> The Story of a Moonlit Soldier
>  by Shadowmane Nox
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Officer's Oath of the New Lunar Republic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Upon my honor I do swear, as both officer and subject, to defend and support the laws of this New Lunar Republic; 
and to serve ever faithfully our eternal princess of the night.
I take this oath of my own free will; and with neither fear, nor reservation, do vow to defend all subjects of this realm; 
be they earth pony, unicorn, or pegasi. 
May the shadows ever be my cloak, and the night my ally true, as I stand against all who would wish this nation harm.
May mine be the spear that shall never break, and the shield that shall not yield; that I might never fail nor falter in my duties. 
With faith and loyalty I make this vow, and so do pledge my life. 
Until the day I am relieved of service, or Death takes me to join the stars.
I shall live not for myself but for those whom I hold most dear.
My family!
My nation!
And my princess of the night!

> Prologue: I Met Her Upon That Moonlit Field 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Year 15 LRC
Location: East of the Foal mountain range


“Star? Where are you Star?”

“Down here!”

With a small chuckle, a white earth pony placed her forelegs atop the wall of the stone bridge on which she stood. Glancing down into the small ravine winding away below, she laughed as she spotted the little filly playing near the stream.

“Are we trying to catch a fish?” 

Beneath her, the filly gave a playful laugh as she danced near the water’s edge. Watching on with a bright smile, Spring Blossom could not help but admire how much energy her daughter possessed. Even in her younger days, the old mare doubted she could have matched the excitement the young filly could garner over even the most mundane of things. 

“No mother!” her daughter yelled, almost slipping into the stream as she continued to prance. “It’s not a fish. I found a flower! A flower! Come see!”

With a sigh, Spring placed the basket she had been carrying onto the wall, making sure it would be visible from the ravine. Then, with a mighty push, the blond-maned pony leapt from the bridge towards the slope leading down into the ravine. With a sound of scraping rocks, she allowed her momentum to carry her down the slope until she came to rest a few paces away from her daughter. 

“All right Starchaser…” She laughed, while her daughter stomped her hooves impatiently. “Let’s see this flower you are so excited about.”

“Here it is!”

The young pony jumped back to reveal a pure white flower resting on the river’s edge. Despite herself, Spring Blossom could not help but stare on in admiration. Though not at the flower, but instead the smiling face of her daughter. 

The young foal had a beautiful blue coat which, while currently covered in a great deal of mud and grass, always reminded her of a moonlit sky. Her mane, tied back into a single braid, was a gorgeous mixture of cyan and cerulean locks. But of all the little things she loved about her daughter, it was her smile that always made Spring thank whatever power had seen fit to bless her with such a foal. Her gorgeous smile, beaming from beneath eyes which shimmered like the sky above, was a sight eternally full of life and joy; two elements which had become increasingly scarce as of late. 

“Mother?” Starchaser asked uncertainly. “Is something wrong?” 

“No child.” Spring laughed, quickly whipping a tear from her eye before the foal could notice. “Nothing’s wrong. Now let’s see this discovery yours.”

Walking over to where her daughter stood, the mare bent down to closely examine the flower. The plant was very small. In fact, had it not been for the filly, Spring doubted she would have noticed it through the reeds which sought to hide the plant from view. The petals, spreading out like points of a star fallen to earth, shimmered in the sunlight from the water collecting on their surface.

“That’s a lily my dear.” Spring told her daughter, giving the foal’s head a congratulatory rub. “You did well to find it. I have not seen many of these flowers blooming this year.”

“It looks just like a star.” 

“Yes.” The mare laughed as she nuzzled the filly’s neck lovingly. “It most certainly does.”

“Can we bring it home? I want to show father!”

“Very well. But you must carry it. Agreed?”

Starchaser beamed and gave her mother a quick nod. Turning, the foal faced the lily, her eyes narrowing with concentration as the small horn poking through the front of her mane began to shimmer with a pale blue light. Before her, a similar light encompassed the little flower, causing it to sway back and forth as though caught in a gentle breeze. A moment later the plant, along with a patch of dirt beneath it, lifted into the air to float next to the blue-eyed pony.

“I see you’ve been keeping up with the lessons your father gave you.” Spring marveled as the flower passed slowly over her daughter’s head. “I’m sure he’s very proud.”

“I hope so.” the filly sighed, her shoulders slumping at the mention of her father. “I don’t get to see him very much.”

“Your father is very busy.” Spring assured her, pulling Starchaser into a tight embrace. “More so now than ever before. I know he doesn’t get to see us very often, but I know he loves you very much. I also know he’s proud with how far you’ve come with your magic. Now come on, let’s go.”

In one fluid motion the mare placed her head beneath her daughter’s chest before proceeding to flip her gently into the air. The filly laughed in excitement as she landed on her mother’s back with a soft thud.

“Hang on little one.” The earth-pony laughed as she began to climb the ravine’s slope, the flower floating in the air behind them. “Your father should be home soon. We’ll head straight there, and you can tell him all about how you found that flower.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Starchaser smiled contentedly as she strolled beside her mother. The sun overhead was already beginning to set, and the sky had begun to take on the most beautiful hues of red and gold. On the road before her, she could already make out the first few houses of Clearstream village. Excitement growing at the thought of seeing her father after all these weeks, the filly began to quicken her steps. Just behind her, she heard her mother give a small chuckle as she too picked up her pace.

As the pair entered the village square, the blue-eyed filly glanced around nervously. There was a strange tension in the air; an alien feeling she had never experienced before as other ponies scampered nervously from one shop to another. The town’s bakery, normally a bustling with ponies of every age, was strangely silent.

“Can you believe this?” a grey-maned stallion grunted as he tapped a newspaper with his hoof. “They’re already saying that New Canterlot is going to fall.”

“If that’s the case…” his partner gasped, huddling close to look at where he’d indicated. “Doesn’t that mean the Empire could be here by tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” the first pony chuckled, though there was no real humor in his voice. “This paper is a day old! They could be here any minute for all we know.”

“Mother?” Starchaser whispered nervously as a pegasus passed quickly over their heads. “What are they talking about?” 

“Nothing you need to worry about darling.” Her mother answered, giving her neck a comforting nuzzle. “Just grownup problems.”

After several minutes of walking in silence, Starchaser finally spotted her family’s house. At the sight of smoke rising from the chimney of her father’s study, the strange conversation she had overheard in town was immediately forgotten. As her face broke out into a beaming smile, the young filly sprinted from her mother’s side towards the open front door. 

“Father!” she shouted excitedly as she charged into the house. “Father, I have something to show you!”

Across the living room, Starchaser could see firelight through the cracked study door. Without even waiting for her mother, the foal made her way to the study and stuck her head through the doorway. The room was filled with piles of old and dusty books, some piled so high that it was amazing they had not collapsed under their own weight. At the far side of the room stood a massive wooden desk, decorated with various scrolls and mechanical contraptions in various states of functionality. In front of the desk sat a solitary figure, a solemn black-coated unicorn with an unkempt silver mane shoved beneath his wizard’s cap. The pony was poring over an enormous tome, so engrossed in its pages that he did not even flinch as the study door creaked open.

“Father!” Starchaser cried excitedly as she burst into the room. “I have something to show you!”

The elder unicorn did not seem to pay even the slightest bit of attention as the filly walked over to sit behind his seat. 

“Father?”

“I’m very busy Star.”

The stallion’s voice was gruff, and while not necessarily angry, it was clear he had no intention of allowing a conversation to begin.

“But father…” 

“I told you I’m busy Star!” he snapped, causing the filly behind him to flinch as he turned a page of the tome. “Why don’t you go play with your mother?”

“The two of us have been playing all day.” a stern voice from the door responded as Starchaser’s face fell into a sad frown. “It’s your turn now Storm. So why don’t you look at what your daughter has brought you.” 

With a sigh the unicorn turned to face his wife and daughter, allowing the tome in front of him to close with a loud thump.

“Very well then…” He grunted, turning his cold blue eyes to the foal seated before him. “What is it you want me to see?”

Staring nervously at the floor, the young pony allowed the lily to float out from behind her back, sending it to hang suspended in the air before her father. For several moments the stallion stared at the hovering plant, his eyes unblinking as if he was memorizing every single detail of the scene before him.

“Lilium candidum…” he grunted, sniffing at the flower before his gaze shifted back towards his daughter. “A lily, is it? I suppose you’re the one who found it?”

“Yes father.” Starchaser muttered, her eyes remaining fixed on the floor in front of her.

“Was it by the old ravine?

“Yes father.”

“And you carried it back here just to show me?”

The young foal’s shoulder slumped dejectedly at the elder unicorn’s words.

“Yes father.”

For several moments, the black stallion simply sat on his chair, staring coolly at his daughter. Then, without warning, he rose suddenly from his seat before scooping the shocked filly into a tight embrace.”

“You’re amazing, little one.” he cheered, giving her head a playful rub. “Absolutely amazing! To think a foal your age could carry something that far. You’ve been practicing a lot since I’ve been gone. Haven’t you?”

“Yes father.” The filly sobbed, burying her head in the stallion’s chest. “I missed you so much. Every day! I practice every day, just like you told me!” 

As the filly continued to cry, the blue light surrounding the floating flower winked out, quickly causing it to fall towards the floor. Without even looking, the elder unicorn’s horn flared brightly. With a flash of blue light the plant vanished from view; only to reappear a moment later, tucked into the brim of his hat.

“I’ve missed you too my little star.” her father sighed, a single tear rolling down his cheek as he held his daughter close. “Not a day goes by when I don’t think of you and your mother. I’m sorry I’ve been gone for so long. Believe me, I wish it did not have to be this way.”

“Come on you two.” came Spring’s voice from behind the pair. “That’s enough crying for now. If you don’t stop, I’ll start going too, and nopony wants that.”

Laughing, Stormcaller allowed his daughter to pull away before he used one of his hoofs to wipe a tear from her cheek.

“I think we’re about done with tears for the moment. Don’t you Star?”

Glancing up at her father, the young pony smiled as she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes.

“I’m done.”

“Good girl.” the silver-maned unicorn chuckled, rubbing her head once more as he rose to his hooves. “Now let’s make some dinner, I bet you’re both starving after a walk like that.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Lying in her bed Starchaser stared out her window at the night sky.  It was good having her father back, especially after he had been gone for so long. However, she couldn’t feel excited, especially after overhearing her parents’ conversation after dinner. They didn’t know she had heard of course. They probably had thought she had gone straight to bed. Not that she hadn’t considered it. But the conversation in the market, as well as her father’s prolonged absence, had made her curious. After leaving the dining room she had sat on the bottom of the stairs, listening to her parents as they cleaned up in the dining room. 

“Is it as bad as everypony is saying?” her mother had asked, her voice frightened.

“It’s far worse than they probably know.” her father had responded, his voice as gruff as ever. “Around these parts, ponies only care about the Empire. They don’t pay attention to news about the Alliance because they feel it’s too far away for it to matter to them. But it does! Every skirmish that arises to the east is another soldier that must be pulled back from holding the southern border. Every battle there threatens resources needed to hold on to strongholds like New Canterlot. They know that that the front lines are ready to break, but they cannot begin to guess how far back we’re being pushed.”

From the stairs, Starchaser had heard her mother’s voice trembling as she continued to clean the table. While the filly hadn’t understood a word of what was being spoken, she could tell from her mother’s voice that she should be very frightened.

“So, it’s true then? New Canterlot is going to fall.”

“If it hasn’t already.” her father had sighed. A moment later she had head the strike of a match, followed by the smell of pipe smoke coming through the door.

“We don’t have the numbers to hold that city, and the princess knows it. Last I heard, she was going to order the lines to pull back as far as Neighagra falls. The pegasi have already started moving Cloudsdale north, so at least we know where their loyalties lie.”

“Should we leave?”

Silence had followed that question, and for several long minutes all Starchaser could hear were the sounds of her father’s pipe tapping on the table.

“Storm?”

“Yes.” her father had finally responded, his voice low and sad. “I know it will be hard on Star, but I think you should both go. I’ve already told the mayor, and he’s agreed to have a town meeting tomorrow night to let everypony know what the situation is.”

It was at that point that one of them, most likely her mother, had begun making their way to the door. Startled, Starchaser had galloped straight up the stairs and into her bed. 

Now here she was; scared, confused, and shivering beneath her sheets.

Outside her window, a shooting star arced gracefully across the night’s sky. And for the moment, the young filly could forget about her parents’ conversation as she stared in awe at the twinkling lights overhead. Stretching out her foreleg, the filly traced a shape in the sky as her hoof moved from one shimmering light to the next.

“Leo…” she whispered quietly to herself. “… hydra, canis major. Please watch over my parents for me.”

Beyond the nearby houses, the filly watched as the moon slowly rose to take its place in the sky. Despite herself the young foal felt a sense of relief as the moonlight washed over her.

“Hello princess Luna.” Starchaser sighed contentedly, allowing her eyes to finally close. “I missed you today.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


The first rumble sounded like no more than the roll of distant thunder; as did the second. However, the third was loud enough to knock books off their shelves, and it was then that Starchaser knew that something was wrong. She had barely clamored from beneath her sheets when her mother burst into her bedroom, the mare’s green eyes wide with fear.

“Get up Star! We have to go right now!”

“Mother?” 

Outside the window rain was falling hard, the clouds overhead hiding even the moon from sight. Yet something else was going on. In the distance Starchaser could hear the cries of screaming ponies. 

What are they screaming about?

A moment later her question was answered as the house across the street erupted in a pillar of fire and shattered stone. The roar of the explosion was loud enough to send the filly tumbling from her bed. A second later she felt her mother dive in front of her as pieces of stone and smoking wood flew through the window into her room.

“Star! Star! Are you ok?” Her mother screamed as she franticly pulled the dazed foal towards the bedroom door.

“What’s happening?” the filly cried as she felt herself being dragged towards the stairs. “What’s going on?”

“It’s all right Star. Everything is going to be all right. But we need to leave, now!” the mare shouted the last word as she flipped the filly onto her back. With a mighty leap the earth pony jumped down the stairs, landing with a clattering of hooves on the floor below.”

“Storm! Where are you?”

Already Starchaser could smell the acrid stench of burning wood nearby. While rain still beat heavily down on the roof of their house, the loud rumbles of one explosion after another had become a constant rhythm. Across from them, her father burst from the door of his study, the white lily swaying wildly from its place on his hat. 

“I’m here!” The unicorn shouted back, his countenance as dark as the clouds outside as he emerged from the study. “We must leave quickly. I’ve already set the fire. The house will be gone in a few minutes. If we don’t go now, we may not be able to at all.”

Glancing behind her father, the young filly stared in confusion at the flames which danced beyond the open study door. The piles of books had already become towers of burning light and smoke, and even now the foal thought that she could see the blaze licking at the edge of the door.

“Come on sweetie.” her mother pressed, carrying her towards the entrance. “We’re leaving.”

“Where are we going?”

“Anywhere but here!”

Ahead of them, her father threw open the front door. A moment later the three ponies found themselves in the middle a torrential downpour, watching in terror as the village of Clearstream burned. All around, Starchaser could hear the screams of terrified ponies as the ran franticly through the streets. But a new sound had joined the cries and constant rumbling. The sound of angry yells and the clashing of metal was slowly making its way up the street towards their house. 

“They’re almost here.” Her father shouted, motioning his wife forward. “Move!”

In an instant the two ponies were charging down the street, Starchaser clinging tightly to her mother’s neck. On both sides of the street, houses burned like massive pyres despite the rain. In more than one, the filly was sure she could hear somepony screaming. Yet her father never even paused. Instead he continued at full charge, only slowing to glance over his shoulder at her and his wife. 

Overhead Starchaser head a fierce whistling sound, and a moment later the bakery across the street erupted in a pillar of flame. With a bellowing roar of anger, her father threw himself between them and the terrifying explosion. The unicorn’s horn flared suddenly to life, and a wall of pure blue energy arose between the three ponies and the inferno Its massive breadth collided with the oncoming debris, keeping them safe from the flying chunks of stone and wood.

“They will have seen that!” the silver-maned pony shouted, turning back to face them as his magic vanished from sight. “We must move quick…”

“Halt!” 

A voice arose from a nearby rooftop, and immediately the three ponies turned just in time so see a pegasus, dressed in shimmering gold armor, alight upon the blackened roof of a burned-out store. 

“In the name of his majesty the emperor, you three are under arrest!”

“Go now!” Stormcaller shouted as he took a step towards the new arrival. “Spring, get Star away from here as fast as you can!”

Without a word, Starchaser felt her mother charge ahead. Glancing back, the filly could only watch trough tear-filled eyes as her father’s horn began to glow once again. A moment later a bolt of lightning erupted from the sky, sending the armored Pegasus reeling as it struck the roof at his hooves. 

For several minutes the white earth pony continued on, her daughter sobbing on her back.

“Your father will be all right.” the mare called out over the screams which surrounded them. “I promise. Just don’t look back.”

The two of them moved ever onward, as her father’s lighting continued to rain down from the sky, striking the ground somewhere out of sight.

“Everything is going to be all right, little star.” her mother whispered, leaping over the ruins of a house which had fallen into the street. “Just stay with me. Sta…”

There was no whistle to warn of this one.

With a sound louder than the roar of her father’s magic, the road in front of the two ponies erupted in a towering pillar of flame. The force of the blast shattered every nearby window, and sent both ponies soaring high into the air. The last thing Starchaser saw before she collided with the wall of a nearby house was her mother’s face, smiling back at her.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


“Sir, there’s no sign of them!”

“Keep searching. They can't have made it far. Tell the reserve troops to commence with cleanup. Not a single pony is to leave this village! Do I make myself clear?

“Yes sir. Right way.”

Starchaser felt her eyes flutter open, and gave a small groan at the pain emanating from the side of her head. However, almost immediately a hoof was placed over her mouth. Franticly the young filly fought against whatever pony was holding her, but she might as well have tried to break a stone with her hoof.

“Quiet Star!” 

The sound of her father’s voice quickly brought her struggling to an end, and a moment later she felt his hoof lift carefully from her muzzle.

“Father?” the young filly asked, glancing around at the ruins of the burned-out shop in which they now sat. Outside the window, she could hear the clanking of metal on stone. To the foal, it sounded as though many armored ponies were sprinting from one side of the street to the other.

“What’s happening father? Where’s mother?”

“Star…” the black unicorn hushed, turning her head so that she met his gaze. “…your mother is not coming for now. So, I need you to listen to me very carefully.”

“But…”

“Star!”

The filly felt the words die in her throat. In all her life, she had never heard her father’s voice hold so much pain. Even now, she watched as a single tear fell from his cheek onto the charred floorboards. 

“Your mother…” he grunted, pulling his daughter into a tight embrace. “… your mother is not coming with us Star. Now please listen to me. We don’t have very much time.”

Letting his hooves fall from her shoulders, the old unicorn pointed to a hole which had been torn into the wall opposite the window.

“When I tell you to, I want you to go through there as quickly as you can. It should take you to out behind the flower shop. From there, I want you to run Star. Run as fast as you can. I want you to run until you can’t go any further, do you understand me?”

“But what about you?” The filly pleaded, hanging on to his outstretched foreleg. 

“I’m going to keep those pony’s from following you.” 

“But father…” 

“Listen to me!” her father’s voice cracked with emotion, and Starchaser went silent as the elder unicorn’s horn began to glow softly. There was a small rustling from the pouch strapped to his side, and a moment later a small silver key with a matching chain emerged to float between the two of them. 

“This was meant to be a present for when you are older, but I want you to have it now.”

The filly marveled as the key rose above her, the chain gently draping itself around her neck.

“Carpe noctem.” the stallion whispered, nuzzling his daughter’s neck gently. “One day little star... one day when you are older and you understand the meaning of those words, you can return here. When you do, that key will reveal your present. But for now, you must go. I want you to run, and no matter what you hear, I don’t want you looking back. Do you understand?”

Tears streaming down her face, Starchaser nodded as her father bent down to kiss the top of her head. 

“Good girl. Remember, your mother and I will always love you. Now… when I tell you to run, run!”

Slowly the foal backed towards the hole in the wall, watching wide-eyed as her father made his way to the door. Glancing back once more, the black stallion gave his daughter a warm smile.

“Whenever I’ve been gone, no matter how far away, it has always been your smile that keeps me going. Promise me Star. Promise me that no matter what happens here today, you’ll never lose that smile of yours.”

“I… I promise.” the filly cried, closing her eyes as she gave her father the brightest smile she could manage.

But inside, all the pony could feel was her heart breaking.

“Good. Now go. Go!”

With that final word, her father rushed through the door into the street, lighting falling from the sky light rain. The last image the foal could remember before an explosion rocked the entrance to the store was her father’s hat falling past the window; the lily flower in its brim glowing red in the light of the fires which consuming her village. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


She did not know how far she ran after leaving that store and her burning village behind. Even now the blue filly could hear the thunderous explosions growing ever more distant as she charged onward. The screams had faded too, though in the pony’s mind, they were still as clear 
as the rain which continued to fall about her.

With a jolt of pain Starchaser felt her hoof hit an exposed rock; and immediately the filly crashed to the ground with a pained yelp. Glancing up, she stared at the vast expanse of fields that stretched away out of sight. Turning around for the first time, the filly saw that her village was little more than a flickering orange dot in the distance. 

Quickly the foal tried to climb to her hooves; but as soon as she had set her forelegs beneath, she felt her limbs collapse from the strain. Try as she might, the pony could barely move, let alone stand.

Overhead the storm clouds began to clear, and slowly Starchaser could see glimmers of moonlight as it pierced the dark shrouds overhead. One by one, the stars took their places in the night sky. With what little strength she had left, the blue-eyed foal turned to her side so that she could look into the sky above.

““Leo, hydra, Canis…” the pony gasped. With the tears in her eyes, the filly could barely see her hoof in front of her face. Instead she drew their shapes in her mind’s eye. “Princess Luna…”

I’m so scared.

“Sargent, we have another one!”

The sound of somepony nearby caused Starchaser’s heart to race, and almost immediately she felt her body turn numb as golden shapes descended from the sky above. One after another, the armored pegasi landed around her; though it was impossible to say how many there were.

“What do we have corporal.”

“It’s a foal sir. She must have escaped on her own. There doesn’t appear to be anypony else nearby.”

“Hmm…”

Starchaser watched, unmoving, as a stern-faced pegasus with a red mane came into view. 

“The captain was clear with his orders corporal. We’re on cleanup here. Nopony is allowed to leave, foal or otherwise.”

“But sir, she’s just a filly…” 

“You have your order corporal. We aren’t taking prisoners today. Now do your job, or you can try explaining yourself at your court-martial instead.”

“INCOMING!”

A blinding light erupted in front of Starchaser’s eyes and for several seconds all she could hear were chaotic sounds of pony’s screaming and the clash of metal on metal. 

As the light faded, the young foal stared in wonder at the figure that now stood before her. The pony, if she could even be called such, seemed to tower over the golden-armored soldiers who now lay unmoving at her hooves. Her mane, as beautiful as the sky above, flowed like a field of stars from beneath the darkened metal of her helmet.

“Retreat!” somepony shouted franticly in the distance. “It’s the republic! We need reinforcements!”

“Princess, they appear to be falling back.” 

Next to her rescuer, Starchaser watched as a bat-winged pony landed with a loud clanking of metal. The stallion’s armor of polished black reflected the moonlight which now washed over the fields around them. His eyes, barely visible beneath the shadow of his helmet, seemed to glow with a fierce green light.

“Follow them captain!” 

As she continued to lie there, the filly felt a tingle run down her spine. The voice which spoke was like none she had ever heard before: calm, commanding, and yet it emanated with barely repressed rage.

“What the Empire has done here is unforgivable! You are to drive them from this village, and rescue anypony that you can.”

“Ma’am!” the bat-pony shouted, taking to the sky in a rush of leathery wings.

“Lieutenant!”

“Yes ma’am?” 

“Take this filly to the Neighagra falls outpost. She has already suffered far too much this night.”

“By your command princess Luna!”

“Princess?” Starchaser whispered, causing the armored pony to turn and face her.

“I am sorry little one.” the alicorn whispered, shaking her head sadly. “This should not have been your battle to face. We were too slow in our retreat, and so the blame for this massacre lies with me. Forgive me, my little pony. I wish only that we could have arrived sooner.”

“Thank you.” the blue-eyed filly cried, her gratitude startling the princess. “Princess Luna… thank you for saving me.”

For almost a minute, the princess stared at her in silence. Then slowly, her stern gaze softened as she knelt beside the little foal. Glancing up, Starchaser was entranced by the vision of royalty before her; and slowly she felt the numbness leave her body as the alicorn gave her a warm smile. 

“I am undeserving of your thanks little one.” the alicorn whispered as she gave the filly a warm smile. “With the strength you have shown this night, it is I who should be thanking you. Before we arrived, I feared we would be too late. Knowing that at least one is safe… my heart can find some peace within this nightmare. So, stay strong little one. I am sure we will meet again, one day.”

With that, the princess stood and turned to face the burning village in the distance. But before she left, she turned to face the foal one last time.

“What is your name, my brave little filly.”

“Starchaser.”

Raising a single eyebrow, the princess smiled knowingly as she spread her dark wings wide.

“A beautiful name.” she muttered, looking up into the shining heavens above. “Keep looking to the stars my dear filly! For even in the darkest of times, they will never abandon you. Carpe noctem!”

With that the princess took to the sky, and Starchaser felt herself move as she was thrown onto the back of another bat-pony.”

“Come on kid.” the soldier sighed as she too took to the sky. “Let’s get you out of here. You’ve seen enough battles for your lifetime.” 

As the pair sped away, the Starchaser watched in awe as Princess Luna sped into the distance. Vanishing across that moonlit field.


> Chapter 1: The Rain Which Fell That Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Year 30 LRC
Location: Vanhoover Naval Academy, New Lunar Republic

The sound of a robin greeting the early morning sun broke through the silence outside the thin-paned window. Lying in bed, a young mare stared at the bird atop the barrack’s flagpole. For the past four weeks that bird had been there; every day, rain or shine. What he might gain from that particular spot, she could not really guess. Whatever its reasoning, she was grateful for the company.

5… 4… 3… 2… 1!

The clock-on her small bedside table began to ring, the blaring noise rudely interrupting the robin’s morning song. However, before the clock’s striker had even finished its third rotation, the pony had already silenced it with a strict strike of her hoof. 

Five seconds early, right on schedule. Starchaser thought amusedly to herself as she rolled quietly out of bed. 

It had taken her almost two years to get that trick right. In a barracks where most of the ponies appreciated being allowed to sleep as long as they were able, her particular sleep schedule had not always been appreciated. So, she had become very adept at silencing her alarm as quickly as possible. Even now, in a room housing only a single bed, the old habit had yet to leave her.

The moment her hooves hit the wooden floor, the young mare went about tucking in the ruffled sheets, her flowing mane of cyan and cerulean hair falling long and loose about her head. As she tucked the covers of the bed meticulously into place, her horn glowed a bright blue, her magic causing a black length of cloth to rise from her desk and tie her mane in place. 

While it likely would have been far easier just to use magic to make the bed as well, old habits once again dictated this particular aspect of her morning routine. It had only taken her instructor spotting the use of magic once during her first week at the academy to make sure she never did so again.

Once the bed was made, Starchaser quickly walked to the door of her room. Before she had even reached the threshold, the sounds of snoring from the other side were already audible. As she reached for the door handle, the horn atop her head glowed once again. From atop the dresser nearby, her peaked cap floated down, followed closely by a small silver whistle on a string. Slowly the whistle draped itself over the pony’s neck before the cap alighted gently on her head with a slight rustling of her mane. Carefully making sure that everything was in place, the mare slowly opened the door to the barracks beyond. 

On the other side of the door sat a large room consisting almost entirely of beds. The simple cots were organized into 5 even rows of 15 beds per row. On the left side of each bed sat a simple wooden desk, while the right included a clothes hanger. Walking carefully so as not to strike her hoof on one of the clothing trunks which sat at the foot of each bed, Starchaser marveled at how loud some of the sleeping ponies could snore. Not for the first time, the mare found herself thankful that she was a heavy sleeper. 

As she reached the end of the room, the blue-eyed pony turned to face the rows of sleeping ponies; the silver whistle floating gently to her lips.

The piercing shriek of the tool reverberated off the walls of the barracks, the wide-open room allowing the sound to echo fare more than it would have otherwise. The response was immediate, with ponies jumping to the floor as if their beds had suddenly caught fire. One after the other, the mares and stallions moved to stand at the foot of their beds. As the room quickly fell into silence, Starchaser allowed her eyes to travel down each row to make sure nopony was being silly enough to look her way. 

“Good morning colts and fillies!” Starchaser shouted, the whistle to falling to hang from her neck once more. “It’s currently oh-five-thirty hours, and as I am sure you are all aware, that means it’s time for your optional personal fitness regimen. Isn’t that correct?”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” the seventy-five ponies of Company 10B responded in unison. 

“And as you are also well aware, when I say optional, I of course mean absolutely mandatory!”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Platoon leaders, take attendance and move out. I want you ready to march for morning formation no later than oh-six-fifty. Understood?”

“Yes ma’am!” the five ponies closet her shouted. 

Taking one last look around the room, Starchaser gave a small smile as she turned and left the building, the sound of names being called still audible as the door slammed shut behind her.

The morning air was crisp, and a deep breath was all that was needed to chase the few remaining traces of sleep from her head. In front of the pony sat a small parade ground, surrounded by 10 identical looking buildings. The only difference that could be gleaned were the varying company flags raised on the poles before each building.

As her hoof hit the last step of her barracks, the door to the adjacent building swung open with a thundering crash. A white pegasus emerged from within and, upon spotting Starchaser, immediately leapt from the top step. 

The pony’s mane was a beautiful azure blue, and her eyes; though currently furrowed in anger, were a piercing emerald green. Like Starchaser, the mare wore a peaked-cap upon her head and had a small whistle hanging loosely about her neck. The mare’s cutie mark, though partially covered by a black rain poncho, was that of a dark storm cloud complete with falling rain. However, Starchaser knew well enough that closer inspection would reveal that each rain drop was in the shape of a musical note. 

As the white mare floated towards her, Starchaser groaned audibly at the sight of the scowl on her face.

“Hey Rain Dancer.” she said, greeting the 10th company’s lieutenant with a sympathetic grin. “So… who screwed up this time?”

“Do you even have to ask?” the pegasus snorted, making barely a sound as she landed gracefully next to the blue-colored mare. Turning to the left, the pair of ponies started off along the length of Starchaser’s barracks, their hoof-beats the only sound that could be heard in the early morning air.

As they approached the window to Starchaser's, the unicorn’s horn began to glow; her magic carrying both her and the other pony’s cap through the open window. A moment later, a dark poncho matching that of her traveling companion appeared and pulled itself quickly over her head.

“I wondered if you were going to remember that.” the pegasus snorted, nodding towards the poncho as the window closed with a bang. 

