Ascendant Shadows: Prologue
Editor’s Note: Since Shadow is obviously in no condition to provide us with insight into the war’s progress, we will continue with another excerpt from Dusk’s memoirs.
Our forward siege camp within Mount Avalon was something different from anything I had e’er experienced before. The entire mountain between us and the open sky was a constant, oppressive reminder of our circumstances. E’en with our engineers hard at work to widen the caverns and breach the ceiling to let in fresh air, ‘twas difficult to escape the constant feeling of confinement.
Matters were not helped by the smell. An army in the field develops a certain musk characteristic of a large number of individuals concentrated within a relatively small area with woefully insufficient sanitation. The latter issue was especially pronounced within the confines of an underground siege camp—digging a proper latrine trench through solid rock is not an easy endeavour. Not to mention the fact that the loyalist forces, having naturally placed their fortifications on elevated positions, had arranged for their own waste to flow down into our camp.
I am sure that whatever romantic accounts will be written about the glorious siege of Canterlot will neglect to mention that we fought these battles surrounded by the smell of shit. To be sure, we had made numerous efforts to diminish the smell, but thus far we had only managed small, temporary victories.
“I suspect this is how Celestia intends to destroy us,” I idly remarked to my wingmare, Sierra Doo. “If this persists much longer, I will happily lay down mine arms just for the chance to smell something pleasant.” I removed my helmet, which I had stuffed with fresh-cut grass and wildflowers in an effort to offset the smell. For a time it had been effective, but now my head smelled like sweaty, excrement-infused daisies.
Sierra grimaced and nodded. “I have heard that morale is suffering for it, especially amongst our militia forces.” She waved to the earth pony section of the camp, where the tents lacked the neat military precision of the clan forces. “We have been trapped beneath this mountain for near a month now, and with little sign of progress. With Shadow and Crossguard both slain, I had dared to hope this was nearly o’er.”
I sighed and shook my head. “We have suffered as badly as they have, and only breached one of several lines of fortification. Not to mention that after Mother’s betrayal of the truce flag, we have little hope of persuading the loyalists to lay down their arms.”
Sierra frowned, her voice dropping to an angry hiss. “Have a care how thou speakest, Dusk. Surely thou knowest that we are most keenly watched.”
Mine eyes turned to a pair of Blade clansponies, ostensibly working a cookfire a short distance away. ‘Twas rare for me to go anywhere without seeing at least one of Swift Blade’s kin who just so happened to be standing about in a place that would allow him or her to o’erhear my remarks. ‘Twas rather flattering to think the Ephor considered me such a grave threat that I would be subjected to constant and dedicated surveillance. I smiled and waved to our watchers, who hastily set about making themselves e’en more conspicuously inconspicuous.
Sierra’s lips thinned in disapproval. “Thinkest thou that this is some game? A merry jest to be enjoyed at another’s expense? Swift Blade is an ephor, and one who stands in high favor with the Commander after her … transformation.”
Mine own countenance darkened at the reminder of the fate that had befallen my mother, and all hint of merriment fled my face. “I have not forgotten the role he played in that, Sierra.” I turned to the spies once more. “Inform your master of that, if you would.”
Sierra frowned, grasping one of mine ears and forcing my head about to face her once more. “Hast thou taken leave of thy senses?!” she hissed. “Swift Blade has not forgotten how you humiliated him, and he is not a forgiving stallion.”
“Thinkest thou that he will hate me any less if I am kind to his servants?” I growled back. “I will not grovel before that ill-favored wretch just because he holds power after the atrocity he inflicted upon my mother. Not to mention what he has done to our army.”
I angrily waved towards the flags hanging limply o’er our camp. Where before the proud wings on a field of stars had flown, now our banners featured the Avatar in profile on a field of purple. ‘Twas a rather chilling testament to how our cause had shifted. “‘Tis a sad thing, is it not? We began this war to o’erthrow the tyranny of an immortal alicorn and deliver the government back into mortal hooves, yet now we are fighting for an alicorn’s cause beneath her banner.” For a moment I was sorely tempted to rip the nearest banner from its pole and place it in our latrines, where it more properly belonged. “We no longer fight for our traditional freedoms. Instead ‘tis a question of which queen we shall bow to when the war is done.”
Sierra clapped a hoof o’er my mouth, and I realized that my voice had begun to rise. “Mind thy words!” she snarled. “Some of us do not enjoy thy relative safety from punishment as the Commander’s son.” She paused, glowering at me pointedly before glancing briefly to the side and lowering her voice. “Swift Blade would not hesitate to punish thine allies if he cannot strike at thee directly.”
