Chapter 18
They left the captain behind them, running down the street at a full gallop, neither of them speaking. Dawn’s worried tone and expression had said it all, as had the captain’s own grim instructions. A knot of worry was churning at Sabra’s gut, rolling and roiling with each hoofbeat, driving him forward. Ahead of them, still blocks away, he could see the peak of the watchtower.
And the flashes of light echoing from it, lighting the skyline of the city.
He put his head down, increasing his pace and pulling ahead of Dawn. A signal from the tower was bad, no matter what it meant. Whether the signal meant that they’d found out about the loss of their southern-based companion, noticed the horde of crystal ponies moving their way, or even just alerted the rest of the city to his and Dawn’s location, it didn’t matter. It meant that the tower was on the alert. And a whole host of crystal ponies were moving straight for it.
They had to get there first.
A bright light lit the darkening skyline, far brighter than the light from the watchtower, and Sabra pulled his head back, slowing his pace as the peak of the tower at the center of the city pulsed once more. Again the image of grey unicorn’s head appeared floating above the tower, eyes burning with contempt.
“Citizens of the Crystal Empire,” the unicorn said, their voice echoing across the city until it almost seemed like it was layered over itself. “Return to your homes. Rebellion against our rightful and glorious king will not be tolerated. Those who reject his leadership are traitors to us all.”
“Keep moving!” Dawn shouted as she galloped past Sabra, and with a start he realized how much he’d slowed. He threw himself forward, even as the gigantic illusion continued to speak.
“I say again, return to your homes until order is restored. Do not venture outside your doors. Those who disobey during this trying time will be treated as traitors to the empire and dealt with.” There was a harsh finality to the way the unicorn said “dealt with.”
“Remember your families,” the voice continued as Sabra followed Dawn over a fence. The tower was getting closer, only a few streets away now. “Your loved ones. What dangers could befall any of them if one foolishly exposes them to danger?”
More a threat than a warning, Sabra thought, following Dawn over another fence.
“Those of you who have taken to the streets, disband. Return home in proper obedience to the natural order, and you will be spared.” Sabra’s hooves skidded against the paving stones as he landed. “Those who do not—”
“Alarm!”
A blue glow slashed past the side of his head, Sabra throwing himself to the side as the beam vaporized a portion of the fence he’d been about to leap over. A glance up the street showed him the source of the attack: Three unicorns clad in the armor of the Order. Worse, one of them was waving down a side street, yelling for attention.
The tower’s reinforcements, Sabra thought as he threw his body back the way he had come, tapping slightly into his strength mod to give the long, vertical leap a bit more power. Another blue beam flashed through the space he’d just vacated, the lead unicorn tracking him but not quite quickly enough.
“Equestrians!” one of the unicorns yelled, even as the illusion from the center of the tower prattled on. “Take them!”
Another beam shot at him, this one contiguous, and Sabra ducked and jumped once more as the beam slashed through another fence. Rather than vaporizing, the wood blew apart where the beam touched it, splinters flying in all directions as the attack cut across it. The other two unicorns were moving forward now, their own horns lighting up as Sabra threw himself out of the path of the beam. Whatever it was, it wasn’t enough to cut through the side of a home, thankfully.
A bright orb flew down the street toward the trio, bouncing once before exploding in a bright flash so vivid that Sabra’s visor dimmed. Cries of shock and surprise echoed after it as the flashbomb spell faded, and he took advantage of the moment to leap up atop the house he was taking cover behind, moving across the rooftop.
Dawn’s spell had clearly caught the trio by surprise, all three of them clutching at their eyes as the medic moved down the other side of the street. Then one’s horn flashed, a wave of red light sweeping over each of them, and their eyes opened, searching for their attackers.
The lead unicorn’s eyes locked on Sabra as he jumped again, trying to get enough distance to come down atop him, but it was too late. The same blue beam flashed out and collided with his flank.
Pain blossomed along his hindquarters, every part of them feeling twisted, squeezed, and somehow pulled in every direction at once as the world flipped around him. A moment later he was flying across the street the trio were standing in, his body crashing into the roof of a nearby home and bouncing before he was able to roll himself upright and land on his hooves.
What was that? His entire right side ached like Captain Song had bucked him cleanly, right down to the bone. The unicorn that had attacked him turned her attention on Dawn, horn glowing once more and sending the same blue beam toward the medic.
Dawn got a shield up just in time, the beam colliding with a loud crack that briefly drowned out the still-echoing voice of the illusion at the center of the city. Even then, the force of whatever the spell was threw her back, hooves sliding across the soil as the other two unicorns moved forward, their own horns glowing.
