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Chapter 224,824 words
Chapter 234,234 words
Chapter 247,324 words
Epilogue1,719 words

Chapter 20

Screams echoed off the stone wall.

"I will not ask again, what are the freaks planning?"

Though she tried to speak, all that came out was a strangled sound. One more fitting some rabid beast than a pegasus, it was even beneath a dirt pony, if that was possible. It wasn't a whimper, nor was it a plead for mercy—no, Rainbow Dash would never do that. Never give them the satisfaction of he-

Pain exploded and screams were torn from her throat. She tried to jerk away, to wiggle out of the bonds that held her down, but they were too strong. The smell of burning flesh and fur filled the air, but it barely registered through the haze. All she knew, all she understood, was pain.

Eventually, the sizzling stopped and a small sob escaped. The wound still burned, and she could burnt the burnt flesh on her tongue mixing with blood. It throbbed, spreading out in pulsing waves and even though she could not see the brand, she knew what it was, a single broken wing. The brand of a traitor, right where her goddess mark would be, if she had one that is.

"Why do you protect them?"

Rainbow's eyes turned up, looking through the blood. There was no pleading, no begging or fear.

"Do you owe them... loyalty?"

Something cold and sharp trailed down her back, sending shudders down her back. Every so often there'd be a slight sting. In the past she might have winced, maybe even taken a sharp intake of breath, but now? Now, she just lay there, unmoving as she took the time to catch her breath and moisten her lips.

"Loyalty for what? What have they done for you?"

The blade ran along the base of her tail, making Dash breathe in sharply. She tried to clamp her legs shut, but with how sore she was and how tired, it barely tugged at her restraints. As the blade trailed lower, the last threads of her willpower vanished and with it, renewed strength. She tugged, pulled struggled, twisted in the binds, trying to get as far away from that blade as possible.

Laughter filled the air.

The pressure left her back and a second later, she felt a hoof grab her wing, prying it open. Body completely still, heart hammering away, Dash resisted the urge to fight back. One wrong move, one wrong twist and her wings would snap like a twig, and if that were to happen, there was no way they'd be caught providing medical help to her. If anything they would probably use it force information out of her. Information she didn't have to begin with.

"Magic, loyalty to those freaks, kindness to them..." A hammer was held just above her wing, glinting in the candlelight. "What has any of that done for you?"

It came down, slamming against the table with enough force to make the entire thing jump.

"Nothing."

Don't move, don't move, don't move, don't move, don't move, don't move, don't move, don't move, don't mo-

"So I ask one final time, what are the freaks planning?"

"Sne-" Whatever else she tried to say dissolved into hacking coughs.

"Water," said the pegasus and a bowl was immediately shoved into her face. Forced to lap it up like some animal, Dash still drank her full, ignoring the foul taste. "Good. Now answer."

"Ambush at dawn," croaked Dash.

"What direction?"

"N-North."

Silence.

"Lying will get you nowhere."

A sickening crack echoed through the room as the hammer came down. Dash could only stare as it easily smashed through the outer most bones in her wings. It was alright, everything was alright. It was just a broken bone, a single broken bone. That could be healed. Broken bones were common, with a bit of attention and she'd be fine in a couple of months. She could fly, she could still fly, she co-

Crack!

Okay, so it was two bones. Still fine. Fluttershy had healed worse in the past. It'd take longer to heal, but there was nothing to worry about. She still had her sky, as long as she had that she'd b-

Crack!

Th-Three was fine. No need to wor-

Crack!

"S-Stop, please stop... I'll... I'll tell you anything, just please sto-"

Crack!

"-p. Please! Not my wings, anything but my wings, p-please. I'll-"

Crack!

A sob.

Crack, crack, cra-

She sobbed. Not in pain, not after the whips, the brands, the spikes and metal rods. She cried in fear and horror, tears leaking down her cheek even as she held stock still, trembles running through her body.

"S-Stop! Please, stop. I'll do anything, I'll-"

The hammer came down one more time, splitting the humerus in two. Then, it was placed on her broken wing. Pain pulsing through her body, cold sweat mixed with dried blood, her entire body shaking as she lay there. Gone was the fatigue, the defiance, the attitude and all that was left, was a trembling filly.

Pathetic.

She needed to... needed to... Stand up, spit in his face, fight back, push them away, teach them their place like she had back in training. She was not some coward, some dirt pony or horned freak. She was a pegasus! She was strong, powerful, graceful! She would not break down when challenged, she would rise to the occasion and prove all the doubters wrong. She was Rainbow fucking Dash and she did not cry. She was a pegasus!