I fell silent, chastened by her warning. Loathe as I was to admit it, there was truth to what she said. Ardent Stalker and Solus Kicker had already been stripped from my side and sent to a secondary theater of the war, likely the pursuit of Mossy Banks and his accomplices. While their clans were certainly suited to the task of hunting down guerillas, I suspected that the assignment had less to do with their capabilities than the fact that it removed two of mine allies from the camp. I am sure that Swift would have sent me to join them if he could have arranged it.
A bell chimed, and I sighed and rose to my hooves. “Noon. Mother will be expecting me ere much longer.” For the moment, I remained captain of the hetairoi in spite of Swift’s best efforts. In all honesty, there were times when I wished he might be more successful. Hunting partisans in the swamp might not offer opportunities for glory and renown, but I had lost much of my taste for war in the weeks since Gale’s capture and Shadow’s murder. The fate that befell my Mother only deepened my discontent, as did the deaths of Lance and Thunder.
Sierra directed a knowing look my way. “Thou art going to see her again, aye?”
“I am,” I confessed. ‘Twas little point in lying to Sierra, who had come to know me as well as any of mine own kin.
Sierra slowly shook her head, a weary chuckle leaving her lips. “Dusk, thy pursuit of the mare was doomed before thou didst play a role in her imprisonment. Surely thou canst not believe she is any fonder of thee now?”
I could not dispute her words, but they changed nothing. “After all that has befallen Gale Kicker, I can at least offer her a few small kindnesses. I do not think ‘twill make her like me any better, but...” I trailed off with a helpless shrug.
“Aye.” Her own eyes shifted to the loyalist fortress. I knew the wistful, troubled look that glazed her eyes all too well. Once more her thoughts lingered on her husband, who fought alongside Celestia’s forces. The greatest evil of civil war is that it sunders bonds of family and friendship in the name of duty and honor. And now I could not help but wonder if duty and honor still had any place in this conflict.
My status as captain of the hetairoi afforded me much nicer accommodations than the average soldier, so much so that my tent was large enough to hold half a squad. That is not to say I lived in luxury—most of the spare room was taken up by extra equipment, various reports on recent engagements, and above all, my less-than-willing guest.
Captivity did not seem to suit Gale Kicker, not e’en the relatively mild version she had been subjected to under my care. A simple sleeping pallette in my quarters was far preferable to the crude wooden stockades the rest of prisoners were held in, but I knew I only offered her a gilded cage. Her mane lay limp on her head, and her wings had clearly gone neglected for some time. Her state was not so poor as to be pallid, but she had put far more effort into maintaining her appearance as a free mare.
‘Twas possible some of that impression stemmed from her current state of dress. While clad in her clan’s armor and carrying far more weapons than just the traditional wing-blades, Gale had been a formidable figure. Clad in a simple red tunic and completely unarmed, she looked far smaller and not nearly so fearsome. Her manner was far less confident too, her shoulders slumped and her eyes heavy with grief and weary resignation to her fate.
Naturally, I had guards posted on the entrance, though they were as much for Gale’s protection as to keep her from escaping. With all the changes rippling through our army, I no longer trusted all of my comrades to leave her unharassed. I stepped past them and into the tent, doing my best to greet my guest with a smile despite the circumstances. “Greetings, Gale. I hope you are doing well today?”
To my surprise, Gale answered my smile with one of her own. “I am quite well, thank you.”
For a moment, I dared to hope that we might finally have a pleasant conversation. “Good. I trust there have not been any problems?”
Gale waved my questions away. “The guards have done a very good job of keeping unwanted visitors out and providing me anything I need, so long as I cannot use it to escape.” Her smile continued to grow wider, until ‘twas far too happy for her current status.
I quirked an eyebrow, hoping against hope that mine instincts were wrong. The day had been troublesome enough without Gale vexing me as well. “You seem to be in an especially happy mood. Is there anything I should know about?”
She chuckled, a mischievous light entering her eyes. “Nothing I would care to say. 'Twill be much more satisfying if you discover it for yourself.”
I restrained the urge to groan as she all but confirmed my fears. Like many prisoners, Gale took a wicked delight in making her jailors as miserable as possible. I could only hope that she had not done anything too troublesome this time.
Given that the entire point of this exercise was to incite my fury, I concluded that the best response was remain as flippant as possible. “Ah, something to look forward to. I do love a good surprise. I hope ‘twill not be anything that would cause somepony to challenge me to juris ungula.” I paused, then amended, “Unless ‘twere Swift Blade, and he faced me himself instead of hiding behind a champion.”
Gale answered with a troublesome smirk. “That would depend on how easily his nose is offended.” Her smile sharpened, and her tone grew cutting. “Though I must wonder if you will e’en notice the difference. Your odor has ne’er been pleasant.”