He jumped, pushing through his mod to cover the distance and pulling out his Fimbo. The beam swept in his direction, missing him but catching the edge of his staff just before he crashed down into the lead unicorn. The staff was torn from his hooves, flying across the street. But it wasn’t quite enough. He crashed down atop the unicorn’s hindquarters, hooves driving her legs down as he brought his full weight to bear against the mare. She collapsed with a scream, the beam vanishing just before it could collide with him once more.
He rolled, tucking his legs and head close in to make himself a smaller target as he flipped over the mare’s back, coming up on his hooves on her other side. He spun, whipping his eyes across the scene—and jumped almost immediately as a blast of flame roared at him from the nearest unicorn. The bare edges of the flame licked at his armor, but were gone before he felt the heat, and he threw his hooves up as the caster followed in the wake of his attack, opting for hoof-to-hoof combat.
It was a mistake. Magically, the unicorn had a decent chance, but in closing the distance, even with his horn, they were at a severe disadvantage. Their stance was sloppy, their timing poor, and three quick, rapid blows were enough to batter the stallion cross-eyed. Sabra turned away, not even bothering to watch the unicorn topple to the pavement, just in time to see a strange blue orb from a second group of unicorns rushing down a connecting street arc through the air and land at his feet.
He jumped back, emptying his mod a mere second before the orb exploded. The shockwave lifted him even further, throwing him through the air even as his visor tinted once more. Glass—or was it crystal?—shattered as both the force of his leap and the explosion hurled him through the front window of a home. Screams from inside echoed inside his head as he slammed through furniture, coming to a stop atop the ruins of a wooden table.
It hurt, but nothing felt broken. Sky’s armor had done its job. He shoved himself up, broken glass and pieces of wood falling from his barrel. His eyes located the source of the screams he’d heard. Off to his right, a young-looking crystal stallion stood in an open doorway with wide eyes, body half-hunched over a younger filly. Daughter? Sibling?
There was no time to ask. Another globe like the one that had launched him through the window was already flying through the open window, arcing right for him.
Move! Instinct or training—maybe both—took over, and he threw himself to the side,slamming into the two crystal ponies and shoving them through the doorway, shielding them with his own body and managing to kick the door closed with one rear hoof. The three of them hit the floor, skidded across it, and—
The door behind them exploded, wooden slivers flying through the room—Kitchen?—and bouncing off of his armor. He rose as soon as the impacts stopped, looking down at the two ponies he’d just protected. “Uko—Are you okay?” The pair stared up at him, eyes open wide.
Shock. They’d both just nearly been killed. There was no time to wait for them to reply. He turned, eyes catching sight of the home’s front door. The needle in the corner of his helmet was at zero, his mod empty. If I had magic—
A hoof touched his shoulder, and he froze. “Thank you,” the crystal pony said. He was glowing, as was the smaller filly. A surge seemed to rush across his armor, the normally-purple lines flashing with pure light before fading back to the more familiar shade he was used to. The battery-indicator jumped, the needle rising in a sudden jump.
“Nae—You’re welcome.” There was no time to talk. He could hear more spells coming from outside. Dawn needed his help.
He slammed through the front door, breaking the latch to pieces. The original trio were down, Dawn having subdued the last one with what appeared to be both more lengths of rope and her own magic, but the ones that had thrown the explosive spell had retaliated and pushed her back. Worse, there were six of them: three maintaining a set of spells that were cascading over Dawn’s shield—make that two, the third was a crystal pony—two that were moving forward with long spears gripped in their magic, and the last moving across the lawn toward where he’d flown through the window, horn aglow with what was probably another explosive spell.
They didn’t get a chance to cast it. They turned, eyes widening as Sabra rushed at them, an orb of incandescent red energy forming at the very point of their horn … and then Sabra’s hoof crashed into their jaw, the full force of his rush and his mod behind it. The unicorn’s head snapped back with a cascading, meaty-sounding crack, the force of the impact enough to carry their now limp body with it through the air. Part of Sabra’s mind seemed to recoil in horror, but there was no time to think. He was already turning, directing his momentum toward the three ponies sending spell after spell at Dawn.
Except they weren’t. Both of them were turning, and a glow burst into being around his armor, a telekinetic spell, trying to hold him back, only to slip free of the crystal armor’s reflective surface.
He crashed into the trio a second later, no quarter given. Blood flew through the air as his blows cut through tough skin and shattered bone. All three fell, his blows a blur as he danced between them. As the last hit the paving stones, horn shattered by a heavy blow, he turned, only to see that Dawn had baited the last two forward before seizing their weapons with another enchanted length of rope and turning them against their owners. At least, that was what he guessed had happened: The two’s weapons were tied between them, blood on the blades, and both owners were bleeding from wounds to their hind legs. Their hamstrings had been cut.