“To be honest…” Starchaser chuckled, smiling sheepishly. “I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t already been wearing yours.”

“I told you yesterday it was going to rain!” the pegasus snapped as the two started off towards the western edge of the campus. 

“I forgot.” the blue mare muttered defensively.

“You always forget! I swear, you’re worse than Pit.”

Glancing over at the other pony, Starchaser was amazed that the young mare’s glare wasn’t setting the ground in front of her ablaze. Her anger was absolutely palpable.

“So, was it Diamond again?”

Those five words might as well have been an ignition switch, as almost immediately the pegasus gave an aggravated shout.

“Of course it was!” she screamed before grinding her teeth angrily together. “It’s always Diamond! Him and that little posy of his. I can’t give two commands before the little piece of basilisk dung has to go and make some sort of snide remark”

The pair fell back into silence. Initially Starchaser considered saying something encouraging, However, a quick glance towards her friend was enough to convince the pony that silence was the proper tactic in this case. Rain Dancer had never been one particularly interested in sympathy, especially any which was directed towards her. 

The pegasus’ family was part of the old guard; military, every one of them. The pony herself was an army foal, born and raised on bases all across the nation. The military had always been a part of her life, and as such, it was no surprise that even as a cadet she was already well on her way to becoming one hell of a soldier. Unfortunately, or at least as far as Rain Dancer had described it, nature had decided to play a cruel joke. Some ponies the world created fast, others strong. In the pegasus’ case, it had chosen to make her beautiful.

In some respects, it wasn’t such a bad problem to have. Her looks had always caused their instructors to underestimate her abilities, and that in turn only made her stand out that much more when she succeeded. And of course, there was always the added benefit of free drinks whenever they decided to hit up the cider-halls during weekend liberty.

No, the problems arose when the new cadets began to pay more attention to the pegasus’ looks than to her record. The worst part was, Starchaser knew that all her friend  needed was thirty seconds with any of the trouble makers, then they would never talk back to her again. Assuming they’d be able to talk at all when she was finished with them. Unfortunately, the academy seemed to have something against corporal punishment against cadets, even in cases of insubordination.

So instead of talking, the two ponies continued their early morning walk in silence; Rain Dancer fuming and Starchaser simply trying her best to avoid saying anything else that might set the other pony off. Just as the unicorn was about to attempt to break the silence again, a voice called out from behind them.

“Hey you two! Wait up!” 

Pausing their walk, the pair turned and watched as two pegasi quickly sprinted to meet them. The first to reach them was a pale-yellow mare with a fiery red and orange mane. This was the midship lieutenant of the Vanhoover Naval Academy’s 4th Company, Sunny Delight. Her name was certainly no mistake, as even this early in the morning, her orange eyes gleamed like a noonday sun. The pegasus’ cutie mark, unsurprisingly that of an orange sun rising above an emerald hill, was on full display this morning. It seemed she too had forgotten Rain Dancer’s warning to them last night about the schedule for today's weather.

Her companion, who reached them a few seconds later, was an interesting sight to be sure. Ocellus was the midship lieutenant commander of the academy’s 4th battalion, and co-instructor of Company 20. The pegasus had a lime colored body, and a bright electric-blue mane which she always wore flipped to one side. When combined with her shocking violet eyes, the pony’s appearance was the epitome of a mishmash. It was also an appearance only made stranger by the cutie mark on her flank. 

The mark itself was a complicated pattern of bright, multi-colored, and interconnected circles. It was an incredibly extravagant mark, and Starchaser knew from experience that if one were to stare at it for too long, the circles would appear to move on their own. It was a slightly unnerving sight; but in a way, it was the perfect cutie mark for Ocellus. Flashy, unique, and always changing.

“Good morning you two!” Sunny Delight shouted, throwing a wing around both Starchaser and Rain Dancer’s shoulders. “How’s everypony doing this morning?

“Good morning Sunny.” Rain Dancer responded, cracking an unexpected smile. “You as well Cell.”

“Rough day already?” the violet-eyed mare inquired, giving a cheeky grin as the smile on the white pegasus' face vanished as quickly as it had come. “Come on dancer, the torture hasn’t even started yet.”

“Tell me about it.” Starchaser sighed as the beach finally came into view. “I can’t believe we all agreed to this.”

“It was your idea in the first place, commander.” Rain Dancer teased, being sure to emphasize her friend's rank.

As the four ponies stepped onto the sandy beach, they quickly spotted two figures waiting by the water’s edge. 

“Oh, he cannot be serious.” Ocellus gasped, her voice incredulous as they stared at the two waiting stallions. “He’s crazy if he thinks I’m putting even one hoof in that water.”

It was at that point the waiting ponies had finally noticed the mares' arrival.  

“You fillies certainly took your time!” a brown earth pony shouted, smiling as he motioned them over. “I thought Gale and I were going to have to start without you.” 

“Up yours Pit!” Ocellus shouted back as their group moved closer to the the crashing waves. 

“Hey!” The earth pony responded, shooting the pegasus a fake glare. “Is that any way to speak to a superior officer?”

“My apologies.” the green pegasus snapped back, throwing a halfhearted salute as they finally reached where the two stallions stood. "What I meant to say was up yours, sir!"

The pony who had motioned them over was a coffee-colored stallion with a poorly kept black mane. However, while his colors may have been muted compared to every other figure on the beach, the stallion was far from subtle. He towered over the other ponies, his green eyes twinkling mischievously as he studied them. Immediately Starchaser knew that they were in real trouble today. In addition to being a co-instructor of the academy’s 1st Company; Pitfall (or Pit as he was known to his friends) ranked as the midship commander of the first of the academy's two regiments. He had achieved that honor through a combination of amazing physical ability, as well as superb academic excellence. He was strong, smart, and right now; Starchaser knew he was thinking of a myriad of ways to torture the four mares who stood before him. 

Next to the commander stood a second stallion, this one a pegasus with a silver mane and snow-white body. Winter Gale was the midship lieutenant commander of the school’s 1st Battalion, and co-instructor of Company 4, alongside Sunny Delight. Despite herself, Starchaser felt some relief to see that the white stallion’s blue eyes were narrowed in anger. At the very least, it looked as though their entire group would be miserable together.

“Atten-hut!” Pitfall shouted, his commanding tone snapping the other five ponies quickly to attention. With a small chuckle, his front hooves dug at the sand in excitement as he met each pony’s gaze. 

“Now that we’re all here, is everypony ready for some strength training?” 

“Before we begin commander…” Ocellus shouted, saluting the stallion with unblinking eyes. “… I feel it is my duty to remind you that Article 5 of the Equestrian Declaration of Universal Rights clearly states that nopony ‘shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, heartless, or degrading treatment or punishment.’”

“Duly noted.” Pitfall responded with a chuckle as he led the group along the beach. “I will be sure to take your opinion under advisement.”

After about a five-minute trek, the ponies found themselves standing in front of a metal sled piled high with weights of various shapes and size. 

“I’ve got good news for you soldiers.” the stallion laughed as patted the sled. “We’ll only be running one exercise today.”

“We’re going to be dragging a weighted sled through sand, on a beach?” Rain Dancer asked, her voice skeptical. 

“Of course not!” Pitfall responded, shaking his head in mock disbelief. “You’re going to be dragging a weighted sled through the sand AND water… on a beach.”

“That sounds like it could be… fun.” Sunny Delight said hopefully, earning an angry snort from her company’s co-instructor. 

“It’ll be a blast.” Pitfall laughed as he grabbed the sled’s harness in his teeth and flipped it over his neck. “Just watch, and do as I do.” 

Walking into the crashing waves, the earth pony waded out until the water was halfway up his legs.  Then with an enormous surge of power, he was off galloping down the beach. Starchaser could only stand there with her mouth agape as she watched the stallion charge full speed through the crashing waves. As far as she was concerned, the brown pony might as well have been taking a morning gallop for all the resistance either the sled or waves seemed to offer him. 

“We’re doomed.” Ocellus muttered as they watched Pitfall plant his hooves and launch himself over the sled to start back towards them. “He’s really planning on killing us, isn’t he?”

The other four ponies simply nodded in agreement.

“See?” the black-maned stallion laughed, not even sounding out of breath as he trotted back to them. “Nothing too it. Now, who’s next?”

The green-eyed pony stood staring at the group for several seconds, but none even dared to meet his gaze.

“Cell, thanks for volunteering!”

The green pegasus glanced down at the sled before giving the smiling stallion an angry glare.

“Permission to speak freely sir?”

“Granted.”

“Fuck off!” 

“Come on Cell.” He chuckled, throwing a forelimb around her shoulders. “Everypony here is going to do it. Why not just start us off?”

“I’m not getting into that freezing water!”

“Hmm…” the stallion hummed, nodding his head thoughtfully. “The water is a tad chilly today.”

With a mighty heave he tossed the pegasus forward, causing the other four ponies to stare in shock. The action was so sudden that Ocellus could do nothing but give a terrified shriek as she crashed into the rolling waves; coming up moments later sputtering. 

“Since you’re already in the water, I don’t think the cold will make that much of a difference.”

“I’m going to kill you!” the mare shrieked, and from where she stood, Starchaser was sure she saw the pony’s teeth momentarily shift into a terrifying set of fangs.

“Before you do…” Pitfall responded unconcernedly as he pretended to study his hoof. “… I feel it is my duty to remind you that Article 90 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice clearly states that ‘Any military personnel who strikes her superior commissioned officer or offers any violence against him while he is in the execution of his officer; shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.’”

“I hate you so much.” The green pegasus muttered as she paddled back towards the shore, bobbing like a cork over the crashing waves.

“You’ll get over it.” the earth pony laughed as he walked the sled out to the shivering pegasus.

With a sigh the mare allowed the harness to be placed around her neck. Then, with one last angry snort, she started off down the beach.

It was certainly very different from when Pitfall had done it. The mare struggled against the weight, but seemed to keep a decent pace. In fact, she only fell once on the way out, when a particularly massive wave decided to crest directly on top of her. To Ocellus' credit, she did not let the wave stop her; and made the trek out in about the same time as Pitfall. However, by the time she had turned around, Starchaser could already see that the weight of the sled, combined with the constantly crashing waves, was beginning to take its toll. Twice the Pegasus fell to her knees, allowing the waves to push her head out of sight. But both times the pony refused to stop, and in the end, she finished the exercise in about twice the time as the commander.

“Very well done!” Pitfall praised her, giving the panting mare a congratulatory pat on the back. Shaking the water from her body, the pony shot her tormentor a glare that would have withered a plant. 

“If you touch me again today Pit, I will end you!” 

Quickly pulling his hoof out of reach, the Stallion turned to face the rest of the group.

“Next up?”

“Let’s just get this over with.” Winter Gale sighed as he strolled out towards the sled, his silver mane plastering itself against his back as he dove headfirst into an oncoming wave. 

Within seconds he was off down the beach, the white spray of the ocean flying into the air around him as he plowed through wave after wave. The white pony made very good time, his first tumble occurring only when he prepared to turn back around. Unfortunately, it was clear as he began his return trip that the stallion's energy reserves were being rapidly depleted. By the time he was half-way back, he had already tripped two more times. 

“Not bad.” Pitfall acknowledged with a smile as the pegasus finished his trek. “You need to work on you footing a bit.”

“Says the clumsiest pony I know.”

The earth pony gave his companion a playful shove, only to accidentally send the exhausted stallion tumbling to the sandy ground.

“Whoops…” Pitfall apologized as the pony shot him an angry look. “Sorry about that Gale.”

“It’s fine!” his companion responded, shaking the sand that had latched onto his wet mane. “I appreciate you wanting to prove my point.”

“Anyways…” Pitfall began, only to be interrupted by the hopping form of Sunny Delight.”

“My turn!” the bright-colored mare shouted happily, diving into the ocean with an excited scream.

“You see?” the brown earth pony laughed as they all watched the pegasus set the harness over her shoulders. “Why can’t you all be more like her?”

“There’s only one Sunny.” Rain Dancer sighed, shaking her head as the pony started off through the waves. “It’s a law of the universe. If there were ever more than one, the world would probably explode.”

For several minutes, they watched as the yellow pony made her way through the crashing waves. Starchaser was actually impressed with the mare’s performance. She was certainly breaking no records, moving far slower than any of the ponies who had gone before her. But unlike their other companions, the bubbly mare didn’t fall once. Both on her way out, and during the return trek, she remained the epitome of ‘slow and steady.’ 

“Aaaaaaand done!” 

“Wow De…” Ocellus commented as she gave the other mare an appraising look. “I’m legitimately impressed.”

“Hey Dancer, you wanna go next?” the yellow Pegasus asked, smiling as she hopped over to join her friend.

“Might as well.” the mare sighed removing her poncho just as the clouds overhead began to rain. “We need to hurry this along.”

In a flash the mare was off down the beach, and soon the group found themselves looking on in amazement at the retreating shape of the pegasus. When comparing her performance to the ponies who had gone before, the difference was like night and day. With the sled following in her wake, Rain Dancer did not bother to fight the water which sought to slow her process. For the smaller waves, the pegasus would leap over the cresting water with quick powerful bounds. For the handful of whitecaps too high to jump, the mare would dive head first into the rolling water, her white form cutting through the blue of the ocean like a knife. She made excellent time, reaching the turn only slightly slower than Pitfall had. Her return run was no less impressive, and she finished with easily the fastest time of everypony, barring the commander.

“That just leave’s our last participant.” Rain Dancer commented, only sounding slightly winded as she returned to the group. “Ready to go Chase?

Turning to face the sled, Starchaser felt her stomach clench as she slowly approached the water. It had been her idea from the start to get Pitfall to help the group with their morning exercise routine. But now that it was her turn, the unicorn was beginning to have serious doubts. 

“You got this Chase.” The brown stallion called out from behind her. “If you can’t run, it’s fine. Just take it easy and be consistent, like Sunny.”

The unicorn nodded as her horn glowed, the harness rising out of the water to wrap itself over her shoulders. Glancing back at her friends, she gave a solemn nod and started off.

This WAS a mistake. The pony thought as the first wave struck.

The sled would have been bad enough. Even now the mare could feel the straps of the harness biting into her with every tug she mad. Slowly she pulled at the weight behind her, feeling her hooves sink into the sand beneath them. With every movement of the water she felt the sand shift, holes opening beneath her hooves which threatened to sweep her legs out from under her. Meanwhile the sled was suffering a similar fate, and with every step forward it felt as though the metal weight was attempting to pull her backwards. 

A particularly large wave crested over the pony’s head, giving barely enough time to close her eyes before she felt the freezing water close in all around her. For several seconds she stood there; disoriented as the rolling turbulence rocked her from one side to another. As the water suddenly changed direction, the unicorn felt the sand flow out from beneath her left hind leg. A second wave was all it took, and the mare suddenly found herself sent tumbling. 

Come on. You cannot be this pathetic! She berated herself, her eyes shut tight in frustration.

The straps of the harness burned as the ropes were pulled taught, and Starchaser quickly tried to find her footing. However, almost as soon as she had broken the surface another wave struck her side, the force of the impact knocking the air from her lungs. 

She did not know how long she struggled against the rolling waves. The salty water dripping from her mane blocked the world around her from view. All she could feel was the constant beat of the waves against her side, and the burning in her legs and neck from the resistance of the sled.  Suddenly she felt something move next to her, and almost immediately the beating of the waves lessened, if only slightly. To her left she saw the dark outline of Pitfall as he stood against the oncoming water, his bulk an unmoving wall against the surf.

“That’s enough for now Chase.” The stallion commented, smiling as he bit down to lift the harness from her shoulders. “We need to get going if we want to make it back in time.”

Turning around, the blue unicorn felt her heart sink. All that struggling, and she hadn’t even reached the turning point.

“Come on.” Pitfall muttered, dragging the sled as he led the mare back towards the group. “You’ll get plenty of practice with this.”

As they neared the other ponies, Starchaser could already feel her cheeks burning. She didn’t even dare to look at the others as she walked to stand silently beside Rain Dancer. 

You’re so pathetic. She thought sullenly to herself, her eyes remaining fixed on the sand at her hooves. What kind of soldier can’t even pull a damn sled?

As the unicorn continued to wallow in her poor performance, Pitfall took one last look to make sure he had not forgotten anything.

“Well done everypony. That’s it for today. I'll be seeing you all at formations.”

With that the stallion galloped off back towards the barracks, the metal sled scraping loudly on the ground behind him.

“Well that was fun.” Sunny Delight chuckled as she, Winter Gale, and Ocellus all took to the sky. "See you two at breakfast. And don’t worry about it Starchaser, that was just a really tough exercise. You’ll do fine tomorrow.”

As the three pegasi flew off in the direction of the campus, the unicorn felt tears of frustration begin to fill her eyes. She knew the yellow mare had only meant to be encouraging, but her words made the pony's failure feel all the more unforgivable.

The only one! You were the only one not able to pull that sled. 

As that last thought clung tightly to her mind, Starchaser noticed that Rain Dancer was waiting impatiently with her poncho. Quickly the unicorn hurried to catch up, giving her friend an apologetic grin as she put the covering over her back.

“You can go on ahead without me.” She muttered quickly. "I don't want to hold you back.

“It’s fine.” the pegasus responded, her voice unconcerned as she threw the poncho she had brought earlier back on. “I need the walk anyways.”

The two continued on in silence, and despite herself, all Starchaser could do was keep thinking back to the sled. It had become almost a daily pattern. Pitfall would give the group some form of athletic test, and while some would struggle, everypony would complete it one way or another.

Everypony except me.

Despite herself, Starchaser could feel the tears of frustration finally begin slipping down her cheek. 

“Why…” she whispered, causing Rain Dancer to shoot her an inquiring glance. “Why do I have to be so bad at that sort of thing.”

“Oh, don’t even start, Chase!” the pegasus snorted, giving her companion a small shove. “You’re fine. If everypony was going to be judged by their ability to complete Pit’s stupid exercises, our military would have a grand total of one soldier.”

“But you completed it!” the unicorn insisted. “All of you did!”

“So what?” the white mare snapped back, not even bothering to look towards her friend anymore. “Strength and conditioning have never been your thing. You think a few months of training is going to change that? You’re working on it, and that’s all anypony can ask for.”

“I’m trying to become a soldier, and I can’t even do something as simple as pull a sled.”

“Oh for the love of…” Rain Dancer barked, leaping forward to block the unicorn’s path. “You need to stop this right now Chase, or so help me, I’ll shove your head into the first thundercloud I can find!”

Starchaser froze, her eyes going wide at the pegasus' sudden outburst. The two ponies stood there, facing off silently against another until finally the pegasus took a deep breath, walking over to place a comforting wing over the unicorn’s shoulder.

“Look, Star…” she muttered, glancing up at the darkening sky overhead. “You need to stop kicking yourself over stupid things like this. You do it all the time, and in the end it only ends up making you doubt yourself. I think you'll find you're a pretty amazing pony when you give yourself the chance. Why else do you think I'd waste my time with a nerd like you?”

Despite herself, the unicorn gave a small chuckle as she wiped a tear from her cheek. It was true that of their seven-member group, Starchaser was the oddpony out. While not the only unicorn of the bunch, she certainly spent more time reading and researching than any of the others combined. It was not all academic of course, but it still took away from time that might otherwise have gone towards personal training. Even Golden Shield, their group’s second resident unicorn, was almost as strong as Pitfall. 

Of course, that might simply be the result of growing up together with the brown earth pony.

“Look at it this way.” Rain dancer continued, lowering her gaze so she could look Starchaser eye-to-eye. “You’re not the strongest pony around, and you likely never will be. That’s fine! The commandant promoted you to commander for a reason. He sees some potential in you, so why not cut yourself some slack. Let Pitfall and Golden Shield do their early morning workouts themselves. Celestia knows I can do without the added stress. All you need to do Chase, is your very damned best. If you can manage that, you’ll be an amazing soldier.”

Staring into her friend’s face, Starchaser gave an appreciative nod. 

“Thanks a lot Dancer.” she sniffed, whipping her cheek again as they continued on their way. “I’m sorry… you had to see that.”

“See what?” the Pegasus asked confusedly.

“Um… me tearing up like a little filly?”

“What tears?” her friend responded with a chuckle as she pulled the hood of the unicorn’s poncho up over her head. “It’s just the rain.” 

Smiling beneath her hood, Starchaser gave the mare next to her a thankful nudge as they neared the barracks. Up ahead the window to the unicorn’s room opened silently; and Rain Dancer’s cap emerged from within, suspended within a bubble of blue magic.

“Thanks for keeping it dry for me.” the pegasus chuckled as the cover floated down to rest snugly atop her head. “Well, I’ll be seeing you in a bit then.”

As they prepared to enter their respective barracks, a sudden thought occurred to Starchaser.

“Hey Rain Dancer, have you heard from Golden Shield lately?”

“The last letter I saw from him was a week ago.” The mare responded with a small shrug. “He should be coming back today, right?”

“Yeah.” The unicorn confirmed as she approached the steps to her barracks. “I was just wondering if he told you what time he’d be making it back. I was planning on setting up a little get-together with everypony.”

“Sounds fun.” Rain Dancer commented, giving her first real smile of the morning. “Just plan for it sometime tonight then. The latest train arrives at eighteen-hundred hours, so nineteen-hundred is probably a good time to plan for.”

“Good point.” the blue mare responded as she opened the door. “I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out.”

As the entry slammed shut behind her, Starchaser stared out across the now empty barracks. The beds were already made, which meant the other members of the company must have finished their training and had already started over to the mess hall. Noticing one bed's had come undone, the unicorn made a mental note to speak with cadet responsible.

Walking into her room, the mare moved over to the shower faucet hanging in the corner. She didn’t have much time to waste, but the feel of sand clumping in her mane was beginning to get quite annoying. A quick rinse was all that was required, and soon enough the pony was standing before her dresser. 

The wooden doors flew open, and the pony quickly jumped on her hind legs long enough for her dress blues to magically themselves down over her head. Making sure the uniform was fit snugly in place, the unicorn focused her attention next to the ornamental saber hanging on the door of the dresser. Gently it floated over to the pony, her magic allowing the weapon to thread itself through a loop at her side. Her cap was the last piece missing, and soon that to flew over to rest gently atop her mane. With one last look in the mirror to make sure everything was in place, the pony turned and quickly made her way towards the mess hall. 

After several minutes of walking through the rainy campus, the unicorn eventually heard the low murmur of hundreds of ponies talking to one another. Turning a corner, the unicorn found herself standing before the marching ground of the academy’s giant mess hall.

The building was massive. An intricately carved stone structure with a pair of large sweeping staircases leading to a second level. It was there the enormous silver doors to the hall could be found, as well as a small balcony that overlooked the marching ground. Flanking either side of the balcony were a pair of flag poles. The first held the traditional Equestrian flag, a light blue field of white stars on which the two princesses could be seen circling the sun and moon. From the second pole swung a dark blue flag, upon which sat a silver crescent moon and star, flanked by a pair of midnight blue wings. The flag of the New Lunar Republic.

Carefully Starchaser made her way through the massive throng of ponies. Across the grounds, the unicorn spotted Ocellus who quickly made her way over to the unicorn. Together the two mares found their way to the front of the grounds, and quickly took up their familiar positions. All round them, Starchaser could hear that the murmur of voices had begun to settle down. Soon wide open spaces began to form as the hundreds of cadets moved to get in formation. 

As the area in front her cleared to make a wide-open space, Starchaser spotted Pitfall and Winter Gale standing directly across from her and Ocellus. Both ponies held long intricately carved silver spears, identical to the one also sported by the adjacent green pegasus. Noticing the two mares for the first time, Pitfall gave them a quick wave, dropping his spear with a loud ring of metal on stone. Starchaser her did her best not to laugh as the earth pony quickly moved to pick up his weapon, snorting angrily at whatever snarky comment Gale had made.

As the earth pony rose again, a sudden hush fell over the marching ground. Looking up towards the balcony, Starchaser saw a black-maned stallion with midnight-colored bat wings take his place before the mess hall doors. Slowly the pony made his way onto the balcony, flanked by a small collection of ponies carrying horns and drums. Nearby, a large clock sounded the hour. 

After the seventh chime faded into the morning air, Winter Gale turned to face the mass of soldiers behind him. 

“First Battalion!” the pegasus shouted, his voice reverberating loudly in the silence of the morning. “Ten-hut!” 

There was a cloud clacking of hooves on stone as over four hundred ponies suddenly stood to their full height. For several seconds the white pegasus simply stood there silently, studying the ponies before him. 

“Parade rest!”

At his second command, the ponies of the first battalion allowed their legs to spread slightly further apart, though their necks stayed rigid as every mare and stallion among them continued to stare straight ahead. Next to Starchaser, Ocellus turned to face the mass of ponies waiting at their back.

“Fourth battalion!” She barked, her voice no less intimidating than the stallion who had gone before her. “Atten-hut!”

Just as their classmates had previously, the ponies of the 4th Battalion snapped quickly to attention; their uniformed movements causing the ground beneath Starchaser’s hooves to tremble.

“Parade rest!”

And so it continued for all six battalions. Each time an officer would call attention, allowing their men to return to rest only once they were sure not a single gaze was out of line. As the last battalion came to rest, across from Starchaser, Pitfall took a crisp step forward.

“First regiment!” the stallion called out, his voice ringing louder than all those who had come before. “Atten-hut!”

As one unit, the three battalions on the right side of the grounds stood to attention. The noise of their movements sounding like a thunder-clap in the morning air. As soon as the silence returned, Starchaser took a deep breath as she too took a step forward.

Eyes straight! She thought quickly. Neck back! And...

“Second regiment!” she called out, staring straight ahead at Pitfall’s stoic expression. “Ten-hut!”

No matter how many times I do this... she thought as the ground shook again. It still doesn’t feel real.

From atop the balcony before them, the bat-winged pony took a single step forward.

“Roll!” He shouted, his voice echoing from the surrounding buildings like a thunder clap. 

“First Battalion, present and accounted for!” Winter Gale called out, turning to face the academy’s brigade captain. 

“Fourth Battalion, present and accounted for!” Ocellus confirmed with a sharp click of her hooves, after which the other lieutenant commander's also gave their reports. When the last battalion was accounted for, the pony above them took another step forward.

“Officers!” he shouted, and immediately the horn on Starchaser’s head began to glow.

“Present arms!” 

With the scraping of metal against metal, the saber at the unicorn’s side withdrew itself from its scabbard and came to float next to her head. Meanwhile Pitfall, Winter Gale, and Ocellus all struck the stone at their hooves with the shafts of their spears before allowing the weapons to hang forward towards the mid-line of the formation. 

“Brigade!” the bat pony called.

“Regiment!” Starchaser responded loudly as across the way she heard Pitfall do the same. 

“Center face!”

At the pony’s command; Pitfall, Starchaser, and the over 4000 ponies of the Vanhoover Naval Academy midship brigade turned to face the mess hall. Behind him, the drums began to play out the steady beat of a march. Keeping her eyes straight, Starchaser marched to the new front of the Fourth Battalion, Ocellus staying by her side. They were soon joined by the lieutenant commanders of the 5th and 6th Battalions, a crystal pony stallion and a bat-winged mare respectively. With a final rumble the drums fell silent, and all eyes turned to the brigade captain overhead.

“Forward march!”

As soon as the drums resumed their beating, Starchaser and the lieutenant commanders began their march towards the mess hall stairs. Behind them, the unicorn could hear the lieutenants instructing their companies forward. Even above the beat of the drums, the blue mare could hear Sunny Delight give the order to march. 

Well… she though happily as she and the other officer passed beneath the great silver arch. We’re finally out of the rain. 

Breakfast went by quickly, after which most of Starchaser’s morning was taken up by classes. At 08:00 was Principles of Skyship Performance, likely the unicorn’s least favorite class of the current year. The topic was interesting enough, and she could certainly understand why it was required for all 1st-class cadets, but engineering had never been an interest of hers. 

At 08:50 there was a 10-minute break between classes, giving Starchaser just enough time to make it to the main library. On her way there, the unicorn spotted Pitfall and Ocellus heading in the opposite direction, likely for the Recent Military and Naval History class they took together.

“Commander!” the unicorn greeted as she passed the pair. “Do you happen to know when Golden Shield is getting back today?”

“Yeah.” He responded, pausing in his tracks to think. “The last letter I got said he’d be arriving around seventeen-hundred hours.”

“And when was that letter?”

“Around last week. Why?”

“Just wanted to make sure.” The unicorn assured him as the bell rang a five-minute warning to class start. “That’s about when Rain Dancer heard from him as well. I’m planning a welcome back celebration, and wanted to be sure my info was up-to-date.”

“You strategists…” Ocellus muttered, shaking her head at the two ponies before her. “Always over thinking things.” 

“Maybe you could use a bit more thinking Cell." Pitfall teased as they resumed their walk. "Sometimes it can be good to focus on the big picture. Then at least… oof!”

The stallion grunted as he toppled over the green pegasus’ outstretched leg.

“Oh my goodness commander, are you all right?” the green mare inquired, her voice dripping with the phoniest concern Starchaser had ever heard in her life. “Maybe if you focused less on the big picture, and more on your surroundings, this sort of thing wouldn’t happen.”

Turing quickly away so Pitfall couldn’t see her smile, Starchaser made her way into her next class just as the final bell rang. 09:00 meant History of Magic and its Military Applications. Now here was a class the unicorn could really enjoy. True, most of the subject matter centered around theory and outdated tactics, but there was still plenty the mare felt she could take to heart. While it wasn't a required class, Starchaser felt that it should be for any unicorn entering a military career. 

At 09:50 the young mare made her way across the hall to a much smaller classroom for her Law for the Junior Officer class. She was soon joined by Sunny Delight and Rain Dancer; both of whom selected desks next to her, as far from the front of the room as possible. Though this was one of Pitfall’s favorite classes, Starchaser found the constant memorization of rules and regulations simply dull. So as was her custom with this particular subject, the unicorn spent the entire period practicing or her next class instead. Next to her, Rain Dancer tried her best to pretend that something was being learned. Meanwhile Sunny Delight simply doodled. 

After what felt like an eternity, the 10:50 bell rang and the unicorn bid her friends farewell as she made her way back across campus towards the Magical Sciences building. 11:00 marked the beginning of Advanced Magical Theory, her favorite class by far. As the name suggested, there was absolutely no practical portion of this class, but the mare never had a problem with that. It was the information that she needed more than anything else. She had her own projects for practical applications, and this class was an essential component of those. All too soon the 11:50 bell sounded, and immediately the blue mare hurried to the marching grounds once again for the noon formations that would bring them into the mess hall for lunch. 

Very little was different between noon and morning marches, at least as far as today went. The brigade captain, it seemed, had no interest in trying to trip them up. Unusual for him, but not unheard of.