Ah. At least I was somewhat forewarned as to the nature of the newest misery she intended to inflict upon me. “Dare I ask what foulness you have placed within my living quarters?”
Gale refused to say anything more, though her smile remained entirely too self-satisfied for me to feel remotely safe. ‘Twould seem she had revealed all she intended to, so instead I went about searching my quarters. Given her remarks ‘twas safe to assume she had placed something foul-smelling within my room.
My thoughts turned first to mine equipment chest, which was well-suited to concealing an unpleasant surprise. Though I had kept it carefully locked e’er since Gale joined me, I was under no illusions as to its security. ‘Twas why I no longer kept any weapons within my tent, save those that I wore on my person. If Gale stole one of my blades, the only question was whether she would murder me immediately or wait to slit my throat whilst I slept. Truly, my judgement in choosing a mare with which to become enamored was abysmal.
Though despite it all, she was still so very fine to look upon.
I was not surprised when I found nothing amiss in mine equipment chest. ‘Twas an eminently logical place for Gale to use, and that likely was the very reason she had not chosen it. An obvious hiding place is a poor one, for ‘tis the very location that is searched. I turned to her, still smiling pleasantly. “If this is one of those games where you have not sabotaged my quarters in any way and merely implied such to unsettle me, I will take away your tunic and force you to a wear one of the fine ballroom gowns the Unicornian nobles are so fond of. A pink one. With flowers.”
Gale offered no response, and so I continued my search. ‘Twas some time ere I realized what she had done, for she had most cleverly chosen to conceal her wicked actions by neatening my sleeping area. ‘Twas something she did often enough, I suspect out of simple boredom due to her confinement. As I drew near my pallet, I noted that the unpleasant odor which permeated the entire camp seemed especially sharp. A close inspection revealed that my pallet had recently been sliced open and crudely stitched shut. I tore open the stitches and discovered that Gale had added something most unpleasant to the straw within my mattress.
She offered me a poisonously sweet smile. “I made your bed for you.”
I sighed and slowly ran a hoof down my face. I was too tired to suffer more of Gale’s petty slights, and now the one relief I had for exhaustion had been taken away from me as well. “Why did you do that?”
Despite mine obvious displeasure, her smile remained firmly in place. “I would think that my reasons are rather obvious, e’en to someone with your dubious mental capacity.”
“And this will somehow make it right?” I growled and waved at my befouled pallet. “What does this accomplish?”
Gale sneered as she answered me. “Does it cause you misery and inconvenience?”
I felt something within my breast snap at the sheer petty malice of her question. Ere I realized mine own actions I had charged her, grasping her shoulder and pinning her against the thin walls of my tent. “Yes, I am miserable! I am unhappy! Does that please you?! Does that make you happy?!” Her eyes were wide with shock as I continued. “Does some stupid, idiotic, foolish, halfwit prank only worthy of a senseless base filly lessen the pain over your murdered mother?! Does that petty vengeance offset all the wrongs you have suffered?”
As my chest heaved from the heat of my words and emotions, Gale stared back at me blankly. Her jaw opened and closed, yet no words left her throat. For once, she seemed at a loss to provide me with any answer.
After some time, I carefully relaxed my hold on her, turning my back and gasping in several deep breaths. I did not know why my composure had shattered so utterly, but I knew it would not do to let her see me in such a state. Whate’er else I might hope for, she was my prisoner, and one does not show weakness in front of a captive. And if things were to e’er change, I would not wish to seem weak and pathetic in her eyes. Finally, I felt I had recovered enough to offer at least basic civility. “I apologize for mine outburst, milady. ‘Twas unworthy of me.” E’en then, my voice still sounded tight to my own ears.
Silence hung long and heavy ‘tween us, e’en after that apology. While Gale did not accept mine apology, I took some consolation from the fact that she did not cast it back into my teeth either. When she finally spoke, ‘twas on another matter entirely. “Did you know of your mother's intentions when you came under the flag of truce?”
I quirked an eyebrow. A part of me was surprised it had taken her so long to ask the question, though I suppose I should have expected it. As with the recent deaths within mine own family, the topic was no doubt still too near and painful for her. ‘Twas far easier to carry on wrapped in the cloak of duty than to face the loss squarely, let alone speak of it to another. Especially to a hated enemy.
Howe’er, now that she had asked the question, I owed her the courtesy of a proper response. “Neigh, I did not.” I closed mine eyes and let out a long breath. “I thought she meant to challenge your mother to a duel. Not base murder.” The memory of that day remained fresh in my mind. “I should have known; I do not think Mother herself consciously intended treachery. ‘Twas simply that when faced with the mare who had slain Lance ... her actions were wrong, but I can understand the love that drove them.”
