A World Apart (Old Version)

by Star Scraper

A Peace at a Time

A piercing headache was the first thing Twilight was aware of. Her mind raced to grasp what was happening. Train! I'm on a train – with Rainbow! Rainbow is in trouble – it's an alternate copy of her. She's forgotten who she is! She was going to … She knew it, but she refused to even think it. I need to help her!

She wasn't sure if her eyes weren't open or if it was completely dark. But, where am I? The feeling of being wrapped in warm blankets came over her, along with the sensation of being carried.

She sighed internally. Another stranger, who I'm completely helpless to. No. I'm not going to make this easy for them this time. Not after that guard knocked me out, not after all this mess!

First, I can't let them know I'm conscious... If they think I'm still out they'll be less prepared. She winced as her head throbbed again. She bit her tongue to keep from groaning under the pain. Stop it, head!

Okay... Last I remember, there was... A train wreck? What are the chances the train would wreck? Ugh! Nothing makes sense! No, no, focus Twilight. I just need to escape from whoever's carrying me. As her mind and senses came around, she noticed the particular swaying feeling was distinct. Drat. I think I'm airborne. Okay... I have no idea how high I am. I'm still somewhat new to teleporting, I don't think I can quickly pull off two in a row, so I can't go out sideways then adjust and teleport down. Plus, if it's dark and I can't see the ground... No, this just won't work out.

I need more information. But I don't know what they're doing with me or what's going on, so I need to act fast. She listened intently for a few moments. She quickly made out flapping wings, confirming her airborne fears. But then she heard something encouraging – wind and hoofsteps.

Hoofsteps! I'm low enough to hear hoofsteps in – it must be snow! These must be some really warm blankets, then... But I can hear the steps over the wind, so I'm very low. I'll just teleport out straight sideways and book it... I really hope I'm somewhere open!

To be safe, she didn't go very far. With a flash of magic, she was standing bare in the snow just a few feet away from her carrier, galloping away into the fog. The pegasus let out a startled shout as his heavy load suddenly vanished, sending him into a backflip. With a clear view ahead, she began charging her horn for another teleport when a sweet, familiar voice called out to her.

“Twilight!”

She skid to a spinning halt, looking back. Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Rainbow Dash, Carrot Cake and Nurse Redheart were all there.

“We're on your side!” Mr. Cake exclaimed in a hushed voice. “Stay quiet! We're being hunted!” His voice was burdened with urgency.

She cast a confused glance at Rarity. Rarity nodded, then spoke in a hushed tone, “Yes, Twilight, you can trust these ponies... Somewhat. - I mean mostly. Just, come along, we need to keep moving and stay quiet, it isn't safe here.”

She looked over all of them for a few long moments, a suspicious glare on her face. “What are all of you doing here? Where are we? What's going on?”

“Keep your voice down! I told you we're being hunted!” Mr. Cake hissed.

“Yes,” Rainbow piped in. “Come along, Twilight. They'll explain everything.”

Twilight's ears fell flat against her head when she saw Rainbow's ropes. They tied her up! But she's the governor! She said something about committing treason? Are these more of those bad police? Who are these ponies!? She could feel her heartbeat throbbing in her ears more intensely than her piercing headache.

Getting a better look at Rarity, she noticed that underneath the heavy winter clothing and backpack, her mane was ruined, her horn and leg bandaged, and her bandaged right ear was only a stump. “Are you the Rarity from Equestria, or some kind of alternate like 'Governor Spectrum'?”

Rarity merely looked levelly at her. A kind of hollowness seemed to fall over her when she heard the question. The Sweetie Belle lookalike gazed at her sister with concern. Rarity started walking towards Twilight. Twilight took a startled step back, her legs tense, horn flaring with magic, ready to teleport her away.

When she was up to her face, Rarity stopped. “Twilight?” Her voice shook and broke.

Twilight froze. “Yes?”