Or... at least she was...

What was a pegasus without wings? Unable to feel the wind through her mane, to see the battlefield from the highest vantage point, to travel at speeds other creatures could only dream of. All of that, everything that made her who she was, what made her special was now ripped from her. She was not smart, she was not the best fighter, she wasn't even a good leader. All that she had to her name was speed.

And now? Now Fluttershy could win a race against her.

"You know, your friend begged us to have mercy on you." His breath tickled the back of her neck. "So we'll just take one wing, you should be thankful."

Muscles locked in place, unmoving, unchanging. Still as a statue, Rainbow Dash kept staring ahead, taking small, shallow breaths as she felt that weight shift behind her. Something wet and slimy ran along the back of her ear and a second later, she felt teeth clamp down. Small nibbles ran along the edge of her ear and though Dash's hindleg twitched slightly, she grit her teeth and stayed completely still.

A minute passed, then two, then three. Roaming hooves and mouth, running along her body, squeezing and groping as it went. Eventually, she felt the weight leave her back and the cool air touched her body once more. Shivers wracked her body, moving the broken wing, causing pained whimpers to spill out.

"Thank me."

Dash looked up, blood and tears making it impossible to make out who was before her. Eyes pleading, begging, seeking something.Compassion? Mercy? Explanation?

"I said, thank me."

No, she wouldn't thank them. She would never thank them. She was strong, she was Rainbow Dash, she never gave in. She fought off a pack of timberwolves alongside Lightning Dust, she commanded a fort, she was part of the Wonderbolts. She... she...

She was flightless.

"Th- Tha..." A hacking cough rocked Dash's body, sending more pain snaking through her abused body. "Thank... you..."

"Good girl." The hammer was removed from her broken wing, and Dash drew in ragged breath after ragged breath as she squeezed her eyes shut. "Fix her up, they want her alive."

A hoof found its way into her mane and all of a sudden, her head was pulled back. There was no screaming, no struggling, there was no point in it anymore. She was tired, so bloody tired. And so she looked up, mouth slightly open, fresh tears matting her cheeks as she accepted it.

What was the point in fighting? It's not like she'll ever be able to fly again. Without her wings, she was no better than a filthy dirt pony. She was nothing.

How dare they.

Twilight gazed down at the encampment, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed. She was going to kill them all, every single last one of them. Her eyes swept from the cages to the stakes that lined the ledges before finally settling on the cave where the... festivities were taking place. How many times had she walked away in the past? Such a large force, so many pegasi, there was no way she could slip in and out without being detected, let alone take them all down.

All those other ponies she had left behind? They were strangers, and so it was easy to just turn around and walk away without a care in the world. Just block out Spike's begging, Spitfire's arguments and simply walk away. It was the logical thing to do. The right thing to do.

But now? Now it was personal.

Already the lid on her magic was threatening to explode, strands of power reaching out for her, sensing her emotions. They jumped to her call, like how they had done so long ago when her family had been murdered. The more she saw, the more it whipped the magic into a frenzy. A hurricane with a single-minded purpose, threatening to explode out in all directions.

Not yet, but soon. Very soon.

A smile tugged on her lips as she scanned the gorge one last time. So how did she want to play it? Small and subtle, striking just when they realize how badly they had fucked themselves or simply walk through the front gate? Once more she found her eyes being drawn towards pegasi reveling in their bestial nature and her jaws clenched.

No, not the subtle approach, that was too much of a blessing for monsters like them. They would see death approaching and know it was impossible to escape. To lie there in pain and in fear, struggling to run away, watching their comrades being cut down before their eyes. Limbs torn off one by one, of being thrown to the timberwolves while others laughed in sadistic glee. They would see judgment riding down upon them and they would understand what true despair was. They would finally understand what it was they did to their prisoners.

Lifting a hoof, she clapped. Magic leapt to the call, infusing the act, amplifying the sound, causing it to echo through the gorge. Below her, all sound stopped. Each step was placed with the upmost care, echoing off the cliff face around them and through the frozen trees. In her wake was a trail of melted snow, purple dust drifting off her body and fading into the wind.

All it took was a touch of magic and a bit of willpower and the world around her shifted. There was sudden lurch as Twilight hit the ground in a burst of light. The ground cracked beneath her, throwing earthen shards in all directions. They sliced through her clothing and skin as though nothing was there, blood flowing freely. Those around her were shredded to pieces, the shards piercing through the toughest hides. Those that did not immediately die lay in pools of their own blood, drowning in their sin.

