GREEN   30   0
   23860 132.93 KB    2473

Heart of War- Act XVI

By ThingPaste
Created: 2024-02-28 03:19:37
Expiry: Never
heart of war

  1. >…
  2. >”Princess, word is there’s a griffon diplomat that wants to speak with you. He said that he’s carrying a letter from their king.”
  3. >Lancer speaks as you sit in the throne.
  4. >Remobilization has been going quickly so far.
  5. >In a month, the military will have doubled in size by all projections.
  6. >And by the time winter comes around, you’ll be back to having a million man army.
  7. >You don’t care how many tunnels the creatures have to breed in, there’s no way they can keep up if it comes down to attrition.
  8. >This is the first thing that’s come up that hasn’t been related to that effort.
  9. “Send him in, I could use a break.”
  10. >…
  11. >Lancer escorts the brown and grey griffon into the throne room.
  12. >His head is rather round for a griffon.
  13. >But he isn’t particularly overweight, so it looks more comical than strange.
  14. >As they walk closer, you can see the diplomat visibly shaking.
  15. >When they arrive at the bottom of the stairs to the throne, the griffon speaks.
  16. >And he can barely bring his eyes up halfway.
  17. >”Princess Heart, it is an honor to-“
  18. “Speak normally.”
  19. >”I, uhh. To be present in your most serene-“
  20. “You’re new, aren’t you?”
  21. >He looks even deeper onto the ground.
  22. >”Yes.”
  23. “Well, why are you here?”
  24. >”I bring a letter directly from King Grover the fourth, an ever merciful and just ruler who-“
  25. “Just give it here.”
  26.  
  27. >He reaches into his satchel and gives the letter to Lancer who walks it up to you.
  28. >As you go to open it, the diplomat speaks:
  29. >”Please don’t hurt me.”
  30. “Why would I-“
  31. >You glance at the page.
  32. >In a very crude writing, you see the following:
  33. >[Princess Flurrie Haert:]
  34. >[Give Vanhoover and]
  35. >(The following word is crossed out and then spelled correctly)
  36. >[surrounding land.]
  37. >[or else.]
  38. >[-King Grover 4]
  39. >He was like what, ten?
  40. >Atrocious grammar for a kid of his age.
  41. >Still, so much for the peace treaty…
  42. “Somepony go get Admiral Brairheart.”
  43. >Lancer then asks you:
  44. >”What is it?”
  45. “The usual griffon demands, but much less eloquently stated.”
  46. >Might as well have some fun.
  47. >Leaning forward, you furrow your brow as you look at the diplomat.
  48. >His feathers might as well get a shade or two more pale.
  49. “So that’s what he wants, is it?”
  50. >”Please, I’m just the messenger.”
  51. “Oh I’m not going to hurt you.”
  52. >You see Brairheart step in from the hallway.
  53. >He was dealing with some supply line problem with lower officers in the hall.
  54. “Admiral! You’re going to be escorting our guest here back to Griffonstone. Take that airship you like so much. Also when you get there take a shot at one of the mountains with the main gun.”
  55. >You then look back at the diplomat.
  56.  
  57. “Alright, listen up. Celestia might have put up with all of this nonsense, but I won’t. The next time your people attack us, I want you to use your imagination as to what will happen. Maybe I’ll just annex everything, maybe I’ll completely destroy Griffonstone and salt the ground for good measure. I’ve offered to let bygones be bygones, but if you guys insist on being enemies, I’d be more than happy to oblige. So, I suggest that your child king takes a good long look at the peace treaty we both signed a few months ago, and asks himself if it’s really worth it.”
  58. >You then glance back to the admiral.
  59. “And Brairheart, make sure that everypony in the capitol knows my terms. And add that if their king won’t keep them safe, they should replace him with somepony who will.”
  60. >Finally you look back to the diplomat.
  61. “And don’t forget to remind your king that I have more soldiers than he has people. If he’s been treating his math lessons with as much attention as he gives writing, he probably never realized it.”
  62. >”Y-yes your highness!”
  63. “Now get out of my palace.”
  64. >As Brairheart escorts the poor griffon out of the throne room, Lancer speaks to you.
  65. >”That was… severe.”
  66. “The griffons have no excuse for all the wars. It’s in the yak and minotaur cultures, and after the changeling stuff the Saddle Arabians really hated us. But the griffons just had no proper reason for any of their wars other than greed.”
  67. >”Still, is it really wise to provoke the kid king?”
  68. “Somepony has to be strict with him, and apparently none of his countrymen are. And for the record, I’m serious. If they declare war, the very best that they’re getting is full annexation.”
  69. >Lancer remains silent after the statement.
  70. >And you have nothing more to add, so the throne room gets real quiet really fast.
  71.  
  72. >…
  73. >As you finish latching your breastplate to your torso, you reach over to your cot and grab your backpack.
  74. >Slinging it over your shoulders, you check to make sure everything is packed.
  75. >You only brought the front of your armor, and that’s set.
  76. >Dagger and other knives all on.
  77. >Sword, as always.
  78. >The machete is snug between your backpack and your back, but it’s accessible.
  79. >Kukri below the backpack.
  80. >Everything is in the backpack already.
  81. >That… thing is already in your breast pocket under your armor.
  82. >There’s something you’re missing though.
  83. >You’re sure of it.
  84. “Harv, what am I forgetting.”
  85. >”The gun.”
  86. “Right…”
  87. >You packed the bullets, but almost forgot the gun…
  88. >Thankfully, you had Gunny make a sling for it.
  89. >Reaching over to the four bore, you toss the heavy shotgun over your right shoulder.
  90. >That’s heavy.
  91. >You just had to have him make an elephant gun, didn’t you?”
  92. >Between the gun itself and all the cartridges, you’re basically adding thirty-odd pounds to your gear.
  93. >That could have been halved if you had a twelve or even ten gauge made instead.
  94. >The things you do for (ludicrous) stopping power.
  95. >But you’ll probably need it here.
  96. >All this stuff is actually slightly heavy.
  97. >A few years ago, you wouldn’t have even noticed…
  98. >Well on the bright side, your gear will only get lighter.
  99. >Taking one last look at the improvised room you have down in the lower reaches of the ship, you turn and head for the deck.
  100.  
  101. >…
  102. >”Anon?”
  103. >As you step out onto the deck, Tiara calls over to you.
  104. “Yes?”
  105. >She’s standing just outside her cabin.
  106. >”Can I speak to you before you leave?”
  107. “Sure.”
  108. >She nods back towards the door before turning to head inside.
  109. >You follow, and enter through the door she leaves open behind her.
  110. >”So this is it.”
  111. >She says as you close the door.
  112. “The end of the beginning has finished, and now the beginning of the end can… begin.”
  113. >Not your greatest word play, but you tired.
  114. “So, yeah. This is it.”
  115. >”You’re not coming back, are you?”
  116. “Well seeing as you guys are heading home, and there’s no plan for another ship to pick me up…”
  117. >”That’s…”
  118. >She doesn’t finish the statement.
  119. “I’m here for one thing, and one thing only. But hey, if all goes well, I‘ll find a way back.”
  120. >”Sorry, but I find that unlikely.”
  121. “I’ve tamed a manticore before. Trust me- it’s not THAT unlikely.”
  122. >”What I mean is…”
  123. “Yes?”
  124. >”Oh, it’s not important.”
  125. “Isn’t it?”
  126. >”No, I mean…”
  127. “Spit it out.”
  128. >”Don’t you have anypony back home waiting for you?”
  129. >Oh.
  130. >Oh…
  131. >Well this is awkward.
  132. “Look, I’ve got a… promise that I intend to fulfill.”
  133. >Honestly you’ve never really thought of that…
  134. >”Oh.”
  135. >But…
  136. “What I mean is, maybe. But don’t wait up, you know?”
  137. >God, this is awkward.
  138.  
  139. >”Right… so. What I meant to say is good luck. You know, there’s a lot ahead, and you’ll need it… and all of that…”
  140. “That’s funny. Back before I got to this world, I didn’t believe in luck. But when you’re in enough trenches and on enough frontlines, that changes.”
  141. >“Well fate is what fate will.”
  142. “I don’t believe in fate.”
  143. >”But you just said-“
  144. “There’s a difference between luck and fate. Some people have it good, some bad. But everyone is in charge of their own destiny. All that matters is how they react to their situation and luck. Everyone gets dealt a hand, and no matter how good or how bad it is, it’s up to them to decide how to play it.”
  145. >”That’s one way to look at it.”
  146. “What do you think?”
  147. >”Well…”
  148. “What?”
  149. >”Oh, it’s silly.”
  150. “What is it?”
  151. >”I think that everypony has their destiny, and the only factor is that whether they live up to it or not.”
  152. “I think that’s a fair way to see things…”
  153.  
  154. >…
  155. >Well, here you are.
  156. >On the deck, walking to the longboat.
  157. >They’ll take you to the nearest land, and get going.
  158. >Due to all the gear you have, a pair of pegasi would have problems trying to carry you.
  159. >So you’re doing it the old fashioned way.
  160. >Stepping over onto the boat, you then turn around to face the crew.
  161. >You see Commander Port at the front of the crowd.
  162. “Commander, It’s been an honor. You’re a good officer, and I hope your career lasts much longer.”
  163. >”Thank you Sit.”
  164. >Honestly, you’ll miss hearing his baritone voice daily.
  165. “To the rest of you, it’s obvious that you’re the pride of the Royal Navy. I wish you the best of luck in getting home.”
  166. >”Hey!”
  167. >You hear a familiar voice yell.
  168. >Sounds like…
  169. >The pegasi pushes his way through the crowd.
  170. >It’s Three-Leg.
  171. “Don’t you have a crow’s nest to be in.”
  172. >”There ain’t no horizon to watch. Here.”
  173. >He offers you a flask.
  174. >That’s his flask.
  175. >Like HIS flask, his flask.
  176. >He must notice your apprehension at taking the offer.
  177. >”Go on, I’ve got another… and you’ll probably need it.”
  178. “Ha!... Three-Leg, it’s been an honor, you damn alcoholic.”
  179. >”Alcoholics have problems, I’m a drunk- thank you very much.”
  180. “Of course, sorry about that.”
  181. >”Ah, not a problem, you just make sure to return it once this is all over.”
  182. “Sure thing.”
  183. >You then hear another voice yell out.
  184. >It’s Tiara.
  185. >”Anon!”
  186.  
  187. “Lady Tiara.”
  188. >You say as the crewmen clear way for her.
  189. >You did kind of leave her in her cabin…
  190. >Given that you’re on the longboat, when she gets to the railing you’re virtually eye-to-eye.
  191. “Can I help you?”
  192. >”Good luck.”
  193. >She says before leaning forward to kiss you on the cheek.
  194. >The reaction from the crew is… notable.
  195. “Good luck yourself. It’ll be a long road.”
  196. >”It’s already been a long road.”
  197. “When you get back, I want you to tell Lancer and the others that it’s been a honor.”
  198. >”Here.”
  199. >She offers you a small round object.
  200. >Solid silver looks like.
  201. >You open it up, and see that it’s a compass.
  202. >”My father gave that to me when I got my first command.”
  203. >On the interior of the lid, there is a sentence carved in to the silver.
  204. >In an ornate cursive, it reads:
  205. >[So you can always find your way home]
  206. “I can’t take this from you.”
  207. >”I expect you to return it.”
  208. “Of course you do.”
  209. >”Now get off my ship, we need to make good time today.”
  210. >You look over to the ponies holding the rope that will lower the longboat.
  211. “You heard the lady!”
  212. >Placing the compass into your pocket, you sit down on the boat and let the rowers do their job.
  213. >As the boat hits the water, you look up to the deck.
  214. “See you around, Tirra.”
  215. >”Don’t call me that!”
  216.  
  217. >…
  218. >”Come on Son.”
  219. >A hoof is placed on your shoulder.
  220. >You look up from Winter as she lays there, still unresponsive.
  221. >It’s Morning Brew, her father.
  222. >He’s about your size but with wider shoulders, has a lighter brown coat with a darker mane that’s greying a fair bit.
  223. >And his jaw is rather pronounced.
  224. >”Let’s take a walk.”
  225. “I should stay.”
  226. >”You need the air.”
  227. “I-“
  228. >”Come on. I need to show you something.”
  229. >…
  230. >You mind has been focused on one thing, and one thing only.
  231. >It feels like no time has passed by the time you get halfway across the city.
  232. “Where are we?”
  233. >The nearby houses are in ruin, and workers are sorting through everything.
  234. >”This is where the first of those tunnels popped up.”
  235. “Why are we here?”
  236. >”Just stopping on the way, come on.”
  237. >…
  238. >Your mind wanders again.
  239. >To memories.
  240. >When Winter had you paint the baby’s room to be pink because she knew it would be a filly.
  241. >When you first learned she was pregnant.
  242. >All of those talks you had when she came to check on the Marshal while he was in the coma.
  243. >Your wedding…
  244. >It’s all gone.
  245. >Brew has been leading you north.
  246. >You think.
  247. >Wait.
  248. “What’s this?”
  249. >You’re in a cemetery, over a freshly made grave.
  250.  
  251. >”My daughter.”
  252. >The grave reads: [Amber Dawn]
  253. >”Some ponies would call me the unluckiest stallion in the Crystal Empire. Those tunnels came up under each of my children’s homes. Amber was at home when it hit...”
  254. “What? I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.”
  255. >”But I don’t believe in luck. This was fate… fate telling me that I need to get back out there and help stop this from happening to any other parent. That’s what I believe… if only to have the strength to get up in the morning.”
  256. “What?”
  257. >”All across Equestria, recruitment is back up. They’re saying they need everypony that will step up. I might be old, but I still have a bit of fight in me.”
  258. “But why did you bring me here?”
  259. >”Because you need to wake up. I know you’re in a bad place, but you’re wasting away in there. You haven’t eaten, you’ve barely drank anything… it’s not what she would have wanted.”
  260. “I know… But I just can’t… Apparently you’re a much stronger pony than I am.”
  261. >He places a hoof on your shoulder.
  262. >”You don’t know how wrong you are.”
  263. “I… need to get back to her.”
  264.  
  265. >…
  266. >The rowers bring you up to the remains of an old stone dock.
  267. >Half of it has crumbled into the sea, but the other half is still standing.
  268. >When you reach it, you rise and make the step onto it.
  269. >Turning back, you face the two still on the boat.
  270. “Alright boys, this is it. Good luck out there.”
  271. >”And you Sir.”
  272. >As they push off from the dock and start rowing back to the ship, you decide to wait until the Avalon has left the harbor.
  273. >…
  274. >As the ship slowly exits your view, you realize something.
  275. >You’re here.
  276. >You’re really actually here.
  277. >Finally.
  278. “Harv!”
  279. >”Hello Anon.”
  280. >You look over to your right to see him standing next to you.
  281. “Ready to get this buddy cop flick underway?”
  282. >”As I’ll ever be.”
  283. “Which way first?”
  284. >”East.”
  285. “Damn, should have put money on that.”
  286. >You turn to see the large cityscape before you.
  287. >Harvey is already jogging to the end of the dock.
  288. >”Come on then, allons y!”
  289. >You start pacing after him.
  290. “You know, in another life I could have spent years looking through these ruins.”
  291.  
  292. >”It does look like it would have been something in its heyday.”
  293. “I wonder how any real civilization could have formed over here.”
  294. >”Yeah, part of that was my fault… not all, but part.”
  295. “Of course it was.”
  296. >”It’s not even chaotic though… just wild. That’s a shame.”
  297. >You walk across and old cobbled road.
  298. >Blades of grass stick up in the gaps between the stone, many of them can reach your waist.
  299. >You are amazed that the city hasn’t been completely overgrown.
  300. >There’s a long way ahead…
  301. “It’s a long way to Tipperary, it’s a long way to go… it’s a long way to Tipperary, to the sweetest girl I know… Goodbye, Piccadilly. Farewell, Leicester Square… it’s a long long way to Tipperrary, but my heart’s right there.”
  302. >No…
  303. “That doesn’t work…”
  304. >How about…
  305. “When Johnny comes marching home again, Hurrah, Hurrah! We’ll give him a hearty welcome then, Hurrah, Hurrah!”
  306. >No…
  307. “I don’t like that either.”
  308. >Got it!
  309. >You hum the first verse.
  310. “Wir sind des Geyers Schwarze Haufen, Heia oho! und wollen mit Tyrrannen raufen, Heia hoho!”
  311. >Harvey adds some drums and strings.
  312. “Speiẞ voran, drauf und dran, setz aufs Klosterdach den roten Hahn! Speiẞ voran, drauf und dran, setz aufs Klosterdach den roten Hahn!”
  313. >Harv then simulates a record scratching off as he cuts the music when you round the corner.
  314. >You’re in what looks to have been a town square.
  315. “Hello there.”
  316. >Across the square itself and nearby roofs, you count a dozen or so chupacabras.
  317. >Maybe Harv was right, that does sound a bit silly.
  318. >And they’re all staring at you.
  319.  
  320. >”Umm… Anon, is this a problem.”
  321. >You remove the shotgun from your back and set it onto the ground.
  322. “Not at all.”
  323. >”You had a problem with one of them…”
  324. >Then you slide your backpack off and set it down.