Rarity threw her hooves around her and squeezed with all her might, and began sobbing. “Let's go home. Let's please go home right now.” Her voice shook madly, but still held some sliver of composure.

“Rarity!...” She returned the embrace. “I'm sorry,” she continued gently, “but... I can't. I thought this was impossible – and I'm so, so sorry it happened! This is all my fault!”

“No, it isn't, don't you dare say that, dearie,” she comforted, “I was the one who urged you to perform a spell you thought was unsafe, and I volunteered to risk myself for this. You've been far more than kind enough to come after me. I shouldn't have pressed you.”

“You two!” The sergeant hissed. “Keep it down! I'm all for this, but we need to keep moving! Twilight, we'll explain when we set up camp. For now, we need to keep moving and stay quiet! We're being hunted! They’ll kill us if they find us!– let's go!”

They broke apart and looked each other in the eyes. “I have lots of questions... but if we're being hunted I guess I'll wait until we can sit down and talk,” she whispered. Rarity nodded. “Yes, but first – you mean you can't get us back at all? Did you-!? Was your rescue a one-way mission!?”

“I don't know,” Twilight stated levelly, shaking her head. “I just know I can't get us back the same way we came, but I'm sure there's got to be another way. Now-”

“GO!” The sergeant hissed again.

“Yes, let's go,” Twilight finished,. “We've got to stay alive if we're ever going back...” Rarity nodded, and the two quickly walked back into the convoy. At seeing their compliance, the rest of the group turned forward and returned to walking. Snowglade dutifully covered their tracks, and they set off into the foggy abyss.

* * *

Astilbe couldn't help herself but see. As she walked down the frosty cobblestones, she mentally gave thanks that long coats were such common apparel, and that the square was more than crowded enough that her resemblance to the hanged mare would quickly be passed off as coincidental.

The towering stone buildings and banners surrounding the courtyard made it feel like a military camp. Pegasi infantry regularly patrolled above. It wasn't too unusual for pedestrians to stop and stare at the bodies of the 'dissidents.' The guards would merely write it off as grim fear, fascination or curiosity. But Astilbe was here for a completely different reason.

They knew. The sad, pitiful looks of one mourning, or paying a final visit were different from those who were merely curious: It was one thing to see a limp body, but it was quite another to see a still friend. So when Astilbe approached Rosewing's still form, the guards responded how they always had in recent months. They ignored her.

During the purges, paying respectful homage to an executed mare would have been a capital offense. But nopony had been left untouched by the purges, not even the soldiers. The fire of the nationalistic fervor had burned out when it had scalded those who bore it.

So she was left in peace as she approached Rosewing. It was unnerving; just as she had seen in the picture, she was looking at her own body, adorned in a straightjacket and prisoner's pants, hanging from the noose with her head bowed and limp.

After leaving Silverwing's, a stop by her house had found Pinkie safe and asleep; indeed, as Silverwing had said, this wasn't Pinkie they'd hanged. The Order had changed somepony's appearance.

She wished she could see Rosewing one last time. Her vanilla body and pink mane were a sweet sight... “Well, at least your mane and tail are about the same color...” she muttered, “heh... I'm sorry... I... I just...” she faced the cobblestone and paused. The crowd passed behind her, leaving her facing her friend, nopony daring interrupt the final visit.

“...That was kind of rude of me...” She bit her tongue, and her ears flopped against her head and she looked down even further at her hooves. “Well, I guess you're better off than me, right now. I mean...” she looked up at her head, then back to the ground. “What am I saying?... I don't know what it's like to die... I guess I should say, I'm sorry. I'm sorry it was you instead of me, it was supposed to be me in your place right now...” Her ears pressed even further against her head.

“After all, they made you look like me. Really nopony should've died of course, but... I'm sorry you took my fall. I wish I could've been there to take it so you didn't have to.”

Her front hooves felt weak. She sat on her haunches, and sagged. Oh no, Astilbe, don't cry! Not here, not in public, not in front of all these guards!

