Not Always Hugs

by David Silver

18 - Regrouping

Spike landed before the jagged crystal of the crushed castle. Unlike many other buildings, it still could be seen, thrusting upwards at an unnatural angle, tilted with the tide of debris. "Something." Surely there had to be something that could help. He dashed to the closest window and hopped in, peering around.

With the building submerged partially as it was, everything was darker, and listed to the side, making navigation tricker than usual. Not that it really slowed him down. Imagining his friends, suffering, maybe worse, kept his legs moving franatically. "Anyone?!"

"Spike!" Starlight appeared with a pop of unicorn magic. "What in Equestria just happened?!"

"Starlight!" He pounced her, hugging her tight around the front and clinging desperately. "I'm so glad to see you! Tell me you have a spell to help with this!"

"Start by telling me what 'this' is besides feeling like the biggest earthquake ever just rolled through." She looked ready to push Spike back before thinking about it again. "Are you alright?"

"No," he admitted flatly. "Big Mac, all the Apples, they were farming, and... boosh!" He threw out his hands. "Buried. Everything's buried! We need to save them, right now!"

"What?" She did push him aside at that, marching up to the very window he had come through before. "It can't be..." Her words failed, reaching the window and seeing the fields of ruined nothing where there should have been a town. She wobbled in place, slapped across the face with the enormity of it. Even Tirek had not managed that level of wanton destruction.

"Now you see." He was at her side, rushing up to peer out with her. "But we can't just... do nothing! Please, tell me you can do something!"

"Something, right." She shook herself out, freeing herself from the moment of utter shock. "I'm on the case!" Starlight vanished just as she had appeared, presumably off to do...

"Something," sighed out Spike, jogging deeper into the castle. "There has to be something I can do."

---

Arnavon peeked aside from his bed, smiling a little. "Uh, nice to share a room with you."

"And I with you." Cadance nodded softly, bandaged and resting.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything... but shouldn't a princess be somewhere not here?" His eyes darted over her injured form. "You fought hard."

"You did too," she gently deferred. "I heard you saved a few lives. Thank you. For... a creature your age, you've been asked too much, and you delivered. If I could, I'd go over there and hug the stuffing out of you."

Arnavon smiled at that, his ears, though long, still young and small enough to twitch in excitement. "I'll hold you to that!" A royal hug from the princess sounded lovely. "Though... you alright?"

"I will be." Cadance flopped over to the side, facing closer towards Arnavon. "We both fought very hard, to protect the ponies we care about."

"Yeah..." He shook his head. "I hope Giselle's alright. If we faced that, she musta really been fighting hard out there."

"You two will exchange stories." Cadanced lifted an ear at the tsuki. "Perhaps this time you will be the one with the grander tale."

"I doubt that." He scratched at the cheek, trying to be still as the doctor had commanded. "That would be... kinda cool... but she'd be mad."

"Maybe for a little while." Cadance let out a slow breath. "But, as your friend... I imagine she will be more happy that you are alive, and well... Just tell the truth."

"The truth, right." He brought over a hand to clap against his less mobile one. "I hope you feel better."

"And you too... Let's rest and rush that along."

Things grew quieter, but they both had company, and both felt better for it.

---

"Finally!" Rainbow burst into the warmth of the Crystal Empire. "What the...?" There were still thin trails of smoke rising up from places where fires had broken out, or been set intentionally. She couldn't tell. She darted back towards the others. "Hey, Shining! Something's up!"

That was how the attack force came to first realize what exactly happened behind them. Shining and Twilight raced to the palace, the rest of the force scattering to help where it could and reunite with loved ones they had left behind. The campaign was ended with very little formal affair.

"Where is she?!" Shining clopped up the stairs, looking around wildly. "Is she alright?"

A maid hurried forward, ears spread. "Sir, welcome back. She's resting."

"Resting?"

Twilight caught up, heaving. "Is she... alright?"

"She's recovering," insisted the maid, pointing the way to the medical wing. "She insisted on resting with the other protectors of the city instead of her own room."

Shining smiled thinly at that. "That does sound like her."

"There you are." Rising from a shadowy corner, Quick Stroke stepped towards them. "At least tell me you've struck a meaningful blow on our enemy's flanks while they were delivering this?"

Twilight peered at the strange pony. "I'm sorry, you are?"

"Sombra's right-hoof pony," huffed Shining, approaching him with a frown. "Why are you here?"

"Ask your wife," he taunted. "I saved her, and your precious city. You can say thank you at any time."

Twilight blinked softly. "Oh, thanks." It was that easy to extract a kind word from here. "We were tearing down their fortress and they came right behind us..."

Shining let out a low deep noise. "We wasted our time, and they took advantage!" He slammed the ground. "We need to get ahead of them. Chasing after them will get us nowhere!"