Ignoring the pain, Twilight rose and began walking forward, leaving bloody hoofprints behind her. Whatever spell held the pegasi in place was suddenly broken and two guards immediately charged her, swords drawn. It was pathetic really, how easily they went down. A single thought, a flick of the wrist, and a wave of fire rolled out before her. Flames scorched her hoof, but she ignored the pain, their flailing, their screams, their burning bodies, and kept limping forward.

The air around her crackled, purple sparks flying in all directions. She heard orders being given,saw pegasi running to their stations and bows being raised. The whistling of arrows was barely audible above the crackling magic, and with another flick of her wrist, a gust of frozen air spilled out. The muddy ground froze over, crates and arrows were blown aside, and ice crystals formed all over her body, chilling her to the core. Those who did not leap away in time were turned into living statues to be shattered as she walked past. Not at the head though, never at the head, instead it was a leg here, a wing there. If they somehow survived being frozen alive, they would not live for long afterwards and with a bit of luck, they would hopefully be able to feel everything. The bones snapping, the muscles being torn apart, the chill seeping in, slowly feasting on their flesh.

Eyes drifting over the encampment, something nipped her right shoulder and glancing over, Twilight cocked an eyebrow at the sword digging into her shoulder. Her magic spilled over, blasting the attacker back before ripping the sword free and stabbing the pegasus with his own weapon. As she walked away, a bolt of magic rained down from the sky, striking the sword and a scream of pain echoed through the hills.

Pegasi approached her cautiously, fanning out to surround her with weapons drawn and wings spread. Above her, even more circled, waiting to swoop down. A smirk appeared as Twilight settled down into a stance she had seen unicorns take many times in battle.

"Give up little filly and we'll even treat you right," said one.

"How about you just die?" She plunged head first into the well of magic within her and a small giggle escaped. Raising her hoof, she stomped it once, sending a shockwave out in all directions. They leapt into the air and dived for her, but her magic was faster. It was so easy, so fluid and straightforward. All she had to do was think about it and her magic would lash out, forming translucent tentacles that wrapped around various limbs.

Their screams only served to broaden Twilight's grin.

This time, she didn't even have to will anything to happen. The one who spoke was simply ripped apart, a wing tossed over the cliff while a leg was thrown onto the bridge, and the rest of the body went somewhere. Then slowly, one by one, she ripped them apart, deliberating tossing the parts over to their friends.

Some were foolish enough to try to stop her, throwing themselves at her with tear stained eyes. It didn't even require thinking about anymore. Some were frozen, some were burnt alive, others were thrown off the cliff or cut in half or ripped apart.

"Please..."

Soon her fur was a dark red, a trail of melted snow behind her. Those who fled were dragged back, swords of pure magic spearing their bodies. Their screams sent shivers down her spine, but she couldn't stop grinning. It was about time those bastards got what they deserved!

It took some time, extermination always did , but soon she arrived at the bridge. Or rather, what was left of it. Those cowards thought something so simple would stop her?

Purple lightning fell from the sky, and when the dust cleared, she was nowhere in sight. A second bolt struck on the opposite side of the gorge, electricity exploding outwards. Those who were fortunate enough to be close immediately collapsed, convulsing uncontrollably. Rising onto her hooves, a jolt of pain ran down her left hind leg. Huh, broken, probably on re-entry when she hit the ground, but she wouldn't let that slow her down.

"M-Mercy, please. I'll do anything, j-just stop pl-"

She wasn't sure how it happened or why, but her hooves lifted into the air, hovering just above the ground. Suspended in her own magic, she began drifting forward, her magic reaching out on its own accord, destroying everything that lay near. Swords were melted, arrows blew away and armor shattered.

An arrow slammed into the ground before her as a pegasus in a red cloak calmly walked towards her. He tossed the bow and quiver behind him and said, "I, High Commander Hurricane, challenge you to a duel." The smirk on his face made Twilight growl."Unless, you are too much of a coward to accept."

Her magic answered the challenge, forcing Hurricane to leap into the air. Twisting in midair, he used his wings to throw his body to the side before landing ten feet back with his wings spread. Shallow cuts littered his body, blood seeping from the wounds, but he seemed unconcerned. If anything, his smirk deepened.

"I see, all power and no control."

