Not Always Hugs

by David Silver

11 - An Army Unified

Twilight stepped off the train, her friends piling out behind her. "Welcome to the Crystal Empire."

Rarity glanced around with discerning eyes. "It's just as charming as the last time we were here. Pity we so rarely visit under pleasant circumstances."

Rainbow flew a few feet over everyone else, flapping casually to hover. "Yeah, it's either because something went wrong... or is about to go wrong." She chuckled under her breath. "I prefer it when we know what's the problem, which we do. Right?"

Applejack strode free. "Might fearsome squabble between the griffons and everycreature else." She raised a hoof to her chin. "A shame they don't have no proper leader sort we could just hash it out with."

Fluttershy darted out, hiding behind Rainbow Dash in the air and not joining the conversation until a soft thump on the roof made her squeak, but her alarm turned to adoration. "Aw!" She rushed towards the little tsuki perched there on the roof of the train station. "Well, hello there. Aren't you just the cutest thing?"

Arnavon tilted his head at Fluttershy with a little smile. "Hello there. They asked me to show you to the castle." He pointed at himself. "I'm Arnavon, nice to meet you."

"Oh, my... No offense, but you speak so much better than most other tsuki we met." Fluttershy rubbed at the side of her face with the flat of a hoof, impressed at the little tsuki kit. "I'm Fluttershy." The other girls began giving their names and Fluttershy waited for her turn. "I'm very happy to meet you." The others joined in the chorus. "Do lead the way."

Twilight shook her head. "Not that our chances of becoming lost were very high." The castle was the largest building by some measure, right in the center of everything. "Still, nice to meet you, Arnavon. Are your parents nearby?"

Arnavon smiled as he bounded at an easy pace, matching the rate the mares were moving at. "Nope. I'm an ambassador," he declared so proudly. "I... represent," he had to say that word slowly, a few grades above him, but one he knew. "--the tsuki! You've come to help us, and the crystal ponies, right?"

Pinkie bounced up, matching Arnavon's bounds easily. "Bouncing places is fun!" she gladly noted. "And yep. We'll teach those griffons to stop picking on other creatures. Meanie faces!" She stuck out her tongue with a raspberry blown.

---

Arnavon was hardly the only tsuki interacting with ponies. Little Hop stood at the front of the class with a nervous smile. "My favorite historical figure..." But much of tsuki past had been lost to fog and mystery. "Is Toby!" Sure, he was alive, but he counted, she decided.

She spread her hands wide, wagging them in the air. "He came from the outside world and freed the rest of the tsuki, freeing us from Sombra!" The foals gasped but also tilted their heads.

Sweetie Belle raised a hoof in the air. Little looked towards her. "Sorry, um, but didn't you mention Sombra is your king? How did Toby liberate you from Sombra and he's still your king?"

All eyes were on Little, but she knew that one! "He was a bad bad king, at first." She clapped her hands together. "Then Toby came! He showed him how to be a better king. Way better" She started bouncing in place a little, excitement growing. "Now Toby and Sombra are in charge, and we're way way wayyyy happier!" She had to throw her hands wide to properly display just how much things had improved.

Soft clops echoed around the room as approval was given. Cheerilee approached with a gentle smile. "That was a fascinating little tale. We'll have to learn more about that. Now, Twist, your turn." She gently dismissed Little Hop to her seat, her assignment complete.

---

Later, Little sat in the CMCs clubhouse. "I can't get one of those," she casually pointed out as she more literally pointed at Apple Bloom's back end.

Apple Bloom peeked over her shoulder, spotting her cutie mark. "Oh, yeah. Was that something you wanted?" She suddenly smiled. "You wouldn't be the first not-pony to join the CMC. Remember Gabby?"

Little cringed a little. "Yeah." Her eyes darted to where the griffon hung there on the wall, smiling so innocently. "I don't have much to offer." She shrugged gently. "I don't need a picture on my butt though." Her expression lightened to a smile. "What would the picture be?"

Scootaloo frowned with obvious thought. "A picture of a tsuki mid-jump over an anthill?"

Sweetie burst into giggles. "That'd match her name, but not her personality much." She tilted her head. "I didn't imagine my mark, it just... kinda happened. That's how ponies work."

