GREEN   14   0
   24469 134.5 KB    1950

Heart of War- Act X

By ThingPaste
Created: 2024-02-28 03:08:54
Expiry: Never
heart of war

  1. >…
  2. >You stand in a hallway aboard the Prydwen.
  3. >”Oi.”
  4. >You turn to see Corporal Call rushing towards you.
  5. “What took you so long?”
  6. >He reaches into a large pouch on his chest and pulls out a black sphere with a fuse coming from it.
  7. >”Didn’t want to leave home without a couple.”
  8. “Why did you wait so long to get equipped?”
  9. >”I didn’t, it just took me ages to find my lighter.”
  10. “Well let’s not waste any more time.”
  11. >You’re each wearing similar armor.
  12. >Metal plate, but light and somewhat sparsely covering your bodies so that you can still have full maneuverability while flying.
  13. >You’ve got your sword and a dagger, while Call has the same.
  14. >Plus grenades, a few knives attached around his body, and a short bow attached on his back.
  15. >”Lead the way, Sir.”
  16. >You nod to a crewman who starts to open a hatch.
  17. >On the metal door, there is a bar that when turned retracts a locking bar on the bottom and top of the hatch.
  18. >Once the crewman gets it free, he pulls it in towards himself, revealing the ocean on the horizon through the small door way.
  19. >Taking a small run up, you jump through the hatch, going into a nosedive for a count of five before opening up your wings.
  20. >You came out the stern of the ship, so you fly in a curve up and to your right.
  21. >When you get above the airship, you start flying past its port side.
  22. >A glance over the ship shows that Call did similarly, but went to the starboard side.
  23. >Passing the metal hulk that you share the skies with, you see men in the five mortar pits on the top of the ship.
  24. >They look to be prepping their equipment for battle.
  25. >When you reach the bow of the ship, both you and call swoop inwards to meet up with each other.
  26. >You take the lead, and he staggers his flight to take up a place begin you to the right.
  27. >It shouldn’t be that long of a flight, so you won’t be switching positions to alternate who can slipstream.
  28.  
  29. >…
  30. >Getting some semblance of where you are, you sit up and start to rub your eyes with your hooves.
  31. >You feel so weak.
  32. >Like you would barely even be able to stand up.
  33. >”Get in there and check on her.”
  34. >You hear Lancer say.
  35. >”And be ready for anything. It could be a trap.”
  36. >You hear a cell wall slide open and close again.
  37. >When it closes, you hear a magical hum as the dampening shield reasserts itself.
  38. >”Sir?”
  39. >You hear an unfamiliar voice say.
  40. >”What is it soldier?”
  41. >Lancer responds.
  42. >”I can’t see.”
  43. >You hear some hoofsteps then the unknown voice again:
  44. >”I didn’t look away from the light quick enough, did I?”
  45. >”Give it a minute or two, soldier.”
  46. >You look up from your hooves and see Starlight’s horn shining pretty close to your face, her eyes look like they’re analyzing your head.
  47. >Outside the cell, Lancer is waving a hoof in front of one of the face of one of the guards.
  48. “Did i-“
  49. >Starlight cuts you off as she turns to Lancer:
  50. >”General, I don’t know how, but she’s clean.”
  51. >”How?”
  52. >”Well I just said that I don’t know how.”
  53. >”Come take a look at this guy, see if there’s anything you can do to help his eyes.”
  54. >”I’m not that kind of a doctor.”
  55. Lancer sternly glares at Starlight.
  56. >”But I could check.”
  57. >Lancer opens the cell once again, and swaps positions with Starlight.
  58. >He reaches down and helps you to stand.
  59. >Your footing feels unsteady, but you don’t fall down.
  60. >At least you don’t fall down yet.
  61. “What… what happened?”
  62. >”Your horn light up and you started to levitate in the cell, and then despite the dampening field, you let out a massive magical wave. It was blindingly bright. And you completely destroyed the pillow and blanket that was in there with you.”
  63. “Is he going to be alright?”
  64. >You ask while looking at the guard whom now has Starlight’s horn glowing in his face.
  65. >Starlight then turns to you:
  66.  
  67. >”I think that his sight should return slowly over a week or two.”
  68. >”Your highness, it’s good that you awoke when you did.”
  69. >You feel an incredible urge to-
  70. “Hold that thought.”
  71. >You quickly trot out of the cell and the room it’s contained in.
  72. >And rush into the nearest bathroom.
  73. >…
  74. “Sorry about that.”
  75. >You say to Lancer who waited outside of the bathroom.
  76. >”Well it has been quite some time; none of the other Princesses have relieved themselves either since being locked up. Same with eating.”
  77. >At the mention of that word, your stomach growls.
  78. >Extremely loudly.
  79. >And your mouth feels incredibly dry.
  80. >”Princess, you need-“
  81. “Water. I need water.”
  82. >…
  83. >In the kitchen, you stand in front of a larder, devouring anything that can be eaten raw.
  84. >You pause to take a long swig of water from a jug.
  85. >Which is empty by the time you finish the gulp.
  86. >Then you set down the half-eaten loaf of bread as you see a server taking a pair of platters of cupcakes out of the kitchen.
  87. >You took one.
  88. >A platter that is.
  89. >And begin digging in.
  90. >You had no idea you could eat this fast.
  91. >A minute later (and halfway through the cupcakes), Lancer speaks again:
  92. >”Your highness, we really don’t have the time.”
  93. “Hold that thought.”
  94. >You look around the kitchen.
  95. >After going through shelves, you eventually find it.
  96. >A bar of chocolate.
  97. >You begin to unwrap it.
  98. “Alright, what?”
  99. >”Well, you’ve been out of the public’s eye for quite some time. And given that you’re in power due to what is ultimately a military coup, some think that you’ve been deposed entirely and that the army has taken full control.”
  100. “And?”
  101. >You say as you down the last of the bar of chocolate.
  102. >”There’s a mob outside the palace right now.”
  103. >You throw the wrapper away.
  104. “Why didn’t you say something!”
  105. >Lancer looks just about ready to snap.
  106. >The thousand yard stare tells you that.
  107. “I’m joking, I need to get to a balcony. How’s my hair?”
  108.  
  109. >...
  110. >You continue to fly low over the ocean.
  111. >The waves below you roll by quickly, but you don’t need to stop to admire the deep blue with a hint of azure.
  112. >The Saddle Arabian coast is actually rather beautiful; they say it was quite the tourist destination before the wars.
  113. >The youngest Equestrians that have positive memories of the area would be adults in their twenties.
  114. >The children at the time of the first war are now the adults facing the coming ones.
  115. >Your generation.
  116. The youngest Equestrians that have positive memories of the area from their adulthood are middle-aged; it’s been over a generation since any Equestrian civilian could visit the area without fearing for their lives.
  117. >The only time you’ve seen the country was during the Second Coast War.
  118. >Many of the shores have pretty clear water.
  119. >Water that turns a solid diluted red when enough ponies die in the shallows.
  120. >The blood on the sand isn’t much better.
  121. >Back in the war, you remember an older officer, in his late forties or early fifties.
  122. >You can’t remember much about him, but you do remember one thing he said before charging into battle.
  123. >’The coast is a paradise in peace, and a hell in war. Do you want to die in a hell?’
  124. >To which the unit responded with a resounding:
  125. >’No Sir!’
  126. >Your officer followed it with:
  127. >’Well eventually we all either go to one or the other, make sure that this isn’t your day!’
  128. >He then turned to lead the charge personally.
  129. >Right as he turned, he caught an arrow to the face and died instantly.
  130. >That’s your first memory in Saddle Arabia.
  131. >Serving under somepony for all of thirty seconds.
  132. >What was his name?
  133. >Colonel Hoofton, or something similar.
  134. >It was only a few years ago, but that feels like a lifetime.
  135.  
  136. >Call nudges you.
  137. >”Old memories?”
  138. “How’d you know?”
  139. >”The look in your eyes… also because you slowed down considerably.”
  140. “You see that up ahead?”
  141. >”What’s the appropriate term? Land ho?”
  142. >His accent made that come out almost as: ‘ando.
  143. >But he’s right.
  144. >The port city of Jun Hisan.
  145. “Come on, just a bit further.”
  146. >As you make the final approach, the city properly comes into view.
  147. >You took the time to read up and get briefed about where you’ll be fighting.
  148. >The first thing you can easily make out is the cliff.
  149. >According to the maps, the city is roughly triangular, with one side facing the land and the other two jutting out into the ocean.
  150. >Keeping with the triangle analogy, the point that sticks out into the water is inclined, leading to a fifty foot high cliff right at the peak.
  151. >The cliff remains at its highest for roughly two hundred feet on each side of the corner.
  152. >And right at that corner lays a massive lighthouse, one of the tallest in the world.
  153. >It adds two hundred and fifty more feet to the cliff it stands upon.
  154. >From the lighthouse, the city extends for over five miles hugging the coast one each side.
  155. >And that’s only the city proper.
  156. >The region gets a lot of rain from the ocean breeze taking the excess clouds in southeastern Equestria from the weather factory at Cloudsdale.
  157. >When combined with natural rain coming in from the ocean, it makes this region the lushest land in Saddle Arabia other than what’s found around major rivers.
  158. >The locals made use of it, and for miles out of the city, farmland dominates the terrain.
  159. >But get a couple dozen miles away, after the last of the Cloudsdale rain has all most certainly fallen, and scrubland dominates the terrain.
  160. >Slowly leading into the Saddle Arabian desert.
  161.  
  162. >Censuses before the wars started put the population of the city proper as around a hundred thousand, with another hundred thousand in the farmland outside the city.
  163. >However because it’s the closest real city to Equestria, it got hit in both of the Coast Wars.
  164. >In the first, both sides respected the civilian’s, and by the time the Royal Navy closed in to secure waters for the invasion, the Saddle Arabian King had evacuated over ninety percent of the non-combatants.
  165. >But in the second one, the nationalists didn’t even evacuate the city.
  166. >They forced the civilians to remain, in order to “improve” the moral of the defending troops.
  167. >There are even stories where civilians tried to escape, but the nationalists had their troops cut down any who approached the gates- be it an Equestrian solider OR one of their own people.
  168. >It used to be one of- if not THE- most prosperous city in Saddle Arabia.
  169. >The docks run for ten miles: from one end of the wall, all the way around the lighthouse, and down to the other end of the wall.
  170. >But after two battles, and years of trade being cut off…
  171. >Well, it’s safe to say that the city is past its prime.
  172.  
  173. >The docks currently are rather barren.
  174. >Although pretty much the ENTIRE Saddle Arabian fleet is present, they barely take up a tenth of the dock space.
  175. >And the majority of those ships are only galleys and dhows, probably repurposed fishing ships.
  176. >There are only five or six dozen proper warships.
  177. >Still a massive fleet that outnumbers the current Royal Navy, but ships can only do so much against a land invasion.
  178. >The Mushir has around two hundred thousand soldiers packed into the city.
  179. >But the vast majority of those are the survivors of the recent invasion into Equestira.
  180. >And the quarter of them that survived Baltimare are the most experienced soldiers Saddle Arabia has.
  181. >Then there are the zebra warriors who haven’t been able to return home because of the Civil War.
  182. >They add twenty-five or thirty thousand more.
  183. >Against a force of well over a million- literally every male Saddle Arabian male that can pick up a weapon, and some who can’t.
  184. >Yesterday’s enemies are today’s allies.
  185. >What’s next, having to go rescue the griffons?
  186.  
  187. >…
  188. >You continue to walk down the hallway with Lancer.
  189. >While on the way to a balcony overlooking the city, you hear a voice call out from around a corner:
  190. >”Lancer there you are. Now I’ve got men ready in case the mob gets violent. It won’t be pretty but-“
  191. >Brigadier Offense stops in his tracks as he sees you.
  192. >”Sir, is she?”
  193. >”It’s alright, she’s clean.”
  194. >”Sorry your highness, I just didn’t expect you to be… here.”
  195. “It’s okay; I’m just as surprised as you are.”
  196. >”So you’ll be talking to them?”
  197. >Offense asks you.
  198. “Yes, you can have your men stand down.”
  199. >”Of course.”
  200. >He turns away, but stops himself.
  201. >”It’s good to see you up Princess.”
  202. “Thank you General.”
  203. >You resume moving down the hallway with Lancer.
  204. “So what did I miss?”
  205. >”Anonymous has gone to the East.”
  206. >You remember that vaguely.
  207. >He was going to find a way to free you from the parasite that was in your head.
  208. “At least he can still rescue Celestia, Luna, and my mother.”
  209. >”Honestly I’m not sure if he would have gone if your own life wasn’t at stake.”
  210. “What else.”
  211. >”There’s a civil war in Saddle Arabia; we’re backing the semi-decent faction.”
  212. “Define ‘backing’ for me.”
  213. >”A single airship and a covert operation that we can bring you up to speed with properly once we’re done here.
  214. “Only one airship?”
  215. >”But it’s quite the ship.”
  216. “Next.”
  217. >”We may have… killed Discord.”
  218. >You stop dead in your tracks.
  219. >Discord…
  220. >Dead?
  221. “What?”
  222. >”He was falling back on his old ways. Starlight tried to simply turn him to stone, but apparently she used a bit too much power.”
  223. “Can Discord even die?”
  224. >”Apparently.”
  225. “Who else did you kill while I was out?”
  226. >You say half-jokingly.
  227.  
  228. >”Well right before you were locked up, Anon led a strike against the MID’s headquarters. The Director was replaced by a changeling queen. He killed both the queen and the Director, and the information we found let us thoroughly bring down the organization, both those replaced by changelings and those not.”
  229. “They were the ones who started all of this…”
  230. >”It’s just about all over for us. The griffons, minotaurs, and yaks are all officially done with the war. The dogs… well the dogs are just as insignificant as always. The MID are either dead, on the run, or imprisoned. Celestia’s wartime measures and prison camps have all been abolished; the loyalist soldiers to Celestia are in PoW camps. If the faction we back in the Saddle Arabian Civil War wins, then they’ve promised peace. Aside from some civilians demanding proof that the military hasn’t gotten rid of you, I’d dare to say Equestira is at peace. Real peace this time.”
  231. “Peace…”
  232. >”It’s a strange sounding word to me as well. But the War of the Coalition has proven that Equestria is not to be tested, and that the rest of the world is just as tired of the fighting as much as we are.”
  233. >You continue to make you way to the balcony.
  234. “The War of the Coalition?”
  235. >”Well we couldn’t just keep calling it ‘The War,’ no could we?”
  236. “But ‘The War of the Coalition’, really?”
  237. >”You’ll have to wait to yell at Major Thunder if you don’t like the name.”
  238. >You would have called it the Great War.
  239. “Well I might just do that.”
  240.  
  241. >”Well, here we are.”
  242. >Outside you can hear a repeated chant:
  243. >’What do we want?’
  244. >’A Princess!’
  245. >’When do we want her?’
  246. >’Now!’
  247. >Lancer speaks as you wait idly by the door.
  248. >”Are you waiting for something?”
  249. “Timing.”
  250. >’What do we want?’
  251. >’A Princess!’
  252. >’When do we want her?’
  253. >You open up the door, still out of the crowd’s view.
  254. >’NOW!’
  255. >You slip out the door onto the balcony.
  256. “Hel-lo ponies.”
  257. >You say in a singsong tone.
  258. >There is dead silence after you speak, only the wind from how high up you are.
  259. >Looking down, you see thousands of civilians below, just outside the bounds of the Royal Palace.
  260. “Well what do you want now?”
  261. >You hear some scattered murmurs from the crowd.
  262. >As you look down, you’re so far away that you can’t properly make out any individuals.
  263. >The wall that runs along the cliff is much closer to them.
  264. >As you begin to stretch out your wings, you hear Lancer speak to you from the hallway.
  265. >”Ma’am, you shouldn’t.”
  266. “But I will.”
  267. >”They were just about ready to riot!”
  268. “Princess outranks General.”
  269. >So, like a teenager sneaking out to meet with friends after curfew, you fly down to get closer to the ponies below.
  270. >After all, what’s he going to do?
  271. >It’s not like he can ground you.
  272. >When you set down on the wall, you sit on a parapet of a bastion facing towards the city.
  273. >Below, you’re only thirty or so feet from the ponies now.
  274. “That’s much better. I hope you can all still hear!”
  275. >You can make out a slight echo, so you think your voice will carry over enough of the crowd.
