A spell has triggered a long forgotten mission that threaten the rulers of Equestria. Twilight and her friends must stop a most unlikely enemy.
There could be more that is inherited from ancestors than just physical features. In the search for knowledge these secrets are brought out, but what is uncovered may be better off left alone.
Plus, why does Fluttershy's dangerous missions suit doesn't have holes for her wings but sport rabbit ears ? Find out!
During a noon summer day, a white clad pony was perched at the lip on top of a bell tower in the middle of the city. From where she crouched, the sun warmed ledge felt hot under her suede wrapped hooves. This made her silken yellow fur full of sweat, under the clothes and bindings that serves to protect her from harm, but not heat. Yet, the temperature didn't affect her one bit. The reason was her whole attention was focused on the cobble stone street below. She closely observed the townsponies walking about, performing their own daily routines, blissfully ignorant of what was to transpire soon.
"If only they knew." she thought and gripped harder the wooden stock she held with her left hoof. She then glanced at her crossbow and admired at the handcrafted piece. The weapon was solidly built by the finest artisans in the kingdom to fire straight and true. A grim thought popped into her mind just then, "it better shoot accurately, there was no second chance."
She looked about, plotting her escape route once the deed was done. Im spite of this, she wondered though, if she could even escape alive. Reflexively, her right hoof went under her tunic. She felt for the hidden dagger under her robe; the poignard was the final solution if ever she was cornered. While touching the blade, she tried to assure herself that if her mission was a success, then even if her life was traded, the bargain would still be tipped in their favor.
Her heart began racing at that moment. Her heartbeats seemed to increase with every second that goes by. With the time to perform the deed approaching fast, the reality of the situation had finally caught up to her.
She tried to will herself to relax but her pulse would not slow down. As a result, she continued to perspire - but not from the heat. Cold liquid seeped from every pore, supposedly cooling her body. And yet, her heart kept on beating faster. The pounding throbbed in her inner ear like thundering wild ponies.
"A panic attack? Couldn't be! She was a warrior! " she thought with alarm.
Her left foreleg holding the crossbow went numb. This caused her to lose her grip and the well crafted weapon fell. The fall seemed to take forever until it hit the ground, many stories below. The beautiful instrument of war shattered into pieces, with an unmistakable cracking sound.
Her eyes grew wide.
The crowd below all stopped what they were doing. They all looked up and saw her. Already, cries of alarm were heard. With her discovery, she knew the guards will arrive in a very short time.
She had to escape. She went inside the tower and ran down the flight of steps. Moments later, she spotted a nearby roof beyond an open window. When she reached the opening, she leapt from the tower onto the roof's red clay tiles. But, her landing caused some of the tiles to crack and come loose. Although she deftly caught herself from slipping; some of the broken tiles crashed on the sidewalk below.
"There!" came a sound from above.
She looked up, disbelief in the origin of the sound filled her thoughts.
"Flyers!" she said between gritted teeth. "Why were they here?" Her escape now looked hopeless.
She galloped across the roof. At the same time, on the other side of the building, a pegasus in golden armor swooped down to block her way. It quickly charged at her, hoping to knock her down with a tackle. Instinctively from years of experience, she sidestepped the attack, simultaneously kicking with her foreleg knee. The kick hit the pegasus in the midsection, where there was no protection. The winged pony crashed and doubled over in pain.
With her adversary immobilized, she scanned her next route of escape. Unfortunately, the gap between the buildings was too wide to jump. In addition, she was too high up to climb down quickly before the rest of the pegasus's companions arrived.
She wished she planned her escape well in advance. This reminded her that someone said she should think before she acts. She allowed herself a brief chuckle at that.
Her senses soon picked up something approaching. Knowing what was to come, she unsheathed the dagger hidden in her shirt. A few moments later, the clatter of hooves landing surrounded her. More golden armored ponies flew down from above.
"So this is it." she thought.
She bit on the dagger and curled her lips into a wicked smile at her foes. She removed the false pommel that was actually just a painted piece of cork. It exposed a long needle that was tipped with a special poison. To the horror of the ponies surrounding her, she stabbed the needle into her own flank.The drug quickly spread throughout her body. While her enemies were in disarray over their next move, she attacked, blade still held with her teeth.
With unnatural speed she struck. The vile ichor coursing through her veins gave her lightning fast reflexes. As it enhanced a pony's physical prowess, it also taxed the body greatly. In the end, her heart will give out and she will die, but she would take a few of the others down with her.
Unfortunately, the pegasi recovered quickly from their shock. When they saw her advance, they flew away.
The only one she managed to reach before he went skyward was saved from her stabs by expertly shifting his body so the knife encountered metal. This made her realize that these pegasi were no ordinary guards; they knew how to fight assassins. That fact angered her a bit, but then she remembered her training.
With the short reach of the dagger, she complemented it with bucks and kicks from her speed enhanced legs. The pegasi squad soon bled from several small cuts and suffered numerous bruises.
However, she too suffered from the squad's attacks. The pegasi first flew fast to gain momentum, then they crash into her from behind, after that, they flew back up to avoid retaliation. Though not one pegasus carried a weapon, the body slams they gave using their armor and the hits from metal shod hooves were enough to cause blunt force trauma across her whole body.
