Tercio woke with a start, his mind momentarily foggy as he stared up at the vaulted ceiling. This was not the barracks he was so familiar with. Instinctively he reached for the dagger he always kept at his thigh, finding naught but bare skin in its place. The soft touch of Celestia's coat put his mind at ease once more as he remembered where he was. She was slumbering beside him, her breathing gentle and rhythmic, with a warm blanket draped over her.

With a yawn he rose from the bed, making sure not to disturb her. The air was cold and prickled his skin, and he stood before the gently burning fireplace with a sigh of relief. It was still early in the night, the sky dark and clear on the horizon. A gentle breeze billowed the thin drapes that led to the balcony.

It had been a trying day. After Stonewall's suggestion that he comfort Celestia, he had found her sitting on the floor with numerous lock boxes opened in front of her, full of mementos and keepsakes from her childhood. Small portraits of the royal family etched into colored glass, chiseled out of marble, painted onto canvas. In some, a pink-maned Celestia stood beside her sister, with their parents Aurora and Argo Navis towering over them with loving smiles. In others, Luna was framed regally against a backdrop of stars, her flowing mane fading into the night to become one with the sky. Celestia hadn't even noticed him entering the room until he called her name. When she'd looked up at him she'd appeared bedraggled, her face stained with tears and her mane drooping over her shoulder. She could not find the strength to stand, and so he'd sat beside her, held her close, and listened.

The shock of learning that Nightmare Moon was never truly behind any of the attacks was palpable. Not only had she not been responsible, but every bit of her manipulation had in fact been carried out by Elinwynn. For what reason, Celestia could only guess. Jealousy, anger, some misguided sense of revenge for a centuries-old wrongdoing. Whatever the truth may have been, it was inexcusable and disgusting, and Celestia was rightly hurt by it. He'd stayed with her for the night, bringing her a meal she barely touched, and after setting the sun she'd fallen asleep against him, emotionally exhausted to the point of sickness.

Now, as he watched her sleep with an unease he could hardly begin to describe, he wondered what tomorrow would bring. Celestia was a kind, forgiving leader, but everyone had their breaking point.

"Good morning, my friends and loyal senators. I thank you all for coming at such an early hour." Chancellor Vinawyll stood on a raised dais in the middle of the senatorial chamber, dressed in his finest robes. Before him, fifteen of Whitetail's finest watched him with interest, good deer to the last. There had been some...discontent among them over the last week, some even going so far as to abandon their elected positions and attempt to flee like treasonous rats, but they had been swiftly brought to justice. All who remained would stand with him and, more importantly, would do as he commanded.

"I hope you are all well-rested, for this day is likely to be quite a busy one for us all." He let the senators speak among themselves for a moment, then continued. "In the coming weeks the people of Evinwiir will look to us for guidance, and with them, all of Whitetail. Those among us who lacked the mental fortitude to carry out their duties have been dealt with, and I trust all of you will continue to do as this great nation asks." A reassuring smile, a bow of his head, and the pleasantries were over. "Now, on to the business at hoof: taking back our lands from the equine invaders. It is no secret that their siege weapons have caused us great harm over the months, and the threat of bombardment has precluded any sort of massed push from the southern gate. Furthermore, we have reason to believe that some misguided citizens have begun to sympathize with the ponies, spreading their derision like a cancer through the very heart of the city. For these reasons, among numerous others, Empress Elinwynn and Brother-General Corvalix, in their boundless wisdom and experience, have concocted a plan to relieve a great burden from our shoulders.

"Today begins a new chapter in Whitetail history. Our peoples, divided by senseless hatred and bigotry for so long, now stand shoulder to shoulder to destroy the Equestrian aggressors! Redtail and whitetail, reclaiming what was stolen from us. Just as it should be! Join me, my brothers, in a toast to our swift and decisive victory!"

"I need parallel lines on either side of the street! Move!" Corvalix shouted to be heard over the sound of nearby bombardment, the thunderous crunch and echo of Equestrian projectiles slamming into the great wall not a thousand paces from where he stood. Their frequency had increased dramatically over the last day. A precursor to a full-on assault? He couldn't say for sure. They would be silenced soon enough, but first he had a more pressing matter to attend to.

"Keep those carts safe, and kill anyone who tries to reach for them!" Over two hundred soldiers, an entire mixed company of Whitetail Capital Guard and Cervidaen Regulars, quickly formed into two-tiered battle lines with pikes and segmented shields at the ready. Toward the center of each formation was a large cart full of clay pots that quietly clinked together as they jostled down the cobblestone road. Curious citizens peered out from their windows and stood aside with bows of respect and fear in equal parts, murmuring to one another as Corvalix passed.

