"You know, when I found out I was being transferred to the Praetorians, I never thought I would be spending my days planting flowers," Tercio grumbled with a handful of small, pink flowers. For the last four hours he and the other recruits had painstakingly dug out neat little holes, stuck a flower in each one, and filled the hole up. Over and over.

"I mean, we're supposed to be the elite of Equestrian military might, and here we are, breaking our backs, hunched over planting boxes. Where does this factor into defending the princess, exactly?"

"The only thing you're defending is the privilege of a hot meal, Krosus." Imperator Stonewall paced back and forth behind the recruits from Barracks 4 and Barracks 2, as if planting decorative flowers was of the utmost importance. "And if you keep bitching, you're likely to lose that privilege."

To Tercio's immediate right, the tall, strong form of Rimeberry continued his duties without complaint.

"I don't mind it," he said, alternating purple and white rows. "Reminds me of happier times."

"If your happier times involved sticking flowers in the ground all day, I'd hate to know what you consider to be hard work, my friend."

Rimeberry smiled lightly to himself. "I used to do this for fun, back in the day. It was a break from farm work."

Tercio stopped momentarily. "You worked on a farm?"

"I did." The big earth pony took a long drink from his flask, letting out a satisfied exhale. "Grew up on one. Folks owned a vineyard up in the north of Equestria, near the Griffon border. Made a nice little living making ice wine."

"Ice wine?"

"Yep. When the winter freeze rolls around, and everything is at just the right temperature, the sugars in the grapes become more concentrated. Makes a sweeter wine. It's hard work, getting a decent amount of it, but it always sold well. Gave my mother and father enough income to last us the year."

"Huh. Well I guess that explains the name. Now I don't have to ask," Tercio quipped.

"I suppose you don't." He worked in silence for a time before speaking up once more. "What about you, Tercio? Any soil running through your veins?"

"There is, in fact."

"Oh?"

"My adoptive mother and father are fifth-generation farmers. Wheat and carrots, mostly. I spent many a year helping them with the planting and harvesting. It's never really been my forte, however. That's why I signed up with the Equestrian military as soon as I was able. Being a soldier suits me far better than, oh, planting flowers."

"And yet here you are," Rimeberry said with a small chuckle.

"So it would seem."

Across from Tercio's spot in line, Thunderburst was having more trouble than either of his compatriots. He swore to himself as a bundle of purple-speckled flowers tumbled from his grasp. "Gods above! This is beneath me. I am a pegasus, not a mud pony! I should be soaring through the sky with a spear at my side, not rummaging through dirt."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say 'mud pony' in my presence," Rimeberry said without looking up.

Thunderburst grumbled. "I'm just tired of these meaningless tasks. Shouldn't we be sparring right now?"

"Patience, Thunderburst." Rimeberry held up a flower between his hooves, looking at it in the fading glow of the increasingly cloudy sky. "It's like being a recruit again. You just have to bide your time and do as they say."

"Patience nothing!" Thunderburst stood up, tossing the flowers to the ground. "Fully half of Equestria's military might is marching on Everfree as we speak! Why are we not joining them?!"

"Hey, come on," Tercio said, "I would rather be fighting, too, but there's no need to lose your temper over it."

"You're one to lecture me about temper, human! One of us has beaten a fellow soldier into a state of living death. I do not know how you sleep at night."

Stonewall came marching over, stepping up to the mouthy pegasus.

"Is there a problem, Thunderburst?"

"Sir, I only want to fight the whitetail. Why are we digging holes for flowers?"

"Because sometimes that's what you have to do, whether you like it or not. Need I remind you that you are an aspiring praetorian? You have not earned the right to guard a chamber pot, much less the princess!"

"But--"

"Not a word, recruit. Do you hear me? If you wish to support the soldiers marching to face the deer, then I suggest you offer your prayers, because you will not be offering your blade. Not yet." Stonewall raised his voice to be heard over the dozen recruits culled from the Equestrian Guard and Royal Guard. "That goes for all of you! If blood is what you seek, then rest assured that there will be a river of it soon enough! Whether it is yours, or the enemy's, is to be seen. Until then, you should consider yourselves lucky to be blessed with Princess Celestia's royal garden! Now get back to work!"