An odd feeling hit her. It wasn't a tangible feeling, more of a warm impression; but she felt as though somepony set a hoof on her shoulder, standing behind her. “I know some ponies don't, but when you're as familiar with death as we are... We believe in an afterlife. You're here, now, aren't you?”

She paused. The feeling grew, and she felt warm. The tension and fear that she might cry vanished, and instead a flood of hot, but silent tears came to her eyes.

She didn't bother to look up at the body when she spoke. Rosewing wasn't in front of her. “I just want to tell you, I'm sorry I wasn't closer. Fiddler is more of my peer. But you, you were never my peer... You were kind of like... More like... You were always kind of like my Mom...” she paused.

“You got me that job here in the York dome, after I had to leave Rambling Rock, you even pulled strings on my housing, you were just, there. You looked out for me, and most of all, you're the one who introduced me to all this...

“You know when I first came here I wasn't happy. I didn't have anything to live for. They killed my Mom, and to untarnish my name my Da made me come here. But you watched out for this filly from the mining town. And most of all, you gave me that copy of –” she bit her tongue, barely saving herself from muttering the name of the blasphemous tome in public. The Journal of Clover the Clever.

“You were just like her. Her, and her. They both believed so strongly in keeping our light against the dark, that our greatest weapon was our own inner warmth. I had lost mine. My parents had worked so hard to keep it in me, and when they killed her, I nearly lost what she'd lived to give me. But you kept it burning within me. I owe you everything. I would have hanged myself and made her death meaningless if you hadn't kept that warmth in my heart, and showed me this cause...” And gave me hope for a Cerulean sky.

“I didn't have anything to live for until you showed me something I'd die for, what you died for, and more importantly, what you lived for, and what she lived for... Heh, that's something we say all the time, isn't it? Everypony dies. But the important thing is we accomplish something while we live...

“You accomplished a lot, Rosewing. I... I love you...” Her ears finally stood up again. Her legs regained strength. But still she only faced the ground; there was no purpose to face the grotesque form Rosewing had left behind. “...and I'm going to miss you a lot... Goodbye, Rosewing...”

She still felt the impression of a warm form behind her. So she sat still. Long minutes passed in complete silence, interrupted only be the occasional sniff. Soon she wiped her eyes, and regained her composure. She readied her legs to stand... But couldn't make herself do it. So she sat awhile longer.

“Hey! I'm talking to you!” A mare barked behind her.

“What?” Astilbe spun around.

“Isn't that the unicorn liberat-” She froze when she saw Astilbe's face.

Astilbe glanced back at the hanged mare. Rosewing's face was discolored from the hanging; she only hoped the difference was enough that they wouldn't seem too identical. She turned back to the angry pedestrian. “Don't be stupid. We just look alike – weird isn't it?”

She shoved her way past the mare, who pulled an ear back and looked in-between the two again, speechless.

Thinking fast, Astilbe spun around again, took the mare by the shoulder, and quietly commanded her, “And don't be so stupid as to waste The Order's time with some other pink-colored pony. There's a thousand pink ponies here.” She turned again and stormed off into the crowd.

She felt sick to her stomach.

* * *

Ever since the adrenaline rush had worn off, Twilight’s mind had descended into confusing, tired depths. But she had to keep going, Nightmare Moon wasn't far behind. Nightmare Moon? No, I don't think it's Nightmare Moon that's chasing us... Why are we walking again?

“Rarity-”

She felt a hoof brush the snow off her hood as she blinked her eyes open. Looking up, she saw Nurse Redheart standing over her. Twilight was laying in the snow. It took her a few moments to realize that the nurse wasn't the one brushing her hood off. Looking around, she saw Rarity standing next to her.

“Are you alright, Twilight?” The nurse asked.

Her head pounded, her thoughts swam in a nebulous fog. “I... I don't know.”