Gale’s eyes remained fixed upon mine, no doubt searching for any sign that I might be lying to her. ‘Twould seem that she found none, for a frown slowly grew upon her face. “I find that I believe you, strange as it seems. For all your many, many faults, you are no blackguard. You have treated me far better than I expected when I came under your custody.”
Considering how low her expectations probably were, I was not entirely certain that was a compliment. Given mine undeniable attraction to her, she had likely feared for her virtue as my prisoner. Not that I would e’er have considered such a thing. “I am pleased that you have at least conceded that I am no fiend of pure evil. I had hoped your opinion of me might improve as we came to know one another better.”
Gale’s expression darkened. “Do not think I have softened, traitor. Make no mistake, I would still gladly slay you given the chance.”
I could not help but wince, both at her remark and at the thought of being slain. “I suppose I cannot hold that against you.” In all honesty, I feared the blades of mine own comrades as much as those of the enemy in recent days. I knew Gale’s threat for the empty bluster it was—killing me would only end badly for her. If she were not summarily executed as reprisal for attacking me, she would certainly find herself in far less pleasant accommodations.
She nodded, as much to herself as to me, seeming to have reached much the same conclusion as myself. “I am not blind to what you have done for me. Mine imprisonment could be far less pleasant, or I might have joined my mother in death. I will remember that.”
I felt a hint of a smile slowly working its way onto my face. “Ah, so when the time comes for you to slay me, you will at least make it quick?”
To my great surprise and pleasure, she answered with a very faint but genuine smile. ‘Twas the first time I had seen a true smile on her lips since her mother’s death. “Aye, I will. A knife through the eye and directly into the brain, I should think. There will not e'en be enough time to feel pain.”
I chuckled and offered her a mocking bow. “At least I will have that to look forward to, if nothing else. Most ponies do not even have the benefit of knowing when and how they will die, much less to know 'twould be something quick and painless.”
Gale’s tentative smile grew slightly larger. “I will be glad to bestow that gift upon you when the time comes.” She fell silent for a brief time, and that rare smile completely vanished. In its place she looked weary, and slightly chastened. “Shall I help secure a new pallet for you? The task is more easily managed with a second set of hooves.”
‘Twas as close as an apology as I was likely to receive from her, given the circumstances. I would be a great fool indeed to refuse it. “I would welcome your aid, Gale. And I would certainly prefer to have a pallet that I can actually sleep on.”
“Then let us waste no time in seeing it done,” she declared. I stepped out of the tent first, Gale following a few steps behind. The guards watching the entrance came with us to watch o’er her, lest she use the opportunity to escape. She increased her pace as we trotted through the camp, drawing alongside me once more. “I should warn you that if you make e’en one ill-chosen jape about me sharing that sleeping pallet with you, I will murder you in your sleep.”
I answered with a grin. “So noted.”
‘Twas perhaps telling that my mood upon entering the Commander’s tent was far darker than it had been when I walked alongside my nominal enemy. Though in truth, I had precious few friends in this place. Swift Blade sat at my mother’s right hoof, sneering down at me. On her left was the warlock Hidden Facts, who now styled himself as the true Archmagus of Canterlot. Joining them were the newly appointed representative of the Doo clan and an Ephor from the Stormwind clan who had taken the abandoned Kicker seat. Both were ponies of little distinction who held their posts primarily because they were willing to parrot Swift’s own proposals. The representative of the Free Earth Pony Provisional Government was similarly one of his, though his voice had little weight in the war council. While the Avatar seemed more willing to use earth pony forces, she still offered them little voice in the conduct of the war.
The one ally I might have amongst the ephors was Steel Striker, and my sire was a pale shadow of the strong stallion he had once been. For two weeks it had been uncertain whether he would survive the vicious wounds he had received in his duel with Grandmaster Crossguard. Though he lived, recovery had taken a heavy toll; his muscles had already begun to waste away, and he held his seat with a stiffness that spoke of intense pain. My sister, who had treated his wounds, told me that almost every joint in his lower body had lost its synovial cavity, and movement would have meant nothing less than grinding his own bones together.
Dawn had done everything she could to make him remain abed, but Ephor Striker could not be dissuaded once he had set his mind to a course of action. In truth, he did not attend merely out of a sense of duty—had he been unable to join the Ephorate’s meetings, Swift might well have forced him into retirement, or at least demanded a placeholder be named. No doubt that placeholder would have been another who would serve as Swift’s lackey, e’en though mine ally Bronze Striker stood next in line to command his brother’s clan. My sire would drag himself from his sickbed ere he let his voice in the Ephorate be replaced by a sycophant.