A long scroll floated in front of Corvalix, full of names and descriptions provided by the people of Evinwiir themselves; neighbors, friends, even family members. None were exempt.

"This is going to be an unpleasant business," Brother-Captain Galwyn said grimly. Corvalix simply nodded, not tearing his gaze away from the scroll until he'd finished memorizing the first half-dozen names on the list. "Do you think we can trust the Capital Guard after what happened with Caethil?"

"No, I don't," Corvalix answered plainly. "In fact, I fully expect some of them, perhaps most of them, to object quite thoroughly. That's why you're here."

"Of course, sir. We're prepared to do what is necessary."

"I should certainly hope so, Brother-Captain." They stopped at a moderately-sized home, simple in design and sparsely decorated, a near copy of dozens around it. Pieces of rubble littered the street, detritus from the siege. The front door was propped open with a chunk of stone, and voices could be heard from within. Corvalix pounded on it with his hoof, while Galwyn took to the house across the street with his own contingent.

"By order of Empress Elinwynn and Chancellor Vinawyll, all occupants of this building are to report outside immediately!"

The chatter stopped. "Leave us, soldier, we've enough problems as is," came the reply.

"Either you come out of your own volition, or we will be forced to drag you out," Corvalix shot back.

A trio of figures appeared at the entrance a moment later, a middle-aged doe and a young fawn keeping behind a tall stag. He wore the outfit of a simple merchant, likely a street vendor, and he eyed Corvalix with suspicion.

"What do you want, redtail?"

Corvalix looked over his shoulder, and a pair of soldiers grabbed the stag and dragged him out onto the snow-speckled street. His family yelled in surprise as two more blocked their way, keeping them confined to the house. He was shoved down to his knees, his struggling subsiding as a quinn-blade was placed at the back of his neck.

"Setaris Ahndell, you are charged with collusion in plotting against the great nation of Whitetail. How do you plead?"

The stag's eyes went wide in shock, and he frantically looked to his wife and daughter. "Collusion? How dare you accuse me of such a thing! I'm a pottery tradesbuck, not a traitor! Let me go this instant!"

"On the ninth of the Month of Angiris you were seen meeting with criminal elements within this very city. Multiple witnesses have come forward about your...activities. Do you deny these testimonies?"

"Of course I do! I never--"

"I have neither the time nor the patience for your lies." Corvalix nodded to the soldiers at the door, who drew their weapons and floated them inches from the cowering civilians. "Tell us who you met with, and your family will be spared. I give you my word." He leaned in until he was face to face with Setaris. "Or would you prefer they be charged as conspirators as well?"

"No! No, please, don't hurt them."

"Then I need names. Now."

Setaris gave a defeated, hopeless sigh and cast his eyes to the ground.

"Kalwix. Kalwix Gondyyl."

"And...?"

"A-And Faendari Yinisa. I don't know the others by name, I swear. We only met twice. You must understand: no one wants to buy my wares when they're more concerned with getting enough food to eat. I was just doing what I had to in order to keep my family from going hungry. Please, just...just don't hurt them."

Corvalix signaled to his bucks, who sheathed their weapons once more. "I gave you my word, and so I shall keep it."

Setaris jerked forward with a short, pained cry as the end of the quinn-blade stuck out from his throat, its jagged edge unleashing a spray of arterial blood that spurted with every beat of his dying heart. He reflexively grabbed at himself in panic, falling to the ground as it was withdrawn. His wife and daughter slipped past the soldiers, rushing to his side and screaming in grief as his body thrashed, then was still.

"As per my agreement with your husband, no harm shall come to you. Your home, however, is hereby forfeit under joint Cervidae-Whitetail law."

A trio of pots lifted from the cart and burst into emerald flames as they smashed against the inside of the building, and within seconds a raging torrent of otherworldly fire shot out from every entrance.

The commotion had drawn watchers, as he knew -- and hoped -- that it would. Across the street, his second in command had just finished delivering justice to another disgusting traitor, and another home went up in short order.

"People of Evinwiir!" he shouted over the roaring flames. "Let this be a warning to any who would think of turning against their own nation! No longer shall we turn a blind eye to dissent, and if anyone should dare to defy the laws set forth by the empress and the chancellor, then they will meet the same fate!"