A cold wave seemed to wash over him as he stared down at the two Order unicorns, freezing every limb. He looked around, searching for another attacker, but there weren’t any. It was over. Worse, he recognized the feeling filling him. His breath was coming in short, violent gasps, his movements suddenly jerky. His legs felt unsteady as he turned to look at the other unicorns he’d attacked.
The one that had fired the beam had been cooked by the explosion, skin blistered and peeled back. One of her legs was mostly gone. The unicorn he’d delivered such a solid hit to was lying still in the street, head at an impossible angle. The spellcasting trio lay bloodied in the street.
I did this. The thought seemed to break over him like a rolling wave as he staggered to the side of the street. Dawn shouted something, but her voice didn’t register, simply noise that seemed to echo around inside his head. Everything seemed to be blurring together, his limbs shaky and weak.
He fumbled at his helmet straps as his insides gave another lurch, tearing his helmet off as a sudden urgency made itself known. Vomit spilled over the street as his sides and gut heaved, spilling his lunch out across the paving stones. A sharp, acidic bile scent reached his nose as his retching continued. The world was wet and blurry.
Finally he stopped, gasping as his stomach finished emptying itself. His entire body was shaking, almost vibrating with a furious intensity as his insides quieted. His cheeks were wet with tears.
“Sabra.”
His name was repeated twice before it registered, and he turned to see Dawn looking at him, her blue eyes staring into his. “Sabra,” she said again. “Are you all right?”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He wasn’t sure there were words for how he felt. He could still taste the bile on his tongue, the acid pungent and putrid at the same time. His eyes kept flicking back to the ponies that had died—that he had killed—lying in the middle of the street.
“Sabra.” Dawn’s voice called his gaze back. “Breathe, Sabra. Breathe. Nice and easy.”
He found his voice. “But—”
“Easy, Sabra. Easy.” Her forelegs wrapped around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. “I know. But listen to me.” Dawn pulled back slightly, looking right in his eyes. “It’s a shock, I know. But you’re a sage, Sabra. You know this is what a war can do.”
“I …” His throat seized.
“It had to happen, Sabra,” Dawn said. “There’s a point of no return, and those ponies were past it. The only way to avoid what happened was for them to back down or us to give up. And we couldn’t do that. Understand?”
He nodded. His mouth still stank.
“What you’re feeling now is good, Sabra,” Dawn continued. Somewhere off in the distance, the sound of hoofsteps galloping quickly reached his ears, and Dawn must have heard it a moment later, because she turned for a moment to see what it was before bringing her eyes back to his. “You feel horrible. Sick. I know.” For a moment she paused, her voice going quiet. “Some of us can’t handle that feeling. But you did what you had to do, Sabra? Understand? They were going to kill. Kill and enslave. Do you understand?”
Her words washed some of the sting away, and he nodded. But his chest still felt hollow, like somepony had scooped out his heart and replaced it with a dull piece of stone.
“It had to happen,” Dawn said again, and the words stirred something in his own mind. He nodded again, though more for himself.
You knew this could happen, he thought, forcing his eyes to look at the bodies once more. You just didn’t understand, and you knew that you didn’t understand it.
He swallowed, the taste of his own bile sending a shiver through him. Now you understand.
The rushing hoofsteps drew closer, slowing, and he turned to see Captain Song. The captain took in the scene in an instant, eyes rolling over the bodies, the damage, then fixing on Sabra and his discarded helmet.
“Specialist Sabra?” he asked, stepping forward. “How do you feel?”
Sabra swallowed again before trusting himself to speak. “Awful.” His voice sounded strange in his ears. Weak. Shaky.
“Here.” Dawn pressed a canteen into his hoof, and it took him a moment to realize it was his own. “Wash your mouth out.” He did, spitting onto the stones near his vomit, then took a long drink.
“I’m sorry, Sabra,” Steel said, his voice quiet. “This … This is the one thing training really can’t prepare you for. The only way to face it … is to face it.”
Sabra nodded, then took another drink. His stomach felt swollen, even though he’d only had the two sips. The shock seemed to be fading now. He still felt hollow, but the world seemed to be coming back into being around him.
“The final test,” Steel said, still looking down at Sabra. “That’s why I’ve been telling you to hit them so hard, Sabra. I couldn’t have you reaching this point until after you could afford to.” He shook his head. “I know it hurts. You feel sick. I’m sorry. But specialist, I need you to push through it. It …” He let out a low breath. “It gets easier. Not the—not your opponent dying. But the dealing with it. But right now, I need to know that you can deal with it.” His eyes locked with Sabra’s. “Because there’s an entire city counting on us to be able to do that.”
“Captain …” Dawn said, her tone warning.
“It’s not called a ‘trial by fire’ because it’s kind or easy, Sergeant Triage,” Steel said, not taking his eyes off of Sabra. “Specialist, I need to know if you can do this again. Because if you can, we need you right now.”