The poison was coursing faster through her bloodstream than normal due to the heat of the noonday sun and that was radiated off the rooftop. She started to feel light headed and her muscles were taking slower to respond to her mental commands.
After a few minutes, she dropped the dagger. Spittle and froth filled her mouth. To add to her burden, she was having a hard time focusing. This was, she realized, the end.
"Come, finish it!" she spat.
In her blurred vision she thought she saw another pegusus coming down from the sky. It landed in the middle of the fight, between her and her adversaries.
Without thinking, she quickly stepped back. However, her hind legs still had a bit of speed and she moved to the edge of the rooftop. That was when her body failed her. Her eyes rolled and she fell.
The last thing she heard was somebody screaming. The tone was familiar - it was her own voice.
Fluttershy quickly sat up on her bed; she had that dream again. Her silken yellow fur was sweating under the quilt and blankets that serves to protect her from the cold, but not nightmares.
She looked out of her bedroom window. The dawn sun had yet to peek out from behind the mountains. Tears flowed from her eyes as she quietly sobbed the coming of the new day.
At the neighboring capital of Canterlot, Princess Celestia was strolling down the main hall, preparing to start her daily duties. On the opposite side of the hall, Princess Luna was returning, having completed her responsibilities.
Princess Celestia noticed a look of concern on her beloved sister. She stopped to ask if anything was troubling her.
Princess Luna looked up and saw her sister's distressed face. She gave a little smile to allay her sibling's worry and said it was nothing important. Her mind though was still trying to figure out why she couldn't enter Fluttershy's nightmare to help her.
Why couldn't she come inside her dream? It was like it wasn't a dream at all.
"That was impossible," was the only conclusion Princess Luna could believe. And yet, "Why was this happening to Fluttershy every night?" she asked herself.
"Umm... Hello?" A tiny voice squeaked at the doorway to the Ponyville library. "Is anypony home? I hope I'm not intruding on anything or bothering anypony. Maybe I'll just comeback some other time." continued the speaker in a softly manner.
Twilight Sparkle came to the entrance, instantly recognizing the owner of the voice. The book she was engrossed in was quickly put down in anticipation of an unexpected visit by one of her very close and dear friends.
Things were getting back to normal, as normal as it can get, after her coronation as a princess, and all the functions she had to attend. Her new status brings her more attention than she had ever wanted. Sometimes she wished for the quiet life she had before becoming an alicorn. How she wished to just stroll down main street without ponies turning their heads toward her and whispering "that's the princess!" For now, she's just glad they have stopped knocking at her door, looking to take pictures with the new celebrity or asking for her autograph. A visit from her friend is one of the normal things she desired the most.
"Hi Fluttershy! What's up?" she said. She behaved just like when she was the regular old uniciorn not too long ago.
"Hello Twilight. Oh, excuse, me! I mean, Princess Twilight?" came the reply from the cute shy pegasus.
"Please Fluttershy, I'm still the same Twilight Sparkle that's been your friend for so long!" Twilight said exesperatingly. "Will I ever get some semblance of my old lifeback?" she thought to herself.
"Well, um... it's kind of hard thinking of it that way when you are now a bit taller than me." came the embarrased reply.
Twilight thought for a moment. True, when she became an alicorn, her limbs grew a bit and she now stands maybe an inch or two taller than her friends. Plus her horn and wings were bigger than any unicorn or pegasus, though not as big as Celestia's, Luna's or even Cadence's. She was foolishly hoping nobody would notice it.
The purple alicorn quickly changed the subject. "Is there something troubling you? You look a bit tired. Want to go to the spa?"
"Can we just go inside? I-I-I'd rather talk about it in private." Fluttershy said while turning her head to look at the ground, not willing to look at Twilight eye to eye.
"Oh! Of course!" Twilight said. She was so excited to see Fluttershy that she forgot to invite her in.
Spike poured tea and served it along with some slices of lemon cake to the two ponies in the reading room. It was nice, he thought, to have regular guests around for a change. He involuntarily touched his dragon stomach, remembering how it ached after all those messages Princess Celestia kept sending about the visit of dignitaries from other towns wishing to meet the new princess. After putting the tray with the refreshments down beside his friends, he quickly went to attend another chore to leave the two alone.
"Oh Twilight! I had the most terrible dream!" was the first thing Fluttershy said when Spike was beyond earshot.
"Dreams are just dreams. They disappear when you wake up." reassured Twilight.
"You don't understand. I have the same dream almost every night."
"Please, tell me what the dream was about." Twilight said in a serious tone.
Fluttershy began telling the tale about how she was about to shoot another living being in a distant land. How real it felt; and, how eager she was willing to do it. The story continued with the feeling of fear and discovery. She finished up with the fight with the pegasi and the fall.
Twilight listened intently. The description of the place and the weapons she described were too detailed to be just her imagination. Knowing Fluttershy doesn't go on trips to faraway places and certainly does not use weapons means there is something more to this dream than just a trick of the mind.
"Do you remember when you started having this dream?" the new alicorn queried.