Little hiked a thumb at herself. "I am a tsuki, not a pony." She hopped forward, knocking Sweetie over as she grabbed the filly up in a hug. "And that's alright."

Sweetie giggled as she returned the embrace. "Aw, thanks. You're pretty great just like you are."

Apple Bloom nodded in agreement. "Tsukis are neat, like ponies, just... different." She inclined her head a little. "Speakin' ah that, how's school? Ah mean, we're there with ya, but that doesn't tell us what you think of it none."

Sweetie bobbed her head as she sat up on her haunches, no longer being pinned under warm tsuki fur. "Are you enjoying the experience?"

Scootaloo pressed in with the others. "Making all kindsa friends besides just us?"

Little giggled a little, pawing away her encroaching pony friends. "Yes and yes." She tilted her head. "Was Diamond Tiara really that mean before? It's just like Sombra!" She began to clap. "And you were Toby."

They blinked, but Apple Bloom got it first. "Oh! Yeah, we showed her a better way, and she's way more fun to hang out with now."

"Very fun." Little inclined her head. "And she brings lots of food every day. Why?" All three shrugged at that. "Before I came, what did she do with it all?"

Sweetie Belle pantomimed wiping a plate clear. "Threw it out, I imagine."

"What a waste," sighed out Little. "Good thing I'm here." She rose to her full height, hind leg kicking as she casually took care of an itch that was bothering her. "She's nice though, but she doesn't like hugs."

Apple Bloom tilted her head. "Silver Spoon does."

Little's smile broadened. "Yes. She takes every hug Diamond Tiara doesn't want, like I take the food Diamond Tiara doesn't want." She brought a hand to her chin, thinking. "Diamond Tiara sure does leave a lot for other creatures to have. That's very nice of her."

The girls shared a look, perhaps knowing better, or not. Sweetie nodded though. "Glad to hear you're getting along. Do you... feel better?"

Little looked confused a moment before she sank, remembering why she was there in the first place. "I still miss mom. I... think I always will." She sat up, her hands folding in front of her. "But I'm not... the same sad... I made new friends, like you." She pointed at each of them in turn. "I am learning new things. I will make her... proud. She would be sad if I was sad all day." She ventured a little smile. "When I was sad, she'd... always get me to smile again."

Suddenly she was surrounded by her pony friends, hugging her from all angles. Apple Bloom swatted Little on the back. "That's the way fer it. Ah know I'm doin' proud by her, even if she ain't here..." She glanced away and back at Little. "Still hurts a little, but we're doin' good, right?"

"Doing good," echoed Little, releasing the sudden hug with a quirk of a smile on her face. "I bet she didn't think I'd be here, with ponies."

"Is that bad?" asked Scootaloo with a little smirk.

"No." Little emphasized her blunt statement by tackling Scootaloo. The filly was ready for it, the two wrestling for dominance with laughter from them both, neither realizing they were engaging in Little's instinctual need to vie for dominance in such acts, to play at it as a child in preparation for adulthood.

---

"So..." Giselle peered at the tsuki on her sill. "You rat me out or not? The suspense is the worst part. They didn't drag me away, but that don't prove much." She crossed her arms, eyeing him. "You look like you got somethin' to share, out with it."

Arnavon fidgeted in place, working his hands over one another. "I couldn't lie."

"Figured." She rolled her eyes. "When are they haulin' me off?" A little quirk touched her beak. "Still gonna make my book?"

Arnavon blinked at the question. "You'd want me to?"

"Why not?" She shrugged emphatically. "I'm feathers either way, 'least some people can read my stories, maybe even like it... That'd be nice, I figure." She raised a brow. "But you better not waste the money, jerk. I'll come back if I have to just to haunt your furry butt if you don't make it big."

Arnavon tilted his head left and right. "I told them you did it, and you were here..." He fidgeted his hands nervously. "I told them I wouldn't give you to them."

Giselle hiked a brow at that last part. "Say what now?"

"I wouldn't give you... to them. It told the truth, all of it." He hopped down from the window. "You did a bad thing, a really bad thing. They deserve sorry, so many sorries. More sorries than you will ever have to give." He thumped the ground with a hind paw. "But you don't deserve to die. Two deaths doesn't make someone not dead."