  276. “So, what’s the big issue you’re all here to protest about?”
  277. >Nopony gives a clear answer to you, but you hear some whispers of ‘the military.’
  278.  
  279. >After a sigh, you take a wide look around the crowd.
  280. >Putting faces to the entity.
  281. >It isn’t just some impersonal mass; it’s made up of ACTUAL people.
  282. “Well I suppose that you’re right. I haven’t been seen around much lately.”
  283. >You pause slightly to let the though simmer.
  284. >If you learned one thing from the ‘princess’ lessons you dreaded as a child, timing can be everything.
  285. “I’ll be honest; all of this is new to me. Nothing can really prepare you to lead a nation. Am I in over my head? Maybe… but I’m trying, and giving it my all.”
  286. >You can’t really tell them why you’ve been MIA for a while.
  287. >The whole ‘taken over by a parasite’ thing probably won’t fly.
  288. “I’ve been tied up with matters of state, administration, and bureaucracy. By focusing so much on figuring out how to rule on paper, I’ve been ignoring one of the principal aspects of ruling in practice: you.”
  289. >Knock yourself down, to build yourself up.
  290. “I haven’t been letting you all know that I AM here for you. I can’t make up for my absence from the public’s eye, but I can put your fears to rest.”
  291. >An answer, followed with another admission.
  292. “This isn’t some military dictatorship. If anything, it’s a return to how things used to be. Now, yes, I lack practical experience, and yes, my advisors are generals and admirals. But every decision made is for the benefit of each and every pony in Equestria, and I’m making those decisions for you, not for the military.”
  293. >Now go in for the kill.
  294. “And even then, the military isn’t working against the people. Look at what the army has done: rebuilt roads and cities, brought employment to thousands of ponies, kept our people safe from those who want to harm us, and- dare I say- even brought peace.”
  295. >But there’s always a ‘but’.
  296.  
  297. “But, let’s look at what the military HASN’T done. The military hasn’t put innocents in work camps. The military doesn’t enforce authority with a secret police. The military doesn’t imprison you for voicing an opinion. The military hasn’t nationalized industry. And the military didn’t blow up a quarter of its own capitol.”
  298. >However, those statements still hurt the establishment, because it was still a Princess who did all of those things.
  299. “This system that we have: the relationship between a Princess and her people. It’s worked for over a thousand years- a thousand good years. A few bad years don’t outweigh a millennium of prosperity. A few bad years aren’t justification to tearing down everything and starting from scratch. The past few years have been bad, terrible even, but I think they’ve allowed us to look at everything from a more objective point of view.”
  300. >And bring it home.
  301. “It was a rude awakening, but I think we can all appreciate the ideals of Equestria. And ideals are precisely what are necessary in trying times. Our generosity and compassion to one another. Our kindness to those around us. Coming together in laughter. The honesty to be open with one another. All tied together with loyalty and camaraderie. My Aunt used to say that’s the magic that makes Equestria such an amazing place. We can’t give up on that. We can’t renounce our friends and family. We can’t let go of our communities and our sense of unity. We can’t just abandon the spirit that makes Equestria, Equestria.”
  302. >And the cherry on top.
  303. “We are all in this together, as one people and one nation. And while I can only speak for myself, I think that’s something worth striving for.”
  304.  
  305. >…
  306. “Not bad for complete improvisation, eh General?”
  307. >”You didn’t have to jump down to shake hooves when the speech finished.”
  308. “What can I say; I care about the hearts and minds.”
  309. >”Are you just trying to prepare me for when my daughter reaches her teen years?”
  310. “General Lancer, I’ll have you know that I am a completely responsible adult.”
  311. >”I’ll have to take your word on that.”
  312. >Walking through the Palace hallways, you eventually come to a doorway, which you open with your horn.
  313. >”Now General-“
  314. >You are cut off as you walk straight into the closed door.
  315. >And you could swear that the General just held in a laugh.
  316. >What just happened?
  317. >You went through all of the motions of opening a door using magic.
  318. >Looking at the door, you attempt to open it again.
  319. >But it stays closed.
  320. >”Is there a problem?”
  321. >Reaching forward with your hoof, you are able to open the door easily.
  322. “Hold on a second.”
  323. >You continue through the hallway until you come to a bathroom.
  324. >Again you have to use the door without use of magic.
  325. >With the door closed behind you, you rush over to the sink.
  326. >You open up the cold water tap, and watch as water comes out.
  327. >Then close it again.
  328. >The tap is working fine.
  329. >Going through the mental motions of turning the tap with your magic, nothing occurs.
  330. >You look at your reflection as you attempt to do it again.
  331. >No magical aura can even be seen around your horn.
  332. >This is something you’ve been able to do since you were five…
  333. >Okay… something is definitely wrong.
  334. >Observation of the year right there, Flurry.
  335. >Backing away from the sink, you slip out of the bathroom.
  336. “Lancer, I need to see Starlight. Right now.”
  337.  
  338. >…
  339. >You slow down on the approach to the lighthouse.
  340. >It should be right next to the administration capitol of the city.
  341. >The Mushir and his command staff should be there.
  342. >Call gets your attention with a quick ‘Oi!’
  343. >”You know, Jun Hisan translates roughly to ‘Horse Bay.’ Quality naming brought to you straight from the Saddle Arabians.”
  344. “Wait.”
  345. >You pause in the air and Call stops with you.
  346. “Really?”
  347. >”You’d be amazed how many they’ve named after sand. After translation, there’s Sand City, Sand Town, Sand Village, New Sand City, North Sand Town, and Sand Commune.”
  348. “Sand Commune?”
  349. >”I’m making that one up, but I swear on my mum that the others are all real.”
  350. “Why all the sandy names?”
  351. >”We’re not much better. FILLYdelphia. MANEhattan. BaltiMARE. VanHOOVER.”
  352. “Alright, alright, I get it.”
  353. >Surveying the large building that is set back from the light house, you see a large courtyard that faces towards the city.
  354. >The courtyard makes the building form a large U shape facing the city.
  355. >On the side of the courtyard that overlooks the city, you can see banners standing.
  356. >A white field with a pair of golden scimitars over a golden round shield.
  357. >At the base of the largest banners, there are desks and tents set up with many Saddle Arabians shuffling into and away from them.
  358. “I think that’s where our man is.”
  359. >”After you Major.”
  360. >Call motions with an arm to go ahead of him.
  361. >”I want more time to run if they decide to change their minds.”
  362. “Your confidence continues to astound me, Corporal.”
  363.  
  364. >…
  365. >”Anonymous, thank you for joining me.”
  366. >Tiara says as you enter her cabin.
  367. >”You know, if I recall correctly, she was a complete spoiled brat as a young foal.”
  368. >You glare at Discord who is now pacing around her.
  369. >”Fine, I’ll be quiet.”
  370. >No one else being able to see him has already gotten old.
  371. >You intensify your glare as Tiara messes around with a map on her table.
  372. >Discord looks around.
  373. >”What? Is there something in my teeth?”
  374. >He relents, as you see him hunch over slightly.
  375. >”Fine, I’ll go back.”
  376. >He snaps his fingers and disappears.
  377. >He’s still watching everything through your eyes, but you’ll take what you can get from him.
  378. “So where are we?”
  379. >You ask Tiara as you approach the table.
  380. >”In my cabin.”
  381. >She says tilting her head to face yours, a smug smile on her face.
  382. >She’s as bad as Flurry.
  383. “What’s the issue?”
  384. >”Well, we have a decision ahead of us.”
  385. “What kind?”
  386. >”We’re still on course, and from our approach there are two basic paths we can take to continue east.”
  387. >You watch as she motions to the map.
  388. >”If we swing south, we can make for rocky waters. Jagged outcroppings will pepper our path, and it’s likely that the ship might get damaged. But if we take things slowly enough, we shouldn’t have any issues and we should get out of it in a week or two.”
  389. “If that’s what you start with, you really must not like the alternative.”
  390. >”If we continue north, well it says it plainly on the map.”
  391.  
  392. >Her hoof beckons to a ‘here there be monsters’ written in the ocean.
  393. >Underneath it is a little drawing of a sea serpent spitting fire.
  394. “Define ‘monsters’ for me.”
  395. >”Take your pick. Dozens of different sea creatures have been reported in eastern waters. Some have more of a base in reality than others, but the basic idea is a real threat. This patch of ocean we’re approaching is where there is the reports come in highest volume and variety. If sailors have ever feared something from beneath the waves, it’s been seen in that area at least once.”
  396. “And here I was hoping I wouldn’t have to choose between Scylla and Charybdis.”
  397. >”What?”
  398. “Keep going north.”
  399. >”You want to decide that quickly?”
  400. “I can’t kill rocks in our path.”
  401. >”Are you sure? It’s estimated that anywhere between a quarter to a half of all ships that aren’t heard from again are lost in that area.”
  402. “Wait, if they aren’t heard from again, then how do you know they’re lost in that area?”
  403. >”When ninety percent of ships going through have at least one story of being attacked by a sea monster there, it isn’t that hard to put two and two together. They call the region the ‘Lake of Tartarus’ because of how many attacks there have been. Almost all of the ships that have decided to turn back before reaching the East proper, have turned around after a few days in the Lake.”
  404.  
  405. >…
  406. >”I’m sorry Flurry, but there’s nothing I can do.”
  407. “What do you mean there’s nothing you can do! Zap me and juice me up.”
  408. >”That’s not how magic works.
  409. “It’s magic, that’s exactly what it’s supposed to do!”
  410. >”Flurry. That blast that killed the parasite completely drained you. I checked the crystal that powered the magic dampening field, it was almost completely drained, and I just charged it back up two days ago.”
  411. “So?”
  412. >”And it was made to be able to withstand more energy than every unicorn in Equestria could muster at once.”
  413. >Really?
  414. “How much magic did I use?”
  415. >”If there was a scale, you would have broken it. At a guess, at least enough to level Canterlot and the entire mountain it rests on.”
  416. “At least?”
  417. >”Like I said, it’s hard to gauge.”
  418. “But I’m not that powerful.”
  419. >”Clearly you are.”
  420. “Were. Now I can’t even lift a feather.”
  421. >”This is complete speculation, but it could be related to your birth. We know that neither Luna nor Celestia were able to drive out the parasites. And Luna is aware of its presence, so we know that at least she has made the effort. But you were born an Alicorn… it’s possible that your potential for magical power is much higher that Celestia’s even.”
  422. “But I’ve never been particularly good at using magic beyond the basics.”
  423. >”Just because you have difficulty tapping into the power doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.”
  424. “So how long until I can use magic again?”
  425. >”Do you want the low or high estimate?”
  426. “Low.”
  427. >”Days.”
  428. “And the high one…”
  429. >”Years.”
  430. “Years!”
  431.  
  432. >”Let me try and simplify it for you. Think of magic like cups of water.”
  433. “Okay…”
  434. >”Each cup has some degree of water in it. Even non-living objects, rocks for example, have a few drops in there, enough to barely cover the bottom. On the other end of the spectrum, beings like Celestia or Discord are filled to the brim. You currently have a drop of water so small that it can barely be seen.”
  435. “So I’m less than a rock?!”
  436. >”That’s not what I…”
  437. “But it will… you know. Come back.”
  438. >”Definitely.”
  439. “And there’s nothing I can do to speed it up?”
  440. >”Get plenty of rest. Make sure to get plenty of protein and vitamins. And when it does start to return, don’t strain yourself to hard.”
  441. >You could go years without magic…
  442. >At least there’s a silver lining.
  443. >You chuckle slightly.
  444. >”Flurry, are you okay?”
  445. “Yeah, I was just thinking. If it took that much energy to kill the parasite in me, and it could be a long time before I’m back up to that level, then it looks like Anon’s trip isn’t a complete waste.”
  446. >”How so?”
  447. “Well, even if it was safe for me to try and help the other Princesses, I’d have no idea where to start. It’s up to him to save Celestia, Luna, and my mother… I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he gets back and I can tell him that I stopped it on my own.”
  448. >Part of you wonders if he’d turn around If he knew you were safe.
  449. “Oh, umm… Starlight?”
  450. >”Yes?”
  451. “You’re the one who’s been… you know.”
  452. >”The sun? Yes.”
  453. “Could you… I mean would it be okay if…”
  454. >”Don’t worry; I’ll keep taking care of it.”
  455. “Thank you.”
  456. >”It’s no problem at all.”
  457. “I’ve had to do it; I know that’s not true.”
  458. >”Flurry, its fine. Just remember not to be seen when it’s time for sunrise or sunset.”
  459. “Yeah, that would be awkward.”
  460.  
  461. >…
  462. >As you set down, no less than a dozen Saddle Arabian soldiers rush to your position.
  463. >All looking angry, and all pointing spears.
  464. “Whoa there guys, we were invited.”
  465. >You hear Call say something rather frantically in their language.
  466. >The guards are all wearing lamellar style armors- woven metal plates covering them.
  467. >The armor is fitted over a loose brown robe, but the dull grey of iron is what dominates their bodies.
  468. >Their shoulders are only covered by chainmail though, to increase mobility.
  469. >Each of them wears a helmet that covers their eyes, and drapes a shawl of chainmail over their necks and shoulders, down to their mid chest.
  470. >On their muzzles lie a small set of woven lamellar style metal plates, and a solid metal ‘jaw’ rests hinged on either side of the helmet.
  471. >It can be brought up to cover the lower side of their heads, and secured via strap to stay in place.
  472. >Heavy infantry.
  473. >You hear a voice from further off yell at the soldiers.
  474. >The soldiers point their spears away from you, and the ones directly in front of you part to allow passage.
  475. >Call offers translation:
  476. >”I was explaining how we’re envoys, then that one said to let us pass.”
  477. >He points to a Saddle Arabian standing over by a large table.
  478. >That Saddle Arabian barks a single word that Call translates:
  479. >”Come.”
  480. >As you start to approach, you hear the soldiers follow closely behind you.
  481. >The Saddle Arabian who called you over has a pale brown coat.
  482. >He’s wearing a velvet undershirt, however only the sleeves are visible as he wears a gilded olive green tunic over it.
  483. >On his face you can see a bushy but well-kept dark red beard, and a pure white turban covers his head.
  484. >On the front of the turban, right over his forehead, lays a golden pin.
  485. >Of a round shield with a pair of crossed scimitars pointing upwards.
  486. >You’d presume that this is the Mushir.
  487.  
  488. >…
  489. “And like I’ve said, I can’t kill rocks in our path.”
  490. >”And you think that you can just kill creatures that are as big as our ship, if not bigger.”
  491. “See this.”
  492. >You point to the scar that covers your left eye.
  493. “I got this from an adult dragon. You know how I killed it? I jumped onto its jaw, and drove my sword up through the roof of its mouth, straight into its brain.”
  494. >You then reach down and grab at the black t-shirt you’re wearing.
  495. >Pulling it off, you turn around.
  496. “See those claw marks? From a chimera.”
  497. >Turning around, you beckon to your thigh.
  498. “This leg was almost torn off by a timber wolf pack’s alpha.”
  499. >You then beckon to a pair of punctures on your stomach.
  500. “Gored by a minotaur.”
  501. >Next is a puncture just below your heart.
  502. “Manticore’s tail, the venom went straight into my bloodstream.”
  503. >Then you point at three rings of teeth marks that cover your right side.
  504. “From a baby hydra, the mother wasn’t so kind that I hit the nest, so you know how I killed the adult? I had to break each kneecap, and then with one hand I had to hack down every new head that would pop up with my sword, while my other hand had to carve out its heart with a hatchet.”
  505. >You then stop naming scars that cover your body.
  506. “I’ve cleaned out nests of changelings, one of which numbered in the ten thousands, all by my lonesome. I’ve probably killed at least one percent of the entire Saddle Arabian population. I’ve killed five thousand yaks in a single night. I’ve tamed a manticore, and used it to sink airships.”
  507. >You pause for a moment to let things sink in.
  508. “So yes, I do think that I can just kill creatures that are as big as out ship, if not bigger.”
  509. >Before she can say anything, you add one more detail.
  510. “And yes, that list goes on, but I wouldn’t want to waste your entire afternoon.”
  511.  
  512. >”You can put your shirt back on.”
  513. >Looking down at your aging muscle mass, you comply.
  514. “Now look. My hair might be half grey, and I might be half the man I was ten or fifteen years ago. But I’m still twice what would be needed to get through this ‘Lake of Tartarus’ that we’re approaching.”