Fluttershy thought for a moment. "It was after your magic duel with Trixie." she pointed out. "I-I-I think it has something to do with Rarity's dangerous missions suit." She explained how she felt strange after donning those clothes. She didn't want to mention it to anyone at first, since Ponyville was in trouble.
Twilight scolded herself mentally for not quickly picking up that objects could unlock old suppressed memories. But were they memories? Maybe of a past life? An exciting idea began forming in her head. But first, she needed more information. "Let's go to Rarity's place and ask about that suit she made."
The duo walked down the street, heading for Rarity's shop and home. Along the way, some ponies, out of respect for Twilight's new status, reflexively bow their heads upon their approach. She just looked straight ahead, trying to hide her discomfort as best she can. Though it is the same path she took often, it felt farther now. She involuntarily drew her wings closer to her.
Rarity was at her sewing machine, putting together her latest creation. She stopped and thought about the recent days that past. Her friend and former unicorn mate Twilight Sparkle had suddenly risen to royalty. She felt a bit jealous. She recalled her dream of marrying a prince and becoming a princess. She then remembered the disaster at the Gala - that narcisstic Prince Blueblood. How easy Twilight got Rarity's most treasured wish of nobility and she didn't even knew nor wanted it! And here, Rarity thought, she tried so hard and only met with failure, or rather, met with a jerk. Still, despite that small hint of envy, she felt more of happiness for her friend in finding her destiny. If there is anybody that deserved it, Twilight did. Such is the selflessness of the holder of the element of generosity.
"I'll carve out my own empire with these hooves, and be queen of the fashion world." she vowed to herself.
Somebody was at the door. Rarity opened it and was shocked to see Twilight and Fluttershy waiting outside. She hoped she didn't say the thing about becoming a queen out too loudly.
"Oh, hello Twilight dear." she said. "And Fluttershy! What a surprise! Is there an occasion I'm not aware of?"
"Good morning Rarity." Twilight greeted. "Fluttershy and I dropped by to ask for some information about the dangerous mission suit you made for her."
Rarity suddenly became pale, as pale as a white unicorn can get. She quickly invited them in. There was a flurry of activity as Rarity drew all the window curtains, locked the doors and even shut the chimney vent. Fluttershy was watching with anxiety. Twilight just raised one of her eyebrows and cocked her head to one side.
"What's going on Rarity?"
Rarity had one last look around. Confident everything was closed or airtight she slowly turned toward her friends.
"You figured it out." she replied coldly. "Okay! I admit it! I tried so hard to think of something original but with all the mess Trixie was doing to Ponyville and the limited time to make it, I couldn't think of anything!" she exclaimed.
Twilight prepared herself for the climax she knew was coming next. "So..." she started.
"I copied from a book!" Rarity cried out, simultaneously pulling her sofa to catch her dramatic faint. "It was not an original design! I feel so ashamed!" she added while lying on the sofa.
Fluttershy went to Rarity's side.
"There, there. We're not here to accuse you of anything." she said, trying to soothe Rarity's fragile ego.
"You said a book." Twilight interrupted. "Do you still have it?"
"No darling, I put it back in the library immediately after I rushed to finish the suit. As we needed Fluttershy to find you in as little time time as possible, I had to make alterations to the design. The bunny ears were definitely crucial though. She looked absolutely cute in them!" Rarity answered. Her apprehension subsided at remembering Fluttershy in the suit.
Fluttershy blushed.
"Do you remember what the book's title was?" Twilight asked.
"Hmmm... I don't recall exactly. It was sort of... about a place outside Equestria." the white unicorn with the blue well styled mane said.
"Great, that just leaves about a hundred books in the library. We need to get the help of the others to find that one particular picture." Twilight said in resignation.
A short time later, with the exception of Rainbow Dash who was visiting Cloudsdale at the time, all the friends congregated in the library.
"Ooh! A scavenger hunt! Only with pictures! And no scavengers!" Pinkie Pie was jumping up and down with glee.
"Okay ponies, look for books about the history of anyplace not in Equestria. Check if they have pictures that look like Fluttershy's dangerous missions suit. If you find one, show it to Rarity. Pay close attention to those that have bunny ears. "
Just as Twilight finished speaking, Pinkie exclaimed, "I found it!"
"That's impossible." Rarity said. "Nopony could find something inside a book that fast unless she knows where to look."
"Or reading about a search for page in a book in a library would be no fun, so a quick end to it would lead to the more exciting parts of the story." Pinkie said as a matter of fact, amidst the confused look of her friends. "It's Pinkie sense!" she changed her answer. With that everyone understood the meaning - that there really is no logical explanation.
"Yes! That's the one!" Rarity said after being shown the page with the picture.
Twilight quickly scanned through the contents of the book. "It's a place called Andalon on the western edge of Equestria." she said. She explained to her friends that was a land ruled by the head of their faith, a theocracy. Order was kept by magical knights, those that wore suits similar to what Fluttershy had. The bunny ears turned out to be filled with runes engraved to give the pony magic powers.
"Why do they need to do that?" Rarity was bewildered. "Can't their unicorns or leaders do magic?"