"Hard to argue that." She shrugged lightly. "But ain't your boss gonna be super pissed with you?" She approached, practically looming over him. "Don't think 'nah' is enough to make anyone like Sombra back off just like that."

Arnavon smiled awkwardly. "I told him more than no. I told him why I wouldn't give you to him." He rubbed his hands together. "I found a book binder. She made a book out of your story."

Giselle's eyes lit up. "Yeah? Show it!" She thrust a hand out, fingers wriggling in demand to see the tome.

But no book came. "Can't." He held up his hands as she looked sour. "Gave the book to a pony to read. If they like it, we can make more," he reasoned. "Sorry."

Giselle huffed, but didn't lash out at him. "That makes sense, I suppose... but as soon as she's done with it, I wanna see it! Does it have a cover?"

His expression lightened. "I got an artist stallion to draw something nice." He tilted his head. "I had to spend some bits, but I like the way the book looks."

She punched him in the shoulder, but it was a light thing. "Oh, sure, make me want to see it even harder when you can't show it to me! You rotten thing." She moved for her bed. "Alright, so... maybe it works out, and we both get bits." She pointed at him. "You pay yourself first, little punk. Take back what you spent, then we split it. I don't want to owe you things."

He smiled at her, watching as she settled in, perhaps for a nap? "G'bye," he wished as he bounded away, leaving her to her peace. At least he had told her what he had done, and she didn't hate him forever. Not an awful day, as days went.

---

"Missive." Quick's magic held up a letter towards Sombra. "From our surrendered hostage."

"Hmmph." Sombra's magic swept over it, taking it from Quick and tearing it open. "Tactical updates?" His eyes swept quickly over it. "Ah, yes, good. That impertinent bunch of mares that led to my... inconvenience... have arrived to lend their assistance." He nodded, pleased to hear his once-enemies were prepared to fight at his behest. "With more reinforcements scheduled to arrive soon."

"Outstanding, Sire." Quick dipped his head before righting himself. "Anything else?"

"Mmm, yes." His eyes dipped lower. "It would seem most of the griffons captured took a coward's way out." He scowled at the paper. "They ended their life, rather than give my people the satisfaction of ending it for them."

"Lamentable," grunted Quick. "I would have come up with a creative end for them..."

A malicious smile spread on his lips. "Would that I could have seen it." His eyes trailed forward. "What? what?!" The paper, held in his magic, spun about and slammed into the side of Quick's face, though it was still paper, crumpling on impact. "Our hostage betrays us!"

Quick's magic took hold of the paper, unfurling it back out to read it. "Hm, he reports the ponies are interested in the one griffon remaining, and that he has taken personal interest."

Sombra slammed the ground with a hoof, the rock quaking at his fury. "How can their petty wants compare to mine?"

Quick set the letter aside for the moment. "It would seem he wishes to have her dictate intelligence."

Sombra's angrily glowing eyes flared before dwindling down, a laugh erupting from him. "Oh! Oh! Our hostage is clever... very clever... Better a living intelligence source than a dead example? Hmm, yes... I see the wisdom there..." He leaned forward towards Quick. "You selected that hostage, did you not?"

"I did, M'lord." He dipped his head reverentially. "He satisfied, I hope."

"He does," agreed Sombra, grabbing the dropped letter to resume reading it. "Clever, possibly too clever. Be watchful for that one." He wobbled a hoof, looking over the letter. "It seems little else will proceed until the last of the reinforcements arrive. How proceeds your training?" He tossed the letter aside, letting it flutter to the ground, forgotten. "I have received no invitation or word of your clash with Celine."

Quick's wince was a subtle thing. "She claims to desire only to spar with her battle sisters until this... situation is behind us."

"Nonsense." He allowed his smile to grow. "There are some things only a king can properly handle." Without another word, he fell into shadows and was gone a moment later.

---

"--ladybugs awake!" The two were smiling joyfully, performing the dance they both knew by heart, clopping their hooves together and shaking their bottoms with giggles.