  325. “Yeah, but now I can see and hear just fine.”
  326. >The creatures all let out high pitched screeches.
  327. >Cracking your knuckles, you speak to Harv one last time.
  328. “Keep playing that song.”
  329. >A couple of the creatures jump off of the roofs they were on and head into the square.
  330. >You start walking forward at a steady pace.
  331. >Sword?
  332. >No, you need speed.
  333. >Kukri?
  334. >Overkill.
  335. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0p-egT5vek
  336. >Reaching into your back pockets, you grasp your brass knuckles.
  337. “And Harv, this time no help… None.”
  338. >”If you insist.”
  339. >You see a creature dart wide to each of your flanks, moving to circle you.
  340. >Alright…
  341. >You adopt a fighting stance, placing your left arm in front and leaving your right ready to strike.
  342. >Let’s hit the ground running.
  343.  
  344. >And keep checking your corners.
  345. >Last time it went to hit your back.
  346. >You glance slowly to your right, then over to the left.
  347. “Go ahead… make my day.”
  348. >Movement, eight o’clock high.
  349. >Striking your left elbow at the incoming creature’s nose, you break the leap and rotate your body to put momentum into an uppercut with your right fist.
  350. >The creature falls back, and lunges up again for a final try.
  351. >Delivering a swift kick to its jaw with your right boot, you pivot on your left heel.
  352. >Bringing your right foot forward you see another leap towards you, claws outstretched.
  353. >Another is preparing to jump to your left.
  354. >With your left leg, you deliver a roundhouse kick to the first attacker’s head.
  355. >It knocks the creature off to the side, and as your left foot returns to the ground, you aim for the second.
  356. >Your right fist makes straight-on contact with its upper jaw.
  357. >Sever of its teeth get broken off as the creature falls to the ground.
  358. >To the right, another scrambles across the ground to attack your legs.
  359. >So you bring your left fist down into its upper spine.
  360. >The blow makes the creature fall flat on the ground, its limbs out to the side.
  361. >And with that, you see the remaining ones start to scurry away.
  362. >The first one to attack, and the one you roundhouse kicked scamper away as well.
  363. >The other three lay on the ground.
  364.  
  365. >And that’s what you like about animals.
  366. >Instinct can kick in pretty quickly.
  367. >This pack will either be back in greater numbers, or just leave you alone for a while at the least.
  368. “Speiẞ voran, drauf und dran, setz aufs Klosterdach den roten Hahn!”
  369. >You let the music fade to its ending as you go to retrieve your gear.
  370. >As you grab your things, you look at the square.
  371. >In the center you can see an overgrown fountain, the centerpiece has collapsed though.
  372. >To the north, south, and west there are three story buildings overlooking the square.
  373. >Several have balconies that used to overlook it.
  374. >Many of them have collapsed onto the ground.
  375. >You count six streets that go off into the city.
  376. >But to the east, you see a large staircase that goes up to the top of this crater-like harbor.
  377. >At the top, you see what you would guess to be an arch.
  378. >But only the supports remain standing, overgrown with ivy.
  379. >Good a place as any to look for the way out.
  380. “Alright Harv, I think that’s the way forward.”
  381. >”Safe bet.”
  382. “Hey, I’ve got a question.”
  383. >You start making your way to the stairs.
  384. >”Just one?”
  385. “Well, two. Be honest with me… are there any dinosaurs over here, and if so: can I tame them?”
  386. >”No dinosaurs.”
  387. “Damnit!”
  388.  
  389. >…
  390. >Thankfully for your knees, you soon reached the top.
  391. >As you step over the rubble of the collapsed arch, you get quite the view.
  392. >Sparse woodlands as far as the eye can see.
  393. >And because you’re elevated above most of nearby terrain, it goes on for quite a while.
  394. >From here, it almost looks peaceful.
  395. >A bit overgrown, but no different from the Equestrian countryside.
  396. “You sure we’re in the right place Harv?”
  397. >”At a guess, we came into a decent area. Further to the south and there would have been tropical swamps, but any more north and the elevation increases dramatically into a more alpine or even tundra type environment.”
  398. “Aren’t I lucky?”
  399. >”Well I’m sure the woods are just as dangerous as the alternatives, but it’ll at least be more comfortable to walk through.”
  400. “How far is it I’ve got to go?”
  401. >”Well over a thousand miles.”
  402. “Well isn’t that just dandy…”
  403. >”Think of it as a bonding exercise.”
  404. “With over a thousand miles to go, I think I’ll get all the exercise I need.”
  405. >”Look Anon, everything that the light touches is our kingdom.”
  406. “No.”
  407. >”But think about it! With your brawn and my brain, the world is our oyster!”
  408. “You do know we’re here for a purpose, right?”
  409. >”Right!”
  410. “So… east?”
  411. >”Keep heading that way until we hit a big river. Then we can find the first of my fun stashes.”
  412. “Never call them that again.”
  413. >”Oh just wait till you see it!”
  414.  
  415. >…
  416. >”And so you can see, if we want to get to the levels we’ve hit in the Second Coast War, we’ll need approximately one million and two hundred thousand men in the army alone.”
  417. “That’s… a lot.”
  418. >Lancer continues.
  419. >”Well the second, third, fourth, and fifth armies were dissolved, and half of the divisions in the first army were disbanded.”
  420. “If I remember what Anon told me, it’s ten ponies to a squad, five squads in a platoon, 4 platoons to a company, each battalion then has 3 companies, five battalions makes a regiment, five regiments makes a division, every four divisions makes a corps, and three corps are in every army.”
  421. >”Then each army has six support divisions bringing the manpower of the individual army to two hundred thousand men, plus another fifteen thousand pony garrison for dedicated entrenchment and occupation. Then there are the training and reserve divisions as well.”
  422. “And how are we now?”
  423. >”The 1st Army… well, the only Army right now. Has just over two thirds of its potential. The Ist and IInd corps are at full compliment. As are its support divisions. There’s the first through eighth infantry divisions, as well as the 10th Recon Division, the 14th Garrison Division, 15th Engineer Division, 16th Logistics Division, the 18th Artillery Division, 42nd Arcane Division, and the 101st Airborne Division.”
  424. >Anon made sure to make the 101st a pegasi division when he reorganized the army.
  425. >After the Screaming Eagles.
  426.  
  427. >”Set aside, we have the ninety-fifth through one hundredth reserve divisions, and the 102nd Reserve. The Ist Training Division is full as well. Brining our total manpower to two hundred sixty thousand men in the army… Of course that doesn’t include the Old Guard.”
  428. “At least a lot of the veterans will be able to skip training, or get a basic crash course to get back into the system.”
  429. >”Worst case, we fill up to the 2nd Army by the end of the year. Best case, we get partially thought 4th or even into the 5th.”
  430. “Also, I said to get pegasi pulling unicorn chariots into the military. I think they’d best fit in under Brairheart and the Air Fleet. He doesn’t have much of a fleet to command, so that’ll help take logistics away from the army.”
  431. >”More than fair. Which leads us to the question of… well, leadership. Traditionally: Anon led the 1st Army, I commanded the 2nd, Wave had the 3rd ‘Shock’ Army, Offense’s predecessor commanded the 4th, and nominally Anon commanded the 5th, which was relegated as a dedicated home front army to dissuade other nations from taking advantage of the Arabian war.”
  432. “We can keep the roles, I’ll fill in for Anon with the 1st. The 5th is fine being relegated to the higher officers on a more local basis to cover the gaps that the proper armies leave.”
  433. >”I’d recommend filling the reserve divisions first, that way they can serve as proper militias around the population centers. It sounds like this… apocalypse will be more about reaction versus action.”
  434. “Agreed.”
  435.  
  436. >”Now, I was planning on having Colonel Arrow take over the Old Guard, but given the situation I’d rather have him overseeing the training divisions. Back in the Second Coast War, a colonel would oversee and entire corps- sixty thousand men. I see it as a complete waste to have a pony of his rank leading such a small group.”
  437. “Sounds good.”
  438. >”The Guard’s lower officers can deal just fine. And once training gets under way and the ranks start filling out Arrow can be put to command a proper corps, or we could promote him and place him in charge of the 5th Army once it gets populated.”
  439. “So how do you rate our odds?”
  440. >”We’ve never faced anything like this before.”
  441. “Rough estimate.”
  442. >”Well… it’s like us against the minotaurs. Even if every minotaur is worth ten or even twenty ponies, we still have one to two hundred more soldiers than they have. Our odds? Fair. The costs though…”
  443. >The costs…
  444. >You’ve been Princess for a few months, and awake for less than half of that time.
  445. >And now you’re facing something that has the potential to be worse than anything that Celestia did while under the parasite’s influence.
  446. >Sure there were work camps and a secret police.
  447. >But as oppressed as they were, the people still were able to live…
  448.  
  449. >…
  450. >As you continue to trudge through the uneven forest floor, you decide to stop a moment.
  451. >The weight of all your gear is starting to get to your back, and your knees aren’t much better.
  452. >Panting a few times, you look around.
  453. >The woods aren’t that dense, but each of the trees you can see look ancient.
  454. >On the smallest oaks, the trunk is still wider than your body.
  455. >Much of the ground is covered with flowering bushes, making your view a rather colorful spectrum of bright yellows and shades of purple.
  456. >Where grass does cover the ground, the blades reach up to your thighs.
  457. >You’ve seen birds fly among the trees, and can hear bugs chirping in the bushes.
  458. >But since you’ve left the city a few hours ago, there’s nothing to really indicate that the area is particularly dangerous.
  459. >Hold on…
  460. >You can hear water flowing.
  461. >Not a lot, but it’s there.
  462. >To your… right.
  463. >Working your way through a bush, you brush past the stalks of small lavender flowers and duck under a low-lying branch from a tree.
  464. >You continue to move in that direction for a few paces.
  465. >As you walk between a couple of bushes, you stop yourself immediately.
  466. >Another inch and you would have taken a tumble down a few feet.
  467. >The ground cuts off sharply to a small creek that’s flowing to the west.
  468. >It’s barely three feet wide and the water flows around dozens of rocks that are covered in moss above the waterline.
  469. >Shallow and clear…
  470. >You see a tiny fish swim downriver.
  471. “You said we were looking for a river?”
  472. >”A large river Anon…”
  473. “I know, but the water’s flowing from somewhere.”
  474. >You step back from the drop a bit to avoid the brush that’s on the banks of the stream.
  475. >Alright… now where will this lead you?
  476.  
  477. >…
  478. >You kept following the creek until you found a clearing in the brush.
  479. >While the creek continues, you found a lake that it feeds into off to the left.
  480. >Decently large.
  481. >Two fifty, maybe three hundred feet across.
  482. >While the ground sharply declines to the banks of the stream, it’s more gradual as it goes down into the lake’s inlet.
  483. >While the lake’s shore looks rather overgrown on the other sides, where it feeds into the stream, there is a flat beach.
  484. >No grass or other plant life on your end, because the ground looks to be made of a gravely bed of stones.
  485. >Close to the water’s edge, the pebbles are rather damp.
  486. >But there’s a lot of area where it’s dry.
  487. >Looking to the sky, you note that it is getting decently late.
  488. “We should camp soon.”
  489. >”Need I remind you that the last time you camped anywhere close to a lake, you ended up being gored by a boar?”
  490. >On the Siren’s island.
  491. “This time I have actual weapons.”
  492. >”Look, if you really want to keep going, then I’m sure I could-“
  493. “You’re not drugging me.”
  494. >”Alright, alright.”
  495. “I think I saw a small clearing a while back, seems as good a place as any to rest at.”
  496.  
  497. >…
  498. >You sit next to the small fire you’ve built.
  499. >Eating from a can of beans that you’ve warmed over the flames.
  500. >Need to get rid of the food you have that isn’t efficient for weight.
  501. >Harvey is sitting on the opposite side of the fire, watching you.
  502. “Do you have to do that?”
  503. >”Do what?”
  504. “Stare at me.”
  505. >He sighs before disappearing.
  506. >And you take another spoonful of food.
  507. >When you swallow, you think of something.
  508. “Hey Harv?”
  509. >”Hmm?”
  510. “You can hear stuff that happens while I’m asleep, right?”
  511. >”Oh don’t worry, I’m way ahead of you. If I get even the slightest inkling that something is amiss, I’ll wake you. And before you say anything, yes I know that you’re already a light sleeper and could probably do the same on your own.”
  512. “Thanks.”
  513. >With that you continue to eat.
  514. >Hold on…
  515. >You stop chewing.
  516. >Now that’s something you wouldn’t have expected.
  517. >It’s quiet.
  518. >Not dead silent or anything like that.
  519. >You can still pick out the odd bug chirping in the evening, but comparatively it’s a lot less than during the day.
  520. >From your experience it’s usually the opposite.
  521. >You set your spoon into the can, and reach over to your dagger.
  522. >It’s currently out of its sheath, so you pull it a bit closer to a position where it’d be easier to grab at a moment’s notice.
  523. >Then you go back to eating.
  524.  
  525. >…
  526. >Your eyes shoot open as you hear an ear-piercing screech carry through the woods.
  527. >Tightening the grip you have on your dagger, you lean away from against the tree you were sleeping against.
  528. >You’ve had to sleep with a hand on a weapon for too much of your life…
  529. >You don’t catch any movement, but a moment later you hear a deeper roar.
  530. >A roar that you recognize as a bear’s.
  531. >Grizzly maybe.
  532. >Rising up from the ground, you look around.
  533. >Even though the noises are from decently far away, something is clearly happening.
  534. >Sliding your dagger into its sheathe, you grab the four bore you had leaning on the same tree you were resting against.
  535. >You place your thumb on the right barrel’s hammer, and prepare to cock it back.
  536. >You then hear the screech and roars a few more times.
  537. >Whispering, you get Harvey’s attention.
  538. “One’s a bear, you got any guesses on the other?”
  539. >”I’m the spirit of chaos, not a zoologist.”
  540. >Just when you start to think he’s useful, he manages to let you down.
  541. >It’s dark out, but seeing as your fire has long since died, your eyes are well enough adjusted.
  542. >It’s really dark out.
  543. >Must be just before dawn.
  544. >You wait for the noises to continue, but ultimately nothing else sounds out.
  545. >Literally nothing.
  546. >No early birds.
  547. >Not even a cricket…
  548.  
  549. “Hehehe.”
  550. >”What is it?”
  551. “This place… It’s like a whole new world.”
  552. >”What do you mean?”
  553. “Back over the sea, it was always so soft. Even in the harshest of times, everything managed to be upbeat. The only time it changed was in the worst of battles… even in the heart of the Everfree, nothing felt that dangerous, not really. But here, a screech in the dark and a roar in the night… it’s so much more… real… palpable… deadly.”
  554. >”That’s certainly… one way to look at it.”
  555. “But it scares me, you see.”
  556. >”I suppose that’s fair, but given your record it shouldn’t be that much of an issue.”
  557. “No, what scares me is that I’m enjoying the feeling.”
  558. >”I…”
  559. >Harvey doesn’t say anything else.
  560. >You set down your gun as you start to gather your things.
  561. >There’ll be light soon, and you want an early start.
  562. >After all, you have a lot of ground to cover.
  563.  
  564. >…
  565. >Coming back onto the gravely beach, you see something new.
  566. >A large brown carcass on the bank of the stream that feeds the lake.
  567. >There’s your grizzly.
  568. >With the early morning’s light, you go to inspect the body.
  569. >The animal is torn and laying on its side.
  570. >Dead.
  571. >”That looks bad.”
  572. >Some blood is dripping into the water, the bear died just on the edge of the inlet.
  573. >Deep lacerations across the sides and back.
  574. >But not the belly.
  575. >You kneel down to inspect the front claws.
  576. >Then look over to its mouth.
  577. >”Anon?”
  578. “Not now.”
  579. >It’s big too.
  580. >You’ve seen bears around this size, but it’s definitely one of the larger ones.
  581. “Whatever it was that attacked it easily outclassed Smokey here.”
  582. >”Why do you say that?”
  583. “No blood on the teeth or claws, but there are at least seven different angles that claws tore into the bear.”
  584. >”Maybe there were more of the other animals.”
  585. “No, we only heard one set of screeches. In an open power display more of them would have gotten their voice in.”
  586. >”What makes you think it’s a power display?”
  587. “The fight was territorial. They only roared at each other for a short time before the fight. Afterwards, there’s no meat eaten off the corpse. And because there’s no blood on the bear’s claws, it indicates that the other animal didn’t just limp of somewhere to lick it’s wounds.”
  588. >You stand back up.
  589. “No, this was a fight over who’s the predator in these parts… That, or the attacker is fond of killing for fun.”
  590. >”Great.”
  591. “Or both.”
  592.  
  593. >Taking one last look at the shredded bear, you decide to get moving again.
  594. >You have to jump over the bit of the stream that’s feeding into and out of the lake, but it’s not that far of a distance.
  595. >Heading into the woods to follow the stream, you leave the body behind.
  596. >Because even if the bear’s attacker wasn’t interested in a meal, there’ll be scavengers looking for one.
  597. >Continuing through the light forest, you stay on your toes in case anything-
  598. >A bush to your left starts shaking, prompting you to draw your sword.