As soon as Starchaser had gotten her meal of  apples, carrots, and a baked potato today; she made he way to the ‘officer’s mess.’ Despite the name, it was not much more than a private dining area for 1st-class cadets. Even so, it was isolated enough to have conversations over meals without having to yell oneself horse. Across the room she could see that Rain Dancer and Ocellus had already taken their seats, and so the blue unicorn quickly moved to join them.

“… dragons show up, there’s going to be some huge problems.” Ocellus was saying as she approached. “I get why the brass want to play it safe, but it’s not like we can afford to pull back any further.”

“What’s going on?” Starchaser inquired as she sat down across from the two mares.

“According to Cell…” Rain Dancer responded, keeping her voice low. “A report just came in that the Alliance is massing near the North Celestial Railway.”

“Scuttlebutt says they may be trying to take the bridge.” the green pegasus confirmed. “Whether it’s defensive, or setting up for a for a full-scale invasion, nopony knows.”

“Don’t put too much stake into rumors.” Winter Gale interrupted, causing Starchaser to jump as he slammed his tray on the table. “There’s been talk of the Alliance invading for the past five years. I’m not saying it impossible. But they haven’t pulled the trigger yet. So why now?”

“The report just came in to the commandant’s office yesterday.” Ocellus pressed, her violet eyes moving from one pony to the next. “Something’s going on all right. And it's serious enough that, it has the brass scared.”

“How in Celestia’s name do you get your info Cell?” Pitfall asked the pegasus as he too joined in on their conversation.

Glancing in the stallion's direction, the green mare him a sly grin.

“Do you really want to know?” she teased, her pupils shifting into snake-like slits.

“Nope!” the stallion choked, coughing up a piece of carrot at the unexpected sight. “I prefer the choice of plausible deniability. Anyways, how goes the planning for the get-together Chase?”

“It goes nowhere yet.” the unicorn responded as she took a bite of the apple on her tray. “You’ve known Golden longer than any of us Pit. What do YOU think he’d like to do on his first night back?”

“I don’t know.” the brown stallion laughed, his green eyes sparkling as he pushed the food around on his tray. “Golden has always been up for anything. Even when we were colt’s, his birthdays were the easiest thing in the world to plan for. It didn’t matter what you did. As long as he had a few friend’s around, he’d find a way to make anything fun.”

“Drinking night then?” Rain Dancer suggested innocently. “Though, its not as if any of you model students are stashing contraband in your quarters... is it?”

Gale chuckled, as he brushed a strand of his silver mane behind his ear. 

“I might have a bottle of crystal spirit hidden away from my last liberty. But I’d be fine opening it for a special occasion.”

“I might be able to procure a bottle as well.” Pitfall whispered. “I’ve made some decent use of my commander’s privileges. What about you Chase?”

“I had a bottle of cider, but I gave it to Sunny for her birthday. Maybe if she’s feeling generous…”

“Well, I have some of the commandant’s cider.” Ocellus suggested, the table immediately going silent as everypony present gave the pegasus a stare of equal parts shock and horror. “Two bottles actually. Vintage Sweet Apple Acres; an ’05 I believe. Very good year.”

“How the f…” Pitfall began, stopping when the pegasus shoved a hoof to his mouth.

“Shhh.” she hushed, giving the startled stallion a playful wink. “Plausible deniability, remember?”

The sound of a throat being cleared brought the planning to a sudden halt.

Standing a few paces from their table was the familiar form of a pitch-black pegasus with piercing golden eyes. His bat-like wings were folded back at the moment, and as he shifted to get a better look at the table, Stachaser could see his cutie mark on full display. A silver outline of a black crescent moon. 

Black Night was the highest ranked of the 1st-class cadets, holding the title of midship brigade captain. The moment the group realized who it was that had interrupted them, all five ponies leapt as one to their hooves.

“At ease.” the stallion grunted, motioning for the ponies to return to their seats. “Apologies for interrupting your meal. Commanders Pitfall and Starchaser, I’ve been instructed to let you know that the commandant would like to speak with you, ASAP.” 

“Sir!” Pitfall acknowledged as he and Starchaser shared a confused look. “May I ask what about?”

“You can ask.” The stallion responded coolly as he turned to leave them. “But it would be a waste of your time, as I was not informed.”

As the pegasus left the room, Starchaser gave her companion a puzzled shrug. 

“May as well get a move on.” she sighed, earning a solemn nod from the brown stallion. Leaving their food half finished, the two ponies quickly exited the mess hall and made their way towards the commandant’s office on the far side of the marching ground. As the pair entered the main administrative building, Starchaser could hear Pitfall muttering angrily under his breath.

“I swear to Celestia! If this is her fault, I’m going to kill Ocellus!”

The administrative building was a relatively inconspicuous structure, and far smaller than the mess hall across from which it stood. The commandant's office on the first floor of the building, and the ponies quickly found themselves standing in front of a pair of polished silver doors, both inlaid with carvings of a winged crescent moon. 

“Would you like to take lead?” Starchaser asked hopefully.

“Oh no. Mares first.” Pitfall responded, giving the unicorn a playful wink.

Nodding reluctantly, the blue pony reached up and struck a hoof against the metal door.

“Enter!” a gruff voice called out from beyond, the harsh tone causing Starchaser’s stomach to drop. With a deep breath, she placed her hoof firmly against the door and slowly pushed it open.

“Midship commander first-class Starchaser..." the mare announced as she passed the threshold, throwing a crisp salute. "... and midship commander first-class Pitfall, reporting as ordered sir!”

The office was surprisingly small, and crowded with shelves piled high with books of every military subject conceivable. Directly in front of the door sat a large polished wooden desk, behind which stood a massive gray-feathered griffon.

Though she had only met him twice before, Starchaser knew that colonel Gabriel, the academy's commandant, was a soldier with a long and decorated history as an officer of the New Lunar Republic. It was no secret that his appointment to the Vanhoover Naval Academy had come as a bit of a shock to some ponies. Indeed, there were many who likely found it worrying that a griffon was running one of the Republic’s most prestigious military academies; especially considering the rising tensions with the Eastern Alliance. However, the colonel's record spoke for itself; and Starchaser had never met a pony who could speak ill of the soldier.

Or at least, speak ill of his character.

“Commanders.” the old beast greeted, motioning them forward. As the ponies came to stand in front of his desk, the griffon moved to take a seat in a high-backed chair.

“I am told by captain Black Night…” the griffon began, his piercing yellow eyes studying the two cadets. “... that you are both friends with midship lieutenant Golden Shield. Is that correct?”

The moment the unicorn’s name was mentioned, Starchaser could sense Pitfall tense next to her. For her part, the blue-eyed mare could feel a sick chill beginning to form in the pit of her stomach.

You're overreacting. she chided herself. Don't jump to any conclusions.

“Sir!” Pitfall responded quickly. “He and I grew up together.” 

The stallion's face was emotionless as he spoke, but Starchaser could hear in his voice that Pitfall was jumping to the same conclusion she had.  

“I see…” the commandant sighed, pulling a large folder from beneath his desk. After sifting through several pages, the soldier turned his attention back to the ponies before him.

“My records show that the cadet has no immediate family, is this correct?”

“He…” Pitfall began, but stopped as his voice caught in his throat.

“He grew up in an orphanage sir.” Starchaser finished for him. Slowly but surely, the unicorn could feel the chill from her stomach making its way towards her chest.

"And that orphanage is where you and he met as well commander Starchaser?"

"Yes sir."

The griffon studied the pair of cadets quietly for several seconds until finally, after what felt like an eternity, the old soldier gave a tired sigh.

“Very well then.” He muttered, motioning the ponies to a pair of seats directly in front of the desk. "Please sit down."

For a moment Starchaser and Pitfall simply stared at one another. As they finally moved to take the offered seats, the griffon removed a sheet of paper from within the folder on his desk.  

“Since the cadet had no family, I suppose his friends at the very least have a right to know what happened.”

Luna… please princess... don't let this be happening. Not today! Not on the day he was supposed to come home.

Opening a drawer to his right, the commandant withdrew a small pair of silver colored glasses which he carefully set to balance on his beak. As the old soldier began to read from the paper in his claw, Starchaser felt the chill finally reached her chest. Quickly the cold grasped her heart, squeezing it like a vice.

“Three days ago..." the griffon recounted. "... at oh-five-hundred hours, midship lieutenant Golden Shield and five other members of the southern training battalion were ordered to conduct a routine patrol along the Foal mountain range.”

Glancing over at Pitfall, Starchaser felt as if her chest had been stabbed. The stallion's face was a grim mask, showing not the slightest sign of emotion as the colonel continued to read on. But with each passing second, the unicorn could see the light in the her friend's eyes dim more and more. Never, in all the years she had known him, would she ever have believed their light could be extinguished.

“At oh-six-hundred hours…” the commandant continued, his eyes peering above the top of the paper. “… forward operating base Cerberus received an emergency communication from a second patrol stating that Imperial forces had been sighted and were moving towards Republic territory. At this time, cadet Golden Shield was field promoted to the rank of second lieutenant, and ordered to confirm the presence of enemy combatants. Confirmation was achieved at oh-six-fifteen hours, at which time lieutenant Golden Shield reported the presence of an enemy battalion. He and his squad were then ordered to retreat and serve as an observation force until such time as ally reinforcements could arrive.”

The colonel paused as he turned the sheet of paper over.

“At oh-six-thirty hours, Imperial forces began wide-scale bombardment of the surrounding area. Seeking safety, lieutenant Shield and his group dug a foxhole and attempted to wait out the assault. At approximately oh-six-forty hours an enemy spell struck their position.”

The colonel stopped again, this time reaching into his deck to withdraw a box of tissues. Slowly he slid them in Stargazer’s direction, and it was only then that the unicorn felt the tears dripping down her face. Without, comment the griffon returned his focus to the paper in his claw.

“Just prior to impact, lieutenant Golden Shield attempted erect a magic barrier to protect his soldiers from the spell. While he could not stop the blast completely, he was indeed able to redirect it away from their foxhole. Thanks to his actions, his squad survived; suffering only minor injuries.”

“And Golden…?” Pitfall whispered, his eyes staring at the floor.

“Lieutenant Golden Shield has been reported killed in action.” the colonel concluded simply. His tone was not malicious; simply concise. It was the voice of one who had read similar reports too many times to keep track

“I know it means very little..." the griffon sighed as he returned the paper to its folder. "... but according to survivor reports, the lieutenant was killed immediately on impact. At the very least, he did not suffer.”

For several minutes the ponies sat in silence, waiting as the griffon reached for a second piece of paper. 

“Through his sacrifice, lieutenant Golden Shield saved the lives of five of his comrades. His was an act of valor well above and beyond the call of duty. And so I am able to report to you, his friends, that the lieutenant will be posthumously awarded the Silver Moon, and promoted two grades to the rank of captain.”

“Thank you sir.” Pitfall responded, his voice cracking as he raised his eyes to the colonel. “I’m sure Golden… I’m sure the captain would just be happy knowing his men survived.”

“Is there anything else sir?” Starchaser asked, the words barely making it out of her dry throat.

“A memorial will be held tomorrow in honor of the captain.” the colonel answered, returning the paper and folder to his desk. “I thought it would be best if you two select who will participate in the final roll call. The captain died protecting friends, so I thought it only fitting that friends be the ones to see him off at the end of his journey.”

“Yes sir!” Pitfall responded. “Thank you sir.”

“I have already informed all instructors that the remaining classes for today are canceled.” the griffon continued, as he stood from the desk and walked over to his office window. “I will also be briefing the brigade captain of the situation. He will inform you both as to the exact time of the memorial tomorrow.”

“Sir!” the two ponies responded in unison. 

Slowly Starchaser got to her hooves, and for a moment it felt as though her legs would give out from under her. Her horn glowing, the unicorn watched as a tissue rose from the box on the colonels desk, wiping itself gently beneath her eyes before falling into a small bin next the desk. Next to the unicorn, Pitfall remained the picture of a perfect soldier. He stood straight and proud as he saluted the griffon, letting not a single glimpse of emotion show through. 

He just lost his best friend. Starchaser chided herself angrily, saluting the commandant as well. Pitfall just lost his best friend, and I'm the one acting like a foal. I don’t even deserve to be in this room.

“Thank you for your time, commanders.” the yellow-eyed soldier sighed, returning their salute with one of his own. “I am very sorry for your loss. Dismissed.”

With a click of their hooves the ponies turned to leave the room, but just as they reached the door, the colonels voice arose once again from behind them.

“Commander Pitfall!” He called out, causing the stallion to turn and face him. “Your friend died a hero, son. There are five other ponies who would not be alive today were it not for him. You should be proud.”

“Thank you sir.” The stallion muttered, as he turned once again to leave.

As the silver doors closed shut with an audible click, Starchaser turned to look at the earth pony beside her.

“Pit… I…” she started, stopping with a startled gasp as the stallion rested a gentle hoof on her shoulder. 

“I’m all right Chase.” he sighed, the light once again glinting behind his emerald-colored eyes. “Listen, I’m going to speak with captain Black Night and let him know the commandant need to speak with him. I want you to find the others and let them know what’s happened. They... they need to hear what happened.

"What about you?"

"I’ll find you after I speak with the captain.”

Staring up into the brown pony’s face, Starchaser gave a small.

“Promise me…” she muttered, her voice cracking as he grinned down at her. “Promise, you’ll come find me after your done. I’ll be in my quarters.”

“Aye commander.” he chuckled, bringing his hoof up in a quick salute. “I'll see you in a bit.”

As the stallion turned to walk down the hall in search of the captain. Starchaser gave the earth pony one last look, before turning to leave the building. Walking back through the rain, she made her was towards a small building adjacent to the mess hall. The officer’s club, more of a game room really, was their groups usual meeting spot. With classes canceled, and the others knowing she and Pitfall had just spoken to the colonel, the mare didn’t doubt that her friends would be waiting there for her return. 

Sure enough, as soon as she entered the small club room, Starchaser spotted Sunny Delight, Winter Gale, Rain Dancer, and Ocellus all waiting at a table together, talking amongst themselves. A few of the other first-class cadets were playing a game of pool nearby, but a quick request from her was all it took for their group to have the room to themselves.

“What’s wrong Chase?” Ocellus asked, her eyes going wide as she spotted the unicorn. “Did something happen?”

“We assumed something was going on.” Rain Dancer explained. “But even Cell hasn’t heard anything. So how bad is it? Did it have to do with the commandant seeing you?”

Slowly the unicorn nodded, allowing her eyes to study the faces of her worried friends. Slowly she took a deep calming breath.

No more crying! the mare scolded herself. Your friends need you strong right now, so for once in your life, be of use to somepony else!

“Golden is dead." she muttered simply, sensing how every pony at the table suddenly ceased their breathing. "He was killed in action three days ago, saving the lives of every member of his squad when they came under attack. He's being awarded the Silver Moon, and they're giving him a posthumous promotion to the rank of captain. Pitfall and I were instructed to let everypony know. We're having a memorial for him tomorrow.”

“You’re joking, right?” Sunny Delight asked pleadingly as she put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “This has to be a joke!”

“Knock it off Sunny.” Winter Gale snapped, his outburst drawing a startled gasp from the yellow mare. His blue eyes were narrow while he studied Starchaser’s face, but eventually his gaze softened as he looked over to his company’s co-instructor. “I sorry Sunny, I didn't mean to scare you. But come on... Chase wouldn’t make up a twisted joke like this. She’d never be that cruel.”

“But Golden was just on a training deploymen!” the fiery-maned pegasus shot back angrily, water beginning to collect at the corners of her eyes. “Just training! How could something like this happen to him?”

“We’re training to be soldiers Sunny.” Rain Dancer responded, wrapping the trembling mare in a comforting wing. “Soldiers in a country that’s been at war for over 40 years. Sometime soldiers die. There’s no sense asking why or how. It just... is.”

“It was the Empire, wasn’t it?” Ocellus asked from across the table, her violet eyes slowly shifting to an angry, fiery, red. 

Starchaser nodded silently, and the green pegasus slammed the table angrily with her hoof.

"Fuck!"

“How’s Pitfall taking the news?” Rain Dancer asked quietly as she gently rubbed Sunny's mane. “He and Golden were basically brothers.”

“Not well.” Starchaser informed her, thinking back to the commandant’s office when the stallion eyes had turned cold and lifeless. “He’s acting fine. But I’m worried about him.”

“You grew up with them too, didn’t you?” Ocellus asked concernedly. “Are you going to be all right, Star?”

At the sound that nickname, the unicorn attempted a small smile.

Strong! You must be strong!

“We were in the same orphanage together.” the unicorn confirmed quietly. “But they had known each other long before I ever showed up. I’m fine, but I want to make sure Pit’s ok. Can you all help me out with that?”

“Of course,” Rain Dancer responded, the other three ponies nodding in confirmation. “Just tell us what you need, commander.”

“I told Pitfall I’d be waiting in my room to talk, but I don’t think he’s going to come. He wants to try and sort things out, but I’m worried what will happen if he’s alone too long. I’ll head back to the barracks just in case he does show up. But if you all can try and find him, I’d appreciate it.”

“We’ll do our best.” Ocellus sighed as she and the others stood slowly to their hooves. “But, are you sure you’re ok?”

“I’m fine Cell.” The unicorn assured her. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m all right. I’m just worried about Pit is all.” 

As the pegasi took flight, Starchaser returned to her barracks, letting her company know about the memorial before locking herself in her room. For several minutes, she simply paced back and forth, glancing out the window at the falling rain. Eventually, with nothing else to do, she climbed into bed. 

There she lay, still wearing her dress blues, staring up unblinking towards the ceiling. She did not know what to think anymore. Instead the young mare just felt… empty. The tears which had been so willing to fall in the commandant’s office had seemingly vanished. Even the grief and fear which had been so pervasive earlier were nowhere to be found.

Numb. The unicorn thought quietly to herself. How can I be so numb?

Several times that afternoon her friends dropped in to check up on her and to report on the progress of their search. Each time they’d only stay for a few minutes, asking if she needed anything before taking off again. But by the time the sun had set, they still had not found any sign of Pitfall.

Long after the sun had vanished beyond the horizon, Starchaser turned and glanced out the window. The storm clouds, which had waned earlier that afternoon, had now returned with renewed full force. The sound of the rain against the barrack’s roof was like the constant roll of thunder. Turning to the alarm clock beside her bed, the unicorn noted the time at 20:00. It had been over seven hours since they had spoken to the commandant.

You’re really not coming, are you Pitfall?

Standing from her bed, the pony’s horn glowed as her rain poncho draped itself over her back. Walking through the barracks, the unicorn stepped out into the pouring rain and slowly made her way west.

Ocellus had been the last to check-in, and had let her know that the four pegasi had expanded their search to the area around the campus. Unfortunately the rain was making any search difficult, and as of nineteen-hundred hours they’d had no luck. It was like the earth pony had just vanished. 

Walking between the barracks, the unicorn studied the darkened sky overhead. Even in this downpour the pegasi were likely continuing their search. They were stubborn, those four. Each and every one of them. Still, Starchaser hoped they would show enough commonsense to not stay out too much longer. After all…

… she had a good guess as to where the earth pony might be found.

Stepping onto the beach for the second time that day, Starchaser squinted her eyes against to oncoming storm. The waves crashed loudly against the shore, their roar indistinguishable from that of the surrounding rainfall. In the distance, she spotted a lone dark figure lying at the water’s edge, staring unmoving into the dark rolling waves. 

“Hey Pit.” the blue mare greeted as she approached the stallion’s side. 

The earth pony gave no sign that he had even heard her. 

“I thought you might be here. We’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Sorry.” The stallion replied, not taking his eyes from the rolling waves. “I just needed a little time to be alone.”

“I know the feeling.” Starchaser assured him. “But, do you mind if I join you, just for a bit?” 

The stallion gave a small shrug of his shoulders, and the unicorn took that as an invitation to lay down beside him. 

Starchaser did not know how long the two of them stayed there, silently staring out into the vast expanse of the North Luna Ocean. She knew that there was nothing she could say that could help her friend, and once again, the young unicorn found herself cursing her own uselessness. 

The black clouds overhead swirled like smoke, and as she watched them churn, the mare found her thoughts dragged back to that day so long ago. The day the Celestial Empire had taken everything from her. As a foal, she had only been able to watch helplessly as her village, and even her family, had been torn away before her very eyes. Now almost fifteen years later, her best friend was in pain, and still she could do nothing but watch helplessly. All these years had passed, and yet nothing had changed. She was still the same useless filly she had always been. Always in need of help, and yet never able to give it.

“You know…” Pitfall muttered, the unexpected sound shaking Starchaser from her memories. “Golden never wanted to be a soldier.”

Glancing up, the unicorn found herself staring into the stallion's emerald eyes. Their light, usually so vivid, was again gone without a trace. In its place the mare could only see a deep and unbearable pain. The earth pony looked… broken. 

“It was my idea to join the military.” Pitfall explained as he turned back to face the ocean. “Did I ever tell you that? It was all a stupid dream I had as a colt. I had it all planned, you see. Golden and I were going to join up together, and then climb through the ranks side by side.”

Laughing, Pitfall shook his head at the apparent ridiculousness of the memory. But beside him, Starchaser could see the stallion shivering. 

“Golden never really did enjoy the thought of fighting, but that didn’t really matter. I was a colt with a plan, after all; and I knew exactly what was going to happen. We’d graduate as officers, work hard for a few years, and eventually make a name for ourselves. Then, when the time finally came, we’d end this war, just the two of us. We’d be heroes!”

The stallion paused, and Starchaser looked on sadly as the stallion’s smile faded.

“I never did figure out how that last part of the plan was supposed to work.”

Around the ponies, the rain finally began to settle. Over the distant ocean, as the clouds slowly began to move on, as single star could be seen shimmering on the horizon. 

“Now look at what happened...” Pitfall muttered; staring up at the retreating storm as he took a pained, shuddering, gasp of air. “… he became a hero, and I killed my best friend.”

“No!” 

The tone was far angrier than Starchaser had intended, and the stallion next to her glanced down in surprise at the sudden outburst. However, try as she might, the unicorn could not stop the word from coming out of her mouth.

"This wasn't your fault Pit!"

"But it was!" The stallion shouted, as he stood suddenly to his hooves. Stargazer looked on, wide-eyed as the earth pony towered over her, his mouth frothed as he pounded angrily at the sand.

"Do you know what Golden wanted to do with his life? He wanted to be a doctor. A doctor! All he cared about was helping other ponies. But I convinced him to come to the academy. I made that decision! And because of that he's dead."

Staring at the ground between his hooves, the stallion gave a slow shake of his head.

"I killed him."

"Don't you say that. Don't even dare!"

Starchaser's shout rang out over the sound of the crashing waves, and before she knew what she was doing, the unicorn found herself on her hooves.

"Star..." the stallion muttered, raising a hoof towards her shoulder. Without even looking the mare swiped his leg away as she placed her muzzle an eyelash’s length from his. 

"Shut up!" The unicorn snapped. "Do you have even the slightest idea of how arrogant you sound right now? Well do you?"

The stallion met her unblinking gaze, his face once again an emotionless mask. Overhead more stars had joined their siblings, their twinkling lights reflected in the unicorn's eyes.

"You're not a god pit!" the mare continued, her voice cracking with emotion. "You're not Discord. You're not a princess! You can't control what other ponies do! Sure, Golden probably could have become a doctor. Celestia knows he was smart enough. But he chose to come to this academy. When it came time for his training deployment, he had his pick of posts, but he chose to go south. And when that spell hit, he probably could have saved himself. But instead he chose to give up his own life so that he could protect others!”

The young mare’s voice died in her throat, and she took a single step back.

“Those were all Golden’s choices, Pit. They were his, and his alone. They made him who he was! So please, don't be arrogant enough to say you were responsible for every choice he made. He was your friend, not your shadow.”

For several minutes the two ponies stood facing one another, a gentle breeze ruffling their manes as the storm finally ceased. 

“I just…” the stallion whispered, his eyes cast low. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“Just keep going then.” Starchaser urged, walking forward to stand alongside the earth pony once again. “If you don't know what to do, then just keep moving forward. Stick to that plan of yours. The one you and Golden believed in! Become an officer, make a name for yourself, and end this pointless war! After all, what do you think Golden would say if he were here now?”

“Well…” Pitfall muttered, his eyes turning towards emerging stars overhead. “There’s no way he’d let me live down the fact that he got promoted to captain before me.”

Starchaser simply stared at the stallion before her, mouth agape. Then suddenly, almost without warning, she laughed. 

It wasn’t as though the pony’s words had been particularly funny. But in a way, he was absolutely right. Since they were foals, Golden Shield had loved nothing more than to rub his accomplishments in Pitfalls face. And this? A two-ranked promotion before even graduating? This is exactly the type of thing he would have never let the earth pony hear the end of.

And so, Starchaser laughed. Laughed at the terrible joke, at the memories it embodied, and at the senselessness of a world that could allow something like this to happen. She laughed, because deep down she knew, the only other path lead to an abyss from which there would be no escape.

Across from her, the corners of Pitfall’s mouth began to curl. At first he snorted, then he chuckled, and a moment later the two ponies found themselves snickering together like foals at a birthday party. As they laughed, the clouds overhead finally gave way; and soon the beach was awash with starlight and moonlight.

When the moon’s rays finally reached them, for the first time Starchaser could see the glistening tracks of water running down Pitfall’s cheeks.

“Thank you, Star.” the stallion whispered as he gently rested his head atop the unicorn’s mane. “Thank you for coming to find me.”

“We're your friends.” the mare responded, her eyes sparkling as she smiled up at him. “You won't get rid of us that easily. Speaking of…”

In the distance Starchaser could see four brightly colored figures flying quickly their way. 

“…I think you're about to have more company. We got pegasi inbound. ETA: looks to be about 45 seconds.”

“Thanks for the warning.” the stallion chuckled as he used a hoof to wipe at his cheek. “But if you could do me one last favor Star, I’d really appreciate it. 

“Anything.” the unicorn assured him, giving her friend a curious glance. 

“Whatever you tell them, just don’t mention the tears."

Smiling, the mare gave the earth pony a reassuring nudge as the last of the night’s cloud vanished into the distance. 

“What tears?” she whispered, staring up at the shimmer sea of stars. “It’s just the rain.”
> Chapter 2: A Night of Water and Flame
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 24th of First Harvest, Year 30 LRC
Location: Baltimare City Docks, The Celestial Empire
Time: 23:00

Seabirds screeched obnoxiously from the nearby docks; fighting viciously against one another for the scraps of rotting fish which littered the deck of an anchored griffon trawler. Though the city of Baltimare was still bustling at it center, the port had closed hours ago. With no ponies around to interfere with their meal, the birds had free reign of the dock.

Judging by their cries, they wanted to let the whole world know.

Scattered around the pier were several massive warehouses belonging to the Celestial Imperial Army; clearly discernable by the golden suns emblazoned on their rooftops. The buildings sat in groups, sitting side-by-side along the wharf’s main roadway. Just like every other building in the area, the warehouses were locked tight for the evening, their darkened windows facing out towards the great expanse of the Baltimare bay. 

The natural harbor was a strange juxtaposition against the docks which relied upon it. For while the pier was currently dead and dark, out on the water, the lights of a hundred different military, merchant, and private vessels sparkled with life. Though they were too far away for any noise to reach the shore, their lights were clearly visible; burning like fireflies as they bobbed along the surface of the bay. 

Without warning the birds nearest the warehouses went silent, and soon enough a group of imperial soldiers appeared from down the road, stumbling loudly past an alleyway separating two of the military’s storage depots. The ponies’ golden armor glinted as it reflected the streetlights which illuminated their path. But while the stallions may have looked the part of respectable soldiers, their raucous laughter marked them as anything but. It was not difficult to tell that these ponies were returning from a long night at one of Baltimare’s well known cider halls. Even if their slurred speech hadn’t been enough of a clue, the overwhelming smell of fermented apples told the whole story.

It took exactly two minutes for the armored ponies to again move out of sight, and another minute more before their voices finally faded into the night. 

The figure hiding impatiently within the shadows of the alley had counted every second. 

The moment the guards had disappeared, a cloaked form of a pony carefully emerged into the light of the roadway. Being sure to keep its hood pulled low, the figure quickly made their way across the street to a large transport-barge anchored against the nearest dock. With a mighty leap, the pony jumped onto the vessel; making only the slightest clattering of hooves against wood as they landed.

“Breaker!” a female voice hissed as the cloaked figure peered through the shadows clinging to the barge’s deck. “Breaker! Where in Luna’s name are you?”

“Over here.” a second voice whispered, a small trap-door opening as a grey-colored unicorn stuck his head out from below deck. “Get your flank in here Rose. Quick! Before someponey sees you.”

Making her way to the hatch, the cloaked pony quickly jumped down into the depths of the gently rocking vessel. Above her, the unicorn gave one last look around before latching the door tight.

The barge was a sturdy one, and the moment the door had closed, even the sound of lapping waves could not reach the ponies below deck.

“You’re late.” the unicorn muttered, his grey mane and hair glinting in the lamps that lined the narrow corridor through which he led them. “You were supposed to be back by eight.

“Bite my flank, Code!” the new arrival snapped, her voice echoing loud within the confined space. “I’m lucky to be here at all. The bastards were waiting for me at the drop-off!” 

“What bastards?” the stallion inquired as he pulled open a door and led his guest into a small living area. The room was barely wide enough to house the bed and table contained within it. Maps and papers lay haphazardly around the room, blanketing everything except the bed.

The new arrival moved quickly to the table, lowering her hood to finally reveal the face of a fuming earth pony. The lamps of the room were far better than those of the dim the corridor, and here the unicorn could see his companion clearly for the first time that night. The light-yellow mare grimaced as she allowed her cloak to fall to the floor, her luxurious mane of silky pink hair falling to cover one of her orchid-colored eyes. With the cloak removed, the pony’s cutie mark was on full display; an image of a pink rose blooming atop a sand-colored dune.

“Rose…” the stallion inquired again as the other pony studied something on her leg. “Who was it? The guards? Military?”

“How the fuck should I know?” Desert Rose spat, her purple-eyes burning with anger as she watched the unicorn clean off a space to sit. “It’s not like I was going to stick around and ask them once they started shooting.” 

“Shooting?” Code Breaker repeated, his eyes going wide as he finally paid attention to the tone of her voice. In the three years he had known Rose, Code wasn’t sure he had ever seen the mare this upset before. It was that realization which caused him to investigate whatever it was the pony was fidgeting with below the table.

“Oh fuck!” the stallion gasped, staring at the cloth tied tight around her limb. Even as he watched, the unicorn could see a deep crimson stain spreading through the formerly white fabric with every breath she took.

“Rose… your leg! How bad is it?”

“I’ve had worse.” she grunted, tapping her companion’s horn a little harder than was probably necessary. “Let’s just say I’m lucky not every unicorn knows how to aim that thing.”

“I’ll get the med kit.” Code whispered, quickly moving towards a corner of the room. However, he had barely taken a step when the mare grabbed at his leg.