Sabra opened his mouth, but no words came. What do I say? The ache in his chest, the sick feeling of guilt and agony, seemed to shove against him, and … His eyes fell on his helmet.
I told the captain when I agreed to serve that I would be a Dusk Guard. With all that it entails. Beyond the helmet, he could see the home he’d smashed through the front window of, and past that the front room.
It was utterly destroyed.
They did that, Sabra thought, eyes widening and shifting to the limp body on the street. The Order did that. They were going to kill you, and anyone in that room. His mind flashed back to the pair he’d shielded with his own body, the feeling of wooden pieces shattering against his armor. The voice echoing across the city came back to him as the world seemed to snap back into focus.
“—treason is punishable by death.” The voice said, the image winking out a moment later.
No. He took a long, deep breath, chest swelling as the hollow in his heart began to fade. No. I can’t let that happen. A warmth was moving through him now, a warm heat that burned away the sick feeling in his gut. It wasn’t hatred, though there was anger in it, but beneath it …
Purpose. Captain Song was still looking at him, concern showing through his visor. Sabra rose, pushing himself off of his haunches, and stepped over to his helmet. Without a word he slipped it into place, tightened the straps, and looked at the captain.
“Sabra?” Steel asked.
“Specialist Sabra, reporting for duty, captain.” The words flowed in an easy rush. “Ready to serve.”
“Glad to hear it.” Captain Song seemed to slump slightly, relaxing. “Are you going to be okay?”
Sabra thought for a moment before nodding. “I will not hold back captain, it … hurts. Aches.” He tapped his chest with one hoof. “Right here. But …” He glanced at the shattered home front. “We are Dusk Guard.” An old saying, one he’d read years ago, sprang to mind. “We bear the pain so that others will not.” Old words, from long before the Guard, from the founding of the Plainslands and the war with the jackals, but for the first time, he almost felt like he understood them.
“You’ll need this.” His Fimbo floated over to him, held by Dawn’s orange magic. Dawn stared at him as he took it. “Are you sure, Sabra?”
He nodded. “I am. The Order must be stopped.”
Captain Song nodded. “Then let’s go do it. Now!” He turned and ran off at a gallop, heading for the distant tower.
The tower! He hadn’t looked at it in minutes, and he could see spells firing from its peak, striking down at something on the street. A cool fire seemed to roll through him. The crystal ponies.
They needed help. And the Dusk Guard was on the way. Later, when all of this was over, he could curl into a ball and try to drive away the memory of what he’d done, or at least process it.
But until then, he was needed.
They heard the fight before they saw it, screams and cries echoing across the city. Then they swept around a corner in the road, and the full tableau was before them.
It was chaos. Spells were flying in all directions, mostly from the tower peak and the front door of the station, where the Order seemed to have set up a defensive line. The crystal ponies opposing them didn’t seem to have much in the way of magic to defend themselves … but what they did have was numbers and makeshift projectiles. Chair legs, rocks, even a few bows.
And numbers. There had been at least fifty or sixty of them. Now there were maybe forty. And more were dropping with every cascade of spellwork from the Order. Sabra could see a few of the crystal ponies cowering already, taking cover with looks of despair on their faces. Malnourished and beaten down, it was amazing they had gotten as far as they had gotten.
At a high cost, he thought, his eyes sliding to the wounded and dead lying along the stones. The losses seemed to be hitting them even harder. Already he could see a few starting to move back. They were close to routing.
“Sabra!” Steel called, his voice echoing down the street. “Take down that sniper!”
“Yes sir!” Fire raced through his blood as he increased his pace, sliding under a hasty spell thrown his direction and leaping over the next one. He was past the mob of crystal ponies in an instant, catching sight of Steel slamming a shield down over a group of the most dangerously exposed, sending several spells ricocheting off its surface. Dawn did likewise, using her magic to pull several ponies under the cover of the shield and out of the open.
“Equestrians!” one of the Order members cried, and Sabra caught sight of their terrified expression as he soared overhead, landing on the roof. “Equestri—”
A chunk of crystal, kicked by Steel at speeds that had probably taken earth-pony magic, cut the unicorn’s cry off with a wet thunk.
Sabra leaped again, a spell from above narrowly missing him as he landed on one of the spikes … only for a second shot to come down in front of him while he was still jumping for the second, coating the spike he’d been aiming to land on in a thin, translucent aura.
Wha—
Then his front hooves hit the spike and slid right off, the enchanted surface offering no traction, and he understood what had happened. He skipped over the crystal, his midsection bouncing off of it, and tumbled into the open air beyond. As he fell, something hit his back, and the speed at which he was falling doubled, then tripled.
