A dark cloud-cover obscured the afternoon sky over Ponyville, rain beginning to fall. With no pegasi in charge of the weather, the unpredictable clouds from the Everfree forest had collected uninhibited over the town. But the rain was welcome, as it gave not only a chance for the two warring armies to rest, but it served to douse the flames charring their way through northern and eastern Ponyville.

Applebloom and Sweetie Bell finally pushed their way through the door, which they had been quietly cranking open centimeters at a time for several hours when Ms. Cherilee wasn't looking. Seeing as how there were nearly two dozen colts and fillies sheltering in the library basement to occupy her attention, there had been plenty of opportunity.

The rain surprised the two newly liberated fillies, but did not deter them from running across the square.

"Applebloom, how are we going to find them in this mess?" asked Sweetie Bell, looking out across town where they could see the devastation. The clock tower had been toppled over, and Sweetie Bell couldn't see the familiar Carousel Boutique's short spire. Nopony was anywhere to be seen, the streets empty though even within just 100 yards of the Library they could see long hoof and drag marks digging into the ground.

"Don't worry Sweetie Bell, I'm sure we'll find our sisters," assured Applebloom. The two ponies ran close the buildings, dashing from cover to cover not wanting to take any chances despite the deserted streets and stormy skies.

"Yeah, but then what'll we do?" Sweetie Bell asked as she dove behind a barrel.

"Seriously? Yer havin' second thoughts now?"

"No, I just don't want to die anytime soon."

"Relax, we'll just make sure that our families are ok an' then we'll zip on back to the library 'fore Cherilee even notices," said Applebloom as she bolted across a street, Sweetie Bell immediately following.

"Where'd ya figure they are?" Applebloom asked as she peeked around a corner.

"Well, Canterlot is north, so it stand to reason that we need to go south," Sweetie Bell.

"Great....which way's south?"

Sweetie Bell looked from her cover next to an empty apple box in both directions before shrugging. Both of them sighed and looked around the corner. They couldn't see Canterlot with the storm blocking visibility, and they didn't have a clue where the sun was. Heck, they weren't even really sure it was daytime with how dark the clouds were making it.

Applebloom wiped some mud off her face before running off again, picking the direction that seemed right. Their farm was supposed to be southwest, so she tried to pick out familiar landmarks towards home. They were so enveloped they nearly jumped out of their skins when a pony approached and stopped them.

"Who goes there!?" the pony called, freezing the fillies in their tracks. They relaxed a little when they noticed the pony was wearing NLR black, but stayed on edge as the pony walked towards them.

"Hey, it's that DJ!" Applebloom exclaimed as Vinyl Scratch came into view, her striking magenta eyes flashing with a bolt of lightning above.

"What? Oh wait...you're that Apple kid aren't ya? And you're the filly with the awesome voice," Vinyl said, looking over the two. Her sunglasses were sitting high on her head, one lens smashed out, and there was a small, red mark under her eye. Applebloom and Sweetie Bell both allowed themselves to breath a little easier as the unicorn approached.

"Aren't you two supposed to be in the library?" Vinyl asked, raising her brow a little and shielding her eyes from the rain with one hoof.

"We just were trying to find our sisters," explained Sweetie Bell, shivering a little.

"And my brother too," added Applebloom.

"Well, I don't know anything but we can find somepony that does, follow me."

They trotted quickly after Vinyl Scratch, all of them looking warily around as they went. The rain started getting heavier and wind was picking up in speed, soon sending the three ponies into a run. They passed only a hoof-full of other NLR ponies, who only glanced at them long enough to make sure they weren't Solar, but soon they ran full pelt into the main force. Most of them were trying to shelter indoors or under awnings, and a lot them also looked like they were trying to sleep in the downpour.

"Hey! Berry Punch!" Vinyl called through the rain, leading the fillies towards a magenta colored mare resting under a store's front overhang. "Could you help these fillies out?"

"Sure," answered Berry Punch, though she didn't look too thrilled as she got up. Her black uniform was torn in several places, amounting to little more than rags on her front legs. "What do you need?"

"We're looking for Rarity and Applejack," answered Sweetie Bell. Berry Punch looked surprised and at a loss for words. Applebloom and Sweetie Bell both felt their hearts drop like lead.

"Oh no, they're not..." Applebloom began, wide eyed.