He darted forward, weaving from side to side with the odd hop thrown in, making it impossible to hit him. Spell after spell slammed into the ground, kicking up dust and splitting the earth.

With a growl of frustration, she planted all four hooves and fired a single burst of magic in a wide arc. Over three dozen bolts were fired simultaneously, the recoil throwing Twilight backwards. She came back onto her hooves, eyes constantly darting from side to side as she waited for the dust to settle.

A sudden burst of wind threw the dust into her face. Stumbling back, Twilight threw her magic out blindly. The grunt of pain was music to her ears, but before she could celebrate, something slammed into her shoulder. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she teleported backwards only to land on her broken leg and collapsed onto one knee.

Blinking rapidly, Twilight's eyes refocused just in time and dive to one side. She could feel his hoof part her mane as it slammed into the ground, cracking the ground. Gathering her magic, she threw it out, forcing the two of them apart, both slamming into a wall on opposite ends of the cave . Hitting the ground in a dull heap, he struggled back onto his hooves, swaying as he did so. Scorch marks littered his body, his clothing was almost as red as the cloak he wore and his wings drooped slightly as he panted heavily.

Ignoring the pain, blood, and pounding in her head, Twilight followed suit. Though her leg made it difficult to focus, she kept her eyes locked on Hurricane, jaws clenched and magic at the ready. Her blood soaked clothing stuck to her body, rubbing against her wounds in all the wrong ways.

The two regarded each other coolly.

"And all I see is a weak pegasus who desires power without knowing what it is." Twilight conjured a translucent blade before her and pointed it at Hurricane. "Give up now and I'll give you a swift death, which is far more than you deserve."

"Why don't you give up and I won't torture you for fun."

Twilight cocked an eyebrow and ran her eyes over his broken and battered body. "How much blood have you already lost? How long do you have left? I've won."

"Wrong!" He lunged forward only for Twilight to catch him in her magic and slam him into the ceiling, pinning him there.

"I was hoping you would fight back." She readied her blade. "I know who you are, High Commander Hurricane, and I sentence you to death for your crimes against Harmony ."

"And you are the Purple Mare, a constant thorn in my side."

Blinding pain exploded behind her eyes and the sound of bone hitting the ground echoed through the cave. Crying out, she dropped to her knees, vision obscured by a river of red. Like white hot pokers, the pain forced itself into her brain, but somehow she worked past the agony, reaching out for her magic. As soon as she touched the font of power, she cried out in pain once more.

A sickening crack filled the air as a hoof connected with Twilight's chest, sending her flying backwards. A second later, a hoof was pressed on her throat, forcing her to gasp for breath. No matter how much she struggled, how badly she clawed at the hoof pinning her down, it would not budge. Once more she reached for her magic, throwing it out, but all she got was an explosion of pain that felt like she was being eaten alive.

She couldn't think. She couldn't talk. She couldn't even feel anything beyond the pounding of her head. Her entire body burned as though it was on fire as the edges of her vision blurred. Through the red haze, she could just make out the silhouette of a pegasus approaching, bow drawn.

"East, I want you to rally all survivors to me. We need to fortify this position and I need to boost morale. Leave all prisoners except the blue one, she may still have valuable information." Hurricane turned back to Twilight. "As for you, I'm going to enjoy breaking you. By the time I'm done, you'll be a toy to be passed around the guard barracks to help ease lonely nights."

Yells drifted in from outside, and another pegasus burst in. "Cardinal, High Commander, a force of about fifty has entered the valley. Spitfire has been sighted, apparently leading the-" The entire cave shook as explosions echoed throughout the cave.

"Ballistae? That's impossible, we would have sig-" Before East could finished, a second explosion knocked everypony to the ground giving, Twilight the opportunity to gasp in air. She needed... she needed to get out. Find Spitfire, yell at her for an hour, and then drag her off for being such an idiot.

"Unicorns!" yelled a voice from outside.

"Hail, how bad is the situation?" snapped Hurricane.

"We've already lost over half our force. Depending on the number of unicorns and their power, we may be able to hold out, but not without significant casualties."

Wiping the blood from her eyes, Twilight looked around the room searching for something, anything that she could use. Eventually her eyes settled on the discarded bow on the ground and with a quick glance over to the trio to make sure they weren't focused on her, she began crawling towards it.

"East, take the Wonderbolts and buy us time. Hail, order a full retreat, ignore all prisoners except the Purple... Shit!"

