A Matter of Pride

Four thousand years before...

Obsidian looked at his reflection in the large mirror. His brown coat had been brushed clean and his messy black mane given a short, military haircut, giving him a more serious look.

The rules demanded that he wore a proper uniform. The navy blue jacket did a good job of making him look like a soldier, at least by the palace standards. He'd never wear something like this in an actual battle. He turned around for a better look. The jacket extended over his back all the way to his croup, but left the rump exposed, leaving his cutie mark, a simple smith's hammer, for everypony to see.

Turning to the nightstand Obsidian picked up Honesty, the last part of his attire. As the gorget clicked, locking itself around his neck, the orange gem flashed briefly.

Of course, I'll have to take it off before the duel. Still, not a reason not to wear it. Let them see who I am.

There was a soft tap on the door. Obsidian turned away from the mirror and opened the door revealing Indicina. She was wearing a white dress to match her coat, and her mane was elaborately styled with bits of silver filigree. A long box containing Obsidian's staff was levitating by her side, wrapped in the soft light of her horn.

"It's almost time," she said. Her tone of voice was even and controlled, but Obsidian knew her well enough to know how worried she really was. He stepped forward and nuzzled her comfortingly.

"Okey, then," he said. "Let's get this over with. After this, we can go back to the tower to get some real work done."

Indicina opened her mouth, paused, and closed it without saying a word, then returned his nuzzle.

Obsidian walked out of the room and went through the corridor towards the courtyard.

There's no point worrying. I just have to win this.

***

The courtyard was already filled by a buzzing crowd.

It seemed like every noble in the palace decided to see the fight. Most of them were just like Obsidian remembered them from the ball before; unicorns, alicorns and an odd pegasus, dressed in all their finery, even without any occasion to call for it. They were busy standing and talking in groups, surrounding a large circle drawn in the middle of the courtyard where several unicorns in palace livery were preparing the duelling ground. Above, a small group of pegasi were shifting clouds, casting the courtyard in comfortable shade.

In the middle, just next to the circle, there stood a larger group of alicorns. Discidium was standing in the middle of it, his white coat covered by a heavy cape, shining of gold visible from underneath. As Obsidian approached closer, he realised that the emperor was wearing his full battle attire, gilded pieces of armor embossed with wings and flames patterns, culminating in a sun-shaped pattern around the huge yellow topaz on his gorget. There were three more alicorns similarly dressed in the group, two stallions and a mare, their armors tinted blue, purple and cyan to match their manes. The rest were five mares of various ages, covered in elaborate dresses and expensive jewelry, one of them accompanied by a pre-adolescent colt that must have been her son.

Obsidian and Indicina walked through the crowd, ignoring the hushed whispers that rippled outward at their appearance, stopping in front of the emperor's herd. Indicina bowed low, while Obsidian saluted Discidium and the other armored alicorns.

The emperor looked over Obsidian. "You're ready, I see. Have you met Austerus, Sophus and Flagrantia before?" he said, gesturing towards the alicorns around him.

"No, your majesty. I've only heard of their... exploits," answered Obsidian, pausing awkwardly as it took him a second to remember the last word.

Ah, I hope it didn't sound like sarcasm.

He looked at the alicorns, but to his relief he didn't see any anger on their faces, not even a raised eyebrow.

One of the armored alicorns, the one Obsidian guessed was Austerus, scanned him curiously. "So, this is the earth pony you told us about, father? I hope this mess doesn't harm our… project."

An old teal unicorn approached the group, clearing his throat. "Your majesty..." he said. When the emperor nodded his head, the unicorn continued. "Since master Victor hasn't arrived yet, perhaps we could use the time to get some of the formalities out of the way," he said, bowing.

The emperor nodded again. "He's probably trying to be fashionably late. Please, proceed. The sooner we get this sordid affair out of the way, the better."

The unicorn bowed again, before turning to Obsidian. "Well then... lieutenant," he said, " I'm Proper Conduct, I'll be in charge of this duel. Due to the unusual... circumstances, I'd like to examine your weapon beforehoof."

He walked closer to the circle, where other unicorns had just finished the preparations.

Indicina moved the box in front of herself, setting it on the ground and opening the lid. "Here it is," she said. "Just please don't touch it. It's waiting to be fully attuned."

The unicorn looked inside the box, eying the staff curiously, his eyes following the arcane etchings. "You do realise any magic beyond the fighters' own is disallowed inside the circle," he said.

"Yes," said Indicina. "This is why we're using this. Once it is attuned, it will absorb a fraction of the wielder's power, becoming an extension of his body. No foreign magic will be involved."

"So, it's like the spears the zebras use?" asked Sophus, looking curiously over Indicina's back. "Ingenious. You clearly deserve your reputation, lady. Is it ebony?" he said, pointing at the staff.

Indicina stepped aside to let the prince get a better look. "Actually, it's a composite. Layers of iron wood laminated over an adamantine core. This allows multiple layers of runes while keeping everything robust enough. Also, it doesn't have any spells of its own like the Zebrican spears, at least for now. Obsidian will have to rely on his own magic to win this."

The unicorn bowed over the staff, scanning it with his horn. He then turned towards Obsidian. "I'll need to scan you too for any foreign magic," he said.

Obsidian turned towards Indicina. "Could you hold onto this for me?" he asked, touching Honesty with his hoof. The clasp on the back of his neck unlocked and Indicina caught the gorget with her magic before it could fall off.

Proper Conduct proceeded to light up his horn, bringing it closer to Obsidian's body. Just as he began scanning him, there was a sound of multiple wings. A flock of alicorns and pegasi descended upon the courtyard, some of the unicorns from the crowd moving to join them. Victor was flying at the front of the group; he was brushed to perfection, almost gleaming white, wearing a quilted vest and an elaborate cravat with a small ruby. As he touched down, a pegasi servant landing behind him with a harness carrying four duelling blades, the alicorn smiled to the crowd.

"Oh, I didn't expect this scuffle to gather such a large audience," he said, before giving a nod towards his family and approaching the circle. "Is my opponent ready yet, Proper?" he asked the old unicorn.

Proper Conduct raised his head to look at him. "I'm just about finished... done. You may now enter the circle," he said to Obsidian.

As the unicorn moved to examine Victor in turn, Obsidian walked to the edge of the circle. Indicina walked alongside him, moving the open box with her. Obsidian reached his hoof inside the box to touch the weapon. For a second he could feel a spark of magic travelling alongside his limb, through the runic patterns underneath his fur, then through the runes inside the staff. The patterns in the wood glowed briefly with a soft orange light and then the staff jumped up and followed Obsidian as he withdrew his hoof, flipping around his leg and neck before coming to rest across his withers. Obsidian smiled to Indicina. "Everything's alright. It works just like the one I practiced with."

He then walked into the circle, pushing through the invisible bubble of the protection spell. Indicina returned his smile and then moved back. Her ear twitched, betraying her efforts to control her body language.

"You don't have to watch if you don't want to," said Obsidian. "I know how you hate that stuff."

The unicorn turned slightly red. "Don't be ridiculous... I couldn't abandon you like this. Besides, I'd just worry myself sick in my room."

Shaking his head, Obsidian turned away from her, just in time to see Victor enter the circle. The alicorn's four swords, short, straight blades made for telekinetic combat, followed him in the air, pulled by the grip of his orange aura. He looked at Obsidian and sneered. "Is that... thing the weapon you intend to use? Is beating each other with sticks a peasant idea of an honorable duel?"

There was some snickering in the crowd. Obsidian tensed.

It's just like Verba said. The first blows are struck with words. Okay, then...

He smiled and faced the prince, commanding his staff to twirl around his neck. "A beating with a stick is all you deserve."

This brought some gasps from the audience. Victor stopped smiling.

"May I have your attention, please!" said Proper Conduct standing at the edge of the circle. "I assume this display means there will be no last second apologies. In that case, let me go through the rules of the duel for the last time."

Victor rolled his eyes. "Get it over with..."

"The duel will be fought within the circle, with animated weapons only, until one of the contestants surrenders or is deemed incapable of further combat. No direct contact between the contestants is allowed, nor can any of their spells extend beyond their own bodies and the weapons they wield. Is everything clear?" said the unicorn.

Victor and Obsidian nodded before turning to look at each other. They both focused their powers, the magic coursing through their bodies increasing their speed and durability. The runes in Obsidian's staff started glowing again.

I can't let him dance with these, remembered Obsidian. Just like in training with Verba, I need to push him from the start.

Two more unicorns approached the circle, touching it with their horns on opposite sides. The barrier strengthened into a translucent bubble, shielding the audience from any unexpected events while locking the two fighters inside. Proper Conduct nodded his head in approval. "Ready!? Fight!" he shouted.

Victor spread his swords wide, raising one in a fencing salute. Obsidian just pounced forward, making his staff swing in a wide, downward arc. The alicorn stepped back, raising one sword to parry. The staff pushed it aside, the heavy tip missing the alicorn's snout by an inch before hitting the ground with a force that knocked a cobblestone loose, sending pieces of grit flying against the barrier.

Victor struck back, his surprise turning into anger. Obsidian saw three swords flying at him tip-first. He rolled aside to avoid two, his staff returning just in time to deflect the last one. He then swung the staff horizontally, but Victor simply jumped over it, spreading his wings to hang in the air. "So that's how you play?" he said through gritted teeth.

He attacked with two swords in a pincer move. Obsidian moved forward, letting the two blades meet behind his rump as he closed the distance for another swing. With the barrier preventing him from moving further back, Victor dropped to the ground, using his other two swords to parry the next blow, robbing it of momentum just before it could touch him. He pushed the staff away from him and called the other two swords to himself. Obsidian dodged aside but wasn't quite fast enough, one of the blades leaving a line across his rump.

"There we go," sneered Victor throwing his four swords one after another in a combination that forced Obsidian back in a sequence of dodges. "Four against one is a joke. I'll show you how it's done."

He launched one blade at Obsidian's face. The earth pony knocked it aside with a blow of his staff, causing Proper Conduct to flinch as it embedded itself in the barrier right in front of his snout. Two other swords attacked Obsidian from the sides and though he could block one, there was only so much his agility could do for him, the other stabbing him painfully in the side, the metal stopped only by the layer of spells binding his flesh together.

He launched his staff in a stabbing motion. Victor blocked with his last sword. He didn't have enough strength to swat it aside, but he pushed it off course in a shower of orange sparks, causing it to slide past his cheek. He was about to quip at Obsidian only to see him approaching at high speed. He dodged by launching himself into the air, the four blades flying back to his side.

"No touching!" he shouted before falling at Obsidian from above, three swords stabbing downwards to force a defensive roll while the last one struck the spot where the earth pony dodged to, blocked at the last second by his staff.

Obsidian swung the staff horizontally, smacking the three swords while they were still embedded in the stones of the courtyard. They were sent flying, but to Obsidian's disappointment, not a single one broke. He swung the staff down on Victor next, but the alicorn simply shifted aside, allowing the powerful blow to go past him.

"Is that what my father puts so much hopes in?" Victor asked, slashing at Obsidian with one sword after another, forcing him to summon back his staff to defend himself. "Dirt ponies with magic? Your power's as crude as you are, full of strength, but useless when it can't even land a hit!" He bent his neck back, allowing a counter to fly in front of his face before striking again, this time leaving a cut across Obsidian's cheek. "It's like giving magic to a cow! Useless, useless, useless!"

"If it's such a bother," said Obsidian through gritted teeth, "why not end the fight? Just give up and say you're sorry."

Victor's eyes widened, his face turning red. "Oh, I'll end it all right..." he hissed. He sent two swords forward and was about to stab when he saw Obsidian's staff taking a quick swing at his head. He blocked it by crossing two swords in front on himself, then pushed it away as it tried to slide forward for a stab.

It followed his push and flipped around, catching him in the chin with the other end. Victor pulled back, spitting a bit of blood as the surprise hit made him bite his tongue. He tried to form the swords together for another attack when he realised that the staff had spun in the other direction, the thicker end now descending upon his forehead.

The sound of the blow echoed across the courtyard, over the gasps of the audience. Then there was a clatter of metal as the four swords fell uselessly to the ground. Victor was kneeling, staring forward in blank surprise, trying in vain to pick up his weapons. It was only after a moment that his mind registered a white object on the ground in front of him, a long piece of white ivory broken off on one end.

Obsidian summoned the staff to himself, letting it rest against his shoulder. Around him ponies rushed into the circle, the barrier dispelled as soon as the duel was decided. One of the unicorns stopped by Obsidian's side, his horn following the lines of his cuts, closing the wounds one by one. The rest swarmed Victor, their horns scanning his head as one of the staff gathered the pieces of the broken horn.

Indicina emerged from the shifting crowd. She was slightly green and visibly struggling somewhere between overwhelming relief and a desire to void the contents of her stomach. Obsidian flashed her a smile before turning his gaze back inside the circle.

The unicorn heading the medical team stepped back and looked up and down Victor, using his telekinesis to take the broken pieces of ivory out of his assistant's grasp. "The concussion is not life-threatening," he declared, "but we must begin re-assembling the horn as quickly as possible to minimize the loss of magical ability. Make sure we've got all the shards... whoa!"

A golden light enveloped the shattered horn, pulling it out of his grip. The crowd parted as the emperor strode into the circle.

The doctors stepped away, taken aback by his appearance. The emperor was burning gold, the aura emanating from the topaz on his chest, matched by the glow in his eyes and horn, spreading over his wings and expanding into a brilliant halo. When he spoke, his voice was calm and clear with no unnatural reverberations and yet audible all across the courtyard.

“Victor, you’re a disgrace.”

There was a flash of white flame and the pieces of broken horn turned to cinders in the emperor’s grasp. The crowd gasped.

Discidium stood over the crippled prince staring down at him. “Every one of my children has taken part in the fight for our country as soon as their age allowed it. Except you. You discovered a talent that made you a great warrior and used it only to feed your own ego, turning it against your own kind.”

He briefly turned to look towards the other side of the circle where Obsidian was standing, stunned by what he saw.