Berry Punch snapped out of her surprise for a second, "Oh, they're probably alive..."

"Probably?" they exclaimed at the same time, mouths agape.

"Well, you see..." Berry Punch paused, obviously searching for the right words. "In the middle of the fight over on the north side yesterday, and well they just came out of nowhere, snatched both of them up along with Rainbow Dash and Princess Twilight, and then were gone."

Sweetie Bell and Applebloom looked at each other in shocked before whipping their heads back and asking, "Who!?"

"It was a bunch of Ponyvillians that ran off before it all got started....see there was Pinkie Pie for sure, then two or three other pegasus and a couple of earth ponies. I think one was Flutterby....is that right? Fluttertie? Flutter...ah I don't know."

Sweetie and Applebloom hardly heard the last rambling parts of the sentences, neither able to make heads or tails of what was going on, or where in the wide world of Equestria their sisters were.

-----

"Well, that was different."

Applejack had been surprised enough when Fluttershy had suddenly yelled, but then was further flummoxed when instead of just telling them the little pegasus had practically tackled Pinkie Pie and dragged her out of the kitchen. She stared out the door, blinking deliberately as she tried to think through what Fluttershy had been thinking.

"Well, I've never seen her that excited before," remarked Rarity.

"That's usually Pinkie's thing," added Rainbow Dash, who was still sitting on the counter where Fluttershy had dressed her bandages. "Did I really hit my head that hard?"

Applejack watched for a second as Rainbow Dash waved a hoof in front of her own eyes, wearing a concerned look that said she had really knocked something loose. Applejack stifled a chuckle, thinking how funny it looked with Rainbow's eyes crossing like that. Rainbow stopped when she noticed Applejack trying not to laugh and scowled a little before wincing again.

"Well, at any rate, after their most recent 'plan' I'm not sure we should stick around for the next one," said Twilight, sauntering into the middle of the kitchen, more or less addressing all of them but talking directly to Rainbow Dash. "I know I need to get back to Ponyville as soon as possible."

"You're not leaving me behind, Twilight," snapped Rainbow Dash, flaring her wings and starting to hover a foot or so above the counter. "Can't get rid of me that easy."

Twilight rolled her eyes a little and turned once more, looking at Rarity and Applejack. She looked like she was going to say something, her mouth opening, but then closing again as she thought differently. She began to walk out, stopped, and said quietly, "Thank you." before walking briskly out the door. Rainbow Dash landed and trotted out after her, giving her own thanks with the slightest of nods. She always had that stubborn pride.

Applejack and Rarity stayed for a moment, letting the others get a distance down the hallway.

"Not to sound like a broken record, but what happens next?" Rarity asked after they could no longer hear the hoofsteps.

"I dunno exactly, but whatever the case we need to get back to Ponyville, and fast," responded Applejack. She hadn't been so conflicted inside since it had all started, when she had made her choice to toss her lot in with Luna, and she was sure Rarity was feeling the same. Because when they had jumped in to help and fought beside Twilight and Rainbow Dash, Applejack had known without a doubt that she was where she needed to be.

But there was still that nagging fear, the reason she had turned her back on Celestia in the first place, that everything would go wrong in the same way that had driven the Apple Family from their original southern home so long ago. Luna had promised not to let that happen, and Applejack was holding her to her word.

"So how do we get there?" asked Rarity. She had a point. Neither of them could fly and she guessed borrowing a chariot from the Crystal Empire was out of the question since the events of just 15 minutes before.

"Same way we came in," said Applejack, walking out the kitchen with Rarity following.

"I doubt we could get the conductor to take us on the train."

"Not if Twilight and RD are too."

Looking back Applejack caught an incredibly skeptical look from the white unicorn as she said, "And how do we do that exactly? And last time I checked they can both fly."

"Twillight 'll probably find another way. She don't fly very fast yet, and Rainbow's still hurt," said Applejack as they found the stairs to the outside and descended them quickly. They both flinched a little at the sunlight as they stepped out of the castle and onto the center plaza. The fair was being packed up by the crystal ponies, a few here and there showing a mix of expressions towards Applejack and Rarity that ranged from annoyance to curiosity.

"I wonder where Fluttershy ran off to so fast?" Rarity asked aloud, "I can't help but be curious about what she was thinking."