  515. >”It’s not that I don’t doubt your abilities; it’s that I also have faith in the abilities of the crew. They could easily navigate the rocky shoals to the south.”
  516. “I don’t doubt their skills either. But what happens if fog rolls in and we run aground? Or if a storm hits and crashes us into a cliff? The ship is tough, but it can only take so much damage.”
  517. >”And what happens if a kraken rips the ship in two? Or a sea serpent lights it on fire?”
  518. “If I have anything to say about it, that kraken or sea serpent would be too busy to deal with the ship.”
  519. >She then boasts to make a point.
  520. >”Because you’ll be right there! Ready to jump straight into the maw of whatever beast we encounter!”
  521. “Half of my resume is jumping straight into the maw of some beast or army.”
  522. >The next statement from her is completely serious, and somewhat disappointed:
  523. >”… You do have a death wish, don’t you?”
  524. >You pause for a second, unsure of how to respond.
  525. “… You asked for my opinion, you got it. But you’re the captain of this ship, so the choice is yours.
  526. >With that, you turn to leave the room.
  527. >Tiara makes no effort to stop you.
  528. >So when you step out onto the deck, you start making your way to get down to your room.
  529.  
  530. >Walking down the steps, you hear Discord speak from behind you.
  531. >”You know, I really think that she’s coming around.”
  532. >You can hear a set of footsteps follow you down the stairs.
  533. >”If I didn’t know any better I’d say that she might even like you.”
  534. >He pauses for a moment.
  535. >”To some slight degree.”
  536. >As soon as you get out of earshot of the crew…
  537. >”Anon? Are you ignoring me? You are a spiteful little creature, aren’t you?”
  538. >Stepping onto the lowest deck of the ship, you start heading for the crates that are stacked around your cot.
  539. >”But she is right, you know. I’ve seen your memories; you can’t deny that you do have a death wish.”
  540. >Passing into your room, you turn to face Discord.
  541. >Who is still in human form.
  542. “Damn it Harvey, you really think that I don’t have enough on my plate? Is that why you keep popping up around others?”
  543. >”Anon, all I’m saying is that you and I are linked. I can’t let you die before returning me to my body. After that happens, you can jump off of a cliff for all I care.”
  544. “I don’t give a damn about what you want. I have never given a damn about what you want. And I will never, in this life or the next, give a damn about what you want.”
  545.  
  546. >”You know, you never used to swear before these past few months.”
  547. “The second I find a way to eject you from my head, or otherwise kill you, I’m taking it.”
  548. >”I’m only trying to help you by offering entertainment and millennia of experience.”
  549. “Like hell you are! This is all just one big game to you. You’d think that a thousand years as a statue would teach you something about consequences. Or at least humility.”
  550. >”Quit being so childish Anon.”
  551. “I’m being childish? You’re the patron saint of childish!”
  552. >”Watch your tongue Anon. Remember that I’m in your brain. It would be child’s play to send a chemical signal that would tell your heart to shut down.”
  553. >You begin to chuckle
  554. >”What’s so funny?”
  555. “Do it!”
  556. >”What?”
  557. “Go on. Kill me! But remember… I go, you go with me.”
  558. >Discord stares blankly into the distance.
  559. >”I did not think this through.”
  560. “You can’t kill me.”
  561. >”I could cause you immense pain.”
  562. “You don’t have the stomach for it. You’re the ‘helpful’ half of Discord, remember? And besides, it’s not your MO.”
  563. >After a momentary stare down, he relents.
  564. “Good. Now we’re going to set some ground rules. But first, answer me something.”
  565. >”I need a question first.”
  566. “Why are you in human form still?”
  567. >”Well, I figure that If I keep looking like this, then if you see my natural form, you can know that it’s my body.”
  568. “And if I encounter him, do you think he’ll have a way to put you back into… you?”
  569. >”It’s possible.”
  570. “Then why hasn’t he come to retrieve you?”
  571. >Wait.
  572. >That sound.
  573. “Harv, hoofsteps. Get out.”
  574. >”Very well, mien commandant.”
  575. >As you blink, he disappears from your view.
  576.  
  577. >…
  578. >Entering the meeting room, you stop in the doorway.
  579. “What happened to the table?”
  580. >The circular stone table that used to be in here is gone.
  581. >Lancer gives a one word answer:
  582. >”Discord.”
  583. “I really liked that table.”
  584. >Lancer chuckles slightly.
  585. “What?”
  586. >”Just remembering something Thunder said.”
  587. >The replacement isn’t too shabby though.
  588. >A dark varnished wood, in a C shape.
  589. “Is this mahogany?”
  590. >”It is actually, how did you know?”
  591. “Part of the old ‘princess’ training. Had to be able to tell the differences between expensive furniture, and cheap stuff for social get together and the like.”
  592. >Walking over to the seat at the center of the C shape, you start to get a feel for it.
  593. >Still circular enough to see everypony that’s seated, but somepony could stand in the center to address everyone.
  594. “I think I like it.”
  595. >Your seat also faces the main entrance to the room, so no more peaking to the side of a pony’s head to see who’s coming in.
  596. >”Well I’m glad you approve.”
  597. >Lancer takes a seat on the end, to your right.
  598. >”Now, I think we should properly get you up to speed.”
  599. >Before he can speak, the door opens.
  600. >Offense and Wave walk in to the room.
  601. >Lancer then speaks:
  602. >”I asked the others here as well.”
  603. >Wave sits at the end of the table to your left, while Offense sits next to Lancer.
  604. >There are chairs enough for seven ponies to sit.
  605. >The center, the one you’re currently in.
  606. >On your right is an empty seat closest to you, then Offense, and then Lancer.
  607. >On your left are two empty seats, and then Wave.
  608. >Three empty seats.
  609. >You’d guess they’d be for Anon, Brairheart, and Thunder.
  610. “I really like this table. It would be even better if we had one of those rolling chairs. For in the middle opening that the table surrounds. That would be neat.”
  611. >”Your highness?”
  612. >Wave asks.
  613. “Right, sorry, was that out loud? So what did I miss?”
  614.  
  615. >Lancer then begins to start:
  616. >”Well, firstly-“
  617. >He is cut off by a knock on the door.
  618. >”Enter.”
  619. >An earth pony enters the room.
  620. >He has a light brow colored coat and short golden mane that makes him look like wheat ready to be harvested.
  621. >That’s Lancer’s aide.
  622. “Lieutenant Crop. It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen you.”
  623. >That was when he brought Lancer’s letter to Appleoosa, and then led you and Anon to the war council.
  624. >”Actually, it’s Captain now.”
  625. “Congratulations.”
  626. >Lancer then gets straight to business:
  627. >”What is it Crop?”
  628. >”Sir, there’s a group of minotaurs at the entrance to the palace; they’re demanding an audience with the Princess. And their leader is quite… adamant about it.”
  629. “Sounds like it’s a good thing I got out when I did.”
  630.  
  631. >Lancer then asks Crop:
  632. >”Are they armed?”
  633. >”Many of his entourage are bodyguards, but their leader has agreed to enter the Palace on his own. Unarmed, save for a dagger that he says is ceremonial and for religious purposes.”
  634. “I don’t see a problem letting in one minotaur with a knife.”
  635. >Lancer then counters:
  636. >”And normally, I wouldn’t either. But given what you said Starlight told you about your magic…”
  637. “I can still fly out of reach at the first sign of trouble.”
  638. >Lancer pauses for a second.
  639. >”Offense, double the guard in the throne room. Wave, Make sure that at least three crossbows are hidden out of sight and trained on the minotaur at all times.”
  640. >Wave responds:
  641. >”I’ll make it four.”
  642. >Offense then nods and takes his leave to get the men.
  643. >”Crop, you can allow this leader entrance, bring him to the throne room.”
  644. “I haven’t been back a day, and I’m already getting visitors. Gee aren’t I popular?”
  645. >Getting out of your seat, you begin making your way to the throne room.
  646. >Once everypony else is out of earshot, Lancer speaks to you:
  647. >”Ma’am, if I might speak freely?”
  648. “Of course Lancer, what is it?”
  649. >”You’re as bad as Anon was in his twenties.”
  650. “Why thank you General.”
  651.  
  652. >…
  653. >The Mushir’s first action was to shrug off his command staff.
  654. >As he leaves the table he was standing at, he speaks to Call.
  655. >You still can’t speak their language, so you just stand there.
  656. >The Mushir then surprises you by speaking directly to you:
  657. >”Your friend can stay here. Take a walk with me.”
  658. >He strolls past you and the guards at your heels, and shouts an order at them.
  659. >Presumably a ‘stand down’ order, because they return to their posts.
  660. >The Mushir then looks back to you, and motions his head, indicating for you to join him.
  661. >When you catch up, he speaks:
  662. >”I believe introductions are in order. I am Mushir Khidr, Admiral of the Saddle Arabian fleets, and apparently the only sane leader left in this country.”
  663. “Major Approaching Thunder, currently the second in command to Admiral Brairheart.”
  664. >”You fought in the Wars?”
  665. “Against your nationalists a few years ago and against the coalition more recently.”
  666. >He chuckles slightly.
  667. >”You know, for a while, I really thought we had a chance with the alliance. If the advance had not have been stopped… no use dwelling in the past.”
  668. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad that you were stopped.”
  669. >”Ha. Do not mistake me; I have always respected your people. At least on the seas.”
  670. “Oh?”
  671. >”Each of the two proper wars between our nations was settled at sea. That is where the wars were lost, not with any ground battle or siege.”
  672. “I suppose that makes sense.”
  673. >”At the end of the first war, I commanded one of only five ships to survive. In the second, the nationalists made me an Admiral, and I was the only commander in the entire war to consistently take victories against your people. You fought the nationalists, you said?”
  674.  
  675. “Yes I did.”
  676. >”Good riddance I say. They are the same type that causes strife in my country now. Filled with resent and anger, not able to accept loss.”
  677. “Then why did you fight for them? If you don’t mind me asking.”
  678. >He stops at one of the fountains in the courtyard, watching water spray onto the painted tiles at the bottom of the shallow pool.
  679. >”I did not fight for them. I fought for my country. I made sure that all prisoners under my charge were treated with the respect due to a soldier. With the same respect I would expect any of my men to get if roles were reversed.”
  680. “If you don’t mind me saying, you speak excellent Equestrian.”
  681. >”Thank you. It is an art that many of my people disdain in these times, even despite the necessity of knowing the language of an enemy.”
  682. >He continues walking through the immense courtyard.
  683. >”In the second war, after you obtained naval supremacy, I mainly focused on the distant waters. Flanks, and whatever supply lines I could strike without encountering your armadas. Most of the ships under my command survived, and as the only ‘victorious’ leader after the war finished, the government made me Mushir. Head of all naval affairs of Saddle Arabia. The first one in two centuries, where piracy demanded a strong response. And what did I manage to do when my country found itself at war again? Patrol the coasts, because your navy would not leave its port!”
  684. “And it would seem that the wars between our nations would not be solved at sea.”
  685. >”Ha! Right you are.”
  686. >He stops near a patch of flowers.
  687. >”Oh the war… The newest one that is. Our generals all dead. Terskerlane the Mighty turned into a chew toy for a manticore and dropped in front of his army. Roxelana’s body was never even recovered, still missing presumed dead… like so many of my countrymen.”
  688.  
  689. >He turns to you and his voice becomes filled with rage, a stark contrast from his amiable demeanor.
  690. >”And now, some old harem master who calls himself a soldier, divides this country and demands more of our sons to be sent to die in unending wars!”
  691. >He looks downwards for a moment before raising his head.
  692. >”Forgive me. Things have not been going… well.”
  693. “About the battle…”
  694. >”Your ship will be here soon, will it not?”
  695. “It should be on the horizon any minute now. We plan to deal with the enemy airships first, hopefully a shift in air superiority will send the enemy running.”
  696. >”Maybe, but you have not seen the fervor that is instilled into some of their troops.”
  697. “Well after the ships are down, we need to coordinate to finish the ground battle. You’re the one who’s seen how things are down here, where do you need airpower the most?”
  698. >”Listen.”
  699. >You stop talking and do as he asks.
  700. >Far in the distance you can hear popping sounds.
  701. >”I need their artillery encampments down first.”
  702. “Understandable.”
  703. >”After those are dealt with, I have had my engineers construct cannon ammunition that will produce either a red or green smokescreen. Red is to indicate where I need an aerial strike, green is to indicate where I need your ship to open fire upon.”
  704. “Red for pegasi, green for artillery.”
  705. >”Good. And one more thing.”
  706. “Yes?”
  707.  
  708. >”Do you have a family?”
  709. >What?
  710. “I’m sorry?”
  711. >”Wife, children?”
  712. “I… do have a wife and a child on the way.”
  713. >”Several griffons came to us to assist in training our airships. One advisor remained here after the war, and is currently the leader of their air fleet. Bring me that griffon’s head, and I will make you a rich pony. Capture him alive, and I will make you even richer. Your family will want for nothing.”
  714. “That seems rather generous for one griffon.”
  715. >”Without that one griffon, this war would have been over within a week.”
  716. “Still, I’m not a mercenary.”
  717. >”A code of honor… you are half-decent after all.”
  718. “Thank you?”
  719. >”The offer remains open, now I must rejoin my commanders. You may wait here for your ship to arrive.”
  720. >He nods to you, and you return one.
  721. >As he takes his leave, you take a slightly different path- the one leading to Call.
  722. >He’s leaning against a wall.
  723. >”So, how are we?”
  724. “The mission will proceed as planned.”
  725. >”Something on your mind?”
  726. “It’s just that after all our peoples have been through, he seemed… half-decent.”
  727. >”Heh, you get to talk with the boss, while I’m left here getting glances from the soldiers.”
  728. “A few weeks ago, who’d have thought that we’d be fighting alongside them?”
  729. >”Not me, that’s for sure. But…”
  730. “But?”
  731. >”I think that server girl has been checking me out.”
  732. “This is hardly the time.”
  733. >”When you could be dead in a few hours, it’s always the time.”
  734. “Down boy.”
  735. >Call sighs.
  736. >”Yes Sir.”
  737.  
  738. >…
  739. >Good thing he stopped when he did, because the source of the hoofsteps soon passed into your room.
  740. “Lady Tiara.”
  741. >”Don’t you ‘Lady Tiara’ me!”
  742. >Well then…
  743. >She storms over you and points a hoof at your face.
  744. >If she could reach, you think she might slap you.
  745. >”I shouldn’t have to remind you that this is MY ship!”
  746. “Actually, it’s state property. And in those terms, I outrank you.”
  747. >”You came on this ship, as a guest- no more, and no less. So get one thing straight, because I will not say it again!”
  748. “What would that be?”
  749. >”You do NOT walk out on me! Is that clear?”
  750. “Crystal.”
  751. >”Crystal…?”
  752. “Crystal, Captain.”
  753. >”Good.”
  754. >She turns around to leave, but stops in your doorway.
  755. >”And Anonymous?”
  756. “Yes?”
  757. >”I’ve decided that we will be going north through the Lake of Tartarus.”
  758. “Understood.”
  759. >With that, she leaves you.
  760. >Leaving you alone in your quarters, standing facing the door.
  761. >”You know.”
  762. >But you’re never alone now…
  763. >Discord speaks as he appears to your right, putting his arm around your shoulders.
  764. >”I think she does like you.”
  765. >You let out a deep, frustrated sigh.
  766. >Not at Tiara, but at Discord.
  767.  
  768. >…
  769. >You sit on the throne, waiting for your guest to arrive.
  770. >Along each side of the hall, there look to be three times as many guards.
  771. >If you look upwards, you can see that the doors to some of the balconies just happen to be open.
  772. >It’s not like archers are waiting just out of sight to line up a shot…
  773. >Just before the steps to the throne begin, Lancer stands to your right, and Offense off to the left.
  774. >The double doors at the end of the hall lurch, prompting the guards to stand at full attention.
  775. >The sound of their armor shifting echoes in the hall momentarily, soon replaced by the doors swinging open on their large hinges.
  776. >They should probably be oiled…
  777. >At the end of the hall, you see two soldiers opening the door for your guest.
  778. >They open it for a minotaur, whose voice soon echoes through the hall, reaching your ears quite easily.
  779. >”HAHA! Sitting on THAT throne.”
  780. >The minotaur’s hair most likely used to be a solid brown.
  781. >But now it is replaced with off white fuzz that covers much of his body.
  782. >Off of his chin, a long white beard drapes down, almost to the floor.