The medic leaned in, and raised Twilight's illusioned mane. Despite the appearance-altering spell, the swollen bruise from her hit days prior was still visible. The medic turned back to Carrot Cake; “We must stop. How far have we gone? Fifteen, twenty miles? She needs rest.”

She turned back to Twilight; “Is this from the train crash? This looks older than a few hours.”

“Uhm... I don't know... Is it?”

Worry poured over the Nurse's face. “Have you been knocked in the head recently, aside from the train crash?”

“No... Well... Yes!... When I first got here... I think?... Yes, when I first got here.”

The nurse bit her lip, then turned back to the Sergeant. “She's not going to be able to keep going much longer. She's in worse shape than just the crash.”

He looked over the team, eyes darting from one to another as they all faced him, waiting for his call. “Can she keep walking?”

The nurse turned back to the unicorn.

“Uh... Yeah. I can keep walking,” she croaked.

“Then we keep going,” he answered decisively.

Rarity huffed. “We simply can't keep goi-”

“Can it! I'm getting real tired of the trouble you're giving us. And she'll be in even worse condition if an Alliance patrol finds us. It's geometry. Every inch we go makes us even safer than the last. We have to squeeze every bit of distance we can if we're going to evade patrols. They'll be searching hard for a governor. So unless you want her shot or tortured, then we best keep going.”

“Actually...” Rainbow added in, never looking up from the snow, “I had just committed treason. I don't know if they'll be searching harder to try to kill me, or softer, knowing you'll do the work for them.”

“Back to silence.” The Sergeant ended the conversation just as decisively, and started walking. The rest of the team followed suit without question. Rarity paused for a moment, looking back at Twilight with worry across her face. Twilight merely cracked a smile back at her and started walking. Rarity quickly followed suit, moving next to her along with the medic.

With no method to keep time, and her mind in a confused delirium, it was impossible to tell how long they had walked when the Sergeant finally ordered a stop, and had them begin setting up their tent.

Everything seemed to move in a confused blur. There were warm coats and blankets over her. Then they were gone, and she was lying in the tent. The nurse stood over her and said some nice, soothing things. Rarity sat over her looking concerned. They hugged. She finally laid down and slept.

That was all she could remember before shooting awake again, finding herself alone in the tent with Sweetie Belle, who sat watching over her.

“S-Sweetie Belle? Where is everypony?”

“Oh, good! You sound a lot more coherent than all of last evening's ramblings!” She smiled with a cuteness only Sweetie Belle could, despite wearing a rifle over her shoulder.

“Ramblings? I wasn't rambling last night!... Was I?”

“Oh yeah, you were. It was kinda scary. But the nurse just assured us the best thing was just for us to let you rest and recover. Oh – and call me Snowglade. That's my real name, here...” Her ears flopped and she blushed with her last two sentences. “Good to see you making sense, though! I've been excited to meet you since I heard you were Grandeur's best friend!” She perked up again with a small smile.

“Thanks... Snowglade?...” She put her hoof to her head. “Ugh. I think... Yeah, Rainbow went by a different name, too. This timeline travel is weird...” Her ears perked up and she looked around the tent again “-but forget that, where is everypony?!”

Snowglade's excitement immediately melted as heaviness came over her voice. “I... Honestly don't know. I just hope they get back soon...”

* * *

The Sergeant had taken Flameheart's place at the watch a long time ago, and Rarity still lay still and quiet in the dark tent, but awake.

Only minutes after being reunited with Twilight, she had been forced to shut up, then Twi had stopped making sense. At one point she was rambling about Starswirl the Bearded then started crying without warning, and hugged her. A frown sat on her lips as she thought of her friend, quietly snoozing next to her. I really hope she recovers like the Nurse keeps saying she will... For both our sakes'... Maybe even for the sake of this whole world.

These ponies really don't realize who is in this tent, do they? If anypony can set things right, it's Twilight...

Her ears perked up as she heard rustling from behind her. Do these ponies ever hold still in the night? First the watch change, then I thought I heard the Sergeant waking Dash up, and now this? Surely they're not changing watch again already?