"That's just it." Twilight pointed out. "The Andalusians were all earth ponies."
"So that's why there were no holes for my wings." Fluttershy drew the conclusion about Rarity's suit. "It all makes sense now."
Applejack was about to ask why only earth ponies live there but Twilight was already about to give the explanation. She said those living there believe earth ponies should be the only ponies the world. They believe unicorns and pegasi where not natural. Twilight's face looked sad as she spoke. The look on her friends' faces confirms the same feeling of shock and dismay that a whole population would not tolerate differences.
Twilight looked at Fluttershy. She couldn't understand how she, a peace loving pegasus, would have some connection to the war mongering Andalusians.
She continued her brief history lesson. 500 years ago, Andalon waged a war with Equestria. Their leaders declared all the unicorns and pegasi be removed from the lands. Princess Celestia, being an alicorn as well as the leader of Equestria, was specially targeted by the Andalusians' hatred for every being that was not an earth pony.
"But we kicked their tail right?" Applejack blurted. "What I'm saying, with earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi fighting together, our combined strength must have beaten them. I don't remember hearing about a land like that!" she concluded.
"Actually, they were about to beat US, according to this book." Twilight said. "They have been fighting wars for centuries and have become quite good at it. " She added that all those wars have taught them how to fight those that fly or use magic. They were also trained in various hoof to hoof combat techniques as well as deadly weapons; and, they have access to very powerful arcane magic.
"How did the war end?" Pinkie asked.
Twilight answered that the book did not specifically mentioned how the hostilities ended. All it said was half a century after the war started, Princess Celestia was invited by their leaders to forge a peace agreement. Once the two nations were at peace, they became close neighbors. Soon the Andalusians stopped treating unicorns and pegasi differently and they abandoned their old beliefs. A few hundred years after that, Andalusians decided to become part of Equestria.
"Here's something interesting. The Andalusians, aside from wearing battle armor, also wear clothes all the time. Only after uniting with Equestria did they gradually stopped wearing them." Twilight said, trying to ease the atmosphere of gloom with a little factual humor.
"It's a good thing there are no longer anypony like that. I wonder how would they react to Discord?" Rarity shuddered. "Probably they would have asked him to take everypony's wings and horns."
"Take their wimgs." Twilight muttered to herself.
"M-m-my great great great grandparents came from far west Equestria." Fluttershy finally spoke.
Twilight's eyes sparkled with the light of comprehension. "Yes! Yes! Yes! That pony in your dream must be one of your ancestors! You must have been reliving her experience that was unlocked by Rarity's dangerous missions suit! This is the best thing that could ever happen." Twilight added that she was researching a way to get the knowledge of past wizards like Starswirl the Bearded to broaden the knowledge of magic they had today. In her research she found the theory that some memories were passed down from parent to child and when they grew up, passed on to their children. When Fluttershy first came to the library early that day, she suspected it could be one. But, she needed to know for sure. Here now, she said, was a golden opportunity to try out if they could actually extract it. They could use the unlocked ancestral memory to discover more passed down experiences and maybe get to know how the war ended firstnhand.
"I got a magic spell for that." Twilight said, then turned her head toward Fluttershy. "Let's try it now."
"This won't hurt, will it?" Fluttershy asked in a pleading tone.
"Relax, everything will be just fine." reassured Twilight.
The new alicorn felt a bit guilty about not telling the whole truth. In reality, the magic spell she was about to perform was one of her own creations. She was sure with the help of her new alicorn powers, she could cast it without any problems. She thought to herself that this was not the time for doubt. Besides, she could break the spell anytime without any harm done. Yet, she couldn't be one hundred percent sure. That feeling of uncertainty clung to her like a burr on her purple fur.
Fluttershy was lying on a couch with crossed forelegs in front of her chest. The other ponies were beside her in a semi-circle giving words of encouragement or just waiting to see what will happen next.
Spike came into the room after being asked by Twilight to bring in a special item from the upstairs bedroom. The tiny dragon opened the box he was holding. Once opened, Twilight levitated a small gem from inside the box. Seeing the gem, Spike smacked his lips, longing to have a taste of the bite sized jewel. Twilight looked at him then with a stern look. She wordlessly reminded him that the gem was enchanted with strong magics and a very bad stomach ache was the least he should worry about if he ate it.
"Everypony except Fluttersy, put on your blinders." Twilight said. The three ponies surrounding Twilight and Fluttershy, as well as Spike, put the special goggles that they wore on their heads over their eyes. The glass had been blackened so no light could enter.
Twilight started concentrating on the jewel. The precious stone began glowing an eerie blue light. It commenced to pulse in a slow rhythmic manner.
The pulsing light had a hypnotic effect. Fluttershy felt herself being drawn to it. She stared mesmerized. Her mouth was open as if to speak, but nothing came out between her lips except deep breaths.
Twilight knew it was time. The spell worked by suppressing the thoughts of the pony it affects. Without the pony's consciousness in control, any memories that could have been passed down could be brought forth fairly easily. However, the problem lie in picking out the memory that they wanted. In truth, there were many lifetimes worth that was mashed together inside Fluttershy. The way Twilight thought she could extract the right one was to coax it out it with something like a name, a place or maybe giving the time period where the ancestor lived.