“You insulted a guest under my roof and then pushed to a duel against my wishes -threatening our war effort- all to prove your supposed superiority.”

He looked down and his gem started burning even brighter. “And now, after all that boasting, after all that talk of what an alicorn is… you lose to an earth pony. Your existence is an insult to what we stand for. You do not deserve to be an alicorn. Or a prince.”

Through all this Victor was sitting still, shocked into silence. He looked up at Discidium, shaking all over. “Father,” he croaked.

The golden aura wrapped around his neck, silencing him and dragging him up.

Discidium looked him in the eyes. “I have four sons, great princes all, each a paragon of courage or wisdom. I’ve already had to bury one, after he made the ultimate sacrifice for the Empire’s future. You… are not among their number. I do not know where you come from, but such a wretched thing couldn’t have come from my blood.”

He pushed Victor away, sending him rolling on the cobbled stones.

“You will leave the palace, pegasus. Show your face here again and you will leave an earth pony.”

He then turned towards Obsidian. He noticed Indicina and nodded to her. “You two have my apologies for this... distraction. You are now free to return to your duties.”

Not a single voice was heard as the emperor turned and walked away, the rest of his herd following suit. All of them made an effort to keep their composure, even the colt; all except one mare, pink with slightly greying mane, who kept looking back even as she kept pace with the group, tears silently streaming down her face.

A moment more passed in silence and then, like a classroom of children after the teacher leaves, the courtyard erupted into whispers.

… now that’s what I call entertainment…
… serves him well if you ask me…
… you think they should rename him Victus now?
… what a waste of…
… dinner tomorrow…

Obsidian couldn’t help noticing the growing empty space around Victor, the members of his coterie conspicuously gone, suddenly engaged in absorbing conversations in the more distant parts of the crowd.

Obsidian turned around to leave and ended up face to face with Indicina. She was trembling slightly, though whether it was the leaving tension or barely controlled nausea he couldn’t say.
“I told you, you shouldn’t have watched,” he smirked.

She pushed forward, putting her head on his withers, pressing their necks together. Then she exhaled slowly and turned around to walk by his side. “Let’s hurry. I’m glad this is over, but we need to get back to Verba as soon as possible. I hope Gloria and the others are doing okay without me.”

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “The sooner we leave this place, the better.”

They trotted together in silence towards the chariot station. After a while Indicina turned to take a closer look at Obsidian’s face.

“I know this tense expression,” she said. “You’re not just worried about Verba, are you? You’re angry.”

“Of course I am,” said Obsidian, keeping his voice low so as not to be overheard. “Did you see the emperor?”

Indicina tilted her head in surprise. “Yes, it was horrible what he did. I can’t say Victor didn’t deserve-”

“No,” interrupted Obsidian. “The light. Did you see it?”
“The light?” asked Indicina. “I was a bit… distracted, but he surely made a big show of…” She stopped rapidly, her eyes widening. “Sisters and their mother…”

“Yes,” nodded Obsidian, his voice now taking a tone of theatrical recitation. “His Imperial Majesty is the only pony capable of safely harnessing the power of Pride, for his pride is not for himself, but for the nation he leads… What a pile of horse apples.”

What Do You Fight For?

View Online

The mess hall was almost empty. Diamond Dust looked around. There were some guards and a couple staff members, but nopony from her group. The unicorn approached the counter where an old earth pony stallion was waiting for another order.

“Give me the usual,” she said as she looked over the available food. The stallion nodded and grabbed a ladle with his teeth, quickly filling the unicorn’s bowl with a mix of stewed vegetables. “There you go,” he said, sprinkling some dill leaves on top before pushing the bowl towards her.

“Thank you,” said Diamond Dust, grabbing the food with her magic and turning towards the tables. With how empty the fortress was these days, she had a wide choice of spots to sit. She picked one slightly away from others, turning her back on the two pegasi guards noisily eating their chicken.

There used to be so many of us here, she thought glumly, chewing absent-mindedly on her food.

She was almost done eating when Obsidian walked through the door, his magic staff floating by his side. He quickly trotted towards the cook, taking a mixed bowl of food before making a beeline to Diamond Dust’s table.

“Morning,” said Diamond Dust with a nod. “So, you’re the one paired with me for today?”

Obsidian set his order on the table. He nodded quickly before digging into the bowl. He didn’t speak until he was half done with his food.

“Verba is still busy in the tower with-” he paused and looked around, “the project.

Diamond Dust cast a quick spell, an invisible bubble enveloping the table, its effect set to muffle the sound and confuse anypony trying to read lips.

Nodding in approval, Obsidian continued. “Indicina is calling all of us one by one to test Eve’s new idea. She is optimistic, but I hope we don’t run out of time. We need everypony on the frontlines.”

“So, what’s the plan?” asked Diamond Dust silently, before putting the last scrap of lettuce into her mouth. “I expect we’re going north?”

Obsidian nodded. “West of Pax,” he said with his mouth full. “The guys at the HQ want to break the siege, but we need a coordinated pincer maneuver and there is a delaying force to the west. We’re to spearhead the assault and make sure the delay is as small as possible. The magical division will get us a sunrise an hour early. If they counter, you’re on flare. Otherwise, the usual support. I take the frontline.”

“I was wondering why they woke me up that early,” said Diamond Dust. “Do you think they’ll have coffee at the camp?”

“No idea,” shrugged Obsidian. “Long distance teleport always leaves me wide awake. You can go ahead and go to the armory. I’ll catch up with you in a moment.”

***

The circle flared into life, the six unicorns surrounding it stepping back to make space for the arrivals. Obsidian and Diamond Dust strode out of the circle and then out of the tent. The commanding officer, a greying unicorn, looked at the two armored ponies from head to hoof. “So, you’re our support?” he asked. “Good. We’re going to need it.”

“Diamond Dust and Obsidian, Special Weapons Division,” said Diamond Dust. “What are we looking at here?”

“Mostly earth ponies, but well equipped ones,” said the officer. "They have some quick-load ballistas there. Also ice bows and at least some anti-magic armor... and some diamond dogs support, which means they’re already entrenched. My mages can clear the ground for the charge, but that is about their limit. That means we need some extra magic support in the attack itself. A pair of foci users is just what we need.”

Obsidian nodded. “So, your best can stay in the second line while the tough guys sent by HQ charge into the thickest fighting?” Seeing the officer’s jaw drop at the declaration, the earth pony smirked. “Do not worry. The plan is sound. I’m the most effective up close and it comes natural for her to support me. The diamond dogs worry me, however. Do they have any monsters with them? A tunneling team going around us with a tatzelwurm is not my idea of a good morning.”

“Nothing underground as far as my seer can tell,” responded the officer.

“Let’s hope that doesn’t change at the last moment,” said Diamond Dust. “So, where are our positions?”

“That way,” said the officer, nodding to his right. “We’re almost ready.”

“We’ll be ready when you are, sir,” responded Diamond Dust, saluting the officer before chasing after Obsidian, who was already walking towards the infantry positions.

“What were you thinking?” she hissed as she caught up with him. “Special division or not, he still outranks you.”

“I’m going to face death in a few moments and he isn’t,” said the earth pony silently. “That gives me the right to speak my mind. But you’re right. That was stupid. Perhaps it was my focus talking.”

“Or you’re just allergic to asshats,” whispered Diamond Dust with a smirk. “I heard all about that duel thing. Everypony has. I’d think being around Indicina would have taught you some manners.”

Obsidian shot her a look of exasperation. “Manners are not the same as no spine. If you stand and bow when they insult you, the nobles will eat you alive.” He paused awkwardly. “No offense. Besides, I’m an earth pony. I got my cutie mark kicking a troll in the head till it died. Don’t expect me to be subtle.”

“Well,” said Diamond Dust, shaking her head. “At least you’re the right pony in the right place.”

“Better hope so. Both our lives will depend on it in a few moments.”

***

It started abruptly, the night sky turning to indigo, then red, dawn breaking to reveal rank upon rank of armored ponies. Diamond Dust and Obsidian nodded to each other as the trumpets sounded. The two foci lit up: one orange, one violet.

“Forward!” shouted some officer in the back ranks. Obsidian was the first to move, the others following him in a naturally forming wedge, first at a trot, but quickly building up speed until the whole mass galloped towards the enemy lines, the sound of their hooves like a rolling thunder.

Before them the enemies were hastily forming their own ranks, diamond dogs grabbing long pikes while ponies rushed to prepare ice bows and ballistas. Diamond Dust could see the growing aura of Obsidian ahead of her, and knew he had shielded himself properly. But a battle was a group effort. This was her cue.

“The greatest treasures grow when shared,” she muttered under her breath. Her focus responded, wrapping her in gentle, violet light. As she ran, she channeled the power into her trademark energy shield, a violet hexagon matching her cutie mark. The shield multiplied, first into a honeycomb-like dome in front of her, then scattered and kept multiplying, each barrier finding one of the charging soldiers to protect. And not a moment too soon, as a second later a rain of projectiles hit the first rank.

Diamond Dust felt her shields strain, but they held. The ice arrows bounced off harmlessly, their enchantments spent on bursts of icicles that had nothing to hold to. Ballista bolts shattered from the impact. Still, some ponies fell, from lucky shots that managed to get around the protections.

A second later, one ballista exploded, turned into kindling by a violent impact. Dust couldn’t see what happened, but she guessed Obsidian’s new weapon to be behind it. More enemies were getting ready to fight, but now some of their weapons were aimed upwards - against the pegasi joining the fight from above.

Something enveloped her from behind, like a wave. She knew what it was; the unicorn battle mages had finished casting their spell. The magic overtook the charging ponies and spread through the ground before them. The field seemed to wobble slightly as it was straightened, a clear path created in right in front of Obsidian. The hidden spikes, were torn out of the ground, alchemical traps detonated ahead of the charge, creating a huge cloud of colorful smoke. The trench the pike dogs were forming behind collapsed upon itself, suddenly leaving them with just their weapons to rely on.

Obsidian shouted a deafening battle cry, its shockwave clearing away the toxic fumes. Then he rushed forward, orange afterimages left in his wake, hitting the enemy line like a battering ram, breaking the pikes set against him and sending diamond dogs flying.

Diamond Dust sent her shields pushing forward too, breaking the enemy pikes ahead of the charging soldiers. The sound of rumbling hooves was joined by screams, yowls and clang of metal against metal. As the warriors collided, the battle became too chaotic for her to keep shielding everypony individually. Instead the shields returned to her, forming a roof over the middle of the unit, a protection against any attacks raining from above.

A ballista turned in her direction. Dust prepared to defend herself, but before the attack could reach her, a duo of pegasi knights fell upon the weapon crew, the spikes and blades on their armor giving them an appearance of bizarre insects as they stabbed and kicked at their opponents. As her position in the middle of the group left her currently unengaged, she left the barriers hanging inert for a moment to cast another spell; a globe of violet energy bounced through the front line, granting strength and speed to every warrior it passed through.

In the chaos of the battle she momentarily lost Obsidian. She scanned the crowd until she caught a glimpse of his orange aura. He was now back to the group, once again properly supported after his initial charge separated him from the unit. The soldiers were protecting his sides and rear as he methodically mowed through enemy earth ponies, his staff flying around, him, denting helmets and breaking legs.

There was a louder sound of impact to Diamond Dust’s right. She turned to see a pair of ponies knocked straight into the air. The fight was thicker there and she couldn’t see the details, but there was clearly something breaking through the formation there.

A troll? she thought. No, I’d see it over the crowd. Ponies?

Her question was soon answered as she saw another soldier knocked into the air. The enemy was a big earth pony, his plate armor covered with crystal growths meant to ward off hostile magic. The curved spikes on his front legs armor were covered with blood of his last opponent. As he spun around to buck away a soldier blocking his way, Dust could see more like him. They were clearly trying to break through to her position.

“Oh, why couldn’t it have been easy for once?” she muttered, firing a shot at the enemy warrior. It dispersed against the crystals of his armor, the blast only dazing him.

That’s some quality armor too, she thought as she switched to empowering the soldiers in the enemies’ way.

She caught a glimpse of somepony else among the heavy knights, somepony in a similar armor, but slightly smaller and keeping in the middle of the formation as the big brutes cleared the way.

A leader? Shouldn’t he be keeping behind? she thought.

Despite Dust’s best efforts the imperial soldiers were falling one after another, the enemy knights getting closer and closer. Changing her strategy again, she attacked indirectly, her spell hitting the ground and turning it into a mire. This worked, better, the first couple of knights getting hopelessly stuck as the weight of their armor pulled them into a sticky trap. The enemy commander proved faster, running over the back of one of her guards to leap onto the dry land.

In seconds imperial soldiers were upon him, but their eagerness to claim the prize for an officer brought them only pain; despite the heavy armor the pony moved with grace and speed, dodging attacks and responding with bucks and kicks hard enough to shatter armor and send soldiers into the air. As the knights that weren’t trapped tried to rejoin their commander, the earth pony reached onto his back, pulling a heavy metal ball and chain mounted there. He swung it around in his teeth, breaking the legs of a charging foe as he kept advancing at Diamond Dust.

The unicorn looked around, but there was no obvious spot to teleport to. With so many ponies pressed together she had nowhere to go, unless she’d abandon her unit entirely. Bracing herself, she lowered her horn, layers of protective spells blossoming around her. “Well, if a fight is what you want…”

There was a shout from her right. Out of the chaos, Obsidian emerged, pushing back through the unit’s ranks to face the new threat. The enemy saw him charging and reared, the first strike passing in front of his helmet. Then he fell down to his hooves, swinging the ball with all his weight. Obsidian rolled aside, allowing his staff to strike on its own. The enemy couldn’t quite dodge, but rolled with the impact, the blow only denting the shoulder pad. He pulled the ball free from the ground and swung it again.

He’s strong, but not quick enough, thought Diamond Dust.

