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=Fracture 2=
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>The moon hangs high in the sky as you grunt in exertion and jump for your next handhold.
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>Your foot slips against the roof as you grab hold, sending a few shingles falling to the ground.
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"...Good thing I lift."
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>You keep climbing to using only your arms higher and higher up.
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"And I apparently talk to myself too, wonderful."
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>You kept climbing and hoisted yourself up on top of the steeple.
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>From crouching on top of town hall, you could see out across the entire town and into the hills beyond.
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>It was nice, nice and quiet and peaceful.
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>"Yo! Anonymous!"
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>At least for that brief moment.
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>Rainbow Dash flies up next to you and hovers in the air. "What are you doing up here alone? Don't we both have a meeting to get to?"
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>You lightly punch her shoulder from your perch.
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"Gotta stay in shape, Dash."
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>"Don't you have weights?"
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"I like the view."
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>Dash is miraculously silent for a while as she looks out over the landscape with you.
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>"It -IS- something, huh?"
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"That it is."
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>Dash flutters in front of you. "Hey...Anon?"
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"Hmm?"
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>Her eyes dart to the ground and back. "Do you...think it'll be bad?"
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>You rest your hands on your knees and sigh.
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"It...might. We have to hear it from Twilight to be sure."
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>Rainbow nods. "Well, let's not keep everyone waiting, right?"
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>You grin. [spoiler][/spoiler] "Right, Dash."
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>Rainbow flies to the ground and you start eh process of climbing down.
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>On your way down, a few more shingles fall off.
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>You'd pay for that, you should just be happy that this wasn't the worst beating town hall had ever taken.
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>Derpy was a force of nature sometimes.
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>Later at the library, you found a few people in attendance.
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>The rest of the bearers of the Elements, Mayor Mare, and a familiar face, your old drinking buddy Shining Armor.
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"Well, well, look what the Crystal Cat dragged in."
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>You and Armor touch fist to hoof in greetings.
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>"I got a message from my dear little sister telling me that my ex-top Commander couldn't handle a little dragon migration?"
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"It seemed like a good way to drag you away from the prim and proper parts of the Crystal Kingdom, get you back down here in the muck with us footmen."
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>You and Armor share a sardonic smirk as Twilight clears her throat. "There's nothing "little" about this migration, you two." she says.
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>You and Armor both turn to the blackboard Twilight had out the other day when this first came to your attention.
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"What are we looking at here, Twilight?"
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>Twilight lifts several scrolls up as she levitates a piece of chalk up to the board.
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>When the chalk finishes, there is another map of Ponyville drawn with more air currents above it.
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>There were a few noticeable differences this time, namely that the air currents passed directly over the town and in greater numbers.
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"What does this mean, Twi?"
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>Twilight's face was dour. "It means, Anon, that the number of dragons we expected to pass over Ponyville was a vast underestimation."
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>That didn't sound healthy...
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>"How many dragons are we looking at, Twilight?" Shining Armor asks.
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>Twilight's head sags. "It seems that the vast majority of the dragon flight is going to fly directly over the town."
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>Everyone in the room's jaws drop the floor.
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>"The...entire flight?" the Mayor asks.
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>The room grew deathly silent for a few tense minutes.
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>Shining Armor clears his throat. "This is..."
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"Bad..."
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>Shoot...a flock of dragons flying over town was a major threat.
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>Just one of those buggers breaking away and hitting the ground could lead to chaos.
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>And they were only the first part of the problem.
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>With every dragon migration, there were the fliers. But there were also the walkers, dragons too young or too old to fly who walked the earth underneath their airborne kin.
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>Adolescent dragons were violent and cruel, the side effect of their bodies changing.
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>If too many of them came through the town...
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>You feel your pulse quicken at the thought.
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>Blasted dragons! Who were they to just roll in here and demolish your home!?
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>You had friends here! You had family and loved ones here!
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>They can go somewhere else for their migration!
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>This just makes you so mad you just want t-
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>...
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>It finally clicks in your head.
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>You were going to force them away.
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"We need to make a stand..."
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>Everyone in the room turns to look at you.
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"I won't sit idly by while these dragons destroy my home, our home. I say..."
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>You point at the map.
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"...That we gather up some of the guards from Canterlot, fortify the fields outside town and route these lizards before they can get here."
