Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

Ravine | Famine

Nightmare Moon did not grow desperate. Desperation was not a thing she would experience, and desperate not something she would be. But she did grow nervous. Uneasy, even. Willing to perform something more risky in an attempt to buy herself some time.

One of Twilight's blasts shattered one of her knees, and what was below it of her leg fell off while new bones and flesh grew to replace it. The ceaseless, unreasonable shower of sparks the alicorn was releasing towards her was simply too much for her shileds to fully hold off, and every few moments one of them made its to her body and burrowed past her skin, tearing her muscles and burning her veins.

It was indeed an unreasonable display of magical power and control. That was the only way to describe it. And Twilight didn't seem to be done with it either. Despite two distinct and highly powerful spells already being maintained, her horn shone again to form a third one. Nightmare Moon's actions hinged on the idea that Twilight would run out of energy eventually, or make a mistake at some point, but would that matter if by then her body was ash? If only the wounds Luna had left would heal faster. Why were her powers failing her?

She did not have much of another option. As she saw the new spell forming over Twilight's horn, she decided she would not remain there to be on the receiving end of it. Strengthening her shields as best she could, she focused, and attempted to teleport again.

---

"But what if we could give you something?" the unicorn cut in.

Both Applejack and the soldier turned towards him. "What do you mean?" the latter asked, while the former merely looked away again.

The unicorn stepped forward. "You've talked about limiting our freedoms. I understand where you're coming from, and maybe you even have a point. But have you considered the opposite? Have you considered that if our freedoms are greater than yours, we could offer you to expand your box, as you called it?"

The soldier squared him up and down. "And betray my country so?"

"You said yourself that you did what you did out of a lack of choice. By a certain interpretation of personal beliefs, we here are like that too. But now you do have a choice." The unicorn looked back at him. "You're the one who put this in a purely formal perspective, so to speak. Why wouldn't you choose the better alternative?"

The soldier thought about it for a moment. "I've got some ponies I care about, back on my side. You're just strangers. Personal relationships are an objective factor too."

"We could give them the same offer," the unicorn continued. "What do you have to lose? What do you have to gain from betraying us instead? If you choose to view it as purely a matter of doing what you think benefits you most, you can't argue there's not a point in you joining us."

"If you were to win," the soldier cut him. "I have reasons to doubt that will be the case. I have certain knowledge that the consequences of my betrayal will not be pleasant, if that is what happens. I'm merely playing my odds. I'd rather fight on the side that will be treated the least harshly should it lose. I may accept your proposal under those conditions. Not sooner, it would be a pointless risk."

Comments

[Saix]

I like these two nameless fellows cold logic.