  599. >Adopting a fighting stance, you watch as the bush violently convulses.
  600. >A brown rabbit then works its way free of the bush, having been stuck among the branches.
  601. >That…
  602. >That rabbit has antlers.
  603. >You slide the tip of your sword back into its sheathe and toss it down.
  604. “Jackalopes, what’s next… fur-bearing trout?”
  605. >The animal glances at you before running off into the woods.
  606. >And just when everything is all solemn and spirit is low, you see something like that.
  607. >Then the bush begins rattling again.
  608. >Another?
  609. >A black spider jumps out of the bush, right where the jackalope jumped out of before scurrying away.
  610. >A red spot in the shape of an hourglass is on its back.
  611. >But it’s body is the size of a Terrier’s.
  612. >Son of a bitch.
  613. >As the arachnid looks over towards you, you draw your sword and get ready to swing.
  614. >Just try it.
  615. >It then scurries off after the jackalope.
  616. >If you were smaller, it may have well tried to attack you.
  617. >You should be a bit more cautious when you have to walk through the brush…
  618.  
  619. “If there is one thing I don’t need in my life, it’s spiders the size of dogs.”
  620. >”Pansy.”
  621. “It’s all large bugs really. The way they crack and ooze their innards. I’d take a clean cut through actual flesh any day.”
  622. >Bugs…
  623. “Harv, white room.”
  624. >-
  625. >”Hello Anon.”
  626. “Those parasites that the entity piggybacked on are from over here. Any chance of reinfection?”
  627. >”I’d say it’s almost a certainty.”
  628. “You’d be aware if one works its way into my brain, right?”
  629. >”Of course Anon, it’s rather empty in here and I’d be aware if I suddenly get a roommate.”
  630. “What can be done about it?”
  631. >”Much the same as last time. It can’t directly interface with your brain, so by using the bug as an intermediary that gives us a bit of a leg up. However, I’m no longer connected to my other half, so I can’t help as much. I’m hoping that the interactions we’ve had recently will help to have trained your mind to resist other influences.”
  632. “What do you mean?”
  633. >Harv looks at you for a moment before you start falling.
  634. >Your back then impacts into an open dumpster.
  635. >First you make the dumpster disappear and put yourself in a standing position again.
  636. >Then you get rid of the rotten banana peel on your shoulder.
  637. “What the hell!”
  638. >You yell up to Harvey, who is standing thirty or so feet above you in the void.
  639. >”Previously you would have had to have your mental manifestation of your physical body actually climb out of the dumpster.”
  640. >You raise yourself up to his level.
  641. >”You’re learning the most important rule in here.”
  642. “And what would that be?”
  643. >”There is no spoon.”
  644. “I hate it when you quote movies.”
  645.  
  646. >…
  647. >”I still remember the words that started all of this.”
  648. >Somehow Lancer got onto reminiscing…
  649. >”Once decision that defined everything that came after it.”
  650. “What does this have to do with taxes?”
  651. >”It was at Manechester, during the Yak Invasion. They outnumbered us over ten to one. We fought valiantly, but when we met them at the outskirts of the city, they forced us back. Then we met them in the streets, and they forced us back. Then we met them in the city square, and they forced us back. The officers were planning to abandon the city and regroup further to the south.”
  652. “Are you even listening to me?”
  653. >”Anonymous was a lieutenant, one of the lowest ranked officers in the meeting, and they told him to go spread word while they got out before everypony else. So, first he came to me, I was a sergeant at the time. And he told me what happened in the meeting.”
  654. “General? Lancer? You okay?”
  655. >”So we went to find the main group of soldiers, they were tired and waiting for the yaks to make the final push. Anon went and stood on a box and addressed them.”
  656. “Alright, get it out of your system.”
  657. >”We made too many compromises already, too many retreats. They invade our land, and we let them. They pillage entire towns, and we let them. Not again! The line must be drawn HERE, this far and no further!”
  658. “Yeah, that sounds like him alright.”
  659. >”Then with all of the useless officers fleeing the field and Anon as the highest ranked soldier in the city, he managed to turn the tide and push them out before nightfall. Maverick decisions like that ensued until the day he became the head of the entire military. They were never able to court martial him because each time he ignored superiors, he did more in one day than they accomplished in their lifetimes.”
  660.  
  661. “And this is relevant because? Not that I don’t enjoy a war story.”
  662. >”I’ve only gotten ten hours of sleep in the past week.”
  663. “Ah. So the line must be drawn here?”
  664. >”Look, since we took over, it’s only been three and a half ponies doing the work of dozens.”
  665. “A half?”
  666. >”That would be Offense.”
  667. >”I’m sitting right here!”
  668. >On the other side of the table, Offense and Wave have silently been doing paperwork.
  669. >Lancer retorts:
  670. >”I know…”
  671. >”Well it’s not my fault that you’re getting tired in your old age.”
  672. >”Wave is older than me, and you don’t see him complaining.”
  673. >”That’s because he doesn’t even sleep.”
  674. >Wave continues writing as he speaks:
  675. >”Don’t bring me into this.”
  676. >Offense then continues:
  677. >”And as a matter of fact, I have done tons of paperwork.
  678. >Wave then brings himself into it:
  679. >”You’ve just been scribbling on a blank sheet of paper for the last hour.”
  680. >”That’s because… I like to internalize the work I’m about to do before I actually do it. Now I know exactly what I’ll have to do for the next three hours.”
  681. >Lancer then comments:
  682. >”Still a bad liar.”
  683. “Alright boys, that’s enough. Lancer, go ahead and turn in early. I should be fine covering the rest for this afternoon.”
  684.  
  685. >…
  686. >It’s getting late.
  687. >And you’re getting tired.
  688. “Harvey.”
  689. >”Hmm.”
  690. >You pause yourself as you hear a shrill screech in the distance.
  691. “Same one as yesterday…”
  692. >”Dangerous enough for you?”
  693. “Harv, if you hear even the slightest noise in the night, wake me up. I need you on overtime.”
  694. >”Will do.”
  695. “Thanks.”
  696. >”Don’t worry Anon, we’re on the same side.”
  697. >Stepping into a small clearing, you start to take off your equipment.
  698. “Harv, look, I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t like Discord. And while you retain some of his… negative qualities, overall you’ve been growing on me. Just a bit.”
  699. >”Really?”
  700. “When you’re not being an utter pain in my ass, you’re actually not that bad to have around. You’ve been a decent help so far, and I don’t have to worry about you falling behind.”
  701. >”I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
  702. “All I’m saying is that you’re a net positive. Keep doing what’s possible as long as you check it with me first.”
  703. >”Don’t worry, I have plenty of motivation for our mission to succeed.”
  704. “I know you’re generally the more sane half of Discord, but still. I need you to really focus from here on.”
  705. >“Oh we’ll have an absolutely swell time.”
  706.  
  707. >…
  708. >”Ma’am, you’re late.”
  709. >Captain Crop says as he enters the meeting room.
  710. >You arranged a speech, seeing as the news from the Crystal Empire has spread pretty widely and rumors are circling about the minotaurs.
  711. >…
  712. >Alright, huge crowd of reporters, soldiers, veterans, and civilians
  713. >Come on Flurry, everything you’ve trained for has led up to this.
  714. >No matter what happens, this will be the moment you’re remembered for.
  715. >One speech with all of the nation to hear.
  716. >Your defining moment.
  717. >Your crucible.
  718. >You’ve got to harness everything that your uncle has ever taught you.
  719. >Everything he had to teach.
  720. >Stepping up to the microphone, you look to the large crowd.
  721. “By now the reports should be circulating quite extensively from both the Minotaurs and the Crystal Empire alike. So allow me to alleviate all uncertainty… Yes, tunnels to Tartarus have formed in both of our nations. And yes, according to Minotaur legend, this is their ‘apocalypse’ situation. They view this as the final test of civilization, where creatures from the deepest bowels of Tartarus come to the surface to serve as the ultimate crucible for their people. And while I cannot give much stock to myth and legend without evidence, events from the north have proven that- apocalypse or no- the threat is real.”
  722.  
  723. >Start heavy.
  724. “We stand upon the precipice, against an enemy completely foreign to our doctrines. It must be remembered that we are in the preliminary stage of one of the greatest battles in history. I will say to the people: I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: it is to wage war. By sea, land, and air. With all our might, and with all the strength that Equestria can give us. To wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalog of conflict.”
  725. >Keep it a bit dark, with just a hint of light.
  726. “That is our policy, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory. Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, however long and hard the road may be. For without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realized; no survival for the Equestrian Nation, no survival for all that the Equestrian Nation has stood for. But at this time, I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, ‘come then, let us go forward together with our united strength, ’ for I take up my task with buoyancy and hope.”
  727.  
  728. >A bit of a mod change now.
  729. “I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our home. To ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny. If necessary for years… If necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the will of the people and the nation. The Equestrian Nation and the Minotaur Tribes, liked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength.”
  730. >And the defiant statement:
  731. “We shall go on to the end. We shall fight with the minotaurs, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our home, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight at the pits, we shall fight in the staging grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender!”
  732.  
  733. >But now, for hope.
  734. “Because upon this battle lies the survival of Equestrian civilization. Upon it depends our own Equestrian life and the long continuity of our institutions and our people. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. They will have to break us or lose the war. If we can stand up to them, all the world may be safe and the life of the world may move forward. But if we fail, then the whole world will sink into the abyss of a dark age. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty. So bear ourselves that if the Equestrian Nation and its people last for another thousand years, ponies will still say: THIS was their finest hour.”
  735. >And what may be…
  736. “If we stood firm, if we stood greatly, it will be a matter of honor for generations for generations to come. I could not ask to live in any other moment of history than this! Because never has Equestria, never has pony civilization been confronted with such possibilities, with such choices. Of disaster, or of greater heights and greater glories. My friends, do live in that sense that you are Equestrian. That you have come from people who have faced tremendous odds, again and again. That much is against you, but you’ve got within you that will, that spirit above all, that faith and that belief! Which will lead the generations to come! To look back at you, in the pages of history, with the proud words: to Equestira! They were true.”
  737. >And the final statement.
  738. “And now, at long last, our men of the war, of all our wars. The grim ranks of our ex-servicemen, they join hooves with the new youth! The new generation! Which remembers the mighty past, we say that Equestira is not dead! We say, and I ask you to say with us, lift up your voices in this great meeting in the heart of Equestria, send to all the world a message! Equestria Lives! And marches on!”
  739.  
  740. >…
  741. >Your eyes shoot open as you hear the screech.
  742. >Damnit, you’ve only been asleep a couple hours.
  743. “Harv!”
  744. >”What?”
  745. “Where’d that come from? The north?”
  746. >”Roughly.”
  747. >You start to stand up.
  748. >”Anon?”
  749. >Cracking your neck, you slide the dagger you hold while sleeping back into its sheathe.
  750. >Then reach over to pick up your four bore.
  751. >”What are you doing?”
  752. >You turn to face the north.
  753. >Unlatching your gun, you double check to make sure it’s loaded.
  754. >It is.
  755. “I’m trying to sleep here, Harv.”
  756. >”What does that-“
  757. “RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
  758. >Your scream echoes a bit.
  759. >”WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!”
  760. “A bit of night fishing.”
  761. >You’re on top of this food chain now.
  762. >And you’re going to prove it.
  763. >”Anon, what are you doing?”
  764. “You really are slow, aren’t you? I’m going to kill it.”
  765. >”Are you sure that’s wise?”
  766. “When previous expeditions would journey through these lands, they would go out of their way to avoid conflict and trouble. And each previous expedition failed. I won’t make that same mistake.”
  767.  
  768. >…
  769. >”Thunder, I’m sorry…”
  770. >You sit across from Winter’s doctor as she continues to speak after taking you to her office.
  771. >”Winter was a dear friend to everypony here. But I’m telling you, she’s not going to wake up.”
  772. “You don’t know that.”
  773. >”I’ve been in contact with some of the best neurosurgeons in the country. And all of their preliminary reports say that she’s too far gone.”
  774. “Preliminary reports. That doesn’t mean that it won’t change.”
  775. >”Thunder, none of them would even consider that there might be even the slightest chance of recovery… she’s gone.”
  776. “No! She’s laying right in there, and you aren’t doing anything!”
  777. >”There’s nothing that can be done.”
  778. “You’re a doctor, it’s your duty to do something!”
  779. >”And as her husband, it’s your duty to let her go. You have to pull the plug.”
  780. >You slam your hooves down on her desk.
  781. “NO!”
  782. >”Sir, you need to calm down.”
  783. “I need to calm down? You need to calm down!”
  784. >”I realize that you’re in a fragile state right now, but that doesn’t even make sense.”
  785. “I’m NOT giving up on her.”
  786. >The doctor sighs and pauses for a moment.
  787. >”There won’t be any visiting hours the next few days.”
  788. “No, you’ll just pull the plug the second I leave!”
  789. >”I would NEVER go against familial wishes! But, seeing as you’re at immense health risks due to sitting in there without eating all day, you need to have some time to clear your head.”
  790. “You can’t do that.”
  791. >”Sir, if you don’t leave I will have orderlies remove you from this building, and sedate you if necessary.”
  792. “… I’ll see myself out.”
  793. >You get up from the chair, and push against her table as you rise.
  794. “I though you said that you were her friend…”
  795. >…
  796. >You can’t believe it.
  797. >She actually had the staff throw you out…
  798. >Now you’re laying against the pavement outside of the hospital.
  799. >You feel so weak…
  800. >And your stomach is killing you.
  801.  
  802. >…
  803. >Alright, come on out.
  804. >You’ve issued your challenge, now all you have to do is wait.
  805. >To help your eyes better adjust to the night, you’ve doused what remained of your fire.
  806. >So you’ve been standing in the clearing with the left barrel of your gun cocked and ready to go.
  807. >You’re confident that the animal will track you down.
  808. >If the fight it had with the grizzly was anything to go off of, it’ll be territorial.
  809. >Even if its most recent screech wasn’t a challenge, it should come to test the new voice that it heard in the night.
  810. >All you have to do is-
  811. >You turn slightly to the left to face a rustling noise you hear in the brush.
  812. >As you listen to the night, you hear the thudding of steps approaching you.
  813. >Four legs by the pacing you can hear.
  814. >You place your finger into the trigger guard of your weapon.
  815. >A figure comes charging into view, and as it reaches the clearing you’ve camped out in, you can get a decent look at it from the moonlight.
  816. >As the creature stops to screech loudly towards you, a sound that is almost ear-piercing, you see that it’s very similar to the ‘chupacabras’ you fought in the city.
  817. >But larger.
  818. >A lot larger.
  819. >On all four limbs, it stands about seven to eight feet tall.
  820. >Could be a related species, or maybe there’s some sexual dimorphism and this the opposite gender from the ones you already fought.
  821.  
  822. >Either way it’s angry you’re in its territory.
  823. >But no matter.
  824. >You brace the stock against your shoulder and take aim for the center of mass.
  825. >You pull the trigger.
  826. >And it’s screech is met with an even louder boom as an absurd amount of gunpowder sends a quarter pound of lead into the animal at supersonic speeds.
  827. >The animal stands still for a moment before slumping over to the side.
  828. >Taking a few steps towards the body, you cock the other barrel.
  829. >This time you line up the shot to the head.
  830. >And fire.
  831. >Yeah… your shoulder will feel that tomorrow.
  832. >Unlatching the break to the gun, you toss out the spent brass.
  833. >Heading over to your pack, you start rummaging to get a couple more cartridges.
  834. >Twenty-four.
  835. >That’s how many bullets you have left.
  836. >You probably wasted the second shot.
  837. >But it’s simpler this way.
  838. >And you can get back to sleep without overexerting yourself.
  839. “Alright Harv, you know the drill. Wake me when you, et cetera.”
  840.  
  841. >…
  842. >Another day, another trek through the woods.
  843. >You left the predator’s corpse where it fell, scavengers will pick it over for quite some time.
  844. >Well hello there!
  845. >As you pass through the latest bush, you see in front of you a massive river.
  846. >You’d guess it’s about fifty feet long.
  847. “This bid enough for you Harv?”
  848. >”Yeah, this looks like it.”
  849. “So what now?”
  850. >”Put your hand in the water.”
  851. “Why should I do that?”
  852. >”I need to check the chemical makeup of the water to tell what direction you should head in.”
  853. “When piranhas bite off my hand, I’m blaming you.”
  854. >You kneel down and lean your hand into the water.
  855. >”Oh there’s much worse than piranhas here.”
  856. “This long enough?”
  857. >”Yes.”
  858. >Standing up, you flick your hand to get off some of the water.
  859. >”Alright, you need to head north… no, south!”
  860. “You sure?”
  861. >”No… north, definitely north.”
  862. “Come on Harv, what way?”
  863. >”North.”
  864. “And are you sure about that…”
  865. >”Yes! No… yes!”
  866. >Damnit Harv.
  867. >As you start walking north along the back, you speak to Harvey again:
  868. “You have no idea what you’re doing, don’t you?”
  869. >”I’ll have you know that I’m a consummate professional.”
  870. “Professional at what?”
  871. >“I’ll get back to you on that…”
  872. “Why do I even keep you around…”
  873. >”Because the only alternative is a lobotomy.”