"In this, we agree." Quick sat on his haunches, bringing his hooves together. "Lord Sombra is sending others behind me, not the best of the bunch, those went with you." He lifted an ear. "And who are coming."

With two thuds, Celene and Toby landed on que. Toby approached Quick without delay, embracing the brooding unicorn warmly. "Good see!"

"You should have seen it." Strangely, for him, he did not push Toby away. "I fought with a renewed spirit. Our matches brought a vigor in me that I unleased on our enemies." He laughed, imagining the looks of horror of his enemies. "They regretted their decisions thoroughly, and I relished in their every moment of pain."

Shining peered at the two. "Can you explain exactly what happened, from your view?"

"I'll go check on Cadance." Shining nodded to Twilight as she slipped away, grateful to have a trusted pony on that job.

"Lord Sombra sent me." Quick poked his rival and sparring mate in the chest. "The ponies here begged for our help, and he thought I was the best for the job."

"You did well?" asked toby, a little smile on his face, sure that a good job had already been done.

"Magnificently," confirmed Quick. "They were like children before me, mewling for mercy as I severed every last thread they had. Ah... good times." He blew a kiss into the air to compliment the chef of his delight. Even if that was himself. "I broke the siege on this city in minutes. Minutes." He raised a crystal hoof. "Now I want to try it."

"Try what?" Toby spread his hands wide. "Do good. Thank you protecting ponies."

"As my lord commanded it," he brushed aside. "But I will ask him if I cannot partake in these games." He clopped his hooves together. "The excitement... I would drive them away and make them regret ever taking up arms against us."

Celene shoved Toby aside suddenly. "Stop talk."

Quick went quiet a moment, sitting there, looking past Celene to something behind her. "You have a point."

Toby scratched at a cheek softly. "What point have?"

Quick gestured at Celene, but it was Shining that butted in, "We have a kingdom to repair, ponies to reassure, and an enemy already planning their next move."

"Yes." He smiled gently at Shining. "You, request my assistance."

"Pardon?"

"Request my assistance." Quick inclined his head faintly. "My orders are to give you the assistance you requested. Do so."

"You want to help take care of the griffons?" Quick did not answer, watching him. "I would... appreciate it?"

"I have so many other things to do." Quick turned away with a dramatic huff. "I sacrifice much to please my master. If I must, I suppose..."

Shining looked baffled at the exchange. "Oh, well, welcome to the team."

"I should think not." His eyes went to Toby and Celene. "Battle Partners, let us plan how to strike true terror into their hearts."

Celene broke into a wicked but sincere smile. "Now talk right."

Toby looked less certain. "Not work with friends?" He gestured at Shining and the other ponies.

"They don't need us foalsitting them every step," sighed out Quick. "We will come on them like a bolt from the blue, and they will lament the day they bothered Lord Sombra and those that belong to him."

Celene shoved him suddenly. "Not belong. Still hurt. Go."

Despite her insistence on not belonging to Sombra, the two were moving off to plan the downfall of their enemies.

Toby did not follow, instead looking to Shining and reaching to set a hand on his shoulder. "Go."

"Hm?"

"See wife?" He smiled a little. "Bet she miss you."

"I... thank you." He turned and trotted in the same direction Twilight had gone. "Your own is likely waiting for you."

Toby launched without further word, in pursuit of the aggressive fellows he called friends.

---

"What do you mean he was hurt?!" Giselle shook the doctor pony about. "Where is he?!"

"He's... recovering," got out the doctor between vigorous shakes. "Please stop!"

Giselle shoved him back, glaring. "If he's alright, why can't I see him?"

"He needs to... rest." He regained his breath with soft gasps for air. "He was very brave."

"Brave is not the word I'd use for him." Clever, a smartass, a decent writer... A good friend? "Let me see him!"

"It's too late in the day," repeated the doctor more firmly. "Come back tomorrow, a little before mid day. The princess is keeping him company. He's safe, I promise."

Giselle cocked a brow. "He was good enough to get the princess to play nurse... Damn..." She stroked her beak softly, considering it. "He musta did something really good..." What, she was powerless to say. "Tell him I was here, and I'll be back, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The doctor saluted sharply, remaining in the position as she stalked off, grumbling. "I swear, the family can be worse than the patients more often than not..."

---

"That's not right." Moonlight was seated next to the agitated Giselle. "I'd be annoyed if they kept my light away from me."

"They are," noted Giselle. "She's like a million miles away." She pointed in the vague direction of Canterlot, or at least the rail line.

"But she's safe," noted Moonlight calmly. "She'll be waiting for me, when I get back. For now, like, I'll pay for my sins." She put a hoof to her chest. "And maybe make a few new friends."

"Yeah?" Giselle huffed, her claws tacking at the cobblestone they were perched on. "Like who? Gonna make friendly with the 'mistress of the night' or whatever you call her?"