The fight was decided in seconds. Obsidian waited for the heavy weapon to pass in front of his muzzle before lunging forward to strike. The enemy dodged away, allowing the weight of the chain to turn him around before bucking viciously against Obsidian’s front legs, the reinforced boots of his armor colliding heavily with the foreleg blades. Obsidian reared back, but managed not to be knocked back. The enemy commander finished his turn, the heavy ball coming around for another swing.

Obsidian’s staff fell down, planting itself firmly in the ground in the way of the chain. It sparked orange at the force of the pull, but didn’t budge. Obsidian allowed himself to fall on his back, letting the ball fly in front of his muzzle before the chain wrapped around the staff, causing it to swing back at its owner’s head.

There was a loud clang as the helmet shattered. Obsidian finished the roll with coming back to his hooves, the staff coming back to his side.

The enemy commander tried to keep standing. Now that the remains of the helmet fell to the ground, Diamond Dust could see that it was a mare, if unusually big one, her yellow mane now sticky with her own blood. The impact made her drop the chain and she was obviously concussed, the imperial soldiers keeping the rest of her retinue from coming to her aid in time. She glared defiantly at Obsidian.

“You!” she shouted. “You’re an earth pony! Why do you fight on the side of the tyrants!?”

Obsidian met her glare with his, the orange glow around his staff solidifying into a shape of a spear tip.

“Because it’s my home,” he said, as the weapon stabbed forward.

***

The battle was over soon after, the last of enemy resistance breaking with their leader lost. Diamond Dust surveyed the battlefield.

“The losses have been minimal,” said the officer, walking up to her. “We’re ready to continue our push. I take it you’re coming with us?”

“Such are our orders,” replied Diamond Dust. “We accompany your force until dusk, unless new orders arrive. Then we are to return to the HQ via long distance teleport. You are still able to provide it?”

The officer nodded. “My magical support suffered no losses, thanks to you. Let’s hope the rest of the day remains so fortunate.”

Saluting the officer, Dust walked away to find Obsidian. He was standing away from others, the magic of Honesty flowing around him in gentle waves, healing the cuts and bruises he’d suffered during the battle. The mare stopped next to him.

“We’re moving in ten, travelling light to join the main battle as soon as possible. Is everything ok?”

Obsidian nodded. “Nothing major. The magic armor works great with my own spells. I wish I had something like that in my first battle.”

Diamond Dust returned the nod. She remembered that day well. “What you said to their leader, you surprised me.”

Obsidian extinguished his aura, his healing done for the moment. “Why is that? Aren’t you a volunteer, fighting for your country?”

Diamond Dust smiled. “Oh, yes. I still can’t believe my parents allowed it. A young noblemare filly joining a mysterious government project to help the Imperial war effort. But you? I still remember that speech you gave back when Golden Bell’s runestitching turned out faulty.”

“And you think that would make me disloyal?” asked Obsidian.

Diamond Dust turned red. She quickly conjured a silencing globe around the two of them. “Of course not! What are you thinking!? You’ve proven your loyalty beyond any doubt. All of us have. I just thought… you might resent your position.”

“Ah, I’m sorry then,” said Obsidian. “I guess I’m in a snappy mood today. No, I do not ‘resent’ my position. I was lucky. I still mean what I said back then. The project wasn’t for us. The orphans, the poor kinds, the earth ponies, we were all in the labs just to test things, to let Bright Mind work out how to runestitch without side effects and how to bring it together with the foci. It was the noble kids like you that were to get the finished weapons. But I got lucky. First, my outburst made sure I couldn’t go first, I’m sure Bright Mind wanted me to, but that would prove me right and ruin ruin morale. Then I was Verba’s friend. And then… I survived. I proved myself, one of the best. And now, here I am.”

He turned and pointed towards the place where the enemy leader’s body was left on the ground.

“You think she was in a better position? Look at what she had. No unicorns, no big monsters, no air support. Those crystal weapons she had? Probably her own, imported from the north. She must have been some earth pony merchant princess or something. Fighting against oppression of the great Alicorn Empire. And where did it get her? A delaying force. This fight wasn’t even important, for them or for us. You think HQ bothered the goddess of the Sun just for us here?”

Diamond Dust rolled her eyes. “Will you get to the point? For a simple earth pony, you sure love giving speeches.”

Obsidian smirked. “Sorry, getting philosophical. Like my grandfather. He could rant for hours. Anyway… remember what they taught us about tactics? Tie up the enemy with the ordinary force, make a decisive strike with extraordinary one?”

Diamond Dust nodded.

“This was an ordinary force. Sacrificed by their commanders to tie us up here for some more important battle elsewhere. Fighting as part of the glorious Northern Alliance and earth ponies still got the short straw.”

“We may be one of the three tribes, but we’re the least obvious with what we can do. No wings, no sparky magic. No matter what happens, we will always be ‘ordinary’. Well, I’m not. And I’m not gonna waste it.”

“So, just fighting for your home? No Imperial ideology?” said Diamond Dust with a smile.

Obsidian didn’t return it. “Of course. How many earth ponies died when that stray cloud rained fire on Winter Gem’s farm? War doesn’t care about fair. All we can do is protect our own. And what would ideology have to do with anything? I know alicorns aren’t divine. My best friend is one.”

The unicorn gasped, staring at her companion. “You better not let anypony hear that from your mouth.” She paused thoughtfully. “So, what, you think they’re just some lucky hybrids or something?”

Obsidian shrugged. “Probably. Uncloven hooves of an earth pony, wings of a pegasus, horn of a unicorn. Strength, flight and magic. A perfect picture of the gods’ chosen species, destined to rule above all others. But there’s a pegasus guard in the keep, named Rainfall, who has a unicorn father; barely any fangs. She’s practically vegetarian. I bet the first alicorns just got very lucky to get just the right mix of the three bloods.”

“What about Libra?” asked Dust. “Isn’t her mother a unicorn?”

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “And her father was a great general, very rich and powerful. You’ve seen what Bright Mind could do to ponies. What do you think is the reason for all those auguries and rituals performed whenever a child is to be born in an alicorn family? Wizards babbling for months over the mother?”

Diamond Dust nodded. “This makes sense. But please, don’t mention it to anypony else, not even Verba. There’s only so much honesty you can show before your luck runs out.”

Obsidian gave her an uneasy smile, and though she could see nothing through his dark coat, she could swear he turned a bit red.

“Thanks for the warning,” he said. “I’ll remember that. Now I guess we should get moving. I still have some bones to break today and I need you to watch my back.”

Diamond Dust looked from him to the battlefield, where the infantry units were already finishing patching up and setting into ranks. She sighed, dispelled the silence bubble and took her position alongside the unicorn corps.

This was going to be a long day.

A Meeting at Midnight

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*ONE WEEK AFTER THE SECOND BATTLE OF PAX*

“Everything’s alright, sir.”

The two unicorns finished the security check and, satisfied with the results, saluted Enigma. The pegasus waited for the protection circle to disperse and walked towards the exit.

I need a shower, he thought as he entered the corridors of the fortress, and then something to eat.

It was early evening and it seemed only the guards were on duty, the rest of the inhabitants either deployed in the field or already asleep. Enigma idly considered how few of the imperial soldiers could enjoy the luxury of having a permanent place to sleep like this.

Then again, how many of them get sent to the fiercest battles, day after day? Most ponies never experience long distance teleportation, and I go through it daily. I suppose I’m lucky to be a scout, rather than one of the direct combat types like Lightbringer or Obsidian.

He reached the locker room and walked in. Finding the place empty, the pegasus relaxed, magic flowing through his body, opening all the clasps keeping his light armor in place. He removed the pieces of metal from his body, setting them next to his locker.

I’ll clean it up after I’ve eaten, he decided, taking off the last piece, the gorget holding his focus. Opening the locker, he stuffed his equipment inside and retrieved a small bag of cleaning utensils.

***

The hot shower soothed Enigma, putting him in a good mood. He was still tired, but the tension was gone and he had managed to get rid of all the random dirt and blood splatters, returning his grey coat and mane to pristine condition. Having finished, he used a simple spell to repel water from around himself, drying his body instantly.

This is so much better than just using magic for cleaning, he thought, opening the locker, the bag in his teeth. I’ll just drop this and take Hope. No changelings since Stormfront's death, but that’s no reason to get careless-

He froze, looking into his locker. On top of the pile of armor pieces stuffed inside, there was a folded piece of paper.

That wasn’t here before. Has somepony been digging through my things?

Enigma quickly checked the contents of the locker. To his relief, nothing was missing. Putting the bag back to its place, he retrieved the gorget and clasped it around his neck, then grabbed the paper and unfolded it

* Come to storage 20b at midnight tonight *

Enigma frowned. What’s going on?

***

Several hours later, Enigma was moving through the storage section of the fortress. Should I hide? he thought. I technically have the right to be here. My work with the intelligence division gives me the privileges. That and there’s nothing important here, mostly food and bedding. All the lab supplies are in the underground levels.

Skulking around the fortress wasn’t anything new either. With all the kids taking part in the project, minor breaches of procedures used to be a daily occurrence.
I still remember teaching Surprise how to get apples from the pantry without the cooks noticing, Enigma thought to himself. Is this her doing? Much as I like surprise parties, I hope she won’t pounce on me like the last time. You’d think she’d remember how sharp her fangs are.

Just then his ears caught the sound of approaching hooves. This brought him back to reality, his musings instantly forgotten.

On second thought, whoever left that note obviously wanted secrecy. Stealth it is.

Reaching towards Hope, Enigma focused his energy inwards. He only used the smallest amount, enough to silence the sound of his hooves and hide his smell. Then it was just a matter of using his natural talent, expressed by the clouded moon on his cutie mark and honed through hours of training. Unlike the living quarters in the main building and the high security areas below, the storage rooms weren’t permanently illuminated, nor particularly tidy. There were also some barrels there, left by some lazy servant after their contents had been used up. More than enough places to hide for one who knew how.

As the patrolling guard approached, Enigma ducked into one of the corridors, using a discarded box as cover. He waited for the light of the unicorn guard to fall into his hiding spot, his grey coat all but invisible in the deep shadows. The beam swept right next to him, but his assessment proved right - the guard wasn’t thorough enough.

Ok, I’m in. I’ll have to report the mess here later. It’s an inexcusable security flaw, he thought as the guard went on his way.

Continuing deeper into the storage area, he started looking for storage 20b. He had checked the map beforehoof of course, but the darkness made the layout of the building much more confusing than it had seemed on paper. Finally, he decided that magic was necessary. Since using a light was out of the question, he used a spell to expand his senses instead.

Whoa!

As soon as the enhanced senses activated, Enigma saw a spell surrounding him. It was a simple confusion effect, meant to direct ponies away, spreading like a spider web from the room he guessed to be 20b.

I’ve been training against stuff like this, he thought looking at the door. I managed to get to the right place before I even noticed it. But that guard probably misses the last intersection altogether. Who could’ve done it?

He focused on the nearest line, examining it for familiar traits.

Libra?

Filled with a sudden bad feeling, Enigma pressed the door knob and pulled the door open. There was a soft, teal light shining inside.

“So, it is you,” said Enigma, walking in and closing the door behind him.

Inside there were five ponies waiting. Libra was standing in the middle, her horn providing both the light and the camouflage spell. Around the white alicorn, there were three unicorns; Absinthe, Evening Embrace and Gloria. The last member of the group was Lightbringer. The pegasus was sitting on a crate in the corner and seemed to have just finish cleaning his wings.

“Good evening, Enigma,” said Libra, nodding at the pegasus. “It is good you could make it. It took us three days to be here all at once.”

Enigma looked around. All the ponies were looking at him intently.

“Since Absynthe hasn’t brought his harp,” he said, “I assume this isn’t a party. Care to tell me what is going on here?”

Lightbringer snickered. Libra did not look amused. “We wanted to talk to you, Enigma. This war isn’t going as well as we’d like to.”

“It never does,” answered Enigma. “But I guess you mean specific things. Like your fight with Ignis?”

The alicorn clenched her jaw. “Yes, Ignis. With my power I could fight against his Ambition, or against his dragon, but not both. And that’s just a tip of the iceberg.”

Absinthe moved from his spot and approached Enigma. “See, everypony thought that once we finish Dr Bright Mind’s work and create our super weapon, it will all be over. But now everypony is pulling all the stops. Those windigos we fought at Nevercrest? They’d never have dared to unleash them before. But there have been some reported just this week. Zebras are playing with magic they used to be too smart to touch, diamond dogs are digging up their hidden stashes to buy up dragons to their side...”

“Simply put, The Elements will not be enough,” finished Libra. “Just a week ago, we almost lost the Emperor. Verba was there to save him, but he can’t be there every time they take a shot. . Despite all of our best efforts, a single slip-up is all it might take for the Alicorn Empire to fall.”

Enigma looked at her thoughtfully. “And you have an idea on how to change that.. Let me guess, you want your foci to get empowered too.”

“We can do better than that,” promised Libra. “Gloria, tell him.”

Libra and Absinthe stepped back, making space for the yellow unicorn to take the spotlight. The mare smiled at Enigma. “We have examined our foci. As it appears, Justice is another one that operates on multiple frequencies. If we perform another Splice, we could bind our foci to it to create another synergic set.”

Though this intrigued Enigma, he kept his expression neutral. “So, Passion, Wisdom, Respect, Empathy and… I guess, Hope? All bound together to create Justice? Is that what you’re getting at?”

“Yes,” said Gloria, “We’ve considered Courage, but Dusk… he may have grown out of being a bully, but he isn’t exactly a team player either. He might not synergize properly.”

“Don’t you think this isn’t a topic for a secret meeting?” asked Enigma, frowning. “You three should be discussing it with Indicina, not me. She’s the head of the project.”

“Bah,” said Absinthe, his goatee bristling, “Indicina is crazy.”

“We’ve tried to talk to her already,” said Gloria. “She had a panic attack. She started raving that the Splice was a mistake in the first place. She’s not going to repeat it and told so to the Emperor. She said he agrees with her. As it stands, the project is over.”