“Forget the medicine, Breaker!” the earth pony barked, wincing as she quickly allowed her injured leg to fall back to her side. “Get on the crystal now! We need to let them know we’ve been compromised.”

Glancing uncertainly at his partner’s leg, the unicorn finally gave a small nod as he made his way to the other side of the room. 

He had always known the mare was one tough pony, but he sometimes forgot just how tough. Then again, it wasn't as as if they let just anypony into the Battalion. 

“Are you sure we’ve got a leak?” he asked as he removed an amber-colored gemstone from where it hung on his wall.

“They were WAITING for me!” the mare shouted, giving an angry snarl as she clutched at her bleeding limb. “There’s only one way they could have known I was there, Code! We have a leak! And command needs to know… if they don’t already.”

“Ok, I get it.”

Walking back to the table, the unicorn placed the gemstone between them before tapping his horn gently against its polished surface. There was a brief glow magic, and suddenly the crystal began to shimmer gently.

“Eagles Nest, this is Baby Griffon…” the unicorn announced as he took his seat at the table. “… requesting immediate patch-in. Over.”

On the table, the gem began to vibrate. As it did, a ghostly voice suddenly filled the room. It sounded like that of a mare, but the sound was too distorted to say for sure.

“We’re receiving you Baby Griffon. Will patch you through for check-in as soon as you authenticate. Clear with Foxtrot-Oscar-Foxtrot-oh-three-three. Over.”

“Roger that Eagle.” The unicorn responded, his horn glowing as he flipped through the pages of a book lying before him. “Just give me a second… here. Confirm F-O-F with three-Tango-Charlie-oh-nine-six-two.”

For several seconds the room fell into silence, the only noise that of Desert Rose’s pained breaths.

“Authentication confirmed Baby Griffon. You’re cleared for check-in. Patching you through now.”

Suddenly a new voice could be heard. This one far gruffer than that which had come before.

“I’m here Code. What’s your sit-rep?”

“Well sir…” the unicorn began, quickly falling silent as the earth pony across from him interrupted him with loud hoof against the table.

“We’ve been compromised sir!” she grunted, her eyes squeezed tight against the pain in her leg. “I have reason to believe the leak is somewhere on your end. We need your permission to close shop here ASAP.”

“What happened?” the ghostly voiced growled.

“The Empire knew about the drop-off sir. They were waiting for me.”

“And the package?”

“Dead sir. They took him down in the middle of the damn street. You’ll be seeing it in the papers tomorrow. There’s no way even the empire’s propaganda machine can keep a scene like that quiet.”

“Are you all right Rose?” the ghostly voice asked, a small hint of concern detectable even over the gem’s distortion.

“Sir, Rose is…” Code stared, but once again went silent as the mare quieted him. This time with a glare that threatened to cut clean through their vessel’s hull.

“I’m fine sir.” the earth pony continued. “A little banged up, but I’ve dealt with worse. The problem is that we’ve lost the package. I almost didn’t make it out at all. If I’m being perfectly honest sir, the situation here is FUBAR!”

The voice was silent for several more minutes, leaving the two ponies nothing to do but stare silently at one another. When it finally did return, the tone had become far more grave.

“We’re checking our pipes now Rose, but the boys here are telling me that if the Empire did indeed know about the drop, there’s a very good chance they also know about you two. As of now, consider the mission scrubbed. Shut everything down, and get your flanks out of there!”

The moment the voice said ‘scrubbed,’ Code was already on his hooves. Quickly, he began to gather the pieces of paper and maps lying haphazardly around the room. If they were really shutting down, they couldn’t risk leaving even a single scrap of evidence.

“Sir…” Desert Rose continued as her companion continued to clean the room. “Before the package went down, he mentioned something. I don’t know what it was about, but he said ‘Silentium’. Do you have any idea what he could have meant?”

“Silentium?” the pony on the other side of the gem’s connection responded, sounding uncertain. “Maybe. I think I’ve seen it mentioned somewhere before, but I’ll have to do some digging. He didn’t say anything else, did he?”

“I’m afraid he was a little too busy dying to elaborate, sir.” 

“All right…” the voice continued before pausing momentarily; apparently listening to something they could not hear. “Don’t worry about it for now. I’ll debrief you personally once you get back here. Just get yourselves out of that city.”

“Roger that sir.” The earth pony sighed, leaning back to check her bandaged leg. “Code’s cleaning up now. We’ll be…”

With a roar like a thousand lightning bolts striking as one, an enormous explosion erupted from deep within the bowels of the wooden barge. In the blink of an eye, the massive ball of heat and flame had ripped through the vessel; the blast wave cracking even the foundations of the warehouses across the street. Against a power like that, the barge might as well have been made of cardboard. Metal and wood disintegrated almost instantly; the vessel ripping clean in two as the raging inferno consumed every square-centimeter of its interior. 

Well… that was unexpected. 

The words came unbidden to the front of Desert Rose’s mind; but the shock of seeing the air literally combust around her had left the pony with very few process to spare on logical thought. Like a ragdoll, she felt herself flying rapidly into the air; rising like so much debris atop a wall of superheated air. 

You’re not dead yet Rose!

That though was all the pony needed to banish every shred of shock from her mind. In that instant, years of training took over. Fear and pain were forced to the back of her mind as she began analyzing her current situation; every factor identified, classified, and memorized. It was then that she finally had the presence of mind to notice the semi-translucent sphere of magic around her; the only thing separating her from the hell that raged around her.

I owe you, Code. the mare thought to herself, as like wind with a swirling leaf, the force of the blast carried her high into the air. Far enough, in fact, that she thought she might be able to look out across the entire expanse of Baltimare. 

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the fireball vanished; and with it, the shield which had been protecting her. The pony felt a momentary twinge of panic as the bubble around her disintegrated; followed by a churning in her stomach as the mare accelerated back towards the earth.

What I wouldn’t give to be a pegasus right about now. 

Knowing what was inevitably about to occur, the earth pony could only close her eyes and wait. She knew from experience that when one fell from a height such as this, the water of Baltimare Bay might as well have been a paved street. The soldier also knew that there was no way she was getting out of this situation in one piece. With no other options left, she steeled herself as best she could against the pain which would be arriving only momentarily.

30 meters… she estimated, watching as the water sped rapidly to meet her. 

20… 10...

With one last deep breath, Desert Rose closed her eyes as she struck the bay with a sickening crash.

All her preparation had been pointless. The pain was excruciating, and the pony was sure she could feel every sensation as the bones in her hind limbs shattered upon impact with the water. Even the breath had been a waste, as the air was instantly knocked from her lungs as she passed below the water

Both hind legs broken… the mare thought through the haze of pain, working as best she could to assess the damage to her body by sensation alone. One lung collapsed. Four ribs shattered. Maybe three if I’m very… very… lucky.

Realizing that she was still sinking, Desert Rose struck at the water around her with her one working limb. The wreck of the barge was still burning, and at the very least, the fires made it easy to tell which way was up. With each swipe of her hoof, the mare could sense darkness creeping in from the edge of her vision. Though whether it was a result of the pain, or just severe blood loss, she couldn’t say for sure

Not like this! I’ll be damned if I’m going out like this!

With one last powerful push, the pony felt her head break the surface of the water, and immediately she took a greedy gulp of air. 

Mistake! the earth pony thought too late, choking as she almost passed out from the pain of her lungs pressing against her shattered ribs. Yep… That was definitely a mistake.

Slowly, the mare made her way back towards the docks; trying as best she could to swim with only a single working leg. All around the port she could hear the blaring of sirens and the shouts of panicked ponies as they sought to fight the fires which were threatening to spread to every nearby ship. Across from the pier, Desert Rose could see several warehouses burning; their roofs already collapsing from the force of the explosion.

Fuck ‘em. the earth pony thought, the small part her brain not focused on pain taking some minute pleasure in knowing the Empire had just accidentally burned down at least two of their own storage depots trying kill her. 

It was not much, but in a situation like this, those little victories were all she could hope for.

Glancing around, the mare attempted to figure out what her next best course of action would be. As neither pain, freezing water, nor blood loss were particularly conducive to swimming; getting out of the water had to take top priority. As far as everything else was concerned, she would worry about it when she wasn’t actively dying.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, the earth pony once again made use of her working limb to paddle along the docks, staying as low to the water line as she could. Whatever pony had tried to kill her would be waiting nearby. Of that she was certain. Most likely they’d be staying on one of the boats anchored in the bay. It made the most sense as far as assassinations went. A boat would place her attacker far enough away to not get caught in the blast, but would also give them an unobstructed view of the target area. If she was right, they’d also likely have at least one or two accomplices waiting on the dock, prepared to receive a signal if any survivors were indeed spotted. If she had to wager a guess, Rose gave herself 60 seconds… 90 tops… from the moment she climbed on to the dock before a spear was shoved through her back. 

At least that’s how I’d have set it up.

Knowing she couldn’t risk getting out of the water anywhere near the barge, the earth pony spent several long minutes floating along the edge of the pier before finally reaching a ramp that would keep her out of anypony else’s line-of-sight. Crawling out of the water, the mare turned to stare at the plumes of smoke and flame still rising in the distance. The sounds of the sirens had grown muted with distance, and now the pony found herself lying in silence; still half submerged.

As she watched the remnants of the wooden barge continue to burn, the earth pony gave a sad smile as she thought back to the silver shell which had shielded her from the blast. 

“Thanks for the save Code.” she sighed, noticing that her vision was now almost completely gone. “I don’t think I’m making it out of this one pal… but at least you tried.”

The pony attempted one last time to pull herself the remainder of the way out of the water, and as she did, she felt something warm start running down her leg. The cloth, which had been wrapped around her injured limb, had come off at some point during the swim. Now there was nothing left to keep her life blood from running down the ramp and into the bay. With a defeated sigh, she gave up and turned onto her back. Slowly, a creeping numbness began to take hold of the mare’s body. Rather than fight it, she simply allowed the shock to slowly take away the pain. Fighting against the inevitable could only take her so far. After all, she was stubborn, not stupid.

“Though, I gotta say Code…” she muttered aloud to herself one last time. “I think I have a couple of notes you can use to improve upon this whole life-saving strategy of yours. Number one… make sure the pony you’re saving actually survives the fall. I think that’d be a pretty decent place to start. Number two…”

As her sight finally vanished completely, the mare felt even the numbness of her body begin to fade. With one last shake of her head, she allowed her lips to curl into a tired smile

Oh, forget it… I’ll just tell him when I catch up.
> Chapter 3: To We Who Remain
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 30th of First Harvest, Year 30 LRC
Location: Vanhoover Naval Academy, New Lunar Republic
Time: 08:45

The Vanhoover Naval Academy's official parade grounds lay just north of the main campus, sitting atop a vast bluff which overlooked the expanse of the North Luna ocean. The parade grounds, or simply the Grounds as they were often referred to by the cadets, were in fact a wide-open area of neatly trimmed grass flanked on its eastern edge by a long set of white bleachers.

Most days when the fields were in use, those stands would be filled with ponies from the nearby city. It was a weekly tradition for many families; with mothers and fathers bringing their foals to watch in awe as the cadets drilled their formations.  However, that was not the case on this day. Instead the benches sat quiet and barren, morning dew still glistening atop their surface.

On the opposite side of the field, a massive stage had been constructed the night before. One which now held many of the academy’s senior-most military faculty. A podium stood in the very center of the stage, set between the rustling flags of the New Lunar Republic and Equestria. Around the perimeter were set large vases of pure-white lilies, next to which stood several visiting officers dressed head-to-hoof in glistening silver armor. 

Spreading out before the stage were eight rows of temporary seating which held most of the schools remaining faculty, as well as members of the student body whom had been selected to participate in the morning's service. Behind these seats stood the rest of the academy’s midship brigade. The morning sun gleamed off the thousands of polished caps which spread out across the field, and countless golden insignia twinkled like a miniature sea of stars against the dark uniforms. It was an awe-inspiring sight to be sure, but in her seat directly before the stage, Starchaser's gaze was drawn only to the small monument which sat to the right of the podium. 

A small wooden base had been set on the stage, into which one of the academy’s ceremonial spears had been carefully placed. At the foot of the spear sat two pairs of polished hoof-coverings, their silver surface gleaming like mirrors in the morning sun. Meanwhile a matching silver helmet, with a crescent moon inlayed on its crown, hung silently from the spear’s tip. It was a simple shrine, but all the more powerful for that fact. It was not meant to be extravagant. Instead, it was simply a replacement; a stand-in for the single soldier who would not be present for that morning's roll call. 

Beside the spear stood a polished wooden stool, atop which sat a black velvet pillow cradling a pair of medals. It was clear from their placement upon the cloth, that the honors had been set with the utmost care and respect. On the right sat the two silver bars of a naval infantry captain; while to the left lay a silver crescent-moon, wrapped in a golden laurel wreath. Though it was too far away to see clearly, Starchaser knew that the polished surface of the crescent was inlayed with intricately carved flowing patterns, and adorned with only the purest of shimmering diamonds.

The Silver Moon. The single highest honor which could be awarded to a member of the New Lunar Republic's military services. Reserved only for those rare exceptional ponies who, in the chaos of war, demonstrated bravery and valor above and beyond the call of duty. It was a beautiful symbol, one which spoke of unmatched courage, loyalty, and sacrifice. 

Wherever Golden Shield was now, Starchaser hoped her friend could see the medal; and know that he would not be forgotten by those who remained.  

Just behind the pillow and medals, sat a simple wooden picture frame. Having nothing that might draw attention away from the photo housed inside, the frame protected a colored photograph of a grey unicorn; dressed in one of the academy’s uniforms. The stallion smiled brightly out at the crowd; and even though it was only a photo, Starchaser was sure she could see the playful light that always danced behind the stallion's yellow eyes. It was a very nice picture. Though to be fair, Golden Shield had always been quite photogenic. 

Several of the academy’s faculty had spoken already that morning, and now Starchaser once again turned her eyes away from Golden Shield’s photograph as, this time, the commandant took his place at the podium. A few seats to her left, Starchaser could hear Sunny Delight give a shuddering sob.

"Cadets...!" colonel Gabriel called out, the griffon's voice echoing across the field. "I stand before you today, not as one of your instructors! Today, I am not your superior, not your commandant, nor even a citizen of our great Lunar Republic! Today, on this morning, I am simply a soldier. And like everypony here, I have lost my brother…. captain Golden Shield."

"The captain was a pony of great character and outstanding bravery. Many times, I have had the opportunity to speak with him, as both an instructor and an officer. As such, I could stand here at length, and speak to his many accomplishments since coming to this academy. However, to do so would not do justice in describing the captain as a student or as a soldier. Instead, I wish to tell you about this amazing pony in his own words."

The griffon carefully shuffled the papers on the podium before him. As he did so, Starchaser turned to see Pitfall seated several chairs to her right. The stallion was staring, unmoving, at the photo of Golden shield; his cap pulled low to shield his eyes from view.

"As all of you know….” the commandant resumed, his eagle-like gaze sweeping across the ponies in attendance. “Acceptance into this academy is contingent upon the submission of a personal letter. One in which every candidate, pony or otherwise, is requested to describe their goals and intentions of becoming an officer of the New Lunar Republic. I will not read you the entirety of captain Golden Shield’s request for admittance, but I wish to bring one important aspect to the attention of every soldier here!

"In his letter, the captain describes his life as a foal, and the hardships he and his friends faced as orphans of this war. While the tale speaks of great struggle, it is the conclusion of the letter which most clearly demonstrates the captain's ideals. He writes... ‘I do not seek admittance to your school in the hopes of leading others. Nor do I wish that I might one day find vengeance, either for myself or my friends. My only wish in joining the military, is the hope that through my actions, your school will one day be able to close its doors forever. I have seen too much lost to the evil that is war. Too many friends who have suffered far worse than I can imagine. Knowing this, I seek to create a world in which no pony, of any nation, must suffer as my friends have. A world in which war is nothing more than a nightmare, from which we can finally awake.’"

As the colonel returned his gaze to the podium, turning over the page from which he read, Starchaser could here Rain Dancer’s comforting whispers nearby. Apparently Sunny Delight had yet to be able to stop her tears.

Though… who am I to talk. Starchaser thought dejectedly as she pulled her cap lower to hide her watering eyes.

"It was this dream of the captain’s…” the commandant resumed, his gaze now focusing on the front row of seats. “…which ensured his admittance to this academy. For a wise pony general once observed that, 'It is only right that war be terrifying. For if it was anything else, we might find ourselves far too accustomed to its waging.' Captain Golden Shield understood this innate truth of war. And in doing so, demonstrated a wisdom far beyond his years. In my many decades of service, I have seen countless soldiers; both officers and enlisted ponies, who forget this fundamental truth! The goal of a soldier is not to wage war. It is not to win battles, nor is it to seek to take the lives of others. These are all unfortunate roles which we MUST undertake! But they belie the essential goal which every soldier should keep close to their heart. A wish to create a world where we are no longer necessary!"

As the old officer paused one final time, Starchaser felt as though the griffon were staring directly at her.

"I have served this nation for over 30 years. During that time, I have signed far too many condolence letters to count. No matter how many I have written, they have never gotten any easier. And I should hope, if a soldier may be afforded such a luxury, that they never will. For despite the countless numbers of comrades and friends I have lost through the years, the captain’s passing has struck me especially hard. It is never easy to lose a soldier. But to lose one as brave and committed as captain Golden Shield, before he could even graduate... it is a terrible loss both for our school, and our nation. In memory of captain Golden Shield, I therefore ask that we all share in a moment of silence.” 

Lowering her head, Starchaser closed her eyes as the fields descended into an eerie stillness. The only sounds were that of a light breeze off the ocean, and the gentle rumble of crashing waves beyond the bluff. Even Sunny Delight had finally managed to stop her sobs, likely with a great deal of help from Rain Dancer. As the moment of silence finally came to an end, the colonel stepped slowly away from the podium. 

"Battery first-sergeant!”

As the griffon called out, an armored earth pony marched from the side of the stage to stand before the colonel. With a loud striking of metal on metal, the stallion brought his hind legs together as he threw a stiff salute.

“Call the roll!"

"Aye-aye sir!” 

Turning towards the center of the stage, the armored officer crisply made his way to the podium. With another clicking of hooves, he spun to face the sea of faculty and cadets.

“Midship lieutenant Rain Dancer!” the stallion called out, his booming voice carrying to every corner of the field. From her position, Starchaser watched as the white pegasus rose quickly from her seat and saluted.
“Here first-Sargent!” the mare called out, her tone sharp and commanding as she stared straight ahead.

“Midship lieutenant Sunny Delight!”

Next to Rain Dancer, the red and orange maned pony jumped to her hooves as well. Though she was still clearly upset, there was only the slightest wavering in her voice as she matched her companion’s salute.

“Here first-sergeant!” 

“Midship lieutenant commander Ocellus!”

“Present, first-sergeant!” 

“Midship lieutenant commander Winter Gale!”

“Here, first sergeant!”

“Midship commander Pitfall!” 

“Present, first-sergeant!” the brown stallion shouted, his countenance grim as he stood to face the officer. 

“Midship commander Starchaser!” 

When her name was finally called, the blue unicorn tried her best to put Pitfall out of her mind. The stallion’s grief was his own, and he certainly did not need her pity. Especially not when she was trying to keep her own watering eyes hidden beneath her cap. 

If this is the last thing I will ever do for you Golden, I refuse to do so while crying like a filly!

“Here first-sergeant!” she shouted to the officer on stage, bringing up her right forehoof in salute. 

"Captain Golden Shield!"

As the last name was called, a heavy silence descended upon the parade grounds. With her friend’s name hanging in the deep stillness, to Starchaser, it felt as though even the ocean waves had become muted. 

"Captain Golden Shield!" the officer on the stage called out again, louder this time. When no answer came, the sergeant crisply turned and walked back to face the colonel once again.

"Sir, Captain Golden Shield is missing from the roll."

"Very well.” the griffon responded, returning the armored pony’s salute. “Strike the captain from the rolls."

At the side of the stage, seven unicorns turned their horns skyward; their spells creating a loud crack that echoed across the campus. A moment later, a single bugle sounded out from behind the cadets. The song was a sorrowful dirge, and a suitable accompaniment for the unicorns who fired their spells twice more into the sky above.

"Stallions and mares…” Black Night announced, the bat-winged pony marching to the center of the stage as the sound of the trumpet faded into the morning air. “…this concludes our memorial service honoring the life and sacrifice of captain Golden Shield. Thank you for your attendance. You are all dismissed!"

With the pony’s words, a bustling rose up behind Starchaser as the other cadets turned and began making their way back towards the main campus. Around her, many of the officers and faculty moved as well, leaving only a few small groups choosing to remain behind and talk amongst themselves. Seeing Pitfall standing by himself near the front of the stage, the blue unicorn quickly made her way to join him.

“Hey Pit.” she greeted as the stallion turned and gave her a tired grin. “How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted.” The coffee-colored earth pony responded with a slow shake of his head. “I was up all night trying to sort things out. It still feels wrong, thinking that I’m not ever going to see him again.”

“I know the feeling.” Starchaser muttered, nodding her head sadly. Looking up, she saw the stallion give her a knowing grin. 

“What?”

“Nothing.” Pitfall chuckled, motioning her to follow as he began strolling towards the edge of the bluff. “I just wasn’t sure to which you were referring. Not seeing Golden again? Or staying up all night?” 

At the stallion’s words, Starchaser felt her stomach drop.

Does he know? 

“What do you mean by that?” she quickly asked her friend; trying and failing to keep her tone neutral.

“Like I said, nothing.” Pitfall reassured her, giving the unicorn a playful nudge as they reached the end of the bluff. “I don’t know anything about your late-night strolls. Well… asides from the fact that they happen. And believe me, the only pony in our group who seems to know anything is keeping her mouth shut. You pick your friends well, Chase. Especially when it comes to ponies who can keep a secret.”

Despite herself, Starchaser felt a slight sense of relief that the stallion was admitting ignorance. However, any relief was short lived as she began to worry about what her friend thought of her not saying something to the group. 

“Pit…” she began, her uneasy voice causing the stallion to raise an eyebrow. “I just want you to know, it’s not that I don’t trust you…”

The mare gave a surprised grunt as Pitfall tapped her head gently with his hoof.

“Don’t say anything if you don’t want to. And don’t feel bad about keeping secrets from us Chase. We all have things we want to keep to ourselves, and I’m not trying to pry into yours. I just wanted to let you know that you’re not being nearly as sneaky as you think you are. Whatever you’re doing on your late-night outings, just don’t let Black Night catch you out of bed after hours.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” the mare muttered, tenderly rubbing her head. 

“Commander Pitfall, sir?” a voice inquired suddenly from behind them. “Commander Starchaser?

Turning around, the pair found themselves face to face with a very nervous looking pegasus. The mare had a light grey body, blue eyes, and a long mane of black and silver hair which hung free about her head. On her flank, Starchaser could see that the stranger’s cutie mark was that of a black bird roosting on the point of a silver star. Like the other two ponies, the new arrival also wore a dark dress uniform. However, instead of the winged crescent moon of the Vanhoover Naval Academy, the insignia pinned to the chest of the pegasus’ uniform was that of a golden lightning bolt flanked by a pair of cyan wings. On the shoulders of her uniform, Starchaser could see the single gold bar marking her rank.

“Good morning lieutenant.” Starchaser greeted as she and Pitfall saluted the anxious pony. 

“Good morning.” the mare responded, returning the salute with her wing. “Second lieutenant Nighthawk. I’m just visiting for the day from Cloudsdale Airforce Academy. I apologize if I’m interrupting anything.”

“Not at all lieutenant.” Pitfall responded, his eyes taking in the sling tied around the pegasus’ left forelimb. “What can we help you with?”

“Well, if it’s all the same to you...” the mare responded, grinning sheepishly. “… the first thing you can do is dispense with the formalities. While, technically speaking I’m a lieutenant, I haven’t even graduated yet. My promotion was just the result of unfortunate circumstances.”

“All right then…” Starchaser said, returning the mare’s smile with one of her own. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Nighthawk. What brings you all the way out here from Cloudsdale.” 

The pegasus’ smile faded as she turned and nodded her head towards the stage.

“Unfortunately, less than happy circumstances. When I was told that Golden Shield’s memorial was going to be held today, I asked colonel Soarin if I could accompany him to pay my respects.”

“The colonel’s here?” Starchaser asked in surprise, recognizing the name of the Cloudsdale academy’s commandant.

“Of course,” Nighthawk responded, her gaze travelling between the two ponies. “Colonel Soarin thought it was important that the air force send a representative as a sign of respect for the captain’s sacrifice. I don’t know how much you heard about the… circumstances leading up to his death.”

“We heard enough.” Pitfall responded, his voice perhaps a little harsher than was strictly necessary. At least the stallion appeared to realize this, as he immediately softened his tone and gave the lieutenant a sad smile.

“Colonel Gabriel gave us the full report.”

“I see.” Nighthawk muttered, seemingly unsure how to proceed. “Well, since you seem surprised about our attendance, I’m guessing the report did not include the fact that captain Golden Shield was in a mixed squad that night. His team included cadets from our academy.”

Instantly Starchaser began to put the pieces together. The pegasus’ bandaged limb… her knowledge of information not in the official report…

“You were there.” the unicorn whispered, her eyes going wide as Nighthawk gave an embarrassed grimace. “You were in Golden’s squad that night.”

“The captain saved my life.” the pegasus confirmed, her eyes turning sadly towards the ground between her hooves. “He saved all of us.”

With what seemed like a great deal of effort, Nighthawk took a steadying breath as she looked back towards the two naval cadets. The mare’s mannerisms screamed of a pony who hated social situations. A loner. Starchaser recognized the signs, because it had taken her friendship with Pitfall to break those very same habits.

The fact that she’s talking to us at all is impressive. the unicorn thought to herself. Whatever she wants, she must feel it’s important. 

“I didn’t know the captain well.” the pegasus continued; her blue-eyes sad and anxious, yet filled with determination.  “We had only met a few nights before our patrol. But during that time, we all discussed our lives in school. He… the captain… mentioned you two. And when I heard you called during the roll, I knew that I had to meet with you.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Nighthawk.” Pitfall responded, giving the mare an encouraging smile. “I know Golden would be happy to know you made it out all right. How’s the leg?”

“Oh! It’s fine.” the lieutenant answered as she glanced down at the sling. “It’s just a small break. But that’s not why I’m here. It’s just… I…”

Stopping herself quickly, the mare took one last steadying breath.

“I just wanted to let you know, that Golden saved many lives that night. Not just us. Splashdown… the other air force cadet… he has a foal. A little filly; barely a year old. She still has her father thanks to the captain. And…”

The pegasus paused as her voice caught in her throat. 

“… and I just wanted you to know. As his friends, I wanted you to know how much the captain’s sacrifice means to all of us. I know there’s nothing I could ever do to repay Golden for what he did. But I thought that, at the very least, I could let you know that the captain will never be forgotten. Not by any of us.”

“Thank you, lieutenant.” Pitfall acknowledged. Starchaser could see the pain behind his eyes, but the stallion smiled warmly as he spoke to the nervous mare. “It means a lot to here you say that. Believe me when I say that I know Golden well, and he wouldn’t want you to worry about repaying him. He’d just be happy that you all got out of that foxhole alive.”

Nighthawk nodded, throwing them both another salute with her wing.

“I know.” she replied with a small smile. “The captain didn’t seem like the type of pony who keeps track of favors owed. I just wanted to let you know how much he meant to the other members of the squad. And to tell you that if you ever need anything, anything at all, please let me know. I keep track of my own debts, even if nopony else will.”

“Lieutenant Nighthawk!” 

The three ponies turned to find an older pegasus marching towards them. His face was stern, but the green eyes which studied them from beneath his dark blue mane sparkled kindly as he approached. The officer’s chest was adorned with countless service bars, denoting a long and storied career. However, it was the insignia of a silver eagle perched upon the shoulders of his uniform that immediately caused all three ponies to snap to attention. 

“Colonel Soarin, sir!” Nighthawk greeted as the approaching officer returned her wing-salute with one of his own.

“Sorry for the interruption, lieutenant.” the colonel apologized. “But we need to fly out soon. Are these the two you mentioned earlier?”

“Yes sir.” the mare responded turning to give Starchaser and Pitfall an apologetic grin as the pair looked at her confusedly. “I just wanted to introduce myself before we left.” 

“Commanders.” Soarin hailed, extending a hoof to greet the two cadets. Pitfall shook the hoof firmly when it was offered; followed by Starchaser who was, admittedly, a little more hesitant.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. It’s unfortunate that it has to be under circumstances such as these.”

“Thank you for coming colonel.” Starchaser said, trying her best to meet the pegasus’ gaze. “It’s an honor to have you here, sir.”

“Not at all.” he responded with a dismissive wave of his hoof. “Your friend saved the lives of two of my cadets. My presence here is the least I can do. I’m sure the lieutenant here has already offered her invitation to visit Cloudsdale.”

“Actually sir…” the grey pegasus muttered apologetically. “I hadn’t quite gotten there yet.” 

“Well I suppose it’s my invitation now then.” the stallion corrected himself with a small chuckle. “If you two ever find yourselves in the vicinity of the AFA, be sure to let the lieutenant know.”

“Thank you, sir.” both ponies responded, throwing the colonel another quick salute.

“Was there anything else you needed from them lieutenant?” Soarin asked, turning to his cadet. “If not, we’re leaving now.”

“No sir.” the pegasus responded quickly, giving the naval academy cadets one last farewell salute. “Pitfall… Starchaser… it was a pleasure meeting you. Until next time, commanders.”

With that the two pegasi took to the sky, their wings beating powerfully as they sailed in the direction of the rising sun. As the two of them sped towards the horizon, Starchaser spotted four familiar figures trotting to join them at the edge of the bluff. 

“Hey you two.” Ocellus shouted, waving to the pair as she turned curiously towards the departing ponies. “Making some new friends?”

“In a way.” Pitfall replied. “Just a couple of zoomies coming to pay their respects.”

“They knew Golden?” Sunny Delight asked, wiping a tear from her eye as she watched the two pegasi vanish into the distance.

“One of them was with Golden when he… when the spell hit.” 

“Are you both going to be all right?” Rain Dancer asked, her eyes carefully studying the stallion and mare before her. 

“I’m fine.” Pitfall replied reassuringly. “Still getting used to the idea that Golden isn’t coming back. But otherwise, I’m ok.”

“I’m all right too.” Starchaser responded, giving the group a small smile.

“Good!” Ocellus shouted, hopping between the two ponies as she pushed them towards the campus with her wings. “Then you have no excuse to ditch us today. Come on, we’re heading out!”

“What are you talking about, Cell?” Starchaser asked while Pitfall simply gave the green pegasus a suspicious glare.    

“You have some liberty saved up, right?” the mare asked, her violet eyes sparkling excitedly.