Applejack grunted in agreement as they pushed through the crowd, trying to find Twilight and Rainbow. It was amazing how hard it was to find the latter sometimes even though her mane was so distinctive.

"Uh-uh, NO way!" a voice rose above the crowd down the street a ways. Applejack looked and was surprised to see Fluttershy with Blue October, who was the one raising the racket.

Applejack was going to walk straight up to them but Rarity pulled her back, motioning that they should just listen. Applejack and Rarity crept a little closer, hiding behind the corner of the building Fluttershy and Blue were standing in front of.

"Oh please, Blue, it is super important!" Fluttershy pleaded, crestfallen.

"Look, this is just plain crazy! Only a crazy pony would do that!" insisted Blue, shaking her head.

"But-"

"I helped you the first time because I owed you for paying my way here, and because as it crazy as it was it didn't involve......THIS."

Applejack peeked around and noticed for the first time that Blue had silver armor on, and Fluttershy had obviously been trying to strap what looked like Rainbow's wing blades to Blue's. She looked uncomfortable and was casting glances around at the hoofful of ponies watching the scene. Fluttershy was still giving her best pleading face, and was holding out a rolled up scroll that Blue October was trying to distance herself from. They both stood like that for several moments, but Blue's resolve failed first.

"Okay, fine. But the minute I think I'm in trouble, I'm out of there whether it's delivered or not," said Blue, exhaling exasperatedly.

"Oh, Thank you, Blue!" Fluttershy said in relief, hugging the blue pegasus. "Please hurry."

"Yeah, yeah," Blue said, grabbing the scroll in her mouth and stuffing it in her armor before taking off, flying south. Fluttershy watched her too for a moment, before taking off herself towards another part of the city. Applejack stepped back into the street, feeling even more perplexed than she had been earlier. Whatever it was that little pegasus was thinking, it was elaborate.

"Applejack, let's get to the train station, we can worry about them later," said Rarity, tapping Applejack's shoulder.

"Ok," responded Applejack, looking around and down the streets. "Any idea where?"

"I think I can actually see the clock tower this time," said Rarity, pointing. Applejack followed her hoof and sure enough, it looked like the train clock tower peeking over the edge of a roof. That might have been much more helpful on their earlier attempt to find the station. They trotted off in that direction, ignoring the stares.

-----

Rainbow Dash alternated closing and looking out each eye, trying to banish the last of the dizziness from her head which was still throbbing a little. She tried not to let on just how much it still hurt, as well as her side which still felt like somepony had used her as a punching bag, but she suspected Twilight knew that. Rainbow still tried to act casual, leaning up against a wall while Twilight dealt with the train engineer.

Rainbow would have preferred to fly, but Twilight and herself would both probably need to be well rested once they got back to Ponyville, so Rainbow Dash relented. She hated when this kind of thing happened, and it happened far too often in her book. This made three times.

Her eyes wandered over the crowd, some of whom were gawking at the lavender Princess talking to a very nervous looking engineer, taking in the scene subconsciously. That's why she had to do a double take when she saw Pinkie Pie on the far end of the platform. Rainbow sped over to a crate near them, keeping out of sight. The last so-called plan had caused a lot of trouble, and anything she could find out would be helpful.

Unfortunately the station was too busy and the crate too far away to hear Pinkie talking. Rainbow watched, a little frustrated and tempted to intervene somehow, as Pinkie Pie gave scrolls to three pegasi, one of which was actually Derpy (dressed in her mail-pony's uniform and smiling as always). The the other four looked like regular Equestrian Postal Service, two yellow mares and a couple of stallions. Dr. Hooves was also there, looking on with his usual aloof interest.

The three mail-pony's took off in unison, though Rainbow noticed them split apart in the distance. Turning her attention back to Pinkie Pie, she ducked when she saw Fluttershy fly in and land next to the pink mare. They said something short, before trotting off behind the station out of sight.

Rainbow Dash, still flustered she couldn't hear anything, trotted back to Twilight.

"We're ready to go. Going to have to pay a small fortune though to drag them back to Ponyville, but we can leave immediately," said Twilight. "At least this time we can ride comfortably."

Rainbow nodded absently, which prompted Twilight to ask, "Something wrong?"