Tercio waited until the imperator was out of ear shot.

"Look, Thunderburst, I already told you I had no control over what happened to Polaris. I'm hoping for his recovery just as much as you are."

"I'm sure. What do you care, human? Likely he is just another pony to you. I'm surprised you can even tell us apart."

With a grunt of frustration Tercio looked Thunderburst in the eye. "I care not if you think ill of me, Thunderburst. I am too busy worrying for the well-being of my brother in the 44th Legion to bother with whether or not you despise me."

"Your brother? So there's more than one of you?"

"No. He's a pegasus, like you, only he proves his worth through actions, not empty words."

Sensing a brawl coming in the not too distant future, Rimeberry stepped in to try and calm the situation.

"So you're a praetorian, and your brother is a legionary. Your parents must be proud."

"I would like to think so," Tercio said, pulling his gaze away from Thunderburst. "They took me in when they had no obligation to, and for that I am eternally grateful."

"They sound like good folks."

"They are, though they must be worried sick right about now. Can't say I blame them. News of the coming battle has surely spread throughout most of Equestria at this point."

"And your brother, do you worry for him?"

Tercio nodded. "Of course. I worry for him every day. But the Legion is not for the weak of mind or body, and I know he is more than capable of defending himself. I'd argue he's a better fighter than I am."

"That's not much of a boast," Thunderburst mumbled.

"I'm a better fighter than you, pegasus, or have you already forgotten the last time we sparred? Spare me your barbs, I grow weary of them already." Thunderburst shot him a look full of daggers, but said nothing more. "I'm sorry, Rimeberry. I simply do not have patience for those who would insult another's blood."

"I understand," the other said.

Tercio pulled a cloth from a belt pouch, wiping the sweat from his brow and forehead. Even with the coming shade planting was hard work. Far above, large, grey clouds were slowly overtaking the sun. Somewhere, he thought, Victus was looking up at the same sky. A horrible thought tugged at his mind and refused to let go -- it might be the last sky Victus ever saw.

Tercio gave a silent prayer to the old gods.

"Be safe, brother."

Libertus and his followers bowed on their knees as the image of their queen formed from the pendant laid upon her altar. The old tent, once used to hide her from the outside world, was now gone. In its place, there was only the open air of Whitetail Wood. They'd all gathered here, his comrades, his brothers and sisters in eternal service, to follow one last order. He knew not their exact number, only that hundreds of true believers had come from every corner of Equestria. Word of the untold glory and eternal life awaiting them had even attracted members of other species, for they were all equal in the eyes of Nightmare Moon. In return, she asked only for their devotion.

"My Queen," Libertus said as the fully-formed visage stood before him, its shape swirling and billowing with an unseen wind. "We have gathered as you asked. Our numbers are legion."

"Rise, my servants," the dark figure said, "and know that you are loved." A murmur of pure joy spread through the masses. "I trust none of you were followed?"

"A few, my Queen, but those who dared to impede upon our ceremony have been dealt with in a manner befitting the torment awaiting them in the afterlife. You will find only loyalists amongst us."

"Very good, Libertus. Tell me: Do the armies of Equestria still march toward Everfree? Do the deerfolk still intend to wage war to the last?"

"Yes. There is no stopping the conflict, just as you had foreseen."

"Then it is time." The black mass studied the crowd with predatory eyes. "Events have been set in motion that will alter the course of history forever. Tomorrow, all of you -- pony, zebra, and griffon alike -- will tip the balance of power away from the corrupt, stagnant rule of Princess Celestia and her blind lackeys. You...will change everything."

Libertus felt a rush of exhilaration, a sense of pride like he had never felt before. Clad in his blood-stained armor, he bowed before his ruler once more.

"We will do anything you ask, Queen Nightmare Moon! Command us!"