"i am calling for a pony from Andalon. A knight of the kingdom." She intentionally did not mention the war.
Nothing.
Twilight repeated her words, looking for any response from the yellow pegasus. She thought for a moment. Maybe it needed something more specific. The only other thing she could try is to reference the dream. Mentioning it stood a good chance at success; but, she dreaded to use it as much as mentioning the war. The result could bring out a very violent memory. But without any other options, she decided to take the risk. With that in mind, she prepared herself to stop the spell if anything went wrong.
"i'm calling the one who watched the townspeople atop the bell tower. The one who wielded a crossbow on a hot summer day, waited for somepony to pass by." After a pause, she added "the one who was intending to take a life."
There was a deep inhalation that came from Fluttershy. Her lips quivered and then she spoke, but not in the tone and manner of the shy pony. The voice sounded strong and assured, and it quickly became apparent it was in a different language. Twilight was ready in case this happened. She concentrated on putting a dweomer on Fluttershy that allowed foreign words to be understood by both speaker and listener.
"Who are you?" Twilight asked.
After a pause, the voice answered. "My name is Silver, Silver Aletear, a sword-mare of Andalon."
Twilight was beside herself with joy. The spell worked! She turned to the others around her and even with their goggles hiding their eyes, the look of surprise was clearly evident on their faces. She then turned her attention to the source of the blue glow, the pulsing gem. The magic jewel was no longer needed since the right memory was called forth so she decided to place it back in the box. After closing the lid which removed the blue aura in the room, she told everyone to take off their blinders. After they did so, all crowded closer to the still immobile Fluttershy.
"Is she okay? " asked Applejack.
"Her real self is in a sleep-like trance. The voice and memories are that of a pony called Silver Aletear." Twilight explained. "We can ask her anything she had experienced when she was alive."
"Do you like parties, Silver?" Pinkie queried.
Everyone looked at Pinkie. "You said we can ask her anything!" she pointed out.
"I think I do, I'm having trouble remembering any." was the reply.
Twilight explained that this were the memories of a pony long ago. Not everything is recalled immediately though. Experiences that leave the strongest impression were easily remembered while the rest was forgotten or harder to bring forth, maybe because of something the pony wanted to forget.
Twilight then asked what she actually remembered. The memory of Silver began to talk again. "I remember I was ordered to kill the visiting monarch of Equestria, Princess Celestia."
It came as a surprise to everyone except Twilight who, aside from Fluttershy, knew of the dream's details more than anyone in the room.. She assured everyone that this all happened in the distant past and clearly the assassination never took place since Princess Celestia was still around. She added that probably her mentor even forgot about it.
"What about Princess Luna?" Spike asked.
"She was Nightmare Moon during this time and was still banished from Equestria." Twilight reminded them.
That calmed the rest down. They were now even more eager to know what happened hundred of years in the past.
Fillydelphia was burning. Within, neglected hearths and lights left by fleeing citizens caused numerous fires, leaving the air choked with smoke and ash. In this time of chaos, there were still those that had decided to stay and save their homes. In one area, some unicorns used magic to move water from the source to the site of the blaze. When they had expended all their magical energies, they continued by muscle power alone. With buckets carried on their backs or with their teeth, they tried to douse the spreading flames . However, the heat was intense - flammable objects combusted all around them. In the end, the fire moved too fast and all remaining hope they had were destroyed by the blaze as well.
A squad of Andalusian knights patrolled the area and passed by the destitute ponies. They were quickly approached by the now homeless unicorns who were begging for aid. But, even if an earth pony was the one in need and not a pegasus nor a unicorn, they would not get any as the soldiers were under orders to ignore the Equestrian citizens' plight. Their only task was to patrol and look for enemy stragglers. Even though the pleading eyes of the victims of war tugged greatly on the hearts of these warriors; they were trained from childhood to follow commands absolutely. In addition, they were taught the first pony that showed weakness was the first pony that fell. With stoic countenance, they marched on amidst cries of rage and desperation.
In the Andalusian forward operating base, located by the river, a squad had just returned from their long reconnoiter of the northern area. This bedraggled group was in battle with the Equestrians for weeks without support. Each knight had many dents in their armor and their swords were nicked badly from tip to hilt. Moreover, their quivers rattled noisily from the few crossbow bolts left and their feed sacks contained only crumbs and bits of hay. After they had secured their gear, their leader and her second broke off and headed to the HQ while the rest went straight to the mess hall.
"Captain Silver Aletear and Sergeant Lighthoof reporting on enemy activities in the business district." The squad leader told one of the two guards posted in front of the headquarters. The guard nodded and went inside while the other one remained to watch the visitors.
The two new arrivals removed their helms. Silver's close cropped platinum colored mane hung limp from the weight of the heavy headpiece and sweat. With her helmet removed, the beads of rank she wore on her mane clinked softly on her metal neck guard. Beneath the rest of her armor, her fair colored fur was caked in mud and soot. More importantly, she smelled worse than a pig with halitosis. In contrast, when Sergeant Lighthoof removed her helm, her jet black mane flowed out with a flourish. And, even though her armor was also dinged, her tan and cream fur was spotless from the daily brushing she did between fighting. She also had a hint of lilac around her. Unlike her captain, she was always concerned on how she looked, and smelled.