He pushed at his mod as hard as he could, strength filling every fiber of his being as the needle in the corner began to tilt swiftly to the left—
Impact. There was no time to bring his legs completely under him. Only instinct and training kept one of them from folding underneath him, mod or no mod. As it was, there was a sharp crack that seemed to echo through his skull … and then he skidded across the roof, his armor shrieking against the roofing in a cacophony of squeals that seemed to echo on for far too long.
At last he stopped, though he hadn’t slid more than a few feet, and for a moment all he could do was lay there, struggling for breath. His whole body hurt, but with none of the sharp agony that came from a broken bone. Though there was a pounding in his head that seemed to be in time with his heart.
Your heart is still pumping blood. And he didn’t feel any warm, sticky wet patches anywhere either. That is a good thing. No bleeding, at least not externally. Between the mod and the armor, he didn’t seem to have any major injuries.
So then why isn’t that sniper—? Of course. The Order unicorn probably assumed he was dead, after an assisted fall from such a height. Most ponies would be, save perhaps a pegasus. Whatever spell the unicorn had used to shove him down, it had at least tripled his speed before impact. I wouldn’t be surprised to see that I bounced.
Nor was he surprised to see, when he moved his legs under him, that several pieces of his armor had thin, narrow fractures running through them. His head let out a throb of pain as he pushed himself up, legs shaking a bit and the world tilting before stabilizing. Still, there were no stabs of sudden pain that said he shouldn’t move, just dull constant throbs.
The tower, he thought, turning. Gotta take that tower out. He was behind it now, and spells were raining down from the front at the street. His eyes flicked momentarily to a selection of shattered roofing tiles, and he gaped. Some of them were little more than powder, while others had broken into dozens of pieces from the force of the impact.
And yet I’m alive, he thought, placing one hoof in front of another and staggering over to the base of the tower. The world wasn’t tilting quite so much anymore, but his limbs still felt sluggish. Tower. Must take out the tower.
Above him, he could see the ladder of spikes making their way up the side of the tower, but a glance at his mod showed that he wouldn’t be able to make the jumps anytime soon. There’s … There’s got to be another way. He couldn’t just stop.
The roof shook, a deep rumble sounding over the din of the battle. From the cries of surprise down below, Captain Song had unleashed his earth pony magic,
Sniper. He pulled his thoughts back, giving his head a slight shake and fighting back a moan of pain as the movement only made his headache worse. Can’t jump up the spikes. The building shook again, cries of pain coming from the front.
What about the stairs? But the stairs were on the inside of the tower. To get to them, he’d need to go inside through the front doors. Unless …
He took another look at the tower, thinking back to the few times he’d run up and down the steps of each one. They start … there, he thought, pacing around the exterior wall. And they’re all pretty much identical and unadorned. Which means …
He took a step back, trying to line up memories that felt like they’d been coated in oil. Which means … there’s a support here … he thought, pressing his hoof against the wall of the watchtower. And one roughly here … He moved a few feet to the side and put a hoof up against the crystal wall of the tower again. But in between …
He pulled his hoof back, ready to strike, then paused and unsheathed his Fimbo. You likely have a head injury, he thought as he reared up on his hind legs, swaying slightly and holding the staff in his forehooves. Otherwise you’d be thinking much more quickly and wouldn’t be swaying like this trying to keep from falling off of your hooves.
He took a quick look up at the peak of the tower. The spells coming down were still striking at the front of the station. Okay … now or never. Another rumble shook the ground, and he pulled his Fimbo back, angling the tip at the crystal side of the tower.
Now! The lines in his suit flared as he drove the staff forward. It hit with a solid impact that resonated up his hooves, coming to a dead stop against the crystal.
Nothing. Wait … A faint chip was missing from the wall, a tiny divot against the otherwise smooth shape. Again. Once more the impact of the staff rolled up his hooves, but this time there was more missing from the side of the tower than a single chip when he pulled the staff back.
Again. The crystal cracked, jagged lines radiating out from the tip of his Fimbo. Another blow, and they doubled in number.
He reached for his mod, limbs burning as he summoned what little power it had regained, and slammed the point of the staff home once more.
The wall shattered, breaking apart into dozens of thick, heavy shards that tumbled over one another as they fell inward across the stairs. He followed, staggering over the broken pieces through the opening and onto the steep, narrow steps.
Come on Sabra. One hoof in front of the other. Was he getting better? It was hard to tell. But he was making it up, one step at a time.
Everything still hurt, and the throbbing in his head just wouldn’t go away. The circling of the stairway was making him dizzy as well. Somewhere down below, there was a heavy crash that echoed up at him, and then the dimly-lit stairway in front of him went bright.