The gathered warriors and fanatics shouted, pleaded for a task.

The dark figure raised a foreleg, and all was silent once more.

"A dark day awaits Equestria. Her streets will run red with the blood of her soldiers, slain by the deer, and you...you will be my instruments of my will. Tomorrow, you will march on Canterlot!" The crowd gasped in surprise and delight.

"You will storm the very walls of the diseased heart of Equestria's rule, and you will lay waste to every living thing within in confines, that a new world may be reborn from its ashes!"

Libertus led the crowd in a mighty cheer, their blades raised in the air.

"I will give you eternal life, my followers," the figure said. "I will give you power beyond power, and we will rejoice in unending pleasure and feast til our bellies are full in the Great Beyond! And in return...I ask only for your mortal lives."

Libertus looked up at his queen, tears streaming from his eyes, and in that moment he knew that he had chosen right when the whole world had told him he was wrong.

"Now go. Leave behind no traces of this site. And when you reach Canterlot, let all who stand before you know the wrath of Nightmare Moon."

Many miles away, on the edge of the Everfree forest, a gathering storm mirrored the scene far below -- the largest mobilization of Equestrian forces in two hundred years. Thousands of soldiers from all arms of the mighty nation's military steadily formed themselves into squads, squads into centuries, centuries into cohorts. As far as the eye could see, vast numbers of steel and iron-clad warriors stood at the ready. Skirmish stallions, archers, air assault units, shield carriers. Ballistae and catapults. Endless fields of upright spears and sheathed swords. There was no longer a distinction between Equestrian Guard, Royal Guard, or Legion. United under the banner of their home land, they were all simply soldiers.

In the distance behind them, a massive tent city had been erected to feed and supply the bulk of Equestria's military. Now it was empty, nothing but the smoldering ashes of extinguished campfires and empty canvas.

Amongst the gathered numbers, Decanus Victus stood with his squad. They were but a small part of the endless formations, but he stood by his stallions like they were his own flesh and blood. Some were new to the Legion -- Steel Spark, Vincarius, Sertis, and Rockfall -- while others had served alongside him for years. His old compatriot and childhood friend, Chiron, stood at his side, the left-most of the squad. Smaller in stature than Victus, he none the less had proven himself as an able soldier in the Legion. He craned his neck to see above the crested helms that surrounded him, giving up with a sigh of annoyance.

"Is something the matter, Chiron?" Victus asked as he gave a final inspection to each of his stallions, tightening straps and testing their armor for proper fittings.

"Yes," Chiron said, "I'm damned terrified, that's what."

Some of the others echoed his sentiment.

"You've never been one to mince words, old friend," Victus chuckled.

"Are you not afraid as well? Look at all of this!" He motioned with a hoof to the sea of stallions. "Never before have I seen such a show of force! Half of Equestria must be out here."

"Then you should take comfort in our strength. If the deer want a fight, then they're going to get one."

Some of the more veteran members of the squad laughed in approval.

"Of that I've no doubt. I do believe we have the training and skill necessary, but still...an actual battle. I do not understand how you can be so calm."

Victus stepped back from his squad, standing before them with his spear at his side.

"Shall I let you all in on a secret? Yes? Very well." Victus removed his galea, revealing his short-cropped, amber mane. His white coat stood out in sharp contrast to the metallic armor and red Legion cloak that adorned his body. "Truth be told, I am just as scared as any of you. Perhaps more so. I worry not for my own life, but for yours. You are, all of you, my brothers, and I care for you as such."

A cool wind blew through the clearing, bringing with it the promise of rain. Distant thunder rolled across the heavens and warned of impending storms.

"Know this, legionaries: No matter what the deer may throw at us, I will not falter. I will not leave you. We will fight as one, and we will kill as one, and if it comes to it, then we will die as one. On this, you have my very word as a stallion."

Behind his squad, behind the many others that made up just a single century, there came an echoing of voices, orders passed down from officer to officer. The nearest centurion relayed the message: The deer had arrived.