Diving for the bow, Twilight grasped it in both hooves and rolled over. With shaking hooves she notched the arrow, but when she tried to draw the bowstring, her limbs shook uncontrollably. Unable to pull it even half way, let alone aim, it was ripped from her grasp by East.

The last thing she saw was a hoof approaching her face.

"About time you guys arrived! And here I was, thinking to myself 'Well Pinkie, there are all these ponies just waiting for a good time, but none of my friends are here,' and that got me all sad and blue, which is totally silly since I'm pink, not blue!" Pinkie's grinned as she ripped her sword out of the pegasus before her. "Well, pink and a bit of red. Maybe. But now that you're all here, let's get this party started!"

Racing ahead, she leapt off the ledge, twisted in midair to give a playful salute to the completely shocked Lyra and the rest of her crew. Curling up into the ball, she hit the ground and rolled, blades already unsheathed. Her eyes constantly moved, taking in the battle and looking for her next dance partner.

"Pinkie!" A thud came from behind her as Lyra landed. "Damn it Pinkie, we're here to rescue you, how the fuck did you get out to begin with!?"

"Twilight, duh. Oh! He looks hot." Before Lyra could get another word in, Pinkie rushed off to the side, tackling a pegasus to the ground. Recovering far faster than any pony had the right to, she kicked him in the stomach before slashing his throat. "But definitely not enough stamina.Seriously. Come on! Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods? Something, something, something, something, something.Um... Ah, right! I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need. I need a hero! I'm holding out for a hero till th-"

"Pinkie!" roared Lyra. "Twilight's here?"

"Of course, that's what I said wasn't it? I was gonna say 'Hi' and give her a cake, but she was all downy frowny. And she totally ripped all those ponies apart, and sure, it looked like fun if it wasn't for the whole death thing." Pinkie leaned close and whispered, "Especially with those magical poles. Rwar, who knew she was so kinky."

For her part, Lyra fell flat on her flank. "T-Twilight did that?"

"Yep! Wavy tentacles eeeeeeeverywhere." Pinkie leaned in close and whispered huskily, "And I do mean everywhere."

Turning away, Lyra promptly threw up all over the ground.

"I see you still have much to learn, young grasshopper. Now, let Auntie Pinkie see..." She watched as the rest of the group took the boring way down. "Well folks, Twilight did most of the heavy lifting for us already, as you can no doubt see. Pegasi stay grounded. They have superior numbers in the air. Earth ponies, get your crossbows out, let's clip some wings. Unicorns, reserve your magic for the real fight. Crossroads, Lyra, take five ponies each and start rescuing the prisoners. Loot the bodies for weapons and clothing. Medics, set up camp on the ridge and start tending wounds. Rest of you, with me. It's time to paaaaaaarty!"

"Um... Pinkie... they cut the bridge on their side, we can't cross," said Cinnamon.

"Silly filly, think outside the box! Let your sanity run free and embrace the truly mad, but not too insane, they don't like cake and what kind of monster doesn't like cake!" Pinkie turned to the rest of the party. "Change of plans, I want half the earth ponies on covering fire, the other half ready a charge. Unicorns, prepare teleportation spells, if you can’t I want you to prepare shield spells. Pegasi, rope up the bridge. As soon as it's up, I want the unicorns to take an advance party to hold the line. Earth ponies charge, pegasi, minimal time in the air. They outnumber you and we will not be able to fire if you get into aerial combat. I want five unicorns to stay back, once the bridge is up for some siege action. Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the group chorused as one.

There was a pause before Pinkie groaned loudly. "Damn it Eclipse, you and your fun-sucking has sucked all the fun out of everypony. When I find you I'm gonna inject some smiles up your fucking ass, you hear me?"

Silence.

"Alright, everypony, move out!"

The pegasi immediately leapt into action, launching themselves off the cliff. Instead of swooping in blindly, seven stayed back to fan the mist out of the way while the rest went in, slowly navigating the maze of thorns and vines. A tense silence filled the air as they watched the sky for pegasi. They could hear the screams and cries coming from the other side, and though the words were impossible to make out, she didn't need to. The sound alone was enough to send tremors through her body, and beside her, Emerald Beacon turned green.

"Pegasi, five o'clock!" yelled Eagle Eyes and over a dozen crossbows snapped across, watching as they approached.

Moving far faster than any pegasus had the right to fly, they quickly closed the distance. Raising a hoof, Pinkie held it, eyes narrowed as she watched them approach. As it snapped down, the first volley of arrows were fired and one pegasus dipped down and corkscrewed in midair. Every single last bolt was deflected with a wave of wind and as the pegasus rose to enter the pack, it did a small loop, as though tying a knot.