Rarity approached Shining Armor as the ritual continued. "Well, I feel certain she isn't a changeling in disguise, but that wasn't what we were summoned for, was it darling?"

"A few changelings would be relatively simple to handle compared to this." Shining turned away, pointing at a map of the Crystal Empire. "Griffons came from here, we thought they were brigands at first." His magic held a pointer, drawing a line where the intrusion began. "They assaulted a trade caravan from the tsukis..." He glanced at Rarity.

Rarity hiked a brow in kind. "What are you delaying for, dear? What happened then?"

"They... killed everyone but one small kit they missed."

The gasps of the other former element bearers rang out across the room.

"The poor things!" cried out Fluttershy, her hooves at her snout, clutched together against the horror.

Shining cleared his throat, looking to Twilight, who seemed to have concluded introductions. "Not much we can do about that, it's already done. We mounted a force to face them, but met with stiffer resistance than expected."

Twilight frowned at Shining. "Shiny, be even with me. Is this... a friendship problem, or...?"

"It's war," he breathed out, looking over the map. "Both sides have had losses, not decisive on either side, but the line's been drawn in the snow, clear as day." He turned an ear back to his sister. "You are a princess of friendship, Sis. If you want to go home, I won't hold it against you. Friendship isn't the sort of magic we're counting on right now."

Rainbow Dash waved off the warning. "Please! As if. We're here to save the day, kinda what we do, if you lost the memo." She rolled her eyes. "Run off and hide, ha, not what we do."

Fluttershy worried her hooves together. "Well, I mean, it's not a terrible idea."

Pinkie threw a leg over Fluttershy's withers, drawing her closer. "Are you really gonna sit back and let some meanie pants hurt those cute tsuki? Imagine that little one we saw. You wanna let him get picked on?"

"N-no." Her thoughts went back to the little bunny that had led them towards the castle. "That would be... very mean. Why would anycreature want to pick on them?"

"Ya got me." Rainbow shrugged. "But it's up to us to make them stop." She clopped her hooves for emphasis, eyes moving to Twilight. "You're on board, right?"

"I don't like it," Twilight noted flatly. "It's too much to be a coincidence."

Rainbow frowned. "Say what? Are you chickening out?"

Twilight waved it away. "Not that. I mean, we were attacked by what was probably a griffon, thinking back on it, and they're already making trouble here. That's hard to accept as a wild coincidence."

Rainbow huffed, landing with a lash of her tail. "If Gilda's involved on the wrong side of this, I am going to be so mad at her!"

"That there's much the issue." Applejack shook her head slowly. "No obvious griffon to complain ta 'bout these ones being what they are. How do you fight a 'war' with no obvious creature in charge on the other side? What do you plan to do, fight bad griffons one at a time and hope fer the best?"

"Well, in part." Shining put a hoof behind his head before looking to Cadance.

Cadance advanced. "That is the first step, but can't be the last. This has already impacted our tsuki friends, and we've lost precious ponies fighting them." Her eyes fell to Twilight. "He wasn't joking. If my sister got hurt... or worse... in this, I couldn't forgive myself."

Twilight raised a hoof at Cadance. "And if I backed away and allowed something terrible to happen to you, I wouldn't be much better, so how about we promise to face this, together, and neither of us is allowed to get hurt."

Cadance's face brightened as a smile spread. "You heard her. Neither of us are permitted to get hurt until this is thoroughly dealt with."

A quill danced beside Shining Armor. "Taking a note. All official." Of course, the quill wasn't touching any paper, so no notes of quality were produced. "Welcome, all of you." He dipped his head at the collection of mares. "I thank you for coming at our call for help. The Crystal Empire owes several notes of gratitude, even if Spike is their favorite."

"Speaking of that." Cadance's eyes swept over the room. "Where is he? I wouldn't have thought he'd miss a chance to come here."

---

A mare let a dice tumble. The die happened to be her own size, rolling away massively. She craned her neck to see what the result was. "Fifteen?"

"Ooo, very nice," complimented Spike, er, Garbuncle stated. "You succeed at picking the lock just in time." The door in front of the mare opened and she scooted out just in time to avoid the band of skeleton warriors that were painted onto flat boards.