"Fluttershy and Pinkie are making me nervous. Saw them giving letters off to mail-ponys a second ago," Rainbow replied, pushing past Twilight and boarding the train. Twilight jumped on after her, asking, "Did you-"

"Nope, too far away for me to hear," said Rainbow, sitting down on a bench and leaning back. Twilight didn't press the issue, taking the seat in front of her and looking out the window. It was only a few moments before the train was moving, the jolt making Rainbow's head hurt again.

"Twilight?"

"Yes, Rainbow?"

"Know any magic for headaches?"

-----

The train's trip, carrying four passengers (two of them stowaway and unbeknownst to the other two), was decidedly uneventful in every way. Twilight ended up spending most of the trip alternating between staring out the window lost in thought and watching Rainbow Dash sleep restlessly, snoring like a bear. She noticed how the clouds were bigger than she ever remembered them as they began to blanket the whole sky, out of control and wild, as they approached Ponyville.

The train slowed to a stop just as the tall town hall was barely visible over a rise, and rain was beginning to patter on the windows and roof of the train car. Twilight nudged Rainbow Dash, who woke up groaning a plea for five more minutes as she groggily opened her eyes.

Outside, the ground that was usually covered in green grass and flourishing trees was pounded brown, many of the trees leafless and bushes trampled. The rain had turned all of it muddy, making the land an ugly, flowing mass. Twilight jumped down into it, recoiling when the mud splashed up farther than she had expected. Rainbow Dash watched this, and chose to fly out instead, hovering above but still getting soaked by the torrent.

"Why haven't they had somepony clear the sky?" asked Rainbow, scowling up into the rain.

"Maybe it's some sort of tactic," suggested Twilight, wiping some mud off her face and walking towards the front of the train. The engineer had bounded out and was walking towards them, wearing a somewhat sheepish look on his face. He stopped a short distance from them, not making eye contact.

"I'm sorry, your Highness, but I just can't get any closer," he stammered. The crystal stallion was obviously terrified to be so close to a battlefield, and that had been clear from the time they left the Crystal Empire.

"Thank you for your courage. We will be fine from here," Twilight assured him as she walked by. The engineer nodded and dashed back up the train engine. Twilight and Rainbow Dash left the train behind as he began to back it towards the loop that would send him on his way back north.

They crested the hill to get their first look at Ponyville. On the slopes leading towards the town, the Army of Celestia was camped, tents being whipped around in the growing wind and ponies sheltering under them and nearby trees that were still standing. In the midst of the camp was what remained of the barrier wall, the pieces scattered everywhere while the rest of the wall continued in both directions around the rest of the town. On the far side of the camp, there was an ominous area surrounded by tarps, and Twilight could guess what was held behind them.

The town itself, even from a distance, was visibly damaged far beyond anything they had seen before. Even the wild parasprites hadn't done such a number on it. Most of the structures on the north side were collapsed, and many of those looked like they had burned. Farther down the east side, Twilight could see that some fires were still burning despite the downpour, the damage just as severe.

"Let's get down there," Twilight said, and she took off to join Rainbow as they glided down to the camp. Several of the ponies looked up in surprise when they recognized the purple alicorn and rainbow pegasus, some calling out while others just looking on.

"Hey! Rainbow! 'Where have you been?" Spitfire followed by Star Hunter, Blossomforth, and Soarin flew in and pulled up in front of the pair. All four of them wore bandages in various places, including a swathing bandage over half of Blossomforth's head that covered her right eye and most of her head mane. All of them were still wearing armor and their wing blades still flashed from their wings.

"Took a little vacation up north," bantered Rainbow Dash, landing as the others did. Twilight landed last, looking on.

"Some vacation, you look worse off than when you left," said Star Hunter laughing, referring to the head bandage that was still wrapped tight.

"Look who's talking. So what's with the weather?" Rainbow asked her team.

"We're going to go up and clear it soon, but Celestia had us leave the rain for the last day or so to give our ponies a rest," reported Spitfire. "It got really rough once the fighting got to the streets."

"Where's the Princess?" Twilight asked.

"Down that way in that big tent," Soarin pointed out, motioning down the hill to the camp. Twilight lifted off and glided above the tents before setting down in front of the biggest one in the center. The Guards posted there at first flinched, but relaxed when they recognized Twilight, stepping aside. One lifted a tent flap as she entered. Celestia was standing in the middle of the room, looking over several papers and maps on a table in the center. The Princess looked up when Twilight entered.