  874. “Sounds nice right about now.”
  875.  
  876. >…
  877. >”You know your Highness, I read the copy of your speech in the paper this morning.”
  878. “And?”
  879. >Lancer continues:
  880. >”I remember a few of those statements coming from Anon.”
  881. “More than a few.”
  882. >”Good speech… big shift in tone, but you barreled through it.”
  883. “Let’s not just sit around…”
  884. >You stop yourself as you hear a scuffle outside the meeting room.
  885. >Listening closely you catch a few words:
  886. >”Just let me in you bloody numpty. I need to talk to Brairheart, or Offense, or Lancer. Not Wave though…”
  887. >General Wave seems to have heard that part as well.
  888. >”Why not me?”
  889. >Lancer then sighs before yelling at the door:
  890. >”Let him in!”
  891. “Who is it?”
  892. >”A literal prima donna.”
  893. >Offense then rises from his seat:
  894. >”I’ll deal with him.”
  895. >As the door opens, a brown pegasus stumbles in and brushes himself off.
  896. >”Generals, oh, did the Admiral leave with the ship?”
  897. >The accent sounds like it’s from Manechester or Trottingham.
  898. >Somewhere in that region at least…
  899. >The soldier continues:
  900. >”And… whoa… she’s entirely different in person.”
  901. >Is he talking about you?
  902. >Offense then slaps him in the back of the head.
  903. >”What do you want Corporal?”
  904.  
  905. >”Right. Sir, I just saw the first casualty list from the Crystal Empire. Thunder’s wife’s name was on it.”
  906. >”What?”
  907. “What?”
  908. >The soldier looks to you, then back to Offense.
  909. >”Can I, you know… respond?”
  910. “Oh shut up and answer.”
  911. >”Well, umm… your Highness, Majesty.”
  912. “Calm down, speak plainly.”
  913. >”After these past months, I’d consider Thunder my greatest friend. Unless there’s dozens of ponies called ‘Winter Gem’ up there, he just lost his wife… If it was, I know what he’s going through. I’d like a few days off to help him through it.”
  914. “What’s your name soldier?”
  915. >”Corporal Call.”
  916. “Well Corporal, until further notice, consider it your standing orders to bring him back. We need all the officers we can get right now, and if Anon decided to groom him for command, I’ll respect his judgment.”
  917. >”Thank you your Majesty.”
  918. “And I swear if you follow up with a salute, I’ll personally rip your arm off.”
  919. >You see at least five different emptions go across his face in response to that statement.
  920.  
  921. >…
  922. >Harvey hums as you continue to walk up the bank of the river.
  923. “What are you doing?”
  924. >He doesn’t respond.
  925. >A moment later, you pick out some words.
  926. >”Say you’ll remember me, standing in a nice dress-“
  927. “HARV!”
  928. >”Wha- What?”
  929. “What the hell was that?”
  930. >”Uhh… nothing,”
  931. “Was that Taylor Swift?”
  932. >”No!”
  933. “Never knew you were into that stuff.”
  934. >”I am not!”
  935. “Really though, pop. That’s unexpected.”
  936. >”That’s not…”
  937. “I mean, I’m sure I’ve heard a few songs like that on the radio, but really?”
  938. >”Anon…”
  939. “God, you actually like anything before the eighties. For the most part…”
  940. >”A-non…”
  941. “Oh you’re not living this down.”
  942. >”I swear that I will play everything of hers that you’ve ever heard in the background if you don’t stop.”
  943. “Mutually assured destruction.”
  944. >”And I know you had a bit of a soft spot for her when you were drunk…”
  945. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t nuke the Russians, I get it.”
  946. >”So… how about that weather?”
  947. “Quite fair actually. A bit humid.”
  948. >”Anon, waterline!”
  949.  
  950. >-
  951. >He pulls you into the white void.
  952. “What is it?”
  953. >”Alligator to two o’clock, just breeching the water.”
  954. “Alligator?”
  955. >”It’s big.”
  956. “Alright…”
  957. >You prepare yourself.
  958. “Now!”
  959. >-
  960. >Pushing against the ground, you throw yourself back.
  961. >In the air, you grab at the shotgun to heft it off of your shoulder.
  962. >But lo and behold, Harv was right.
  963. >You were walking next to the river, and if you didn’t stop, you’d have been right in the jaw of a massive alligator.
  964. >Based on the head, it must be at least twenty feet long.
  965. >Cocking the right barrel of your gun, you line up the shot and fire.
  966. >Your aim was towards the neck of the animal, and you see it slump to the ground almost immediately.
  967. >And your back isn’t exactly happy that you just let your backpack get between it and the ground.
  968. >So you get back up to your feet.
  969. >Twenty-three.
  970. “Thanks Harv.”
  971. >”Stay gold, ponyboy.”
  972.  
  973. >…
  974. >As you continue to move north, the river’s bank starts getting rockier.
  975. >Nothing too hard to traverse, but there are several brown boulders that you have to navigate around or over.
  976. >Seeing movement up ahead, you rush to the nearest rock that you can kneel behind.
  977. >What the hell is that?
  978. >Some of the boulders up ahead are moving.
  979. >One is… walking towards the river.
  980. >Another is settling down among other rocks.
  981. >They’re long, you see four legs.
  982. >A long head and tail.
  983. >”Oh it’s those!”
  984. >Harvey yells out.
  985. >You whisper back at him:
  986. “They’re what?”
  987. >”Well, you know timber wolves back in Equestira? I’d like to call these ‘rockodiles’... because they’re crocodiles… made of rock… get it?”
  988. “Weren’t we just attacked by a normal alligator a few hours ago?”
  989. >”Yes, but rocks!”
  990. “I really hate you…”
  991. >”Oh don’t blame me, they were always here.”
  992. “Sure they were. We’re still far off from where you’re leading me, right?”
  993. >”Do you see a waterfall?”
  994. “Waterfall?”
  995. >”That’s what you’re looking for, didn’t I tell you?”
  996. “No, you didn’t.”
  997. >”So what are you going to do?”
  998. “Give ‘em a wide berth. The only thing I’ve got that would dent stone is the four bore, and I’d rather save the ammo.”
  999.  
  1000. >…
  1001. >When you were starving yourself in that room, the only thing you wanted was to stay.
  1002. >But now, going back is the last thing you’d ever want to do.
  1003. >So, you’re doing the one thing you can do right now.
  1004. >Drowning yourself in drink.
  1005. >And right here, right now, in this seedy bar, heavily inebriated, you have a complete moment of clarity.
  1006. >Back to when you were in contact with the crystal.
  1007. >You could sense everypony and everything.
  1008. >You could FEEL everypony and everything.
  1009. >You could feel your wife.
  1010. >And your child.
  1011. >Your son.
  1012. >She was so sure it’d be a daughter…
  1013. >But if that day ever came, she would have been surprised.
  1014. >You spent an entire day with her painting the nursery pink…
  1015. >And now, you can only imagine the look on her face when she would have realized it should have been blue.
  1016. >You take another swig from the bottle of…you forget what it was.
  1017. >Rum…
  1018. >Maybe?
  1019. >You can’t really remember.
  1020. >Or tell based on the taste…
  1021. >You’re far gone, aren’t you?
  1022. >Do you really care?
  1023. >Why her?
  1024. >Why couldn’t it have been you…
  1025. >A son growing up without a father is better than not growing up at all.
  1026. >Wait Thunder!
  1027. >Focus…
  1028. >Just a minute.
  1029. >While you have this clarity into the crystal.
  1030. >You hiccup.
  1031. >Deep down there was something.
  1032. >Something you…
  1033. >On impulse you take another mouthful of your alcohol.
  1034. >And it’s gone…
  1035. >Why did this happen to you?
  1036. >What did you ever do to deserve?
  1037. >No, you’ve lost that one thing, but there’s another one thing.
  1038. >Two tunnels were blasted to the surface.
  1039. >One under your wife’s house.
  1040. >One under your wife’s sister’s house.
  1041. >That can’t be a coincidense.
  1042. >Coindence.
  1043. >Coinseadence.
  1044. >Co-inky-dink.
  1045. >Yeah, that.
  1046. >There has to be.
  1047. >Ooh, free bar peanuts.
  1048.  
  1049. >…
  1050. “I wonder what’ll happen with the griffons…”
  1051. >”Ma’am?”
  1052. >You respond to Wave, who is walking the battlements with you.
  1053. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking aloud.”
  1054. >”Ah.”
  1055. >And, this being Wave, he lets that be the end of the conversation.
  1056. >So it’s up to you to continue it.
  1057. “I was just hoping that the stunt I sent Brairheart on pays off. We can’t really afford to fight our neighbors right now.”
  1058. >”Assuming that Gaius is still the highest ranked military officer, I’d assume that it will work.”
  1059. “What makes you say that?”
  1060. >”There’s a fair amount of bad blood between Gaius and Equestira, from his point of view, but he’s a realist first. He wouldn’t suggest war unless he sees a clear path to victory.”
  1061. “Here’s hoping their king listens to reason… or the threat of force.”
  1062. >”The Admiral did personally pick the best fliers outside the Old Guard to serve on his ship… so even if he ends up in open conflict, he may be able to end the war there.”
  1063. “That’d be something to see… a single ship conquering a city.”
  1064. >”That being said, it’s far more likely that Brairheart would simply return to the border rather than take the risk.”
  1065. “Wait for orders and all that.”
  1066. >That’s all you get out of the General.
  1067. >The minotaurs are definitely with you in this fight.
  1068. >The Saddle Arabians will be peaceful if they win the civil war.
  1069. >Then the griffons depend on if the king takes your denial personally.
  1070. >Who knows what the yaks are doing.
  1071. >And that’s about it.
  1072. >No, wait.
  1073. >The dogs.
  1074. >They’ll still be irrelevant.
  1075.  
  1076. >…
  1077. >”And so, et cetera, et cetera, initial recruitment results show promise.”
  1078. >Lancer really stopped caring near the end of that.
  1079. >Wave then speaks up from his seat around the table:
  1080. >”If you want bodies in the ranks, we’ve got a thousand able men watching a couple thousand other able men.”
  1081. >And Offense takes offence to the notion:
  1082. >”You can’t mean the Royal Guard?”
  1083. >Wave retorts:
  1084. >”Do you want all the battle hardened veterans on the frontlines, or not?”
  1085. >”They blew up a third of Canterlot!”
  1086. >”Most of them were just doing their duty to the Princess.”
  1087. >Lancer then gets a word in:
  1088. >”For what it’s worth, we recently received an anonymous protest from a noble about the treatment of the other aristocrats who supported Celestia.”
  1089. >Offense continues:
  1090. >”Let them rot! I’d rather fight a thousand enemies than deal with a single traitor in our ranks.”
  1091. “He’s right though. A lot of personnel are being tied up watching them.”
  1092. >Offense then responds:
  1093. >”And? What matter is it when we have a million troops in the field.”
  1094. >Wave then retorts:
  1095. >”A million boys and middle-aged stallions.”
  1096. >”We’ve won wars without veterans before.”
  1097. “We’ve never been at war with Tartarus before.”
  1098. >”We can’t just let them go free!”
  1099. “Who said anything about going free?”
  1100. >That piques Lancer’s interest:
  1101. >”You have an idea?”
  1102. “I say inform the old Royal Guard about the situation, then offer an ultimatum. If they join the common ranks, say they can’t get a position higher than corporal, but once the conflict is over they can return to their families and everything will be forgiven. They’ll have to be split up and unable to contact one another, and all of them will have to accept a visible brand. Maybe a ‘C’ for Celestia on their cheek, to remind everypony about their status in the civil war. Otherwise, they rot in the PoW camp indefinitely.”
  1103.  
  1104. >Lancer responds:
  1105. >”A brand on their face, that’s pretty drastic.”
  1106. “It’s their choice to take the offer.”
  1107. >Better idea.
  1108. “Wait, how about each of them gets a brand. Same offer, but we brand anypony who joins up with a ‘I’ and anypony who doesn’t with an ‘II’. The ones will only have the one mark, so can be absolved in the eyes of the world, but the twos will always bear that they chose to abandon Equestria in its darkest hour.”
  1109. >Wave takes it a step further:
  1110. >”Then we can hold the threat of a second brand over the ones who join to dissuade desertion or betrayal.”
  1111. “They can’t remove a brand, but can always get another… I like it.”
  1112. >Offense adds another two bits:
  1113. >”Ma’am, this is just begging for trouble down the road.”
  1114. “Maybe, but I’m sure now that they have the full story, a lot of the rank and file are disgusted by what the superiors did.”
  1115. >Lancer speaks next:
  1116. >”Would you care to arrange it Red?”
  1117. >Wave answers:
  1118. >”If we have approval.”
  1119. “Do it. Even if only half of them take the offer, that’s half as many guards we need watching them.”
  1120. >That still leaves the nobles that didn’t openly renounce Celestia.
  1121. >Anon had them under house arrest at night, and followed by soldiers during the day.
  1122. “As for the nobles, I say let them all go about their lives normally, but none of the confiscated funds or estates will be returned. They’re all being corralled into a mansion and watched by guards, that’s a waste of manpower. Without their money and influence, they’re already no threat. Even if any of their families still have any wealth saved away, I can deal with nobility just fine.”
  1123.  
  1124. >Lancer answers:
  1125. >“Very good, but speaking of aristocrats, I’ve been receiving questions about when normal events will come back to the palace for a few weeks now. I’d just put them off a while during your… possession, but now that you’ve been in the public’s eye again, I’ve got a lot more requests for the court activities to resume.”
  1126. “And if there’s one area I can help with, it’s with noble relations. You deal with the military, leave the people to me.”
  1127. >Wave then speaks up:
  1128. >”Now that that’s settled, there is one last matter I’d like to bring up.”
  1129. “And what would that be?”
  1130. >”Before the wars broke out, a fair amount of trade with Saddle Arabia came through the Badlands, the road through dog territory. Given that we have so few ships currently, we should seek to send our supply convoys to the Mushir through that pass. If he’s kept his pace, he should have recaptured the Arabian territory on their side of the Badlands.”
  1131. >Right, because the Royal Navy is still camping out in Fort Shipbreaker, you have precious few ships to fuel his war effort.
  1132. “The dogs aren’t exactly friendly these days, how large an army would be necessary to secure the route?”
  1133. >”For proper checkpoints and forward bases, two thousand… at least.”
  1134. >Offense then makes his offer:
  1135. >”You overestimate them. I can secure the entire trade route with twenty good men.”
  1136. >”Tell me again, how many thousand dogs stalk those crags?”
  1137. >”Twenty. Good. Men.”
  1138. >”I know that you’re brash, but-“
  1139. >”If Anon were here, he could do the job alone.”
  1140. >”And you are not Anonymous.”
  1141. >”Hence the twenty men.”
  1142. “Twenty GOOD men.”
  1143.  
  1144. >Offense turns to you:
  1145. >”Ma’am, I faced them in the last war while outnumbered five to one. Trust me on this.”
  1146. “I like your estimate better anyway. If you’re confident you can secure the old road, then take whomever you want.”
  1147. >”I’ll have a list ready within the hour.”
  1148. “Meanwhile, Wave: I know with the MID no longer in the picture, military intelligence is rather lacking. I’d like you to set up a taskforce to study the creatures that came from Tartarus. We have several bodies saved for studies, and we know that magic works rather well if placed correctly. But we need another option that’s better than throwing unicorns on the front lines.”
  1149. >He responds:
  1150. >”Of course.”
  1151. “There has to be some record of them somewhere, I need to know exactly where and how to hit them. Tartarus is a big place but if we know where their breeding grounds are, or how to redirect Cerberus to that area, I want to know it. At this point, I’ll take even the slightest insight into what they are… primarily a name. Because I don’t want to call them ‘demons’ or simply ‘creatures’ forever.”
  1152. >”I’ll get ponies scouring every archive in Equestria. Any and all mentions of animals even slightly similar to these will be rounded up as soon as possible.”
  1153. “Now Lancer…”
  1154. >He responds:
  1155. >”Yes, your highness?”
  1156. “If you don’t mind extending your stay here for the morning meeting, I’d like to hear exactly what you’ve been covering as the de facto leader of Equestria. I’m sure there’s several areas I can start taking over in.”
  1157. >”Of course.”
  1158.  
  1159. >…
  1160. >More days in the wilderness.
  1161. >You’ve had a few encounters so far.
  1162. >A couple bears, nothing bigger than you’ve fought before.
  1163. >A pack of wolves, rather large, but they scattered after you took a single shot at them with your shotgun.
  1164. >So far, other than the chupacabras and Harvey’s ‘rockodiles’, you haven’t seen that much that’s different than Equestria.
  1165. >Though that’s not quite true…
  1166. >Over the past couple nights, you’ve been hearing whispering as you sit around the fire.
  1167. >Harvey said that there’s nothing actually there.
  1168. >It’s some mild pollen or such that gets to the living beings here.
  1169. >That’s why a lot of the people who’ve come here go crazy.
  1170. >In addition to the harsh terrain, they start hearing voices.
  1171. >Gets on their nerves, plays one against another, that sort of thing.
  1172. >But you have two counters than it.
  1173. >One, you’re alone out here.