She giggled as she fled. "Sir Mcbiggun! Catch!" She jumped out a window she was about to run past, plummeting with an expression of fear and fun at the same time. "Catch!"

"Ah..." Big Mac was cut off, reality pausing. Spike was there, waving a die at him. "Oops." He grabbed the die from Spike and sent it flying, growing to full size as it bounced and jostled. 11. Big Mac did not look entirely confident, turning to Spike.

Spike pointed up, vanishing.

He looked up just in time for Sugar Belle, er, Lady Lulu the Sweet to fall onto him, the both collapsing to the ground, though he had broken her fall nicely. "Ooof, you alright?"

"With my hero there to catch me, how could I not be?" She planted a smooch on the end of his nose as she picked herself up. "Woo, this game is fun." She sat and clopped her forehooves. "I'm so glad you decided to let me join in on it. Now, we're better get a move on before those horrifying skeletons catch up with us."

"Yup." Big Mac took off with her, trying to fight the blush raging in his cheeks. Gaming with his mare had advantages.

---

Applejack tossed her head. "He volunteered to keep Big Mac company and help out around the farm, right neighborly of 'em."

Cadance's question seemed to melt away. "That is sweet of him. Very well, we'll make do without Spike the Magnificent." She turned to the others. "You remember where your rooms are? We kept them as they were last time. There's one more batch of ponies coming from Equestria, then we can start new plans."

Most of the mares wandered off, leaving Pinkie behind. She bounced up to Shining. "So, hey, is that little tsuki working for you?"

"Arnavon?" He glanced in the direction of the tsuki's room. "The tsuki sent him to us to serve as a go between, an ambassador. I didn't know ambassadors came so young, but he's taken to it quite eagerly."

"Wow!" Pinkie brought her hooves together with a loud clop. "He must be so lonely, being far away from his family." She leaned in closer, whispering, "Permission to throw him a party?"

Shining considered that a quiet moment as Pinkie vibrated with excitement. "Well..." she leaned in all the closer. "Yes, but..." She leaned in closer still. "It should be a 'getting to know us' party, instead of a 'sorry you're so far away from home' party, get it?"

"A welcome party! For us... for him?" She shrugged. "A party's a party. I'm on the case!" She vanished so quickly, a smokey outline of her was left behind.

Cadance gently bumped her side into her husband's. "It's good to have them around, even if we're worried."

"Even then," he gently agreed. "Arnavon did something... quite brave." He turned to Cadance. "I read his letter."

"You shouldn't have," she chastised. "That was a private letter."

"He forgot to seal it," he defended, waving his hooves a moment. "I did it for him afterwards... The only griffon left, Giselle? She was involved in the original attack."

Cadance stiffened. "She... was there, or she was... hurting those tsuki directly?"

"It didn't go into that much detail, but he refused to turn her over to Sombra." He smiled a little. "That was very brave of him. I'm proud."

Cadance lifted a hoof to her forehead just beside her horn. "I can only imagine that was tough, for all of them. What a child, forgiving someone who hurt people so close to him." Her brows went up. "Wait, isn't he working with her? He gave me this." Her horn glowed as she produced a book that showed a griffon on a branch, sneering at two other griffons below. "I've been reading it."

Shining peered at the book curiously. "Any good? Uh, that aside, good! Seriously, them working together sounds a lot better than grudges being carried forward. Maybe she really has turned a new leaf." He smiled a little. "I have a feeling he'd know if she was being hollow."

"I think you may be right there." She tapped the spine of the book on Shining's nose. "I promised to give this back the moment I was finished. You'll have to buy a copy for yourself when it's released."

"Aw..."

Author's Note:

Not much war going on in this chapter, but it felt nice. Pieces are moving into position, and Little Hop is growing up well in her pony environment. Yay!

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

Piees moving visibly on the allies side, but what pieces are moving an killing where on the enemy side?

[Blackhawk2130]

Good chapter,already looking forward to the next.

[tsaukpaetra]

Not all piece movements are visible. The clock continues running!
Interesting how Sombra considers Arnavon a hostage. Perhaps he misjudged the influence his little infiltrator is gaining.
Wonder if they'll realize how useful "based on a true story" can be.
Keep going! ;)