  783. >His horns are grey and withered, time has ground down any true point, and now the tips are rounded.
  784. >In his right hand, you see that he walks with a simple wooden cane.
  785. >Around the upper half of his left arm, lies a dagger sheathe- fastened around his bicep by a belt.
  786. >”It seems you continued to fight well.”
  787. >You know this minotaur…
  788. “I remember you…”
  789. >He walks pretty quickly for such an old bull.
  790. >He’s almost to the foot of the throne.
  791. >He stops a few feet from the first steps.
  792. >”And after overseeing such a battle! Even my age could not take that memory.”
  793. >He was the one who enforced that trial by combat was legal, back when you challenged the minotaur general.
  794. “I never did get your name.”
  795. >”I have up my name and tribe when I became The Sage of my people.”
  796. >He’s a sort of elder mixed with high priest to the minotaurs.
  797.  
  798. “Well what can I do for you, Sage?”
  799. >He shifts his cane to his left hand.
  800. >And begins to unhook the dagger’s sheathe.
  801. >”I am here to present you with this.”
  802. >He offers out an outstretched arm, holding the sheath and dagger out.
  803. >Offense steps forward to take it, and then approaches you with it.
  804. >The ‘dagger’ is sized for a minotaur, to you it’s the size of a small short sword.
  805. >The sheathe is nothing special.
  806. >Drawing it out, you see that the entire dagger- from blade to pommel- is bronze.
  807. >At least you know that it’s full tang (thank you Uncle for teaching you about knives when you were a kid).
  808. >Old bronze too, it looks incredibly ancient.
  809. >The blade is straight, and tapers out to a round point- it’s most likely that it had a proper pointed tip when it was forged.
  810. >There is no guard between the blade and pommel, although the grip does expand outwards to become as thick as the blade’s base.
  811. >The grip has two slightly raised rings, placed to fit between the three fingers that minotaurs have.
  812. >The pommel itself is circular, but flat- like the bottom of a bottle.
  813. >It looks almost like it could stand upright on the ground or a table.
  814. “Thank you?”
  815. >”Oh, but it is not a gift.”
  816. “Then what is it?”
  817. >”Your duty.”
  818. >You slide the dagger back in the sheathe.
  819. >And then rest it on the throne’s arm rest.
  820. “Care to explain?”
  821.  
  822. >”Tell me what you know about how my people fight in wars?”
  823. “Tactically, strategically, doctrinally, logistically, organizationally, historically, it’s a broad topic.”
  824. >”Where do our troops come from?”
  825. “Tribes bring together their warriors.”
  826. >”And who oversees and leads them?”
  827. “Generally your high chief, however on multiple accounts that role has been given to the best warrior- a minotaur chosen by the high chief to lead the minotaur armies.”
  828. >”You seem to know greatly about this topic.”
  829. “I had a good teacher.”
  830. >”But ‘high chief’ is a term not used for many many centuries.”
  831. “But it’s common knowledge that your people are led by a high chief…”
  832. >”Functionally, I suppose it seems to see the same to outsiders. But in my culture, this ‘high chief’ is the Archon, our highest political leader- he whom commands all of the tribes.”
  833. >Sounds an awful lot like a high chief, but you’ll indulge him.
  834. >It is their title after all, they can call it what they want.
  835. “I’m sorry, but what does this talk about an Archon have to do with me?”
  836. >”You killed him.”
  837. “I did?”
  838. >”In times of war, the archon may choose whomever he pleases to lead our forces. Archon White Rage chose himself, becoming General White Rage.”
  839. “I suppose I did, but I still don’t know why you’re here.”
  840. >”Succession falls to the immediate family of the precious Archon. Any son or brother may declare their intentions to become the next Archon. When that happens, if more than one claimant steps forward, they fight to the death in a melee. The survivor becomes Archon.”
  841.  
  842. “And what does that have to do with me?”
  843. >”But, when an Archon is himself slain in fair combat, it is seen as a sign of the minotaur people and of the gods, that the current ruling family is unfit to rule.”
  844. “Wait, that doesn’t mean that I’m the new Archon, does it?”
  845. >”Ha! Any minotaur male may lay a claim to the title. You are neither male, nor a minotaur.”
  846. “Then what does this all have to do with me?”
  847. >This is getting somewhat tiring.
  848. >”Whoever has slain the reigning Archon is given the Blade of Succession, and they must oversee the final two trials of succession as the Arbitrator of Succession. There is no restriction based on species or gender to be the Arbitrator. On one occasion, a bear was once Arbitrator, that was… complicated.”
  849. “So because I killed White Rage, that makes me who decides your next leader?”
  850. >”Not precisely. You will oversee the Grand Melee, where fifty competitors fight to the death until eight remain. Then, you can decide what the final trial will be, and if you were eligible to hold the title, then you would be allowed to participate in that trial.”
  851. “What exactly do you mean when you say I can choose the final trial?”
  852. >”It must be a martial test: a general melee, a tournament style series of duels, surviving against beasts. You may choose the means of combat: unarmed brawling, swords, spears, one Arbitrator even chose archery to give himself the advantage.”
  853. “Do I have a choice in all of this? I mean, am I allowed to decline?”
  854.  
  855. >”… No, I don’t believe you would be able to. If you do not travel to the old coliseum in my homeland, then the candidates would be forced to voyage to your city, with their tribes following to spectate. And given how many of my people were… looking forward to a war with your people, there might be more than a few… incidents. And it would be seen as a great insult to my people, we would be obligated to call you blood rivals for a hundred generations.”
  856. “Well we can’t have that, now can we?”
  857. >”It would be regrettable.”
  858. “Sage, I would be honored to serve as Arbitrator for your people.”
  859. >”Thank you Princess. The elders have almost finished their trials to decide which fifty may try their hand. Your presence will be required soon.”
  860. “How soon?”
  861. >”They should finish by the end of the week. After that, the Grand Melee can be delayed for two more before there would be issues.”
  862. “Well it seems we should leave sooner rather than later. Will you be traveling with us?”
  863. >”It is my role to see that the Arbitrator is not harmed.”
  864. “Then I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll finish up what needs to be done here, and we’ll be leaving within a few days. General Lancer, would you see to it that the Sage and his men receive guest quarters?”
  865. >He should realize that means: make sure they don’t cause any incidents.
  866. >”Of course your highness.”
  867. >The Sage then glances at Lancer:
  868. >”They won’t cause you any issues. Just a few bodyguards who know how to restrain themselves, and a couple attendants… In case you haven’t noticed, I am incredibly old. A hundred and seven to be precise.”
  869. >Huh, he doesn’t seem a day over a hundred and five.
  870. >If you recall correctly, minotaurs can easily live to be ninety.
  871. >That is if they don’t died by forty or fifty in a fight.
  872. >The Sage then continues:
  873. >”Something without too many stairs would be greatly appreciated.”
  874. >”I’m sure that can be arranged.”
  875.  
  876. >…
  877. >”What’s taking them so long?”
  878. >Call asks as you both hold place in the air over the courtyard.
  879. >The horizon is empty- nothing but clouds and the sky.
  880. “They should be visible by now.”
  881. >”I don’t like this…”
  882. >You hear shouting from below, and as you glance down, you see a runner approaching the Mushir.
  883. “What’s he saying?”
  884. >”They’ve broken through the wall.”
  885. “Let’s get down there.”
  886. >You fly down to the table the Mushir is standing at, just in time for Call to translate the runner’s message.
  887. >”Simply put, the enemy has amassed an assault on the city’s northern gate. They managed to scale the wall and open the gate, letting more soldiers pour into the city.”
  888. >Cal turns to you.
  889. >”They’re outnumbered at least five to one, without those walls to even the field…”
  890. “I understand.”
  891. >”Sir, if that gate isn’t retaken, the impact on each side’s moral alone will solidify the outcome of the battle. And it won’t be the good outcome.”
  892. >The Mushir turns away from his own conversation and walks to the ledge that overlooks the city.
  893. >”Also.”
  894. >Call continues.
  895. >”If I heard right, the enemy have moved up mortar encampments. They’re in range of the city now, but they aren’t firing at the walls.”
  896. “What are they doing?”
  897. >The smoke in the distance makes the question superfluous.
  898. >”They’re targeting the city itself. And any civilians who haven’t been able to get far enough out of range.”
  899. >The Mushir turns his head and quietly gives an order to another officer.
  900. “What’d he say?”
  901.  
  902. >”Fetch my things.”
  903. >The Mushir then fully turns around and speaks once again.
  904. >And this time he’s talking to you.
  905. >”Where is your ship?”
  906. >He asks in a tone that is much to calm for his situation.
  907. “It will be here. Soon. You just need to hold out a little while longer.”
  908. >”For both of our sakes, I pray that you are right.”
  909. >He then reaches up to his turban, pulling it off and letting it fall to the side.
  910. >It reveals that his mane is either shaved off, or he is bald.
  911. >A group of aides then rush over, carrying…
  912. >Armor.
  913. >They begin the process of equipping the Mushir.
  914. >The armor is identical to the heavy gear worn by the soldiers in the courtyard, however looks to be made of steel rather than iron.
  915. >After his torso is fully armored, they get to work on the legs.
  916. >Once that is in place, one aide begins to fasten a helmet on his head, while a second and third fix a pair sheathed scimitars to either side of his body.
  917. >Once the swords are in place, the fourth attendant arrives and fastens a round shield onto his left side.
  918. >With all his equipment ready, he lets out a shrill whistle.
  919. >Prompting every armored soldier you can see begin to move.
  920. >Where to you can’t say.
  921. >The Mushir then looks back to you.
  922. >”You will have your time.”
  923. >He then walks off, presumably to join his men.
  924. >Looking around at the remaining command staff, they remain silent.
  925. >But anypony could read the looks on their faces.
  926. >Each weary face shows resignation.
  927. >They’ve accepted that their war has ended.
  928. >That they’ve lost.
  929. >And all they have left is to decide how they die.
  930. “Corporal.”
  931. >”Sir?”
  932. “I have an idea.”
  933. >”Is it a stupid idea.”
  934. “Extremely.”
  935. >”Then I’m in.”
  936.  
  937. >…
  938. >It seems that the monarchists have revived the old flag that the nationalists used.
  939. >The lower half of the flag is a dull yellow, representing the sand of the desert.
  940. >The top half is a sky blue, representing, well, the sky.
  941. >The central figure of the flag is a black falcon with its wings outstretched to either side.
  942. >The falcon itself is then stylized to look angular and semi metallic.
  943. >And then over its head, a sun rests in the ‘sky’ portion of the flag.
  944. >It’s a flag that you saw a lot of back in the Second Coast War.
  945. >And now it’s a flag that you’re seeing again.
  946. >Being woven in the air above by a soldier standing on the top of the northern gatehouse.
  947. >A soldier that is very quickly getting bigger in your view.
  948. >He turns and notices your approach, but it was already too late.
  949. >The look on his face turned from one of ecstatic joy, to utter confusion, all in one second.
  950. >For the slightest moment, you feel a pang of guilt.
  951. >The boy couldn’t have been more than sixteen.
  952. >But that feeling goes away and is replaced by the impact as you connect your right shoulder to his neck.
  953. >The force of impact sends him and the flagpole he was waving over the edge, falling the fifty or so feet down into the crowd of his advancing allies.
  954. >As you flap your wings to land atop the gatehouse, you see Call rush the other Saddle Arabian on the roof.
  955. >An older one, presumably an officer who was shouting down to the advancing army.
  956. >Orders, propaganda, raising moral; you don’t know what he was yelling, but at this point it doesn’t matter as he is flung over the edge to join the flag bearer.
  957. >Quickly scanning the roof of the gatehouse, you yell over to Call.
  958. “No access to the interior from here, we’ll have to go down onto the wall.”
  959. >”I hate it when there’s no roof access.”
  960. >A few arrows start flying over your head.
  961. “ON THAT WALL!”
  962.  
  963. >The sound of steel rings through the air, as you and your sole ally in this fight draw swords.
  964. >Dashing to the southern side of the gatehouse, you and Call then jump down to the wall below.
  965. >While in the air, you get a good look at the wall.
  966. >Dozens of siege ladders spewing forth infantry.
  967. >They enemy control the wall for as far as you can see.
  968. >And the men who were once going to the nearest set of stairs to reach the interior of the city are turning around.
  969. >Heading towards the gatehouse- towards you.
  970. >Flapping your wings to soften your landing, the enemy are already upon you.
  971. >You push an incoming spear to the side, and then slash at the side of the Saddle Arabian behind it.
  972. >As you push his body into the city below, the next foes are already at you.
  973. >One attempts to strike high with a sword, but left his center unguarded.
  974. >A quick jab stops his attempt.
  975. >These soldiers don’t deserve to even be called soldiers.
  976. >Little to no equipment, most only have a spear or sword.
  977. >Almost none of them have armor.
  978. >You hack down into the shoulder of another conscript.
  979. >And none of them have training.
  980. >To your left, Call parries the blades of two attackers before countering.
  981. >But still, there are too many enemies.
  982. >You can’t kill them all, and they’re getting more condensed on the wall in front of you.
  983. >Taking his bald out of a Saddle Arabian, Call glances over to you
  984. >“I’m at five already.”
  985. >You hear the scream of a charge behind you.
  986. “Cover me!”
  987. >You spin around and push away a spear that was ready to pierce Call’s flank.
  988. >Then slash into that soldier’s neck before moving your blade to stop a hack from a scimitar aimed at your head.
  989. “Fall back! Into the gatehouse!”
  990. >”I’ll cover this door, GO!”
  991.  
  992. >You strike out at the Saddle Arabian in front of you, and then start to advance.
  993. >A glance behind you shows that Call is now in an upright position, hovering in the doorway.
  994. >In his off hoof, he has a dagger.
  995. >He won’t be able to hold very long.
  996. >Looking back ahead of you, another Saddle Arabian is charging.
  997. >You flap your wings to counter charge.
  998. >You duck under his spear and thrust your word into his chest.
  999. >As you remove your weapon from flesh, you can scan the room.
  1000. >Directly in front of you is the opposite doorway, leading to the walls north of the gatehouse.
  1001. >To your right is the main body of the room.
  1002. >In the center of it is a large winch, where up to four ponies have to push the winch to open and close the portcullis.
  1003. >But you don’t have time to push it closed.
  1004. >You parry another blade that comes your way, slashing at another Saddle Arabian’s neck.
  1005. >There is a large lever on the ground against the north wall of the room.
  1006. >Only problem is that advancing enemies are between you and it.
  1007. >A spear is jabbed towards you, you respond by grabbing it with your left hoof.
  1008. >You pull it in, and slash at its wielder.
  1009. >As his grip goes limp and his body falls to the ground, you spin the spear around and jab it into the next advancing enemy, leaving go of it as it enters his chest.
  1010. >Jumping over the two bodies, you give a left hook to the face of the next one.
  1011. >Then jab your sword into his side as he is stunned.
  1012. >Pulling it out, you slash towards the next one.
  1013. >And the next.
  1014. >And the next.
  1015. >And the next.
  1016. >You’re within a wing’s length from the doorway leading to the wall.
  1017. >Knocking a spear away, you rush toward the Saddle Arabian behind it, and put all your strength into pushing him away from you.
  1018. >And into the next wave of incoming foes.
  1019.  
  1020. >That’ll give you a second or two.
  1021. >You run to your right, reaching the lever.
  1022. >Here goes nothing.
  1023. >It doesn’t want to budge.
  1024. >You force a shoulder against it and push with all of your might.
  1025. >Once it moves an inch, it shoots to the other side.
  1026. >And you hear a release.
  1027. >Followed immediately by a loud thud coming from below.
  1028. >You’ll take it.
  1029. >Turning back around, you’re faced with a Saddle Arabian ready to strike.
  1030. >A throwing knife lodges itself in his skull, and he slumps to the side.
  1031. “Thanks!”
  1032. >You yell to Call, who is now turning back to face the incoming Saddle Arabians.
  1033. >”Don’t mention it!”
  1034. >Stepping into the north doorway onto the walls, you get ready to stand your ground.
  1035. “We have to hold this position!”
  1036. >You yell to Call.
  1037. >”I know that already!”
  1038. >The gate is closed for now, but if they can just reopen it, then not much will have been gained.
  1039. >You hold your sword up to catch an incoming blade.
  1040. >”Just another day at the office?”
  1041. >You hear Call yell from behind you.
