everypony knows you love cuddles!” Snowball said, appearing from nowhere and settling on Elias’ shoulders.
The human glared back at the loveling, who kept smiling, until the weight of the glare forced him to chuckle nervously.
“Adiutor Binder sent me to remove you. We need to tear the tent down.”
Elias continued glaring at him for a moment more, then sighed and nodded, gathering up the maps to shove into his bag.
“Let’s just get today’s march done.” He paused, then glanced up at the loveling. “How long were you waiting around?”
Fangs shined, and Snowball chuckled.
“Enough to know that you are going to be quite the love donator.”
Elias’ eyes narrowed.
“Five laps of the castra, plus one for every time I hear the word cuddles today.”
Snowball chuckled.
“Okay ‘snuggle buddy’. Whatever helps you sleep, warm and cuddling with your favorite princess.”
Elias stared at him for a moment longer, then went back to his maps.
“And you’re not allowed to join us.”
“Oh come on, that’s not fair!” Snowball protested. “I’ve been giving you my share of the rations, I should be able to feast on the tastiest source of love!”
A smile finally broke out on Elias’ face as he began to pack his maps, listening to the loveling complain the whole while. His horn flickered with blue flame as his tone became a touch more emotional, and the sight of it brought the beginnings of an idea to his mind. He had what was essentially a changeling in his ranks…
“Is it true that changelings can communicate with one another over hundreds of miles?” he asked absently, still staring at the flickers of flame.
Snowball stopped in his rant, blinking with open confusion.
“Not ‘ling to ‘ling, no, that kind of hivemind is pretty localized,” he said. “All ‘lings can communicate directly with their queen over any distance though. She acts as a central point, through which we all communicate. The hivemind only works when we’re close to our queen.”
“But you can communicate with her, and she can order the other lovelings around?”
“Yes,” Snowball said. “But she wants to stay neutral in Equestria’s-”
“She’ll stand by and watch Saddle Arabians starve?” Elias asked, finally glancing away from his thinking trance.
Snowball frowned.
“General, I should be insulted. That’s my mom you’re talking about.”
“A mom who won’t even hear me out on getting food to the starving Saddle Arabians,” Elias said.
Snowball’s eyes narrowed for a moment, then his ear twitched.
“She’s listening.”
Elias grinned.
“Let’s start with this; how many lovelings are in Saraj?”
Still not a huge fan of the way I wrote this one, but it's been cooking for long enough. Time to move on. Hope you all enjoy and are having a good start to your year.
Also, because I apparently can't remember anything today; Elias, Book Binder and Night Flash, courtesy of Blueshadow!
I'm extremely thankful to him for bringing my ponies and rapscallion human to life. 
Commissioned by Blueshadow
Created by AlruMoon
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You might not be a huge fan of how you wrote it, but it was really enjoyable.
May?
If it makes you feel better I’m a huge fane of the way you wrote it. Although how Nightshade is acting gets me thinkin…
Keep up the good work my guy! I love your story!
Life has many hills, and sometimes you climb one hill only to see mountains ahead of you.
At the bottom, one could look up at the mountain they must climb with dread, the fear of the journey weighing on their shoulders. But one could also look at the mountain another way, they can look at it with a smile and say, "that is a mountain I will conquer".
For Elias' case, he could look at the battle as, "his troops marching to fight the siege", or he could look at it as, "I am marching my troops to break that siege".
Confidence in moderation and the right mindset can do wonders for morale; and life.
as always, l have enjoyed this chapter, you keep proving yourself as a great writer... l do however, have one tiny request.... PLEASE let us see the just execution of that lying asshole and traitor, Lionheart the coward.
11130697
Fixed, ty for pointing that out.
Elias you brilliant bastard
Ooohhh, an unexpected use of a forgotten piece of information, snowball has been around so long the fact that he is a version of a changeling and not just a love eating pony has sort of faded into the background, very nice to bring it up and use his connections to your advantage now.
Nice chapter and things really are moving along.
Who thinks this should be the new cover art for TCP? Upvote/like if you agree.
Oooh, I’d forgotten about Nightshade’s passing interest in Elias a while back. That dynamic should be interesting to see develop.
Another wonderful chapter, fingers crossed for luck
I don't remember why I had like 7 ish chapters built up. Perhaps the story had a run of bad luck and would be pushed past page one in a burst of story updates, when the last sum of chapters in came out.
HES YOUNG GOD I THOUGHT SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WHAT HE LOOKED LIKE .
It's been a while. Who are Nightshade and Midnight Chaser again?
Saddle arabian wall, 6AM...
"Brilliant morning, isnt it chieftain?"
"Indeed, its as cold as a changlings soul... just the way I like them."
*crunching of horse shoes and hobnails filling the air as red banners block out the sunrise on the horizon*
"OHHHHHH EQUEEEESSS-TRRRRIIIIIII-AAA!"
"LEGGIO, AETERNA, VICTRIX!"
"Fianally. They arrive..."
11136133
captains of the night guard and royal guards, respectively. They were also paired up during that part during heat season. She basically lost her unofficial husband.
Nightshade got into that fight with Elias in the beginning, and they called the fight a human friendship ritual. She was his boss while he was a guard.
Chaser got into a duel with him when Elias asked his sister to teach Scarlet more. He put Elias's knife in his stomach and Elias said "I guess you win" when he collapsed from blood loss. Remember?
11137916
Ah, thanks.
And nope, didn't remember that at all.
The characters don't really stick out. They all meld together into a single pony that wants to fuck, er, hug an anti-social mass murderer on a path to redemption.
11137916
Oof, I really legitimately don't. Thanks though, good to have that context returned. So many to keep up with but such a long time since I last read I guess.
😁👌
It's nice to see what Elias looks like. Good to put a face with a name.
I've been imagining Elias of having the build of an 80s anime protagonist, instead hes a twink from the earl 2010s. I am immensely disappointed and my day is ruined
11151032
If I understand what you mean, then I somewhat agree with you.
Since Elias Bright broke the non-aggressive meeting with the generals before the battle, I do not expect anyone will trust him should another be called. But that is about as far as I can agree, since Elias doesn't strike me as a white-flag type. I doubt he would ever call for a meeting with the enemy before combat for it to "come back to bite him", unless it would hold up in some strategy or plan of his.
Like I said before I would have preferred no bloodshed, but it was quite clear the Minotaurs had no intentions of peace. They were using this little "cease-fire" to gain an advantage of their own under their lie of peace; counting forces, noting their weapons, making guesses where the Princess's are within their formations. Elias just decided to take his own advantage while getting rid of theirs.
Was there other ways... probably. But from what we have seen of Elias, he doesn't make time to play nice, he plays the quickest most efficient way for survival, which matches up with the experiences he went through on Earth. I could condemn his methods, But I won't condemn his logic.
I dunno why, but when I think of Elias, I think of him with an almost constant mess of a hair from his helmet, broad and barreled from muscle and mass, with a full beard. I dunno why but I just get that full on Spartan warrior set.
Him clean shaven? Seems ludicrous.
I don't know why but somehow Elias is beginning to remind me of Sharpe.
This was easily the most emotional chapter for me. Everything with Nightshade had me choked up. Even on rereading this I still got to the point that I had to set down my drink and collect myself. The emotional fallout from the march is going to be several layers of hell to process.