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>Shining Armor grins along with Twilight and the Mayor, you had a bit of a reputation for speeches.
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"This is our town! We can't roll over for those scaly jackasses just because they say we should!"
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>Everyone in the room now had a fire behind their eyes.
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"Who's with me? Who wants' to fight for the town to get rid of this nescience forever?"
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>A chorus of "Here here!"'s echo through the wooden home.
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>You and Applejack were silently walking home together later that night after the meeting.
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>You have your arms outstretched as you teetered on the fence you were walking across.
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>AJ looks up to you. "Ya sure you should be treatin' this so nonchalant?"
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>You look down at your in-law. [spoiler][/spoiler] "What d'you mean?"
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>She pauses in the dirt road out front of the farm. "I mean, don't you think you should be treatin' this a mite more serious? The whole town's at stake."
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>You front flip off the fence and land in front of Applejack.
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"I know, AJ...Believe me, I know. But I can't let these dragons scare me, none of us can."
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>AJ sighs. "Yeah? Well, that aint working so well for me..."
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>You bend down and put a hand on her shoulder.
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"What is it?"
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>AJ sighs. "S'just...this is all so much bigger than what we're used to." She tilts her head up and looks you in the eye. "What if somethin' happens?"
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>You throw AJ a smile and clasp her other shoulder.
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"It won't. I promise. I'll take care of everything."
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>A small grin parts Applejack's lips. "You sure you can handle that?"
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>You shrug. [spoiler][/spoiler] "I've defended the hole town before, I can do it again."
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>The tan mare rolls her eyes and walks ahead back to the house.
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>The two of you sneak into the house and tiptoe up to your respective rooms, giving each other a curt nod to each other as you walk in.
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>Clicking the door shut behind you, you see that Mac is already tucked into bed, Smartypants in his hooves.
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>You undress yourself and crawl into bed next to him, wrapping your arms around his wide chest and pulling the two of you together.
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>You feel him shift awake and raise his head. "How'd it go?"
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>No use lying to him, you couldn't.
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"The whole flight is due to pass over, we're gonna make a stand."
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>Mac shifts on his side of the bed and pulls Smartypants closer.
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>"Ya worried?" he asks.
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"Not really. We can beat them."
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>"What makes ya so sure?"
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>You shrug.
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"Never lost before."
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>"There's a first time for everything, pard."
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>...Not for this.
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"I won't let them hurt the town, hon. It means too much to me.
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>You kiss his neck.
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"You mean too much to me..."
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>Mac sighs contentedly. "Figure you never steered us wrong before."
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"Never have, never will."
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>Mac turns over to face you, letting Smartypants fall between the two of you.
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>He kisses your cheek. "Good luck out there, pard."
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"Thanks hayseed."
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>"Love ya."
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"Love ya too..."
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>You close your eyes and doze off to sleep with the smell of apples in your nose.
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- 125.
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>The morning the dragons were expected.
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>They had already been flying over the town in droves for the past few hours.
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>Most of the citizens were sequestered in the town.
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>You walk down the ranks of the royal guard Shining Armor had called in from Canterlot.
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>Each of them watched the shapes milling about in the forest ahead with stony eyes, just like you remember from your time in the guard.
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>Your old guard armor shone in the sun as you walk up to the other Shining Armor.
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"What's the plan, sir?"
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>You may be Watch Commander, but he was still your boss.
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>"You tell me, Anon. This is your home turf." he says turning to you.
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>Or not.
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>You glance out over the field as the first dragons break through the tree line.
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"Hmm...Always did favor the direct approach."
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>Shining cocks an eyebrow. "A charge? Against them?"
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"We have the element of audacity on our side. After all, who would dare attack dragons?"
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>Shining looks out over the battlefield again.
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"Not to mention that we're faster than them on open terrain, have magic, and fliers."
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>Shining Armor looks to the sky. "Assuming that none of those big ones try to make a dive."
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>You follow his gaze, inspecting the great reptiles above you with care.
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"They look pretty intent on keeping the pace, I think we're good."
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>Armor nods and dons his helmet. "SOLDIERS! PRESENT ARMS!"
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>You unsheathe your sword and bring your shield to bear as the dragons ahead begin to roar and register a fight.
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>Right.
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"Let's see how many of you we can make die..." you whisper.
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