“A bit, yes.” the blue unicorn confirmed, still not quite sure what her friend was hinting at. 

“We all have some off-campus time saved up.” Ocellus explain as the group made its way across the field. “So we thought, why not take some liberty and head into town. After yesterday and this morning, I think everypony here can use a break.”

“I can get us a private room at Le Grosse Pomme.” Rain Dancer explained, referring to one of Vanhoover’s higher-end nightclubs. “If I push for it, I might even be able to get us in before they open.”

Next to the two mares, Sunny Delight and Winter Gale nodded in agreement. 

“Sunny and I have already agreed to join.” Gale informed them. “If that will influence your decision any.”

Looking between the four ponies, Starchaser turned and gave Pitfall a small shrug. 

“What do you say Pit? We could use the distraction?”

“Sorry all.” The stallion responded with a slow shake of his head. “I have watch tonight.”

“You HAD watch tonight.” Ocellus corrected him, stopping as Pitfall suddenly planted his hooves and turned to face her.

“What?”

“You heard me.” the mare replied, her voice suddenly rising in pitch as she blinked her eyelashes innocently in his direction. Starchaser suspected that blameless look might have worked on anypony who did not actually know Ocellus. But to the unicorn, it simply looked ridiculous. Apparently, Pitfall agreed, as he returned the pony’s innocent expression with a glare of his own.

“Don’t give me that look.” Ocellus moaned with an exasperated sigh. “All I did was ask Rawhide if he’d be willing to take your watch for the day. I told him that we, as a group, wanted to take our friend out for a little R&R. Rawhide agreed, and that’s that. I didn’t use any sneaky tricks. All right?”

“I need to request permission to switch watch duties from the captain… face-to-face.”

“… I used only one sneaky trick. All right?”

“Cell...” Pitfall growled, his eyes suddenly going wide as the green pegasus shoved her face into his. Though she might have only been half his size, Ocellus met the earth pony glare-for-glare.

“You aren’t fooling anypony Pit!” she snapped, causing the earth pony’s growl to die in his throat. “You can say you’re fine, but we both know that’s a damn lie. Because if you WERE the type of pony who could lose his best friend and not give a shit, you better believe that I wouldn’t waste my time hanging out with you!”

“Cell…!” Starchaser gasped, shocked that the mare was getting so aggressive.

“I’m saying it because nopony else here has the spine to!” Ocellus snapped, turning her gaze momentarily to the blue unicorn. “Even if both you and Pit won’t admit you’re upset, that’s fine. Everypony handle’s loss differently. But if you’re going to lie to my face, and tell me that you’re ok when we both know damn well you’re not, you better believe that I’m going to call you out on that shit!”

For several minutes the group stood there in silence. Sunny Delight looked terrified, her gaze bouncing between the arguing pegasus and earth pony so fast, she might as well have been watching a game of ping-pong. Beside her, Winter Gale and Rain Dancer simply stood silent; their faces blank as they waited to see how things would turn out. 

After what felt like an eternity, Ocellus finally took a step back.

"Look you two…” she sighed, giving a small shake of her head. “I know how much Golden meant to you. He was our friend too after all. So, I know he’d hate to see you tearing yourselves up about something you have no power to change. So just for today, give yourselves a break. Let’s go into town, grab some drinks, and give him a send-off we can be proud of. What do you say?”

Pitfall stared at the mare before him for several more seconds, his green eyes seeming to take in every detail of her face. Finally, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, he gave a long sigh.

“All right, Cell.” the earth pony muttered, once again beginning the walk back towards campus. “I get what you’re saying. Let’s go then. All of us.”

Behind the two ponies, Starchaser gave a bewildered shake of her head. Ocellus and Pitfall were so very different, in almost every way imaginable. Yet somehow, the green pegasus could always read the stallion like a book. As such, watching an argument between the two of them was like observing a battle. Aggressive advances, tactical retreats, and a few feints thrown in for good measure. While Pitfall might be a genius as far as military strategy was concerned, in a battle of words with Ocellus, he was sorely outmatched.

Of course, Starchaser was well aware of the fact that, as far as Ocellus was concerned, she stood no better of a chance than the earth pony. Even when the unicorn knew what it was the green mare was after, the pegasus always seemed to have a way to swing a conversation in the direction she wanted. In the unicorn’s opinion, it was an incredibly impressive talent. Infuriating when used against her. But impressive none-the-less.

“So then…” Pitfall grunted, his words knocking Starchaser from her contemplation. “I’m assuming you have a plan?”

“Plans require too much thinking.” Ocellus replied, her voice holding not a trace of the aggressiveness from before. “I always prefer to stick with ideas, and let others make the plans.”

“Don’t worry Pit.” Rain Dancer chuckled, giving the stallion a small pat on the shoulder. “We’ve got you covered. Gale already bought you and Chase train tickets. You’re all scheduled to catch the eleven-thirty to Vanhoover.”

“You bought us tickets, Gale?” Starchaser asked, receiving a smile from the pegasus as he withdrew a pair of rail tickets from the pocket of his uniform.

“Grabbed them this morning.”

“Assuming you’d convince me to go?” Pitfall asked, his tone causing the other stallion’s grin to falter.  

“Don’t blame him, Pit.” Ocellus sighed. “It was all my idea. I came up with it last night when we were getting our flanks soaked looking for you. Thanks again for that, by the way.”

“I didn’t ask for you to look for me.” The stallion muttered, a small hint of embarrassment in his voice.

The group continued on in that manner, the conversation becoming less argumentative as Pitfall finally accepted that this trip was inevitable. For her part, Starchaser was glad for the company. After returning from her search for Pitfall the night before, the unicorn had spent far too much time alone with her thoughts. Now, she was just happy to have anything to distract her from the nightmares those thoughts had wrought. 

The group of six ponies parted ways to prepare for the day and to grab some items from their respective barracks. Then, as the time neared 11:00, they regrouped at the main entrance of the academy. Stopping just long enough to sign out, they quickly made their way to the academy’s train station. It was a small platform, and the train itself was hardly anything impressive. But it was easily the fastest way to reach Vanhoover City, short of flying.

The train ride into the city was relatively short; taking about thirty minutes to pass through the surrounding countryside before entering the main station at Vanhoover’s center. Bidding them farewell at the station, Rain Dancer took off to fly on ahead and finalize the preparations for the day. Meanwhile, the other five friends selected an empty train car and proceeded to make themselves comfortable. 

Soon enough, the train departed with a shuddering lurch. Quickly it picked up steam, and Starchaser found herself staring out the window as her friends took part in small talk. Around them, open fields transitioned to forests, then to suburbs, and eventually to the cement jungle of a downtown urban environment.  After half an hour was over, the train finally pulled into the station and the group prepared to depart.

As she stepped out onto the bustling train platform, Starchaser found herself basking in the energy and life of the Lunar Republic's third-largest city. While not as hectic as Manehattan, nor as sprawling or glamorous as the city of Crystal; the unicorn always found Vanhoover to be a wonderful city in its own right. Busy enough that there was always something to do, and small enough to traverse without too much difficulty.

When the ponies stepped out from the train station, they found Rain Dancer already waiting for them at the building’s massive stone entrance. 

"Took you long enough." the white Pegasus teased, giving the group a wry sneer. 

"You were free to join us." Pitfall countered. 

"Oh, I’m well aware. But I prefer my way more."

The mare turned and quickly led the group away from the station. All around them, buildings of stone and metal rose like enormous monoliths into the blue sky above. While not nearly as tall as those one might find in Manehattan, the street levels were still packed with all sorts of wonderful shops. Candy stores, cider halls, bakeries and more! Anything a pony could ever want or need could be found here. At least as far as Starchaser was concerned.

"So..." Rain Dancer announced as they passed by a news stand. "Did any of you hear about what happened in Baltimare?"

"No.” Ocellus responded, her ears perking up excitedly as she moved next to the other pegasus. "But am I to understand you have some delicious information from the Empire?"

"No more than anypony else." Rain Dancer responded, causing the green mare to frown in disappointment. "But since you clearly haven’t seen the news yet, apparently, there was some sort of attack in Baltimare last week. A bombing at the city docks. The blast took out a large section of the pier. Including some military depots."

"A bomb?" Sunny Delight gasped as she joined in the conversation. "Do they know who did it?"

"No." Rain Dancer answered with a shake of her head. "At least the story I saw said no suspects had been apprehended. But you know the Empire and their propaganda. They might just be holding off until the pony responsible has already been convicted and sentenced." 

"But..." Ocellus muttered, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "…I bet you ten bits they blame us."

"The Republic wouldn’t do something like that!" Sunny argued, turning around to face Winter Gale as he gave an empty laugh.

"Wouldn't we though?" the stallion asked her, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "Come on Sunny, this is war! Nopony would question it if we were, in fact, trying to cripple the Empire's supplies."

"Nopony would question it…” Starchaser agreed, her voice low and thoughtful. “… but there's no way it was us." 

At her words, the other five ponies stared curiously at her.

"Is this our resident strategist talking now?" Ocellus chuckled as she gave the unicorn a playful nudge.

"Gale was talking strategy." the blue mare responded, blushing slightly at the attention she was getting. "Knocking out supplies and such. I'm just looking at it from a tactical perspective."

"What are you thinking, Chase?" Pitfall asked, his voice holding a tone of legitimate curiosity.

“Disrupting supplies makes sense...” the unicorn continued, working through her own thoughts as she spoke. “… especially considering how aggressive the Empire has become lately. But there are more effective ways to do it than blowing up a few warehouses. What damage did an attack like that do? Take out enough rations for a brigade or two? That’s hardly a dent in the Empire’s forces. But if you have a bomb that powerful and were to, as an example, put it on the Rock Ridge rail line; you’d cut supplies from Baltimare AND Filly Delphia to every region west of the Foal Mountains. Even if they worked round-the-clock to lay down new tracks, an attack like that could stall any imperial advance for several weeks, at least.”

“So why didn’t we do that?” Sunny asked, confusedly.

“Because, like Chase said…” Pitfall answered, giving the blue unicorn an approving smile. “It wasn’t us.”

“Maybe not.” Rain Dancer sighed as she led the group down a small side street. “But that’s not going to stop the Empire from using it as an excuse to step up their attacks.”

“As if they needed an excuse.” Winter Gale snorted angrily.

“Come on Gale!” Ocellus teased, feigning righteous outrage as she placed a forelimb over the stallion’s shoulders. “A chance to rouse the populace against a rebel nation that would DARE to launch an attack on the soil of the great Celestial Empire? Their propaganda department is going to have a field-day with this one!” 

“Well it’s not our problem for another year at least.” Rain Dancer pointed out before stopping in front of a massive glass sign. “So, let’s just enjoy ourselves. That was the idea after all. Right Cell?”

The building in front of which the ponies now found themselves was much smaller than those which surrounded it. Standing only three stories tall, the front had a classical look to it; with carved stone pillars and stained glass windows. Sitting over a pair of polished oak doors was a lighted sign, currently off, which read ‘Le Grosse Pomme.’

Walking up to the doors, Rain Dancer struck the wood hard with her hoof. After several minutes, there was a loud creaking noise as a yellow earth pony stuck his head through the oaken entryway.

“There you are Dancer!” he exclaimed excitedly, pushing the doors open wide so the ponies could see the empty club beyond. Most of the lights were off, and the only figures visible were a few ponies focused on cleaning the floor. 

“Ah! These must be the friends you mentioned.” the stallion commented before stepping out into the street and extending his hoof in greeting. “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you cadets. The name’s Highlife. I’m the owner of this fine establishment.”

As the pony led the group inside, Starchaser found herself marveling at the massive interior. A polished dancefloor spread out before them, flanked on three sides by bars stocked with a wide selection of ciders and spirits. The unicorn had been in here on multiple occasions, usually with Ocellus and Rain Dancer. However, during those times, the club had always been too full of ponies to truly appreciate its massive interior. 

“I’m afraid we don’t officially open until five.” the earth pony leading them apologized as he brought them around one of the bars and through a beaded curtain. “But if you just need a quiet place to drink, I have the perfect spot.” 

Opening a blue-colored door, the stallion brought the group into a small back room. Set well away from the main dance area, the room was a brightly-lit space with its own miniature bar and serving area. In the center sat a circle of padded couches, placed equidistant around a beautiful marble table.

“As I said…” Highlife repeated, giving the six ponies a beaming smile. “… we are technically closed for another four hours or so. But I’m considering this a VIP party. So, feel free to ask for anything you need. There should be a decent selection of ciders here, in addition to those you brought with you Dancer. With that being said, if you need anything… stronger… the main bar is open. I’ll tell Mixer to keep an open tab.”

“Thanks Highlife.” Rain Dancer said, returning the earth pony’s smile as she shook his hoof again. “I appreciate it.”

“Not at all my dear.” the stallion replied before turning to the others and allowing his smile to momentarily soften. “I am very sorry about your friend. If you need anything, please let me know.”

“Thank you, sir.” Pitfall responded with a small nod. “We appreciate it.”

“I’ll leave you to it then.” Highlife finished, turning to leave. “Oh, and if you do decide to stay until we open… mare’s drink free tonight.”

With that the yellow pony stepped out of the room with one final wave, the door closing gently behind him.

“Oh yes!” Ocellus sighed contentedly as she fell back onto one of the padded sofas. “This is WAY better than I thought it was going to be. Way to go Rain Dancer!” 

“Ok Dancer.” Pitfall muttered as he chose to sit on the floor next to the marble table instead. “I think you have some explaining to do. What’d you do. Blackmail him?”

“Oh please Pit! Who do you take me for? Cell?” the white pegasus chuckled, causing Ocellus to stick her tongue out teasingly.

“So, is he a friend of yours then?” Sunny Delight asked, hopping up onto one of the couches as well.

“In a way.” the other mare explained, walking over to the serving area. “He and my dad go way back, so I asked him if he’d lend us a private room. But it’s not that big a deal. He’s not giving us free drinks or anything.”

“At least, not until tonight.” Ocellus corrected her with a sly wink.

"Well I, for one, don't feel like waiting for tonight." Rain Dancer countered as she ducked down behind the bar. "Do you mind if we open them now Cell?"

"It's why I had you bring them."

As the white pegasus rose from behind the counter, she revealed a dark green glass bottle held tight with her right forelimb. Upon its face, Starchaser could see a simple looking label of a dark red apple.

"You were actually serious this morning!" Winter Gale gasped, his eyes going wide. "That's Sweet Apple Acres cider!"

"You wound me Gale." Ocellus gasped dramatically, placing a hoof over her heart. "As if I would lie about this gracious gift the good commandant has given us."

"Colonel Gabriel is going to kill you." Pitfall muttered, shaking his head disapprovingly. "If he ever finds out you stole that, he's going to make you run until you can't move a muscle.”  

"Well, I guess we just need to get rid of all the evidence then." Ocellus laughed as Rain Dancer placed several glasses on the counter.

"Hey Chase..." Dancer asked, motioning towards the glasses. "Can I get some help?"

"Oh yeah. Sure thing." Starchaser responded, her horn glowing blue as the other mare made her way back towards the group. Behind her, the glasses rose into the air; gently suspended within a shimmering cloud of magic. As they floated to sit in front of the six ponies, Rain Dancer struck the top of the bottle soundly with her hoof, dislodging the cork with a loud pop. 

"Would you like to do the honors, Cell?" she asked, nudging the bottle towards the other pegasus.  "It was your hard work which brought us this wonderful treat."

"It would be my pleasure." Ocellus chuckled, grasping the bottle between her hooves. One by one she poured the cider into the waiting glasses, the golden-colored liquid bubbling gently. As the last vessel was filled, the six friends gathered around and each grasped a glass between their hooves.

“Pitfall…” Winter Gale prompted. “Would you start us off?”

Staring down silently into the fizzing liquid, the brown stallion gave a small nod. 

“You all knew Golden Shield.” he began, his tone low and sad. “I think anypony who spent more than two minutes with him would know what kind of friend he was. Kind, brave, and willing to do anything to help those around him. When we were foals, he was like a brother to both me and Starchaser. I… I hope I’m not assuming too much in saying that, Star.”

The unicorn shook her head in assurance and gave her friend a sad smile. He was right of course. When her village had burned to the ground that night, and her entire world had vanished in a single instant; she had been terrified when she found herself placed in the care of the Vanhoover Foals Home. So far away from everypony and everything she had ever known, it had taken weeks for her to be able to go to bed without crying. But from the moment she had stepped across the threshold of the orphanage, Golden Shield had been there to look after her. Every day the unicorn had sat patiently in the mornings, waiting to meet her as she walked into the communal dining room for breakfast. He had been her guide during her early days at the orphanage, and protector from the older foals who would sometimes try to intimidate the new arrivals. In that lonely place, Golden Shield and Pitfall were the only two ponies she had ever considered family. 

“Anyways…” Pitfall continued, coughing to clear the lump that had arisen in his throat. “To Golden Shield! The bravest soldier, the best friend, and the only brother I have ever known.”

“To Golden Shield.” Starchaser responded, adding her voice to the others’ before bringing the glass to her mouth. The cider was warm, but incredibly sweet and refreshing. The bubbles gently tickled the back of her throat, and almost immediately the unicorn could tell that this was a much higher class of cider than any she had experienced before. 

I guess it’s only the best for the colonel. The mare thought bemusedly to herself as she wondered what the gryphon would ever do if he discovered Ocellus’ heist. Her pondering did not last long though, for as soon as her glass returned to the table, the unicorn found Ocellus filling it again.

“Your turn now, Chase.” the green pegasus prompted with an encouraging smile. 

“Well, there’s not much I can say that hasn’t been said already.” the blue unicorn responded, glancing nervously at the five other ponies staring expectantly at her. “Except that, I guess… I’m just not sure how I’ll be able to get used to Golden not being here. Ever since I was a filly, he was always there for me. Whether at the orphanage, or even at the academy. If I was ever uncertain, or worried about something; he’d always be waiting to listen to anything I had to say. Sometimes he’d joke, other times he wouldn’t even have to say anything at all. Just him being there was always enough.”

“He was good at that.” Pitfall agreed, reaching over to place a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Why do you think he was the one I told about my stupid plan of joining the military?”

“To stupid plans then…” Starchaser suggested, her words eliciting a rumbling chuckle from the coffee-colored earth pony. “… and the one pony always considerate enough to listen to them.”

“Hear, hear!” the green-eyed stallion shouted, raising his glass once again as all six ponies took another drink of cider.

And so it continued on, each member of the group giving a small anecdote about their departed friend. Sunny Delight spoke of the time Golden Shield had spent an entire month helping her prepare for the navigational exams at the end of their second year; a notoriously difficult set of tests which the pegasus had been sure she was going to fail. For Winter Gale, it was the one time when he had made a bet with their friend that he could beat him in a race, not discovering that the unicorn knew how to teleport until his third consecutive loss. Rain Dancer talked about the time Golden Shield had convinced her to request permission from the commandant to set up a hoof-to-hoof combat club, a decision which had apparently been instrumental in her being selected to become a midship lieutenant. As for Ocellus, it was the first time the mare had met Golden Shield; at which point she had been positive that Golden ‘was legitimately insane.’

“After all,” the pegasus had said. “There is no way a pony could ACTUALLY be that genuinely nice.”

With each story, the group would take another drink of cider. And by the end of Gale’s anecdote, they had already been forced to open their second bottle. After Ocellus finally finished her recounting of the first meeting with Golden Armor, Rain Dancer stepped out of the room, returning a moment later with a shimmering bottle of crystal spirits. 

After six drinks, Starchaser was already feeling the effects of the fermented cider. Much of the tension and sadness which had assailed her over the past two days were, for the moment at least, forgotten. Instead she could laugh freely, smiling at each and every ridiculous account her friends could retell. Even when the first drink of spirit, far harsher than the cider, caused her to cough uncontrollably; the blue mare could only laugh as Ocellus patted her back jokingly. 

“Come on Chase, this stuff is the real deal!” the green mare chuckled as Gale and Pitfall laughed at the unicorn’s struggle. “No more of that sweet cider you ponies are so fond of.”

“You’re a pony too, Cell.” Starchaser pointed out, trying to focus through the haze that was beginning to cloud her mind. “So, don’t act all high and mighty, at least not while you look like that.”

“She’s got a point Cell.” Rain Dancer laughed, nudging the violet-eyed pegasus playfully as she poured out more of the spirit. “It’s just us here. There’s no need to keep up appearances for our sake.”

“I just didn’t want to go around scaring Sunny.” Ocellus chuckled as she took another long drink. 

“One time!” the yellow pony groaned in response, causing the rest of the group to laugh. “You scared me one time! Just get over yourself Cell! You’re not nearly as intimidating as you think.” 

“Oh, I don’t know about that…” Ocellus hissed, her voice gaining an eerie and echoing tone as green light erupted at the base of her hooves. “I think I’m pretty scary when I want to be.” 

With a sudden crackling of electricity, the light sped its way up the mare’s limbs; her lime-colored hair vanishing to be replaced by a reflective onyx-colored carapace. Holes could be seen at several points in her midnight-colored limbs, while her wings rapidly lost their feathers and instead gained a light-blue membranous quality. When the light finally reached her head, the mare’s violet eyes shifted to a single pale blue color, lacking even the remnants of a pupil. The final change was the appearance of a midnight colored horn which adorned the front of her glistening head.

“So… WHAT DO YOU THINK NOW, SUNNY!” the creature snarled, her fangs glistening as she lunged towards the pegasus. Immediately the yellow mare fell to the ground with an inelegant shriek.

“Knock it off Cell.” Winter Gale chided, giving the changeling a light rap on her head with his hoof. “I haven’t had nearly enough to drink yet to deal with this.”

“Sorry Sunny.” Ocellus laughed, holding out a hoof to help the other mare off the floor. “I just couldn’t resist.”

“Oh, I’m fairly certain you could.” the pegasus responded, sticking her tongue out. “Why not just turn into a dog next time? It would certainly be more reflective of your personality.” 

“Cheeky.” the changeling laughed, giving her friend a sly grin as she retook her seat at the table. “Be careful Sunny, or you just might hurt my feelings.”

As the two returned to their places, the conversation again resumed with Winter Gale turning to Pitfall.

“So, Pit…” the stallion asked curiously. “… I meant to ask you earlier. But that letter the commandant read this morning; did you know about it? All that stuff about Golden wanting to end the war for your sake and stuff?”

“No, I can’t say I did.” the earth pony responded, staring solemnly down at his glass. “But it doesn’t surprise me even a little. Golden never did anything for himself. Even when we were foals, every action he took was for the sake of others. So, him wanting to join the military just to help others, it sounds exactly like something he’d say.”

“What about you?” Sunny Delight asked, her tone one of curiosity. “You two came to the academy together, right? We know why Golden asked to come. But what about you Pit?”

“What about me?” the stallion replied with a sad shake of his head. “I was just a stupid colt, so my motivations weren’t nearly as selfless. For me it was all about the adventure, and the chance for my best friend and I to become famous soldiers. I didn’t come into this worrying about helping ponies or anything like that. I was just… an idiot.”

“That’s not true…” Starchaser began, but was quickly interrupted by a small snicker from Ocellus. 

“Don’t lie to him, Chase.” the changeling laughed, her new voice reverberating disconcertingly even in the small space of the room. “Of course he’s an idiot for coming to this academy!”

“Cell!” Starchaser gasped, earning a wink from the black-shelled creature across from her.

“Don’t get me wrong.” Ocellus amended, her dark horn glowing green as the bottle of spirits floated over the table to refill every pony’s glass. “I’m not saying it’s just him. Face it Chase, anypony with an ounce of sense would stay as far away from the military as possible. In one way or another, we’re all idiots here.”

“That sounds about right.” Winter Gale chuckled as he flicked his silver mane out of his eyes. “For me, it was all about the mares. That was my ultimate goal in joining the navy. All I wanted was a nice-looking uniform, and some great stories to use in the cider halls.”

“And how’s that plan working out for you, stud?” Rain Dancer asked, her eyebrow raised in amusement.

“As soon as any of my stories actually work, I’ll let you know.”

All six friends laughed at that, Sunny Delight whipping tears from her eyes as Gale blushed in embarrassment.

“I just wanted to spend time with my friends.” Sunny offered, smiling brightly as she looked around the table. “An entire group of us joined up at the same time, and that’s what brought me here.”

“And what happened to this group?” Winter Gale asked, sounding genuinely shocked. “I don’t think I’ve heard you mention them before.”

“They… um… sort of washed out.” the orange-eyed mare explained, giving a slightly embarrassed smile. “I don’t think any of us realized exactly how tough the first year was actually going to be.”

“So why did you stick around then?” Gale pressed. “If you only joined because of your friends, why stay when they all left?”

“Because I met you all.” Sunny responded, her tone making it sound as though it were the most obvious reason in the world. “What other pony is going to look after you if I leave?”

“That’s momma Sunny for you.” Ocellus laughed, throwing a shelled limb over the yellow pony’s shoulders. “Always making sure us kids stay out of trouble.”

“But what about you, Cell?” the pegasus asked, turning her neck to glance at Ocellus. “You don’t’ really talk very much about your past. Why’d you end up joining the academy.” 

For the briefest of moments, Starchaser was sure she could see the changeling’s smile slip. It was the briefest of flickers, and judging by the way the rest of her friends reacted, the unicorn wasn’t sure any of them had noticed. When their friend did speak, her teasing tone was almost enough to convince Starchaser that she had imagined it.

Or maybe… the unicorn thought, noticing that the room was slowly starting to rock back-and-forth. It’s just all the spirits and cider.

“For me, it’s always been about looking out for yours truly.” Ocellus laughed before taking a large gulp from her glass. “Most of the old-land changelings are content with staying around their colony. And as far as the new colony goes… well… we’re not usually looked upon fondly by you ponies.”

Starchaser felt a twinge of guilt at the changeling’s words. The mare knew that her friend’s comments were not targeted at anypony present. But at the same time, there was a valid reason as to why Ocellus only ever revealed her true form when their group was well away from prying eyes. Unlike the old-land changelings whom Ocellus had mentioned, those from the new colony were viewed by the majority of pony-kind as enemies. 

The suspicion was not without reason of course. More than once, Queen Chrysalis had attempted to spread her control across all of Equestria. Even after the Great Schism; the conflict which had given rise to the division between the new and old-land colonies, the queen had bread multiple armies in an attempt to regain the power which she had lost. There were even rumors, admittedly unfounded, that Chrysalis had been partly responsible for the war which now raged between the New Lunar Republic and the Celestial Empire. Regardless of the reasons behind the suspicion, it was a sad truth that the few changelings who did go rogue from the new colony often found themselves treated as pariahs, even amongst their own kind.

“Anyways…” Ocellus continued, waving her hoof dismissively. “… the fact of the matter is that suspicion and isolation makes me and my abilities a rare commodity around here. A commodity which is particularly well-suited to military applications. Because of that, I saw a chance to be successful and make a decent living for myself. Can you blame me for wanting to take advantage of my… unique opportunities?”

“No one’s blaming you for anything, Cell.” Rain Dancer sighed, tapping her glass gently against the one which floated in front of Ocellus’ face. “For me, the military was an inevitability. When every member of your family is an officer of some sort, it’s an unspoken expectation that you join as well. 

"Not that I’m complaining…” she quickly clarified. “I’m damn good at what I do. It’s just that… sometimes I wish I could say that it was more than mere expectations that sent me to the academy.”

“Well whatever the reason…” Sunny Delight laughed, hiccupping slightly from apparent intoxication. “I’m glad you’re here Dancer.”

“Me too…” Ocellus agreed, motioning around the room. “Luna knows neither Pitfall or Gale could get us a room like this.”

“Oh yeah?” the white stallion challenged, his words slurring somewhat as he gave the changeling an annoyed glance. “I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be.”

“Calm down fly-boy.” Cell laughed, her horn glowing green as she refilled his empty glass yet again. “Save your charms for a mare who cares.”

“Well I think that just leaves one of us left.” Rain Dancer urged, turning to face Starchaser as Gale and Ocellus continued to glare at one another. 

“What do you mean by that?” the unicorn responded shyly, her eyes remaining fixed on the glass before her. 

“You know what I mean?” the white mare pressed, her emerald eyes narrowing slightly. “Next to Cell, you’re the quietest out of all of us when it comes to our past. We’ve known you for almost four years now Chase, and I’m just curious what brought somepony like you to the naval academy in the first place.”

“It’s all right if you don’t want to talk about it.” Pitfall began, stopping when the blue unicorn quickly shook her head.

“No… it’s fine.” Starchaser responded, giving a small smile as she tried to shake away some of the cider’s haze which muddled her thoughts. “I don’t mind. It’s just… I’m not quite sure how to explain it.” 

For several moments, the young mare simply stared down at her glass; watching as the lights of the room reflected off the clear surface of the spirits inside.

“I’ve told you all about the night I lost… the night my village was attacked. Right?”

“Not in great detail.” Rain Dancer answered with a shrug. “But it’s come up once or twice.”

“Did I ever tell you how I got away?”

All five ponies shook their heads slowly in response.

“It was princess Luna.” Starchaser explained, her words eliciting a small gasp of surprise from Sunny Delight. “The princess herself saved me.

"I had run away from my village, and was surrounded on all sides by imperial soldiers. I was just a filly, so of course I was unable to do anything to protect myself. By every right, I should have died that night. But, before I even knew what was happening, she was there. Standing over me like a… like a goddess in the moonlight. The princess saved my life! So now I… I don’t really know how to explain it but… I want to be able to thank her. I came to this academy because I hoped to one day be able to do something, anything, to help her in return.”

“Like what?” Winter Gale asked, giving a small chuckle as he took another sip from his glass. “Become a member of Luna’s personal guard or something?”

Almost immediately Starchaser could feel her cheeks begin to heat up. She had of course entertained thoughts of such an idea, but just hearing the words spoken allowed forced the mare to recognize what an outlandish dream that truly was. She kept her embarrassed gaze focused on the glass before her, and as she did, the unicorn could hear Winter Gale choke on his drink.

“Wait… seriously?” the stallion coughed, gasping for air as Starchaser felt the blush on her cheeks deepen. “Your goal is the Lunar Royal Guard?”

“Pick your jaw up off the floor Gale.” Ocellus snapped as she moved to put a reassuring forelimb over Starchaser’s shoulder. “It makes you look like even more of an ass than usual.”

“Sorry!” the white pegasus apologized, quickly recognizing how uncomfortable he was making his friend. “I’m sorry Chase. I didn’t mean anything by that. It’s just that… wow… the Lunar Guard is quite the lofty goal.”

“And what of it?” Ocellus countered aggressively. “You don’t think she can do it?”