That was much the same reason Mother still held the Charger seat, despite assuming the rank of Commander. ‘Twould be most difficult to deny the seat to me, and Swift would hardly welcome that. And in truth, few cared that it technically violated the old laws of Pegasopolis. Those laws did not have the same weight that they had ere the Avatar arrived.
My gaze at last turned to Mother, though ‘twas difficult to still think of her as such when I regarded her new form. Where before I had stood slightly taller than her, now she healthily o’ertopped e’en the largest stallions, and my head only came up to her shoulders. Her build at least remained much the same: slim and packed with tight muscle, though now spread across a substantially larger body. Her mane had grown longer and a darker shade of blue which reminded me of the paintings I had seen of Commander Luna. Likewise, her new armor was reminiscent of Luna’s old warplate, a set of silvery steel the color of moonlight.
And of course, the most notable change of all, the large horn sprouting from the middle of her forehead.
Howe’er, there was another alteration which only those who knew her dearly would take note of. There was a ... wrongness to her. Nothing I could place or put words to, but mine instincts told me to be wary of her. And where once she had looked upon me with a mother’s warmth and kindness, now I saw faint flickers of coldness within her eyes. ‘Twas a subtle thing, and seen so rarely that I was not sure if ‘twas the truth or merely mine own eyes deceiving me.
I did not truly understand what changes had been wrought upon my mother in order to craft her into the Avatar. I wondered if e’en Hidden Facts and Swift Blade truly grasped what they had done to her. I knew that she had been transformed in body, but how much of her spirit had been altered? If she were truly Luna’s avatar, then that would suggest that my mother was for all intents and purposes dead, with our exiled commander merely wearing her flesh. And yet she also acted as my mother and held command of the Chargers. She spoke with Mother’s voice and used Mother’s words.
I took my seat at the table, across from my hated enemies and the creature that may or may not have been my mother. I could not help but note that I was the last to arrive. “I apologize for my lateness. I was occupied.”
“Aye, the whole camp is aware of the mare who occupies thine attention.” Flash’s whisper was carefully measured so that ‘twould only carry to a few ears, mine among them. In the past his remark might have seemed the usual harmless teasing which younger siblings are wont to inflict upon their elders. Yet now I noted how his position behind and to the side of Mother placed him near Swift Blade as well, and how the ephor chortled at my brother’s remark.
E’er since Mother’s change, Flash seemed especially eager to make himself of use to her. Mayhaps ‘twas a result of his twin’s death and Mother’s harsh words to him ere she fell from her wounds. Or mayhaps ‘twas more a consequence of the changes to Mother, for it had been he who informed Swift and his warlocks of Mother’s injuries. Her current state was a direct result of my brother’s actions. It might be that he had taken Swift’s side in the hope that his actions on that day would somehow be vindicated. Whatever the cause, seeing my brother reduced to one of Swift’s lickspittles did little to lift my mood.
Once I had taken my seat Swift Blade rose, addressing the assembly. “Now that we are all finally assembled, perhaps we could begin?” I grit my teeth and let the jibe pass, as ‘twas not severe enough that I could demand satisfaction for it. No doubt ‘twas some new stratagem of Swift’s; he would bombard me with minor provocations, in the hope that I would o’erreact to one of them and provide him the excuse he needed to make a fool of me. The best counter was to bear his remarks in silence, and hope that doing so would provoke him into saying something that would give me cause to challenge him. Though I doubt he would be caught without a champion ready to defend him when next I demanded satisfaction.
When none objected, Swift continued. “As I am sure you all know, we are here to discuss the current state of the siege of Canterlot.”
Ere I could think better of it, my lips moved of their own accord. “If you are so certain we all know it already, Ephor, then I wonder why you felt it necessary to inform of us of that fact. I am sure our time is valuable, so let us not waste it telling one another what we all know.”
My barb drew fewer chuckles than Flash’s, if only because too many of the ponies in the room were aligned with Swift. After sparing a few moments to glare hatefully at me, Swift began droning on about various matters pertaining to our supply situation. I cared little for such matters so long as we were not critically short of anything we needed.
Instead of attending Swift’s painfully extended speech, I devoted mine attention to the other members of the war council. I was pleasantly surprised to see a barely noticeable smirk on the warlock’s face as he listened to his nominal ally’s words. That at least confirmed my suspicions regarding the nature of the alliance between Swift and the rogue magus. For a time I had wondered if Swift might have aligned so quickly with the warlocks because he too was a hidden servant of Nightmare Moon. Howe’er, the carefully concealed contempt I saw in Hidden’s eyes told a different tale. ‘Twas not a matter of brotherhood in a common cause so much as an alliance of convenience. Now that Hidden Facts had his Avatar, I wondered how long he would continue to find Swift Blade useful to his designs.