Libra’s wings spread in anger. “We risk our lives daily for the Empire. She had one brush with death and is too cowardly to risk again. Even after the Elements saved us from certain doom already. And Obsidian, so blindly in love, took her side. He threw me out of her office. He tried to use his truespeech to convince me.”

“It didn’t work,” added Gloria. “He wasn’t telling the truth. The Splice can and will be repeated.”

Enigma raised his eyebrows. “Against the Emperor’s orders?”

“Don’t question our loyalty,” said Lightbringer, rising from his crate, shaking his mane. “We’re ready to sacrifice our lives for the Emperor. We won’t let him suffer defeat just because one coward would rather lie to him than do the same.”

Enigma met his gaze with a glare of his own, but before either could say something more, Evening Embrace stepped between the two of them. “P… Please, don’t argue. We’re fighting for the same cause.”

Lightbringer slumped back on top of the crate. Enigma sighed loudly and turned towards Gloria again. “So, what’s your plan, Gloria?”

Gloria nodded to Evening Embrace, with a smile. “Thank you, Eve. We needed that.”

She then turned to Enigma. “Eve and I have spent a lot of time working with Indicina on the relay. You know it was Eve who came up with the harmonious synergy. We know enough that we can attune the relay to new frequencies, as long as we have six foci to bind. That’s one technical issue there’s no getting around.”

“What about the power required?” asked Enigma.

“I’ve run the calculations,” said Gloria. “The leylines in here and the Tower of Thought are not enough. We’d need to use Nevercrest again. From what we know, the enemy has not restored the research lab after we wrecked it - it should still be abandoned and available to use.”

Enigma smiled. “And the safety measures? Some of the devices we used the first time would not be reusable.”

“True,” replied Gloria. “But now we know exactly what’s coming. We should be able to channel all excess energy safely away, even if we’ll have to improvise a little.”

Enigma stepped back, taking another good look at all the assembled. Then his smile disappeared like a candle light blown away.

“You’re all fools.”

Silence fell. Evening Embrace seemed to shrink, hiding behind Gloria. Lightbringer and Libra rose to full height, wings spread. Gloria and Absinthe just stared at Enigma in silence .

“Let me get this straight,” said Enigma, pacing through the room, “You five are planning to desert your posts, abandoning the soldiers whose lives rely on your support. Then you’re going to steal some top secret military equipment and take it into enemy territory, to perform an hours long ritual that will be felt for hundreds of miles around, with nopony to protect you as you stand in the circle. That’s enough to get you all court-martialed to oblivion, even before counting the fact that you might be killed or captured by the enemy before you’re done, or just fry if anything goes wrong with the ritual.”

Gloria was the first to respond. “That’s why we need you. You’re in the intelligence division. You can find out when there will be an opening. You can get us teleported. Guarding the ritual is not an issue. If we can only get to Nevercrest, its leyline has magic to spare. We’ll just channel it into a barrier. And you can trust me and Eve on the ritual itself. It will all be under control.”

Enigma walked straight at her, glaring, his fangs bared. “Are you even listening to yourselves? This is madness. All this idea can bring is death to you and all who rely on you.” He closed his mouth, then breathed deeply, calming down. “I will have no part in this. I won’t tell anypony about it, but you must never mention it again.”

“So, you want us to die a slow death?” spat Absinthe, standing to Gloria’s right. “We should just follow orders like good kids and wait for the Empire to lose the war, then make a heroic last stand somewhere, like Golden Bell and Bianca?”

“No.” replied Enigma. “You’re to follow orders and trust your commanding officers. You are to have faith in the Elements of Harmony to turn the war in our favour. You are to do your very best doing your part, so others can focus on theirs.”

“Easy for you to say, drinking tea with the buffoons from high command while we fight for our lives.”

At that Enigma spread his wings, facing the unicorn. “Perhaps Respect wouldn’t be the weakest focus here if you actually had any. I risk my life as much as you do, flying without support where you’d go with an army.”

“Enough,” said Libra, her voice stern. “As Eve said, we’re on the same side. Absinthe, control yourself, please. You’re in the wrong here, even if we all feel as you do. And Enigma… you must understand. We are fully aware that this plan is crazy. But the Empire needs another asset dearly. There is too much at stake not to do all in our power to win this war. I’m aware you may have no family to fight for. Then think of your comrades who have fallen already. Can you afford for their deaths to be in vain?”

Absinthe scowled, but moved aside. Enigma folded his wings, turning towards the alicorn. “I know how you feel, Libra. But I refuse to watch my friends dying pointlessly.”

“W… what about your other friends?”

It was Evening Embrace. Everypony turned to look at her.

“You never… told us where you’re from… or even your real name,” continued Evening, “but we all know you grew up on the street. Surprise... told us you met an old friend. He’s in the army now. They all are, aren’t they? That’s how the guard keeps peace in the slums, conscripting all the boys so they don’t cause trouble.”

Enigma frowned. He didn’t like his secret being revealed, even if wasn’t a difficult guess. It was also the longest he had ever heard Eve speak. “What of it?” he asked.

“They don’t have foci,” said Eve, “They’re not ‘special forces’. They’re ordinary soldiers, the kind that die by the hundreds whenever a big battle happens. Do you know how many of them are still alive? How many will survive next week? Next month? Won’t their deaths have been pointless if... if we can prevent them?”

After fifteen seconds that seemed like an age, the pegasus turned away and headed for the door. “This discussion is finished,” he said over his shoulder.

“This war can’t be won without Hope,” said Eve behind his back. “We... can't do it without you.”

The Light of the New Era

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“Take care” said Obsidian with a smile as Indicina walked off the flying chariot.

The mare turned around to look at him, hesitating briefly when she looked into his eyes; she still couldn’t quite get used to the opaque, orange irises the splicing ritual had given him.

“I’ll be safe in the Imperial palace,” she said. “You take care.”

Obsidian smiled wider. “Don’t worry, I will.”

Indicina leaned forward, giving him a small peck on the cheek, before turning around once again and walking towards the hangar exit, ignoring the silent snickering of the two pegasi knights pulling Obsidian’s chariot away and back into the air. Behind her, a group of servants swarmed the second chariot, unloading her luggage.

“Please wait while we run the clearance check,” said one of the two guards standing around the hangar door. He lit his horn and moved it up and down in front of Indicina.

“We don’t want any unwanted changelings getting in.” He paused as he saw Indicina’s expression. Then he turned away awkwardly, only to see his companion glaring at him.

“I’m aware of that,” said Indicina, suppressing the urge to explain to the guard just how aware she was. Suddenly it occurred to her that the white and silver dress she was now wearing did not command the kind of respect her lab coat would.

By Gaia, I actually look my age now, she thought. No wonder he’s treating me like a -

“Miss?” the guard interrupted her train of thought. “There seems to be some illusion magic active on you.”

Indicina blinked in confusion before her brain caught up and provided the answer. “What? Oh, right. It’s just a cosmetic illusion. I need to look my best today. You can still confirm my identity, right?”

The guard hesitated. His companion stepped in and performed a scan of his own, checking the results with the contents of his notebook.

“Yes, we can. Your aura readings match. Please proceed and have a nice day, doctor.”

Indicina walked through the door, leaving the two guards squabbling behind her. As she walked through the corridor leading to the palace proper, a white unicorn wearing the palace colors approached her.

“Good day, miss. I have been sent to escort you. His majesty awaits you in the palace gardens.” He then turned towards the servants carrying Indicina’s bags. “Deliver these to the blue suite in the western wing.”

***

The unicorn led Indicina through the palace grounds, around the main building and past the main gardens. There were some nobles there, enjoying themselves - Indicina could feel their eyes on the back of her head as her guide led her towards a more secluded part of the grounds, separated by a tall hedge, with a pair of pegasi standing guard in the entrance.

These are the Emperor’s gardens, off limits to almost anypony, so he can get some peace and quiet with his family, she realised. Am I supposed to go there?

As if guessing her thoughts, the unicorn nodded reassuringly. “This way, please.”

The inside of the private garden didn’t seem much different from the rest - there were a bit more statues, white marble sculptures commemorating heroes and wise ponies of old, the hedges were a bit taller, the flower arrangements less extravagant.

Fewer gardeners here to disrupt the peace, Indicina thought.

Right then a trio of alicorns walked from behind a corner. It was Discidium, accompanied by two of his wives. The Emperor was wearing his gorget and a white uniform covering the front of his body, and Indicina instantly noticed the slight limp in his left front leg.

Discidium smiled. “So, you have arrived. It is good to see you again, Indicina.”

Indicina curtsied. “Your Majesty.”

“No need to be so formal,” said Discidium, without dropping his smile. “I may be your emperor, but I also owe you my life.” He looked to his left and right. “I take it you haven’t yet been introduced to Pulchra and Bona?”

The two mares approached Indicina, smiles of reflexive politeness plastered on their faces.

“It is a pleasure to met you, doctor,” said Bona.

“Discidium has told us that you will be our guest for the next couple of weeks,” said Pulchra.

Indicina returned the smile. “Yes… I’ll be providing some expertise… to make sure the healing goes properly...”

What should I say? I’m not good at this. They’re both so pretty, they don’t look their age at all. Is it healing magic or are they just using illusions?

“...It is a great honor to be here,” she managed to finish.

“I assure you, you’ve earned every bit of it,” said Discidium. “Come, I shall give you a tour of the inner palace grounds.” He turned to walk back down the path he had come from, and Indicina caught a small wince on his face when he shifted his forelegs.

“Your Majesty,” she said, trying not to be too loud. “is the injury still bothering you that much?”

The two female alicorns looked at Indicina with a frown. The emperor forced a smile. The topaz on his chest glowed briefly.

“I’m using magic to alleviate the pain,” he said, looking down on the gemstone. “My doctors assure me that Verba did an admirable job of getting rid of the curse, but there is some lasting damage, and it is taking longer than expected to heal.”

Indicina looked around. Her guide had already disappear, following the long established tradition of servants not being seen or heard unless needed. Indeed, there didn’t seem to be any staff within earshot.

“I assume the problem lies in morphic resonance?” she asked.

Discidium nodded. “It seems so. This is why I called you. My doctors might be the best when it comes to healing, but when it comes to high power magic, an expert like you can provide the experience even they might lack.”

Indicina relaxed. This she was better prepared for.

“What is wrong exactly?” asked Pulchra. “You said the curse has been removed. Healing the injury itself should have taken days at best.”

“Under normal circumstances, yes,” replied Indicina. “With an ordinary injury, it’s just a matter of giving the body some extra lifeforce, and it will reknit itself. The body has a morphic resonance with the soul that inhabits it. It’s like it feels how it should be and uses the extra energy to restore health. This of course can cause problems with-” she paused before turning towards Discidium. “Ah, I see, this is why your Majesty asked my help. The problem is similar to-” she stopped with her mouth open before blushing in embarrassment. “Wait, this is still a military secret, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure you can explain the situation to my wives without lecturing them on your work,” said Discidium, “While I can see your enthusiasm, I fear they might not appreciate it.”

The two mares nodded in confirmation, although they kept looking at Indicina.

“To describe it in simpler terms,” said Indicina, “a curse like that is designed to be very destructive. It doesn’t just burn the flesh, but the target’s very being. Before we can fully repair the damage, we need to…” she hesitated, thinking of how to explain the concept, “persuade the body that it isn’t supposed to be burned. It will require fine-tuning a custom designed spell to put everything in order.”

“My doctors are already working on it,” said Discidium. “But with your experience in such matters, they should be able to finish much faster.”

“I’ll do all I can, your Majesty,” replied Indicina, bowing her head.

The emperor started walking down the path. “I have no doubt you will. Now, will you accompany us, darlings?”

***

The inner palace turned much larger than Indicina had thought. With Discidium intent on making at least a comment about each statue they passed, the tour took over an hour. Somewhere half way through it Pulchra and Bona excused themselves, trotting gracefully away towards whatever activities they found more interesting.

Indicina struggled to keep smiling. Keeping up appearances wasn’t a difficult thing, not with her upbringing. But the more she walked, the more tired she was, the missing hours of sleep suddenly catching up with her. She nodded and smiled again, hoping the emperor would not notice she no longer registered what he was saying.

It was then that her ear caught a sound that made her wake up at once, a clang of metal against metal.

She turned towards the emperor in alarm, but Discidium didn’t seem concerned. Indeed, he seemed to be leading his guest right towards the source of the noise. Noticing his indifference, Indicina calmed down herself.

The source of the noise was just past another tall hedge. There, secluded away from the more used paths, there was a small opening, with a protection circle erected within. Inside it, two ponies dressed in brown training uniforms practiced with swords. One was a lean, curly-maned, tan unicorn with a small moustache and a beard. The other was a white alicorn colt. Indicina remembered seeing him before. As she observed, she slowly relaxed. This was no real violence, but more like a dance, despite the very real blades and combat techniques displayed.

The youngster was so focused on his task, controlling two swords to keep his teacher’s four blades at bay, that he didn’t even notice the pair approaching the circle.

The teacher was more perceptive. As the emperor stood at the edge of the circle, the unicorn withdrew his blades into a neutral stance and bowed his head. The colt returned the gesture before noticing the visitors and beaming. He put the blades away and turned towards Discidium.

“Two blades already?” said the emperor with a smile. “You’re making quick progress, I see.”

“Just so,” said the teacher from behind the colt. “Still, there is a long road yet ahead of him.”

“I’m doing my best, father,” said the alicorn, blushing a bit.

“Indicina,” said the emperor, “let me introduce you. This is Concilio, Pulchra’s son and my youngest child. Concilio, this is Indicina. She will be living in the palace for the next couple of weeks.”

The colt bowed his head. “Tis a pleasure to meet you, miss.”

“The pleasure is mutual”, replied Indicina, bowing her head in response, a smile on her face.

Suddenly Concilio’s eyes flashed with recognition. “Indicina? You are that scientist who made the Elements of Harmony! I saw father award you the ruby star.”

Indicina blushed. “Yes, I am. And I saw you during that… duel,” she said, the last word barely audible. She could almost feel the atmosphere becoming colder.