"Phew! You better take a long bath after this!" the sergeant exclaimed.
"is that an order, ma'am?" the captain teased.
The two had been best friends ever since childhood. They went through the trials of becoming soldiers together. Silver was the more athletic of the two and she excelled in tests of strength and speed. Lighthoof was smaller, and looked up to her as a big sister. She was also the more crafty. Her plots and schemes got her into many situations which took a lot of guile to get out. And if that failed, Silver usually comes to the rescue like her knight in shining, or rather dirty, armor. In fact, it was her greatest coup to get them both assigned to the same unit.
The guard emerged a few minutes later and said the colonel was ready to receive them. With that out of the way, he returned to his post and the two trotted through. Inside the headquarters, the room was dominated by a large wooden table. On top of the table, was a map of the city. It showed the positions of friendly forces and suspected areas where the enemy still resisted. Around the room were the standards of the various knight orders. Silver and Lighthoof belonged to the 7th Long Range Recon - an elite group tasked to scout enemy positions and engage targets of opportunity. That group's standard now stood behind a large green stallion with as many years of battle as campaigns across the front. The duo saluted.
"What have you got to report, captain?" the colonel opened the conversation.
Silver walked next to the large table and looked at the map.
"Sir, we have observed EQ unicorn and earth pony forces rallying here." She pointed to an area close to the business district. "They were not well organized and low on supplies. We could send a small contingent over and take out one of the last remaining holdouts and this city will be in Andalon's. hands."
"Anything else?" the colonel asked.
"Nothing of concern, sir. We had encounters with a few patrols and even a supply convoy but these EQs don't have the training we had."
The colonel took a closer look at the two. He observed how battered their armor and weapons are. "She mentioned a few patrols?" he thought. It wouldn't surprise him if the two underplayed their skirmishes and probably took on a whole battalion.
"If there is nothing else to report, I have some news for you, Sergeant Lighthoof." he began. "You are being reassigned to the special operations division. Congratulations."
"Sir?" was the only thing the jet maned pony could say.
"The covert ops division have needs of your... talents." the colonel explained.
Lighthoof understood the meaning: it looked like her shenanigans and mischief in the past had reached the attention of the higher powers. A pony that can make such cunning plans would be a great asset to a group that specialized in tactical rather than numerical superiority. In addition, it also meant she had to leave the 7th Recon. Specifically, she had to leave her best friend's side.
"What about Captain Silver?" Lighthoof queried with concern over their impending separation.
The platinum maned pony just smiled and patted her friend on the back. "Don't worry about me. The other guys have my flank well covered." trying to assure her.
Lighthoof opened her mouth once more, about to refuse the order. Instantly, Silver nudged her hard. "This is a great opportunity for you. You don't have to fight anymore. Just make strategies that will help us win the war." the captain whispered in her ear. With that, she just closed her mouth.
"If that's settled, then dismissed!" came the final order of the colonel.
The two left the tent without talking to each other. The now special operations pony knew her friend wanted her to no longer experience the trauma of trying to survive day by day. She knew that because it was the same thing she wanted for the other. And yet, she couldn't bear the thought of leaving her side. She promised herself they would be together soon, in anyway she could.
The gloom of their imminent separation was temporarily forgotten when they bathe together. Silver, despite being gregarious and outward,was extremely shy about walking around without clothing even in the bathing area. That was probably the reason why she didn't like taking a bath often. This was the opportunity for Lighthoof to have one final mischief on who she felt like her big sister. She playfully took the other's towel and quickly left. A wet and red-faced pony arrived in their barracks minutes later covered in leaves and water lilies like some exotic grass skirt dancer. No one knew for certain if the redness of her face was due to anger or embarrassment. What was certain was the loud sound of laughter that came from their barracks that day. The squad laughed so hard that they were still in stitches when their captain punished all of them by having them gallop around the base in their underwear and socks.
During the time that past since Lighthoof's departure, the pockets of resistance were getting far fewer. There were so little fighting that signs of normalcy began to appear - markets and shops opened and ponies began coming out on the streets. The city was so much under their control that many knights had seen more time rebuilding key facilities like bridges than actual combat. The only thing different aside from the rubble and charred buildings was no unicorn nor pegasus could be seen.
Silver's squad was returning to base from another long duration mission. Their worn armor sported new dents over repaired ones. Fortunately for the blacksmiths however, the number was far less than before. In fact, the unit was even talking about shipping out of Fillydelphia for some rest and recreation back in Andalon.
A messenger was waiting for them. The young pony galloped up to the captain and saluted. He carried a sealed scroll which he promptly handed over to her, saluted again and galloped away. Silver broke the wax and read. She couldn't understand the meaning of the contents. She was being promoted and transferred to the special operations division, effective immediately.