  1042. >You force away the blade yours is locked with, and slash at its owner.
  1043. “I’m a bit busy here!”
  1044.  
  1045. >…
  1046. >You said you were busy, and busy you were.
  1047. >But eventually you earned a rest.
  1048. >Not because the enemy stopped attacking, but because the bodies are stacked to highly for them to advance into the gatehouse.
  1049. “Call?’
  1050. >”Still here.”
  1051. >You turn around and notice that his situation is similar to yours.
  1052. >Seeing that the immediate threat is on pause, Call sits immediately.
  1053. “It will only take them a minute or so to clear the way once again.”
  1054. >”Well let me have my minute.”
  1055. >Taking stock of the situation, you start to better analyze the room.
  1056. >A few unlit torches lay in sconces on the wall.
  1057. >On the side of the room that faces out outwards, light enters from a few arrow slits.
  1058. >Each of the doorways have piles of bodies blocking the way in.
  1059. >Or out…
  1060. >Light can still shine through the upper corners of the doorway, and you can hear soldiers outside yelling at each other.
  1061. >Due to the way the pile lurches slightly, you’d guess that they’re pulling away bodies right now.
  1062. >Or some of the Saddle Arabians in the piles aren’t dead.
  1063. >Most likely both.
  1064. “Got any matches?”
  1065. >”Fancy a smoke?”
  1066. >He reaches into a pouch and tosses a matchbook at you.
  1067. “Something like that.”
  1068. >Walking over to the nearest torch, you strike a match and light it.
  1069.  
  1070. “Give me one of those grenades.”
  1071. >Call stands up.
  1072. >”I see what you’re getting at.”
  1073. >He opens up his satchel and pulls out a small black sphere with a fuse sticking out of it.
  1074. >After he gives you one, he pulls out a second.
  1075. >You each hold the fuse up to the torch’s fire.
  1076. >And then you each run to your respective doorway.
  1077. >Gently tossing the grenade over the pile of corpses, you duck over into the corner of the room for cover.
  1078. >Across from you, you see the Corporal taking cover as well.
  1079. >In quick succession, you hear a pair of small explosions.
  1080. >The noise that reverberated into the room leaves your ears slightly ringing.
  1081. >It quickly settles and you can inspect the damage.
  1082. >The first thing you notice are the cries of pain from outside.
  1083. >Those unlucky enough not to be killed instantly from shrapnel or explosive force are writhing in pain outside.
  1084. >A shame, but now the enemy will have to clear out their injured as well.
  1085. >The corpses that block access into the room are largely undisturbed.
  1086. >On your side however, the explosion knocked a couple of the topmost bodies inside the gatehouse.
  1087. >You do hear something unexpected.
  1088. >A trio of shrill horn blasts can be heard.
  1089. “Through that gap.”
  1090. >You say pointing at the north doorway.
  1091. >The hole at the top should be big enough for you to fly through.
  1092. >And you need a look at what’s happening outside.
  1093. >Flying through the gap you can see the grenade’s messy handiwork.
  1094. >But you do have a short amount of time before the next able-bodied enemy will be able to get through.
  1095.  
  1096. >You land atop the roof of the guardhouse, and keep your head low to avoid any arrow fire that might come your way.
  1097. >Call sets down beside you to the right.
  1098. “Keep an eye on that gap, If we could get through, they might be able to as well.”
  1099. >”Aye.”
  1100. >Looking into the city, you can see the source of the horn’s sound.
  1101. >Down the main road that leads to the gate, you see a charging force.
  1102. >And the sound of iron thumping against the cobbled stone of the road as a force of heavy infantry come galloping towards the enemy.
  1103. >At the head of the host is a Saddle Arabian clad in steel, a stark contrast to the dull iron of his men.
  1104. >War cries sound through the air as the sides clash.
  1105. >Momentum is with the heavy infantry though.
  1106. >It’s a slaughter down there.
  1107. >Give them five minutes and they’ll be at the walls.
  1108. “You seeing this? The Mushir is actually leading the charge personally.”
  1109. >”Uhh… Sir?”
  1110. “Are they recovering already?”
  1111. >”No… it’s…”
  1112. >You glance to your right.
  1113. >Call is not facing the north, overlooking the wall.
  1114. >He’s looking east.
  1115. >As you turn around, you can see what he’s looking at.
  1116. >A dozen airships.
  1117. >Still a ways off, but all are close enough that you can distinguish their blimps from their hulls.
  1118. “Come on Corporal, we don’t have time to sit back and watch.
  1119. >You nod your head to the south, and the two of you walk over to that side of the roof.
  1120. >The enemy are no longer attempting to gain entrance to the gatehouse.
  1121. >Instead they’re moving south.
  1122. >A couple hundred feet down the wall, you can see the Mushir’s men advancing on the wall.
  1123. “This side should be clear for now.”
  1124. >Glancing to the west, you see that the heavy infantry are quickly gaining ground.
  1125. “I think this one is good enough too.”
  1126. >”Where’s the Mushir?”
  1127. “He was just there.”
  1128. >You begin scanning through the infantry, looking for a glint of steel.
  1129. >But you can only see an ocean of iron.
  1130. >If he’s dead, then…
  1131.  
  1132. >”There!”
  1133. >Call is pointing to a rooftop on the north side of the road.
  1134. >The Mushir is looking to the west, a pair of soldiers flanking him.
  1135. >He’s watching the airships advance in the distance.
  1136. >Then his head turns to you.
  1137. >Despite the helmet, you know what the look on his face would be.
  1138. >Disappointed, that none of the promises made to him have been carried out.
  1139. “Oh for the love of! Where’s the damn ship?”
  1140. >”Hey Thunder?”
  1141. “What?”
  1142. >”What’s wrong about this picture?”
  1143. “This is hardly the time to chew the scenery.”
  1144. >”No, I mean that something is really off. I just can’t place my hoof on it.”
  1145. “We’re in the middle of a war!”
  1146. >”I’VE GOT IT!”
  1147. “And what, pray tell, is it?”
  1148. >”Isn’t that cumulus pretty low?”
  1149. “You’re weather watching at a time like this?”
  1150. >You look to what he’s talking about.
  1151. >Over the city is a light grey cumulus cloud that only looks a thousand or so feet off of the ground.
  1152. >”It should be five thousand or so more feet up.”
  1153. “I suppose you’re right but-“
  1154. >You’re cut off as a loud blast of thunder sounds through the air.
  1155. >And you feel your body shake from the immense force of the sound wave.
  1156. >But the sound silenced the field.
  1157. >Whereas a moment ago the endless sounds of battle filled the air, now it is dead silent.
  1158. >As if everypony stopped to look to the skies.
  1159. >But that’s not thunder, you know thunder.
  1160. >The bright blue beam in the air also tells you that.
  1161. >It reaches out over the sky, impacting one of the enemy airships in the center of the line.
  1162. >And its hull then explodes.
  1163. >Looking back to the west, you see a long dark hull lower itself from the puffy grey cloud.
  1164. “The Prydwen…”
  1165. >”Took their bloody time.”
  1166.  
  1167. >…
  1168. >After quickly boarding the ship, you walk to the forward observation room.
  1169. >Before you can open the door, the ship shakes as the main gun fires again.
  1170. >Opening the door and passing through it, you can see that the shot hit its target.
  1171. >That’s two down.
  1172. >”Major, the men are waiting in the cargo bay to launch.”
  1173. >The Admiral glances to you momentarily before turning his head back to inspect the battlefield below.
  1174. “Sir, have the gunners watch for smoke. A green smokescreen will be used to target where they need cannons to bear down on. Avoid red smoke, because that’s where pegasi are needed.”
  1175. >”Thank you; now get to the strike force.”
  1176. “Sir!”
  1177. >Exiting the room, you see Call sitting on one of the benches outside the observation room.
  1178. “Come on, no time for rest.”
  1179. >“But I just sat down.”
  1180. “That’s your fault for weighing yourself down with so much gear, now on your hooves Corporal.”
  1181. >…
  1182. “Lieutenant Wind.”
  1183. >”So nice of you to join us, Major.”
  1184. >You walk past the Lieutenant and the squadron commanders.
  1185. >The rearmost room of the Prydwen is a massive cargo bay.
  1186. >Scattered across the floor and scaffolds, three hundred pegasi await to sortie into battle.
  1187. >They all look prepped and ready to go.
  1188. >Turning back to the Lieutenant, you offer the same words you told to Brairheart.
  1189. >But you have to pause as you feel the ship shake as the main gun fires again.
  1190. “Green smokescreens signify artillery barrages, red ones need pegasi assistance.”
  1191. >Lieutenant Wind addresses the squadron leaders:
  1192. >”You heard the Major.”
  1193. >The Sergeants nod and offer quick acknowledgements.
  1194.  
  1195. >”Major, we’ll be flying high and coming down onto their northern flank. One ship per Air Wing, A has the northernmost one, B the next, and C has the third, and all Wings will work themselves down the line. The main gun will be targeting the southernmost ships, so we meet in the center.”
  1196. >He then starts to make for the center of the cargo bay.
  1197. >”Attention!”
  1198. >The pegasi stand at attention, waiting on the words of their officer.
  1199. >”This will be our first real battle together… But you have been chosen because you are all the best of the best. The enemy outnumbers us, both in terms of ships and in terms of men. Quality will win this day, not quantity. Almost all of you fought in the Second Coast War, so you know the enemy. Today they’ve seem to have gotten it into their heads that they can challenge us in the skies.”
  1200. >He pauses for a moment.
  1201. >”That’s right; they think they can best us, when many of us were BORN in the sky!”
  1202. >Scattered cheering sound through the room before he silences it.
  1203. >”We have one ship, and three hundred men… against a dozen ships and a many hundreds of thousands of men… For the sake of fairness, we should wait for them to triple those numbers. But war is not fair.”
  1204. >Some shouts of excitement and readiness echo through the cargo bay.
  1205. >”Fly high! Fly fast! And come down so hard, that they won’t challenge us in the skies for generations to come! Now open that hatch!”
  1206.  
  1207. >As the men cheer before the battle, a pair of unicorns stand at the far end of the room.
  1208. >Their horns light up and so does much of the back wall.
  1209. >Light and wind starts to peak through the top seam of the cargo bay door, as the wall begins to move on its massive hinges.
  1210. >Eventually it becomes level with the floor of the room, and you can see that city walls behind the ship.
  1211. >Lieutenant Wind then places his helmet on, and yells to his men.
  1212. >”A-Wing, on me!”
  1213. >He gets a bit of a running start before taking off, flying out of the ship and pulling up into the air to go high into the sky.
  1214. >As he took to the skies, five squadrons flock to him, following his flight path.
  1215. >After A-Wing has fully left the ship, a red pegasi steps forward.
  1216. >Sergeant Baron, if you recall correctly.
  1217. >”B-Wing, take to the skies!”
  1218. >You wait for the next group to launch before addressing the remaining soldiers.
  1219. “C-Wing… Move out!”
  1220. >You take off, noticing that Corporal Call is right behind you.
  1221. >When clear of the cargo bay, you begin to fly directly upwards.
  1222. >Then rotate so that your body faces the enemy line before leveling out.
  1223. >As you get above the Prydwen, you hear and see the guns fire.
  1224. >All eighty of them firing into the enemy infantry lines massed below the ship.
  1225. >Passing over the ship, the artillerymen in the mortar encampments cheer the pegasi over them on.
  1226. >A few seconds later, as you get clear of the ship, five great cannons can be heard.
  1227. >You don’t know where they fired, but one of them actually hit one of the enemy airships.
  1228. >Some madman actually hit the blimp that keeps it in the air!
  1229. >It arced down and exploded as it hit the top, rupturing it and sending the hull slamming towards the ground.
  1230. >But you continue flying forward, steadily increasing in altitude.
  1231. >Getting into position to dive down at the enemy.
  1232. >But you still have quite the distance to cross.
  1233.  
  1234. >…
  1235. “Alright, you two take your squadrons to take the port side, you two take the starboard. You’re with me, from the stern.”
  1236. >At your word, your men split up.
  1237. >And as you begin to nosedive, they follow.
  1238. >You’re directly above the target ship.
  1239. >As you reach the blimp, you draw your sword.
  1240. >And as you move past it, you find that the men on deck were waiting for you.
  1241. >As pegasi descend upon the main deck of the enemy airship, the crew meets them with spears at the ready.
  1242. >Most of your men are able to avoid skewering themselves upon the defender’s weapons.
  1243. >Most, not all.
  1244. >To your left a swivel gun fires a load of grapeshot into the air, sending three pegasi plummeting to the ground below.
  1245. >You are assaulting the bridge, and you swerve left at the last minute to avoid a spear.
  1246. >Hacking into the spearman’s neck, your momentum keeps you moving past him, and you land in the center of the upper deck.
  1247. >Right in front of the ship’s captain.
  1248. >A dark brown stallion with bulky robes that most likely hide chainmail.
  1249. >As you land, he draws a scimitar, and the polished steel glistens.
  1250. >To each pony, his own battle.
  1251. >You open up with a lunge as you attempt to jab your blade into his chest.
  1252. >However he parries the attack, sending your sword to the left, and he attempts to counter with a high slash into your neck.
  1253. >You barely manage to get your sword up to block it.
  1254. >As steel sparks against steel, you push away his blade and attempt to hack down into his torso.
  1255. >However he jumps back, avoiding the strike.
  1256. >The men on the ground might not be trained or well equipped, but these ones definitely are.
  1257. >You and the enemy captain start to slowly walk in a circle, moving clockwise around the deck.
  1258. >Each of you eyes the other, waiting for an opening.
  1259. >And it comes as you both leap forward, closing the small distance and locking blades.
  1260. >Your faces are barely over a foot away from each other, and your blades are the only thing between them.
  1261.  
  1262. >Then your helmet rings as he swings with his off-hoof.
  1263. >It’s slightly disorientating, but while he’s off balance, you can push him away.
  1264. >And follow with a hack into his side.
  1265. >Unfortunately it thumps against metal; the captain lets out a small grunt, but otherwise is still able to fight.
  1266. >This time it’s you who jumps back to avoid a slash.
  1267. >And as you face down the captain-
  1268. >Off to the north an ear-piercing boom echoes.
  1269. >You glance to see what happened, and you can see that the northernmost airship is now raining down onto the field below as charred rubble.
  1270. >But a quick glance is all you can afford, as your eyes soon lock back to face the enemy captain.
  1271. >You reaffirm your grip onto your sword, and the captain waves his scimitar around in a quick circular motion.
  1272. >As you prepare to strike, a spear runs through his side, just behind his front left shoulder.
  1273. >Corporal Call then continues his charge as he thrusts the spear deeper into the Saddle Arabian, ending by shouldering his body and knocking him to the floor.
  1274. >”Sorry Sir, you were taking too long.”
  1275. >As you glance around, you see that the upper deck is now empty, aside from yourself, Call, and a few Saddle Arabian corpses.
  1276. >Down on the main deck, you see your men, and some surrendering Saddle Arabians.
  1277. >”They’re waiting on the order to storm the interior.”
  1278. “Casualties? I count about ten.”
  1279. >”I count eleven.”
  1280. “Come on, let’s get down there. We’ll lead the attack.”
  1281. >You begin to make your way to the starboard side of the ship.
  1282. >B-Wing looks to be doing well enough with their ship.
  1283. >”Sir?”
  1284. “That’s an order Corporal.”
  1285. >”Sir!”
  1286. “What!”
  1287.  
  1288. >You turn to face him and see what he’s worried about.
  1289. >The next ship in the line has been approaching the ship that you’re on.
  1290. >They couldn’t possibly fire on their own ship…
  1291. “Brace for impact, take cover!”
  1292. >You yell to your men on deck as the enemy ship unleashes a broadside.
  1293. >The ship you’ve boarded shakes as cannon fire peppers its hull.
  1294. >Right next to you, the ship’s wheel shatters as a ball of lead strikes it.
  1295. >A scream indicates that at least one of your men was taken by the attack.
  1296. >From deep inside the ship, you can hear an unnatural sound.
  1297. >Gears grind against each other and metallic churning and screeching echoes through the screams of crewmen from the ship’s interior.
  1298. >And you quickly notice that the ship is losing altitude.
  1299. >Rushing to the railing, you yell down to your men:
  1300. “Off the ship, now! On my lead!”
  1301. >Because the next ship over just fired a full broadside, their cannons won’t be loaded with grapeshot to strike down a straight charge.