"Twilight Sparkle! You have returned!" she said in surprise.

"Of course, I'm sorry to have been away," Twilight bowed apologetically.

"What has happened?"

"I'm afraid it's a long story. I should probably explain later."

"Yes, and I'm afraid you may have been missed more than you know," the Princess continued darkly. "We lost far too much for so little the last few days."

Twilight paced forward to the table, where a map of Ponyville was spread before them. There were several lines drawn that criss-crossed the northern side, along with boxes that Twilight assumed represented their own soldiers. There were also several large circles and lines drawn on the southern side, which could only represent Luna's.

"We were unable to break their line in the center of town. They had prepared many traps and ambushes that were unfortunately effective. They killed many and sent our forces into retreat. As it stands, whenever the fight is in the open we have had the advantage, but once we enter the town..."

"Advantage Luna," finished Twilight. It was strange to her as she looked at the map of her adopted home town, seeing streets marked as places of horror and death. They needed to end this quickly somehow before the loss of life became too high for anypony to stomach.

"We do have a plan however. We've been using the rogue rain clouds to rest and prepare, but we must move quickly because we can be rest assured that Luna has been doing the same," said Celestia. "The pegasi will begin clearing the sky as quickly as equin-ly possible, and then, we will push out and around. By the end of the day, we will surround Ponyville. We must seize Sweet Apple Acres as well, so that their supplies will be limited. They will then be forced to either come out on the open field, or give up."

Twilight listened carefully as Celestia explained more of the particulars. In thirty minutes, they would begin.

-----

Not moving from the cover of the tree, Rarity cast a simple levitation spell on a Solar guard patrolling the west flank and slammed him into another tree, knocking him unconscious. Simultaneously, Applejack had pounced out of hiding onto the partner of the guard, knocking her out with a sharp blow to the head.

Rarity and Applejack wasted no time to look at their work, instead bolting towards the town through the trees. Applejack led the way, dashing quickly through the trees towards Sweet Apple Acres on the south side, with Rarity barely able to keep up. Applejack often forgot that Rarity was not quite the athlete that she was, a point that Rarity tried to call to the earth pony's attention as they ran..

"Applejack, be a dear and SLOW DOWN!" she called. Applejack looked back at her and pulled up her speed, but didn't stop as she darted around a clump of trees.

"Stop right there!"

Applejack skidded to a stop, catching Rarity off guard and causing her to crash right into her, sprawling them both onto the muddy ground. Rarity cried in disgust, jumping up and trying to shake the mud out of her mane.

"Really, Applejack, you should warn me before you go and do something like that," she complained..

"Rarity, there are more important things then yer hair right now," said Applejack, getting her attention. Rarity looked up to see several ponies with the NLR black uniforms staring them down. Unfortunately, Rarity didn't recognized any of them.

"Who are you?" one of them asked, a black unicorn.

"I'm Applejack, this is Rarity, we're from here in Ponyville and we're on yer side if ya didn't notice," Applejack motioned to her uniform. "Rarity here made even the ones you're wearin' for pete's sake."

The ponies looked unconvinced. "Anypony could have made their own uniforms. Unless you can prove you who are..."

"ANYPONY!??" Rarity nearly had a conniption. "I designed these flawlessly! Stretchy but strong, flexible and not abrasive. This material took hours just to make, let alone the actual uniforms! To say that just anypony could just craft these by looking at them is an insult!"

Rarity was inches from the black pony's face, glaring in annoyance down her nose. The black pony was leaning far back, completely taken aback by the sudden aggression. The other four were so stunned they just watched wide eyed, looking from on to the other. Rarity drew in a breath, ready to continue her tirade but felt herself tugged back by her tail, away from them.

"Simmer down, Rarity," Applejack said, her mouth still full of tail. "They're just bein' cautious."

"Well, that doesn't mean they have to disparage my hard work," said Rarity, throwing her nose into the air with a huff.

"Mighty sorry," apologized Applejack. She then tore away a section of the flank that had already been badly torn, showing off her three-apple cutie mark. "I'm part of the Apple family. I run Sweet Apple Acres."

The five ponies looked at each other and back to the two in front of them before the black one spoke up, "Alright, sorry. I'll take you to your farm. I'm Night Dancer, by the way."

"Thank ya kindly, Night Dancer," responded Applejack. "Everythin' seems to be a little tense."