Concilio was the first to react, a smile on his face. “I look forward to spending time with you, miss. I’m sure, I can learn a lot about magic just talking with somepony of your experience.” The words rolled off his tongue as if practiced in advance, polite formulas rehearsed by a court child, and yet Indicina had a feeling Concilio really meant what he was saying.

Is it the way he talks? Or the way he smiles? He’s a cute kid.

Discidium chuckled. “You will have the time to enjoy your company later I’m sure. But now, that my son is working so hard on his skills, it would be rude to disrupt his training.” He nodded towards the teacher, who resumed a fighting stance, the four blades rising around him. The boy bowed to his father and Indicina before returning to the spar.

Discidium and Indicina started walking toward the palace building.

“I’m very proud of him,” said Discidium. He smiled, but Indicina, now more awake, noticed the corner of his mouth twitch a little.

“Your Majesty,” she said, looking at the emperor. “should you be walking so much with your injury? I’m surely not worth causing yourself pain on my behalf.”

Discidium closed his eyes, and the topaz on his chest flashed again. When he opened his eyes again, he stared straight at Indicina, almost a glare. “Nonsense. I’m tougher than that. I’m a warrior. I’ve always been. Even before I was born, the auguries foretold that my rule would be the age of strife. And so I spent all my youth preparing, making sure I would be strong enough, tough enough. That I would be the ruler the Empire needed for the inevitable war. To be too weak to take a walk with an honored guest, would be to spit upon my own image.”

Indicina stared, not sure what to say, whether to apologize, or to insist on the stallion taking a rest. Before she could decide on a course of action, Discidium spoke again.

“It won’t be like that for Concilio.”

The emperor’s face relaxed. “He’s putting great effort into his fencing lessons, and I’m proud of his progress, but with any luck, he will never need to make a use of it. Learning to fight is taking only a fraction of his time now. Most of his lessons are on the rules of trade, on diplomacy, persuasion and effective governing.

By the time he is big enough to fight, the great war will have ended. The conquered nations will all acknowledge the mandate of the Holy Herd, by which we’re destined to rule. When Concilio leaves the palace and joins his brothers and sisters, it will be as a diplomat and an administrator, his task to heal the wounds of the war and turn the new territories into a peaceful and prosperous land. In a way, he is lucky to be the youngest of my children.”

The emperor stopped and looked at Indicina again.

“And it is all thanks to you. You are the one who completed your father’s research and gave us the weapon we needed to decide this war once and for all. All the future generations, everypony living under the light of Celestia and Luna, will remember your name.

You have every reason to be proud of yourself. Never sell yourself short.”

***

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“No, don’t go!”

Indicina’s throat was sore from screaming. Obsidian kept walking, in oblivious daze, away into the darkness, the abyss stretching open to swallow him whole. Indicina made the last effort, struggling to her hooves.

“No! You will die!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice breaking and barely recognisable, ready to disappear into incoherent bawling.

The stallion stopped for a moment, then slowly turned his head. Indicina was horrified to see his face bearing a calm, serene smile.

“This isn’t death, can’t you see? I have to do this, so everypony can live.”

The boundless void behind him stirred. Suddenly it was full of stars.

***

Indicina’s eyes snapped open. She was lying on the side, tangled in the bedsheets, her body covered with sweat. She remained there for a moment, gasping for breath.

He’s dead, Obsidian is dead, he died… no he isn’t. He isn't going to battle until tomorrow. It was a bad dream. Another bad dream.

She rose shakily, untangling her limbs and finally sitting up. the moon was shining through the open window, outlining the room in pale silver. On the far wall Indicina could see her reflection in a mirror - her face sweaty, her mane in a mess she didn’t have the drive to properly style for days, bags under her eyes clearly marking her as one who had gotten far too little sleep in the past weeks.

I should use the flower to look for him, just in case, see if he’s alright, she thought. I promised him not to do it alone but-

Indicina shook her head rapidly. She still wasn’t thinking clearly.

The flower isn’t here. I left it in the tower. Obsidian might use it to look at me.

Taking a deep breath, the unicorn got off the bed and approached the mirror.

It’s been weeks since the Splice. How could one battle have shaken me so? How can Obsidian live like this? I’ll drive myself crazy if I don’t get it under control.

For a moment her mind drifted, images flashing before her eyes; the approach to Nevercrest, the battle on the mountain slope, Obsidian and his companions breaking into the sanctuary, only to find it full of enemies, ponies dying mid-scream, devoured by the fierce cold of the windigo that the enemy commander unleashed in a desperate gambit. Finally the ritual itself, the wards around her turning white hot as she struggled to keep the enormous power stable, Obsidian diving forward to push her out of the way of power that threatened to consume her.

Indicina shook her head. We survived. The Splice was a success. That’s all that matters. The rest is just a memory.

She kept standing there, one hoof on the mirror, looking at her reflection. For a moment, she looked around for a comb, but then dismissed the idea.

It’s the middle of the night. No point doing my mane now.

Her horn glowed faintly and the illusion was reasserted, all the flaws hidden, replaced by a mask of cool perfection. Indicina took her hoof off the mirror and walked towards the door, leaving her horn active to light her way.

I just need a little walk to clear my head.

Smiling On

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“Good day, everypony!” said Surprise with a toothy smile.

There was no answer, as usual, but the white mare wasn’t deterred. She closed her eyes, letting the sunlight hit her face, inhaled the fresh air and then walked down the row, the flowers held under her wing.

“It’s a really beautiful day, isn’t it?” she said to the nearest slab of white marble, one bearing the name of Iron Heart. Predictably, the gravestone remained silent. “I haven’t been around lately,” continued the pegasus as she kept walking further away from the fortress wall, “so I decided I’d pay you a visit. I know nopony has the time to visit you nowadays.” she finished, smiling apologetically.

She kept walking, smiling and bowing her head, until she reached the fourth row of the small graveyard. The gravestones there, resting in the shadows of the trees, were newer than others. Surprise reached under her wing and took one flower, putting it in front of the stone bearing the name Heavy Weight. “I should’ve visited after that earthquake, I know you were all worried. But we had to find out what was going on,” she said, reaching for another flower. This one went to Bright Eyes, a pegasus filly.

“To be honest, it’s all still a mess,” she added, and for the first time her smile disappeared, replaced with a tired frown. She continued along the row, leaving flowers on the next gravestones, ponies who succumbed to imperfect spellstitching procedures or training accidents.

The seventh grave was Gentle Touch, the first fatality of war. Surprise stopped there. “It was Libra and the guys,” she said, “turns out they did something really stupid. We still don’t know how to fix it.”

She looked around warily, the opaque, pupiless orbs of her blue eyes scanning the surrounding area. “I can’t really talk about that,” she said, sighing, “military secret.” The pony leaned forward towards the stone. “But the Emperor has been merciful. They still have a chance to prove they’re his loyal soldiers.” Suddenly she smiled. “I know they’ll make it. You know Libra and Gloria. And especially Lightbringer.”

The next two graves were empty, slabs of stone commemorating the two ponies that were never found. Surprise put a flower on each even so.

“Daisy Field? I’m still taking care of your flowers. I was thinking of planting them here, what do you think?” she said, leaning closer to the gravestone, her ear twitching. Then she nodded sagely. “Yes, this is not the place. It’s a military graveyard, after all; somepony might get rid of them while landscaping. I will look for a different place for them, some sunny hill near a stream or something.”

She tapped her hoof on the other gravestone, one marked with the name Jade Horn, before passing further along the line. The next three graves belonged to Storm Front and his two wingponies, Lightning Flash and Thunderclap. Surprise stopped in front of the middle grave. The stone was slightly taller, breaking the symmetry of the row to signify the alicorn’s higher status, a breach of the rules pushed by his aristocratic father.

“You’ve heard me talking earlier,” said Surprise. “I can’t say more now; I’m sorry. On the bright side, Shooting Star is doing great with Loyalty. The soldiers really love him. I’m sure it’s thanks to your example.” She leaned closer to the stone and finished in a whisper. “we all miss you.”

Straightening in a salute, Surprise walked to the end of the line, to the two newest graves. She put the last two flowers there.

“We’ve pushed them back,” she said. “Still no sign of your foci, but we’re using the…” she hesitated, then leaned very close to the grave. “flower… to look for them. We’ll get them back soon; you’ll see.”

She turned around and walked in the opposite direction, until she was standing in the middle of the row. She then took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

“Rest your bones in Gaia’s soil, dream a dream of happy times.
Let Indigo take your soul to his realm among the stars.”

She reared and clapped her hooves, before stomping on the ground.

“That’s a unicorn prayer,” said a voice behind her back.

Surprise turned rapidly. Lightbringer and Enigma were standing in the path, mere steps from her. The orange pegasus walked past Surprise, heading straight for the grave of Gentle Touch.

“What are you doing here?” asked Surprise, squinting at Enigma.

The stallion didn’t meet her gaze. “I’ve found a way to get us past the wards. He insisted, so…” he paused, now finally looking straight at her face. “We aren’t going to escape. We have our honor.”

Surprise raised eyebrow. “Why would I think you were escaping? You know I know you better than anypony,” she said with a small smile.

“She shouldn’t be here, this isn’t right,” said Lightbringer behind her back.

Surprise turned around. Lightbringer was standing over the grave, head low, his wings shaking slightly.

“Unicorn prayers, unicorn rites, that’s not right,” he said. “She’s a pegasus. She should fly. She should be returned to the wind, not lie here like this, trapped under a piece of rock.” He turned his head towards Surprise. The mare was walking up to him, her first instinct to hug him, but something stopped her, the sudden tension in his body as she approached, a cornered predator ready to pounce. For a moment it looked as if Lightbringer was about to buck the gravestone. Then he relaxed his stance and folded his wings. Surprise saw his angry eyes glisten with sudden moisture.

“When we go to battle tomorrow…” he started, talking through a clenched jaw. “Don’t let me end like this. Promise you will have me burned.”

Surprise looked at Enigma, who watched the whole situation with his usual expression of faked disinterest, then back at Lightbringer. She smiled, showing him her fangs.

“I know you too, Light. Trust me, You will not die tomorrow.”

Within a split second, Lightbringer’s faced changed back to anger. “How do you know!?” he shouted in her face. “some weird premonition!? That sure would have been useful before, when we…” he stood there, red, struggling for words.

Surprise shook her head. “No, silly. It’s because I know you. You’re the most stubborn of us all. You never give up. They don’t have a weapon there that could make you lie down and die. You’ll just keep fighting until you win.”

Lightbringer moved closer to Surprise, nostrils flared, her sharp-toothed smile met with his angry snarl.

Enigma walked up to him, putting a wing across his withers. “Light, we’ve been here long enough. It’s time for us to come back before somepony finds out.”

Lightbringer glanced aside at his friend, and then released a long breath, calming down. He looked at Surprise one last time.

“You can’t kid yourself forever, Surprise. This is real life. You can’t make all the nightmares disappear by laughing at them.”

Surprise was no longer grinning, her muzzle back to a small smile. But just before the two stallions left, she spoke once more.

“That’s what I do.”

Adapting to Changes

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“Intruder Alert!”

The fortress echoed with the sound of galloping hooves. Armored guards were trying to find their place in the sudden chaos, some holding onto their posts, while others moved around the perimeter in the frantic search of intruders. glowing horns and carried lanterns illuminating the night in erratic patterns.

“Status?” asked commander Bronzehoof as he saw his adjutant Sunspeck run into the command room.

The pegasus spread her wings, halting on the spot. She needed a few seconds to catch her breath before she could speak properly.

“We’re under attack, Sir,” she said to the older earth pony. “It’s the imperials.”

The command room fell silent, the four assembled officers forming a semicircle around the adjutant.

“We know that much already,” said the thin, robed unicorn from beside Bronzehoof. He closed his eyes and focused. “My alarms are being triggered all over the fortress.”

Bronzehoof looked around the room. “How did they manage to move a force this big up here without anypony noticing?”

“You think it could be the Elements?” asked an earth pony officer on the other side of Bronzehoof.

The commander paled a little. “We’ll soon find out.” He looked around the room. “Quartz, you stay here with me and monitor the wards. Windshear, take your teams into the air and try to contain the enemy. Basalt, you secure the main gate. Sunspeck?”

“There’s only one enemy, sir,” said the pegasus.

Bronzehoof paled a bit more. “What? but… he can’t be everywhere at once. Quartz?”

“So, it is an Element?” asked Basalt.

“I don’t know,” said Sunspeck. “The western tower guards say they wounded him, but he teleported away before they could finish him off.”

Everyone looked at Quartz, who responded with an angry glare. “Through my wards? That’s impossible. The warding spells are here specifically to prevent intruders from just blinking in here!”

He was about to say something more when a short scream sounded down the corridor, followed by the sound of broken glass. A second later, a jagged piece of a large, broken mirror appeared in mid air and fell at Quartz’s outstretched neck, taking his head clean off before hitting the floor and shattering into tiny pieces.

For a moment everypony stared at the suddenly dead wizard. Then the lamps on the walls disappeared one by one. In a second the command room turned pitch black. Sunspeck fell to the floor in panic as something winged moved past her.

There were sounds of impact, metal scratching against metal, sounds of sudden pain.

***

Crash!

The pieces of a shattered faceplate flew all over the small workshop. Gloria looked at the biggest chunk with distaste. “Still wrong,” she said.

Lightbringer sighed theatrically. “Do I really have to spend the whole afternoon sitting here, smashing helmets to bits? Can’t you find somepony else to do it?”

Gloria glared at the pegasus. “I have no authority over any of the guards,” she said “and we both need new armors. Especially you.”

Lightbringer looked at the shattered helmet, twitching in surprise as the floor rippled a bit, responding to Gloria’s will to bring all the loose shards back towards her. “And you think this will help?”

“Yes,” said Gloria. “I know I can do better than steel.” She picked a thin metal bar from the table with her teeth and dropped it onto the pile of pieces. She looked on intently as the materials started melting and fusing together, flowing like quicksilver and then stretching upward forming the shape of a new helmet. “We’ve already established that diamond is too brittle. I need a composite that is hard enough to stop stabbing weapons, but will not shatter instead of denting when struck with a blunt weapon.”