‘Twas chilling to realize that for all the damage he had caused, Swift Blade was not some mad, power-hungry despot, but merely a vain, self-serving fool who was in the perfect position to drag us all to our doom as part of his folly. I recall not who said it, but I was reminded of an old quote about how idiocy is often a far greater threat than malice.
Swift Blade was in the midst of congratulating himself for finding the materials for replacement siege engines when one of the warlocks interrupted him. I had a passing acquaintance with the one speaking, who had rather pretentiously renamed himself Moonwatch the Allegiant. Or at least I presumed ‘twas a renaming; I suppose he might just have had parents with very strange ideas regarding appropriate names.
Moonwatch rose from his seat, adjusting his purple robes decorated with a large crescent moon o’er his chest and stars sprinkled about the rest of it. ‘Tween that and his long, elaborately coiffed silver mane he looked completely out of place within a war camp, though judging by the manner in which he carried himself, he clearly believed himself quite fetching. He turned to Mother, bowing so low that his horn scraped against the table. “Honored Avatar of the most munificent and magnificently majestic monarch of the moon, I magnanimously beg your permission to ask of you a question.”
Mother regarded him coolly, seeming neither impressed nor offended by his pitiable display of bowing and scraping. “Thou canst ask, faithful servant.”
Moonwatch continued, his words oozing a sort of oily obsequiousness that left me sorely tempted to empty the contents of my stomach. “Honored Avatar, surely there is no need to build siege engines when all in attendance here know that ‘twould take only the slightest effort on your part to shatter the Sun Tyrant’s defenses and reclaim your rightful throne. Surely it is time we showed the foolish supporters of Celestia the Usurper that they cannot hope to stand against the might of the true queen of Equestria!”
Swift’s toadies were quick to meet Moonwatch’s o’erripe declaration with approving murmurs, no doubt hoping that doing so would help them curry favor with Mother. In the past she would have been disgusted by such behavior, but now my mother accepted their foolish praise and adulations with a faint, all-knowing smile.
Thankfully, not all within the room were so foolish. Ephor Striker painfully drew himself up in his seat and provided the answer to Moonwatch’s question. “Celestia.”
“What of the Sun Tyrant?” the warlock demanded. “She already fears to take the battlefield against our noble forces without the Avatar at our side!”
At this, I exceeded my capacity to tolerate Moonwatch's staggering idiocy. “It isn’t fear that stays Celestia’s hoof.” I felt all eyes within the war council settle upon me. “I do not know why she refuses to take the battlefield, but I have seen no evidence that she is craven. Have you all forgotten the tales of how she struck down Sombra and Discord, to make no mention of seizing the throne? These are not the actions of someone too cowardly to fight.” I paused, carefully measuring my next words. “If I had to speculate, I would say she is working to further some grand plan to win the war.” I met Mother’s eyes directly. “Whate’er her reasons, I can think of nothing more likely to draw Celestia out of seclusion than for her sister’s avatar to take the field.”
Mother’s eyes held mine own, and her head bowed in a barely perceptible nod. “As mine eldest has said, the usurper will not be able to ignore the challenge of my presence on the field.” It seemed strange to me that in the same breath she would name me as her son and Celestia as her sister. “If I strike now, ‘twill force the confrontation immediately, and ‘tis not yet the proper time for her to die.” A cold smile slowly spread across her face. “Make no mistake, there will be reckoning. I have planned every detail of her downfall, and ere the year ends I will step o’er her corpse to take my rightful throne. Her death shall come at a time and place of my choosing.”
Privately, I wondered if there might be more to the matter than what Mother had revealed. My mother had ne’er been one for the sort of complex, o’erly elaborate plans she spoke of now. ‘Twas not long ere another possibility occurred to me: Mother’s entire body had changed, not to mention her new proficiency with spellcasting. E’en if she had the benefit of all Luna’s knowledge and experience, I do not think Mother could master all those skills o’ernight. While she would ne’er dare to admit it, especially not before the entire war council, it might well be that she was not yet strong enough to face Celestia in open battle.
I mulled o’er that thought as the war council resumed its meeting. While I had a seat on the council by virtue of my status as captain of the hetairoi, I had little true input regarding the grand strategy of the war. The hetairoi’s place in battle was at the Commander’s side, and thus I had little real control over the forces under my supposed command. Mother would always be o’er my shoulder, ready to either directly counter my commands or simply o’erride them by acting upon her own desires.
I should have attended the details of the meeting more carefully, but little had changed since the last time we had gathered. Back-and-forth skirmishing continued in the Western Tunnels, and our efforts to mine around or undermine the enemy fortifications continued slowly but surely. In truth, I found siege warfare a rather dull affair. It seemed that now ‘twas largely a battle of engineers, with both armies simply standing and waiting until one side gained favorable conditions to strike.