Then the feeling came over her again. The same feeling that had caused her such trouble on previous nights.

There was no snoring in the tent.

That must be Flameheart. Thank Celestia I'm not alone with him – I mean, he wouldn't do anything with all these ponies around, right? That creep. What is he...?

There was more rustling, then scraping, like a knife cutting through wood, or sharpening.

What is he doing? Her pupils shrank to dots.

He paused for a heart-stopping moment, and moved slowly, carefully, and menacingly in the darkness. He approached Rarity, then passed her to the entrance of the tent.

She could see him standing at the doorway, holding a knife and some small, odd lemon-shaped object made of wood. He poked his head out the tent, then came back in with a jerk, glancing around with alarm on his face.

Carefully, slowly, stealthily, he made his way back to his sleeping bag, then paused for long, harrowing minutes.

“Up, up, up!” he finally called.

Snowglade and the medic sprang up, rifles in their hooves in a second.

“The Sergeant is missing!”

“Snowglade's the new C.O. Awaiting orders,” the nurse declared.

“Sergeant's missing... Where's the Governor? Let's get a head count. I see Twilight's still unconscious, and Rarity's here. Is that the Governor's bag, empty?”

“The governor's gone, too! Yes, that was her spot to sleep!” the medic confirmed.

“We're still on radio silence, one beep and they'll be on us...” Snowglade started, then sighed. “I really want to see what's going on, but... Yeah; I'll make sure we don't lose Twilight and Rarity. Flameheart, you've got wings, and the nurse will probably be needed – could end up saving the Sergeant's life. I'll stay here and make sure nopony tries to kill our unicorns.”

“Uhm – Snowglade, perhaps if Rainbo-the Governor is doing anything rash, I can talk her down?” Rarity offered.

“Sis, she isn't the pony you knew. But... Can you look for other ponies with your magic?”

“...I know a spell that lets me know where gems are...”

“Then go with the search party. Any Alliance patrols will be carrying gemnades. They'll brief you on the fly – go, go, go! Bring'em back in one piece.”

“'Gemnades?'” Rarity asked.

“Yes. Grenades with gem powder – they effectively stop any unicorn's spell in the cloud of gem dust. No time for more questions, just get going!”

The elder sister simply nodded and set about. Snowglade hesitated at the sight. She's already starting to compose herself like a veteran. Have these few days here really done so much to her?

Although the medic and Flameheart had practiced fast dressing, Rarity had magic and a lifetime of experience working with clothing and spells, and was able to don the thick, warm clothing before either of them. In moments they were outside the tent, following tracks, leaving Sweetie Belle alone to regret sending her sister out on the dangerous search mission.

* * *

The rainbow-maned governor trudged barehoof through the gray, snowy waste. Fetters of rope still bound her limbs. Amber Light was only a few paces ahead, pulling her along on a leash. He stopped, then spat out the end of the rope, and faced her, rifle in hoof.

The snowfall was gentle.

She looked up to him, her ears flat against her head and shivering. “You didn't bring me a-anything to w-wear. I'm guessing you're not letting me go, a-are you?”

“If this were about justice, you'd be tortured first. But no, this is about the safety of my soldiers. I don't believe they'll keep looking after they find your body. It'll be much easier for them to pull some innocent unicorn out and blame them.”

“And w-what if it only angers them to search h-harder?”

The sergeant let out a hearty laugh. “As if they actually care for you! The only reason they'll make any show of your death is to make you a martyr, and rally support against us. They want you dead,” he taunted.