  1174. >There’s no x-factors to play against in your own midst, and you trust Harv to not put random whispers in your head.
  1175. >You just thought that…
  1176. >’You trust Harv.’
  1177. >And two, because he’s been a voice in your head for a while, you have a bit of tolerance to it.
  1178. >In all, you haven’t had it that hard so far.
  1179. >And firstly, that’s ‘so far.’
  1180. >But mainly, you’re not exactly the common person that’s ever been here.
  1181. >Historically, a lot of the best have come over here to explore.
  1182. >But none of them took culling trips in the wilderness for vacations.
  1183. >And none of them have spent decades fighting in the toughest battles that this world has ever faced.
  1184. >That being said, it is rather… chilling.
  1185.  
  1186. >You can only imagine what it would be like for a pony expedition.
  1187. >The land is full of violent creatures, and you’ve probably never had to deal with anything like them.
  1188. >Out here, alone, you hear whispering.
  1189. >From a distance, it probably sounds like some of your fellow soldiers.
  1190. >And they’re talking about you- conspiring your downfall.
  1191. >That makes you distance yourself from them, and look at them with greater suspicion.
  1192. >As days go by, and several of your brothers-in-arms have died from the local fauna.
  1193. >With the whispering continuing every night, you start to question your so-called friends.
  1194. >Eventually it boils over…
  1195. >Lines are drawn, and soon after the swords are drawn.
  1196. >This continues, until there’s only one man left…
  1197. >And if that one man is lucky enough to get back to their ship, when the whispers stop and they realize what they’ve done…
  1198. >The only possible direction they can go from that place, is further down the rabbit hole.
  1199. >But in the here and now, you’re currently eating the last can of beans you have in your pack.
  1200. >Still fine on food for a while, but you’re making a notable dent in your supply.
  1201. “Hey Harv. How much longer do I have to be headed north along the river?”
  1202. >”Honestly I don’t know.”
  1203. “Thanks a lot…”
  1204.  
  1205. >…
  1206. >Another morning, another meeting.
  1207. >As you take your seat, you find a hot cup of tea waiting for you.
  1208. >Deerjeeling, no milk and no sugar.
  1209. >Ever since the mayor of Appleoosa introduced it, you’ve really gained a taste for it.
  1210. >A strong brew, with a woody taste.
  1211. >Something about it just really appeals to you.
  1212. >After taking a sip, you speak to the others:
  1213. “So where are we today?
  1214. >Lancer responds:
  1215. >”No pressing matters, just more of the same.”
  1216. “Alright, before you start, is there any news on more tunnels coming up?”
  1217. >”No, since the Crystal Empire, you haven’t heard any news. It’s still been barely a week, so make of it what you will, but there’s no new news.”
  1218. “Alright… we really should try to reach out to other nations. So far, the creatures have attacked us and the minotaurs, so we should make sure that all of our neighbors are on the same page.”
  1219. >”Well the Mushir has been sending regular updates on the war, rather vague, but I’m sure he’d say something about a tunnel spewing out vicious animals. The minotaurs seem to have set aside all of their past grievances. Our relaitons with the griffons are currently… yeah. We could sand envoys to the others.”
  1220. “See to it, then. Even if we could deal with any pits that pop up, everypony needs to be on the same page. The minotaurs certainly have something right: any and all past issues have to be set aside.”
  1221. >Wave then speaks up:
  1222. >”What about the parasite and whatever controlled it?”
  1223. “As far as I’m concerned, that issue is dealt with. It’s up to Anon now.”
  1224. >”Fair enough.”
  1225. “And while I have your attention, any news to report about the creatures?”
  1226. >”Ma’am, you would be the first to know, no matter how small a detail it was.”
  1227. “Good, have your people keep going.”
  1228.  
  1229. >You then turn to Offense
  1230. “Do you have your twenty good men?”
  1231. >”I do.”
  1232. “Then why are you here?”
  1233. >”Ma’am?”
  1234. “I accept that while I’m not exactly an expert with military matters, but I trust all of your opinion and decisions. If you say that you can deal with the situation with a hoofful of soldiers, I’ll believe it until I have a reason not to. If you have your people, then go.”
  1235. >”Then I’ll make the arrangements and be out of the city before nightfall.”
  1236. “Lancer, any news related to this… apocalypse?”
  1237. >He resonds:
  1238. >”Not particularly.”
  1239. “Alright, then let’s get to daily affairs.”
  1240. >…
  1241. >You’ve been drunk for… you don’t know how long.
  1242. >A while.
  1243. >You wake up with a hangover, but it doesn’t last long.
  1244. >Now it’s another… night?
  1245. >Afternoon?
  1246. >Morning?
  1247. >You don’t really know, and you don’t really care.
  1248. >Because you’d rather be (relatively) happily drunk than brooding while sober.
  1249. >And in this dirty bar in the-
  1250. >You hear somepony speak in your ear.
  1251. >”Oi!”
  1252. >That voice is familiar…
  1253. >”Had to visit dozens of bars, but here you are.”
  1254. “Do I know you?”
  1255. >You glance over to the pegasi that sat in the stool next to you.
  1256. “You… you’re…?”
  1257. >”It’s me, mate.”
  1258. “Coral… Kill… Call… Call!”
  1259. >”Yeah, you’re drunk…”
  1260. “I missed you buddy!”
  1261. >”Of course you’d be drunk…”
  1262. “Hey, I am completely cosive.”
  1263. >”Cohesive… and you criticized me for my language skills due to accent.”
  1264. “You have an accent?”
  1265. >”Oh, bugger all.”
  1266. “What’s the problem?”
  1267. >”You’re much too far gone.”
  1268. “WHAT? I’m completely sober right now.”
  1269. >”Yeah, yeah course you are.”
  1270. “Yeah, now let me get you a drink.”
  1271. >”I’ll pass.”
  1272.  
  1273. “Kell, I thought you liked a good ‘pint’ or whatever you called it…”
  1274. >He sighs heavily.
  1275. >”Right, I went through this phase pretty quickly…”
  1276. “Hehehe, ‘roight’ that’s funny.”
  1277. >”Bloody…”
  1278. “I’m not bleeding.”
  1279. >You lean in and take a closer look.
  1280. “You’re not bleeding.”
  1281. >”Oi, barkeep!”
  1282. >What?
  1283. >You don’t own a bar.
  1284. >That’s a good idea thought.
  1285. >Thunder’s Tavern.
  1286. >”He’s had enough.”
  1287. >What?”
  1288. >”Cut him off.”
  1289. >Hey!
  1290. >That’s…
  1291. >Oh you don’t…
  1292. >Feel…
  1293. >Damn…
  1294. >…
  1295. >You take a drag off of your cigarette.
  1296. >”Shot twice in the back of the torso. No casings, so it was either a revolver, or the perp was smart enough to collect the casings.”
  1297. “Done in the middle of the street, at night… far away from any residential zones, so no one would have heard the gunshots.”
  1298. >”Hey, just because no one lives here, doesn’t mean that no one heard it.”
  1299. “Fair enough…”
  1300. >Wait.
  1301. “Damnit Harv, another detective dream?”
  1302. >”Hey, you made this dream, I’m just taking part.”
  1303. “Well maybe that’s just my subconscious wishing that I was a Poirot or Columbo.”
  1304. >”It’s your subconscious, don’t ask me.”
  1305. >You let out a sigh.
  1306. “Well, might as well play along…”
  1307. >”Really?”
  1308. “It’s a dream…”
  1309. >”Fair enough.”
  1310.  
  1311. >…
  1312. >”Thunder.”
  1313. >Ohhh…
  1314. >Your head.
  1315. >”Thunder?”
  1316. >Your stomach…
  1317. >It’s churning.
  1318. >”Thunder!”
  1319. “Wha- What?”
  1320. >”It’s noon.”
  1321. “Let me sleep.”
  1322. >You feel your shoulders being grabbed as you get forced up to stand.
  1323. >Oh your stomach…
  1324. >Feels like acid.
  1325. >You feel like you’re going to-
  1326. >You fall down and heave a couple of times.
  1327. >Nothing comes out though…
  1328. >”Ready to talk?”
  1329. “Ohhhhhh…”
  1330. >”Come on buddy.”
  1331. “Where are we?”
  1332. >”Some bench in the street.”
  1333. “What?”
  1334. >Wow, it’s bright.
  1335. >That hurts.
  1336. >You press your face into the dirt.
  1337. >After however many days, you should be used to this feeling.
  1338. >It’s like-
  1339. >A wave of cold liquid overtakes you.
  1340. >And dozens of smaller solids pepper against your body.
  1341. “AHHH, GAH!”
  1342. >”Ice water mate.”
  1343. “What are you doing!”
  1344. >”Helping.”
  1345. >After you shiver from the freezing shower you just took, you start getting up on your hooves.
  1346. >You then stumble as you turn to face the pegasus.
  1347. “What does that mean!”
  1348. >”You’re in a bad way.”
  1349. “Yeah, there’s not a bottle in my hoof.”
  1350. >”You’ve got enough left in there to last a few days.”
  1351. “Shut up.”
  1352. >With that, you turn and start working your way down the street.
  1353. >Where’s the nearest bar?
  1354.  
  1355. >…
  1356. >You’ve been able to hear the roaring crash of water for a while now.
  1357. >The brush has gotten much thicker, to the point where you’ve had to take out your machete to help clear your path.
  1358. >Even on the river bank, the trees and bushes go right up to the water.
  1359. >Hacking away at a thick rosebush, you step over the prickly remains.
  1360. >And the vie you’re left with is utterly astonishing.
  1361. >The cliff in front of you must be at least two hundred feet high.
  1362. >At the peak of the fall, you see water flowing down from two sources, separated by a large boulder that reaches up to the sky.
  1363. >From there, the water bounces against a dozen different outcroppings, making the flow rougher and sending mist into the air.
  1364. >From the tiny shrapnel of water droplets that go into the air, a rainbow forms in your view.
  1365. >On your level, the river is completely white water as the flow evens out from the fall.
  1366. >”Anon?”
  1367. “Yeah Harv?”
  1368. >You say as you look to the sky.
  1369. >”Look down.”
  1370. >You move your head down to see what’s directly in front of you.
  1371. >A clearing.
  1372. >Not a natural clearing though.
  1373. >The ground is full of very low grass, and several large stumps.
  1374. >”Don’t worry, I did that.”
  1375. >The clearing goes over to the riverbank.
  1376. >On the water, you see a large steel cube, that’s utterly alien to the terrain.
  1377. >You step forward and pace over to it.
  1378. >The steel box is maybe three yards long.
  1379. >And coated in the mist from the waterfall.
  1380. “What do I do?”
  1381. >”Place your palm against it.”
  1382.  
  1383. >You work your machete back into its sheathe before placing your right hand against the wet metal.
  1384. >As you do, you see the water slow down.
  1385. >Rather than rushing towards the ground, the water falls much easier.
  1386. >It’s more of a fountain than a natural waterfall.
  1387. >It slowly trickles down to the outlet.
  1388. >A moment later, the box dissolves into the air.
  1389. >As it disappears, you see the contents.
  1390. >It’s a boat.
  1391. >Not too different from the longboat that the Avalon had.
  1392. >But this one has a footlocker inside of it.
  1393. >And a propeller on it’s stern, waiting to be tipped down into the water.
  1394. >And a… speaker?
  1395. >”Get it into the water, it’ll only be slowed down for a minute or so.”
  1396. >You then go to the stern of the boat, and push it over the ground and into the now rather calm water.
  1397. >As it gets afloat, you jump into it and sit on the bench in the center of the boat.
  1398. >Tipping the propeller down into the water, you grab a the recoil start handle.
  1399. >Before you pull the string back to start the engine, you speak to Harvey.
  1400. “What’s this run on?”
  1401. >”Rainbows and starlight.”
  1402. “What?”
  1403. >”Open the fuel cap.”
  1404. >You let go of the string and twist open the cap.
  1405. >Under it, you see a cosmic void of multiple colors and twinkling stars
  1406. >You twist the cap back on.
  1407. “Diesel isn’t good enough for you?”
  1408. >”This baby can run for a hundred years before needing a top off.”
  1409. “Nice.”
  1410. >You yank the string back and listen to the motor spring to life.
  1411. >As it starts spinning the propeller, you use the engine to steer yourself downstream.
  1412. >When you start cruising, you see that the waterfall behind you stats flowing at its natural pace.
  1413. “Now this is how to travel.”
  1414. >”Take a look in the footlocker.”
  1415. “What’s in the box?”
  1416. >”I though you hate quoting movies…”
  1417. “No, I hate YOU quoting movies.”
  1418. >”Monopolizing jerk.”
  1419.  
  1420. >You reach forward to the long case in front of the bench.
  1421. >Opening it up, you-
  1422. “Oh, yes.”
  1423. >Frist you pull out the helmet.
  1424. >An M1 style US military helmet with a mesh over the top.
  1425. >On the front in chalk it says:
  1426. >[BORN TO KILL]
  1427. >Then there’s a strap that holds a playing card onto the shell.
  1428. >The ace of spades.
  1429. >Then you take out the other item in the box.
  1430. >An M16, A1 configuration.
  1431. >The most aesthetic of M16 variants.
  1432. >No grenade launcher, but you’ll take it.
  1433. >And that…
  1434. >That’s a giggle switch.
  1435. >You’ve never seen one before in real life.
  1436. >Full auto baby!
  1437. >Got a few spare magazines.
  1438. >”There’s an ammo can under the bench. Overall you’ve got a few hundred rounds, full metal jacket.”
  1439. “Harvey, I love you.”
  1440. >”Press play.”
  1441. “What?”
  1442. >”The speaker.”
  1443. >You look over to the box next to the motor.
  1444. >And the motor is surprisingly quiet.
  1445. >Is that a cassette player built into the top of it?
  1446. >You press the forward facing arrow button.
  1447. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDGuyGPJ_JE
  1448. “Harvey…”
  1449. >”Hmm?”
  1450. “I love you.”
  1451. >”You approve, I take it?”
  1452. “Harv, you’ve seen my memories. CCR is THE greatest band in history. And that is my personal favorite of their works.”
  1453. >”Oh don’t worry, all their best hits are on the tape.”
  1454. “I know this is supposed to be some deep and serious undertaking, But right now, I can’t take it seriously at all.”
  1455. >”Wait till you get to the jungles and swamps. This boat should see you though a couple hundred miles.”
  1456. “My knees thank you.”
  1457. >”That’s alright. This is ‘nam, baby.”
  1458. >As you let the boat take you down the river, you relax a bit and take in the sights.
  1459. >And take in the music.
  1460. >Dozens, hell- hundreds of expeditions have come through this land before.
  1461. >But they lacked one quality…
  1462. >Sheer audacity.
  1463.  
  1464. >…
  1465. >You sit on the boat, with your left hand reaching back to steer it.
  1466. >This is a big river.
  1467. >Tons of streams and other outflows.
  1468. >You’d compare to the Mississippi back home.
  1469. >Or maybe the Ohio.
  1470. >If it were in a more secure area, it could work as a major trade route.
  1471. >Without all the hostile creatures in the water, this could be a major highway for cargo.
  1472. >In the past few hours, you had to take multiple pot shots at alligators that were getting too close for comfort.
  1473. >There was also a very large fish of some kind.
  1474. >You didn’t see much, only a silhouette large than the boat.
  1475. >But after dropping a few rounds of 5.56 into it, it went its own way.
  1476. >The animals here have never encountered the sounds of a motor, or gunfire.
  1477. >You have that going for you, but eventually something will be large enough or aggressive enough won’t care about the foreign sounds.
  1478. >While you’re on the river, you hope that nothing under the water will be large enough for that.
  1479. >It’s a damn big river, but animals can only get so large in the ecosystem.
  1480. >But, they might be aggressive enough.
  1481. “Hey Harv.”
  1482. >”Yeah?”
  1483. >He appears in the boat, sitting next to you.
  1484. >Still in human form, but rather than his usual brown pinstripe suit, he’s wearing a set of combat fatigues that look straight out of Vietnam.
  1485. >Heh.
  1486. “You pack any cigars in here.”
  1487. >”Check the footlocker.”
  1488. “I’m a bit occupied right now.”
  1489. >You nod over to your hand on the propeller.
  1490. >”Let go of it.”
  1491. “Why?”
  1492. >”Built in autopilot…. Autoboater?”
  1493. “Really?”
  1494. >”I gave you a weapon that requires two hands to use, why would I force you to keep a hand on the wheel, so to speak.”
  1495. “You mean I can just let this go through the night?”
  1496. >”Yes, but I’d have to wake you up a lot more often if you want to sleep on the water.”
  1497. “Hell, I’ll take it.”
  1498.  
  1499. >Letting go of the handle, you see that it still adjusts itself.
  1500. “You know Harv, between the gun and the automation, you’re making me weak.”
  1501. >”Don’t worry about it.”
  1502. >Alright, let’s take a look at the locker.
  1503. >You flip open the case and start filtering through the other assorted items among it.
  1504. >The M16 was resting over a small blanket.
  1505. >Below it, you find a hodge-podge of stuff.
  1506. >Deck of cards.
  1507. >Some spent shell casings.
  1508. >A flare gun, and three flares.