"They're here," Victus said quietly to his squad. Immediately he could feel his pulse quicken. Another shouted order. "Squad! Formation stance! Spears up!"

As one they snapped to attention, standing as straight and tall as their weapons. The sound of countless ponies, all carrying out the same order, echoed through the coming battlefield. It was awe-inspiring, a sound he knew he'd never forget. Then, for the first time since they'd arrived, it was completely silent.

General Phalanx stood atop the low hill overlooking his army. It was a breathtaking sight, a veritable sea of the finest soldiers Equestria had to offer. Clad in golden armor, with a white crest upon his helm, he looked every bit the leader he hoped he could be. A shimmering cloak of magically-infused white silk bellowed behind him in the gusting winds, shimmering with the radiant light of Celestia's sun. He closed his eyes and took in a deep, wonderful breath of rain-scented air. For the briefest of moments he was a colt again, running through the shallow stream behind his home. No war upon him, no lives to be lost under his command.

"The stallions are ready, General."

He opened his eyes, and once more he was focused solely on the task before him.

"So they are."

His most trusted imperators stood to either flank, along with an unexpected visitor from the 44th Legion -- a griffon named Gilias. Legatus Lentius had spoken highly of her skill, and she seemed eager to join the fight. He could not very well turn down another blade.

"You are free to leave, should you so feel the need," Phalanx told the Battle-Master from a distant land.

"And miss the fun? Not on your life, Equestrian," Gilias answered with a confident grin.

"Very well, then."

Ahead in the wooded distance an unfamiliar horn sounded, loud and deep. Many others joined it, lighter and sharper. The whitetail were approaching.

"Let me ask you something, griffon."

"Yes?"

"You've fought the deer. Do you truly believe we can win this war?"

"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "I have yet to see your forces in action. If we survive this battle, ask me then."

The horns stopped, and the rumbling began. Countless deer marching in formation, unseen yet very much heard. Their deertongue call-and-response commands echoed through the thick forest that obscured their movements.

"FYYL NA'AL KRAHS!"

"HWAH!"

"GAHL D'WIN!"

"HWAH!"

At once they appeared from the edge of the forest, marching in long columns as they stepped into the clearing. With military precision they split into rectangular sections, hundreds of deer per formation. Polished, glass-like armor shone green in the fading light of overcast skies. For ten minutes they streamed from the forest, their numbers beyond counting. With a final, shouted order the deer were in place. Their lines stretched as wide and far as the Equestrians that stood not even two hundred yards away.

General Phalanx looked out over the massed deer, and for the first time he was unsure of his own victory.

"Right. Axebite, Shatter-Shield, you're with me. Keep your weapons holstered, and that's an order."

His imperators answered immediately, placing their helms upon their heads and hoisting the banners of Equestria upon their backs, held up high on saddle-mounted poles.

"What about me?" Gilias asked.

"You will stay here. This is a matter between myself and the Whitetail general."

"You won't be saying that when I start slaughtering the deer."

"It is a matter of formality, Battle-Master. Do not concern yourself with such things, I am sure you have already been noticed."

"Good, I hate being last to fight."

The impending battlefield was disconcertingly quiet. There was only the sound of wind whipping through the clearing, rustling banners and shaking spears, and the rolling sound of nearing thunder. With a final, deep breath the general marched out to the empty space between the two great armies. A tall, well-built stag with graying spots came out to meet him, flanked by two of Whitetail's finest warriors. Floating beside them were long, narrow flags of green and white, triangular in shape, with split ends that flapped in the wind.

For a long moment neither side said a word. The old veterans simply looked each other over, a wordless, martial respect their only common ground.

"Brother-General Felnaris," Phalanx finally said, tipping his head to the other.

"General Phalanx," Felnaris replied in heavily-accented Equestrian Common, returning the slight nod. "We meet at last."

"So it would seem." Phalanx looked out over his gathered army, then the army of his rival. He saw only countless lives that would soon be lost. "I realize this is likely a futile gesture, but perhaps we do not have to fight."