She faced the snow, breathing deep and hard, trying to control her shivering. “It's finally over, then... I-I won't bother your time with any nonsense, b-but listen – th-the airbase just down the railroad f-from here has... key technology you'll n-need... to-to survive these next weeks.” Sergeant Light's eyebrows twisted with surprise as she kept talking, stammering and struggling to talk through her shivers, “O-Our engineers have developed engines that c-can f-fly above anything you could h-hope to shoot down. There's a flight-ready bomber, eh-even. Usually they keep those... in... in the special operations hanger. Put the collar on my body, then on one of-of your soldiers, and put them in one of my robes. If they say the bomber is needed for a c-covert meeting with General Hurricane, nopony will question them. You must take the bomber to Bastion... and let its engines be reverse engineered. They'll probab-ably ask for a password to verify the pony's ideni-identi-ty. It's 'yellow on green'. Remember that. 'y-yellow on green'. They'll phrase the question; 'what are the colors?'”

Her cyan eartips, nose, and hooves were slowly darkening. Her shivering began to slow and give way to labored breathing.

“Why are you telling me this? You'll be dead. Do you think I'll spare you if you keep giving me information?”

She shook her head. “No. Because I... Because I'm not so sure anymore...” Her voice dropped and she faced down into the snow. “Maybe my entire life was just a lie – maybe the unicorns aren't the cause of this winter. What does it matter? I'm dead now. And if I'm right?... Then bring down The Order anyways.” She looked back up at him, the ferocity of the cool determination in her voice matched only by the spark in her eyes. “Let the world fall. It doesn't deserve to continue in pain like this... Give it a mercy killing from this torment.”

He simply looked at her, surprise over his face for a long moment before he came to a reply. “I must admit...” he said slowly, with newfound heaviness. “I was expecting cowardice... But you still deserve more hell than this.”

She bit her blue lips and sat down, her strength failing her. “Please, I just ask... That you kill me by choking. I don't deserve any swifter death. I want to know what it's like.”

“Hah!” His voice raised with amusement. “You show your true colors! You have some kind of perverted enjoyment of that, don't you? You loved to watch innocents hang! With how much The Alliance does that I shouldn't be surprised – you're even more sick than I thought!”

“No...” She mumbled quietly. “I want you to do it that way, because it's the closest I can come to an apology.”

All humor fled his voice; “What?”

“Enjoyed it?... I relished it for awhile.” She muttered, her voice picking up speed and passion, “Then I started to realize what I was, and I wanted to die then. I can't forget them. I will never know peace until I die as they did! I have to die like they did, in apology that they died and I lived!...”

Her voice mellowed to a murmur. “It's only fitting that I die the same way they did. I owe it to them. A leader should never ask her subjects to do something she wouldn't do herself, Ma said. I had them executed. Frozen, stabbed, hanged... I'm freezing, here. I-I don't know if I'd even feel a stab I'm so numb...” Her breathing grew tense. “B-But my lungs will scream for air all the same...” She sobbed.

His eyes were wide. “They died, and you lived?... And now you want to die alongside them?” Scarred memories of his lost team echoed in his mind.

“What are you waiting for?!” She cried. “Just end it already! I can't get them out of my head! Why did it have to be them, and not me!? Why did I have to kill them to save my comrades? What is this abomination of life!?” She stomped the ground furiously before hunching over and breaking down into more sobs.

It finally broke. His hatred for her crashed around him as he sat looking at the frostbitten, crying mare in disbelief. She hadn't flinched at imminent death, but she collapsed at the mere thought of her mass executions. He thought over his next words carefully; “I had the option of killing some civilians once. My entire team died because I didn't kill them. At the time, I told myself; 'I'll never be able to live with the regret of killing these innocents,' so I took that chance. Now I can't live with the regret of letting them live, and my team die.”

She merely looked at him, disheveled, ice forming on her eartips, mane, tail and wings, and her tears freezing on her face.

He continued, his voice level and cold as the air. “Like I said, this isn't about justice, this is about saving my team. Celestia show mercy on our souls.” Solemnity filled his voice. “Farewell, governor. Perhaps we were wrong about you. But maybe not. But it will all be revealed, some day, in another world apart from this one. I will see you again, when my time comes...”