  1509. >All metal, breech loading.
  1510. >Opening the breech you find that it’s empty.
  1511. >No, four, you can see another flare in there.
  1512. >A zippo lighter, and a case of lighter fluid.
  1513. >A few match books.
  1514. >A couple cassettes.
  1515. >You pick them up.
  1516. >One has ACDC written on the front in black marker.
  1517. >Another says Metallica
  1518. >The other says…
  1519. “Come on Harv.”
  1520. >”What, you don’t approve of the Taylor Swift track?”
  1521. “Neither of these are historically correct in a Vietnam setting.”
  1522. >”Well excuse me.”
  1523. “Also you have bad taste with the last one.”
  1524. >”Not my fault that you have no real sense of music.”
  1525. >Hey, there’s another.
  1526. >Wagner/Tchaikovsky/Beethoven/Mozart
  1527. “There’s only one Wagner piece on that, isn’t there?”
  1528. >Harv then starts humming Ride of the Valkyries.
  1529. >Nice.
  1530.  
  1531. >What else is there?
  1532. >A few MREs.
  1533. >Harvey apparently hates your digestive track.
  1534. >A tropical camo green boonie hat.
  1535. >A canteen.
  1536. >”That has an unlimited supply of clean water.”
  1537. “Really?”
  1538. >”Well, it’s linked into the Manehattan water system, so virtually unlimited.”
  1539. >Nice, again.
  1540. >An M7 bayonet that should fit on the M16.
  1541. >A smoke grenade.
  1542. >That should have some use.
  1543. >And there it is.
  1544. >The cigar box.
  1545. >”Now, you weren’t particularly a connoisseur back in Earth, so I had no reference. Instead I stocked it with top of the line Saddle Arabian cigars.”
  1546. “Fair stand in for Cubans, I suppose.”
  1547. >”I don’t know, you’ve never had a Cuban cigar.”
  1548. >You open the box and take out a cigar.
  1549. >Grabbing your knife, you cut off the end.
  1550. >Then you reach for a match box.
  1551. >No cigar should ever be lit with a lighter.
  1552. >You puff a couple of times with to help the tip light evenly.
  1553. >Hmm.
  1554. >Good.
  1555. >Clasping the cigar with your lips, you then start closing everything up.
  1556. >”I specifically made each supply cache to have enough gear to see you to the next three. Those MREs, if you eat one of them, it has enough nutrients inside of it to sustain your body for a week or so.”
  1557. “You really made it easy for me, didn’t you?”
  1558. >”As best as I could… before I split from ‘Discord’ I tried to make it so even if you lost everything and everything, you’d be fine.”
  1559. “What exactly was your plan before getting separated from your body?”
  1560. >”Basically, I would speak to you at every cache and vaguely give you the directions to the next. Other than that, I wouldn’t really directly help you… although I’d always have an eye on you, and if things got too bad, I’d step in.”
  1561. “A personal deus ex machina.”
  1562.  
  1563. >”That would have ended once you reach the territory that the entity. After that point, if I tried to appear, the entity would have stepped in and foght me personally. At my peak, I may have won. But since Celestia and Luna struck me down, I simply didn’t have the power to beat it outright.”
  1564. “Does ‘the entity’ have a name?”
  1565. >”I’m sure it does, but it never really told anyone… or at least it never told anyone in this dimension. From what I understand, in its reality it was a galaxy spanning power that assimilated any and all life forms. Forgive the Borg terminology for a moment. But every life form it encountered, it utterly overtook via a form of magic.”
  1566. “So why hasn’t this thing ‘assimilated’ the entire planet?”
  1567. >”It uses magic that is somewhat compatible with magic in this dimension, and while it allows it to work as an invasive species- it’s able to utterly dominate magic from here- but certain types of magic from this dimension have the same power over it. Which is why it is on one hand the single most dangerous… thing… ever to exist in this universe, but that also makes it easy pickings to powers from this universe. In essence, it’s currently quarantined, but if that quarantine is broken, nothing can stop it from flooding over this world.”
  1568. “I feel like I’m in over my head in this fight.”
  1569. >”Maybe, but you’re the only one who can win this fight.”
  1570. “Well don’t you think highly of me?”
  1571.  
  1572. >…
  1573. >”Thunder!”
  1574. “Shut up.”
  1575. >”Thunder…”
  1576. “What!”
  1577. >You yell as you take a swig from a bottle of whiskey.
  1578. >”You need to stop.”
  1579. “You need to stop.”
  1580. >”Thunder, mate. I’m here to help you.”
  1581. “With what?”
  1582. >You hear Call sigh.
  1583. >”You need to sober up.”
  1584. “Why?”
  1585. >”Because you-“
  1586. “No, I mean WHY.”
  1587. >”That doesn’t-“
  1588. “What gives you the right to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do?”
  1589. >”Because I’ve been right where you are right now!”
  1590. “You have no idea where I am!”
  1591. >”No, but I know enough!”
  1592. >You set down your bottle and turn in your stool to face him.
  1593. “Call, you’re a friend. But right now you can head out that door and-“
  1594. >His hoof contacts with your jaw, and you find yourself on the ground.
  1595. >Oh, this isn’t ending.
  1596. >After you pull yourself up to stand, you take a wide swing at him.
  1597. >He ducks under it, and hits you in the torso.
  1598. >You attempt to tackle him, but the next thing you know you’re face first against the wooden floor.
  1599. >He’s pressing your body to the ground.
  1600. >”Thunder, you need to-“
  1601. >You push off from the ground and send him back.
  1602. >Getting back on your hooves, you then turn and give a nice hook into his jaw.
  1603. >It hit just fine.
  1604. >Then, you feel his hoof against your temple.
  1605. >And…
  1606. >You’re out.
  1607.  
  1608. >…
  1609. >You adjust yourself on the bench.
  1610. “Next time you give me a boat, I want a cushioned chair.”
  1611. >”How’d you guess!”
  1612. “There’s going to be another boat in a box?”
  1613. >”You’ll hit an inland sea eventually.”
  1614. “Fun… how many of those thing did you even put over here?”
  1615. >”A few dozen or so.”
  1616. “Any hits as to what’s in them?”
  1617. >”That will ruin the surprise.”
  1618. “Of course it would.”
  1619. >You scan the river and its banks.
  1620. >Looks clear.
  1621. >Reaching forward to your rifle, you pop out the magazine.
  1622. >Want to top it off while you have a moment.
  1623. >Opening the ammo can, you start taking the loose bullets and working them into the partially full magazine.
  1624. “Hey Harv. If you gave me a boat with infinite fuel, and a canteen with infinite ammo, why the hell did you give me a gun that needs reloading?”
  1625. >”Eh.”
  1626. “Nice answer there, Shakespeare.”
  1627. >Think you can fit more bullet in there.
  1628. >As you push it in, a large shadow goes over you for a moment.
  1629. >You swing your head to look at the sky.
  1630. >A massive bird of prey is gliding through the air.
  1631. >Looks like an eagle or falcon, but the wingspan is…
  1632. >Hard to tell cause you’re not sure how high it is.
  1633. >Forty or fifty feet?
  1634. >You keep your eyes on the bird as you reach down to pick up the rifle.
  1635. >Slapping the mag back into the well, you get a proper grip on the weapon.
  1636. >You still had a round chambered.
  1637. >Go on bird, keep flying.
  1638. >Just keep flying.
  1639. >You continue to watch the sky until it tree line obstructs your line of sight to it.
  1640. >Alright.
  1641.  
  1642. >…
  1643. >Oh, your head…
  1644. >And your back.
  1645. >You’ve been laying on your wing that still hasn’t fully healed.
  1646. >And it’s a hard ground.
  1647. >Where are you?
  1648. >It’s pitch black.
  1649. “Hello?”
  1650. >Getting on your hooves, you start feeling around.
  1651. “Hello?”
  1652. >That’s a wall.
  1653. >You follow it until you hit a corner.
  1654. >Then another corner.
  1655. >The walls are stone, just like the floor.
  1656. >Then a frame.
  1657. >Is that a door?
  1658. >Whatever it is, it’s metal.
  1659. >You knock against it.
  1660. “Hello!”
  1661. >You’re then blinded for a moment as a small window is slid open at eye level.
  1662. “Where am I?”
  1663. >”The Spire, a dungeon cell to be specific.”
  1664. “Call? What are you doing!”
  1665. >”Letting you think. Over in that corner is a bucket, and there’s a bottle of water in another.”
  1666. “You can’t just leave me here!”
  1667. >”Don’t worry, I’ll let this open so you have some light. Don’t worry about calling for help, no pony is in the hallway.”
  1668. “Call, you open this door right now!”
  1669. >”No.”
  1670. “That’s an order!”
  1671. >”You quit…”
  1672. “I have rights!”
  1673. >”Wot, sorry mate. Can’t understand your accent. Be back in a few days.”
  1674. “Call!”
  1675. >He leaves the door and starts walking.
  1676. “CALL!”
  1677. >You hear a door open and close in the hallway.
  1678. >You punch your hoof against the metal door.
  1679. “Damnit!”
  1680.  
  1681. >…
  1682. >Alright, here we are.
  1683. >Letting the nobles and high society back into the palace.
  1684. >There’ll be a sort of open house in the throne room.
  1685. >Ponies will get some time to put their shticks forward, make requests, and that sort of thing.
  1686. >Just a preliminary thing to set the mood and start normalizing relations.
  1687. >The real question on everypony’s mind will be the military.
  1688. >To put minds at ease, there’s only a half dozen guards equally spaced on each side of the hall.
  1689. >No guards next to the throne itself.
  1690. >But, you will be in your armor.
  1691. >And wearing a sword.
  1692. >You’ll show that the military isn’t breathing down every neck, and that you’re fully prepared to deal with anything that might happen on your own.
  1693. >And instead of taking your seat from one of the back doors.
  1694. >Well…
  1695. >You push open the double doors at the main entrance to the throne room.
  1696. >As they open, you see every head in the crowd turn to face you.
  1697. >More than one of them is probably fearing that today will be similar to Anon’s gathering.
  1698. >You start to walk down the hall, letting the doors slam shut behind you.
  1699. >Keeping your eyes fixed to the front, you let the ponies move to give you a path.
  1700. >And they form that path pretty quickly…
  1701. >When you ascend up the stairs, you go to sit on the throne.
  1702. >You then remain silent a moment as you look at the faces.
  1703.  
  1704. “Hello everypony.”
  1705. >Bit of an echo.
  1706. “Now that we’ve all had some time to acclimate to the change in management, I think it’s time to start getting back to a more normalized schedule with the court. I would like to make three points completely clear.”
  1707. >You pause.
  1708. “First, while the Field Marshal might have dealt with the aristocracy with a heavy hand, I don’t believe that will be necessary. We are all on the same side here, and this is not the precious regime. If you are honest and forthright, no matter my view on the stance, you have nothing to worry about.”
  1709. >Then the ‘but’
  1710. “Second, yes I am new and young. Don’t believe for a second that means I am incapable or naïve. Because if you challenge me, I will personally make sure that you wish you hadn’t… Since I returned to the public sphere, I incapacitated my mother with a single spell, killed the minotaur’s highest general in single combat, sent away an Arabian fleet from attacking Manehattan, led the charge when ambushed by royalist forces, turned the tides in Baltimare, oversaw the ceasefire with the griffons, and fought on the frontlines against hordes of beasts from Tartarus… twice. We may have seen days of high political intrigue in recent years… but that has ended.”
  1711. >And finally.
  1712. “Third, and most importantly: I will not tolerate groveling. Speak honestly, plainly, and openly to me. Because the only repercussion you should fear from words, is a verbal thrashing from my own.”
  1713. >Now that that’s out of the way.
  1714. “We can begin now. Who’s first?”
  1715.  
  1716. >…
  1717. “Well, I think that while things seem very dire right now, I don’t think that’s an excuse for our ideals to change. Because the only way we get through this, is by coming together and taking heart in the greatest aspects of our society and culture. That doesn’t mean we can’t pretend something very dire is happening with Tartarus, so it needs to remain in our thoughts and ideas, but that doesn’t mean we have to be utterly focused on it every waking hour.”
  1718. >The stallion bows his head before stepping back.
  1719. “Alright now, I know thing early on were a bit bleak as the waters were tested, but I hope the recent talks have been breaking down that barrier. Anypony else?”
  1720. >A mare raises her hoof and steps forward.
  1721. >”Thank you for having us here today, your majesty. I won’t go any further than that, because we’ve seen how that went earlier.”
  1722. >You giggle and the crowd chuckles at how you railed one of the other speakers for groveling.
  1723. “Continue, please.”
  1724.  
  1725. >”So, as you said earlier, you are young. And as far as any of us know, you are… well, single. Speaking mare to mare, might I ask for any stallions if there’s any possibilities for courtship? I know it’s on a lot of minds, but none of them would be that forward.”
  1726. >Right, THAT question.
  1727. “Honestly, I’ve never really cared for relationships like that, and I still don’t care for them. I won’t rule the idea out eventually, but right now I think there’s a bit too much on the plate to worry about it for now.”
  1728. >”I fully understand, as I was growing up, my mother would NEVER stop going on about when I would meet a nice colt.”
  1729. “What’s your name? I recognize some of the faces here, but I don’t think we’ve ever met.”
  1730. >The unicorn has a very light cyan coat, and a slightly darker teal mane.
  1731. >Her tail is straight, with a slight curl inwards on the end.
  1732. >Her mane looks pretty straight, but aside from a bit that falls over her left eye, she has it tied into an small but intricate bun.
  1733. >About your age, you’d guess.
  1734. >”Azure Lilly, your highness. My parents were lost in the explosion, and I only inherited the estate then.”
  1735. “You have my condolences, what happened to the city was an utter tragedy.”
  1736. >”Thank you, and I agree fully.”
  1737. “Well, to answer the question, I think that’s an issue for me and me alone.”
  1738. >”Somepony had to address the elephant in the room.”
  1739. “So.”
  1740. >You address the room as a whole.
  1741. “I know we’ve been going for a couple hours so far, but I still have a few questions left in me. And, if nopony comes in with pressing issues, I have no problem staying. If any of you are getting tired of standing around, you’re free to take your leave.”
  1742.  
  1743. >…
  1744. >”Your highness?”
  1745. “Yes, General?”
  1746. >Lancer made it a point to speak to you after the meeting with the aristocracy.
  1747. >You’re in the meeting room, alone.
  1748. >”And please, forgive me for this. But it’s something that needs to be asked.”
  1749. “Lancer?”
  1750. >”Look, I won’t sugar coat any of this. Some of your recent decisions have been rather drastic in my eyes. For example, forcing a permanent brand onto the royal guard. I need to ask, if you’re sure that the parasite’s influence is actually gone.”
  1751. >Alright… maybe if the you from the beginning of the year could see who you are now, it might seem rather ruthless.
  1752. “Firstly, thank you for openly speaking about this.”
  1753. >”And I know that I haven’t exactly known you for long.”
  1754. “No, you haven’t, and I’m sure that in some cases I’ve fallen short of your expectations. But, I’d like to remind you that Anon has in large part raised me, I haven’t exactly have everything given to me on a silver platter.”
  1755. >”Yes, but I doubt that Anon would have taken some of the measures you have.”
  1756. >It says a lot about his character that he brings this to your face.
  1757. >Not knowing if you would crack down on criticism.
  1758.  
  1759. “General… If you do fully believe in the ‘minotaur apocalypse’ story, then I’d like to remind you that these are incredibly trying times. If you still have skepticism, then remember that pits to Tartarus have at least popped up in the Crystal Empire. Maybe in some aspects I have fallen from my old ideals, and if it put’s your mind at ease, go ahead and have doctors or Starlight scan my head.”
  1760. >”I don’t believe that will be necessary, all I want to say, is that you’ve been through a great deal without much time to deal with the stresses.”
  1761. “And that’s exactly why I took my side trip to the Crystal Empire. Since I awoke from the parasite, it’s been pressing matter, after apocalypse, after pressing matter. If at all I’ve seemed arbitrary or otherwise influenced my various factors, allow me the chance to give you a better indication of my normal decisions, for lack of a better term.”
  1762. >”Of course, I just wanted to clear the air.”
  1763. >As you reflect, he has been taking the counterpoint to your decisions rather often.
  1764. “And thank you for bringing this up. I’m sure it wouldn’t have been an issue if I hadn’t been… infected. And I’m sure that it raises certain questions. I know you have plenty on your plate, but see to it that Starlight can come in to check for any lingering magic from the parasite. Yes, just to put minds at ease. But also so our disagreements can properly be seen as disagreements from here on.”
  1765. >He nods.
  1766. >”I’ll see to it.”
  1767.  
  1768. >…
  1769. >Given that you’ve seen large animals in the sky, you don’t think it’s a good idea to sleep on the boat.
  1770. >Thanks to the river, you’d be open to the air.
  1771. >You might be able to pick out something coming from the woods, or out from the water.
  1772. >But you doubt that you’d be able to respond in time to defend yourself from the air.
  1773. >So, you’ve turned off the motor and dragged the boat onto the riverbank, then anchored it against a tree.
  1774. >You’ve set up camp under a tree just next to the boat.
  1775. >Enough cover to dissuade any large airborne predators.