The war was going well for the Andalusians; until that is, they approached the capital city of Canterlot. The closer they got, the harder the Equestrian army fought tooth and hoofnail over every inch of dirt. Amidst the fighting, the casualties were increasing rapidly with the result of caring of so many wounded was taking a toll on logistics. To treat them all, the only recourse was to send them back to Andalon. Not surprisingly, this caused a reverse in public opinion. With the sight of family members coming back lying on Iitters or worse, the Andalusians started to protest against the war. With their own society losing trust over how they were lead, the Andalusian government, fearing civil unrest, looked into ways to bring a quick victory.
In the city at the heart of Andalon rose a magnificent structure. It was roughly pyramid in shape, with obelisks in every corner. It was fronted by a large open area where thousands could attend celebrations and rallies. This was the high temple. It was also their most sacred building. Inside it's polished marble facade, the decisions that affect the lives of the Andalusians were made on a daily basis.
Above the temple, strange machines were flying in the sky, no doubt from the military base nearby that served as main headquarters for the army as well as protection for the seat of government and religion. The machines flew on their own using magic, the Andalusians were determined not to have any pegasus ponies amidst their ranks. The earth ponies that were piloting them were on constant alert against any surprise aerial attacks from the said winged counterparts.
A lone pony in newly repaired armor arrived at her destination. Silver stood in front of the high temple's massive wooden doors. Earlier, she was told she got a promotion and a new assignment. With a new bead added to her mane, she bade her old comrades in Fillydelphia farewell and traveled back to Andalon with instructions to proceed to the country's main building of leadership.
The temple's doors parted a bit. The platinum maned pony's eyes teared when she saw who came out.
"Lighthoof!" she yelled.
The two ponies ran toward each other and laid their heads across each other's shoulder. "I missed you so much!" both said in unison.
Lighthoof explained that it was she who made possible Silver's transfer. During the few months they were apart, the former sergeant rose quickly among the special operations. So fast that she was now second in command in the Organization of Strategic Steeds (O.S.S.). One day, when her superiors asked her to look into candidates to perform a very unique role, she jumped at the opportunity to get her best friend back. She further mentioned that though she wasn't fully aware of the details, the job included a meeting with the very leader of Andalon himself, Arch-lord Destrier.
They were to see him now.
They went inside the high temple. With the way toward the audience chamber being a little walk, they took the opportunity to chat about old times. During the midst of conversation, a pony approached them, slowly enough that they were unaware he was even there.
"Hello." came an unfamiliar voice behind them.
"Hello." replied a surprised Silver.
"Hello, I'm seeking to have an audience with the Arch-lord. Do you know perhaps where he may be at?" said the unknown yet cordial male pony.
Lighthoof replied in a friendly manner. "We're meeting him right now, you can come with us to the audience chamber if you'd like."
The stranger nodded and gave his thanks. The now trio walked further on for several minutes past guards and clerks posted along the way. The guards, upon seeing the second-in-command of the OSS, let them pass without question. After what seemed like a long time to Silver, they reached the center of the temple - the audience chamber. The stranger thanked the two and went off to one side.
The impressive audience chamber was a grand area to emphasize the power of the pony that ruled over Andalon. It was a large dome with massive stone arches reaching to the zenith several stories high. There were murals everywhare even on the ceiling. All the paintings depict earth ponies communing with angels and other supernatural creatures of light. The whole place was brightly illuminated by huge glass globes filled with gas that were magically induced to glow intensely. The very bright orbs were suspended from the ceiling with thick iron chains and cradled by golden bands. Around the chamber, there were ponies huddled near the walls of the dome. Petitioners, aristocrats, government officials, temple priests, and plain spectators all stared at the lone pony at the center. Arch-lord Destrier was not only the leader of their country but also the leader of their faith. The result being the citizens had a strong devotion to him, as strong as the Equestrians had for Princess Celestia.
There was a long line of citizens in front of the ponytificate. Many wanted money or land, some came to settle disputes, while others tried to lobby for their varied causes. Silver and Lighthoof waited patiently until the set time for the audience with the Arch-lord was over. They spent the hours chatting about old friends and what they have been up to while separated.
In the late afternoon, a crier announced the audience over. The visitors slowly began exiting through the doors. When the crowd thinned out significantly, Destrier stood up from his throne and walked towards Silver and Lighthoof. He was still in his prime, despite the heavy mantle of office, he approached the two with a spring in his step. The duo was still hotly debating which stallion was cuter among the four minstrel group, the "Backalley Lads", when they heard somebody clearing his throat behind them. Without looking to see who it was the duo quickly kneeled in front of the ponytificate.
"Ah, so this is the pony you selected for this very special mission." said the lord of all Andalon.
"Yes, your eminence." Lighthoof said with reverence.
"What is your name, child ?" the ponytificate asked.
"My name is Silver, Silver Aletear, my lord." she responded.
"Are you loyal to Andalon, Silver Aletear?" he said.
Before she could answer, another pony who wasn't there before spoke.
"Hello." A familiar voice interrupted their meeting.
Three pairs of eyes turned their heads to the speaker.
The unknown pony spoke again, "Hello, are you Arch-lord Destrier?"
The Arch-lord was not used to being interrupted. "Yes! Who are you to barge into our conversation?" he said angrily.