He walked behind her, and she laid down in the snow, still crying. He bit the end of the rope tied around her throat, put his hoof on the back of her neck, and yanked with his might. Her crying suddenly cut off.

She tensed, stretched, and as the agonizing seconds wore on, began trying in vain to writhe under his grip; hopelessly gasping for air. She finally gave in, going still under his vice-like grip.

He had barely counted to fifty when a burly force launched him into the snow, ripping the rope from his mouth.

The governor fell into a fit of coughing and wheezing.

The sergeant’s limbs were completely pinned by the dark figure – a pegasus. “Flameheart!?” He gasped. “What the buck do you think you're doing!?”

“With all due respect sir,-” He shouted in his face, “What the buck do you think YOU'RE doing!?”

“Only what is in my right! Executing a prisoner and getting assaulted by a subordinate!” He shouted back.

“You're out of order! She's a civilian – a prisoner of war! -”

“A mass murderer and a current threat!”

“MEDIC!” The pilot screamed at the top of his lungs.

“I'll have you court martialed for this – damn – not insubordination – for this betrayal! Treason! Let me go!” Amber Light roared.

“Since when do we murder their bound, and hopeless masses!?” Flameheart bore down on him, “She's not a threat! She's depressed and helpless! We have won over her – done what it takes. We can ‘slay them in battle,' but not like this, or we're just as bad as them!”

“Don't you dare, EVER compare US to THEM!” Amber Light’s voice dropped from a yell to a stern anger; “Don't you dare quote Clover the Clever's Journal to me – I've spilled blood over that book – I understand it far better than you ever will! You're still a yellow-bellied recruit compared to me! You've never lost a team! You've flown, but you've never seen the horrors of a battlefield strewn with the bodies of your friends – up close and personal! And every moment you keep me down, is another moment they keep hunting us as long as SHE lives!”

“I outrank you, Sergeant, and don't you forget it!” Flameheart replied with a growl. “Forget the fact she's a helpless prisoner and a pony being – she holds a wealth of invaluable information! She's a bargaining chip, too! She's far more valuable to us alive than dead. If we kill her? So what, she gets a replacement and The Alliance carries on. If we have her alive – everything in her head is ours! This is a potentially war-changing intel opportunity! We can't let it slip by because you're afraid of keeping her alive!”

Galloping footsteps in the snow sounded from behind them. The sergeant looked to see Nurse Redheart approach, then freeze at the scene. “Sergeant!?” She exclaimed with shock. She scanned the area and saw Rainbow lying still in the snow.

“He's fine!” Flameheart shouted to her without taking his eyes off of Amber. “Go see to the governor.”

She darted over to the limp pegasus and threw her cloak off, tending to the mare.

“Sergeant - ” the pilot continued, “Why do you even think killing her would help!? If they found her body in the snow they'd be outraged and search all the harder!”

“I'm not going to sit by and lose another team!” He yelled.

The medic paused to stare at the Sergeant with a knowing look. There was something in her eyes, as though she knew this moment was coming. Her entire posture changed from concern and panic to condescension. She quickly returned to her work.

“Do you think the officers of The Alliance really care about each other?” The sergeant sneered at the thought. “No! They'll just find some innocents to pin the blame on, and they'll leave US alone!”

“That's ridiculous! Why do you think they'd even find her body in this frozen wasteland!? This doesn't help us at all!”

Another set of hoofsteps approached. Rarity appeared from the same direction the medic had, panting. Her breathing was interrupted by a horrified gasp. “Nurse Redheart, is that – Rainbow Dash!? What is she doing without a jacket – or any winter clothing!? Is she okay!? Rainbow Dash!?”

“Flameheart,” the medic piped in, turning to him, “I advise you disarm him and come back to the tent with me. This mare needs to be warmed up STAT.” She said as she worked her clothes onto the limp figure. “And Rarity, yes it's Dash. I'm not sure what happened but I have a good guess...” She shot a glance at the sergeant, before turning back to Rainbow and working her clothes over the pegasus mare. “She's only about as bad as you were when – I see choke marks! Sergeant, this is your work, isn't it!? You tried to murder her under our noses after agreeing to let her live?”