  1776. >You’ve fixed the bayonet onto the rifle, and after clearing the round in the chamber, you curled up with it.
  1777. >Leaning against a tree, you prepare to rest.
  1778. >But, your mind starts wandering.
  1779. >You wonder what Flurry is going through.
  1780. >From your own experience, the parasite was a battle between your mind and its.
  1781. >But that’s because of how your body hurt it’s magic.
  1782. >When it isn’t impaired, you can only guess how it is.
  1783. >Hell, for all the princesses.
  1784. >Celestia has had it for a long time, and she wasn’t able to beat it.
  1785. >Luna has the experience with mind controlling entities, but even she was only able to break through when contained in a cell.
  1786. >Cadence was ready to fight, maybe kill, her own daughter.
  1787. >But what’s Flurry going through?
  1788. >What scenarios has it presented to break her?
  1789. >Just hang in there, kiddo.
  1790. >You’ve only got half a continent to go through…
  1791.  
  1792. >…
  1793. >You sit in the corner.
  1794. >Right next to the… bucket.
  1795. >In this stone cell.
  1796. >All artificial.
  1797. >Not even a rat.
  1798. >There’s no life here.
  1799. >It’s sterile.
  1800. >Aside from you, of course.
  1801. >You’re here.
  1802. >In the cold and dryness.
  1803. >At least it’s quiet.
  1804. >Not a single bit of noise other than your own breath.
  1805. >You thought you knew Call.
  1806. >But when you saw him, part of you knew that at the end of the day, he’ll do what he sees as necessary.
  1807. >He’s been through too much to believe in ideals.
  1808. >You saw everything… except one thing.
  1809. >You.
  1810. >You saw the essence of every living being, but not your own.
  1811. >Where does that leave you?
  1812. >What are you?
  1813. >What were you before all this?
  1814. >And how has it changed you?
  1815. >Before coming into contact with the crystal…
  1816. >How did that change you?
  1817. >Would you have kept going on, day to day?
  1818. >Working a dreadful monotone, doing your supposed duty.
  1819. >What’s the point?
  1820. >You’ve seen how all life interacts, but what’s your part in all this?
  1821. >Why are you here…
  1822. >And why are you HERE?
  1823. >Every single factor, each and every cause and effect, what are you to all that?
  1824. >To all the possibilities, the maybes, how do you fit in?
  1825. >Why?
  1826. >Why…
  1827.  
  1828. >…
  1829. >Out here, in the moonlight…
  1830. >You can’t sleep.
  1831. “… When the night, has come… and the land is dark… and the moon is the only light we’ll see.”
  1832. >What are you doing?
  1833. >Out here…
  1834. “No I won’t…”
  1835. >You trail off.
  1836. >What are you doing?
  1837. >Pushing your back against the tree, you stand up.
  1838. >Grabbing your backpack, you walk it over to the boat and toss it in.
  1839. >”Anon?”
  1840. >You let him go unanswered.
  1841. >Then, you move to untie the mooring line from the boat.
  1842. >Heading over to your fire, you kick dirt into it.
  1843. >Haven’t forgotten anything.
  1844. >Moving back to the boat, you set the rifle into it.
  1845. >Then push the bow back into the water and jump into it.
  1846. >As you go to start the motor, you answer Harvey.
  1847. “I’m going through the night.”
  1848. >”Are you sure?”
  1849. >You don’t answer, but you do pull the string and let the engine roar to life.
  1850. >You then start steering the boat down river.
  1851. >Because you’ll get no closer to you destination by sleeping.
  1852. >…
  1853. >Guided by moonlight, you keep going down the river.
  1854. >It’s actually pretty bright actually.
  1855. >Not a lot of cloud cover.
  1856. >And other than the engine, it’s pretty quiet.
  1857. >Wait…
  1858. >Where did the crickets go?
  1859. >You let the boat go on autopilot and reach for the rifle.
  1860. >”Anon?”
  1861. “Shh.”
  1862. >Focus on the sound, beyond the motor…
  1863. >Wings.
  1864. >Lots of them.
  1865.  
  1866. >From… downstream.
  1867. >There are multiple sources of sound, meaning that it’s a swarm instead of a couple larger creatures.
  1868. >Meaning that a gun won’t help that much.
  1869. >You set down the M16, and reach back to grab your machete.
  1870. >It it’s a swarm, you’ll need to swing faster at targets, making your sword not exactly optimal.
  1871. >Speed is what you need.
  1872. >Focusing on the illuminated darkness, you watch the water and the sky above it.
  1873. >If they’re small, you won’t need both hands on a single weapon.
  1874. >You set down the machete, and unsheathe the kukri.
  1875. >Setting that into your off-hand, you then pick up the machete with your main hand.
  1876. >You have more experience with the kukri in the off hand, so that’s more natural if you have to dual wield.
  1877. >There’s something else though.
  1878. >In the air.
  1879. >A squeaking…
  1880. >And a low hum.
  1881. >The squeaks are familiar, but you can’t quite place it.
  1882. >As for the hum, you have no idea.
  1883. >There!
  1884. >You see movement.
  1885. >Coming in low over the water.
  1886. >Lots of movement.
  1887. >Like dozens of blurs in the darkness.
  1888. >It’s dark, but you prepare to strike out at the swarm.
  1889. >Wait.
  1890. >Wait…
  1891. >Now!
  1892. >You hack out with the machete, although you don’t feel any hits.
  1893. >Slashing with the kukri, you hit something as multiple target start swarming round you.
  1894. >You feel something hit your breastplate, and a cut on your cheek.
  1895. >Something is also on your left shoulder, so you swing at it with your machete.
  1896. >Then…
  1897. >-
  1898. >Time slows down to a standstill.
  1899. >You can’t move.
  1900. >Brightness then increases as you get a proper look at.
  1901. >”This is me doing it.”
  1902. >Good.
  1903. >You get a good look at one of the creatures.
  1904. >A bat.
  1905. >Large, the body itself is around the size of a kitten.
  1906. >You see large teeth, and…
  1907. >No eyes.
  1908. >”It can see entirely based on echolocation.”
  1909. >Your eyes start to shift back to the low light.
  1910. >And…
  1911.  
  1912. >-
  1913. >You’re off put by how quickly thing are moving.
  1914. >You hack out once or twice, but get no real results.
  1915. >But you also feel the bats attaching themselves to you.
  1916. >One on a shoulder, one on a leg.
  1917. >Your right shoulder.
  1918. >Echolocation.
  1919. >Works off of sound waves…
  1920. >Noise!
  1921. >You drop the weapons in your hands and let them fall into the boat.
  1922. >Then you have to bat away a bat that attaches itself around your face.
  1923. >After that, you grab the M16 and chamber a round.
  1924. >Aiming roughly into the air, you let off a few shots.
  1925. >As you do, you find that that the swarm disperses.
  1926. >The bats that have latched onto you took flight as well.
  1927. >They’re still around you, but keeping a few yards away.
  1928. >You fire a few more shots as you reach your left hand down to open the foot locker.
  1929. >No.
  1930. >No.
  1931. >You pull the trigger a few more times to keep the bats at bay.
  1932. >There it is!
  1933. >Grabbing the cassette, you lean over to the speaker.
  1934. >Hit eject.
  1935. >Fire off a few more rounds.
  1936. >Pull out CCR.
  1937. >Plug in the new one.
  1938. >Spin the volume all the way up, and hit play.
  1939. > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUAdgt5Glk0
  1940. >God, that hurts your ears!
  1941. >But as you look to the swarm, you see it disperse.
  1942. >You reach over and turn the volume a bit lower for the sake of your ears.
  1943. “Thanks Harv.”
  1944. >”Honestly, I never envisioned that application…”
  1945. “Well get used to it, cause that’s what we’re listening to tonight.
  1946. >You reach down into the boat to toss the dead bats over board.
  1947. “See that’s the good thing. Bats on Earth have been able to separate human noise from environmental noise… but these bats? They never heard metal.”
  1948.  
  1949. >…
  1950. >Another morning, another cup of tea.
  1951. >Taking a sip of the bitter liquid, you look to the others.
  1952. >Hmm.
  1953. >Offense is gone.
  1954. >Right, you have him leave right after he said he had his list.
  1955. “So, any updates on Tartarus?”
  1956. >”Nothing new here.”
  1957. >Lancer responds.
  1958. >Wave then replies:
  1959. >”You’d be the first to know.”
  1960. “Great...”
  1961. >You shiver a bit.
  1962. >Whatever spell Starlight used on you has had the hairs on the back of your neck standing up since last night.
  1963. >It’ll pass eventually.
  1964. >But, you’ve got a clean bill of health, so that’s something.
  1965. >The others silently go over paperwork.
  1966. >Day to day…
  1967. >Might as well start on your own.
  1968. >.
  1969. >Looks like one of the major wells that supplies the city’s water is drying up.
  1970. >There are two main options that the city planners put forward.
  1971. >Build an aqueduct deeper into the mountains, or set up a pipe and pumping station to the nearest river.
  1972. >Well, looks like the pipe might be more expensive, but more consistent.
  1973. >You sign off on that one.
  1974. >Then you rub your forehead.
  1975. >This is all dreadfully dull.
  1976. >”Ma’am?”
  1977. >Wave gets your attention.
  1978. “Yes.”
  1979. >”Initial results from the PoW camp are good, the vast majority of the prisoners have accepted the terms. If we sent off the stubborn ones to more traditional prisons and jails, we could convert the camp to a training facility rather easily.”
  1980. “Then see to it.”
  1981. >”Understood.”
  1982. >Now that that little diversion is dealt with…
  1983. >Back to paperwork.
  1984.  
  1985. >…
  1986. >That’s…
  1987. >Yeah.
  1988. >As you continue to go down the river, you see the terrain around you shift.
  1989. >You’re still in a forest, but it’s dead.
  1990. >The lush trees have been replaced by dark silhouettes of decaying branches.
  1991. >Even on the ground, there are no bushes.
  1992. >Not even a single blade of grass.
  1993. >Just dark soil, and dead wood.
  1994. >Barren arms and tendrils reach over the water.
  1995. >But the water isn’t that better.
  1996. >The entire surface seems to have a gray/brownish tint.
  1997. >A small amount of movement can be seen in the water, but not much.
  1998. >Everything here seems polluted… dead.
  1999. >What’s really interesting is how quickly it changed.
  2000. >There was no real intermediate zone.
  2001. >It all just shifted from lush forest to this in a heartbeat.
  2002. “Harv… any intel?”
  2003. >”Not particularly.”
  2004. “Thanks Harv.”
  2005. >It’s a wasteland out here.
  2006. >On the bright side, that might mean you’ll be uninterrupted as you travel down river.
  2007. >Hopefully.
  2008. >Maybe…
  2009.  
  2010. >…
  2011. >”Thunder?”
  2012. >But what are you?
  2013. >Really.
  2014. >Among all life, the big picture, where does the individual fit in.
  2015. >”Thunder!”
  2016. “Hmm?”
  2017. >”It’s been a couple of days. How are you?”
  2018. “I’m here.”
  2019. >”Yeah, pretty bad. Something Sombra had made I think. Be even worse in the dark but… no, how are you dealing with things?”
  2020. “Things… there are lots of things.”
  2021. >”Oh you’re doing this again.”
  2022. “This… what is ‘this’ when there are so many ‘things’ in the eyes of every creature.”
  2023. >”Damn. Broke you in the wrong way…”
  2024. >You hear a metal hit against metal, then the door starts to open.
  2025. >More light floods into the room, but it doesn’t really bother you.
  2026. >Something finally hits you.
  2027. >This room is cold.
  2028. >Freezing almost.
  2029. >Makes you miss the desert.
  2030. >You wonder what that fennec is doing…
  2031. >Then you’re pulled up to a standing position.
  2032. >Call is in front of you.
  2033. >”Let’s get you out of here.”
  2034. “Where are we going?”
  2035. >”Just… come on.”
  2036. >He pulls you out of the room.
  2037. >The hallway is rather well lit, but sparse.
  2038. >Lots of stone and metal doors.
  2039. >There’s a cat.
  2040. >Brown and grey, walking down the hall.
  2041. >Is it a stray or a mouser?
  2042. >You watch as it prowls through the hallway.
  2043. >Is it on the watch for food, or is it actually fed?
  2044. >What-
  2045. >”Thunder!”
  2046. “What?”
  2047. >”I made things worse, didn’t I?”
  2048. “Things-“
  2049. >”Quit ‘thingsing’ me! Winter, mate. Your wife!”
  2050. “Winter… she was good… honest… pure… What’s left… kept alive only by machines… what she was, what she really was… that’s gone.”
  2051. >”HI just had to make a bloody mess of all this!”
  2052. “Why do you-“
  2053. >”No, I’m not listening to your damn psychoanalysis! Come on!”
  2054. >He pulls you down the hallway.
  2055. >As you near the cat, it starts to run away.
  2056. >Maybe it is a stray…
  2057.  
  2058. >…
  2059. >You saw a flock of geese fly overhead.
  2060. >Heading south presumably.
  2061. >With fall about to be starting, they’ll want to get to a more sustainable environment for the winter.
  2062. >And this far north, they’ll want to start moving south earlier
  2063. >But that’s…
  2064. >Where did the sky go?
  2065. >It seems only a moment ago that you were watching the geese…
  2066. >”Thunder.”
  2067. >There’s just a light blue crystal overhead.
  2068. >An archway?
  2069. >You feel a hoof on your shoulder shake you.
  2070. >”Thunder?”
  2071. >Where are they going?
  2072. >How far south?
  2073. >Where will they rest at?
  2074. >And they reach the mountains, will they just go over, or search for the pass?
  2075. >”Damn I messed up.”
  2076. “Call?”
  2077. >He pulls you closer and looks into your eyes.
  2078. >”Buddy, you there?”
  2079. “I’m in front of you…”
  2080. >”Yeah, but… wait, is that a cheeky comment, or not?”
  2081. “What?”
  2082. >”Look, I’ve got a bit of your attention right now. I need you to focus.”
  2083. >Focus?
  2084. >”Mate, I messed up. Meant just to sober you up, didn’t expect it to set you back to the mine…”
  2085. >The mine…
  2086. >”Look, you’re going through two big issues right now, you need to…”
  2087. >A sparrow flies under the arch.
  2088. >You follow it with your eyes.
  2089. >Where’s it going?
  2090. >Eking out an existence in the cityscape.
  2091. >You get dragged down the street.
  2092. >”Just come on.”
  2093.  
  2094. >…
  2095. >He’s taking you through a hallway.
  2096. >This place seems familiar…
  2097. >Call opens the door and you see-
  2098. >Winter.
  2099. >It’s like a torch was just hit with water.
  2100. >You rush over to her side.
  2101. >It’s been days.
  2102. >You look around the room for a doctor or nurse.
  2103. >Has there been any change?
  2104. >She’s still just lying there.
  2105. >Hooked up to the machines.
  2106. >”Thunder.”
  2107. “Call? What are you doing here?”
  2108. >”Do you not remember…”
  2109. >The past couple days…
  2110. >You’ve been.
  2111. >Yeah.
  2112. >It’s a bit blurry, but it’s coming back to you.
  2113. “Call.”
  2114. >Then it hits you.
  2115. >All of it.
  2116. >You fall to your knees, keeping your elbows on the bedside.
  2117. “Call…”
  2118. >You glance over to him.
  2119. “Call. I’m in a… it’s…”
  2120. >He places a hoof on your shoulder.
  2121. >”I know.”
  2122. >You stand and pull away from his hoof.
  2123. “No, you don’t. While I was in the cell, back in the mine… I didn’t care in the slightest about what happened to her. She’s the ONLY thing that ever mattered in my life, but it felt like a side note. Oh, burnt my toast a bit this morning. Hey look at that article in the paper. My wife is comatose and completely unresponsive. Hey, it’s a clear day today.”
  2124. >”Look, I-“
  2125. >You start pacing around the room.
  2126. “NO! You don’t UNDERSTAND! I’m broken. USELESS! I can barely remember to eat… I can’t set hoof outside of here without retreating into a bottle. But it’s not only with this! With… Winter… I’m not HERE Call, I haven’t been here since the mine! I’m at sea, getting swept up in the waves. Call! I’m gone. GONE! DEAD! You knew me, so tell me. What’s left? What remains of ME!”
  2127. >”Thunder…”
  2128. >You grab him by the shoulders and shout into his face:
  2129. “WHAT IS LEFT!”
  2130. >Your legs can’t take this anymore.
  2131. >As you fall to the ground you start muttering:
  2132. “What’s left… what’s left…”
  2133.  
  2134. >…
  2135. >Alright…
  2136. >You actually feel like some rest.
  2137. >Thankfully, there’s no shortage of dry wood.
  2138. >With the fire going, and food in your belly, you decide to sleep.
  2139. >Leaning against a dead tree, you found it much easier to drift off tonight.
  2140. >…
  2141. >You find yourself on a cool battlefield, pressed against a wall.
  2142. >Taking a moment to get your bearings, the memories soon rush to you.
  2143. >The siege of Griffonstone.
  2144. >The griffons had put up heavy resistance in the air, so no major pegasi forces were able to follow the march to the capitol.