“No, it’s not that.” he responded hastily, waving his limbs franticly as though he could physically ward off the daggers shooting from Ocellus’ eyes. “All I meant was… well…”

“It’s fine, Cell.” Starchaser assured her friend as she glanced up and smiled in Gale’s direction. “Gale wasn’t insulting me or anything. He’s right. The Lunar Guard consists only of the best of the best. I doubt I’d ever be invited to join. I don’t mind. All I really want is the chance to give back to the princess. To thank her for what she did for me. Whether it’s as a member of her guard, or just as a soldier of the Republic. All I’ve ever wanted is the chance to be useful.”

“Is that why you requested the southern front for your training deployment?” Pitfall asked, his voice low and somber.

Instantly Starchaser felt her heart stop.

“How do you know about that?” she asked quickly, her eyes going wide in shock as she met the earth pony’s probing gaze. 

“Lucky guess.” the stallion explained simply, as around them, the other ponies exchanged surprised and worried glances. “Princess Luna is supposed to be conducting inspections on the front lines within the next few weeks. After that story, it didn’t take too much work to deduce where you’d choose to go for your deployment. Assuming, of course, you knew about the inspections. Judging from your reaction, I’d say I was right on both counts.

“You’re not serious!” Sunny Delight moaned as she grabbed anxiously at Starchaser’s hoof. “Chase, you can’t seriously say you’re planning on going south. Not after… not with what happened to Golden!” 

“I am.” the unicorn responded, patting the other mare’s hoof reassuringly as she tried to put as much conviction in her voice as possible. “But not because of the inspections. Or at least… not just because of them.” 

For several minutes the six friends sat quietly, the other five ponies throwing each other occasional glances as they considered the unicorn’s words. Eventually Starchaser could not take any more of the silence, and instead tried to turn their attention elsewhere.

“What about you Gale?” she asked, turning to the silver-maned pegasus. “Where are you going?”

"There's a joint deployment with the Cloudsdale Airforce Academy.” the stallion answered, not quite meeting her gaze. “Sunny and I both requested it and were approved. We're supposed to report to Cloudsdale the week after next."

"I had no preference for my deployment." Rain Dancer answered before Starchaser could even ask. "As of now, they have me scheduled to report to Crystal. Not sure why. It isn’t as though I’d be seeing any combat training from all the way back there."

"And you, Cell?" Starchaser pressed, this time genuinely curious about where the changeling might have requested for her training deployment.

"I asked to go east.” the black-shelled mare responded, giving a small shrug as though it hardly mattered. “I heard the food there was pretty good, and wanted to give it a try. I may not need to eat like the rest of you, but I still wanted to try some of the Griffonstone fusion cuisines they have out in Manehattan."

"I was originally going south, like you Chase.” Pitfall sighed as he turned his unblinking gaze towards the blue mare. “Since our deployment schedules were going to overlap, Golden and I had planned to finish out his time there together. But now... I'm not so sure."

"You should request a change." Sunny Delight suggested helpfully. "After what happened, I’m sure the commandant would allow it."

"But what about you?" the earth pony asked, the worry evident in his voice as he kept his attention on Starchaser. “Are you going to request a change in deployment?”

Looking around the table, the unicorn could clearly see that all five of her friends had the same look of concern. 

"I'm still going south." she answered finally, her voice perhaps coming off slightly more aggressive than she had intended. However, she needed the strength in her tone. If not to convince her friends, then at least to convince herself. 

"Like I said, I have my reasons for requesting deployment there. I can’t let something like what happened to Golden keep me from going.”

“Well, aren’t you the brave little soldier.” Ocellus commented, her reflective eyes glinting in the light of the room. 

“It’s not bravery.” Starchaser argued, shaking her head as she carefully kept her hooves hidden beneath the table. 

Don’t let them see you trembling.

“I just… I may not like thinking about what happened there; but I know Golden, and I know what he’d say if he was still here.”

“Chase…” Ocellus began, but stopped at a quick signal from Pitfall. 

“I’m not strong. I know that. At the very least, I’m not as strong as the rest of you. I never have been. But that didn’t mean anything to Golden. No matter what I was scared about, or what challenge I was convinced stood in my way, he’d always give me the same advice. ‘When the world is at its darkest Chase…’ he’d say, ‘…And it seems like you’ve lost your way; remember that when there is nothing else in sight, the only path left is forward.’”

Looking around the table, the unicorn blushed again as she saw all five ponies staring intently at her.

“So that’s what I’m going to do.” she finished simply, her gaze turning once more to the table. “Even if Golden is gone, as long as I'm still here, the least I can do is keep on moving forward.”

"You know Chase..." Rain Dancer sighed, giving her friend a small grin. "Golden would be pissed knowing you're using his argument to place yourself in a potentially life-threatening situation. It’s true that, as students, we're theoretically not supposed to see battle before graduating. But now we all know how well that works out."

"Even so… " Pitfall added, picking up his glass between his hooves. "Whatever your reasons for choosing to go south are Chase, I know Golden would be proud of you. The fact that you’re willing to do whatever is necessary in order to stay your course… I'm sure that's all he'd want for any of us.”

Raising his glass, the brown stallion turned to stare at each pony present. 

"With that being said, there’s absolutely no way I’m going to allow this to be our last drink together! So keep this in mind everypony. No matter what happens over the next few weeks! No matter where we end up for our deployments! You are all going to make it back here for graduation. That's an order!"

"Aye sir!" Sunny shouted, almost spilling her drink as she threw the stallion an exaggerated salute. 

"Remember always," Pitfall continued raising his glass high above the table. "Even if Golden is gone; as long as we all remain, his spirit lives on with us!"

"To the one who is gone!" Rain Dancer toasted as she and the rest raised their glasses in response. Glancing from one face to the next, Starchaser added her voice to the toast.

"And to we who remain!"
> Chapter 4: Words and Warnings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 1st of Second Harvest, Year 30 LRC
Location: Vanhoover Naval Academy, New Lunar Republic
Time: 18:00

"Professor Comet?"

A black-maned unicorn glanced up from his desk, the glasses resting upon his snout sliding down to reveal a pair of saffron-colored eyes as he spotted the mare waiting at the threshold of his classroom. The old stallion's stern face broke out into a bright smile as he motioned her to come in.

"Starchaser!" The elderly pony greeted, rising quickly from his desk. Unlike most of the Academy's instructors, Morning Comet was not actually a member of the military. Without the need to wear a uniform while teaching, the only accessory he sported was a small red-feathered cap.

"To what do I owe the pleasure? Question concerning the paper due tomorrow?"

"No professor." the mare responded, smiling sheepishly as she made her way into his office. "I've finished that already."

“Of course you have." the stallion chuckled. Turning back towards his desk, the unicorn waited for Starchaser to join him.

"Then am I to assume this visit is extracurricular in nature?"

"Yes sir." the blue unicorn responded, taking the offered seat across from her professor. "Actually, I was hoping I could get some help. I came across some manuscripts last week, and I wanted to speak with you before the weekend, but..."

"Ah yes." the old stallion replied, giving a small sigh. "I heard about what happened with Golden Shield. I am truly sorry I was unable to make it to the service. Unfortunately, my presence was requested in the capital. I hope you are doing all right. As I recall, the captain was a friend of yours."

"I'm ok." Starchaser replied, smiling as brightly as she could manage. "It's still taking some getting used to. But I have friends who are keeping me company."

"Glad to hear it." the professor said as he returned the mare's smile. "One can never underestimate the healing power of good friends. But I apologize, it was not my intention to turn the conversation in such a sad direction. What is it I can help you with Starchaser? A question concerning these manuscripts you mentioned earlier?"

"Yes." The mare confirmed, her horn shimmering as several scrolls levitated out of the pack which hung at her side. "I came across a diagram during my... studies... that I couldn't understand. I was hoping I'd be able to find out more if I could discover who the architect of the diagram was, but I didn't recognize the signature."

"I see..." the old stallion muttered, pushing up his glasses as Starchaser unfurled the scroll between them. "So this diagram, was it a magic circle?"

As the scroll unrolled, an intricate pattern was displayed across its surface. Lines of varying thickness crossed through one another, forming hundreds of circles intersecting at various angles. No words could be seen at any point on the page, save for a single pair of intricately scrawled letters hidden in the bottom left corner.

"I think it's a circle of some sort." Starchaser answered, though it was clear she was uncertain. "But I couldn't be sure. There are no symbols or incantations of any kind. At least as far as I can tell. As for the architect, the signature looks like it's C.S. But I've never seen those initials before. I was hoping you might recognize them."

"Very curious..." Morning Comet muttered as he leaned in close. "I'm not surprised you couldn't decipher this. It is very advanced magic, Starchaser. The sort you generally don't see unless you have spent your entire life studying the arcane sciences. I am curious as to what led a student, no matter how talented, to come across something like this."

"As I mentioned professor…" Starchaser responded, fidgeting nervously as her instructor continued to study the scroll. "I came across a separate diagram which looked similar. I spent almost a week in the library trying to find another with the same signature. But I was never able to find a reference to who the architect might be."

"Well," the professor answered, chuckling as he lifted his gaze from the scroll. "At the very least I can save you some time on that front. You won't be able to find a reference to the initials C.S, as there is intense debate within the scientific community as to whom they should actually be attributed to."

"It's unknown?" Starchaser whispered, the shock evident in her voice.

"As I am sure you are well aware…" the professor explained as he returned to studying the scroll. "There are many conjurers and sorcerers who have been responsible for a wide range of arcane advancements. Star Swirl the Bearded is easily the most famous of these ponies. But there have been plenty of others, though they may be less well known outside of academic circles. Ruby Crest the healer, the alchemist Golden Lead; or from more recent history, magical prodigies such as Sunset Shimmer. However, the initials C.S have been a mystery."

"There's nopony who's name matches?"

"Oh, of course there are plenty." Morning Comet laughed. "Cloud Seeder the charming. The water druid Calmseas. But most of these were specialists; ponies who focused on primarily one form of magic. But this signature..." the professor explained, tapping the initials with his hoof. "Has appeared on a wide range of spells and magical diagrams. Many far outside the expertise of those famous magic users with the same initials. This has led to a fierce debate within the academic community as to whether C.S. belongs to an anonymous conjuror or... more likely... whether it is a pseudonym."

"A pseudonym?" Starchaser muttered.

"Indeed." The professor replied, his horn glowing as a massive tome floated over to his desk. "The earliest spells attributed to this sorcerer can actually be found here."

As the book dropped to the desk with a dull thud, Starchaser found herself staring at a dark purple cover inscribed with golden lettering.

"The Advancing Arcane." Starchaser read as the stallion before her began to pour through its pages. "I know I’ve heard of that."

"I wouldn't be surprised. This was one of the last great compendiums of modern spells and incantations written before the Harrowing. It was put together by the mage Starlight Glimmer. She was a bit of a controversial character, to be sure; but an incredible magic user nonetheless. She gathered spells from all across Equestria, and collected those she deemed most influential into a single tome. Ah! Here we go!"

Opening the book so that Starchaser could see clearly, the old stallion revealed a page entitled simply 'Key of the Heavens.'

"This is the first record of a spell with a signature matching that of C.S. Though admittedly, it's not really a spell. Rather...

"It’s a star map!" Starchaser gasped, staring in awe at the page before her. "I think I… I’ve seen this before!"

"Very likely.” Morning Comet confirmed, flipping through page after page. “This, and the nine pages that follow, seek to detail the movements of stars which have been proven to be most effective in their influence on spells, and magic in general. It’s been built upon and refined by other ponies in the decades since. But this was the first attempt at such a map. And here is its author.”

Starchaser stared at where the elder unicorn was indicating. On the last of the ten pages, hidden in the far bottom-right corner of the page, was a signature written in flowing gold writing.

“Crepusculum Scintillula…” the mare muttered, unsure if she was even pronouncing it correctly.

“Not quite what one would call a common name.” the professor commented as he laughed at her butchering of the words. “Hence why it is accepted by most academics as a pseudonym.”

“But for who?”

“There are plenty of theories. Some say it’s one of Star Swirl the Bearded’s many aliases. But I and most others dismiss that outright. Not only would his work have shown up far earlier than thirty years ago; but also, Starlight Glimmer was very careful to include only contemporary mages in her book. She would not have been so careless as to let something like that slip through.”

“Well… who do you think it is?”

“There are many theories out there.” the professor considered, smiling knowingly as he leaned back from the table. “Personally, I am of the camp that believes the name itself informs us precisely who it is. Tell me Starchaser, how familiar are you with ancient Equestrian?”

“Not very.” the unicorn admitted as she wracked her brains for what few terms she did know. “I taught myself the very basics for older incantations, but I don’t know much beyond that.”

“Well then…” the black-maned stallion explained as he adjusted his glasses. “I guess a quick translation is in order than. Scintillula, is a simple enough word. It is used to describe a small flickering of light. A ‘little spark’, if you will. Now Crepusculum… is slightly more complex. It’s used to describe a very specific time of day. To be precise: the moment which separates the night from day, or vice versa.

“So, it means… sunrise and sunset.” Starchaser muttered, slowly piecing the two words together.

“Or more specifically, twilight.”

“Twilight and spark? Twilight… Spar… Twilight Sparkle!” Starchaser gasped suddenly, her eyes going wide as she stared at the open book.

“Precisely!” her instructor chuckled, clearly amused by her sudden realization. “The fourth princess of Equestria, and perhaps one of the greatest magical prodigies pony-kind has ever seen.”

“Princess Twilight made this map?”

“Possibly.”

“And what about this?” the unicorn pressed, tapping the scroll she had brought with her hoof. “If it was made by princess Twilight, is it some sort of magic circle?

“In a way.” Her instructor responded, his horn glowing slightly to withdraw a paper and quill from his desk. “Judging by the look of it, I’d guess this is the layout for a Sweep.

“Sweep?” Starchaser repeated, staring curiously as the professor’s quill began to dance across the piece of parchment he had retrieved. “I don’t believe you have mentioned that in class before.”

“Nor should I have.” Morning Comet countered. “As I said, this is very advanced magic. You should have gone through at least three years of in-depth study in arcane theory before the term even cropped up. But I’ll try my best to describe it in… not simple… but understandable terms.

The quill before him drew two lines, dividing the paper into quadrants.

“If I were to break down the levels of magic based on complexity, and to an extent strength, I would do so into four categories. Though, I urge you to keep in mind that magic is not so easily categorized. There are indeed spells which can transcend these crude designations, but this is the only way I can think of to break down such an advanced form of sorcery.”

“I understand professor.” the young mare before him confirmed, watching intently as the quill began to fill in the first quadrant.

“Very well then…” her instructor assented before continuing. “At the lowest level of these four tiers is raw magic. This is what you find when a unicorn uses their horn to channel unrefined energy into the world around them. It is non-specific, and as such can be used to achieve a wide range of results. Levitation is the most commonly observed effect; but it can take the form of teleportation, pyrokinesis, and many more aside.”

As the professor spoke, the quill continued to expand upon the basic diagrams within the first region of parchment. Small squiggles began to take the form of a unicorn, pegasus, and even an earth pony. Outlines were shaded in around the figures, labeled with symbols Starchaser recognized from her advanced arcane theory class.

Lambda for amplitude… the young unicorn recited to herself, remaining silent as her professor expanded upon his work. Xi for elemental affinity. Mu for… the focal constant? Was that it?

“… Raw magic will often remain localized to its caster you see. And while there are some exceptions, it can usually only affect a few items or individuals at a time. This form of sorcery, perhaps more so than any other, is tied closely to the character of the pony who seeks to employ it. Ergo, a spell which one unicorn casts easily might be almost impossible for another. A result of their innate affinity and life experiences. It is even sometimes argued that pegesi, and perhaps even earth ponies, can employ raw magic to an extent. Furthermore…”

By this time, the first quadrant had been completely filled with images of ponies, all surrounded by outlines of exotic symbols from arcane theory. However, the old stallion before her trailed off as he ran out of space; raising his gaze to Starchaser as he gave her a sheepish grin.

“Apologies, my dear.” he sighed as the quill immediately jumped to the next square. “I fear my habit of lecturing students got the best of me. “I’ll try to be more concise from now on.”

Before the mare could even respond, Morning Comet began again; his words coming faster as the quill sped across the page. Its ink trailed in long swooping letters to form elegant sentences of varying legibility.

“At the second tier of magic we find incantations. If I am speaking more generally, it is the use of words to focus raw magic. Spells which utilize this method are generally, though not always, more powerful than their silent counterparts. They may even allow a pony to conduct feats well beyond that of basic unicorn magic.”

“Or enable them to utilize raw magic outside of their normal affinity?” Starchaser inquired, earning a bright smile from the magical instructor.

“Precisely! It's always good to know that at least some students listen to my lectures. Now, the third form of spell casting we must briefly review are magic circles. Utilizing a physical shape, raw magical energy may be further refined and amplified to a level well beyond that of even the strongest unicorns. These circles, however, require a great deal of knowledge encompassing the nature and interactions of varying forms of raw magical energy. Beyond that, the effects of such a spell are restricted by the shape of the circle itself. In many ways, spells cast with magic circles are both exponentially more powerful than those composed of raw magic; and simultaneously far more constrained in their effects. As you may be aware, magical items can often be grouped into this class of the arcane. For while they are not strictly circles, their structure is always designed to focus magic in a very specific way.”

“I see…” Starchaser muttered, trying to hide her excitement even as she prompted her professor to continue. “And the sweep?”

“Well…” the stallion explained, the tone of his voice startling the mare as it suddenly lost much of its warmth. “These are the last, and easily the most complex form of magic. For someone who has not even finished my Advanced Arcane Theory course, the best way for you to view them would be as vast arrays for focusing magic. Unlike magic circles, which are limited in size and shape; Sweeps can be expanded indefinitely. Or at least they can in theory. This not only makes them incredibly dangerous, but also nearly impossible to control effectively. Therefore, this is a form of magic that is constrained to the realm of the theoretical.”

“No pony has ever formed a sweep before?” the blue mare asked, shocked at the concept of any form of magic not being attempted at least once.

“A few.” Morning Comet amended with a shake of his head. “Perhaps even some could have been considered successful. But the vast majority of attempts have failed to achieve a functioning sweep. More importantly, several researchers, peers of mine included, have even lost their lives attempting such a thing. With that said…

Like a candle extinguished by a sudden gust of wind, the last traces of warmth present on the black stallion’s face vanished without a trace. His yellow eyes grew cold, and narrowed dangerously as he studied Starchaser’s face.

“… magic such as this, is not to be trifled with.”

The blue-eyed mare felt her stomach seize up as she met her professor’s gaze. Morning Comet had always been so kind when speaking with students. She had lost count of how many times she had come to him for help in the past, and not once had she ever felt the slightest bit of unease. But now? It was as if she were standing head-on against an approaching storm cloud. One which was currently threatening to strike her down if she even attempted to turn away.

“I… of course not… I mean…” Starchaser stammered, shrinking back in her seat as the dark-haired unicorn continued to glare.

“I wasn’t planning on doing anyth­­ing with it.” she finally managed, her voice rising in pitch as Morning Comet raised a questioning eyebrow. “I was just… I just wanted to know who had made it. I’m sorry for asking.”

The storm vanished as quickly as it had come, and a sudden look of realization overcame Morning Comet who quickly sat up straighter in his chair. The angry gaze was immediately replaced by one of apologetic concern as he buried his head in his hooves with an exhausted sigh.

“Forgive me Starchaser.” he muttered, his words muffled slightly. “Once again I forgot myself.

Raising his face to hers once more, the professor’s saffron-colored eyes regained their usual warmth.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you. Nor should you ever feel the need to apologize for asking me a question. I merely wanted to press upon you the dangers of working with magic such as this.”

For her part, Starchaser allowed herself to slowly sit forward once again. The mare’s stomach remained clenched, and even now she could feel her heart pounding slightly faster than she was used to. But as the old stallion continued to speak, at the very least she could tell that he had meant well.

“You are one of the best students I’ve had the privilege of teaching, Starchaser. The fact that you have been promoted to brigade commander is evidence enough that your intelligence is not lost on commandant Gabriel. So please believe me when I say, I know you are smart enough to avoid undertaking any dangerous risks. I have simply met my fair share of ponies who all too easily allow their intelligence to transition to arrogance. I do regret scaring you like that. But I would feel far worse if I said nothing, only to discover later that you had hurt yourself or others while attempting something you have not been trained to work with.

“I… I understand professor.” The blue mare responded, working to carefully hide the unease which still grasped at her stomach. “I do appreciate your warning.”

“Well, I’m glad for that at least.” Morning Comet chuckled, allowing his smile to return as a pot of tea and two cups sailed over to land between the ponies.

For several minutes, the pair sat in awkward silence, sipping occasionally from the cups set before them. After what felt like far too long, it was professor Comet who finally broke the silence.

“Extracurriculars aside, I am happy you stopped by, Starchaser. I have been meaning to speak with you. I had a conversation with master sergeant Flak last week which I found very interesting.”

“Oh…” Starchaser responded, her stomach shifting uneasily yet again. There was only one reason her professor would mention such a meeting, and already the young pony could feel her cheeks begin to flush in embarrassment.

“I was mentioning how your last paper was an exceptional piece of work, and that I could see you going far if you continued to apply yourself as you have. Needless to say, I was somewhat shocked when the master sergeant had a very different picture of your abilities.”

The blue-eyed mare glanced up from her tea, and saw that Morning Comet was studying her over the rim of his own glass.

“He agreed with me that you are a hard worker, but in his opinion, the results do not seem to reflect the effort you appear to be putting in. I take it then, that you have been struggling in his class. Is that correct?”

“I…” Starchaser began, but stopped as she lowered her gaze dejectedly. “Yes sir. At least, I’m having more trouble than I likely should.”

“If I’m not mistaken, you are working on artillery training this semester?”

“Yes sir.”

“And what is it you are struggling in? Forming the spell? Or hitting your target?”

“Both.” the mare admitted as she sank ever further into her seat.

“Interesting…”

The stallion’s words were light, and filled with the warmth Starchaser had come to be familiar with. But there was something else hidden within the tone of his voice. Something which she had never heard from her instructor before.

“I know you are working very hard Starchaser.” the professor continued after taking another sip of tea. “I see it every day in my class. And I want you to know that you should not take this as a reflection of your abilities. The fact of the matter is that, for some ponies, application is far harder than theory when it comes to magic. Military spells can prove to be especially difficult. After all, they require a level of… aggression… that not every pony possesses.”

What is that tone? Starchaser wondered anxiously, her thoughts spinning as she tried to put a term to the sadness reflected in her teacher’s voice. Is it concern? Pity?

“Tell me my dear. Have you considered going into academia?”

“I’ve… thought about it.” the mare answered, her words soft as most of her thought processes continued to decipher the meaning hidden in her professor’s tone. “But I’ve never looked at it as a serious career choice.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I want to be a soldier!”

“I see…” the stallion across from her commented, his gaze dropping to the surface of his tea. “I hope you know that just because you have come to this academy, you are not required to serve on the battlefield. Not every pony can, or even should face the hell that is war. And with a mind like yours, I’m sure you could serve your nation in any number of ways.”

Though she could tell that her professor’s words were meant to be encouraging, Starchaser could not help but feel as if she had been slapped across the face. Was he trying to say that she couldn’t succeed as a soldier? That she shouldn’t even bother trying?

Do I really seem that weak?

“It’s not just about helping our nation.” Starchaser spoke up, working to keep her voice from wavering as her professor looked to her once again. “I want to serve. I have to!”

“And of course, it is your choice…” Her professor responded with a small chuckle. However, his smile faded somewhat as he glanced at the scroll unrolled across his desk.

“But it is a shame. You really do have such potential.”

Disappointment! Starchaser thought suddenly, her throat tightening as she was finally able to identify the feelings behind her professor’s voice.

He thinks I can’t do it!

With a loud rasping of wood against wood, Starchaser stood suddenly to her hooves; the chair on which she had been sitting skidding away from the desk as her horn began to glow. Turning quickly so that Morning Comet could not see her face, the young mare allowed the parchment she had brought to roll itself tight before returning to its pouch as she briskly made her way towards the door.

“Thank you for your time professor.” the pony expressed, turning just enough to allow a cyan-colored lock of her mane to shield her eyes from view. “And for the tea. I hope you have a wonderful evening.”

“Starchaser…” the black-maned unicorn responded, his voice concerned as he too rose to his hooves. “It seems I must apologize once again, for letting my own biases take hold. It will be a hard road, but I know if it’s what you want, I have no doubt that you will become a fine soldier.”

A lie!

Clearly Morning Comet only wanted to help, and it was easy enough to discern that any deception in his words was only intended to encourage and comfort. But for Starchaser, that did not make the sting any less palpable.

Turning back to face her professor, Starchaser gave a bright smile. Her eyes were dry as she studied her instructor’s concerned face, and her voice was light as she nodded once again to show her thanks.

“I appreciate your support professor Comet. I’ll be sure to get my paper to you first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Starchaser…” the stallion responded uncertainly, his saffron-colored eyes darting to the pouch which held the recently returned scroll.

“Please don’t worry. I appreciate your concern for my safety, and I have no intention of ignoring your warning. As I mentioned before, I was only interested in finding out who the architect was.”

With that, the young mare turned once again and quickly made her way to the door.

“Have a good night professor.”

As soon as the door had shut behind her, Starchaser allowed the smile on her face to vanish. It was soon replaced with a determined scowl as she marched down the hall away from Morning Comet’s office; her eyes fixed on the path before her. She didn’t like misleading her professor, especially after all he had done for her in the past. But the old stallion’s words still clung to her, like a thorn slowly pressing itself ever deeper into her thoughts.

‘I have no doubt that you will become a fine soldier.’

Empty words to be sure, but she would accept them for what her instructor had intended them to be.

Besides… who are you to judge?  He wasn't the only one lying.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


As quietly as she could manage, Starchaser landed on the ground outside her barracks; her horn shimmering gently in the moonlit night as the window closed tight behind her.

It was almost midnight, and the academy grounds were silent as the unicorn made her way carefully between the barracks. While she had made this trek countless times over the past few years, this time the mare found herself jumping at every shadow. Perhaps it was professor Comet’s warning to her. Or maybe it was Pitfall’s cryptic hints from the day before. Regardless, the mare could not shake the feeling that somepony was watching her from within the darkness nearby.

"Damnit Pitfall!" Starchaser swore quietly, tripping over her hooves at the sound of a startled bird. "You had to get me second guessing myself, didn't you? I feel like Black Night is going to jump out at any moment!"

"You know commander," a cold voice suddenly hissed behind her. "There is probably a very good reason for that."

Within an instant, every muscle in the terrified unicorn's body seized. Even her heart momentarily ceased its beating, constricting painfully in her chest as she turned slowly to face the voice. Several paces away, his eyes glinting dangerously in the moonlight, stood the dark form of the academy's brigade captain.

"You know…" the black stallion continued, his leathery wings shifting excitedly as he approached. "Talking to yourself can be a bad habit, commander. There's no telling what pony might be listening in."

"Captain... I... you see..."

"Oh, please commander…" the officer sneered, his lips curling into a sinister grin as he came to rest directly in front of Starchaser. "Give me your excuse. I'd love to hear what you can come up with."

It was strange that the glint of moonlight off the captain's fangs, a terrifying sight to be sure, was the one detail that allowed the illusion to fall apart. Whether Black Night got some sort of sick enjoyment out of intimidating other cadets, Starchaser could not begin to guess. But not once in her nearly four years at the academy, had the mare ever seen the bat-winged pegasus smile. Not ever!

Instantly the unicorn felt her fear vanish, only to be replaced by an almost irrepressible sense of rage.

"I swear to Celestia..." the blue mare hissed, her body trembling with anger as the other pony's grin widened. "If you EVER do that again; I will knock that beetle horn of yours clean off!"

"Well what have we here?" the stallion chuckled, his voice gradually shifting to a far more feminine tone. "Our dear Starchaser is getting aggressive? Not to mention the fact that you’re being a little personal with that beetle comment.”

A flash of green light briefly illuminated the surrounding shadows; and a moment later, the black stallion had been replaced by the smiling form of Ocellus. The changeling was once again in her green pegasus form, still chuckling as Starchaser resumed her trek towards the beach with an angry huff.

"Oh, come on Chase." the Pegasus finally sighed after several minutes of angry silence. "I'm sorry, all right? When I hear you talking to yourself like that, I just can’t help myself."

"Well, I really wish you would." Starchaser growled, her head slumped down as the two ponies passed the last set of buildings marking the edge of the academy grounds. "I'm already nervous enough every time we do this. I don't need a heart attack to complicate matters."

"Give yourself some credit." the other mare sighed, nudging the unicorn apologetically. "You are far cooler under pressure then you give yourself credit for. I, for one, was legitimately curious about what excuse you were going to come up with."

 Starchaser snorted, not willing to give up on her anger so easily. However, she did allow herself a momentary glance towards her companion, noting that at least Ocellus had the manners to attempt an apologetic look.

"So, what are we up to tonight?" the green pegasus asked, obviously trying to turn the other mare's thoughts away from her prank. "Were you finally able to open the next chapter?"

As the two mares reached the beach, they broke into a light gallop. Now without the risk of drawing attention to themselves, the ponies were finally able to raise their voices as they passed north along the sandy coast.

"No, not yet." the blue-eyed unicorn responded, shaking her head as a gentle ocean breeze ruffled her mane. "That's what I'm hoping tonight will help with."

"It's been almost a month." Ocellus groaned, glancing at her friend. "Why would your dad force you to go through all this, just to read a damn book."

"Believe me Cell..."  Starchaser replied as she stared sadly up at the moon shining overhead. "... I wish I could have asked him."

After several minutes of galloping, the pair of ponies reached a stretch of beach which spread alongside the Greensea forest that separated the Vanhoover naval academy from its neighboring city. With a confidence born of countless repetition, the mares left the sandy shore and entered the woods, moving quickly even through the shadows cast by the expanse of forest. The canopy was thick, composed almost entirely of evergreens whose age likely predated even the oldest of Equestria's cities. Once they were out of sight of the beach, Starchaser allowed her horn to glow just bright enough to light their path.

"So..." Ocellus continued as she leapt over the trunk of a fallen pine. "Are you any closer than last time at least?"

"I think so." her companion confirmed, choosing to duck beneath the remnants of the tree. "I spoke to professor Comet, and he gave me a few leads at least. I don’t think it’s much of a guess to say that the next chapter requires a magic circle to open; and judging from the diagram, I'm positive it's supposed to be a celestial lock of some sort."

"Color me shocked." the green pegasus snorted, causing Starchaser to jump in surprise as she patted the unicorn's cutie mark teasingly.

Flustered, the blue mare tried her best to ignore her companion.

"Anyways," Ocellus muttered. "Am I safe in assuming tonight is going to be mostly focusing on the lock?"

"That's the plan."

"Ugh." the pegasus groaned, stomping the ground in annoyance. "That means I'm just gonna be sitting here all night, doesn’t it?"

"You can leave you know."

"And miss the inevitable anger and frustration? Not on your life."