The leader of Whitetail's military, clad in gold-flecked armor, smiled lightly at the thought.

"Indeed we do not, Equestrian. All we ask is your full surrender, and the abolishment of Princess Celestia from the throne."

"You know as well as I do that such a thing will not happen."

"Then we have nothing further to discuss."

"Listen to me," Phalanx bit back, taking a step closer. "This entire campaign is based on a lie! It was not us who destroyed River Run, nor ended the life of your chancellor. Please, turn back. Tell your Senate that we seek only time to discover who is at fault for such crimes. Then, when the traitorous scum are discovered, we can wipe them out together."

"And give your armies time to build up further? General, I do not believe you know so much about warfare as you claim." Felnaris gestured to his forces. "Come what may, the fates have already decided for us. I speak with you out of respect for your past accomplishments, not out of fear. Or hatred. I am simply an old soldier. As are you. I care not why I am told to fight, only that I am."

"Heh. A couple of damned, old soldiers. Isn't that the gods' honest truth?"

"Some things do not change." Felnaris bowed to an unseen soldier. "If you could, please pass on a message to Battle-Master Gilias. Tell her Brother-General Felnaris wishes her a long life."

"As you wish."

Phalanx looked up at the gathering clouds, feeling the first drops of scattered rain fall over his face. Despite all signs to the contrary, he had still fostered some small hope of resolving the meeting of forces without bloodshed. Now that hope was gone, and in its place was a slowly rising sense of determination. If he had to fight, then he would fight to his utmost. His stallions depended on it. If they fell, Equestria would be forced to fight with greatly reduced numbers.

"Very well," he said firmly. "If such a thing cannot be avoided, then we will fight. In the event of defeat for either of us, I ask only that our respective soldiers are treated fairly. No prisoner will come to harm under the flag of surrender. On this, I give you my word."

"And I, mine."

Without a further word, the two leaders turned and marched back to their lines. His soldiers saluted him once more as he passed. Finally, with his position overlooking the battlefield secured, he relieved his guarding imperators back to their formations.

"Brother-General Felnaris wishes you a long life," he said to Gilias as she stood at his side once more. "I take it you two know each other?"

"You could say that. We fought in a battle nearly two decades ago. He is tougher than he looks. But then," she added with an air of resolve, "so am I."

"Let us hope so."

Neither army made a move, and in the long, passing minutes light showers of rain turned into a steady downpour that clattered off steel and crystalline armor, the sound echoing through the clearing. General Phalanx bowed his head, offering a prayer for his stallions.

"May the gods old and new watch over and guide us."

And then he was at war.

"HASTATIIIII!"

His commanders echoed his orders through the ranks.

"AT THE READY!"

Down the entire front line, stallions of the first four ranks joined shields in a great, impenetrable wall of wood and iron, spears tucked into their forelegs. Glistening weapon tips dripped with rain water as they jutted from gaps, forming a long line of assured death for any who would dare to attack. There they remained, motionless, waiting.

"DA'EN'KRAS, FILINYYN!"

Across the way, thousands of deer answered as one. Small, crystalline buckler shields were raised to neck-level, and together unfolded once, twice, three times as segments dropped from the main circle and latched together. In a matter of moments, they had grown more than twice their original size.

"ARO'WIN!"

"HWAH!"

A thousand deer raised up and stomped their forelegs into the ground.

"ARO'WIN!"

"HWAH!"

"ARO'WIN!"

"HWAH!!"

With a final shout the deer slammed their hooves down. A deafening cacophony filled the air as thousands of armor-mounted conical blades shot out and locked into place.

General Phalanx looked over his soldiers one, last time. He knew only a fraction of them by name, but he knew he would feel the deaths of each and every one. Later he would mourn them. For now, he would be their general, and he would fight and kill with them, and by his leadership his home would be safe once again.

"EQUESTRIANS!" He donned his helm and unsheathed his sword, shouting above the din of falling rain.

"PREPARE TO DEFEND YOURSELVES!"