A small smile touched Pinkie lips as she held up a hoof once more. "Eyes forward everypony, they're friends. Moonshine, signal them to land."

The unicorn lit up her horn, sending small colored sparks into the air. Two pulses green, one pulse yellow, repeat. After the third cycle, the pegasi veered down for them.

"Commander, they're Wonderbolts!" yelled Eagle and almost immediately seven bows were raised.

"Lower your weapons, they're with us," sighed Pinkie.

"But they're-"

"With us," said Pinkie and though she did not change her tone of voice, Eagle sunk back as though physically struck. "Keep your eyes forward, I don't want to be ambushed while you're all gawking."

Reaching up, Pinkie snapped her stolen goggles down and those around her followed suit. Those who did not were blinded when the Wonderbolts landed, throwing up dirt and mud in all directions. Wiping the grime away, Pinkie walked forward and held out a hoof.

A pair of orange eyes regarded her silently. In the end, Spitfire merely inclined her head and said, "Pinkie. It's been a while."

Pinkie ran a hoof through her mane as she sighed. "You here for Twilight?"

"Of course. Know where she is?"

"No clue, somewhere over there," said Pinkie with a vague hoof wave.

"Alright, Spike? Scout for us please. Soarin, you're the advance party. Pinkie? I'm taking command of the pegasi."

"What!" Eclipse shoved his way to the front, a bandage over his right eye. "I don't care if you are a fucking Wonderbolt, we don't divide things along racial lines, something you obviously don't understand."

"Eclipse, stand down!" snapped Pinkie.

"She... never told you, did she?" Spitfire glanced over to Lyra who was propping Eclipse up. "Pinkie, just what have you done?"

"I did what was necessary." The pink pony shoved past, and walked onto the fixed bridge. "I made sacrifices while you two kept galloping around like fillies in love."

"Don't you dare-" Before Spitfire could even finish taking her step forward, a dozen arrows and swords were pointed in her direction. Beside her, all the Wonderbolts tensed up, wings unfurling slightly. "You lot, stand down or I'll feed you to the gryphons!"

"With all due respect, your judgment is compromised," said Soarin. "We'll stand down if they do."

"Eclipse, shut the fuck up or you'll be dueling me for a week, and the rest of you, stand down. That's an order!" yelled Pinkie and the rest of the group hesitantly lowered their weapons, though crossbows were still cocked and swords still unsheathed. "Why are you all still standing around? The bridge is up. Get over there and party already! And Eclipse, stop being an idiot and get to the medics tent. Lyra, I want a status report."

"We found sixty-four alive. Six who are touch and go, twenty-three with severe injuries, a further sixteen out of action, leaving us with nineteen who can actually function," said Lyra.

Pinkie jaw clenched as she ran the numbers through her head. Over a hundred and sixty dead. They were going to pay. She would make them pay. She'd host the biggest party ever and once it was all done, it'd make Twilight's slaughter look boring. The only way the enemy was going to leave, was in pieces and castrated.

"Spitfire, we can discuss this later. Right now, I'm going to turn this place into Tartarus. You with me?"

The Wonderbolt captain grinned. "Only if West is mine."

"Deal." They shook hooves and began walking down the bridge side by side. "Thoughts?"

"Bombard the cliff, pegasus up top to cut off their escape route, earth ponies up front to act as the vanguard. You'll want the unicorns to switch to supporting fire once we're close in and the pegasi can help out wherever they're needed."

"Think we've got enough ponies for that?"

Spitfire glanced over her shoulder at the dead bodies and blood. "No, but they don't have enough either. It'll work."

"Squad One, bombard the cliff. Squad Two, I want supporting fire for the air. Three and Four, you're in the air with the Wonderbolts, Five to Seven, you're the advance guard. Rest of you, hang back and protect the medics. Eclipse, that includes you," said Pinkie.

"But Co..." He trailed off at the glare and sighed. "Fine."

"Well?" Pinkie gave the rest of her army a pointed look and they immediately leapt into action.