As they spoke, the two ponies emerged from the densely packed trees into a small clearing. Through its center ran a stream, flowing swiftly past the stump of a once great cedar tree. Around the stump, the glade’s grass had been trampled into a ring of dirt; a testament to the number of times the two ponies had visited this particular clearing.

"Although..." Ocellus went on, watching as Starchaser quickly made her way towards the cedar’s remains. "... if you're gonna be busy, a little company might be nice. You think you could get your little friend to come out?"

Turning around, the unicorn couldn't help but smile as Ocellus sat back on her haunches before clasping her front hooves together in a pleading gesture.

"Please." the pegasus begged, blinking her eyelashes innocently in the unicorn’s direction.

"Really Cell?"  she countered, her tone incredulous. "After that prank you pulled?"

"You aren't really gonna hold that against me, are you?"

For several second Starchaser simply stared at the other pony, her eyes narrowed. Finally, with a defeated sigh, she turned back towards the stump.

"Fine." the young mare sighed. A moment later her horn began to glow; filling the glade with a pale blue light.

"But only because I need the practice."

With the sound of rustling cloth, a pack hanging at Starchaser’s side began to tremble; it’s flap swinging open as a massive tome extracted itself from within. The book was wrapped in a dark blue cover, its spine inlayed with spiraling golden lines. As the tome came to rest on the stump before her, Starchaser found herself staring at the image of her own cutie mark spread across its surface. A string of golden stars passed over a series of cyan colored lines, a field of smaller stars visible behind them. On the edge of the tome, holding tight to lock the pages together, was set a golden clasp with a small keyhole.

The book was a gift, the second of two pieces passed down from father to daughter. The first, she had received almost twelve years prior; the night when the empire had taken everything else from her.

The unicorn hated thinking back to that time. The time when she had been a helpless filly; forced to simply watch as her family, her entire world, was consumed by the flames of war.

That was then. The pony thought solemnly, failing to convince even herself that the world had changed… that she had changed.

Leave it be!

With a sad shake of her head, the unicorn pushed the memories of that hellish night away. She knew they would return again when she slept. They always did. But there was no reason to dwell on them now. Instead, she turned her focused outward to the scene before her, the horn atop her head continuing to glow as a small silver key rose out of her bag before inserting itself into the book's clasp.

At first glance, the key was a simple thing. Its shaft contained no decoration whatsoever, while it’s bow was set in the shape of a plain crescent moon. However, as it passed into the lock, the two mares watched as the metal shimmered brightly; a pair of silver wings spreading outward from the crescent handle.

"Seize the night." Starchaser whispered, and a moment later, the key turned itself with a small click.

As the metal rod withdrew from the lock, the tome's golden clasp snapped open. Gently, the key and its chain floated to set itself around the unicorn's neck. As it did, the mare quickly began to flip through the pages of the manuscript.

Behind her, Ocellus stomped her hoof impatiently.

Once she had found the proper page, Starchaser spent several minutes studying it to make sure she had the spell properly organized in her head.

"Come on Chase!" Ocellus groaned, coming forward to stand at her friend's side. "How many times have you looked at that spell? You must know it by now."

"Give me a minute!" the unicorn snapped as her gaze sped across the page. "It's not as if I can practice these spells whenever I want."

"If you spent half-as much time practicing your artillery spells as you do reading this book, our team would be at the top of the class."

"I do practice!" Starchaser countered defensively, the scene from professor Comet’s office earlier that evening flashing unwanted to the front of her mind. At her side, the green pegasus gave her a questioning glance.

"It just... it doesn't come as easily to me. All right?"

"You might be the most inefficient soldier I know." Ocellus sighed, patting Starchaser pityingly with her hoof. "All the magic out there, and you had to fall in love with the one type that is useless for 50-percent of the time."

"Just shut up!" the blue mare snapped, blushing at her companion’s relentless teasing.

It's not like I asked for it to be that way!

Closing her eyes, the young mare tried her best to ignore Ocellus’s continued jabs.

It was not that she didn't want to use other types of magic. Or even that she couldn't. Theory was theory after all; and if there was one thing Starchaser could take pride in, it was the amount of time and effort she had put into learning all she could about the magical arts. That devotion had allowed her to score exceptionally well on the academy's rigorous entrance exam, and it was the same reason she had been able to build a rapport with most of the academy’s magical instructors. But it was paradoxical, in a way. No matter how much work she put in, the returns always seemed to come further and further apart.

Theory might be theory; but theory and practice were entirely different beasts. It was not until she had been granted admission to the Vanhoover Naval Academy that Starchaser had truly come to appreciate the difference between the two; the divergence from understanding the principles behind a spell, and actually putting it to use.

Yet even that was not what had caused Ocellus’ words to dig far deeper than the changeling had likely intended. No. For Starchaser, it was envy which sought even now to undermine her. The ugliest of all emotions, and her constant companion over the past few years.

Ever since she was a filly, growing up alongside other orphans of the war, Starchaser had always been able to look up to the great mages of history as idols. Star Swirl the Bearded, princess Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer: every story she heard made it seem like all forms of magic were theirs to use as they saw fit. Perhaps it was naïveté that had allowed Starchaser to think she might one day be the same. That she too would be able to use her magic to repay princess Luna for the life she had been given.

But no matter how hard she tried, Starchaser had been forced to realize that such a day would never come to pass. Whether it was artillery practice, or even basic field medicine; the unicorn struggled to perform the most fundamental of military spells to any level which could be considered proficient.

Forced to watch day by day as her classmates succeeded where she could not; it had not taken long for the unicorn’s respect of her ‘idols’ to shift ever closer to jealousy. Even now, while she could still look back to those giants of arcane history and the genius they represented, Starchaser could not help but feel a twinge of envy.

And resentment.

Why had they been so special? What divine power had deemed them worthy to do so much more than she could ever hope? She had grown to hate them for their innate abilities. Hated them for a privilege they likely did not realize was theirs. But more than anything else…

… she hated herself for feeling that way.

With a shuddering breath Starchaser forced such thoughts away; driving her jealousy back to the dark recesses where such petty emotions belonged.

I don’t have to feel like that anymore. The unicorn recited silently to herself as she studied the book lying open before her. Not so long as I have this!

The one hope keeping my dreams alive.

It had been almost three years ago that she had found the tome. A final gift from her father, hidden beneath the burnt-out ruins of their family home. Even now the mare was not entirely sure how she had been able to discover it. The sole piece of color buried within dark piles of grey rotting wood and fossilized ash. How had it come to be there? How had it survived when all else burned around it? Such questions remained unanswered. But it had been the hope she needed. The key to an entirely new way of looking at the world.

Her introduction to the one form of magic that, after so many years, seemed to come naturally to her.

The Librum dé Astra!

Her Book of the Stars!

The one path which might lead back to princess Luna.

With a final nod Starchaser allowed the book to close, turning her gaze skyward as she motioned for Ocellus to take several steps back.

Staring up from the clearing into the heavens above, it took the unicorn barely a moment to find the patch of sky she needed. Amongst the flickering field of countless stars, two in particular drew her undivided attention. Slowly the unicorn's horn began to glow, pulsating gently in time with the light of the larger star.  As it did, the second star began to blink in response, its peak and dim soon coinciding with its companion.

The night sky had always been her source of comfort. Even after the fires of war had driven her to the orphanage, Starchaser still saw the lights above as friends. Though they changed with the seasons, eventually each spark would always return. In a chaotic world of violence and destruction, they were constant sentinels overhead.

Perhaps then, it was no surprise at all that theirs was the only magic that felt in any way natural.

It was a shame that such magic held so many restrictions.

"Younger sister…" Starchaser chanted, her eyes shut tight in concentration.

Though she could not see the stars, the unicorn could feel her own magic ebb and flow with the pulsating bodies overhead.

"… Sentinel of the northern sky. With Luna's light, and the blessing of Procyon, I bid thee, descend to us this night! Come forward, Canis Minor!"

Opening her eyes, Starchaser watched as the pair of stars overhead flared, their light overtaking even the brightest of their surrounding neighbors. A moment later, they vanished from sight; and as they did, the blue unicorn grimaced at the uncomfortable sensation of her magic being forcefully withdrawn.

Next to the mare, a ball of pale blue light slowly faded into existence; growing brighter with each passing second. After several moments, the sphere began to expand, slowly changing shape and form. Four twisting spirals of starlight emerged towards the ground, wrapping about themselves to form tubes which gradually morphed into two pairs of legs and claws. The body of light had now taken on the form of a hairy animal, though slightly transparent. A tail soon emerged, followed quickly by a head which elongated into a fanged snout. As the final details solidified, the being opened its eyes with a dangerous growl.

The creature that now stood before the two ponies might have been called a dog; though it's form appeared far too feral. The beast’s body was semi-transparent, with countless twinkling lights dancing across its ‘fur’. It seemed as if a part of the night’s sky had fallen to earth. Beautiful in a way, and yet, eerily intimidating.

Perhaps it was the fact that the beast stood just as tall as the ponies. Maybe it was the teeth which glinted menacingly from within the creature's gaping maw. Or, more likely, it was the pair of burning light’s which flared dangerously from within the wolf-like face.

As soon as the being had completed its formation, its gaze slowly passed between the two mares, coming to rest on Ocellus. An echoing growl emerged from somewhere within the spectral creature, it's heckles rising dangerously as it slowly stalked towards the pegasus. With a small sigh, Starchaser turned her back on her companion, returning her full attention to the spell-book.

"Go get her!"

As soon as the words were out of the unicorn's mouth, the beast leapt at Ocellus with a loud howl. There was a dull thud as it slammed into the shocked pegasus, drawing a startled gasp from the green mare as she tumbled to the ground.

"No! Stop!" Ocellus shrieked, flailing frantically from beneath the mass of glowing fur.

"Oh, don't be a little filly." Starchaser chuckled, smiling mischievously as the pony behind her struggled against the relentless assault of slobbering licks.

"Get... off!" Ocellus grunted, finally managing to shove the beast off her. The shimmering hound backed away slowly, its tail wagging excitedly as it gave a playful bark which echoed through the clearing.

"For Celestia's sake, Chase! You did that on purpose?"

"You were the one who wanted to play with her. I just... how did you put it? Couldn't help myself."

Even without looking, Starchaser could feel Ocellus' glare biting into the back of her head.

Serves you right. The unicorn thought as the ghostly canine barked impatiently. I'll take whatever payback I can get.

"Alright Minor," Ocellus snorted, a green light filling the clearing as the changeling quickly took on her true form. "If you pull any more of that shit, I won’t be held accountable for what I do to you? Got it?"

The dog gave an excited howl, and a moment later Starchaser could hear the frantic buzzing of her companion’s wings as she fled the beast’s newest assault.

Working to block out the sound of Minor's happy barking, and Ocellus's not-so-happy swears; Starchaser flipped through the pages of the Librum dé Astra once more.

It was strange, in a way. Ever since she had first uncovered the tome, not a single day had gone by when the unicorn had not opened it at least once. Yet the book remained as much of a mystery as the day she had first uncovered it.

Why had her father created such a thing? That was the question to which the young mare most often found herself returning. Most of the inscriptions held within the manuscript were clearly from her father; his scrawling writing all too familiar from the countless letters he had sent her as a filly. However, more than a few sections had been written by somepony else. Some were pages which appeared to have been taken directly from other books; while others looked as if they had been written specifically for the Librum itself.

Stopping at the end of the ninth chapter, Starchaser stared at the initials inked into the page.

C.S

"Is it really her?" the unicorn muttered, withdrawing the scroll she had brought to Morning Comet that evening. Setting the diagram next to the open book, the mare allowed her gaze to jump quickly from scroll to page.

The writing is identical at least. She noted with a silent nod. But why would my father have something written by her?

The next page of the book was completely blank, and on instinct, Starchaser attempted to turn it. However, the moment she endeavored to do so, the page glowed a bright purple color; a magic seal spreading across its face. Try as she might, the unicorn could not so much as budge the paper. It was as if the sealed page, and every proceeding section of the book, had been glued together.

With an exasperated sigh the unicorn removed her hoof from the page, and almost immediately both light and seal vanished from sight.

It had been the same with every chapter thus far. A single blank page separating each preceding section of the tome from those which followed. Each time, one spell was required to unlock the corresponding seal, thus granting access to whatever chapters lay beyond. However, the spell in question was never the same.

As far as Starchaser had been able to piece together, each chapter focused on a distinct form of astral magic; possessing some common pattern which connected all the spells housed within. The magic needed to unlock each seal, meanwhile, was based upon all the spells which had preceded it. The first chapter of the book had focused almost exclusively on mapping the stars of the Equestrian sky, with most of its corresponding spells centered upon navigation and time-keeping. It had taken Starchaser almost half a summer to discover that the seal keeping her from the next chapters required not only a combination of three different spells, but also the special placement of the book at a specific time and place.

And unfortunately, things had not necessarily gotten easier from there.

Each chapter had followed a similar pattern: a series of explanations, diagrams, and spells focused on a particular aspect of astral magic; followed by a seal requiring the application of what had been learned. Some had been relatively simple, allowing Starchaser to move on after barely a week. Others, like that which had given rise to Ocellus' new playmate, had taken almost three months of trial and error to unlock. As it stood, the unicorn had spent three years of non-stop work attempting to uncover the secrets of her father's gift. And after all that time, she had yet to unlock even the tenth chapter. Over the past month she had toiled to uncover the key for this latest seal, spending hours a day pouring over books and scrolls from the academy's library. All of it had been for naught.

But tonight will be different!

A sudden bark quickly shook the young unicorn from her musings, and she turned to see Ocellus patting Minor atop her furry head. Despite herself, Starchaser smiled at the sight of the changeling showing such a sign of affection. For a pony who was so guarded most of the time, it was refreshing to see her acting relaxed.

Ocellus… Starchaser’s sole co-conspirator in her nightly outings for the last two years.

Admittedly the first time the changeling had joined her had not been at the unicorn’s request. Rather, according to Ocellus at least, she had spotted Starchaser sneaking away from the barracks they had shared together as second-class cadets, and had followed out of curiosity. The unicorn had been furious at first; and more than a little terrified that her classmate might inform others about her flagrant disregard of academy regulations. But Ocellus never told a soul. In fact, it had been that very night the green mare had revealed her… true form… to Starchaser. While she would eventually go on to reveal her changeling heritage to the rest of their little group, Starchaser never forgot that Ocellus had been willing to divulge such a personal secret. And while she had been nervous at first of having anypony else join her on her nightly excursions, Starchaser had to admit that it was nice to have at least one friend to confide in.

It was strange to think how the nightly training sessions had shaped their friendship over the last two years. While Pitfall was her oldest friend by far, in many ways, Ocellus had slowly become her closest.

I suppose that’s the way it goes with shared secrets. The unicorn mused as she turned her attention back to the spell book. They either destroy you both, or make you the best of friends.

As Ocellus continued to play with Minor, Starchaser forced herself to return to the task before her. In only a little over a week, she was scheduled to begin her month-long training deployment in the south. She was not deluded enough to think that nighttime excursions such as this would be remotely possible while on duty. Therefore, if she was going to open the next chapter, it would have to be soon.

Though, it’s not as if knowing I’m pressed for time will make it any easier.

Putting aside the scroll she had brought, Starchaser turned her attention to the diagram sitting opposite to the sealed page. It was clearly the design for a magic circle. That much had been easy enough to figure out. The problem was, the circle itself was incomplete. Obviously, the seal would only release once she had discovered what the missing components of the circle were, but all her attempts thus far had proven less than sufficient.

The diagram in question consisted of three concentric circles. The image of a sun and a crescent moon were set within the body of the smallest circle, reflected across from one another to designate the upper and lower half of the design. Between the outer and middle circle lay twelve smaller rings, eight of which housed various symbols while four sat empty. Inscribed within the diagram’s center were flowing letters resembling those of the signature professor Comet had shown her that afternoon.

'When the twelve ascend their thrones, so shall thy wish be lifted. A contract signed with light and soul, shall mark thy spirit gifted. '

The incantation was the only one inscribed into the diagram; written entirely in ancient Equestrian. The first task Starchaser had conducted was translating the words themselves. While not necessarily a difficult undertaking, ancient dialects had never been the unicorn’s strong suit.

“The twelve…” Starchaser muttered, tapping the eight symbols housed on the diagram’s edge. In the far-right position sat a small circle with a long flowing tail: the symbol for the lion’s constellation, Leo. Across from it lay a curved line in the shape of a ram’s horns: the symbol of the constellation of Aries. One by one, the unicorn tapped the six remaining figures.

“Capricorn, Cancer, Gemini, Scorpio, Aquarius, and Pisces.” she muttered, turning her gaze to the four empty spaces. “That leaves Libra, Sagittarius, Taurus, and Virgo.”

The problem, as it had been from the start, was not what symbols were missing from the diagram. Four empty spaces; four missing constellations; the puzzle essentially solved itself. No. Something else was missing. There should only have been 24 permutations for how the missing constellations could have been ordered, and Starchaser had tried them all.

Clearly there was something else.

“Chase, if you keep frowning, it will ruin that pretty face of yours.”

The unicorn gave a shrill gasp as she leapt at the sound of Ocellus’ voice in her ear. The changeling had somehow snuck up next to her without making even the slightest sound. A few paces away, the glowing form of Minor stood silently staring at the two ponies, her head cocked uncertainly to one side.

“Will you stop!” Starchaser snapped, swiping at Ocellus with her hoof.

“So that bad huh? I thought you said that professor of yours gave you some clues.”

“He did.” The unicorn responded as her glowing horn caused the book her professor had introduced earlier that evening to rise out of her bag. “That doesn’t mean I know what to do with them.”

“Anything I can help with?”

“Can you break a magic seal?”

The changeling shot her friend a nasty glare, and despite herself, Starchaser smiled inwardly as she opened the compendium and placed it next to the Librum.

“One attempt was enough, thank you very much.” the carapace-covered pony snorted angrily. “The rebound from that little mishap almost snapped my horn clean off. I had a headache for weeks after that shit!”

“In that case, while your assistance would be appreciated, I think I’ll just have to do this myself.”

If only I knew what that entailed!

As Ocellus continued to watch from behind her, Starchaser opened Starlight Glimmer’s compendium to the page her professor used to introduce the mysterious initials. Soon enough she found the ten pages representing the star map. It was a beautiful piece of arcane literature. Though the ‘first of its kind’ as Morning Comet had put it, Starchaser was certain that she had never seen another comparable in the minute details represented.

One after the other, the young unicorn glanced quickly between the two tomes. After her meeting with her arcane professor, Starchaser had been relatively certain that the author of the Librum’s seal and the compendium’s star map were in fact one and the same. Now, the more she compared the designs, the more certain she became. While she was far from an expert in the ways of mages, professor Comet had long ago told her to pay careful attention when studying the architecture of spells.

‘Every mage has their own style.’ Her instructor had insisted during their very first class together. ‘This can be seen not only in the spells they use, but how they record them. Always be on the lookout for such consistencies. It will make inconsistencies all the more noticeable.’

“Inconsistencies…” Starchaser muttered, causing Ocellus’ ears to perk up. “Disruptions in the pattern…”

“You found something, Chase?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry Cell. Just talking to myself.”

“Well, feel free talking to me if it will help.” the changeling replied, walking forward to read over her friend’s shoulder. “You might kick my ass when it comes to arcane theory, but a second set of eyes can’t hurt. What are you looking for?”

“Well…” Starchaser responded, shifting both the Librum and compendium so that her friend could better see. “I’m comparing the seal to these star maps. You see, I’m fairly certain they were written by the same pony?”

“Any idea who?”

“… Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

“You’re shitting me.” Ocellus said, turning to look disbelievingly at her companion. When the blue unicorn simply shook her head, the black-shelled changeling gave a low whistle as she glanced back at the seal.

“Princess Twilight? What in Celestia’s name was your dad up to?”

“I wish I knew.”

For several minutes the pair of ponies stood quietly next to one another, a tense silence falling over the clearing as they compared pages between the two tomes. Several times Starchaser took the chance to glance quickly at her friend, a small smile breaking through her frustration as she watched the changeling pretend to study the lines delineating the edge of the seal. It was painfully obvious that her friend didn’t have the slightest idea as to what to look for. But it was to her credit that at least she was trying.

“Here…” the blue-eyed unicorn chuckled, nudging Ocellus as she pointed at the line the changeling had been feigning to investigate. “You see how the thickness of this line shifts? As it moves counterclockwise, its width decreases until it reaches ten o’ clock.”

Shifting her hoof from one book to the next, Starchaser traced a large blue ring broken by a single red circle.”

 “Now look at this one…” she continued, directing Ocellus’ gaze to the segment in question. “The ring marking Rufus’ path across the western sky. The width varies at the same position, ten o’ clock exactly.”

“And that means… what?”

“It means that there is a high likelihood they were drawn by the same pony.”

“And this helps us unlock the seal, how, exactly?”

“It doesn’t.” Starchaser admitted, the smile quickly falling from her face. “I was hoping once I knew who drew the seal, it would give me a hint as to what the secret for unlocking it could be.”

“So a couple lines look similar.” Ocellus sighed, giving an uninterested yawn as Minor stuck a glowing fur-covered head in between the two ponies. “There’s no way that’s enough to say they were made by the same pony.”

“It’s not just a couple.” Starchaser insisted, placing one forehoof over the Librum’s seal while her other sought out comparable segments in the star map. “You can see the smaller circles have a similar pattern. And here, look at how this sextile symbol is identical between the two. Beyond that, the symbol for Scorpio is… wait.”

The unicorn fell silent, her pulse quickening as she pulled the star chart closer.

“That isn’t right…” she muttered, her eyes darting quickly from one book to the next. “The tail is all wrong.”

“Chase…” Ocellus sighed, putting a hoof to her face in exasperation. “… you’re doing that ‘talking to yourself’ thing again.”

“Sorry.” The unicorn responded, though her voice indicated that she had ceased paying any attention to the changeling. “I think I’ve found… something.”

Ocellus gave an annoyed snort, but thankfully remained silent as Starchaser continued to pour over the tomes. One after another the unicorn compared the symbols of the twelve major zodiac constellations, her heart beat accelerating with each new discovery.

It was not just Scorpio that had differed between the books. Aquarius, Gemini, Pisces! Each symbol had fundamental differences between their representation in the Librum dé Astra and The Advancing Arcane. Whether the seal itself had been constructed by Twilight Sparkle or not, Starchaser couldn’t even begin to guess. But she had no doubt that the constellations had been placed by somepony else entirely.

Inconsistencies indeed. Starchaser thought to herself, her lips beginning to curl into a small smile. That was some good advice professor.

“Chase…” Ocellus asked uncertainly as Starchaser flipped between several pages of the compendium. “You’ve got that look in your eye.”

“What look?” the unicorn asked dismissively as she settled onto the page she needed.

“The ‘I’m about to do something potentially very dangerous and stupid’ look. With maybe a bit of a ‘you probably want to take cover’ look thrown in for good measure. Am I wrong?”

Starchaser turned to stare at her friend as the cover of The Advancing Arcane slammed shut with a dull thud.

“Cell…” the unicorn responded, her smile slowly fading from view. “You probably want to take cover.”

“Fuck me!” The changeling swore, taking to the sky as she gave a shrill whistle to get minor to follow. “Get your ass over here mutt! And you Chase! I hope you know that if you kill yourself, I’m denying any and all involvement! No way am I gonna take the blame if you blow your stupid ass up.”

Tuning out her friend’s continued swears, as well as Minor’s excited barks, Starchaser turned her full attention to the sealing page. Up to this point, proceeding from one chapter to the next had either involved adding something to the seal in question, or generating a spell completely from scratch. If her suspicions were correct, this time she would have to alter a significant portion of the seal itself.

Going by the style of the zodiac symbols, they had been placed separately from the majority of the seal; likely, by an entirely separate pony. Importantly, they had NOT been placed in the proper orientation to allow the seal to open. On the one hoof, that explained why no matter what permutation she used for the four empty spots, the seal had not been lifted. Unfortunately, that also meant that with twelve uncertainties’ instead of just four, the number of possible permutations expanded explosively. Far beyond the point where she could hope to try each one individually.

Beyond the simple numbers involved, Starchaser could not help but think back to the single attempt Ocellus had made to physically break the seal for an earlier chapter. Their logic at the time had been that changeling magic, generally accepted to be more adaptable than that of unicorns, might be able to bypass the seal in a way that Starchaser could not hope to on her own. That theory, however, was quickly demonstrated to be without merit; and the rebound from that ill-considered tampering had been truly devastating. Though they laughed about it now, looking back, there was a very good chance that Ocellus could have died had she not canceled her attempt when she did.

‘Ponies who all too easily allow their intelligence to transition to arrogance.’  Starchaser pondered, remembering her professor’s warning even as her horn began to glow, filling the glade with a gentle cerulean light. First with his introduction of The Advancing Arcane, then with his encouragement to look for inconsistencies between and within spells; the old stallion’s words had twice resulted in her taking a step closer to unlocking the seal.

Please don’t let him be right this third time!

With one final steadying breath, Starchaser allowed her power to slowly enter the magic circle, and almost immediately the purple seal on the page across from it flared to life, graceful lines quickly covering the entirety of the formerly empty parchment. Carefully, the unicorn probed the shape of the arcane diagram, sensing her magic as it cycled from one area of the figure to the next. Even without effort, the blue pony could feel the strength of the magic trapped within the circle growing, amplifying with every second as it leeched more energy from her.

The longer I wait, the more power I’ll have to deal with if something goes wrong. Better work fast!

Turning her attention to the zodiac symbols, Starchaser first willed the four missing constellations to appear. At this point the order did not matter, so she allowed her magic to carve the pictures as she had during her last attempt. A light blue circle with curved horns, the sign for Taurus, quickly inscribed itself in the first empty ring. It was soon followed by the arrow of Sagittarius, the scale of Libra, and finally the curved lettering of Virgo. The moment all twelve rings were filled, the magic circle flared briefly and Starchaser was forced to wince at the sensation of magic energy feeding back in her direction. Though the circle quickly went back to normal, the unicorn could feel magic energy churning beneath the surface as it was continually amplified.

Here it goes. The blue-coated mare thought, focusing on the symbols of Capricorn and Aries. Their placement had always puzzled her until now. They didn’t match up with any astrologic orientation she could think of. However, knowing they had been misplaced on purpose, it suddenly made much more sense. In fact, the star map from The Advancing Arcane had essentially told her what order the Zodiac signs SHOULD have been placed in.

Well… assuming my suspicions aren’t entirely wrong.

Pushing that disquieting thought aside, Starchaser returned her attention to the symbols representing the goat and ram constellations. Unlike the four she had created, these were original pieces of the circle. Even now she could feel the magic swirling within the construct tugging at the symbols. It felt as though she were pushing a raft up stream, continually fighting a constant flow of roaring water. Starchaser fixated her intent on switching the pair of signs, and immediately she could feel the energy resist. Finally, though with far more effort than she had expected, the unicorn watched as the ram’s horns of Aries shifted into the swirling shape of Capricorn, and vice versa.

The entirety of the Librum dé Astra flared suddenly; a rush of air spreading out across the clearing, causing Starchaser’s two-toned mane to rustle about her head. Almost immediately the magic within the circle bucked, it’s flow momentarily disrupted as it was forced to adjust to a new container. The backlash for such a shift was not kind, and Starchaser let out a pained yelp as just a small fraction of the energy reversed its direction back into her.

A searing pain spread quickly down her horn, traveling like a bolt of lightning along branching nerves to reach every region of her body. The young mare convulsed, gasping for breath before she could even think about regaining her composure. The magic circle before her had gained a faint white hue, contrasting slightly with the blue glow of the symbols she had inscribed. However, unlike before, this time the glow refused to cease.

“That’s, really bad…” Starchaser panted, blinking to clear her watering eyes.

“Problem?”

Starchaser turned slightly to see Ocellus land on the grass a few paces away. For once, the changeling’s gaze seemed to hold genuine concern.

“I thought you were taking cover?”

“I was, until you looked like you were ACTUALLY going to blow yourself up.”

“Where’s minor?” the unicorn asked, glancing around as she realized for the first time that she no longer heard sounds from the summoned dog.

“Went back home by the looks of it.” the other mare responded dismissively, her eyes going wide as she stared at the glowing magic circle. “Vanished as soon as you yelped. I’m guessing she didn’t think you had much energy to spare at the moment. Speaking of which, is that circle…”

“It may be a little… unstable.” Starchaser admitted, grimacing once again. However, this time she was not sure whether it was from the pain or Ocellus’ cursing.

“Well shit!” Ocellus snapped, glaring at Starchaser with a mixture of fury and fear. “So how bad is it?”

“Bad.” The blue mare responded simply as she stared unblinking at the harsh light beginning to overtake the circle. “Very bad!”

“What in Celestia’s name is going on?" Ocellus shouted, stamping her hooves angrily on ground as she too studied the pulsating diagram. "A magic circle is about to fail? Is this a fucking joke? How the fuck is this happening with a damn book?”

The changeling’s anger and confusion were both understandable. At the moment, even Starchaser was finding it hard to comprehend exactly how the current situation had arisen.

There should be no reason that a diagram such as this could gather such a tremendous amount of energy so quickly. Out of the eight previous chapters, none had come remotely close to the amplifying power this magic circle seemed to possess. Even now, as Starchaser turned her attention to the next pair of symbols she needed to swap, she could feel her control slipping.

It was more than simply fighting against the flow of a river. The churning magic within the circle had become a chaotic storm of energy. Worse still, it was continuing to leech ever more magic from her. Not only were the symbols becoming harder to switch, but it seemed as if she was being forced to work with less energy to complete the next swap.

If this is all part of the test to get to the next chapter, then whatever pony made this circle is one fucked-up teacher.

Of course… there’s always the possibility that I’m the one who fucked it up.

“Look Chase, you need to shut this thing down now!” Ocellus demanded, stepping closer to her struggling friend. “Stop this before you get us both killed.”

“I can’t.” Starchaser responded, gritting her teeth as a second wave of pain shook her body. “I changed the circle, which means any safeties that might have been built in won’t necessarily work anymore. If I stop now, the circle could experience a critical failure.”

“So, you’re saying we’re fucked either way.”

“No Cell, I'm the only one who needs to be here. You need to get out! Now! If I screw this up, I don’t want you getting caught up in this.”

“Look Chase,” The changeling responded uncertainly, glancing over her shoulder towards the edge of the glade. “I can fly back to school and get some help...”

“Not in time to make a difference.” Starchaser countered as she closed her eyes, focusing all of her energy on the next two symbols. Slowly the circular shape with a flowing tail representing the lion, Leo, began to glow as she prepared to switch its spot with her Taurus symbol.

“You’re not linked to this thing Cell, and I’m sure even you can feel it. This circle isn’t going to hold together longer than a few minutes.”

“Shit!”

“Just get out of here Cell. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Fuck you!” The changeling snapped, causing the unicorn to open her eyes in shock. “No, I mean it! Fuck you if you really think I’m gonna leave. Leave and what? Let you stay trapped here with what’s basically a bomb?”