A body followed the light a moment later, a unicorn frantically rushing down the steps, eyes going wide as he caught sight of Sabra. Then the Fimbo collided with his legs, and Sabra stepped to the side as the unicorn’s rapid descent became an uncontrollable tumble. He watched them pass, then resumed his upward pace. The door to the tower nest was open, only half a rotation upwards from where he’d met the unicorn, and he poked his head out of it.
The nest was empty. The sniper had been the one he’d taken down on the stairs. Or they’d gotten down some other way.
He turned around, making his way down the steps with slow, measured movements. Echoes rolled up at him from below, hoofsteps shaking the tower, and he readied his Fimbo just before Captain Song appeared around the curve of the steps.
“Captain,” Sabra said. His voice sounded slightly slurred to his own ears, and his salute seemed … off, somehow. Like his hoof wasn’t quite reaching the proper position. “Tower secure.”
“Understood and at ease,” Steel said, not bothering to return the salute. “Dawn!” His bellow echoed up and down the stairwell. “Get up here! Now! Sabra, you need to take a seat.”
“Nin—I’d like that, captain,” he said, putting a hoof against the inner wall of the tower as the world seemed to spin again. He could hear more hooves charging up the staircase, and from somewhere below that, a strange rushing sound. Cheering?
“I’m here,” Dawn said as she rounded the turn. “What—?” Her eyes moved to Sabra, and she paused. “Sun above, Sabra. Don’t move. Get his helmet off.” She jerked a hoof at the captain, and Sabra almost flinched at how quickly Steel was in front of him, hooves fumbling with his helmet and pulling it off. An orange light filled his eyes a moment later, and he squeezed them shut.
“Don’t.” Dawn’s harsh tone caught at his attention, and he opened them again, though still squinting. She was right in front of him now, her muzzle and face filling his vision, the glow from her horn almost blinding.
“Concussion,” she said quickly, the light from her horn fading slightly. “Massive bruising. I don’t think there are any internal injuries, but there may be a few micro-fractures that will ache for a while without proper treatment.”
Wait … those are my injuries, he realized with surprise. Concussion? He tried to remember what the word was in Zebrish. Mtikiso? That certainly explained the headache. “Kichwa yangu inawuma.”
“I’m sorry,” Dawn said, shaking her head as her horn lit again. “But I don’t know enough Zebrish to know what you said. Can you—?”
“Sorry,” he mumbled, switching his mind back to the Equestrian tongue. “My head hurts.”
“I would imagine so,” she said, still running her magic over him. It tickled slightly. “You seem to have suffered massive blunt trauma, more than I would have expected from such a fall. What happened?”
“The unicorn,” he said. “Made the spikes slick. Once I fell, he sped me up.”
“That would do it.” Dawn moved to one side, and he noticed that Steel had already left, leaving him in Dawn’s hooves. “Can you walk?”
“A little.”
“How many lights am I making right now?” A series of colored globes floated out of the end of her horn.
“Six?”
“Good.” The lights vanished. “You can walk.” She moved up against his side and grabbed one of his hooves, draping it over her shoulders. “Lean on me.”
“I—” He started to pull his hoof back.
“Lean on me.” There was no arguing with the tone in her voice, and he complied. “Good. Now right this way … Easy does it.” They moved down the steps, the world spinning a little less, and before long they were at the bottom, in a dimly lit room.
“This will have to do,” Dawn said, stopping. “Lie down right there, but do not put your head down, understand?” He nodded, and she pulled her saddlebags from her armor. A moment later a portable magilectric lamp lit up, casting a bright light over everything. Dawn pulled a second, smaller lamp from her bags and, removing her helmet, set the penlight behind one ear.
Sabra took a quick moment to look around the inside of the station as Dawn pulled more out of her saddlebags. There were crystal ponies scattered all around them, and not all of them were wandering aimlessly as a few were, either. Some were busily smashing anything they could get their hooves on, and he wondered for a moment why the captain hadn’t spoken to them before he saw Steel taking care of a few Order members, binding their hooves while, from the look of things, keeping the crystal ponies from taking their aggression out on them now that they were prisoners.
He could hear cries of shock and anger from downstairs as well, followed by similar cries of “Be free!” as the cells were opened. Some ponies just seemed to be in shock. Others he could see through the doorway checking on those that had fallen out in the street. They weren’t a small number.
That’s my fault, he thought as one of the crystal ponies sank over the body of another, sobbing a name over and over again. I wasn’t fast enough.
“Don’t.” Dawn said, snapping his focus back to her. She tilted her head in the direction of the doors. “I know that look. I’ve seen it before on a lot of faces. Don’t.”
“But—” he began.