"She's Princess Luna," corrected Moonlight in her patient gravelly tone. "And no. My sister of the night is right here." She pressed the flat of a hoof into Giselle's side. "I won't leave until we're sure your friend is alright."

Giselle was quiet a moment, watching other ponies hurry by on their business. "That's messed up, attacking while we were going to them for a fight..." She glanced aside at Moonlight. "Thanks. Don't you want to relax or whatever?"

"I can relax with a sister of the night." Moonlight sank to her belly, tail swaying idly. "Let's just be quiet and enjoy the darkness, outside and in."

"Yeah..." Giselle didn't argue, the two sitting in companionable silence. Maybe Moonlight wasn't awful as friends went, though she wanted to see Arnavon.

---

"Katydid!" gushed Shining Armor as he hurried to the bed that housed Cadance, flanked by Twilight as it was. "Twily, how is she?" She was, he could see, quite unconscious.

Twilight nodded to the prone form of the princess. "Sleeping well. I got to talk to her briefly before she passed out. She fought off an invading force of griffons." She let out a long sigh. "There were thankfully very few serious injuries. Even hers are more of exhaustion, though she's suffered a number of lacerations."

Shining snorted with renewed anger. "We have to find them, and stop them. This isn't a game anymore."

"I don't think this ever was a game." Twilight sat up tall. "But it is all the more worrying... I should have brought Spike." She applied a hoof to her face. "Informing Celestia what's going on and getting feedback would be..." She deflated with a renewed sigh. "I can't rely on her forever."

"Sis?" He perked an ear. "You must be upset..."

"You're the one..." She glanced at the sleeping Cadance. "You must be beside yourself."

"Just one of me," he assured with a lopsided smile. "But you're the one saying you'll do it without Celestia, and she's still there. That isn't like you."

"She may as well not be." Twilight sat up tall. "We will have to solve this without her." She set down a her left forward hoof, a stern look in her eyes. "It won't be the first time, and I still have my friends. We'll figure this out."

"You sound sure..."

"I'm really not," she admitted, deflating. "But we have to try."

---

Not that Celestia was in much a situation to help. She landed, folding her grand wings as she took a perch on a narrow rock. "Any news?"

"The rescue efforts continue," reported a guard with a sharp salute, inclining with his nose at the sizable group of moaning ponies, hurt and dizzy, reeling from their literal upheaval. "The lucky ones weren't immediately crushed under the city itself."

Celestia cringed at the mental image of it. She had almost been flattened herself, starting under the plate. She had soared to the side, her city, her ponies, crashing down on her. She had tried to stop it, but Canterlot was not a sun, and her pushes only did so much, buying her barely enough time to get away from the plummeting stone before it added her to the rapidly growing list of fatalities. "Any sign of the..." What was the right word. Invaders? Terrorists? Both felt hollow and insufficient. "Them?"

Thankfully, the guard seemed to understand her. "Not a squawk. We suspect it was, in part, a suicide mission. Those not swift enough to get out of the way were probably crushed."

"If you find any... keep them alive." They were, perhaps, the only leads she had. "But the priority goes to the citizens of Canterlot." Not that the city existed anymore. The thought of that made her ears fall. "Do... we have enough information to even... estimate the losses?"

"Your secretary made it," noted the guard with a little smile.

It was a smile returned by Celestia. "How... While I am gladdened to hear that, I... struggle to imagine how. Is she awake?"

Following the direction of the guard, she took flight, landing in a medical triage, one of many that dotted the mountain-side to treat the injured. There were many, which could be taken as good news in a matter of speaking. The doctors nodded towards her respectfully, but kept moving. They had work to do, and a princess would not make them any lighter.

She allowed them to do their good work, stepping firmly as her eyes swept the area. "Raven, raven... There." She veered to the right, coming up on a bed with a sleeping unicorn in it. "Raven Inkwell," she sighed out with a smile. "I feel guilty, having my friend survive when so many are saying goodbye right now."

"That's terrible logic," complained Raven, cracking open an eye. "If it makes you feel better, I didn't entirely make it."

Celestia blinked rapidly. "What?!" Her magic glowed, wrapping around the blanket and yanking it free, revealing that Raven was missing her left hind leg entirely, the area thoroughly bandaged. "What happened?! Poor Raven... I failed you."

Raven reached up, bopping Celestia weakly. "I won't have that, ma'am... Give me two weeks medical and I'll be right on duty again."

"You are going nowhere until the doctors say you can." Celestia set the blanket gently over Raven. "Stop being a hero... You must be in incredible pain."

"A little," she admitted. "I was caught, pinned and buried at once when they found me... My leg... They decided it was more important to get me out of there. I don't disagree with that assessment, looking back... Better alive with three legs than dead with all four." She coughed into a hoof softly. "Besides, I have my horn. I feel certain I can continue being of use to you, madame."