Puckering her lips, Spitfire gave a shrill whistle followed by circular hoof motion in the air. The Wonderbolts leapt into the air in unison, taking the front as they covered the bridge from above. Above them, balls of magic sailed past, slamming into the cliff face with enough force to send rock and snow tumbling off the side. Among the enemy, cries of alarm were heard and a couple took to the air. Those that did ran straight into the iron hoof of the Wonderbolts. Moving far faster and with far greater co-ordination than any other soldiers, the Wonderbolts darted into and out of combat. Wingblades flashing in the light, they carved through pegasus after pegasus, and something that should have taken at least twenty ponies to do was done by ten.

And that's when the counter attack came.

A hail of arrows rained down on the bridge, only to be deflected by shimmering barriers. A couple pegasi tried to cut the ropes once more, but the Wonderbolts stopped them, throwing snow in all directions. Charging across the wooden bridge, Pinkie threw herself into fray. Leaping over two Wonderbolts, she sliced a pegasus across the back before hitting the ground. Rolling past, she came onto her hooves behind the enemy line and immediately got to work. Or rather, she would have if not for their infernal reaction time. Sparks flew as her blade glanced off a gauntlet and as a second pegasus turned around to face her, Pinkie was forced to skip back out of range.

A flash of light appeared on her right and Lyra charged forward. Together, the two of them clashed with the pegasi, steel clanging off steel as blades blurred in the air. Despite being outnumbered and surrounded, the pegasi were holding well. More than once a hoof connected with her chest, and more than once, Pinkie hissed out in pain.

But they were surrounded and they were outnumbered, so it was only a matter of time. Taking far more hits than necessary, the enemy was eventually worn down, leaving them in pools of blood and missing a limb. Or two. Alright, four limbs, but that was it! Still, it was depressing how little blood and screaming there was, they were meant to beg for it, damn it. Ah well, if it was always that simple, she'd never improve, would she?

Wiping the blood from her lips, she spat on a dying pegasus as she walked past. Above her the bombardment continued and lifting a hoof into the air, she gave it a flick. Her pegasi leapt into the air, while the earth ponies drew their crossbows. Barriers were quickly constructed out of the snow, reinforced with magic and spit. Behind her, the rest of her party approached, taking up a defensive position with bows ready.

As the seconds ticked and no more pegasi came out to face them, nervous glances were exchanged. They could see somepony moving on the ledges above them, and every so often, an arrow would sail down. Every single time, it was aimed at someone who stuck their head out a bit too far. None died, but there were a couple close calls.

"So, any ideas?" asked Lyra.

Pinkie glanced back at the unicorns before studying the cliff face. After a couple of seconds, she looked up at the dueling pegasi in air and frowned. "Barrier up front, half of us storms the ledge to take down those archers while the rest secures the bridge." She glanced over the Spitfire. "What are you doing here anyways? Shouldn't you be up top?"

"I'm waiting for Spike," replied Spitfire as she watched the sky. "And I trust Soarin to handle anything that comes up-" Eyes narrowing, Spitfire hissed, "West!"

Her entire body tensed up, wings unfurled and muscles coiled, ready to launch into the middle of the fray, and yet she did not leap into the air. She stayed there, body tense, watching as West cleaved through their small army without breaking a sweat. Not even the Wonderbolts escaped unscathed, a couple forced to drop back.

"If you find her, you'll save her, right?" Though it was a mere whisper, Pinkie could hear every syllable with absolute clarity.

There was no hesitation as Pinkie laid a hoof on Spitfire's shoulder. "Of course, you have my word."

"Good. Don't make me regret it."

All that coiled energy was released in a single explosive burst, launching Spitfire into the air with enough force to throw Pinkie back and crack their snow wall. Resembling a flaming arrow more than a pony, Spitfire cut through the center of the enemy force, only to stop in the air above the aerial battle. She simply hovered there, waiting, and a couple seconds later, a lone figure drifted up.

What happened next was too fast for Pinkie to follow, but one second they were a hundred feet apart, and the next they had clashed together. All it took was a blink and then they were apart, slowly circling. Again and again they zipped past each other, wingblades glinting in the gloom.

A thud echoed through the valley as a dead pegasus fell from the sky, hitting the ground five paces to her right.

"Pinkie?" asked Lyra, shaking her light on the shoulder. "We're awaiting your command."

"Right." Shaking her head, Pinkie glanced back at her gathered crew, at the scars and blood and injuries that littered their bodies. "With me then, let's get this party started!"

With a deafening cry, they charged out, barriers of all colors protecting them from the rain of arrows. Up the ramp they went and around a corner, only to come face to face with a wall chest high. Without a second thought, she leapt over it, the familiar golden glow of Lyra's magic forming a bubble around her as she slammed head first into the enemy line.