“No,” Dawn said. “You tried, gave it your all. Anyone who can see your injuries can see that.” The light shone in his eyes once more, blinding him. “Don’t close. You’re not perfect, Sabra. None of us are. If we were, well … We wouldn’t need to be here now, would we?” Her magic washed over him once more. “You were called to do something and you answered that call. Sometimes that doesn’t mean we succeed. For instance …” The magic vanished, and she pulled something from her saddlebags. “Open your mouth.” He complied and two pills floated onto his tongue. “Swallow.” He complied.
“But for instance, if we always succeeded, the Rangers wouldn’t have needed a doctor of my caliber. Or any caliber, for that matter.” Her magic was rolling over him, and then she was motioning for him to stand. As soon as he had done so, she reached over and began tugging the zipper on the back of his suit down. The enchantment that held his armor in place broke, the plates and pieces falling to the ground and leaving him clad only in his undersuit. The noise was loud enough that it caught the attention of several crystal ponies, their stares only increasing as they saw what was going on.
One of them walked over. “What is that?” they asked. Dawn flinched.
“This is Specialist Sabra,” she said, rounding on the crystal pony. “And he is a zebra and an Equestrian Dusk Guard. Not a ‘that.’”
The crystal pony shrank back, shaking in alarm. “Not him,” they said quickly. “That!” They pointed a hoof at the magilight sitting on the ground, and then the one behind her ear. “Though,” they said, turning their eyes to Sabra. “I’ve never met a zebra before. Only heard stories. Is it true—?”
“He’s a patient with a concussion, and in no state to answer questions at this time,” Dawn said. “Apologies for my outburst, but I must tend to him before I can tend to your wounded compatriots. These are magilectric lights, one of many advances in the years you’ve been away. Now, I must see to the specialist’s needs. If you would …?” The crystal pony backed away before sitting down nearby to watch.
“Thank you,” Dawn said, though she had already turned her focus back to Sabra. “As I was saying Sabra, you tried. Did you make a mistake?” She shrugged. “I don’t know. Whether or not you did, having seen what you did to that wall, I have no doubt you acted at the height of your capacities to do so. Stay standing.” Her magic rolled over him again, this time much slower. “One MTBI, several small fractures, and mass bruising along both sides of your body, though the right side seems older than the left. And …” She frowned. “You have many small tears in the muscle along your right hind-side as well. What was that from?”
“The beam from the first trio we faced. On the way here.”
“Interesting.” Dawn’s eyes narrowed. “It’s as if your muscles and bones were torn in multiple directions at once. A curious spell … but nothing I can’t help with. Hold still.” A cold tingling sensation began making its way down his right side, and he fought the urge to shiver.
“There,” Dawn said. “Now for that concussion. Hold still, please. I can’t fix your concussion, but I can alleviate the swelling.” The cold sensation rolled through his head this time, making his ears tingle, but then the pounding he’d felt since the hit began to fade. It didn’t go away entirely, but by the time Dawn’s magic had stopped, it did feel better than it had.
“There,” she said. “You’re at least not at risk of serious injury. The pills I had you take should help with that. Now the fractures.” She made him hold his front left leg out, her magic rolling over it and making his bones itch. Then she repeated the process on his side, his ribs itching like he needed to peel his flesh back and scratch at them.
“There,” Dawn said, stepping back. Her horn glowed, her orange magic sweeping over him once more. “I can’t help with the bruising, unfortunately, so you’re going to be very tender. The bones aren’t quite knit, either, so don’t abuse them or you’ll have a full break. Your concussion is still there, simply eased. I wouldn’t recommend rapid spins or taking any hits to the head. You can go ahead and put your armor back on, too.”
“Naelewa. Asante,” he said, rubbing at his head with one hoof. The throbbing ache had subsided, and he felt better already, like his mind had been pulled out a tar pit. “Can I still fight?” he asked as he began replacing his armor. Some of the pieces bore cracks of a notable size.
“I was about to ask that question myself,” Captain Song said, stepping over. “Local medical help has shown up with some of your supplies, Dawn. They’re seeing to the wounded. But can he fight?”
“Normally, I’d say no,” Dawn replied. “His injuries, while treatable, could be life-threatening if exasperated. Preferably, it would be best if he were placed in his bunk aboard The Hummingbird for at least a day to recover. Longer, if necessary.”
“That said …” she continued. “There are only three of us, and The Hummingbird is not here. Sabra’s potent combat skills are second-to-none. I would recommend letting him get a full night’s sleep tonight if at all possible, six hours if nothing else, and that he avoid getting hit in the head if at all possible.”
“Sabra?” Steel looked at him.
“Sir, I can still serve. Though the sleep would be welcome.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Steel said, nodding. “Right now, though, we need to confer.” He pointed at a nearby office, likely once belonging to the station’s commander. “In private.”
“The wounded—” Dawn began, but Steel cut her off.