The stranger spoke in a flat tone, "Hello, my name is Inigo Mountoya. You killed my sire, prepare to die." He then proceeded to draw out his sword.
Silver quickly jumped between the Arch-lord and his would-be killer. The battle hardened pony pulled her own sword out of it's scabbard with her teeth. Meanwhile, the chamber guards began edging toward the attacker.
Lighthoof tried to move their leader out of danger but she couldn't even budge the large stallion from where he stood. The Lord of Alll Andalon watched the duelists, the knight and the assassin square off.
"Do not interfere with these two!" he commanded the guards.
The soldiers looked perplexed but they complied without hesitation. After he spoke, the Arch-lord finally backed away from the ensuing duel. But, his intentions were to give the two combatants more room and he, a better view.
Inigo Mountoya was a pony with long, curly black mane and a pencil thin mustache. In a different setting he could be described as a dashing young Andalusian out to capture the hearts of young mares throughout the land. His current expression however, mired his handsome look.
The male pony attacked first. He charged at Silver. When he got to sword range, he abruptly knelt and swept his sword in a deadly sideways arch, aiming to chop off her forelegs.
Being held in the mouth, sword attacks and parries were limited to swinging the blade side to side and at an angle. Vertical cleaves and blocks were impossible. However, the ponies who mastered the art of sword-fighting found other ways to counter.
Silver spun her whole body in synch with the enemy's blade. There was only a fraction of an inch between the tip pf the sword and her belly but it was enough to completely miss her. At the moment she turned 180 degrees from the enemy, she kicked with one of her hind legs.
Inigo was hit on the face but he rolled on the ground so that it was only a glancing blow. He quickly stood up and attempted a riposte on the now exposed flank of Silver. The tip of his blade managed to catch a gap between her pleated rear armor and drew first blood.
The fair furred mare winced at the cut. She quickly repositioned herself facing the enemy. "This was no crazy pony. He was trained at swordplay." she thought.
Inigo smiled behind his sword, admiring his handiwork.
Lighthoof was watching the whole scene beside the Arch-lord. Even though she was confident her best friend could win this duel, after she saw the trickle of blood, she could no longer bear to just stay in the sidelines. She pulled out a small stick with runes engraved from a sheath strapped to her right foreleg. This was her PDW, her personal defense wand. It could shoot a burst of arcane energy at a short distance with enough power to knockdown a minotaur.
Archlord Destrier tapped Lighthoof on the shoulder and shook his head. She complied for the time being and looked back to the fight.
It was Silver's turn to strike. She lunged and started a sideways chop like what Inigo did before. Her opponent ducked his head, anticipating the blow.
"Gotcha!" the sword-mare thought to herself. She loosened her bite on the handle and the sword moved in her mouth so that it was now in line with her head. With the tip of the sword now directly pointing at Inigo, she thrust at the base of his exposed neck, between the shoulder blades.
The tip just bounced harmlessly off the skin. This took her by surprise and she quickly backtracked without following up her attack. In the meantime, the male pony did not counter but just smiled while he pointed to his chest. She figured out the gesture.
"He has a talisman against slashing attacks!" she yelled. This pony, she realized, planned well his attempt on the head of Andalon's life.
With his secret revealed, Inigo started to turn towards Destrier. Feeling overconfident, he decided to leave the duel and proceed with his main goal.
Silver reminded him who his opponent was by chopping hard at his flank. The sword rang and her head throbbed a bit from the vibration. There was a benefit to her strike though. Despite no cut was made, the edge of the sword applied a tremendous amount of crushing pressure on a small area. Blood vessels ruptured beneath the skin and pain registerd on her foe's face. She realized Inigo relied too much on the talisman and did not wear any armor under his garments.
It was her turn to smile. She baited him to attack. She dodged, jumped back and pirouette out of reach of each slash. She saved her strength to deliver hard blows to key muscle areas that control movement and areas of the body with a lot of nerve clusters.
After what seemed to be a long time but in reality only several minutes, Inigo began to tire from his constant swings and the pain in his limbs. He mumbled with the sword still gripped in his mouth his admiration of the opponent who managed to match his skills in sword-fighting.
Silver gently put her sword down in front of her and asked him to repeat his words since she couldn't understand what he said the first time.
Inigo put his sword down as well and began to re-tell her of his admiration of her prowess.
"I said - " he started. But before any more words came out of his mouth, Silver spun and roundhouse bucked his face with both hind legs.
The fight was over. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.
While the guards picked up the incapacitated Inigo, Lighthoof galloped to Silver's side. "Are you okay?" The look of concern on her face was evident. She started to tend to her friend's wounds.
"A little tired, never thought I had to fight here." Silver mused while she looked at the Arch-lord's throne - the figurative and literal seat of power.
Destrier walked towards the two, all the while staring at Silver.
"Apologies for the interruption your eminence," the wounded pony started. "I'm ready to answer any questions you have."
"That won't be necessary." said the leader of Andalon with a grin. "You're just the pony for the job." He turned around and left the chamber through a doorway in a side alcove, his entire retinue followed close behind.
"What just happened?" a confused Silver asked Lighthoof.
"I think, he likes you? " was all her best friend could answer.