"Cease fire! All catapults, cease fire immediately!"

Optio Obsidio Bulwark raised his hoof and commanded his under-officers to pass along his orders. Seconds later the extensive line of siege weapons fell silent, a welcome relief for the ponies who had been loading and firing the contraptions nearly constantly for the entire morning. They slumped against their equipment as Bulwark's senior officer approached with an incredulous look upon his face. His white and gold cloak billowed behind him in a gust of wind.

"Is there a reason you've stopped the bombardment, Optio? Because last I checked, the wall is still standing."

Bulwark quickly saluted. "Sir, there seems to be something amiss. We've been under strict orders to avoid using incendiary munitions for our catapults, yet our pegasi scouts have reported a growing number of fires within the area just north of the wall. At first I thought it might just be the result of unfortunate misses, but...the thing is, sir, those fires are exactly like what we saw when the whitetail used aetherflame against us."

"So you've hit a store house, perhaps several of them."

"I don't think that's it, sir," he said. "The deerfolk keep their aetherflame stores underground, to avoid exactly such a situation."

The officer gave an exasperated sigh. "Is there a point to this, Bulwark? Whatever misfortune befalls the whitetail, I'd say they've more than brought it upon themselves."

"I can't say what the cause of the aetherflames are, but until we know more I would like your permission to cease engagement lest we cause unnecessary deaths to the civilians inside the walls." He added, "Princess Celestia would be most displeased if we didn't take the necessary precautions."

Clearly dissatisfied, but unable to argue, the officer turned to his aide. "Find me a contingent of pegasi scouts. A dozen, at least. Tell them I'm going to need a rooftop-level flight over Evinwiir's southern quarter. I want to know exactly what is causing these flare-ups. Understood?" The aide repeated his orders, then galloped off. "Fighting a war with our hooves tied together by civilian concern. Dangerous idealism, if you ask me. You'll get your wish, Optio, but remember: any losses incurred during this are on you. There had better be a damned good reason behind this."

Corvalix rubbed his side where the still-healing wound from his encounter with Caethil's bucks had left him scarred. Rooting out cowards and treasonous cur was such a laborious task, be they politicians, soldiers or mere civilians. He longed for the thrill of outright warfare, its promise keeping him motivated to continue this necessary but trying task.

A significant number of names had been crossed off, each one another pony sympathizer or rebellious lout. Some of them had given up names or information in the hopes of having their lives spared, but they too had met their end at the point of a quinn-blade. Every so often a bystander -- friend, family member, or just another citizen -- would try to save the condemned, only to be cut down by the soldiers who formed an impenetrable wall around their officers. Dozens of homes and businesses had gone up in flames along with their owners, the collective clouds of smoke now drifting over much of the city proper. After a while, the people of Evinwiir had stopped coming out to watch their neighbors die, frightened into staying within the safety of ignorance, and that suited him just fine. He was tired of giving the same warning speech anyway.

"We're down to a score, perhaps slightly less," Brother-Captain Galwyn said as he looked over the scroll once more. The front of his armor had been stained red by blood, and he regarded it with the same disdain as he regarded those who had spilled it upon him. After the first hoof-full of executions he had learned to stab downward, so that the blade went through their throat and into their chest instead of straight in and out, but it had been too late to save his typically spotless armor from being sullied by traitor blood.

"Good, I grow weary of this. The empress will want a full report after we're done here, and I do not intend to disappoint her."

"Nor do I, sir."

"A wise decision. Let's finish this nonsense and be on our way."

The formation turned down a rough dirt street, and scattered deer scrambled to get out of its way. By now word had spread of the swift and decisive judgment being meted out to any who dared defy Whitetail, and thus every buck and doe was a potential target. They could try to run, but the city was on lockdown. They only delayed the inevitable.

Up ahead, at the intersection of two roads that opened into a wide plaza, a small contingent of whitetail soldiers stood at attention. Many of them were clearly veterans of the conflict, with missing antler points and visible scars. A few still displayed bandages covering fresh wounds, and to the last their armor was nicked and gouged by blade strikes. Corvalix picked up his pace.

"Ah! I was hoping I would get some reinforcements. Though I must say, I was expecting a unit that wasn't quite so battle-weary. Rough day along the wall, I take it? Those winged ponies can be a menace if you let them land in numbers."