“I know what you’re doing,” replied Lightbringer with irritation. “I’m not stupid. I just wish I didn’t have to sit through all the combinations you’re testing. Can’t you make a whole batch at once for me to smash?” He looked around for something to occupy himself, but found nothing.

“Then I’d really have to go through all the combinations,” replied Gloria, lifting the helmet with her front hooves and putting it on a metal stool beside the workbench. “This way I can observe the strain in the pieces and adjust as I work”. She faced away from the stool.

“Okay, hit it!”

Crash!

***

“So… umm… how is it?”

Absinthe blinked. Then he blinked again, this time his eyes shutting sideways. He did it a couple more times, the thin membranes passing over his field of vision. He looked around the plant-covered lab, then down at Evening Embrace, and smiled.

“This is weird, but I think I like it. So, nopony else has eyes like that?”

The mare hesitated, her wings pressing nervously to her sides. “N… no, you’re the first. Of course I’ll make you better ones later.”
“You should make me wings next,” said Absinthe, “Iike yours. I like the idea of being an alicorn.”

Evening Embrace frowned. “But… they won’t really work, will they? Not without… pegasi magic.”

Absinthe’s smile disappeared in an instant. “Yours work, don’t they?”

The faux-alicorn shrunk under his gaze. “They… do, yes. But I have hollow bones... and everything. It took me a lot of work to get this right.”

Absinthe leaned forward, his smile returning, but now devoid of its original warmth. “So, you say it’s difficult, but doable?”

Evening Embrace nodded. “Yes, of course… it is… it’s just that… you need to be tough for now. You… can’t be everything at once…” She took a deep breath to calm herself and forced a smile. “I will tell you when I have a better solution. Why don’t you test the eyes for now?”

Absinthe straightened himself. “Ah, you’re right. I should see if this works.” His membranes flickered, and then his horn sparked, lines of electricity shooting from it to coalesce into a ball of lightning in front of his face.

Eve flinched away, her own nictitating membranes shutting over her eyes before she could stop herself. Fortunately, she managed to turn away before Absynthe noticed. In a terrarium behind her, a furry ball started thrashing, flapping its insectile wings against the glass.

This got Absynthe’s attention. He turned towards the terrarium, the ball lightning dissipating.

“Works like a charm”, he said. “Much better than the stupid shades. What is that thing?”

The furry thing folded its wings, flopping back onto the floor of the terrarium. Evening Embrace turned towards Absynthe, first making sure her eyes looked normal again.

“Oh… it’s… a new project… the high command have heard of my… talent, and requested help in solving the southern front problem. They’re tired of zebras hiding in the jungle.”

Absynthe approached the glass. “And this is?”

“It doesn’t... have a name yet,” replied Eve. “I don’t know where they get it from, just that it eats a lot and breeds terribly fast. I’m just... working to make it a weapon.”

Absynthe watched with amusement. It was amazing how talkative Eve could get when something truly interested her. Like a perspective of being useful. “So, you’re improving on it?”

Evening embrace nodded. “Oh, yes. It would just get eaten if they dropped it in the jungle like this. I’ve given it wings so far… and sharper senses. I think I’ll add some legs next. I’m still waiting with proper eyes though. I don’t want them flying around until… I have some way to control them, so they don’t become a nuisance afterwards.”

Absynthe chuckled. “Oh, yes, I can imagine.” He sneered at the furry creature. “How tough is this glass?”

Evening Embrace smiled. “Oh, do not worry… even if it broke free, it would start eating my plants. That would take care of the problem really quick.”

***

“... but in her case, the versatility more than makes up for the lack of specialisation. By combining the abilities of the others she has been able to do things none of them can, such as using matter manipulation to rapidly re-knit her own damaged flesh.”

Indicina closed her notes and looked at the three alicorns on the other side of the table.

“So,” started prince Austerus, “animate and inanimate matter, space, motion, energy, and one to bring all their powers together? Depending on how creative we get, they could prove really useful yet. What do you think, father?”

The Emperor cleared his throat. “Indeed. The loss of six foci was a great blow to us, but there is still a chance those six can at least make up for the damage they caused. Please keep working with them to ensure they make the most of what they’ve acquired,” he said, looking at Indicina with a smile.

“What about their mental state?” asked prince Sophus from the Emperor’s other side. “We know the foci would affect the bearers’ personalities, and we’ve seen the Elements to be more so in that regard. But what about this new power? You said it was disconnected from emotions. Does it mean it has no influence on them?”

Indicina opened her notes folder again, doing her best not to frown. “From what I have discovered so far, it does influence them, actually, but the effect is opposite. The process of splicing seems to have dulled their emotions somewhat. it also looks like their intelligence and analytical skills have increased, but the overall effectiveness have not. Something is hampering their problem-solving skills.”

“So, they are smarter, but less creative?” asked the Emperor.

“Yes, your Majesty,” replied Indicina. “That I can confirm. I personally witnessed Absynthe break his harp in frustration. He could still tug the strings with what was left of his telekinesis, but he discovered that he could no longer improvise. It was quite a blow for him.”

“Didn’t you say their emotions are dulled?” asked Austerus. “That doesn’t seem like an emotionless pony to me. I’ve also seen how Libra behaved during the trial.”

“That is true,” said Discidium thoughtfully. “And she’s the one who got the highest dose. Can you explain it?”

Indicina felt three pairs of eyes boring into her expectantly. She focused on formulating her answer, comfortable that her illusory make-up would prevent any unwanted blush from being visible.

“The core personality traits are mostly intact,” she started, “as long as the power isn’t enough to break the mind completely.”

Austerus shifted uncomfortably, his mind’s eye returning to the bodies carried out of Nevercrest sanctuary, Alliance soldiers caught at the ground zero of the ritual, without the benefit of the splicing array shielding them from excessive energy; empty shells, still breathing, but unresponsive despite every magical effort, just waiting for death to claim them.

“But a lot of subtleties is lost,” continued Indicina. “To be sure, Libra’s zeal to destroy your Majesty’s enemies is undiminished, but she isn’t the mare she was before. The overall effect looks very similar to what we have seen with the Element bearers, but the mechanics behind it is inverted; rather than a personality trait being reinforced, it is exaggerated because the others have been diminished.”

Austerus scratched his chin. “This… might prove beneficial, actually. After all, we don’t pay our soldiers for having great empathy. Still, the-” he stopped and looked at his father, “how do we call them, father? We need some name for them. ‘the broken foci bearers’ is awkward.”

“We’ll think of it later,” said Discidium. “We don’t want to keep Indicina waiting over formalities.”

“Of course, father,” said Austerus, although the look he gave Indicina afterwards wasn’t a very friendly one. “Anyway, what I was saying is, they need to be monitored.”

“I agree,” said Discidium, “It is utmost importance to ensure no… anomalous behaviour in the line of duty. We need to make sure the changes to their personalities will not progress. Please, keep us informed, my dear,” he finished, smiling.

“Yes… of course, your Majesty,” replied Indicina. She knew she was blushing furiously under her illusion. She hoped the two princes didn’t catch what exactly the Emperor had said, but when she looked at them it was just in time to see their reactions; Sophus only frowned, looking sideways at his father, but the gaze of Austerus briefly turned into a glare. She looked around, trying desperately to change the subject.

“And… your Majesty? I can’t help but notice that you now wear your focus all the time. As an expert, I’d recommend against it. Even for somepony as strong-willed as you, there might be side effects.”

“Do you know that there was another assassination attempt in your absence?” asked Sophus.

Indicina gasped, the information catching her off-guard.

Of course… I keep trying to keep it out of mind, but all this research is because we’re at war. Stupid…

“What happened?” she asked aloud.

“The assassin was apprehended,” said Austerus, “and we’re examining his connections as we speak. But he did manage to strike a blow that might have been fatal had our father not been wearing Pride.”

Discidium looked Indicina in the eyes across the table. “It is true. Much as I’d like to follow your advice, I need to stay armed at all times until the current crisis is averted. I know you’re worried for me, but I assure you, I will not fail. Not when the fate of the entire nation rests on my shoulders.”

Indicina forced a relieved smile, trying not to stare at a tiny speck of gold that lit up inside the gem on the Emperor’s gorget. “Yes, your Majesty. We all believe in you.”

***

“Position?” Captain Flare asked of her navigator.

The mare over the map table checked her instruments. “One hour to target, captain,” she said.

Flare looked around the bridge, her wings shifting uncomfortably. The air is too humid, she thought. I hate flying in mobile cloud cover.

There were four ponies besides her on the bridge of Moonfire: the pegasus navigator, two unicorns, one overseeing the spells protecting the blimp and one handling the communication, and an old zebra shaman, whose job was supposedly to warn them of danger. There was no light except for a softly glowing magical ball illuminating the map in the middle of the bridge. The shutters were closed to hide even that from the outside world.

Flare flew up onto a small staircase leading to the rooftop window, emerging just under the envelope. She reached for her spyglass and surveyed her surroundings.

There were four blimps in the squadron, all fitted with a payload of incendiary bombs ready to be dropped on the imperial positions an hour before dawn. From her position, Flare could barely make out the shapes of the other blimps, all hidden in a dark cloud that their pegasi escort was moving along, all but invisible from the ground. Flare looked around, her keen eye picking out several pegasi pushing the cloud cover, careful to get them to their destination while never going visibly against the wind.

Everything is in order, she thought. We’re well hidden and the ground troops are providing a diversion. Now it all depends on whether their seers are good enough to see through our veil. Now we just wait.

It wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling for Flare, having done everything there was to be done and being forced to wait and see the results. Deep down she always hated such moments. But she had learned to handle this kind of tension years before; she wouldn’t be fit to become a captain if she hadn’t.

“Captain, my captain, listen to me,” sounded a raspy voice from below, “The bones have spoken of that which will be.”

Flare put the spyglass away and turned to look down the hatch. The old zebra was standing at the base of the stairs, looking up with a worried expression.

Flare dropped down back onto the floor of the bridge. “What is it, Ilani?” she asked, “Are they expecting us?”

The zebra shifted uncomfortably. “The bones speak of danger we cannot outrun, ahead is a creature that all spirits shun.”

The captain’s jaw clenched in frustration. “Would it hurt you to be a bit clearer when talking matters of life and death?”

He was answered by more uncomfortable shifting, the many necklaces layered on top of the shaman’s cloak clinking ominously.

“What spirits can’t see, they cannot reveal,” the zebra said with a frown, “They speak of a mare, whose heart turned to steel.”

“That will have to do,” said Flare turning away from the zebra and towards the other crew members. “Signal the rest that we have hostiles approaching. All ponies to the battle stations.”

The crew reacted with speed and discipline. Levers were pulled and wheels turned . Flare could hear the clicking of the silent alarm bringing the rest of the crew to the ballistas, then the soft hum of the magic crystal at the heart of the ship as the three unicorn crew members stationed inside the hull pooled their magic into it. She could feel her hair stand on end when the crystal’s magic projected a soft blue shield around the whole ship. The shutters were still closed, but she could tell the other blimps were doing the same, in preparation for the upcoming battle.

The feeling of waiting for the inevitable returned, but this time it was different. There was no clock ticking this time, to show the exact time till battle. The enemy was somewhere ahead and unlike the original target, it was not something the squadron had planned to fight that night.

Flare walked to the front of the room and opened the shutters on one window. Though lower than her original position, it still provided the view of the deck and the low forecastle in front of it. On the deck the crewmen had already finished preparing, the earth ponies taking charge of the ballistas, while the unicorns were readying their horns.

Minutes passed, the silence of the night disturbed only by the flapping of wings and the shaman behind Flare rolling the pieces of carved bone from the seering cup time after time. With every roll, the sound got more and more on Flare’s nerves.

She was about to comment on it, but when she turned around, she found the zebra staring at the result of the last roll. For a moment their gazes met, and although the shaman said nothing, the facial expression was enough to tell Flare everything she needed to know.

“Get ready!” she shouted, turning back towards the window just in time to see the night inside the storm cloud turn into day.

It wasn’t a lightning strike, not like Flare knew it should look. It was more like the whole cloud in front of the squadron suddenly exploded, the power inside the clouds unleashed all at once in a wild display that sent everypony ducking for cover.

The front of the escort didn’t have any cover to duck into. As she regained her sight, Flare could see tiny burning dots spiralling down in the distance. Moonfire’s shields were flickering, trying to regain full capacity after the blast of lightning washed over them.

“Find the enemy!” she shouted, rising through the roof hatch. The crew on the deck responded with frantic movements, their eyes scanning the sky around them.

Another explosion erupted on the left side of the ship. This time it was a single, powerful lightning, striking vertically at Storm Rider, arcing over the shields protecting the envelope before discharging below the hull. This time Flara managed to catch a glimpse of the enemy, a tall, armored figure that he managed to identify as an alicorn.

“There she is! Fire!” commanded Flare from her post, pointing a hoof at the enemy. The unicorns were the fastest to act, their magical beams cutting through the night towards the attacker.

None of them reached the target. Suddenly, the alicorn disappeared; there was no flash of magic, she was simply gone. And then the air around the ship really exploded. Flare watched as Storm Rider was enveloped in blue flame, the blast taking out a couple pegasi warriors who had charged at the alicorn just in time to get caught in the explosion.

“There!” shouted somepony from the deck. Flare turned in that direction, but saw nothing, the hull of the ship blocking her view. The enemy was below them.

The next explosion hit their ship. Everything disappeared in flames, the noise deafening even through the barriers. Flare put her head inside the hull.

“Shield status?” she shouted.

“We’re at sixty percent!” came a shout from below. There was worry in that voice that Flare could not miss.

It was when she emerged from the hatch again that she got the first good look at the enemy.

The alicorn was tall, almost a head taller than she was, stark white and clad in a silvery armor. Her wings were spread, the wing blades extended, her eyes unreadable behind the mask of her helmet. What struck Flare as strange was that the alicorn didn’t seem to be flying at all, with their wings extended purely for combat. Rather, it looked like she was just standing on thin air, somehow moving along with the ship.