  1302. >But you’re not going to do a straight charge.
  1303. >As you take flight away from the quickly sinking ship, in the distance you see the Prydwen’s main gun annihilate another ship.
  1304. >While flying towards your target, you actually see that the Prydwen is bearing down on the enemy airships.
  1305. >However, you still have an airship to deal with here.
  1306. >You set down atop the blimp that carries it.
  1307. >Some of your men set down as well, while the others hover in the air.
  1308. >The ship you’re on can’t hit you from here, and any other ships would just end up sinking this one.
  1309. “Alright! How many of you have grenades with you?”
  1310. >About a dozen pegasi step forward or set down near you.
  1311. “Well we’re standing on canvas, think canvas, but still canvas. Spread out, make a hole, and drop a grenade into it on my mark.”
  1312.  
  1313. >As the grenadiers spread out over the top of the blimp, you address the other men:
  1314. “Alright, the main gun took out four, a mortar got one, and this will be the pegasi’s forth-“
  1315. >You’re cut off by an approaching soldier, a red pegasi leading four squadrons.
  1316. >”Sir!”
  1317. “Sergeant Baron, what’s the situation with your Wing?”
  1318. >”The enemy destroyed their own ship when A-Wing tried to assault it. The survivors joined B-Wing and we’ve secured out ship.”
  1319. “How many survived from A-Wing?”
  1320. >”Forty or so.”
  1321. “Lieutenant Wind?”
  1322. >”He was inside the ship when the enemy lit their powder.”
  1323. >He’s gone.
  1324. “Damn.”
  1325. >”With him gone, I’m the ranking Sergeant. I offer you command of the mission, Sir.”
  1326. “Give me a second to survey the field.”
  1327. >”Aye Sir.”
  1328.  
  1329. >As you look to the south, you see the remaining ships.
  1330. >Three remain afloat, four if you count the one you’re standing on.
  1331. >Two of the enemy ships are moving forward around to the left, while the third and the one you’re standing on are moving around to the right.
  1332. >They look to be attempting to catch the Prydwen in crossfire.
  1333. “Alright, we’re going to sink this one, then move onto the closer ship to the south. The Prydwen will be able to deal with the two that are going to her starboard side. We’ll hit it hard and hit it fast. I want the ship secured before they get a chance to order its destruction.”
  1334. >”Aye Sir.”
  1335. “Grenadiers!”
  1336. >A chorus of ‘Yes Sir’ sounds through the air.
  1337. “Bombs away.”
  1338. >With the order give, you take flight and get out far away from the ship.
  1339. >And you bank left to aim for the next ship.
  1340. >After getting clear, and hearing the explosions in the distance, you glance back.
  1341. >And see the hull of the ship, slamming down to the ground, trailing the tatters of its blimp with it.
  1342. >You’ve got nine squadrons of pegasi about to come down on the next ship.
  1343. >And as you fly towards the next target, you can only hope that they don’t try to take you down with them.
  1344.  
  1345. >…
  1346. >You were the first to land and first in the fight.
  1347. >After flying over the bow and setting down on the main deck, while dodging spears, you went to the bloody business.
  1348. >As you start to hack away at the defending crew, your men will quickly overwhelm the men on deck.
  1349. >But as you lock swords with a Saddle Arabian, you catch a glimpse of something foreign to this land.
  1350. >A peaked officer’s cap.
  1351. >Pushing away the Saddle Arabian, you look to the bridge of the ship.
  1352. >Next to the Saddle Arabian at the wheel, is a griffon, wearing an officer’s uniform that very obviously sticks out from the rest of the crew.
  1353. >It looks like he’s surveying the battlefield.
  1354. >The griffon leans over and whispers something to the Saddle Arabian at the wheel.
  1355. >Before you can outstretch your wings to get to him, the Saddle Arabian you’ve been fighting charges back at you with his sword.
  1356. >You manage to deflect the blade, but you were taken off guard, and are tackled to the ground.
  1357. >He dropped his sword, and yours was knocked away.
  1358. >While on your side, you can then make out a griffon flying away from the ship, heading east.
  1359. >Struggling with the enemy, you elbow him in the head.
  1360. >It gets him off of you, and as you spring to your hooves, the enemy does the same.
  1361. >Both of you are unarmed, staring the other down.
  1362. >But your sword is right between you.
  1363. >Each of you makes a dash for it.
  1364. >He goes low, diving down with a hoof out to grab at it.
  1365. >Instead of going straight for the weapon, you flapped your wings and flew above him.
  1366. >To deliver a swift kick to his nose.
  1367. >It sends the Saddle Arabian reeling back.
  1368. >Giving you just enough time to land, pick up your sword, and run it through his chest.
  1369.  
  1370. >As you are able to return your attention to the bridge, you see the man at the wheel blankly looking forwards.
  1371. >You’ve seen that look in too many soldiers.
  1372. >His thousand yard stare continues while you knock away a spear from another attacker.
  1373. >You follow the parry with a thrust, landing squarely in the attacker’s neck.
  1374. >Glancing back to the Saddle Arabian at the wheel, you see that he’s now wildly looking around.
  1375. >Almost panicking.
  1376. >He should be; your men have landed on the upper deck.
  1377. >He then shouts something in his native tongue, his voice is old.
  1378. >Very old.
  1379. >You notice a few of the crew turn their heads to look at the one at the wheel.
  1380. >He then surprises you by yelling in words you can understand:
  1381. >”STOP! STOP! We surrender!”
  1382. >What?
  1383. “HOLD!”
  1384. >A few more sounds of steel clashing can be heard, but it quickly dies down.
  1385. >Leaving your men and the enemy in an impasse, as all still point weapons at the closest enemy.
  1386. >Flapping your wings, you fly over to the upper deck, keeping your sword at the ready.
  1387. >As you land, you keep your sword squarely pointed at the Saddle Arabian.
  1388. “Is this some sort of trick?”
  1389. >It’s less of a question, and more of a demand.
  1390. >”What? No, no.”
  1391. >For what it’s worth, the greying Saddle Arabian sounds genuine.
  1392. >”I am- how do you say second in charge of a ship?”
  1393.  
  1394. “First mate?”
  1395. >”Yes. I am first mate. The Captain fled and ordered me to destroy the ship with all of you on board.”
  1396. “Then why are you disobeying orders?”
  1397. >”Please, my name Qadim. I have two grandsons serving on board. All of my brothers and sons are dead, I do not want to lose the rest of my family.”
  1398. >You stare down the acting captain of the ship.
  1399. “Order your men to drop their weapons.”
  1400. >He turns his head to look to the crew before shouting something in their language.
  1401. >Slowly, the surviving crew on deck starts to lay down their arms.
  1402. >There are some holdouts, but when your men bring their own weapons closer to the obviously outnumbered holdouts, they comply as well.
  1403. “Sergeant Baron!”
  1404. >”Aye Sir!”
  1405. “Begin securing the lower decks and take the first mate with you. Anypony who lays down their weapons will be treated fairly, but if they don’t, then you don’t hesitate.”
  1406. >”Yes Sir!”
  1407. >He flies up to the main deck, and when he lands, grabs the first mate by the shoulder.
  1408. >”You’re with me.”
  1409. >With a possible peace on the ship, you turn your attention to the east.
  1410. >When you get to the stern of the ship, you can see a small speck flying away in the distance.
  1411. >The griffon no doubt.
  1412. >He’s too far away to catch now.
  1413. >The real question is whether he actually ordered the ship’s destruction to cover his escape, or did he order the surrender; knowing full well that your men would be too busy securing the ship to chase him down immediately.
  1414.  
  1415. >Moving to the port side of the ship, you look to the other airships still afloat.
  1416. >Right as you get to the railing, the booming echo of the Prydwen’s main gun sounds through the air, as it destroys one of the two remaining enemy airships.
  1417. >However, the sole remaining enemy ship has managed to get out of the firing arc of the main gun.
  1418. >It moves to the starboard side of the Prydwen, with maybe two hundred feet separating the hulls.
  1419. >Then the enemy ship opened fire.
  1420. >The sound and smoke of a broadside fill the air as cannons are fired into the Prydwen.
  1421. >However the ship’s great hull deflected or absorbed the attack.
  1422. >You expect some decent dents in the hull, but the Prydwen seems no worse for wear.
  1423. >It’s in the few moments following the broadside, that you can imagine the faces of the Saddle Arabians on that last ship.
  1424. >They lose over half of their ships to a single weapon, and almost as many due to a pegasi wave.
  1425. >And finally, when the sole ship that remains in the air under their control reaches firing range, to return fire upon the hulk that has massacred their fleet, their attack has no effect whatsoever.
  1426. >You almost feel sorry for them.
  1427. >Almost.
  1428. >Then you watch as the Prydwen returns a broadside.
  1429. >Lead peppers the enemy ship, tearing into the wooden hull.
  1430. >A few of the cannons fired chain-shot, severing some of the connections that hold the hull to the blimp.
  1431. >The powder store doesn’t seem to be hit, however a rear portion of the ship erupts into flame, tinted with some blue or purple flames indicating some sort of magical presence.
  1432. >It seems like the engine that allows their ships to obtain lift and movement by copying unicorn magic has been destroyed.
  1433. >The engine’s explosion damaged the support cables enough that the remaining ones on the back half of the ship snapped.
  1434.  
  1435. >What’s left of the hull swings downwards, and when it becomes perpendicular to the ground, the remaining support cables snap.
  1436. >Sending the rest of the ship slamming towards the ground.
  1437. >Dooming whatever crew survived the broadside and explosion to go down with the ship.
  1438. >Why would anypony without wings even try to build an air fleet?
  1439. >Looking down to the battlefield below, you look to the enemy lines.
  1440. >The air battle took place over the north flank of the field, and below it looks like the enemy are retreating.
  1441. >No, not retreating.
  1442. >A retreat is organized.
  1443. >Below, the massed conscripts are running away.
  1444. >To the south towards the center, some of their forces are properly retreating while others look to be wavering.
  1445. >Beyond that, on the southern flank, the enemy looks to be massing a charge.
  1446. >Sending everything they’ve got in an attempt to capture the city.
  1447. >Cannon fire pounds in the distance, and it’s hard to make out, but you think the wall has been breached in multiple areas.
  1448. >The battle for the skies has been won, but if they manage to win the land battle and end the Civil War by killing or capturing the Mushir, or by killing most of the resistance…
  1449. >Well then there would have to be a Third War of the Saddle Arabian Coast.
  1450. >And if Jagir’s faction has their way, that war won’t end until at least half of their entire population lies dead on the field.
  1451. >As you look to the south, you start to see colored smoke rising in the distance.
  1452. >Reds and greens, signifying requests for assistance.
  1453. >You can see that the Prydwen is already moving south, making liberal use of its guns as they pass over enemy lines.
  1454. >”Sir!”
  1455. >You turn to face Sergeant Baron, coming up the stairs from below deck.
  1456. “Report?”
  1457. >”There was a couple… incidents. But the ship is ours.”
  1458. “Leave a couple of squadrons to guard the prisoners. The rest are with us, because we still have a battle to fight.”
  1459.  
  1460. >…
  1461. >You take a sip of tea.
  1462. >And then redirect your attention to the sky.
  1463. >It’s a clear night, and the starts are beautiful.
  1464. >Leaning back into the bench, you curl up with your mug.
  1465. >What are you doing Flurry?
  1466. >In general that is.
  1467. >’Ruling’
  1468. >You were ever actually trained to be in charge.
  1469. >In charge, in charge that is.
  1470. >At the top.
  1471. >Alone.
  1472. >You’re almost twenty-six, and yet you still go through things like an impulsive teenager.
  1473. >The first idea that gets in your head, you go with.
  1474. >’Yeah, why not, let’s go with this plan!’
  1475. >Nopony ever taught you how to run a country, you were always just supposed to be a figurehead, just one of the family.
  1476. >How did Celestia ever do this for a full year?
  1477. >Let alone a thousand.
  1478. >Shifting your view down, you look over the edge of the cliff, down to the valley on the horizon.
  1479. >The Palace gardens are lovely at night.
  1480. >Letting out a sigh, you relax your posture slightly.
  1481. >Everypony you ever knew growing up treated you like a Princess, somepony who’d be in charge of something someday.
  1482. >Everypony, but not everyone.
  1483. >Your Uncle was pretty much the only one to treat you like an actual kid.
  1484. >And ironically it’s what he taught you that helps you the most from a practical stance.
  1485. >None of the ‘Princess Etiquette’ lessons actual help with ruling.
  1486. >His endless stories are the things that help you the most, on the field and on the throne.
  1487. >But why are you at the top?
  1488. >Anon or Lancer are the ones who have the experience and wisdom to properly rule.
  1489. >Even Offense would probably be more effective, although he’d hate it.
  1490. >Instead they push everything to you, because ‘well you’re the alicorn, the people wouldn’t have it any other way.’
  1491. >Sure the others have picked up a lot of slack…
  1492.  
  1493. >But you still have no idea what you’re doing, other than winging it that is.
  1494. >And now you’re going to go off to choose a new leader for the minotaurs, because nothing could POSSIBLY go wrong.
  1495. >If Anon were here he’d probably yell at you.
  1496. >’Stop second guessing yourself.’
  1497. >He’d say.
  1498. >You chuckle to yourself as you remember old and simple memories.
  1499. >What was that one…?
  1500. >Oh now you have it stuck in your head.
  1501. >You start humming an old melody that you remember.
  1502. >But how did the words go?
  1503. “It’s a long way Tipperary, it’s a long way to go, it’s a long way to Tiperrary.”
  1504. >Something something.
  1505. >Et cetera.
  1506. >What’s the part that you’re remembering?
  1507. >What would your Uncle say if he were here?
  1508. “Ya da yaa da daa.”
  1509. >That’s it!
  1510. >You begin to lightly sing the words:
  1511. “Whaaat’s the use of worrying, it never was worthwhile. Sooo pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile-”
  1512. >You hear hoofsteps and silence yourself.
  1513. >Glancing over your shoulder, you look to the source of the steps.
  1514. >”Ma’am?”
  1515. “Lancer? What are you doing up at this hour?”
  1516. >”I could say the same to you.”
  1517. “I’ve been in a coma for quite some time, I’m not tired.”
  1518. >”What was that you were singing?”
  1519. “Just… an old lullaby that Anonymous sang to me as a child.”
  1520. >As you grew up, you liked that one a lot.
  1521. >Mainly because you never could get the pronunciation for the Russian ones…
  1522.  
  1523. >”Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.”
  1524. “I’m not worrying.”
  1525. >You say in a ‘matter of fact’ tone.
  1526. >”You wouldn’t have said that so quickly if you weren’t worrying.”
  1527. “Why would I worry?”
  1528. >”Anypony who has working eyes could see that he’s… getting older.”
  1529. “Well let’s look what he’s done since the year started. He foiled an assassination attempt, defeated an entire mercenary company by himself, led the vanguard against the yaks in battle, survived being impaled through the chest by my mother, foiled another two assassination attempts, led the charge at Baltimare to crush the Saddle Arabians, led out country to defeat a coalition of six different species, almost singlehandedly neutralized Celestia and Luna, stormed the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior Defense, and brought the entire organization down. Oh, and he also was infected by the same thing that still controls the other Princesses minds, but instead of being taken over by it or put in a coma, he managed to beat it in a single night and only ended up sleeping in a couple of hours. And that’s leaving aside anything that’s happened since he set sail. Tell me again why I should worry?”
  1530. >Lancer has a blank look on his face.
  1531. >He soon breaks it as he looks to you.
  1532. >”You shouldn’t worry so much with all of this justification.”
  1533. “AHH!”
  1534. >Unbelievable.
  1535.  
  1536. >”Now Ma’am, you should at least try to get some rest for tomorrow.”
  1537. >Tomorrow you’ll be setting out for the northwest.
  1538. >Towards minotaur territory.
  1539. “You never answered why you’re still up.”
  1540. >”No, I didn’t.”
  1541. “Well why are you?”
  1542. >”I received a… important letter.”
  1543. >You sit up straight in the bench.
  1544. “What’s the matter? Are we at war again?”
  1545. >”What? Oh, no. No, it’s nothing like that.”
  1546. “Well then what’s wrong?”
  1547. >”Well, I wouldn’t say that anything is wrong…”
  1548. “Spit it out!”
  1549. >”I was recently on leave for a few days, went to visit the family. My wife thinks she’s pregnant. It’s still early, but she knows what it feels like.”