"Yeah. We just found out that the Solar pegasi are starting to clear the sky, so they'll be making their move soon," explained Night Dancer.

"Good, this dreadful rain would make it impossible to take proper care of my hair. Haven't had the time of day to so in two days and I'm ready to snap," said Rarity, still fuming a little from her rant. The other ponies noticed and kept their distance from her. As they approached the Apple farm more and more ponies were running about. To the north the sky was already beginning to clear, the pegasi darting in and out quickly to avoid any attack.

"Applejack!? Rarity?"

The two named ponies turned to see Thunderlane and Berry Punch, both gawking at them.

"Ya'll seen Big Mac?"

Thunderlane pointed down the road, but couldn't seem to be able to say anything.

"Thanks."

Rarity trotted after Applejack as she walked off down the road. It didn't take long to find the muscular, red stallion. He was busy stacking several barrels onto a store-front, pausing in surprise when he saw his sister running towards him.

"Big Macintosh! So glad to see ya!" Applejack exclaimed, hugging him.

"Eeyup."

"Where's Applebloom? She alright?" asked Applejack, pushing away again.

"Eeyup," Big Mac said, then he motioned up.

"SIS!" two little voices cried out at the same time. From on top of the barrels, Applebloom and Sweetie Bell were peaking over. They jumped down in unison, landing on their respective sisters.

"We missed you!" Applebloom cried, hugging Applejack's neck tightly.

"We were so worried!" added Sweetie Bell.

"We heard that ya'll had disapeared an...."

"Nopony knew where you were!"

"It's alright, Sweetie Bell," calmed Rarity. "Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie just wanted to, er, talk with us for a bit.

Sweetie, Applebloom, and Big Mac all exchanged a glance. It had been a lot longer than a "talk."

"Anyways we're back now and wwWHAT ARE YOU DOIN'?" Applejack suddenly yelled. "The fightin's fixin' to start again, and I don't want you two anywhere near that! Is everythin' alright at the Library?"

Rarity quickly found the top of the tall, arboreal library, which appeared from her vantage point totally unscathed.

"It's fine," assured Applebloom. "They moved all 'o us to the schoolhouse a few hours ago."

"After you two snuck out," added Big Mac. Both Rarity and Applejack gave stern looks to their younger siblings. Looks that plainly said that they better not try that again or else. Both fillies clearly got the message. Rarity looked around until she found another familiar face.

"Oh, Lemon Drop!"

The yellow unicorn looked up at her name, "Rarity! You're back!"

"Would you be a dear and make sure my sister and her friend make it to the schoolhouse?"

"Sure thing," said Lemon Drop. She motioned to the girls who immediately followed. They cast worried glances back at Rarity and Applejack, and Rarity tried and hoped that her own expression didn't look the same to them.

"Big Mac, we need to know where to be," Applejack said when they turned the corner. If they were going to be of any use, they were going to have to find where to be. Big Mac looked both ways, Applejack watching intently. Rarity had always secretly enjoyed watching conversations between the brother and sister. They were always unique. After a couple of moments, Big Mac looked straight at Applejack.

"We should both go over to the north side and help with things there," said Applejack.

"Eeyup."

"Perfect, then we'll-" Rarity began, but she was cut off. Above, a loud explosion rang through the sky. Looking up, Rarity saw the multi-chromatic waves of a sonic rainboom spreading outwards, clearing the clouds away like a broom.

"We need to get movin'," said Applejack. "They're comin' now!"

-----

Rainbow Dash let gravity slow her down as she rocket upwards from her sonic rainboom. Below the sky, cloudy and raining but a moment before, was now instantly sunny and clear. A 30 minute job with two dozen ponies done in 3 seconds by just one. When she had learned the plan, she offered this suggestion and it had been readily accepted and put into action.

Her speed finally ran out, her body stalled, then she dropped into an accelerating dive back towards earth. Below Spitfire and the other three remaining members of Rainbow Six where waiting. Cloud Kicker hadn't made it through the first day, a sorrowful fact Rainbow had learned not long after arrival.

They joined her dive towards the town. On the ground the earth and unicorn ponies were making their move. Down each side huge masses moved to attempt to encircle, while up the middle a smaller force would drive into town, hoping to distract Luna from their real goal for just long enough. Rainbow and her companions sped towards this group, their job to protect them from ambush wherever possible. She darted at just above rooftop level, watching for anypony lying in wait from above.