From the darkness, two pegasi emerged, diving at the enemy from behind. She didn’t even flinch, a lightning bolt arcing from one of her wings to the other, looping behind her to strike both the assailants and sending them spiralling down in smoke. Then she disappeared, a moment before a trio of ballista bolts crossed the space where she was standing.

Another bolt of lightning struck Storm Rider. Flare looked towards the other ship, trying to find the enemy again.

She’s tearing through our escorts like they’re nothing, and our shields are getting weaker. How much power does she have to be able to keep doing this? We need to pin her down somehow, or else she’ll keep it up until we all go down. Half of our weapons are too slow to even aim at her…

Beams of magic cut through the darkness from above Moonfire. Flare knew it mean another of the ships joined the battle. Her own unicorn crew members joined the shootout, all trying to corner their elusive enemy. The alicorn kept dodging away as she struck the blimps with blast after blast , sometimes simply disappearing, sometimes shifting weirdly in the air, her movements not quite following what her wings were doing.

A lucky shot hit her, causing her to stagger for a moment, though to Flare’s disappointment, it didn’t seem to do any real damage. Moonfire’s three port ballistas shot at her immediately. Flare watched as they reached the alicorn, but to her surprise, the projectiles slowed down as they got closer, finally falling away after merely tapping on her armor. She disappeared before they could try again, coming back alongside the envelope of Storm Rider.

“Hold fire!” shouted Flare, before any of her crew could accidentally hit the allied vessel.

A pegasus appeared, perhaps the last of the aerial escort of the squadron. He flew at the alicorn, screaming what Flare knew was a challenge, though the exact words were lost in the wind.

This time the alicorn did not dodge away. She stopped in the air, extending an armored hoof at the attacker. Just like the ballista bolts before, the pegasus found himself slowing down against his will, until he was stopped completely, just out of range, his battlecry turning into a scream of impotent rage.

The alicorn flicked her hoof and the knight was launched across the sky, flying right at Moonfire, before colliding hard with the port. To Flare’s horror, she heard not just the dull impact, but the sound of breaking wood. The attack was strong enough to penetrate their shields.

“Status?!” she shouted down.

The voice that answered her was laced with panic. “We’re at twenty percent! I don’t know why it broke through!”

Is she disrupting the magic somehow? thought Flare as she looked back at the enemy, just in time to see her fly along Storm Rider, her right wing blade tearing a hole along the envelope, the blade surrounded by blue sparks as it cut through the weakened barriers. The ship started losing height, a thick wad of refined cloudstuff escaping through the cut.

There were more shots, the unicorns no longer worried about hitting an ally, but to no avail. The alicorn teleported and then flew out of sight, down and to the left of the Moonfire. The crew members on deck rushed to the side to try to see where she went.

And then Flare heard a shout that froze the blood in her veins.

“She went through the hole! She’s inside the ship”

Flare dove down inside, instinctively looking for her personal weapon, a blade she hadn’t used in a real battle for ages. But even as she did, her mind added up the circumstances she found herself in.

She’s inside the barrier! We’re unprotected! If she takes out the power core, we’ll be-

Her pegasus instinct screamed in a warning. She couldn’t see the enemy, but she could feel, with her whole body, an electrical charge building up. In a horrible second, she understood.

Not the power core! She’s after the bombs!

“Luna above us…”

Flare’s hair stood on end and then everything became fire.

Crossing the River

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“Who are you talking about?”

“Her! My love! She died for you, for all of you! Don’t you remember?”

“No.”

“Neither do I.”

“Dunno what you’re talking about.”

“Doesn’t ring a bell. Are you feeling okay?”

***

Obsidian awoke with a start. He looked at the afternoon sky behind the small window, trying to remember what was going on, while the anguish and panic slowly faded from his mind.

I’m at the barracks… yes, I came back from a mission in the morning, and went to sleep. Why was I… oh, a bad dream. Again. I must be spending too much time on the front line. I keep sleeping badly. What would I give for a vacation.

As he rolled out of bed, and onto his hooves, he looked at the alarm clock on the night table. There was still half an hour until his scheduled wake up, too little to go back to sleep, but enough for him to feel groggy and unfocused. Grumbling under his nose, he dragged his legs towards the showers.

What was that about? Indicina, I think… Something happened to her? But she’s in the palace today, isn’t she? She’s much safer than I am…

He entered the shower stall, and grabbed the valve with his teeth.

Sun and Moon, I need to wake up. I wonder where they’re sending us tonight.

***

The Sun was already beginning to set when Obsidian and Winter Gem arrived at the camp. It was set up in the swamplands, visibly a temporary measure to give the soldiers a place to sleep after a busy day of cornering the enemy.

“Take a look,” said a unicorn officer, handling him binoculars. Obsidian grasped the tool with his magic, levitating it in front of his face. There was some movement across the river, large, furry shapes moving behind the cover of reeds. Obsidian counted, trying to guess the full size of the force from the few details he could see.

“Scouting?” he asked.
“High altitude air team,” replied the officer. “They have someone blocking our seers, and there are too many darts up close. But from what we could see, they don’t really have where to run. If we attack along the river, they’ll be trapped between the bank, our forces, and the quicksand behind.”

“So, with your main forces on the other side, and you here ready to pick them off if they try to swim across, they’ve caught themselves in a trap?” asked Winter Gem, her magic taking the binoculars from Obsidian. “Looks like the battle is won, and we’re just here to make sure you take them down with minimum losses.”

The officer nodded. “Credit where it’s due, it was our logistics support division that used their magic to prepare this trap. That position would have been a good defensive position just yesterday. Beyond that, pretty much yes. Whatever zebra magic the enemy have, it won’t be enough to dry up their retreat route. But it still leaves them plenty of tools to hurt my soldiers, and the high command wants results as quickly as possible. We thought your gifts could let us change it from a gruelling battle into a mere speed bump.”

The two Elements looked at each other. Obsidian saw himself reflected in the pink pools of color that Winter Gem’s irises had turned into. He remembered seeing his own eyes, now two circles of glowing amber, in the mirror at the base. He still hadn’t gotten used to how their Elements changed them.

“If we can get them to surrender,” said Winter Gem to the officer, “would it slow you too much to have them transported?”

The unicorn considered the situation. “All of them? It would be a huge pain. But still preferable to a battle. That poison they use is a mess morale-wise. And I’d rather delay a day or two, then face the next big battle without our full strength.”

There was a whoosh of air, as a black-coated pegasus flew over them, making a tight turn on descent, and landing in front of the commander. “Colonel,” he said, “a report from her highness’ command ship. She’ll be dispatching Arrogance and Vengeance to aid us.”

The officer looked from the messenger to the Elements and back. “Two of you, and two of… them? Isn’t that redundant? Or does the command know something we don’t?”

“We haven’t been told anything,” replied Obsidian. “And we were teleported here. That means Flagrantia must be acting without consulting Sophus. What do we do?” he asked Winter Gem.

The mare considered the situation. “We haven’t received orders not to do our part. We don’t need any help for it, so I say we might as well.”

“I agree,” said Obsidian. “Colonel, we’ll be going to meet our enemy, to see if we can talk them into surrendering. It will be easier if your ponies stay back.”

“I understand,” replied the commander, grabbing the binoculars as Winter Gem levitated them his way. He turned towards the messenger pegasus. “Fly by the bank. Tell our forward guard not to interfere.”

***

Obsidian and Winter Gem stood at the river bank. Obsidian ordered his staff to hit the ground, leaving it embedded upright into the mud. Winter Gem had no weapon, nor did she need any. They spent a moment checking the spells cast at their armor, before Winter Gem cast another one - it spread from her horn over both ponies, finally concentrating on their hooves.

With some hesitation, Obsidian stepped onto the surface of the river. He could feel the slow current move lazily under his hooves, but with just a bit of effort he was able to force the magic to keep him stable. He walked forward, watching the ripples spread across the water as he moved.

He could already see movement on the other side. There was a snap of something stretchy in the distance, and an apple-sized stone ball flew towards him, skidding across the water, as he sidestepped the attack.

He focused his magic, and felt it extend like a film over his coat, ready to protect him from any incoming projectiles.

“I’d rather not deal with cursed darts,” he said. “I think it’s time to do your thing.”

Winter Gem sighed. “You know we could’ve just waved a white flag, don’t you?”

Obsidian snorted. “Not everyone respects those. You are way more direct.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here for, isn’t it?” said Winter Gem. She stopped walking, and inhaled deeply, lines of pink light swirling around the gorget on her neck.

“There is no need for violence,” she said.

The light spread, in a bright flash, washing over the surface of the river, and then the opposite bank. As the white unicorn observed the effects of her power, she nodded with satisfaction, and resumed her walk.

They could see more details now, as the enemies emerged from among the water plants. The enemy force was a mix of buffaloes and zebras, all dressed in war paint, visibly worn out by extended conflict, but still determined. There were weapons, some held in mouth, some strapped to the bodies, spears, spikes, blowguns, and even small, back-mounted ballistas. Nobody attacked, but every pair of eyes was fixed on the two ponies walking across the lake.

It was Obsidian’s turn to call upon his Element. Sending the magic into his throat, he imbued his voice with power, enough to be heard over considerable distance. He inhaled, and focused on the gem on his chest, bringing forth the power to make others feel his conviction.
“We’re here to talk to your commander!” he called over the crowd.

There was some movement, and a buzz of hushed whispers filled the reeds. “Our commander has nothing to talk to you about!” called some buffalo, whose tangled, wet fur made him look like a pile of compost.

“We’re here to give you a chance to surrender,” said Winter Gem.

Obsidian imbued his voice with Honesty again. “If you fight, all of you will die.”

There was stunned silence at that. The gathered Alliance forces must have known their odds, but making them face the truth through the power of Honesty shook them to the bone. Just as Obsidian wanted.

“And how is a surrender going to save us?” called an old, male voice from inside the group.

A thin, old zebra stallion dressed in colored wood and feathers, walked out of his hiding spot and onto the bank. Obsidian ground his teeth when he recognized him.

“This won’t end well,” he whispered to Winter Gem. The mare didn’t seem to understand, until she saw a gorget on the old shaman’s neck, a glowing fuchsia gem in the middle of it.

“You,” said Obsidian. “Are you the one leading these soldiers to death?”

The zebra cleared his throat, and spat into the water at Obsidian’s feet. “I’m Busara, the spirit guide. I speak for these zebras.”

“You don’t rhyme,” noticed Winter Gem aloud, before catching herself.

Busara cast her a dirty look. “Not in your tongue.” He looked from one pony to the other. “A white mare offering mercy, and a black stallion offering threats of death. Is that how you want to break us?”

“It’s… a simple fact,” said Obsidian. “You will die if you don’t surrender.”

The zebra met his gaze. “You are blasphemers and tyrants. To bow to you is dishonor. Why would we insult our ancestors trying to save ourselves, when you have already doomed us all?”

Winter Gem raised both eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”

“Busara feels very strongly about the Elements,” explained Obsidian. “Now, listen,” he said, turning to the zebra. “This is not about you. If it was about you, I wouldn’t give you this chance. Not while you’re still wearing a trophy taken from a comrade of mine. But there are hundreds at your side, and they don’t need to die for your hubris.”

“They will die for yours,” answered the zebra.

Obsidian glared at him angrily. “Are you even listening to yourself?” He looked around at the gathered zebras. “Are you listening to this!? Is this really your leader?”

“Terrible vengeance will strike us down,” said Busara. “What we think about it is meaningless.”

Obsidian hissed through his teeth. “How do you know?” before biting his tongue angrily.

“I don’t mean your monster, blasphemer,” said Busara. “The spirits tell of her coming, but it is nothing compared to what you’ve brought upon us.”

“Perhaps I should try this?” asked Winter Gem, looking at Obsidian. “It’s going to sound harsh, but your side has already lost. There is no point in dragging this... suffering any longer.”

The zebra looked at her. “You are the bearer of Kindness, are you not?” he asked.

“I am,” confirmed Winter Gem. Obsidian decided to stay silent, just listening to the two speak.

“You think your kindness will make the world a better place,” said Busara.

“I do,” said Winter Gem with a nod.

“You, who’ve lost everything to the flames, want to make a difference for others,” continued the shaman.

Winter Gem suppressed a surprised gasp.

“And yet,” continued Busara, “the Kindness you bear, it comes from the realm of gods, stolen from them in your blasphemous ritual. Do you think they have any kindness left to show us?”

“Ah,” said Wither Gem, finally understanding “so this is your line of thinking…”

Busara looked her in the eyes. “This world has been engulfed in madness, first from the war your leader caused, and then by your hoof. It can’t be healed by words, or reason. It is incapable of finding harmony, no matter what you do. Because you took it for yourselves, and grafted it into your souls. As long as you live, there is no hope for this world. Will you die, and return what you’ve stolen, to restore the balance?”

Winter Gem stood in silence. “Even if this is what you believe, I cannot. There are ponies that rely on me. I believe differently from you, and I act on it, for the good of all the ponies who still have a home to return to.”

Busara took a step back, then turned around, looking at the zebras and buffalos gathered at the river. He finally faced the two Elements again.

“Then, you are both monsters, and it is our duty to fight you till our last breath, for the sake of everything that still lives!” he exclaimed. “Now, go back to your army. If this is our last night, we’ll face it with honor!”

“Go away!” shouted someone from the crowd. “Go and die!” shouted another. “Monsters!” added some buffalo. “Blasphemers!”

The shouts kept coming, the gathered army turning into a hateful crowd in a matter of seconds. Obsidian gritted his teeth, staring into the angry faces. “Winter Gem?”

The unicorn clenched her jaw with effort. She breathed slowly, purposefully, through the nose. “I can manage. But we’ve failed.”

“Let’s turn back,” said Obsidian, turning around.

They both walked away, the insults from the river bank pursuing them most of the way.