  2145. >Previously, you had helped defend this city against the yaks.
  2146. >They built a proper set of walls around the city.
  2147. >But, you knew the one thing they forgot.
  2148. >None of them had any machicolations.
  2149. >When a medieval wall was made, the top is out a bit from the main face of the wall.
  2150. >So holes could be made aiming straight down to the enemies at the base.
  2151. >To drop rocks and fire arrows.
  2152. >But they failed to make those gaps.
  2153. >Meaning that in a small area, the defenders had a blind spot.
  2154. >And in this particular stretch of wall, there was no overlap for towers to fire on the base.
  2155. >So you sent the vast majority of the force to assault the area to the south where there was considerable overlap.
  2156. >Hundreds would die in the diversion.
  2157. >Thousands.
  2158.  
  2159. >But you had a demolition team with you.
  2160. >The best conventional and magical explosive experts in the army.
  2161. >At the start, it was you and a hundred other soldiers.
  2162. >In the advance to the wall, half of them fell to arrow fire.
  2163. >As a unicorn engineer made an alcove in the wall to place the charges, you were equipped with a spear and round shield.
  2164. >The spear for the extra reach against airborne enemies.
  2165. >The shield for arrows and the like.
  2166. >With the charge set, you then cleared the area.
  2167. “Harvey?”
  2168. >”Hmm?”
  2169. “This one of yours?”
  2170. >”No, this is entirely your mind.”
  2171. “Oh… alright then.”
  2172. >”But let me add something:”
  2173. >The charge blows and a small breech is made in the wall.
  2174. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS-7sirpogY
  2175. >Damnit Harv…
  2176. >You would then make your way to the main gatehouse.
  2177. >Taking it and opening the door for the troops to move in.
  2178. >Assuming this is just a memory, and no dream nonsense kicks in.
  2179. >But…
  2180. >What’s that?
  2181. “Harv?”
  2182. >”I feel it too.”
  2183. >-
  2184. >You awaken to find something coiling around your leg.
  2185. >It starts down at the right ankle, and works its way up to your knee.
  2186. >You see what’s attacking you.
  2187. >The light is low, so you can only make out that it’s brown.
  2188. >A snake probably.
  2189. >You reaffirm your grip on the rifle, and fire into the creature (away from your leg- where it’s still slithering across the ground).
  2190. >As the shots ring out, it doesn’t really loosen the grip.
  2191. >You definitely hit- it’s point blank range.
  2192. >But…
  2193. >Your eyes adjust and you see that it’s…
  2194. >Wood.
  2195. >A few feet you your right, a root is coming out of the ground.
  2196. >This forest isn’t dead…
  2197.  
  2198. >You fire a few more shots into the root, but then drop the rifle.
  2199. >Leaning away from the tree, you reach back to grab your machete.
  2200. >Striking down at the root, it takes a couple of hacks but soon you cut through the wood.
  2201. >As the wood coiling around your leg is severed from the rest of the root, it goes limp.
  2202. >When your leg is free of the root, you start to stand up while using your free hand to remove the tendril that’s still on your leg.
  2203. >You’ve seen Evil Dead, and that is NOT going to happen.
  2204. >Not in the slightest.
  2205. >A branch from the tree you were sleeping against reaches out towards you.
  2206. >You take a few hacks at it.
  2207. >As you hack at the branches, you reach your free hand down to your back pack.
  2208. >Throwing it over your shoulder, you then reach down to grab the carry handle on the M16.
  2209. >Wait.
  2210. >You let the rifle on the ground for moment.
  2211. >The fire is still smoldering.
  2212. >Instead, you grab at the hot end of a log and throw it into the nearest ‘dead’ bush.
  2213. >Then you grab the rifle.
  2214. >And as you start running to the boat, you hack at several branches that strike down towards you.
  2215. >When you reach the boat, you toss the backpack and rifle into it.
  2216. >You then turn to hack at a root and branch coming your way.
  2217. >Setting the machete down, you start to push the boat back into the river.
  2218. >As your boots splash against the water, you throw yourself into the boat.
  2219. >And hustle over to the motor.
  2220. >It only takes one pull of the string to cause the engine to roar into life.
  2221. >You immediately grasp the handle and start steering downriver.
  2222. >A branch strikes towards you, but it reaches the peak of its reach a few inches from your neck.
  2223. >Well…
  2224. >You let out a held breath as you maneuver the boat to the center of the river.
  2225. >You got a couple hours of sleep, at least.
  2226. >That should see you through another day or two…
  2227. >Hopefully in those days, you’ll reach the end of this ‘dead’ forest.
  2228.  
  2229. >…
  2230. >You sit in on another meeting.
  2231. >More paperwork, and surprise!
  2232. >More paperwork.
  2233. >Just great.
  2234. >Thankfully, the monotony is broken as Captain Crop enters the room.
  2235. >Lancer addresses him:
  2236. >”News?”
  2237. >”For the Princess.”
  2238. “Oh?”
  2239. >The captain looks towards you:
  2240. >”The Duke of Maretonia has entered the city, with an entourage of over a thousand ponies. At the main gate, they said he wants to see you.”
  2241. “An entourage?”
  2242. >”A few guards, but mainly servants, entertainers, and traders.”
  2243. “Maretonia… that’s a long way to travel.”
  2244. >Wave then speaks up:
  2245. >”Since his father swore fealty to Celestia, they’ve been steadfast allies. Not many men, but strong men.”
  2246. >Lancer then rebuts:
  2247. >”Though they sat out the civil war…”
  2248. >Wave then counters:
  2249. >”To be fair, the entire conflict was settled in a couple of months.”
  2250. >”Still, I’d urge caution.”
  2251. >You look back to Crop.
  2252. “I’ll meet him in the throne room, allow him into the palace. Generals, with me.”
  2253.  
  2254. >…
  2255. >As you take your seat in the throne, Lancer stands to your right and Wave to your left.
  2256. >Currently, there’s the usual two dozen or so guards standing at attention in the throne room.
  2257. >Over in the corner, one of the maids is sweeping the floor.
  2258. >Nothing to be done about that: because the doors open.
  2259. >As they are opened, you see who you assume to be the Duke.
  2260. >A white stallion, a bit taller than the average pony.
  2261. >From his chin, a straightened, dark brown, beard goes down a few inches.
  2262. >On his head he’s wearing an open faced bronze help, with a large front facing brush decorating the top.
  2263. >The hairs are colored black and orange in equal sized strips.
  2264. >Overall, the helmet contains a long curly brown mane that matches the color of his beard.
  2265. >Aside from that, the only thing he’s wearing is a black cloak around his shoulders that drapes over his back.
  2266. >The edges have an orange lining.
  2267. >On his front legs, you see that the hair around his hooves is speckled with dirt.
  2268. >Behind the duke, a short column of guards follow.
  2269. >They’re wearing actual armor, similar in style to the old Royal Guard’s apparel.
  2270. >But the metal is painted black.
  2271. >They wear black open faced helms similar to the Duke’s, but their brush is straight rather than to the side.
  2272. >And instead of alternating between black and orange, they’re solid orange.
  2273. >As the Duke reaches the base of the throne, he kneels.
  2274. >”Your Grace.”
  2275. >He speaks in a slightly deep Maretonian accent.
  2276. >Heh.
  2277. >If you recall correctly, Anon once compared their speech to Spain.
  2278. >Or was it Italy?
  2279. >Either way, he found it amusing because neither of the countries he compared their speech to was skilled at warfare for centuries, but the Maretonians subverted that expectation.
  2280. “You may rise, my lord.”
  2281.  
  2282. >His aqua colored eyes shoot up to look at you before he stands.
  2283. >”It is an honor to be granted audience with the Princess of War.”
  2284. “The Princess of War?”
  2285. >”That is what the people have been calling you… at least in Maretonia.”
  2286. “Hmm… I quite like that.”
  2287. >”Forgive me if I have offended.”
  2288. >He’s playing his cards close.
  2289. >Too close…
  2290. >What does he want?
  2291. “Do you bring news from the south?”
  2292. >His lands lie between Equestria proper and the Badlands where dogs lie.
  2293. >”Only good, I assure you.”
  2294. “And that would be?”
  2295. >”Word has spread that you call for an army the likes this world has never seen. At your discretion, I stand ready to provide fifty thousand battle-hardened veterans and expertly trained warriors. With another fifty thousand currently being trained.”
  2296. >A hundred thousand.
  2297. >From a population of one to two million.
  2298. >The fifty, maybe.
  2299. >But not twice that.
  2300. “Forgive me, but I didn’t realize that Maretonia had the population to support those kind of numbers.”
  2301. >”Should you require it, I can double that estimate.”
  2302. >He blew over the inquiry.
  2303. “That isn’t what I questioned…”
  2304. >”Once the War of the Coalition broke out, I sought to equip my people. Our food supplies are vast, and many could be taken off the farms to fight. Given recent developments, I redoubled my efforts.”
  2305. “That is commendable, Lord…?”
  2306. >His father only passed recently.
  2307. >You don’t know his name…
  2308. >He bows to you.
  2309. >”Duke Astéri of Maretonia, son of Ílios the second.”
  2310. “I only met your father a couple of times, but he seemed honorable… stern, but honorable.”
  2311. >”A trait I seek to live up to.”
  2312. >Honor, or sternness?
  2313. “Forgive my bluntness, but I don’t see why a promise of men would require both your presence and such a large contingent.”
  2314.  
  2315. >”I like blunt.”
  2316. >Safe to assume the answer to your question was: sternness.
  2317. >”If I may be as blunt, your Highness?”
  2318. “I can stand blunt, so long as you avoid groveling.”
  2319. >”I come here with soldiers, gold, and wine. All I ask is your hoof. The alliance between our nations is young. Let us join our peoples by marriage.”
  2320. >And that’s what he really wants.
  2321. >”And may I say… the reports of your beauty, although they sing very high praises, are a vast understatement.”
  2322. >And that sets all doubt aside.
  2323. >He only wants the power associated with this marriage.
  2324. >You’ve known him for all of a minute, but can see the stark differences between him and his father.
  2325. >Just as proud, maybe, but with none of the pragmatism.
  2326. “Quite the request… I’m sure you and your men are tired from the journey north. Shall you require accommodations in the palace?”
  2327. >”Not at all. I’ve already made the accommodations. A hefty request, I know, I shall let you sleep on it.”
  2328. >The Duke bows.
  2329. >You nod in response.
  2330. “As you will, then.”
  2331. >He turns, the cloak flowing behind him.
  2332. >And he leads his guards away out from whence they came.
  2333. >You wait until the doors shut behind them.
  2334. “General Wave? Prepare a report on Duke Astéri. I want to know as much as possible.”
  2335. >You then turn your head to Lancer.
  2336. “Your thoughts?”
  2337. >”A bribe at best, a threat at worst.”
  2338. “If I marry him, he gets what he wants. If I refuse, that’s a hundred thousand or more men ready to fight for independence or worse.”
  2339. >Wave then gets in a rare quip:
  2340. >”Clearly, he didn’t hear your talk to the nobles the other day.”
  2341. >You giggle at the statement.
  2342. “And have the Old Guard at a heightened attention until further notice… just in case.”
  2343. >It’s strange actually.
  2344. >With the whole ‘imminent apocalypse’ you’re almost enjoying the intrigue as a diversion.
  2345. >Almost.
  2346.  
  2347. >…
  2348. >Winter’s father places a hoof on your shoulder.
  2349. >He’s been speaking for a while, but honestly it’s all just been drowned out.
  2350. >”You do what you have to do, Son.”
  2351. >With your weary eyes, you look over to him.
  2352. >He’s wearing a uniform.
  2353. >Looks like he really is joining back up.
  2354. >You can’t muster any words, so you just nod.
  2355. >He pulls you in for an embrace before taking his leave.
  2356. >You look back to Winter as you reach out to grab her hoof.
  2357. >Come on.
  2358. >Let the world give you this miracle.
  2359. >A pair of hooves then can be heard entering the room after her father leaves.
  2360. >You look over to see the ponies.
  2361. >Call and her doctor.
  2362. >You first speak to Call.
  2363. “Wait outside.”
  2364. >He nods before backtracking outside.
  2365. >You then look back to your wife.
  2366. >Come on…
  2367. >No…
  2368. >She’s still just as unresponsive.
  2369. >You can’t…
  2370. >Any second now she’ll…
  2371. >You can’t.
  2372. “Pull the plug.”
  2373. >Your eyes are kept firmly on her face.
  2374. “Winter… I love you. More than anything else in my life… I only wish it was me instead… there’s nothing else really to say.”
  2375. >There is one thing.
  2376. “We’ll meet again… someday.”
  2377. >You lean in to kiss her forehead.
  2378. >And as the machine lets out the long noise, you just stand there.
  2379. >…
  2380. >For hours.
  2381. >Eventually you step out into the hallway.
  2382. >Call has been waiting patiently.
  2383. >”Are you…”
  2384. “Go back home… or to the capitol, or wherever… I just… give me some time.”
  2385. >Call then reaches out and tightly hugs you.
  2386. >And all you can manage is to stand there.
  2387. >He then pulls back a bit to look at you.
  2388. >”I’m here… when you’re ready.”
  2389. >You place a hoof on his shoulder, and muster a slight smile.
  2390. >Then you leave him and start walking.
  2391. >Where to?
  2392. >You… don’t know.
  2393.  
  2394. >…
  2395. >As you continue down the river, your left arm feels… tight.
  2396. >You take it off of the motor, and look at it.
  2397. >There’s a small cut on the top of your wrist.
  2398. >A branch must have cut you.
  2399. >Doesn’t look that bad…
  2400. >What’s that?
  2401. >On the side of the cut that leads down to your arm, the skin looks bruised.
  2402. >You pull your sleeve up.
  2403. >That’s not a bruise.
  2404. “Harv?”
  2405. >He doesn’t respond.
  2406. >From the cut, to about a third of the way down the top of your forearm, the skin…
  2407. >Well it looks like it’s being replaced by dark wood.
  2408. >Dead wood.
  2409. “Harvey?”
  2410. >Where the hell is he?
  2411. >You reach out to touch it.
  2412. >The texture feels just like wood.
  2413. >And you can’t feel your fingers going over your arm.
  2414. >Toward the edges of the wooden ‘scab’ that’s overtaking your arm, you can see dark veins popping up.
  2415. “Harvey!”
  2416. >Still nothing…
  2417. >It’s spreading…
  2418. >You can still move and feel your left hand, but…
  2419. >Turning your wrist, you look to the bottom.
  2420. >All the veins on the wrist are pitch black and almost popping out of your skin.
  2421. “HARV!”
  2422. >The plea falls on deaf ears…
  2423.  
  2424. >Shit!
  2425. >As you feel your heart starting to beat faster, you see that the wood scab starts growing before your eyes.
  2426. >Down the sides of your arm from where it was.
  2427. >It was only on the top, now it’s inching down and surrounds about the entire top half of your arm.
  2428. >Breath slowly, control yourself.
  2429. >The growth slows, for what it’s worth.
  2430. >Alright.
  2431. “Harvey, I need you right now.”
  2432. >He’s nowhere to be seen.
  2433. >The wood you picked up to use in the fire…
  2434. >Did it actually fall from the trees, or was it just decayed bodies?
  2435. >Pulling your right sleeve up, you don’t see any of the rot.
  2436. >You check your ankles as well, but don’t see any broken skin.
  2437. >One of your legs was pretty constricted.
  2438. >From contact with the bloodstream then?
  2439. “Shit!”
  2440. >You try to clench your left hand into a fist, but you feel something pulling against you.
  2441. >You can form the fist, but only with a good deal of effort.
  2442. >It’s a cancer overtaking your body…
  2443. >Shit.
  2444. >You reach behind your body with your right hand.
  2445. >Unlatching the kukri, you pull it out.
  2446. >And line it up, a few inches below where the rot has spread.
  2447. >Are you willing?
  2448. >Well shit, you don’t seem to have any other options.
  2449. >Go through the rest of the journey one handed, or don’t go through the rest at all…
  2450. >Quick and clean.
  2451. >You clench your teeth together and raise the blade.
  2452.  
  2453. >”Wait!”
  2454. >Harvey yells before you can swing.
  2455. >It’s only his voice.
  2456. >No body to be seen.
  2457. >And the scab continues to grow down your arm slowly.
  2458. >”Can’t talk, effort required to contain it. Cut it off.”
  2459. “That’s what I was going-“
  2460. >”FLAY!”
  2461. >As his voice stops, so does the growth.
  2462. >You hack the kukri into the top of the boat’s hull, letting it rest in the wood.
  2463. >And you then reach for your dagger.
  2464. >Flay…
  2465. >You never could have foreseen the day you’d have to skin yourself…
  2466. >Placing your blade at the base of the rotting wooden scab, you start to cut down your arm.
  2467. “GAH! DAMNIT!”
  2468. >That’s worse than you would have guessed.
  2469. >And barely a quarter of an inch has been separated from your flesh.
  2470. >You set the dagger down a moment, and reach down to open the footlocker.
  2471. >Pulling out the Vietnam-era helmet, you rip off the leather band that holds the playing card in place.
  2472. >Placing it between your teeth, you bite down onto it.
  2473. >You still have half your arm to get through…

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