"That is not what is important right now." She leaned in and planted a little kiss on Raven's forehead. "You rest and know that I am will wait however long it takes for you to be ready. Even if that's forever..."

"Perish the thought," gasped out Raven as if the very idea were anathema to her being. "I will report for work as soon as possible." She pushed against the bed to sit up a little. "Your highness... working for you gives me purpose. I will be unhappy if I set it down. For me... in my selfishness... please allow me to return to duty as soon as I feel able."

Celestia was quiet a moment, taking in the form of her crippled, but entirely loyal, secretary. "Rest well then, so you can do that with confidence."

"With pleasure." She sank back down, half-slipping. "I will keep you informed." And she closed her eyes, allowing herself to slip away.

Celestia strode back towards the front of the tent. "Do you have all the supplied you need?" The doctors began giving her a rundown of what they had, and didn't. She nodded along with them, making idle notes of what she could remedy. "Thank you." And she took off.

Equestria had been attacked, and there was very little she could, personally, do about it.

"Of course there is," taunted an internal voice, causing her to looked around in mid-flight. "Don't bother. You weren't ready, and still aren't."

"Who are you and why are you whispering in my head?" Was she losing it due to stress? It was quite a trying time...

"I'm you," taunted the voice. "It's time you showed your people your true power, and your enemies the power of the sun."

Celestia landed on a broad rock, giving her a commanding view of the activity. Ponies digging, searching for others still buried. Many tents with the injured and sick, being treated. It was a mess.

"And you let it happen."

"I did not." Celestia clopped down a hoof, scowling at the voice, though it was hard to aim at internal monologues.

"We tried peace for untold moons... thousands of years. Let me out, let us out and we can get the revenge our ponies deserve and get them peace that's more than paper thick."

"Daybreaker, you are just a vision, a dream."

"A possibility," added the voice. "Let me out. We both want the same thing. They deserve punishing, and our ponies deserve security. I will deliver both, we will deliver both, together."

"Never!"

"Oh, fine... I'll just sit back... and wait for Manehattan to crumble. For Baltimare to be bombed. For every city you know to be brought to ruin. Oh, I bet they'll make the weather factory topple from the air..."

"Don't even joke," she got out through clenched teeth, trying not to think of such dire things."

"I don't need to joke. The reality is right ahead of us. Now, you, me... Will we take action and make sure it never happens, or will we sit back and weakly accept what comes?"

"My ponies are suffering..."

"And we're not helping," noted the voice. "Unleash the full power of the sun. We've tried being a gentle queen. The world will fear us, and our ponies will adore us. We will shield them and burn our enemies... As they deserve..."

"No... creature deserves--"

The image of Raven's body sprang into her mind, one leg missing, but that innocent look on her face, pleading to return to work as soon as possible. "You would have them suffer, like Raven? Will you make her sacrifice in vain, or will you do something?"

"Why are you attacking me?" Celestia sank to her belly, breaths coming slow and labored. "I need to concentrate."

"We need to concentrate on this never happening ever again," argued Daybreaker in her mind. "Together. They don't want peace, those griffons. They will respect force. They will know fear. When they burn half as hard as Canterlot fell... then perhaps we'll know peace, and not before then."

Celestia sank her head to the stone. Her eyes closed against the images, external and internal, tears stinging at them.

It wasn't what she wanted. It wasn't the Equestria she had envisioned, or the way forward she had worked so hard to achieve.

But, perhaps... Daybreaker wasn't entirely wrong. All of her allies were so far away, struggling in the Crystal Empire. There was only one pony present that could fight for Equestria.

And she was crying on a rock.

Author's Note:

An offer is made. Should Celestia accept it? I don't know if folks have any idea how hard it is to write this story.

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

When you unlock ultimate weaponry, it might just be because yourenemies have been prodding you to do all the research they cant afford, so they can then take, steal, or fake the target of the weapon for what they want.

I cant remember the name of the movie with the shipdelivering the planet killer, but itsjust as important.

Find the head, find the network, cauterise it in darkness and silence.

Dont give them the advertisement and showboat they demand.

[tsaukpaetra]

Warning: possible remote casting impulse magic! Is Celestia truly talking to her nightmare ego, or is someone deliberately baiting her?
Giselle is far more attached than even she realizes. She should be careful, lest she be a target of tragedy...
Quick has been excited into a hot trigger, someone ensure he's properly aimed!
There are so many major threads going on, much chaos, but can it be directed positively?
Keep going! ;)

[Shadowshame]

"Daybreaker, you are just a vision, a dream."

I've been thinking that well the corrupted version of Luna is called Nightmare moon wouldn't the corrupted version of Celestia be called something like Tyrant sun just seems more thematically appropriate

[whiteone9]

Not getting the second for December?

[David Silver]

10612414
I'll remedy that.