  1550. >Oh…
  1551. “Congratulations! How many will this make for you?”
  1552. >”This will be the third. Already have a boy and a girl.”
  1553. “Are you hoping to have one over another for number three?”
  1554. >”Anything, as long as it’s not twins or worse. One infant at a time is more than enough. If I was able to be home more, it wouldn’t be that much of an issue, but…”
  1555. >He looks away as he thinks.
  1556. >Then turns his head back to you.
  1557. >”Well if I have twins, then I finally have a reason to retire from this dam-“
  1558. “You’re never retiring.”
  1559. >”That’s not your-“
  1560. “Never.”
  1561. >”But.”
  1562. “If Anon wouldn’t let you, then I won’t either.”
  1563. >”If Anon jumped off a cliff, would you?”
  1564. “Well I have wings, and somepony would have to catch him.”
  1565. >”Bad example.”
  1566. “And that’s assuming the ground doesn’t surrender before he hits it, because it realizes that it can’t win that fight.”
  1567. >”I don’t think that’s even possible.”
  1568. “And hasn’t everything he’s done been impossible?”
  1569. >He chuckles slightly.
  1570. >”Fair enough Ma’am. Fair enough.”
  1571.  
  1572. >…
  1573. “Men!”
  1574. >The pegasi scramble to stand at attention as you enter the cargo bay.
  1575. >Trying to relax after a long day of combat.
  1576. >It was hard fought, but the enemy was driven from the city.
  1577. >Many of the conscripts fled the field permanently, but many others are still outside the walls.
  1578. >Tomorrow your men will be working triple-time to help break them.
  1579. >The Prywden and the captured ships are currently hovering over the city, far from the lines.
  1580. >Occasionally you can hear sporadic cannon fire, but for the most part the sides have stopped fighting to regroup in the morning.
  1581. >The pegasi are standing where they were.
  1582. >Those that were in the air immediately set down.
  1583. >Many are scattered around the floor, others are on walkways that line the walls of the cargo bay, and some are atop large crates.
  1584. >Behind you, a unicorn levitates two sizable crates down onto the ground behind you.
  1585. “Listen up! You all know how we do it in the military. We expect the best… and we give the best.”
  1586. >The unicorn removes a side panel from each of the crates.
  1587. >Moving to the first one, you take out a keg.
  1588. >As you set it down onto the ground, you speak to the men:
  1589. “Here’s the beer!”
  1590. >Stepping over to the other crate, you slide out a sizable trunk.
  1591. “Here’s the entertainment!”
  1592. >You open the trunk and pull out an egg-shaped ball, used in the sport of Wingball.
  1593. >You toss the ball in a tight spiral over towards a group of pegasi.
  1594. “Have some fun, that’s an order!”
  1595. >The ponies cheer and get to celebrating.
  1596. >And you’re quick to get out of the way of the crowd that wants their beer.
  1597. >After a quick flight, you set down near one of the doors to the cargo bay.
  1598.  
  1599. >Right as you set down, the door opens.
  1600. >Corporal Call enters holding an icepack up to his left eye.
  1601. >You saw him after the battle earlier, he was completely uninjured.
  1602. “What happened to you?”
  1603. >”I dropped in to see how the engineers were celebrating. And let’s just say that Ensign Twinkle did not want to get to know me better.”
  1604. “I’m going to assume you deserved it.”
  1605. >”Why would you say that? I am a perfect gentleman!”
  1606. “I say that because I know you, and that’s not true.”
  1607. >”And I call you a friend…”
  1608. >He looks around at the soldiers as they celebrate.
  1609. >”Are they playing fake Wingball?”
  1610. “What are you talking about?”
  1611. >”That’s the stupid Cloudsdale Wingball. They don’t even use their wings other than flying!”
  1612. “Oh shut up, that fake north central ‘Wingball’ isn’t even a contact sport.”
  1613. >”IT IS TOO!”
  1614. “Come on! A player bumps into an opponent and they get ejected from the game.”
  1615. >”Brute.”
  1616. “Pansy.”
  1617. >”Your version is just an excuse to watch men pileup on each other!”
  1618. “Your version wasn’t even made by pegasi, it was a griffon invention!”
  1619. >”Yeah, but-“
  1620. “And which version is played by pegasi across all of Equestria.”
  1621. >”Popularity doesn’t mean that it’s better.”
  1622. >You laugh at his insistence.
  1623. “Hey, make sure things don’t get too out of hoof here. The Admiral wanted to see me when I had a minute.”
  1624. >”Okay.”
  1625. >As you start walking towards the door, he yells out as you leave:
  1626. >”Smart, you knew you couldn’t win the argument, so you had to walk away!”
  1627. “Keep dreaming!”
  1628.  
  1629. >…
  1630. >Entering the forward observation room, you see that Admiral Brairheart has pulled a chair up to the forward facing window.
  1631. >A short stack of files rest on a small table brought beside him.
  1632. >Out the window, you can see campfires lit across the city, and in the countryside beyond the walls.
  1633. >Both sides are resting while they can.
  1634. >Brairheart glances over his shoulder as the door closes behind you.
  1635. >”Bring a chair up.”
  1636. >You walk over to the other chair that rests in the room.
  1637. >As you bring it up next to the other side of the table, the Admiral puts down the file he had open.
  1638. >”What happened to Lieutenant Wind?”
  1639. >Sitting down into the chair, you respond:
  1640. “He split our forces into three Wings, the orders were to capture enemy ships if possible, but if resistance was too heavy, simply destroy it and move onto the next. The survivors of his Wing said that they quickly dealt with the enemy above deck, and Lieutenant Wind led the men personally to storm below deck. The ship then exploded… Some said that the Saddle Arabians ordered it to be destroyed in order to take as many pegasi with it; some said that it was an accident in the powder hold… Almost three full squadrons were below deck when it went up; I’m not sure exactly how many died from the blast. But at the end of the day, we counted seventy-nine deaths, a couple serious wounds, and a dozen or so minor injuries in total. I’d guess that around sixty of the deaths were from the explosion.”
  1641. >”Almost a third of the entire force, gone in one day.”
  1642. “For what it’s worth, once the ships were dealt with we only lost three men.”
  1643.  
  1644. >”What happened once the fleet was dealt with?”
  1645. “We started out by hitting the cannons that were aimed at the wall. We harassed the enemy artillery until the Prydwen properly got into range to pin down the encampments. After that we shifted focus to the city itself. I gave squadron leaders leave of their own battles, and we began to skirmish against the assaulting enemy. My squadron mainly stuck to archery; however we hit flanks on three or four occasions to give the Mushir’s men an edge… I’m not sure exactly what the other squadrons did, but I assume it’s much the same.”
  1646. >”Have the men rest well. At noon tomorrow, the Prydwen will be setting out straight over the enemy lines, and on our heels almost all of the defenders will be sallying out. There is no doubt that they will bring out more artillery to the front lines, so your job will be to focus solely on cannon encampments.”
  1647. “Understood.”
  1648. >You look out over the dark night’s horizon.
  1649. “Sir?”
  1650. >”Yes Major?”
  1651. “What happened to the prisoners from the ships?”
  1652. >”Transferred down to the Mushir’s men. I believe that after the battle tomorrow, he intends to execute them publicly. He isn’t killing any conscripts captured on the ground, but he wants to make a statement to the veterans that sided with Jagir of their own volition.”
  1653. “But we promised them they wouldn’t be harmed.”
  1654. >”And they weren’t harmed by us. This is their Civil War, not ours. And either way, we don’t have the men or space to spare to watch and keep any prisoners.”
  1655. “Understood.”
  1656.  
  1657. >”And Major?”
  1658. “Sir?”
  1659. >”You can hold off on the report for a couple of days. I’m already swamped with paperwork because everypony on the ship wants to tell me exactly how the Prydwen has performed in a combat situation.”
  1660. >He pats the stack of files on the table.
  1661. >”There’s about ten times this many waiting for me in my quarters.”
  1662. >He says in a slightly joking tone.
  1663. “Right- one extra detailed report coming your way, Sir. In fact I’ll make sure that each and every of the men, instead of just the squadron leaders, file one as well.”
  1664. >”Do it and I swear I’ll court martial you.”
  1665. “Sorry Sir, just a joke… it’s been a long day.”
  1666. >Brairheart looks off to the side, as he slightly tilts his head in a thoughtful manner.
  1667. >”You know, I have to give one commendation to the aristocrats that used to be in charge of the military. They loved their paperwork… They had no idea what they were doing, but they were exceptional bureaucrats.”
  1668. >He then looks over to you.
  1669. >”You have it easy as an officer. The paperwork you would do in a month pales in comparison to what command has to go through in a day.”
  1670. “Then why did you take the promotion? That is, if you don’t mind me asking.”
  1671. >”Well now that’s a story. One moment.”
  1672. >He looks over his shoulder, to a table next to the door.
  1673. >His horn glows as he levitates over a bottle of brandy and a pair of snifter glasses.
  1674. >”I’m not keeping you from anything, am I?”
  1675. “Not at all.”
  1676. >He opens up the bottle and takes a sniff from the open top.
  1677. >Then pours a decent amount into each glass, levitating one of them over to you.
  1678. >You take it from the air as he plugs the bottle and sets it onto the table between your chairs.
  1679. >”Well the first thing you should know is the history of the air fleet. You see, before the First War of the Saddle Arabian Coast, there was no dedicated fleet.”
  1680.  
  1681. >He takes a sniff from his glass before downing a small amount.
  1682. >”There was no real necessity to have armed airships before then, once or twice a gun or two was mounted on one, but no proper warships were made… That war was the first total mobilization of Equestria, so we started to make the ships you’re familiar with.”
  1683. >You bring your glass up to your nose, taking a sniff of the slightly-sweet aroma.
  1684. >Then swirl the liquid a bit in the glass before taking a sip.
  1685. >Good quality.
  1686. >”They brought in naval personnel to work with pegasi, but each airship worked under the command of army generals. After the First Coast War ended, and Anonymous was made a General, High Command realized that attaching airships to the army was a liability.”
  1687. “How so?”
  1688. >”Using army chains of command made logistics a nightmare, there was little to no coordination with other ships in the air, and the Generals on the ground usually didn’t use them to their greatest extent. Overall it was horrid. If the war were against the griffons instead of the Saddle Arabians, then I don’t doubt that they would have been able to win the skies. Thankfully our enemy lacked wings, so the war served as a learning experience.”
  1689. >He takes another sip of brandy.
  1690. “So how exactly did you get the job?”
  1691. >”Anonymous managed to persuade Celestia to make the Air Fleet a proper branch of the military. There were only a dozen ships in the fleet at the end of the war, so he was allowed to choose which Captain would be promoted up to Admiral.”
  1692. “And he chose you?”
  1693. >”Back then, officers were aristocrats- especially the commanders of ships, both on the sea or in the air. They still are on the sea, but all of those Captains were nobles by birth; most didn’t know the difference between port and starboard, and the others couldn’t even lift a sword.”
  1694.  
  1695. >You take another drink of the brandy.
  1696. >”Celestia specifically told him to choose the Captain of any airship to promote. Now, I served as a first officer on a ship that was destroyed near the end of the war. But due to clerical error, the ship was still listed as having an active commission, and because the Captain of that ship died with it, I was acting Captain.”
  1697. “So he got you the job by technicality?”
  1698. >”Not quite, at first I declined the offer.”
  1699. “Why?”
  1700. >”Because I felt my place was on the deck of a ship relaying orders. But Anonymous persisted. He continued to ask me to take the job for over a month, but I wouldn’t budge. So, he arranged a test to decide who would become Admiral of the Air Fleet. He informed me that if I at least showed up to the test, then he would never bring up the topic of promotion again.”
  1701. >Brairheart starts to chuckle.
  1702. >”He’d even let me throw the test if I wanted to.”
  1703. “What was the test?”
  1704. >”He gathered all of the Captains onto the deck of an air ship. There were unicorns to keep the ship afloat, and a boatswain to oversee the deck, but no other crew. The test was to take the ship and move it one mile to the south. The boatswain would be in command, and the Captains would serve as crew. The Captain who performed the best would get the job.”
  1705. “And?”
  1706. >”And I was the only one who was able to understand the orders without asking ‘does that mean this?’ to every statement.”
  1707. “So you won the test.”
  1708. >”No, I lasted ten minutes of the nobility’s cluelessness before I accepted the job.”
  1709.  
  1710. “Sounds like things were really bad back then.”
  1711. >”Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that things were bad; it’s just that they got much better… Merit has done wonders for the military.”
  1712. “Sir?”
  1713. >”Yes Major?”
  1714. “I… it’s nothing.”
  1715. >That’s not something you should ask at a time like this.
  1716. >But it seems Brairheart won’t let it go.
  1717. >”Go on, what is it?”
  1718. “Like I said, it’s nothing.”
  1719. >”If it’s nothing, then you wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.”
  1720. “I guess… I just wanted to know if you ever second guessed your line of work.”
  1721. >”Ah. Which means you’re second guessing some things yourself.”
  1722. >Which was exactly what you were trying to get at…
  1723. “No, it’s just-“
  1724. >”Don’t lie to me. We’ve all been there, especially after large battles. It has a way of getting to you, you know? The stress, the quantity of death, holding the lives of your allies in your hooves, ordering your men to put their lives on the line, the blood and the gore. It all finds a way to eat away at you.”
  1725. “Sir?”
  1726. >”The answer is yes. I have reservations every day of my life. It only gets worse as you continue your career, but I don’t think of it as a detractor.”
  1727. “What do you mean?”
  1728. >”I believe that the uncertainty is what keeps a soldier honest. I wouldn’t want men under my command to relish in the destruction, I would want the opposite. It’s only by questioning ourselves, do we keep souls as pure as they can be given our line of work.”
  1729. “And how pure do you think that is? Given our line of work.”
  1730. >”That’s not something I can tell you. I suppose it depends on your own ethic, but you need to discover it for yourself.”
  1731.  
  1732. >Sounds like a copout answer.
  1733. “It’s just that the ponies that we’re fighting down there. They’re barely more than kids, that or they’re almost too old to pick up a spear.”
  1734. >”I understand that. But just think what they’d do if they were in the streets of Canterlot or Manehattan with nopony to stand up to them.”
  1735. >The thought sickens you.
  1736. “I’m not sure I want to.”
  1737. >”We can’t define how others treat war. All we can do is define how we go about war, and defend ourselves when it happens.”
  1738. “I guess you’re right.”
  1739. >”It’s a heavy question, and one that you can’t find an answer to in a single night.”
  1740. >You look out to the city below, and sit in silence for some time.
  1741. >In the distance you can see a light flash on a hill: a cannon firing towards the city.
  1742. >In response, a gun on the wall fires back.
  1743. >Prompting a small back and forth to begin.
  1744. >A dozen or so cannons fire on each side.
  1745. >But then the view goes quiet once again.
  1746. >As the view settles, the Admiral breaks the silence:
  1747. >”What about you?”
  1748. “What about me?”
  1749. >”Any good war stories?”
  1750. “I never really cared to tell them.”
  1751. >”Well that’s something that has to change.”
  1752. “Is that an order?”
  1753. >”If it has to be. Go on then, give me one.”
  1754. >Your part at Baltimare might work.
  1755. >Or at the MID headquarters.
  1756. >”And nothing from this year.”
  1757. “Why not?”
  1758. >”Because it’s not a proper war story if the war it’s from isn’t even a year old.”
  1759. “So it’s not the same without nostalgia?”
  1760. >”Something like that. You’ll thank me when you’re my age, and half of your free time is spent sitting around talking about the ‘old’ days.”
  1761. >Brairheart grabs the bottle of brandy with his magic, and fills up his glass and yours.
  1762. “I suppose I can remember something back from the Second Coast War.”
  1763. >He sets down the bottle, and brings his glass up to his mouth.
  1764. >”Go on.”
  1765. >He says before taking a sip.
  1766.  
  1767. “Well it was after the beachheads had been secured. With the costal ports and cities secured, we had to move further inland. You know how they were; taking a couple of cities wouldn’t have ended the war… It was all or nothing.”
  1768. >”All or nothing was somewhat of an understatement given their drive.”
  1769. >They were REALLY angry over the loss in the first war.
  1770. “Yeah…”
  1771. >”Continue.”
  1772. “Well, with the coast secured, we had to move inland. And at the front where I was posted, we had set to sieging the next city south along the road. The only problems were that the city was constantly getting supplied, and the army we had was too small to properly surround the city- leave alone trying to assault the walls.”