“But....”

“True, it’s a bomb YOU made! So, you know, fuck you for that as well Chase. But the damn point’s the same! No way in Celestia’s name am I going to leave you. So, shut the fuck up and finish whatever it is you started. We’ve got artillery practice tomorrow, and I’ll be damned if you make me show up to that shit without a partner!”

“Alright then.” Starchaser gasped, feeling a tear quite unrelated to the pain she was experiencing fall down her cheek. “Thank you, Cell.”

“Stop thanking me and just finish this!”

“Right!”

Turning back to the magic circle, the unicorn focused once again on the pair of Leo and Taurus, allowing her magic to bind the two locations together. It was the only swap left she needed to make. Theoretically, once it was done the circle would be complete.

Of course, it’s not as if theory has been helping me out in any of my other practical applications of magic lately.

“Chase!”

Ocellus’ shout proved to be the push she needed. With a pained grunt, Starchaser allowed her magic to press against the two symbols. Slowly the pair of signs shifted, each morphing gradually into the other as, all the while, the storm of magic continued to churn just beneath the surface.

The result was almost immediate. As soon as the zodiac signs had swapped positions, the raging sea of energy seemed to settle. The harsh white light of the circle shifted to a gentle cerulean blue, one which quickly gained in intensity before spreading onto the page which held the purple seal. Like a flood racing over a burning field, the blue light passed over the locked page, washing away all traces of the seal as it went. With one final flash of light, both pages went dark; and the clearing was once again returned to silence.

With a final shudder, Starchaser collapsed to the ground, all energy gone. With not even the strength to raise her head, she was forced to lie there, gasping for air as Ocellus quickly dropped to her knees beside her.

“Star!” the changeling yelled, anxiously nudging her friend’s side. “Star!”

“I’m ok, Cell.” The unicorn responded, giving a long shuddering gasp as she glanced over at her friend.

“Good!” the other mare snapped striking her friend’s head lightly with her hoof. “Because if we’re being honest, I probably would have killed you had you done something as moronic as blowing yourself up.

“That seems like a rather paradoxical statement.”

“Well fuck you Chase! You and that demon book of yours. I mean, come on! What kind of father tries to kill his own daughter with a damn book?”

“That’s not what happened!” Starchaser argued defensively, but she was forced to stop almost immediately as her head was suddenly wracked with pain.

“Well prove it then.” Ocellus grunted, her angry glare moving from Starchaser to the open tome which now lay silently atop the cedar trunk. “Because I can’t say I have a very high opinion of your dad at this point Chase.”

“Forget it.” Starchaser insisted, turning her head to face the stump. “This wasn’t because of him.”

Or was it? The unicorn wondered silently, the thought forcing its way unbidden even as she attempted to rise to her hooves.

“Do you think it even worked?”

“No idea.” Ocellus replied, staring uncertainly down at her companion. “More importantly, should you even be standing right now? I’ve never seen a magic circle come that close to failing before. You could really have gotten hurt here, Chase. You could have died!”

She’s right! The unicorn thought suddenly, recognizing for perhaps the very first time that night just how close they… no… how close SHE had come to making an irreversible mistake.

More importantly… her thoughts continued as her stomach dropped painfully. What would you have done had you hurt your friend?

She didn’t give a second thought to staying with you! And you? You put both your lives at risk without EVEN thinking!

“I’m sorry Cell.”

“Huh?”

“I screwed up tonight.” The unicorn muttered, her cheeks flushing as she stared at the grass beneath her hooves. “And I am so… so sorry Ocellus.”

“Chase…”

Please, don’t look at me. The mare pleaded silently, unable to even meet the changeling’s gaze.

“Chase?”

The unicorn glanced slowly up, only to find Ocellus’ nose barely a centimeter from her own. From this distance, even in the dim glow of the moon, the unicorn could see her reflection staring back from within the glistening surface of the changeling’s insect-like eyes.

I look terrible. She realized, recognizing even as the thought arose that it was a useless one. But it was only now that the blue mare realized just how disheveled her mane had become, whipped inelegantly about her head by the wind created from the turbulent energies of the magic circle. Beyond simply her hair, the pony could see that her eyes were bloodshot; and unless she was very much mistaken, a dark burn was obvious at the base of her horn, likely a result of the initial rebound when she had switched the first pair of signs. On the whole, it was a picture devoid of anything that could even remotely be viewed as appealing.

Why in Celestia’s name is THAT the first place my mind goes? I just nearly killed us both!

“Chase!”

The unicorn jumped slightly, realizing suddenly that Ocellus had been trying to talk to her this entire time. The changeling was staring unblinking into her eyes, her gaze a mixture of concern and, deservedly, annoyance.

“Chase, look at the damn book!”

Like a wind blowing away the fog of exhaustion which sought to cloud her thoughts, the mere mention of the Librum pushed everything else from mind. Climbing uncertainly to her hooves, Starchaser would have fallen flat on her face had Ocellus not caught her with a surprisingly strong forelimb.

As the two ponies approached the cedar stump, the unicorn could see for the first time that the book was not entirely dormant. The magic circle had disappeared entirely, leaving the book facing them with what appeared to be two completely empty pages. However, a dull blue glow continued to emanate from the parchment; barely bright enough to overcome the light cast by the moon overhead, but noticeable none-the-less.

“Any ideas?” Ocellus asked as the two ponies reached the stump.

“None.” Starchaser admitted, reaching out with a trembling hoof. “I’ve never seen this before.”

The moment her hoof made contact with the tome, the paper pulsed once, golden letters scrawling elegantly across both pages; flowing as if written by some invisible quill.



Thy pact hath been set forth hereto.
Accord thus marked forever more.
To thou who seeks the heavens true;
a darkened path thy soul hath swore.
With Celestia’s might.
With Luna’s light.
With cadence set to love sublime.
One final door thou seek this night;
a door to open at my time.



Crepusculum Scintillula






 
> Chapter 5: The Faces of Monsters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 26th of Harvest, Year 30 LRC
Location: Baltimare City Docks, The Celestial Empire
Time: 08:00

A light rain fell gently upon the city of Baltimare; the remnants of a passing storm which had shrouded the city for the last day or so. Though far lighter than the downpour which had preceded it, a continuous veil of water still partially obscured the massive salvage barge drifting just offshore. A small army of ponies struggled atop the ship; the majority slipping and colliding with one another as they slid across the rain-slicked deck. A fuming mass of sailors and soldiers, they worked their way slowly through a towering pile of wreckage; their dark coats and constant motion giving the appearance of an angry anthill.

From where he stood at the edge of the docks, a grey-colored pony watched the activity on the water silently; his silver eyes unblinking against the rain and wind which whipped about his form. The stallion's black and white mane was cut close to his head, barely swaying despite the heavy breeze. A khaki-colored coat hung across his back, carefully positioned to hide the majority of his body from view.

Nearby, a small group of ponies stood anxiously next to one another; whispering quietly amongst themselves as they threw the stallion suspicious glances. In contrast to the object of their attention, the four chatting ponies wore dark-blue colored rain cloaks, with matching peaked caps pressed tight upon their heads.

"Farda? Hey! Farda! Is that really you?"

The group of ponies jumped at the sudden shout from behind them; one stallion losing his cap to a particularly strong gust of wind. Ignoring their comrade as he chased after his rolling head-cover, the other three ponies snapped to attention as the source of the sudden greeting approached them.

Without the slightest sign of surprise, the grey stallion turned calmly to face the new arrival. Though his eyes narrowed suspiciously, the corners of his lips curled into the smallest semblance of a smile as he turned to wave at the rapidly approaching orange unicorn.

The bright pony in question stood a head taller than any of those who saluted him as he passed; and it was clear even beneath his cloak that his larger size was not limited only to height. He wore the same style of clothing as the group who now stared uncomprehendingly over his shoulder, but unlike them, the cap which held back his dark-red mane was decorated with the golden image of a rising sun across its brim.

"I'll be damned! It is you! How the hell are you doing, you son-of-a bitch?"

"CD." the stallion named Farda greeted, extending a hoof to accept the one offered by the orange pony. "It's been a while."

"I'll say! I thought you had retired."

"No." the other pony responded, giving a brisk shake of his head. "It was a leave of absence, nothing more. I had some... things... I needed to work out."

"I heard about what happened to Colo...” the red-maned stallion replied, his smile softening as he placed a hoof on the other pony’s shoulder. “If I’m being honest, I’m more than a little shocked to see you back.”

“The commissioner personally requested me for this. Otherwise, you better believe I wouldn’t be here.”

 “Are you sure you’re ok?”

“It was never about whether I was ok or not.” Farda grunted, brushing passed the other stallion as he made his way along the dock.

The unicorn stood silently, a momentary look of shock on his face; but he quickly shook his head in resignation before moving to keep pace with his grey companion. A quick motion from him was all it took for the small band of other ponies to fall in line behind them.

“I just wanted to remember her in my own way, Crackdown.” the other stallion continued, his eyes fixed on the path before him. “And I couldn’t do that in the department.”

“I see…” the larger stallion responded, his voice lowering in tone so as not to be overheard.

As the pair made their way along the harbor’s edge, they passed the remnants of several destroyed warehouses; skeletons of charred and shattered stone serving as the only hints to what they had been before. Just as was the case with the barge, groups of soldiers made their way through the rubble; segments of golden armor visible beneath the dark cloaks worn to keep away the rain. Further along, a large tent came into view, it’s thick white canvas stretching from the very edge of the docks to the buildings sitting across the stone-lined street.

“You know…” Crackdown continued, his eyes narrowing as he watched ponies quickly make their way into and out of the tent. “We found the perp.

“It was barely a week after you left. The bastard was found hanging from the side of a fucking building. We probably would have called it a suicide, were it not for the fact that half of his damn body was missing.”

The unicorn studied his companion closely as he spoke, though his words did not seem to have even the slightest impact on the grey stallion. The pony’s silver eyes continued to stare unblinking into the falling rain, the curl of his lips not flickering for even a moment, despite the graphic detail.

“Battery was one of the first on the scene.” The unicorn resumed, nodding over his shoulder towards one of the figures following them: a purple-coated mare, struggling to keep her cap on over the tip of her unicorn horn. “She’d been sent to follow up on a lead.

“Not the prettiest way to start off your first day on the force. She said the room was like a damn butcher shop. By the time I got there, the poor rookie looked about ready to faint. Can’t really say that I blame her.”

“We live in a bloody world, CD.” Farda responded indifferently, not even turning to look as his companion raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Newbie or not, it’s better she recognizes that fact now, before it’s too late.”

“Maybe so. But fuck! I know what the bastard did to Colo. Even so… This? This was something else entirely.”

“Blood and death, Crackdown. That’s the world we live in. Don’t waste your time trying to make sense of it.”

“I think we both know that’s not what I’m doing, Farda.” the unicorn growled, the smallest hint of anger creeping into his voice. “I’m just marveling at the coincidence. We barely had a chance to clean out your office before this fucker turned up again. Hell! If you hadn’t left the department, we probably would have caught the son-of-a-bitch BEFORE he was killed.”

“Now isn’t that a depressing thought.”

“By Celestia!” Crackdown snapped, quickly lowering his voice as he glanced over his shoulder towards the ponies following behind them. “I know that he was a monster! But that doesn’t mean we can overlook something even more horrific! That’s not how the world fucking works!”

“Yes…” Farda responded. The grey stallion’s face was devoid of any and all emotion as he spoke. Were it not for the slight movement of his close-cropped mane, one might have been easily mistaken him for a statue. “… that is exactly how this world works.

“Here, ponies with even the smallest ounce of kindness are nothing more than prey. Monsters like him will devour them without even a second thought, and soon those monsters are killed in turn. There is only one constant in this world Crackdown. In the end, everything dies!”

“What the hell happened to you, Farda?” the unicorn muttered in disbelief. “You can’t really believe what happened is right, can you?”

“What I believe doesn’t matter. This is reality. And no amount of belief is able to change it. So as I told you before, don’t waste time trying to make sense of this.”

“I’m not wasting my time.”

“Did you find even a single clue at this ‘butcher shop’ you mentioned?” Farda asked, his icy tone an easy match for the heat of the unicorn’s angry gaze.

“We both know the answer to that.”

“In that case…” the grey stallion chuckled, his tone flat and lacking any real humor. “I won’t bother giving my advice a third time.”

Without another word, Farda turned and quickly covered the remainder of the distance to the tent. Crackdown followed close behind, leaving their conversation to die as they approached the gold-armored soldier standing at the entrance of the white tarp.

“Halt!” the armored pony called out as the pair drew near, lowering his lance towards them. “This area is restricted!”

“Detective Farda.” the grey stallion responded, raising his coat flap to reveal a shimmering gold badge to the soldier. “BCPD. And this is captain Crackdown.”

He motioned nonchalantly to the orange unicorn beside him, seeming to pay no attention to the spear tip held just in front of his snout.

“We’re here on department business.”

“This is a military matter.” The soldier stated aggressively, shooting Crackdown an angry glare as the unicorn snorted insultingly.

“Come on,” the police captain sneered as he pointed back towards the destroyed buildings in the distance. “Don’t give me that bullshit!

“Those warehouses which you boys let burn down? Now, that’s a military matter. The assassination on your base two days ago? That one is all yours my friend. But these docks? They’re public property, and they fall under OUR jurisdiction. In other words, THIS is a POLICE matter. And that means YOU can kindly fuck off!”

The soldier’s face contorted into a furious snarl, but he froze at the sudden sound of a voice coming from inside the tent.

“Let them through, private. Now!”

Trembling with rage, the soldier stepped to the side, glaring daggers at the pair of ponies as they passed beneath the white tarp and into the tent beyond.

A barrier had been set up around the perimeter of the tent, which meant that the stone street it covered was bone-dry, despite the rain continuing to fall outside. The tent itself was larger than it appeared from the direction they had come, covering at least three-hundred square meters of roadway and several branching alleys. The interior of the tarp was a chaotic scene, with soldiers making up most of the ponies present; easily discernable by their golden armor and general lack of any knowledge on how to maintain a clean crime-scene.

Asides from the armored majority, a few other ponies could be seen making their way through the bustling crowds. These wore uniforms of pure white, the only other color coming from the badges on their chests: the image of a golden sun, flanked on the right by a glistening silver sickle, and on the left by the image of an emerald flask.

The unmistakable emblem of the Celestial Inquisitors.

These white-coated figures were given a wide berth by the soldiers who worked around them; some ponies going so far as to walk around the entire perimeter of the tent rather than take a path that might risk them passing in front of one of the inquisitors. The result was a sea of shifting golden bodies, parting into small pockets of calm surrounding any pony dressed in white.

“Well shit…” Farda heard Crackdown mutter under his breath. “I knew the military was sticking its nose in here. But I didn’t think we’d be seeing Ghosts show up. What in Celestia’s name is going on?”

“Careful…” the grey stallion warned, indicating with his head as he spotted an earth pony motioning to them from the side of the tent. “Don’t let them hear you using HER name like that. These ghosts will do far more than just frighten your kids, Crackdown.”

As the two stallions made their way across the interior of the tent, Farda’s cool gaze focused on the three ponies who seemed to be waiting for them. The first, the stallion who had signaled to them, Farda knew very well indeed.

A large earth pony standing even taller than Crackdown, Ivory Law had been the commissioner of the Baltimare Police Department for the last twenty years. An older stallion, his formerly yellow mane had now greyed to the point where it nearly matched his snow-white coat. However, his age was belied somewhat by the massive muscles which rippled with every movement he made. The seafoam colored eyes which studied the new arrivals were stern, and he held himself with a bearing of confidence one could only gain through decades of putting their life on the line almost daily.

The other two were inquisitors; easily identified by their spotless white uniforms, golden emblems, and a general air of obnoxious superiority.

The commissioner was one thing. He might be a hard son-of-a-bitch, but his confidence had been well earned. As far as the other two ponies were concerned, before he even reached the small group, Farda had already come to the conclusion that he hated them.

“Hello captain.” Commissioner Law greeted as the new arrivals drew close. “I see you’ve met up with Farda already.”

“We passed each other on the way here. I hope you don’t mind my tagging along.”

“No, I wanted to discuss this case with you anyways. And you detective…” Ivory Law continued, extending a hoof to Farda. “I want to thank you again for agreeing to come."

"Of course, commissioner." the grey stallion responded, accepting the greeting with a smile. However, the grin evaporated as he eyed the other ponies in their company suspiciously. “Though you failed to mention that this would be a joint investigation.”

"Ah, yes." the white pony grunted as he followed the other stallion's gaze. “New developments have caused the situation to change.

"Allow me to introduce colonel Castor." the commissioner announced, indicating the first of the two stallions; a yellow unicorn possessing a mane of black and orange hair. "Of her majesty's Imperial Inquisition Forces."

"Detective," the yellow unicorn greeted coldly. Though he smiled at both Farda and Crackdown as he spoke, the gleam in his crimson eyes betrayed any illusion of genuine congeniality.

"The commissioner has told us about your exemplary record. I look forward to judging for myself whether he was exaggerating or not."

Unlike Ivory Law, the soldier did not move to extend a hoof; preferring instead to simply nod. The lack of courtesy, both in gesture and in word, was not lost on Farda. But rather than take offense, he instead chose to use the opportunity to study the inquisitor. He watched as the other pony readjusted his cap slightly, shifting a lock of black hair away from his face. The movement helped to draw attention to the fact that the colonel's horn, extending like a miniature spear from beneath the brim of his white cap, appeared both longer and sharper than was normal for a unicorn. For his part, the detective had a hard time figuring out if that particular characteristic was intimidating, or just plain weird.

Allowing his investigation to progress onward, Farda was quick to note that the colonel’s uniform was clean. Almost painfully so. It wasn’t that the jacket he wore was lacking any-and-all color. On the contrary, his chest was adorned with fifteen different medals, the significance of many which the detective could only begin to guess at. And of course, like the other inquisitors who floated through the tent like restless spirits, the colonel wore the golden insignia of their organization. But it was the sight of filth, or specifically the lack thereof, that truly drew the grey-stallion’s attention. Despite the clouds of dust and dried mud kicked-up within the confined space of the tent, not the smallest speck of grime had seen-fit to land upon the unicorn’s ivory-colored cloth.

Not even dirt was willing to touch the soldier? Now, there was a good sign.

Horns and dirt aside; perhaps the most damning detail, at least where Farda was concerned, was the attitude with which the inquisitor held himself. The colonel stood shorter than the commissioner, Crackdown, or even Farda. Yet somehow, despite this fact, the uniformed stallion still managed to look down his nose at all three of them. It was a rather impressive feat, and the detective was grateful for having an easy target to despise. It was not as though he needed yet another excuse to dislike the colonel; but when searching for reasons to hate a pony on a truly personal level, Farda did at least appreciate having options.

“And this,” the commissioner continued, interrupting the detective’s thoughts as he drew attention to the second inquisitor. “Is major Brazen Bull.”

Farda had spent most of his working life putting criminals behind bars. As a member of the Baltimare Police department, he had seen his fair share of kidnappers, rapists, and murderers. Some were worse than others, but there were always those who made any other criminals look like foals playing guards and thieves. Those serial offenders who’s only goal was to hurt, to kill, to prove to themselves that they were superior to anypony else. To confirm for their benefit alone, that they held the power of life and death over anypony whom they wished. Such monsters were, thankfully, few and far between; but they were the stories used to scare greenhorns during their first few days on the force. The true monsters who kept veterans awake at night, wondering how in the hell anypony could turn out so wrong.

A simple glance was all it took for Farda to be convinced that, as of this moment, most of the nightmares he had carried until now had just been replaced.

This was what a REAL monster looked like.

The major was a large earth pony. While not quite as tall as Crackdown or the commissioner, he was still bigger than either his companion or Farda. His coat was dark tan in color, with a plain brown mane and hazel colored eyes. Aside from his above average size, for most ponies, the major would likely not appear to be anything outside of the ordinary. But up close, small hints were enough for Farda to paint a picture that sent shivers down his spine.

It was the soldier’s expression, more than anything else, that betrayed his inner workings. His mouth was set in a thin line that could only ever be considered a smile if one were being VERY generous. A slight crinkle at the corner of his eyes, mixed with a stare which held nothing but disgust for whatever pony he was looking at, gave the clear picture of a stallion who was absolute in his feelings of superiority. It was not the first time Farda had met such a gaze; had seen those eyes in ponies who just KNEW that everypony else were nothing more than tools meant for their amusement. In other words, maniacs.

However, while such feelings were bad enough when found in your average serial killer… if there ever was such a thing… THIS one had been given a uniform. A crazy-pony given a position of power, and carte blanche to do whatever he wanted so long as it could be argued as being ‘in the service of the empire.’

‘Monster,’ did not come even close to describing such a creature.

Forcing the shiver from his spine, it took every last ounce of willpower for Farda to smile as he looked from one inquisitor to the next.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you gentlemen.”

“Colonel Castor has taken command of all investigations concerning the attack from two days ago.” Commissioner law explained. The stallion’s voice was easy; but the slight tic at the corner of his mouth, combined with a twitch of his ears, told Farda that the old pony was anything but calm.

Not that he could really be blamed. It had been barely a minute since he arrived, and already Farda wanted to buck the inquisitors right in their self-assured grins.

“With that being said,” Ivory Law continued. “They have requested our assistance in this matter. And I have of course assured them that they will have the full cooperation of our department."

“Fuck me…” Farda heard Crackdown mutter, the stallion’s words causing the commissioner’s ears to shift yet again. Whether it was out of annoyance or fear, the detective had a hard time deciphering.

“Full cooperation, captain!” the older pony repeated, his tail twitching as he glared at the orange unicorn. “That’s an order!”

Fear it was, then.

“As always, we’ll be honored to serve the empire.” Farda confirmed, working carefully to draw the attention of the inquisitors away from the other two ponies. “With that being the case, can I ask what we know about what happened here? And why the IIF feels the need to cooperate with us? I know there was an explosion two nights ago, but the papers have been strangely silent; especially considering the fact that everypony in Baltimare likely heard the blast.”

“Of course, detective.” The colonel responded, his crimson eyes glinting as he displayed another fake smile. “Unfortunately, this blast was a clear act of espionage. One likely meant to disrupt our supplies.

“As for our wish to cooperate with the BCPD, the answer for that is simple as well. You know these streets far better than we do. It all comes down to experience, and knowing the limits of what we can, and cannot, do by ourselves.”

“So you’re saying this wasn’t an accident?” Crackdown grunted, an eyebrow rising in genuine surprise.

“No. This was no accident.” The colonel explained, motioning for them to follow as he moved towards the very edge of the tent.

“We have reliable information that this was, in all likelihood, an act of aggression; perpetrated by republic spies. Whether these were enemy combatants, or some of our own citizens turned traitor, we cannot say for sure.”

Farda followed close behind the inquisitor, his stomach sinking with every word the soldier uttered.

The white-uniformed stallion was lying. That much was obvious to anypony with half a brain. But it was not the colonel’s words which made the detective so uneasy. Rather, it was how he said them.

Farda prided himself on being able to read other ponies. It was a skill he had developed as a foal; and one he had spent decades refining during his time on the BCPD. It had allowed him to find leads where most ponies couldn’t. It let him know the right buttons to press during interrogations to get a confession, intended or otherwise. And perhaps most importantly of all, it had always allowed him to know when he was being lied to.

The problem was, as far as the colonel appeared to be concerned, Farda’s skills seemed to amount to nothing. The unicorn was lying to them. Blatantly! Not even trying to come up with a believable excuse for why he wanted to bring the police into the investigation. And yet, no matter how egregious the lie, Farda could not find a deviation in how the inquisitor moved or spoke. For all the detective could be sure, colonel Castor might as well have been saying that he thought the sky was blue.

Immediately Farda began to recalculate his initial assessment of the soldier. The stallion was most certainly an asshole worthy of his disdain. Of that, the detective had no doubt. But while the major had the hallmarks of a violent maniac; this colonel was a monster the likes of which Farda had never faced before.

And THAT was terrifying in its own right.

"Now detective," the colonel announced as the group of four ponies reached the edge of the tent. "... and captain. I give you the remains of our sole witness of this unfortunate event."  

The detective forced himself to momentarily put aside his contempt for the inquisitor, focusing instead on the scene that lay before them.

A ramp leading into the bay had been roped off, apparently to keep the scene as untouched as possible. About half-way down the sloping stone, a dark brown stain spread out over the grey surface; running down the length of the incline to where it met the water of the bay.

Without even asking for permission, Farda quickly ducked under the rope barrier as he began to study the scene.

“Your men already removed the body?” Crackdown asked incredulously, staring at the dark stain as the detective moved carefully around the edge of the ramp.

“No captain.” The colonel responded, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he considered the larger unicorn. “By the time we got here, there WAS no body.”

“Whatever pony was here,” Farda interrupted, making sure he had regained the colonel’s attention before continuing on. “They lost a lot of blood. And that’s not counting how much they must have bled before making their way out of the water?”

“You’re sure they were coming OUT, detective?”

“The drag marks are wrong for any other scenario. So yes, I’m sure SHE was.”

“She?” the colonel inquired, an eyebrow flickering briefly in what might have been his first and only genuine demonstration of any type of emotion since Farda had arrived.

“She!” the detective confirmed, slowly moving around the dried blood stain. “This hoofprint is most likely female. I can confirm if you want, but that will require me messing with the scene a bit.”

“I see,” the colonel replied, his face returning to its classic neutral expression. However, there was a strange glint in his eyes as he considered the detective; one which made the other stallion’s mane stand on end. “We will likely take you up on your offer. But first, I would like for you to tell us what you can see with the crime scene as it is now.”

“Can do.” Farda agreed, not bothering to look at the inquisitor as he spoke. “Though, I’m guessing your men have been over this a hundred times already. I’m not sure there’s much I can add you won’t have picked up.”

“We’ve looked it over.” The colonel confirmed, a small note of amusement in his voice causing the detective’s stomach to clench. “But that does not mean we aren’t open to second opinions.

“Besides, the commissioner has assured us that we have never worked with a pony of your particular talents before.”

“I appreciate the compliment. I just hope I can live up to your expectations.”

“As do I, detective.”

Backing away from the rust-colored stain, Farda made his way around the edge of the ramp a second time. The stallion’s silver eyes danced over the scene, their movement saccadic as his gaze shifted from one piece of stone pavement to the next. Several times he stopped his pacing, kneeling down on his fore-limbs to get a closer look at the ground.

“Like I said,” the pony mused aloud, his eyes continuing to glance over the scene as he spoke. “The victim was very likely female; and judging from the width of drag marks, I’d wager she was either an earth pony or unicorn.

“A few pieces of hair I can spot suggest that her mane was probably pink. Though it might be a very light red. Hard to say for sure without a scope.”

“We already know that.” The major snorted, shaking his head impatiently as he glanced over at the colonel. “We’re wasting time here, sir.”

“So, I take it you already know about her broken legs as well?”

The brown earth pony snapped to face the detective, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. For his part, Farda kept his back to the soldier so as not to let his grin be too obvious.

“How can you possibly know she has that type of injury?”

“I can’t.” the detective admitted, walking over once again to the dried pool of blood. “All I’m doing is making educated guesses.”

The major looked as though he were about to say something. Or maybe kill him. Farda couldn’t quite tell which. Fortunately, the colonel seemed to have different plans. The yellow unicorn crossed under the rope barrier, and quickly made his way towards the detective.

“You have my attention.” The soldier stated simply, his lips curling into a snake-like grin. “Please, do go on.”

“If you look here,” Farda explained, pointing to a slight indentation in the caked blood. “The distribution of the weight implies that she was only using her forelimbs to climb up the ramp. Meanwhile here, you can see the drag marks of hindlimbs. But there are no scrapes of hoof marks towards the back. That means she did not bother trying to stand on her back hooves. Or more likely, she couldn’t.”

“Would exhaustion not give a similar result?”

“Possible, but unlikely. I’ve met very few ponies who would tell you that it’s easier to crawl on just two limbs, regardless of how tired they are. Besides, if you look here…”

The detective pointed to a streak of dried blood. Initially, it appeared to be a drag mark of no clear significance. At least, until the detective knelt down beside it and extended his hind-limb. As he did, it soon became clear that the mark was, in-fact, an outline; formed by blood which had pooled beneath an unmoving leg.

“This is from her hock.” the detective continued, painting with his hoof along the edge of the mark. “And here you can see that the tibia is clearly snapped. The leg looks like it’s almost at a twenty… maybe thirty-degree angle. So, I’m confident enough to confirm that she has at the very least one, but more likely, two broken hindlimbs.  And then of course there’s the crystal pony helping her to…”

“What?” the colonel snapped, the sudden outburst causing Farda to raise a surprised eyebrow.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did your men miss that too?”

The colonel glared at the detective, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Almost immediately the grey pony felt his blood run cold.

That last jab had probably been one too many.

“I already said you have my attention, detective.” the yellow officer warned, his voice low and threatening. “I believe it would be in your best interest that you not allow it to become the wrong type. After all, your family tree is not exactly what I would describe as pure. Is it?”

Farda was not used to interacting with a pony who could make him feel equal parts disgust, anger, and fear. Almost on instinct, the detective pulled one of his coat sleeves down to better hide the dark colored stripes climbing the length of his forelimb.

“Point made, colonel.” The detective murmured, gritting his teeth in an attempt to distract himself from the overwhelming urge to buck the inquisitor. “But I’ll have you know my family has had nothing to do with me for a very long time.”

“I am well aware.” The colonel continued, a harsh grin slowly forming at the corners of his mouth. “But I don't really care about their relationship with you, detective. Our nation has just suffered an act of espionage, and anyone who is not a natural-born citizen will of course be under increased suspicion. Therefore, I simply want to warn you before your family members finds themselves caught up in one of our investigations.”

“I do believe we were scheduled to pick up a zebra later today.” Brazen Bull spoke up, smiling wickedly as he stared from the other side of the rope. “We heard some rumors of a little-old mare harboring a group of dissidents we’ve been tracking for some time. If I’m not mistaken, she lives on the other side of Foal’s Point. You wouldn’t know anything about that now, would you, half-breed?”

“Hey!” Crackdown shouted, but stopped immediately as the commissioner shoved him hard in the gut.

“No need to be rude, major.” Colonel Castor laughed, though it was devoid of any true emotion. “After all, the detective is a faithful citizen of our dear empire. So long as he continues to serve to the best of his abilities, I see no reason why we can’t extend common courtesy to him… and his family.”

Farda glanced over at Ivory Law, his stomach dropping as he watched the earth pony refuse to meet his gaze.

So, it had been a set-up from the very beginning. And whatever it was the inquisitors were looking for, somehow they had dragged the commissioner into it.

“Now that we understand each other.” the colonel continued, his red eyes seeming to glow with an inner hellish light. “Please, continue detective. I believe you had mentioned something about a crystal pony?”