It seemed mine assessment of the campaign was shared by many of our soldiers as well. ‘Tween the lack of activity and the sanitation problems within our camps, discipline was beginning to prove something of a problem. In addition, despite our best efforts to prevent it, the remaining Kickers within our ranks continued to dwindle, and there had been more than twice as many scuffles amongst our own forces this week. Our army was restless and unhappy.
“Perhaps we should rotate more of our forces out of the siege lines?” I suggested. “A chance to see the open sky and take action against the enemy would help a great deal.”
“We cannot strip away too many of our soldiers from the front line,” Swift Blade argued, likely because he disliked any proposal I made on principle. “It may well be that the Sun Tyrant’s forces are hoping for exactly that. If we send half our army on vacation, ‘twould be an excellent opportunity to launch a counterattack.”
“And if we do nothing, the situation will continue to grow worse.” I waved towards one of the thin rivers of excrement flowing through our camp. “If we are lucky, morale will simply continue to decrease. If we are unlucky, a plague will sweep the camp and we might well lose our entire army.”
I received help from a most unexpected and unwelcome corner as the warlock Hidden Facts cleared his throat. “I could easily provide illusions to cover for the absence in our ranks. Captain Dusk is right; our soldiers need fresh air and a chance to apply themselves. Swift’s siege engines will be here shortly enough. We can allow our forces a respite until then.”
Much as I disliked the warlock, I was in no position to refuse any aid. Though mayhaps that was how Swift himself had fallen from grace. Regardless, I had a duty to serve Pegasopolis and Equestria, e’en if they seemed to have lost it themselves. “As Hidden Facts said, there are ways we can conceal the thinning of our line. And I would sooner have our line temporarily weakened while we refresh our soldiers and mayhaps cleanse our camps than have it permanently weakened by collapsing morale or an outbreak of dysentery.”
“Well reasoned,” Mother agreed. “See it done.” She began to call the meeting to an end, but ere she had finished the formal closing she paused, a scowl steadily growing across her face. “Neigh.” she hissed under her breath. “‘Tis impossible. I slew her myself. I saw the last breath leave her lips. Once I gained my new powers I ensured that the thread of her life had ended.”
All within the tent, pegasus, earth pony, and unicorn alike stared at my mother, trying to make sense of her words. She muttered several things under her breath, then abruptly reared up and slammed her forehooves down upon the council table. Her blow snapped the table cleanly down the middle despite the fact that it was made of three-inch-thick oak. “How?!” she demanded of nobody in particular. “How can it be that Shadow Kicker lives?!”
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yeah, Bright's gone. She is now just a copy of Nightmare Moon with the different color scheme.
Now the question is how long will it take for the Rebel forces to completely split.
What a pitiful excuse for an alicorn this Avatar is. Her schemes are falling apart ere they even have fully begun.
Also:
Found a typo.
Every convention you'll ever go to...
This chapter was incredible! I honestly love Dusk Charger's take on the world around him. It's a nice refreshing take that is humorous yet all to true at the same time. However, even though I like Dusk a lot, I can't wait to get back to Shadow! Mainly because it gives the story more of a chance to have Sunbeam in it.
Also, I think that Moonwatch is Trixie's ancestor.
vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/mugen/images/f/f2/Vector_trixie_lulamoon_by_ready2fail-d66ctme.png/revision/latest?cb=20140526033312
excellent chapter as usual. I can't wait to see what this section brings.
So excited that this is continueing! Looking forward to the next chapter!!
Loved seeing more Dusk, NMM, and Gale.
So. Stoked. Amazing opening, I wonder if this is really NMM talking, or a warlock puppet?
6072762
6072762
I wanna pre-read. This and shimmer-mare. If just to be able to read it early. :D
I honestly hope Gale and Dusk will mend their friendship in the future. Their actions in this chapter was a good start.
Maybe one day they'll bang.
Well, that was a bit lighter. Even if it was only a marginal bit. Still, another great chapter. Gale's and Dusk's back and forth is always a joy to read.
So a confirmation of what we all assumed, Shadow still lives! I guess that either Sunbeam or Celestia (or both) were pretty busy in keeping her alive... or bringing her back.
I wonder if Dusk will tell Gale. And then Gale will slap him for thinking it was a cruel jest. And then unwittingly kissing him when she realizes it's true, and then her horrified face when she realizes what she just did
That's funny... I thought you pulled your lance out of her body and left her there to rot. Dynamic major characters left for dead on the battlefield have a habit of coming back to bite you in the flank.
6073812
Doesn't she know that you always double tap? Clearly she's never seen a good zombie movie.