“Their own people are looking at them,” he said. “You can look into them before we leave, but right now, you both need to be caught up with what our ‘friend’ told me.”
“Very well.” Dawn gathered their equipment with a sweep of her horn and walked into the office. Sabra followed her, Steel entering behind them and shutting the door.
It wasn’t much, as offices went. At one point it had probably been nice, if themed around a despotic tyrant, but it was clear that the horde of crystal ponies had targeted it first. The desk and chairs had been smashed to pieces, and Sabra was pretty sure that the bright sheen along some of the chunks of wood was wet blood.
We must be careful, he thought, turning so that he could see both Dawn and the captain. They have every right to be angry, from what I have seen, but if we let that fuel them … Things could grow dim indeed.
“First of all, good work both of you,” Steel said. “This was an unexpected move, but it would have been far worse had we not been able to make it here. Especially as you two took down this station’s reinforcements.”
“Which brings me to our next move. Thanks to our ‘friend,’ we’ve got some information on what we’re up against. Not a lot, but a little.”
“Wouldn’t they lie?”
“Oh they did,” Steel said, his voice grim. “But I’ve had experience with bad liars before. And I didn’t let them know I was lying. They don’t know that it isn’t working, sometimes it’s easier to read between the lines.”
“And?”
“We’ve taken out roughly half of their remaining mobile forces,” Steel said. “Not counting the Order in the watchtower and the central tower. However, while the ponies holding the watchtowers are, largely, a low threat to us save in numbers, the ponies in the tower are the King’s elite officers.”
“So they’re skilled,” Sabra said.
“Very,” Steel replied. “And powerful. Worse, our friend suggested that they have a powerful weapon at their disposal, something that they can use to attack the city as a whole.”
“The tower,” Dawn said, eyes widening. “It’s a focusing agent. Perhaps.”
“What?”
“It could be why the city is laid out the way it is,” Dawn said. “The crystal ponies are collective magic users. The tower is at the center, and the entire thing is laid out like one of Sky Bolt’s mods, but on a grand scale.”
Steel frowned. “So the tower could be a weapon?”
“Yes … It could. That must be how they power that massive illusion. If the entire city is made of crystal, then ponies in it would provide the power, and the tower would act as a focus …”
“That could be very bad,” Sabra said, a vision of the beam that had hit his side sweeping across the city.
“Maybe,” Steel said. “Maybe not. It’s also a weak point. In addition, if it is a ‘circuit’ like Sky Bolt’s, then breaking any part of it could damage the whole thing. So they can’t simply blow up a street unless they’re sure they’ll be rid of us.”
“It won’t stop them from sending other spells at us,” Dawn said.
“No.” Steel shook his head. “But it will limit things. But better yet, if they’re relying on that point as a literal seat of power, we know they’ll try to protect it above all else.”
“So then,” Sabra said. “It’s a target?”
“Absolutely.” Steel stamped a hoof against the ground. “And that means we can exploit it and use it against them. So listen up. Here’s what we’re going to do …”
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9777899
It also depends on why they didn't want to remember. Which I played with a bit here. The Dusk Guard definitely "expands" on canon quite a bit for the benefit of a stronger story. A lot of MLP is pretty loose by virtue of the audience they have to aim at initially and the short time-stamp.
9780208
We shall see ...
Glad you're enjoying the adventure though.
9794889
Hahaha, well, it is something I'd be worried about lolol. When you gotta go ...
Glad you're still around to see it. I promised I'd finish it, and I will. On the plus side, there's always my other books to be entertained by as well!
9794280
Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it! Helps that I've got a lot of experience in that area (cough take a look at my books cough cough). Hopefully you've read Rise and Beyond as well!
9800260
Me too ... If I could find it anywhere lol. The demand is unreal!
Side note: I started inventing a game for this scene, then decided to pay homage.
9805262
And that's why you make sure you're dry before you sit down on it ...
9805081
Nope! All part of the balance!
9809547
I was legitimately tempted to stick the Galavant version in the author comments ... but it really would have ruined the mood. So I didn't.
Neat! Seems like Sky's crystal armor really works well for the crystal ponies. :D
*cringe* Reminds me of why messing with a doctor or nurse is a bad idea. They know how the body. And that includes messing it up.
Sounds like the beginning of rough times for Sabra. :(
The Dusk Guard's armor is some amazing stuff. Seriously amazing.
One of our finest chapters! Very well done. Ones everything is cleaned out the Order Soldiers will pay dearly. In a Equestria like this redeeming them is unlikely. Maybe some but the majority get executed i guess? Life imprisoned at least.
Again the small size hit the Dusk Guard had... They still do fantastic work!
Ohhhh.... that break down scene... oh that was well done. But... there isn't time to feel upset over this, there are still ponies to save.