Fracture 2: Stratagem.

=Fracture 2=

>The moon hangs high in the sky as you grunt in exertion and jump for your next handhold.
>Your foot slips against the roof as you grab hold, sending a few shingles falling to the ground.
"...Good thing I lift."
>You keep climbing to using only your arms higher and higher up.
"And I apparently talk to myself too, wonderful."
>You kept climbing and hoisted yourself up on top of the steeple.
>From crouching on top of town hall, you could see out across the entire town and into the hills beyond.
>It was nice, nice and quiet and peaceful.
>"Yo! Anonymous!"
>At least for that brief moment.
>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?"
>You lightly punch her shoulder from your perch.
"Gotta stay in shape, Dash."
>"Don't you have weights?"
"I like the view."
>Dash is miraculously silent for a while as she looks out over the landscape with you.
>"It -IS- something, huh?"
"That it is."
>Dash flutters in front of you. "Hey...Anon?"
"Hmm?"
>Her eyes dart to the ground and back. "Do you...think it'll be bad?"
>You rest your hands on your knees and sigh.
"It...might. We have to hear it from Twilight to be sure."
>Rainbow nods. "Well, let's not keep everyone waiting, right?"
>You grin. [spoiler][/spoiler] "Right, Dash."
>Rainbow flies to the ground and you start eh process of climbing down.
>On your way down, a few more shingles fall off.
>You'd pay for that, you should just be happy that this wasn't the worst beating town hall had ever taken.
>Derpy was a force of nature sometimes.

>Later at the library, you found a few people in attendance.
>The rest of the bearers of the Elements, Mayor Mare, and a familiar face, your old drinking buddy Shining Armor.
"Well, well, look what the Crystal Cat dragged in."
>You and Armor touch fist to hoof in greetings.
>"I got a message from my dear little sister telling me that my ex-top Commander couldn't handle a little dragon migration?"
"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."
>You and Armor share a sardonic smirk as Twilight clears her throat. "There's nothing "little" about this migration, you two." she says.
>You and Armor both turn to the blackboard Twilight had out the other day when this first came to your attention.
"What are we looking at here, Twilight?"
>Twilight lifts several scrolls up as she levitates a piece of chalk up to the board.
>When the chalk finishes, there is another map of Ponyville drawn with more air currents above it.
>There were a few noticeable differences this time, namely that the air currents passed directly over the town and in greater numbers.
"What does this mean, Twi?"
>Twilight's face was dour. "It means, Anon, that the number of dragons we expected to pass over Ponyville was a vast underestimation."
>That didn't sound healthy...
>"How many dragons are we looking at, Twilight?" Shining Armor asks.
>Twilight's head sags. "It seems that the vast majority of the dragon flight is going to fly directly over the town."

>Everyone in the room's jaws drop the floor.
>"The...entire flight?" the Mayor asks.
>The room grew deathly silent for a few tense minutes.
>Shining Armor clears his throat. "This is..."
"Bad..."
>Shoot...a flock of dragons flying over town was a major threat.
>Just one of those buggers breaking away and hitting the ground could lead to chaos.
>And they were only the first part of the problem.
>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.
>Adolescent dragons were violent and cruel, the side effect of their bodies changing.
>If too many of them came through the town...
>You feel your pulse quicken at the thought.
>Blasted dragons! Who were they to just roll in here and demolish your home!?
>You had friends here! You had family and loved ones here!
>They can go somewhere else for their migration!
>This just makes you so mad you just want t-

>...
>It finally clicks in your head.
>You were going to force them away.
"We need to make a stand..."
>Everyone in the room turns to look at you.
"I won't sit idly by while these dragons destroy my home, our home. I say..."
>You point at the map.
"...That we gather up some of the guards from Canterlot, fortify the fields outside town and route these lizards before they can get here."
>Shining Armor grins along with Twilight and the Mayor, you had a bit of a reputation for speeches.
"This is our town! We can't roll over for those scaly jackasses just because they say we should!"
>Everyone in the room now had a fire behind their eyes.
"Who's with me? Who wants' to fight for the town to get rid of this nescience forever?"
>A chorus of "Here here!"'s echo through the wooden home.

>You and Applejack were silently walking home together later that night after the meeting.
>You have your arms outstretched as you teetered on the fence you were walking across.
>AJ looks up to you. "Ya sure you should be treatin' this so nonchalant?"
>You look down at your in-law. [spoiler][/spoiler] "What d'you mean?"
>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."
>You front flip off the fence and land in front of Applejack.
"I know, AJ...Believe me, I know. But I can't let these dragons scare me, none of us can."
>AJ sighs. "Yeah? Well, that aint working so well for me..."
>You bend down and put a hand on her shoulder.
"What is it?"
>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?"
>You throw AJ a smile and clasp her other shoulder.
"It won't. I promise. I'll take care of everything."
>A small grin parts Applejack's lips. "You sure you can handle that?"
>You shrug. [spoiler][/spoiler] "I've defended the hole town before, I can do it again."
>The tan mare rolls her eyes and walks ahead back to the house.

>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.
>Clicking the door shut behind you, you see that Mac is already tucked into bed, Smartypants in his hooves.
>You undress yourself and crawl into bed next to him, wrapping your arms around his wide chest and pulling the two of you together.
>You feel him shift awake and raise his head. "How'd it go?"
>No use lying to him, you couldn't.
"The whole flight is due to pass over, we're gonna make a stand."
>Mac shifts on his side of the bed and pulls Smartypants closer.
>"Ya worried?" he asks.
"Not really. We can beat them."
>"What makes ya so sure?"
>You shrug.
"Never lost before."
>"There's a first time for everything, pard."
>...Not for this.
"I won't let them hurt the town, hon. It means too much to me.
>You kiss his neck.
"You mean too much to me..."
>Mac sighs contentedly. "Figure you never steered us wrong before."
"Never have, never will."
>Mac turns over to face you, letting Smartypants fall between the two of you.
>He kisses your cheek. "Good luck out there, pard."
"Thanks hayseed."
>"Love ya."
"Love ya too..."
>You close your eyes and doze off to sleep with the smell of apples in your nose.

-Music: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCrnF844_ww-
>The morning the dragons were expected.
>They had already been flying over the town in droves for the past few hours.
>Most of the citizens were sequestered in the town.
>You walk down the ranks of the royal guard Shining Armor had called in from Canterlot.
>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.
>Your old guard armor shone in the sun as you walk up to the other Shining Armor.
"What's the plan, sir?"
>You may be Watch Commander, but he was still your boss.
>"You tell me, Anon. This is your home turf." he says turning to you.
>Or not.
>You glance out over the field as the first dragons break through the tree line.
"Hmm...Always did favor the direct approach."
>Shining cocks an eyebrow. "A charge? Against them?"
"We have the element of audacity on our side. After all, who would dare attack dragons?"
>Shining looks out over the battlefield again.
"Not to mention that we're faster than them on open terrain, have magic, and fliers."
>Shining Armor looks to the sky. "Assuming that none of those big ones try to make a dive."
>You follow his gaze, inspecting the great reptiles above you with care.
"They look pretty intent on keeping the pace, I think we're good."
>Armor nods and dons his helmet. "SOLDIERS! PRESENT ARMS!"
>You unsheathe your sword and bring your shield to bear as the dragons ahead begin to roar and register a fight.
>Right.
"Let's see how many of you we can make die..." you whisper.