Is it wrong that I'm looking forward to seeing Shadow freak out over coming back through necromancy, only to be reassured that it is really just advanced healing/holy magic? Regardless, now that this is back in production there are many fun times ahead. Can hardly wait!
I mean, we all knew it, but it doesn't make me any less happy!
6074173 nah, shadow is clearly a Highlander.
"I am Shadow Kicker of the clan Kicker, and I am immortal."
Am I the only one not shipping Dusk and Gale? Their entire relationship just comes across as extremely unhealthy. Dusk has primarily acted like a stalker with a crush, repeatedly pursuing Gale despite clear and even violent refusals. Gale, for her part, has expressed little more than utter loathing for Dusk since day one and no part of that makes me think she's tsundere or "playing hard to get."
Honestly, with all the events surrounding them any relationship at this point is just going to come across as Stockholm Syndrome. I'm not okay with that. So yeah, really hoping they don't end up together either now or into the future. And yes, I know from Midnight's Shadow that they don't.
6074321
Maybe she's a Time Lord, and she just regenerated.
Man, I've been looking forward to this update for a long while! This was a great chapter to help us get back into the story, it has been long enough since I've read it last that I had forgotten some of the details of the story.
Not exactly a surprising revelation, but still a well-delivered one. Plus, a good look at the siege some weeks later: Their purpose perverted, their moods sour, and their excrement surrounding them. And that's just the command tent.
Interesting that the Avatar is sensing Shadow now. I wonder what hid her from alicorn senses beforehand. Possibly another alicorn...
We all knew she had survived. But still, that moment was sweet to taste. All her anger, condensed in a single instant.
In this case, shit is now about to hit the fan. Since, you know, it's clearly leaking.
I'm really enjoying the Dusk & Gale bits, primarily on account of him and his few remaining allies being the bright spot of hope left in the rebel camp. Everyone else is either crazy and/or dead, seriously out of power, or in loyalist custody. If he doesn't rebel against the rebellion by the end of things I'll be fairly surprised.
Shadow lives!
How is Solus Kicker good at hunting down guerillas? Doesn't the kicker clan specialize in wingblades, which are best for aerial combat against gryphons and other pegasi? Or am I forgetting something, because admittedly it's hard to remember details when you only read a chapter every month or so.
6072791 Hidden Facts is a great warlock though, his schemes are going amazingly. If Shadow Kicker didn't live, he could have probably at least escaped to say Freeport or some other out of the way city, if not win the war outright.
6076447
The Kickers are also good at sneakiness, and Solus is a veteran warlock hunter (and thus a good choice to deal with Mossy Banks).
old laws of Pegasopolis.
the fact that the word old is used here speaks volumes...
So, how long until the rebellion self-destructs under Swift's stupidity?
Very nice start, love the new cover art. A question, if I may: Is Bright's coat color at the moment still the same as before? I only ask because in the cover art she has a black coat, but Dusk made no mention of her coat being any different, and given how many differences in her appearance he noted, I would have thought he would have mentioned that if it were different at this point, but the impression I got is that right now she looks far more like Bright still than she does in the cover art. Also, it looks like that's Dusk in the cover art as well, so it'll be very interesting to see what happens with him now that, no doubt, his loyalties will continuing to be torn in this final act. Can't wait to rejoin Shadow and find out how she managed to be healed! Excellent start, Chengar, excellent start indeed!
6079272
Yeah, for the moment Bright/The Avatar still mostly looks like Bright.
6079945
Thanks for clarifying. 
That's a freaky image to think about.
Wrote your story a little recommendation. I think this gem more than deserves a little more love and attention.
6160496
Thank you kindly. Any chance I could get a link to it to
feed my egosatisfy my curiosity?When are we getting the next part?
6256151
Soon.
Music appropriate for "Ascendant" cover art
Nightmare Bright. Fear her.
Aye, guilty of receiving Cynder vibes from her.
Cmonnnnn, Lance! Come back from the dead, Gandalf-style, and slap some sense into your mom!
7511182
yeah, this is not a thing that shall happen, methinks.
wow, that's an aspect of siege warfare i never heard about before!
9424777
Indeed, it's a tactic that seems to make sense in a way. On the opposite end of things, it would be common that an attacking force would use rotting flesh from one dubious source or another, either to corrupt the fortification's water supply or straight up fling the muck in one way or another into the battlements of the location they are laying siege to.
9424777
I think that particular aspect is idiosyncratic to this extended tunnel contest. In the real world, to the extent that tunnels are a part of warfare at all, they tend to be through dirt, so the tunnels themselves are much more dynamic, and there's no point in encamping in them. This setting which provides lots of huge tunnels through rock to fight in is what has created such opportunities.