“WHAT!?” Rarity yelled. “I expected you to at least have some honor – you really ARE a dirty ruffian – and a scoundrel! We agreed to keep her safe!”

“I was only executing a current threat! Yes, I lied – I lied to keep you alive! Your lives mean more to me than my honesty! And Rarity – snap your snout shut this instant! From a land of sunshine and rainbows – you know nothing of the real world! You have no right to speak here!” He shouted from his position – still pinned under the pilot.

Flameheart glanced at the scene. Noticing Dash's limpness, he interrupted; “She was coughing just a minute ago when I knocked him off of her. So if she's out, it's probably from the cold.”

Rarity growled as he spoke, preparing a fiery response to the Sergeant. “I know nothing, do I!? Have you even ever been inside a dome!? I appeared there not knowing what to expect! As a unicorn! I'm still limping from being shot! My ear is never coming back, either! I've been scarred by your world, sergeant: I'm a different pony than the filly who came here, and even that filly knew a liar when she saw one! Don't you dare say I have no right to speak when I've been shot and almost had my best friends murdered in front of me!”

“I'm heading back with her.” The medic interrupted, hefting the limp cyan figure over her back. The unconscious mare had been given all of her warm external clothing, leaving the medic in mere warm underclothes.

“And what are you doing, Corporal Redheart!?” Amber Light shot.

“What a Neophyte must do, sir.” She replied. “I'll see you three back in the tent.” She took off without pause.

“I'm with her. I'm going to make sure this innocent pegasus is okay!” Rarity darted off after the medic, noticeably slower with her limp.

The sergeant gagged at the word “innocent.”

Flameheart turned back to him, still held under his pin. “I'm a captain, Amber, that's what pilots are. So far I've respected your command of this Task Force, but don't you forget that I outrank you, and you answer to me, and I will not have you killing helpless civilians under my watch. She will answer to judges in Bastion, not to you. Am I understood?” He glared, waiting for a response.

“Yes... Sir.” The inferior forced out.

“Good.” The pilot stepped off of the Sergeant's limbs, allowing him to clamber back up, before moving in a snout's length from the captain's face.

“With all do respect, sir, I advise we rid ourselves of this threat. You and I both know she'll be hanged, and she's already given us valuable intel. I-... I will not be content to watch another team of mine die. They are my soldiers.”

“And you won't.” He replied calmly. “We'll talk about this back at the tent with everypony else. I don't like to work behind soldiers' backs unnecessarily.” The superior turned and set off into the howling gray abyss. The other simply stood for a few minutes, glaring at him as he left before following.

Comments

[KMCA]

I'm going to have to re-read this because I don't remember all the minor details, but it's nice to see an update on this.

[Star Scraper]

5991406

One of the reasons I finally got around to finishing that character page for the Ceruleans (on my Journal).

Looking at the chapter dates, yeah... May last year I was hospitalized for a bit, then it looks like I still managed to publish a chapter in June, but then I was down again in August, and from there out it looks like I didn't have the energy or drive to get back on-track all the way until now.

On the plus side of all my hospitalizations, I think I can now write from a position of much greater relevant experience :p

[KMCA]

5992100 Hey I can't complain really. I've had no good excuses for the delays on my fics.

Besides, I don't mind re-reading fics for every update... Although that backfires when a fic passes a certain point (Project Horizons I'm looking at you amongst others.)

[Mr Extra]

Ugg... It's good and I'm excited but it was over too soon!

This waiting is starting to wear on me. Great to see it up though!

Go Twilight! Use Fiendfyre!

[ConsciousHaze196]

Hope the tent has serious muffins for Flameheart.

[Marked of Luna]

5992100
Yay! more chapter!

AAAAAND back to depressed world-view