  1773. >”Who led the army.”
  1774. “The Field Marshal. Well, he was a General at the time.”
  1775. >”Ahh… I think I know the story you’re talking about.”
  1776. >Of course he does.
  1777. “Do you want me to stop?”
  1778. >”Did I say to stop?”
  1779. “Right.”
  1780. >Where were you?
  1781. >The city.
  1782. “Well, with the city looking like too hard of a nut to crack, Anonymous gave Brigadier General Lancer charge of the army. Lancer was to continue the siege and wait for reinforcements, while Anonymous took five hundred men off into the desert.”
  1783. >”And I assume you were one of those five hundred?”
  1784. “I was. And this was during the summer, so a few days in the desert were about as pleasant as you can assume it was. He took us far to the south- away from the road.”
  1785. >”Lose anypony to attrition?”
  1786. “No, actually. We were ordered to be carrying our weight in water, and we mainly marched in the night. After five- no, six days of travel, we swung back to the road.”
  1787. >Those days on the march were some of the worst days you had in the entire campaign.
  1788.  
  1789. “Over the road was a small fort. It was barely more than a couple buildings with a perimeter of walls to surround them. The walls themselves were short, barely twenty feet in height, but they were built to last. But there were two gates, as the road itself ran through the fort itself.”
  1790. >You take a sip of brandy, and the Admiral remains silent- waiting for you to continue.
  1791. “And the road was the main source of supply to the city a few days to the north, the one under siege.”
  1792. >You pause to think for a moment.
  1793. “I overheard Anonymous speaking to the officers one night. He said that it was ‘like island hopping but in the desert’ or something similar.”
  1794. >He wanted to cut off supply so that Lancer could more easily take the city.
  1795. “See, the desert sands on either side of the road were too loose to take supply carts over. So the road was the only way they could bring in more cannons or food shipments.”
  1796. >”And I’m assuming the Saddle Arabians didn’t just open the gates for you.”
  1797. “No, we had to take it. He had us wait for the next nightfall, and we attacked well after midnight. He had the pegasi lift him over the walls, and he snuck across the wall to one of the gatehouses with a couple others.”
  1798. >”Did the alarm sound?”
  1799. “No, he was able to kill or sneak past anypony in his path without any alarms going up. I wasn’t one of the pegasi to go with him, but I didn’t hear any alarms.”
  1800. >”So he got to the gatehouse, and?”
  1801. “He sent one of the pegasi back, to initiate an attack.”
  1802. >That you were a part of.
  1803. “The other fliers moved over the opposite gate, and then the alarm went off. But while the defenders awoke and scrambled to the gate they though was under attack, Anonymous opened the other one-letting the rest of the men into the fort.”
  1804. >”How was the fight?”
  1805.  
  1806. “There were only a hundred or so defenders and most of them were tired. With the flank taken into account, it was over within ten minutes or so. But taking the fort was the easy part, now we had to hold it.”
  1807. >”As with any assault.”
  1808. “So we started to take stock. The fort itself was fairly well equipped, a dozen cannons on the sides facing the roads, and six on those not. Also we found a couple caravans shipping gunpowder and shot to the city. The armory also had a decent amount of arrows, but for a force smaller than our own. Given that our own archers brought plenty, it was still a nice bonus.”
  1809. >Brairheart swirls the brandy in his glass.
  1810. “We were able to rest up for a few hours, but then we had to be at attention. Waiting for the Saddle Arabians to discover that the fort was now ours.”
  1811. >He takes a small sip of the brandy.
  1812. “The first day was pretty uneventful. When the first caravan approached, we had the gate open for them. And when the five or six carts were past it, we dropped the portcullis and sprang to surround them. They surrendered almost immediately, but we didn’t have the room for prisoners, and we wouldn’t kill enemies that laid down their weapons. So we sent them out the way they came, and kept the carts.”
  1813. >”What were they carrying?”
  1814. “Food and water mainly. Between the stores in the fort, and the well that was outside one of the buildings, we could have stayed there for a month or so, maybe two with heavy rationing.”
  1815. >You raise your glass and take another drink of brandy.
  1816.  
  1817. “But that caravan came in just after sunrise, and more soon followed. And one of the first groups to come down the road was a battalion of men sent to reinforce the city.”
  1818. >You laugh for a second.
  1819. “At first, they actually brought up some of the caravans, and tried to send them around the walls. It probably would have taken a couple hours to drag them through the sand, but they stopped after we fired a cannon or two at them. So they set in for a siege of their own. After that, it was pretty quiet on the first day. We had to hold, and they had to wait for more men to get backed up to attempt to retake the fort.”
  1820. >”They just brought the carts up to hug the wall?”
  1821. “We couldn’t believe it either. I think they tried sending a few just to see if they could get by through pure audacity.”
  1822. >”So that was the first day, what about the second?”
  1823. “That’s when the fighting properly started. They tried to rush the walls with grappling hooks, but cannon fire was able to bring down the waves that they sent at us. It continued like that throughout the day, and then as night started to fall, they sent men out to collect the bodies. They approached unarmed and under a white flag, so we allowed it for that night and the nights to come.”
  1824. >”Go on.”
  1825. “The third day was much the same, but they attempted to attack from multiple sides. And the fourth was the same, but on that day we ran out of powder. Three days of firing almost nonstop will drain the supplies rather quickly. But then when they attacked, they started to get through, and now they were bringing proper ladders with them.”
  1826. >”Sounds like things got bad quickly.”
  1827.  
  1828. “They did. On the fifth day, they were able to consistently get men onto the walls. But each time we were able to repulse them… Then on the sixth day we ran out of arrows.”
  1829. >”Bad to worse very quickly.”
  1830. “That’s when things started to get…”
  1831. >You can’t think of a proper word
  1832. “Interesting, I suppose.”
  1833. >”How so?”
  1834. “Well they started to move their camps much closer to the walls. In the night we could hear them singing war chants. They had men up all night to try and lower our morale. And while men in the camps kept singing, they would occasionally have others try to assault in the night. They had the manpower to keep going all night, we could see at least five thousand of them in the camps- and that’s a number that would only grow.”
  1835. >”They only outnumbered you ten to one?”
  1836. “After the first week, we had lost a hundred men. We managed to hold them, but barely. But that’s not the most memorable part of those few days.”
  1837. >”What is?”
  1838. “Once they moved in their camps and started singing, Anonymous decided to fight fire with fire. He wanted us to be more than just a force of a few hundred men; he wanted us to be a force- an ominous rock standing out of the sand, which would never break or stop. He had every waking man repeat the same chant, over and over, never stopping. I’m not sure how it affected the Saddle Arabians, but it kept us going. After a day it became our heartbeat- if the chant died, then we would die with it.”
  1839.  
  1840. >”What was it?”
  1841. “I’ll never forget the main part of it. It was in some language that he knew, but none of us did.”
  1842. >The way it echoed as hundreds of men sang it in unison was…
  1843. >Well you all got so used to it that it echoed inside of your very essence.
  1844. “Da pacem, Domine, in diebus nostris. Quia non est alius. Qui pugnet pro nobis. Nisi tui noster.”
  1845. >You shudder as you recount the words.
  1846. “He said that it was about fighting alone, having faith in that your cause is just.”
  1847. >”Sounds like Anon alright.”
  1848. “Anyway, that continued for days. Then on the twelfth day, they stopped the attacks. We didn’t know why, so we got much needed rest. After a few hours, we found out why the assaults stopped.”
  1849. >You take a large sip from the cup.
  1850. “They had finally got a caravan of cannons in, and were setting them up. When they started firing, everypony that was resting sprang up and got ready to fight. We had to huddle behind the walls to protect from the cannonade, and as we endured the barrage, our chant only got louder. I’m sure that even the artillery crews were able to hear the chant over the cannon fire.”
  1851. >”They attacked their own fort?”
  1852. “I guess we were being too much of an annoyance. The walls were tough, but eventually a breach was made and the cannons fell silent.”
  1853. >”Don’t stop now.”
  1854. “They stopped firing and prepared for one mass assault at the breach. The General ordered every man who was still able to hold a sword to form a half circle around the breach, and wait. We were to strictly hold our position, under no circumstance were we to break formation. But he wasn’t a part of those lines. We watched as a force many times our own started their charge through the sands. Honestly, I was sure that we were going to fail right then.”
  1855.  
  1856. >”What happened?”
  1857. “We kept chanting. And right as the enemy army was on its final approach, maybe a hundred feet from the breach, the General jumped down from the crumbling wall- down into the breach, and armed only with his sword. He stood alone, the only man between us and a force over ten times our size. When he landed, he simply stood in the breach, facing the army as if he was just having a casual conversation. As the Saddle Arabians all let out battle cries that overshadowed every other sound, he just stood there. At the last minute, he drew his sword. And as the entire army came hammering into him, he stood fast and didn’t break.”
  1858. >You pause to take another drink, emptying the cup.
  1859. “I’m not sure how much time passed, but he stayed there and kept fighting. And not one enemy soldier passed the threshold of the breach. He must have killed hundreds in that afternoon. And as he stood in the breach alone, we kept chanting. If the chant didn’t unsettle the Arabians before, I’m sure it did after that fight. It was almost as if the chant was what kept him going, and nopony dared to stop as we had to restart the chant over and over again. Because we feared that if the chant died, then so would our leader.”
  1860. >”What happened then?”
  1861. “Eventually they broke off the attack and resumed barraging the fort with their guns. So we settled in for another set of cannon fire, while Anonymous sat down against the side of the wall and rested.”
  1862. >”And then?”
  1863. “Before they could mass another attack after forming three other breaches, we were relieved. Then Colonel Offense led a force of seven thousand pegasi to reinforce our position. He quickly overran the enemy, who were not expecting any Equestrians other than the ones they had pinned down.”
  1864.  
  1865. >You then pause for breath, having finished telling the tale.
  1866. >”A decent story. You could use a bit more with the ending, it just ends; and chew the scenery a bit more.”
  1867. >Well gee, thanks…
  1868. >You each sit in silence, looking over to the city below.
  1869. >But your mind starts to drift back to Equestria.
  1870. “I don’t want to intrude, but do you mind if I ask a personal question?
  1871. >He cocks his head over face you.
  1872. >”Of course Thunder.”
  1873. “You have a family, right?”
  1874. >”A wife and two children.”
  1875. >He continues speaking before you can ask the next question.
  1876. >”No, it doesn’t get easier being away from them. But you both will eventually get used to it.”
  1877. >He knew exactly what you were going to ask.
  1878. “Right… so any advice?”
  1879. >”On what exactly?”
  1880. “Being a father.”
  1881. >”You’ll be completely lost, make dozens of mistakes, stumble through everything, and you won’t have a decent night’s sleep for at least five years. But, it’s worth it. Your life will be terrible, but it will be the best terrible you’ll ever know.”
  1882. “So, no advice?”
  1883. >”Any advice I give you will be meaningless; you need to find your own way through it. It will be hard, but that’s the point. I can tell you every detail of my experience, but you’ll find that yours is completely different.”
  1884. “Great…”
  1885. >You reply sarcastically.
  1886. >”Your wife is a nurse, right?”
  1887. “Yes, Winter is.”
  1888. >”Even if she wasn’t, you need to understand that she knows much more than you do.”
  1889. “About what?”
  1890. >”Anything and everything.”
  1891. “Oh that… I already knew that.”
  1892. >”Yes dear.”
  1893. “The married man’s most valuable phrase.”
  1894.  
  1895. >”Trust me, late into pregnancy that phrase will save your life.”
  1896. “Speaking from experience I assume.”
  1897. >”My wife, Spring Daisy, gave me the first three months to do my job when we had our boy. After that she was adamant that if she didn’t have me for the rest of them, she would… well it’s not something I’d repeat in public.”
  1898. “That bad?”
  1899. >”Let’s just say that it would be physically impossible for us to have another one.”
  1900. “Ouch.”
  1901. >Your legs tighten together.
  1902. >”She owns a flower shop back in Fillydelphia, and I don’t doubt she’d be waiting for me with a pair of pruning shears if I was late.”
  1903. >He chuckles slightly.
  1904. >”I’m embellishing. It was only said in jest, but she did demand that I be there for the latter parts of the pregnancies and for a few months after their births… At least I hope it was in jest.”
  1905. “Still, that’s a lot of time away. Sounds like it wasn’t even a year for you.”
  1906. >”Well it’s a lot of time off the job. But it’s always been allowed for men to take up to a year off when a child is born. Always has been like that, and thankfully nopony really abuses the rule. Make sure to have them in peace time, and there isn’t an issue.”
  1907. “Wait, we’re allowed a full year off for each child? I thought we only got a month plus whatever days of leave we had saved.”
  1908. >”Don’t spread it around. The month is national standard for civilians. But there’s a seven century old rule for the military that never got changed. If I recall correctly, the year is void if the Princess declares a state of emergency. The rulebook you were given back in basic was the abridged version of a fifteen volume series.”
  1909. “Why do we have fifteen volumes?”
  1910.  
  1911. >”Because over a thousand years, bureaucrats kept adding rules. After the ten thousand page mark was reached in volume five, I think that they stopped reading them. Because each volume after that is at least half of rules that have already been made.”
  1912. “How do you even know that?”
  1913. >”I had a free summer. Thankfully it mostly goes completely ignored.”
  1914. “Why doesn’t anypony make a new set of rules for the military?”
  1915. >”Because we have forty thousand pages of loopholes to exploit, and nopony wants to ruin that.”
  1916. “That sounds like corruption in a way.”
  1917. >”Anyway.”
  1918. >Brairheart is quick to get off of the topic.
  1919. >”Also remember to never miss a birthday or anniversary unless absolutely necessary. You’ll never live it down.”
  1920. “Personal experience again?”
  1921. >”I missed Orchid’s birth because of the Second Coast War. Golden Orchid is my daughter, and the biggest regret in my life is missing her birth.”
  1922. “I’m sorry.”
  1923. >”Don’t be sorry, just don’t miss it yourself.”
  1924. “So how often do you manage to get back? Outside of times like this.”
  1925. >”Well if there isn’t a war going on, you can usually get away with spending a third of the year with family. If you’re posted far away from them that is.”
  1926. “How tough is it for them?”
  1927. >”Well if the wife knew what she was getting into, then she’ll be fine. For the kids… it can be tough, especially when duty calls and you have to be posted to some far off land.”
  1928. >He sips his bandy.
  1929.  
  1930. >”But, your family knows that it’s just as tough on you. I think that makes times when the family is all together much more meaningful than how it is for civilians.”
  1931. “I guess it does make everypony value what they have that much more.”
  1932. >”Exactly. And with a large portion of the population being veterans, it helps the wife and kids find friends. It’s tough, but pretty much everypony in the nation knows how tough it is having family away to serve.”
  1933. >Silence returns to the observation room, but the Admiral soon breaks it with a small laugh.
  1934. “Sir?”
  1935. >”Oh it’s nothing. I was just thinking about my son, Sky Chaser. See, Offense’s daughter, Sea Breeze, lives with my family. Offense lost his wife in childbirth a few years ago, so my wife and I offered to let Sea stay with my family. She’s only a couple years younger that Sky and I was just remembering how inseparable they are.”
  1936. “Ah. That’s a shame about Offense’s wife.”
  1937. >”It is, but it’s the least I could offer. Offense is a brutish ruffian who is blunt, uncultured, and an immense loudmouth… but he’s also my best friend. But don’t you date tell him that.”
  1938. “My lips are sealed.”
  1939. >You each chuckle slightly, nothing loud, just an acknowledgement of the married life.
  1940. >You then close your eyes as you notice how heavy they are.
  1941. >And your joints are tired from a long day of fighting and flying.
  1942. >As you let out a yawn, you turn back to Brairheart.
  1943. “Sir, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll turn in for the night.”
  1944. >”Please do, Major. You have another long day ahead of you.”
  1945. >You rise from the chair and make for the door.
  1946. >As you open it, Brairheart calls out to you.
  1947. >”And Major.”
  1948. “Sir?”
  1949. >”Don’t worry so much about the family. Just be there as much as you can, and everything will work out.”
  1950. “I… thank you Sir.”

Heart of War- Prologue

by ThingPaste

Heart of War- Act I

by ThingPaste

Heart of War- Act II

by ThingPaste

Heart of War- Act III

by ThingPaste

Heart of War- Act IV

by ThingPaste