The officer at the front and center of the formation spoke, a stout stag with the white and green sash of a Standard Bearer, one of the highest titles that could be bestowed upon a soldier of Whitetail. "Brother-General Corvalix, I presume."

"The very same. And who might you be?"

"Standard-Commander Eradaxis, of the 19th Capital Guard. I hear you've been quite busy."

"To say the least! There is no shortage of those who would seek to subvert all we have fought for, and it is my supreme if somewhat monotonous duty to carry out the will of the good empress herself and bring these dissenters to justice. Fortunately for you, we're nearly done here. If you'd fall in behind our own formation, we can have you all back to your barracks by mid-day." He waited with a confident smile. It faded as none of the whitetail moved. "Ahem. Is there a problem, Standard-Commander?"

"I don't see anyone in shackles. Where are your prisoners?"

Corvalix and his under-officer looked at each other. "I'm afraid this is not that kind of justice. Treason, as I'm sure you know, is the highest form of crime, and is punishable by death. Immediate sentencing can be the only solution in times such as--"

"Under Whitetail law, all accused are to be given a trial," Eradaxis interrupted. "No exceptions. So it has been since the formation of our country."

"Be that as it may," Corvalix replied, his patience growing thin, "these are exceptional circumstances. Under joint Cervidae-Whitetail rule, all decisions are subject to the will of Empress Elinwynn and Chancellor Vinawyll. Now, as much as I would, ah, enjoy discussing international law, I must insist we hold off on doing so until the appropriate time. If you'll excuse me?"

Corvalix stepped forward, expecting Eradaxis and his bucks to move. He ran into a shield and stopped, grunting in frustration.

"Perhaps I did not make myself clear. Move. Now."

Eradaxis stared him down, fully half a head taller. "I don't think you understand, Corvalix. You may be in charge, but this is not your city." He looked to the formation of soldiers watching in nervous interest, a good number of them whitetail. "Are you all really going to be silent accomplices to this outright murder? Reach down and grab your balls, provided he hasn't lopped them off yet. You're whitetail, damnit! I don't care how many redtail prance around this place like they own it, no one is above the law." He turned back to Corvalix. "Not even the brother of a foreign empress."

An uneasy silence lingered between them. "Fine. You want to play by the rules of your precious little city? We can do that." Corvalix shouted over his shoulder. "Brother-Commanders Kaylin and Tyrrein, you are hereby ordered to place Standard-Commander Eradaxis and his soldiers under arrest!" The singing of a crystalline blade being drawn from its ring-holster was his answer, and he found a weapon floating inches from his face. He reflexively jumped back, pulling his own blade in return. "You dare threaten a commanding officer?"

Eradaxis shook his head. "I don't want to see anyone get harmed, Brother-General, least of all my fellow whitetail under your command. Turn around and go back to your headquarters. I will answer for my actions as necessary, but there has been enough killing for one day. No more whitetail blood will be spilled at your hooves."

Corvalix raised his foreleg, prompting his soldiers to draw their weapons. They did as commanded, some more hesitantly than others.

"You traitorous, insolent disgrace! I will not be ordered around by you, and if you value your life and those of your bucks then I suggest you surrender to our custody. Stop this madness at once!"

A firm stomp sent Eradaxis' knee blades springing out and locking into place. Around him, fifty bucks did the same, simultaneously lifting weapons from their sides. "If any of you still care about this place you call home, then join me. We will not be swayed by redtail butchery."

"Belay that!" Corvalix shouted. "If anyone sees a whitetail even thinking of desertion, you are hereby ordered to cut them down on the spot!" A fire burned in his eyes. "You stubborn fool. You are outnumbered, with nowhere to run. Do you truly wish to die for nothing, like the misguided souls of the 15th?"

"Brother-Commander Caethil did what he thought was right, as did his soldiers. As do I. Look around you, Corvalix -- the tide is turning against you."

The twin lines of mixed redtail and whitetail quickly formed into rows behind Corvalix. The groups stared each other down in nervous anticipation, neither truly wanting to engage in open combat. These were their friends and compatriots. The days of outright strife between deer were supposed to be over thanks to the empress, yet here they stood.

"This is your last warning, Eradaxis. I can respect your service, perhaps even your resolve, misguided though it may be, but I will not tolerate disobedience from anyone. Stand aside, or face the consequences of your actions."

A small group of winged ponies flew by overhead, scattered arrows and darts rising up to meet them in a weak attempt to destroy the scouting party. The Equestrians were practically unopposed. Eradaxis smiled.

"I've already made my decision."