“They really think us monsters,” said Obsidian. “Are we?”

Winter Gem looked at him, studying his expression. “You used your zone of truth on him, didn’t you?”

Obsidian nodded. “I did. I had to make sure he was honest with us. He didn’t even stutter. He meant every word.”

“And he made you second-guess yourself?” asked Winter Gem.

Obsidian looked into the water at his feet, his tail flicking in frustration. “He did. When he called me a monster, he meant that too.”

Winter Gem sighed. “But you aren’t a monster.”

“Aren’t I?” asked Obsidian. “He looked down at his chest. “I’m not a monster.” He snorted, and looked at his friend. “See? I can say it, but I can’t make it ring true. I can’t say it with conviction.”

Winter Gem smiled. “That only speaks of your conviction, not of the truth. If you are still uncertain, consider this. That shaman that called you a monster. He’s wearing Inspiration, taken from Bianca’s body. He was your enemy. And yet, you were the one trying to save all of his soldiers, and he was the one who doomed them all.”

They were just about to reach the river bank. Obsidian called his staff, pulling it free from the mud, and turned around. The Sun was setting now, its light turning the water deep red.

“All of them?” he asked, “Are you sure?”

Winter Gem nodded sadly. “I could feel their anger. They’re not going to surrender. And even if they do, it will be too late by then.”

***

It was just past the moon rise when the Imperial colonel appeared at the bank, approaching the Elements with a pair of alicorns in tow. One of them was Libra, clad in an intricate armor that made her look like royalty. The other…

“Gloria,” said Obsidian. “You have wings now?”

Gloria looked at her sides. “Libra made them for me. They don’t really work without pegasi magic, I have to use my power to move the air around them. I love the look though.”

“Did the enemy move?” asked Libra.

“They did not.” answered Winter Gem. “They’ve sent a couple of spirits, but I managed to repel them all before they could possess anypony. It seems they have no hope of retreating anymore, but they won’t surrender either. They got it into her heads to die in a honorable battle.”

“There won’t be a battle,” said Libra.

Obsidian looked at her with surprise. “What do you mean?”

“My forces are already retreating,” said the colonel. “Our presence is demanded elsewhere, so the new orders we’ve got is to stay out of their way.”

“You’re going to fight them all by yourself, aren’t you?” asked Obsidian.

“No,” said Libra. “A fight is what they want. My orders are to remove them. Gloria?”

The two alicorns approached the river bank, leaning over the dark waters.

“What are you planning to do?” asked Winter Gem.

“Libra is experimenting with a new transmutation,” said Gloria. “I cannot manipulate matter on such fine level, but I can help her accelerate the process.” She looked aside at the officer. “When can we get a confirmation that your forces are away?”

The unicorn shifted uncomfortably. He really doesn’t want them here, realised Obsidian.

The officer cast a quick spell with his horn. It flew up, all but invisible in the darkness, before detonating high up in the sky, north of their current location, a sequence of blinking lights hanging in the air.

Everypony stared into the air. Obsidian found himself counting seconds. One, two, three, four, five, six…

When he reached eight, there was a response, three bursts of light high in the air, each flashing the same sequence of colors.

The colonel took a deep breath. “All of them have reached their ordered position. There is nopony of ours downwind. Is that what you wanted?”

“Yes,” replied Libra. “This is all we needed.” She turned away from him, and leaned forward, until her horn touched the water. Gloria followed suit.

Obsidian looked curiously over their shoulders. It took him a moment to notice any change in the darkness, but there was something in the water, spreading from the two ponies, An opaque, oily blot extending slowly as it moved down the current.

“If this is what I think it is…” he started.

“It’s a swampland,” answered Gloria. “It’s not critical to our plans. Removing enemy forces, and preserving our own is.”

The river was already a mess of dull grey. Obsidian could hear some voices from the other side; the enemy sentries noticed it too.

Libra straightened and moved away from the water. The other ponies did too, and Obsidian felt a cool breeze on his face; Winter Gem covered them in a protective shroud of wind.

“We are done here,” said Libra, a single spark or lightning shooting from her horn. In an instant the river was aflame, turning light into day for three seconds, before the flames disappeared, hidden by smoke. The other bank disappeared, cut off by a wall of white fumes.

The five ponies observed what was happening, their ears twitching as they tried to hear anything through the cloud. Finally, Libra turned away.

“We’re required elsewhere,” she said.

Gloria turned around, looking at the faces of the ponies around her. When she looked at the commander, his face rigid with shock, her own face contorted into a scowl. Regaining control, she smiled. “It is done, colonel. The enemy is gone, and you haven’t lost a single soldier.” She took a pause, which stretched on, until it became uncomfortable silence. “No need to thank us.”

Libra turned to look at Gloria, who nodded. Both mares disappeared; with no sound, or flash of teleportation - simply gone in an instant.

The three ponies left at the bank looked at each other.

“She really did expect you to thank her,” said Obsidian.

The colonel turned to look at the river again, before looking Obsidian in the eyes. “Thank her… for this?”

The Last Meal

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The parasprite flapped its wings, thrashing against the wires of the cage like an oversized moth. The flame illuminating the hut cast wild, flickering shadows on the walls.

Busara ignored it. He once again leaned over the table, opening his mouth.

The pain was excruciating, his jaw vibrating with torment each time he dragged it along the metal file, but he ignored that too. He had no herbs left to sedate himself with, but the pain was a part of the ritual. The old zebra let it flow through him, hardening his determination with every move.

Almost there. A few more, and I will be ready.

He straightened himself and spat some blood onto the floor. The night outside was moonless, perfect for the spells he was about to weave, perfect for revenge. For Fali, Udadisi, Nzuri… He let the memories pass in front of his eyes, remembering every face from his family, letting them flow through him and stoke his anger. He was never a singer, and his current injuries made every word painful, but as he prepared to return to the file and continue his work, he opened his mouth and wailed, foul curses flowing from his lips.

The parasprite stopped thrashing in its cage, and looked at Busara curiously.

The zebra returned to the file. Excruciating minutes passed as he kept working. Finally he stepped away, and looked into a broken mirror he still had among his tools. Just as he had expected, he looked horrible. There was blood on his mouth, staining his lips red and dripping onto his chin in several places. When he smiled, he could see the effect of his work; his teeth were ruined, filed to wicked points, unsuited for eating any normal food.

But there was no normal food anymore. The Shattered had made sure of it. The parasprites they created, the strange small monsters that multiplied at an unbelievable rate, turning every plant they could eat into more of themselves. First the fruit disappeared, then the foliage hiding the zebra warriors. Then the stalks and the grass, until they found themselves trying to defend a wasteland. Animals started to die, first the herbivores, then the predators that ate them, then even the scavengers, the least picky of the meat eaters. The zebras had some supplies, enough to last them for weeks when the disaster struck. Some of them ran. Were they the smartest, or the most cowardly?

The majority stayed, determined to defend their homeland. But soon it became apparent that the enemy was not coming. The blimps would hang in the distance, always watching, but they wouldn’t engage the defenders. They were waiting, Busara realized, waiting for the famine to kill everypony.

All that’s left is a desert. Nothing to conquer, no point in even ending the war anymore. Nothing but death. Had they planned it this way from the start? Had they wanted to wipe out the zebras? Or did they just lose control over the horrors they created until there was no point holding back?

He should have seen that coming, really. The decision was logical, a cold calculation to minimise the risk and maximise the death toll. But he hadn’t. Even after all he had seen, he couldn’t anticipate such an atrocity.

And now everypony who stayed was dead. Busara knew. As they died he had stayed with them, protected by the favour of the spirits, his magic magnified by the magical trinket he had taken from a slain enemy. The stone now hanging in a silver gorget on his neck, a vivid pink quartz, was Inspiration - one of the artifacts similar to the ones the Imperial ponies used to commit their blasphemy.

Busara looked down on the crystal. There was now a drop of blood on its surface, the light inside distorted by the stain, as if trying to avoid it. The shaman clenched his jaw. He hated the thing.

When he took it as a trophy in the battlefield, off the body of a white mare who had succumbed to poisoned darts, he clearly recognized its power. The crystal filled his body with magic, and his mind with ideas. It served him well in the war. But when the cursed enemies stooped to killing the land itself, there was nothing he could do.

If I had unicorn magic, I could create something edible, he thought angrily for a thousandth time. But the spirit magic doesn’t work that way.

He tried everything. He even tried to learn to cast spells the unicorn way. But it was too little too late. He could make the power nourish him, but he failed to do the same for others. He even tried giving the necklace to his niece Udadisi, hoping to save at least one life, but that didn’t work either - the filly had no idea how to awaken the power within the crystal.

Busara closed his eyes. Enough. Blaming myself won’t help. It’s not myself I’m trying to target. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind. He focused on his anger again, thinking of the enemy blimps hanging impassively overhead. Of the faces of his tribe, thinner and thinner, less and less numerous. He stepped away from the table and walked outside. There, they all waited for him, a circle of zebra skulls surrounding a fire in the middle of the now empty village. There were other skulls, of various species, gathered around it in bigger circles. Busara walked among them, making sure not to step on any, and added the last of the gathered wood to the fire. It is almost done, he thought in the direction of the most familiar skulls.

Walking back inside, he looked around for his tools. He no longer needed the pigments. He passed the writing table - they had eaten the paper long before, except for the old notes Busara’s apprentice took when he escaped.

Perhaps we should’ve all left… no. The world is ending anyhow. Mwandishi wanted to save my writings, but what good will the prophecies do if they’re coming true already?

He sighed, and turned away from the table.

This is not how the spirits told me. But that just means worse is still coming. We will be struck down by those monsters, before the world is struck down by the gods themselves.

He spat again, the coppery taste of blood filling his mouth. No more distractions.

He went to a rack where his ceremonial clothes were waiting. There was a shimmering cloak stitched from parasprite wings, back from the day when they got desperate enough to try eating the parasprites, only for the Imperials to take their swarms away, using strange music to lure them away and burn them before they could endanger their own lands. There was a ceremonial hat made from vulture feathers and a skull of a starved jaguar. Busara put both on, slowly, feeling some of his doubts ebb away, as the spell he had been preparing started taking shape inside his head.

The crystal on his neck flashed once, and then turned dark. The cloak billowed, despite there being no wind. Busara felt the power coursing through him, along with the feelings embedded in his clothes - the hunger of the dying predator; the hunger of a waiting carrion-eater; the mindless gluttony of the insatiable swarm. He felt the dull pain of hunger in his own stomach intensify, and the blood trickling from his chin now mixed with saliva.

He grabbed the parasprite cage, and left the hut. There was nothing there he’d care about anymore. He walked into the circle, and stood in front of the fire. He took a breath, and focused. His mind, trained through long years of practice, supplied the right words.

“Hear my voice, spirits! I call to you!
By all the pain we have suffered through
By all the harm done to me and to you
It is time for our foes to suffer too!”

he intoned, dropping the cage at his feet.

The shadows around the fire changed, stretching and shifting. The lines on the sides of the huts turned into distorted shapes of skulls, then skeletons, then emaciated animals. Busara continued his spell.

“I call you spirits! Come! Come to my aid!
If our fate is to die and to fade
Before our souls can to rest be laid
Let us teach these monsters how to be afraid!”

The shadows rose, and Busara felt the feelings in his head coalesce - he could now hear actual voices, a growing noise of shouting zebras and screaming animals. His stone flashed again, the pink light darkening into angry red. Busara felt growing pain in his joints and his vision swam.

The shadows formed a ring of darkness around him. They had gained enough substance that he recognised the familiar faces; his sister Fali, her husband and daughter, the old chieftain of the tribe, and the warriors, the toughest zebras, who were the last to die. He could see their gazes boring into him, waiting, their mouths opening and closing. More shadows appeared, more zebras, then the beasts, buffalos, jaguars and lions. The crowd was growing with every second, the shadows passing through each other as they exhausted the available space. Though none of them moved, the shifting darkness made the bonfire in its center look like the eye of a storm. Busara took a breath once more.

“They brought us death, and they brought us pain
Even the land itself they drove insane
It is time of reckoning for their pride and their greed
For the famine they brought us… now let us all feed!”

He kicked the cage at his feet, tipping it over and breaking the door. The parasprite inside flapped its wings desperately, but before it could fly out, Busara stuck his snout inside the cage, and bit down.

The creature tasted like an overripe fruit, its skin giving way easily under the shaman’s pointy teeth. A part of him, small and fading fast, was disgusted by the taste. The rest was too hungry to care. He bit off a large piece, and swallowed.

His belly seemed to cave in in an instant, the hunger crossing through maddening pain, and beyond, a hunger of a starving herd too large to count. He kept biting, blood splattering on his snout, swallowing without chewing until the parasprite stopped struggling, and disappeared in his jaws, wings and all. The pain intensified, Busara’s skin stretching on his bones, his body growing thinner by the second.

The bonfire exploded and went out, the shadows flooding the empty space.

***

Busara opened eyes that weren’t his. He could still see his own body floating in the air inside a swirling mass of shadows, his cloak flapping on the wind that wasn’t quite real, the light of Inspiration a tiny red pinprick in the darkness. But at the same time he could see the night around him with thousands of eyes, hear with ears beyond counting. In an instant he was every shadow, the thousands of his own desperate last breath echoing around him, their anguish his anguish. Their hunger his hunger.

He looked around, and saw a shape across the night sky; a small flying ship bearing the crests of the Alicorn Empire, a golden flying alicorn over a red, blazing sun. He could smell the blood of the crew, hear their every breath. There were so few of them… this will only be a start.

He extended his will, and the towering mass of shadows rushed forward, a cloud of blackness blotting out the stars. Fast as wind, it reached the airship, and spilled onto the deck; Busara could see the horrified expressions of the three unicorns standing on guard duty.

Then the land of the zebras opened its mouths to feed.

Tales of a Hidden World: Book 2

by Braininthejar

A Matter of Pride

What Do You Fight For?

A Meeting at Midnight

The Light of the New Era

Smiling On

Adapting to Changes

Crossing the River

The Last Meal