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: http://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.