Even before she had landed, her blades were arcing downwards, the spray of blood warming her soul like nothing else. Rolling with the momentum, she came up in a half crouch and dove to the side. A second later, two ponies slammed into the spot Pinkie vacated and together, the three held the ground. The enemy turned, watching Pinkie and her group, and in that split second of distraction, the main brunt of Pinkie's force hit. Dropping the magical barriers, the unicorns blasted the wall to pieces. Shrapnel flew in all directions, shredding any exposed into bloody strips. Those who weren't so lucky were thrown to the ground as the unicorns burst through in a wave of fire.

The enemy immediately leapt into the air and as soon as they did so, the earth ponies shot them back down. From there, it was a foal's play to kill them all. It was pathetic really, the way they ran like little fillies. They should have embraced the fire! Become one with it! Let it slowly burn them to a crisp while screaming in agony so she could savor every last second of it.

"Pinkie!" yelled a voice from above and her head snapped up, watching as Spike wheeled down, hovering before her. "Where's Spitfire? I found Twilight."

"Where?" yelled Pinkie.

He hesitated for a brief second.

"Come on! She's my friend too, and I made a promise to Spitfire!"

"Follow me. It's the right-most tunnel on the third tier."

"Lyra, you're in charge!" said Pinkie as she raced off.

The entire place was eerily quiet. Not a single pony could be seen as she raced through the narrow ledges and the half caved in tunnels. The bombardment had long since stopped out of fear of friendly fire, but even then, enough had been done to collapse entire sections, makes paths impassable and opening up new routes.

Together, they raced up the ramp, only for Spike to slow down to a crawl and make a shushing motion. As they shuffled along though, she began hearing words, faint and too hard to make out, but there was something there. Just as they approached the entrance, ten or so pegasi burst out. Flattening herself against the wall, Pinkie watched as they raced past, not bothering to take to the sky. Each of them wore camouflage, and on the back of one was a purple unicorn, causing Pinkie's blood to run cold.

"They have Twilight," hissed Spike.

Nodding slowly, Pinkie clenched her jaw and glanced down at the rest of her crew. This place... there was no doubt there was something important here, something that they were all vying over, which meant they had to keep it locked down. She needed to go after Twilight, she had promised, but with the way things stood, it would be beyond stupid to try.

"Pinkie, I defended you before, but if you don't get off your flank and help me rescue Twilight right now, consider this friendship over."

Her heart stopped and as she gazed into those green eyes of his, they were as hard as ice.

She opened her mouth, only to hesitate. He was just one creature, not even a pony, and Twilight... Twilight had lost that right so long ago. She had an army now; ponies who counted on her and needed her to stay strong, to do the right thing regardless of the cost. One pony, no matter how important, was not worth losing so much. Sure, she didn't know just how important this gorge was, but it had to be important.

Even if Twilight was the one who helped start everything, the one who gathered information, took all the risks, ran headlong into battle without batting an eye. Without Twilight, where would Pinkie be right now? In some farm, slaving away in the cold and snow, forced to be some unicorn's bitch and probably loving every single last second of it.

Why did life have to be so complicated?

"Pinkie," growled Spike, and she could make out the barest hint of flames licking his lips.

"She is just one unicorn," snarled the pink pony. "Just like how Silent Night, Raspberry, Crimson Sky and all the rest of them were ponies. Inconsequential. So you're telling me, she's allowed to sacrifice as many as she likes, but I have to jump to her rescue every single fucking time!? One pony cannot change the fate of the world!"

"One pony started this, the same war you took over," growled Spike.

"One pony started it, but it took all of us to get it to where it is now."

"I don't have time for this," spat Spike as he threw himself into the sky. Breathing a gout of fire into the sky, the Wonderbolts immediately broke off and went after him.

"Pinkie?" Lyra placed a hoof on her shoulder. "You alright?"

"I'll be fine." Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to her ponies. "How's the situation?"

"They've retreated."

"Very well, take care of the wounded, and examine each cave, there's something important here and I want to know what it is."

"Aye, aye, cap'n."

Pinkie merely rolled her eyes before turning away, watching Spike and the Wonderbolts' retreating silhouette. It was only once they were out of view, did she finally look away and trudge back down to the rest of her crew.

There was no room for promises in war.

Author's Note:

So, to recap:
Dash gets (horribly) tortured
Twilight is (maybe) insane
Pinkie is (probably) insane
I am (not) evil.

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