"Rainbow! On your left!" Star Hunter called. Rainbow turned without pausing. There on the roof of the Sofa and Quills shop was an earth pony archer, getting ready to pull back on the bowstring. In fleeting seconds, Rainbow actually recognized her as the pink-haired Candy Mane, a mare from Ponyville. Rainbow Dash banked through the air on a path that hid her from Candy until it was too late.

This realization made her hesitate, then she folded her new wing blades away. Rainbow instead skidded like a soccer player on the roof, kicking all four hooves out from under Candy Mane and dropping her with a loud "Oomph!" off the roof and onto the ground. Rainbow pulled up, glancing at the pony on the ground. She was holding her chest rolling, and wheezing, the breath knocked out of her.

"She's had it! Spread out and look for more!" Rainbow Dash called, and the others scattered. Rainbow contemplated for a split second what to do about the recovering pony below, but only long enough to see three more ponies a couple rooftops away. Rainbow sped off in their direction flying low to the street, planning her path. A window on the home was open, so Rainbow angled herself, gained speed and shot up and through the window and promptly up and through the ceiling. She burst through the roof, scaring the bejeebers out of the three black-clad ponies, sending two of them tumbling off the roof and the third jumped up and at the ready.

Dash curved back to meet the unicorn, who fired a searing, hot spell that missed by centimeters, singing some of her feathers. Rainbow Dash landed one, strong punch onto the face of the unicorn, spinning her around like a dancer in place and finally out cold on the roof.

"Dash! They need help over at the front!" Spitfire cried out. "It's like all of their pegasi are there at once!"

"Then GO!" Rainbow roared as she kicked into high speeds. A virtual cloud of pegasi was swooping down like a flock of hawks, the spells and arrows fired to deter them seemingly doing nothing to stop them. Before Rainbow Dash reached them, the ground below the assailants erupted in flame.

"Firebombs!" cried Blossomforth as they all halted in mid-air, buffeted by the heat. It was a spectacular ambush, and the rebels hadn't wasted it. The central force was in full retreat, some of them on fire. Many were not moving at all. A sickening smell reached Rainbow's sharp nose, one that made her want to retch on the spot.

All around, the nightmarish screams filled the air again to join the odor of burnt flesh as the quaint hamlet once again became hell in Equestria.

-----

Applejack rushed to the western side of Ponyville, just north of the orchards. The call was going through the entire town that the Solar forces were pushing down each side of Ponyville, an obvious play to surround them. And it would work if they didn't hurry. The front line forces had already been overwhelmed on the flanks, though Applejack could tell that the firebomb plan had gone off with out a hitch in the middle by the tall flames.

"C'mon, big brother, we got no time to lose!" Applejack called for Big Mac to hurry. To be fair, while the big stallion was stronger than Applejack, he was less agile and less speedy. Around them, a stampede of other Lunar ponies were rushing to the defense. Applejack, realizing she would need a weapon, had grabbed a rope and a short sword she was gripped tightly in her mouth as she ran through the town's outskirts.

Ahead, she could see the Solar ponies marching in a line, ready to meet the rushing defense.

"HOLD UP YA'LL!" Applejack called. Most of the ponies around skidded to a halt, looking to her. "Stop here and let them come to us! Earth ponies up front, Unicorns behind them!"

The Lunar ponies quickly set themselves into the formation, facing the approaching hoard. The Solar forces stopped for a second, and battlefield fell eerily silent for a few, brief, breathless moments.

Then a command on the other side was shouted, and they began to close the distance. Applejack reared back, then landed battle ready, locking in on a gold-armored guard in front of her. She leaped and slashed when he was just steps from trying to do the same.

-----

Princess Luna looked over a map spread before her on the floor. A single lamp lit the Apple family barn, which was shuttered and closed otherwise with several Night Guards at the door.

"They've launched simultaneous attacks on both flanks, and a much weaker one in the center that the firebombs drove away quickly," a gray mare pegasus explained, still out of breath from her rush to report. "Defense is under way but I don't know how long it will hold.

Luna thought for a moment, contemplating a strategy. They couldn't allow themselves to be surrounded, and they especially couldn't let the Apple farm fall if they hoped to win this battle.

"Order the troops on the southern wall to send all they can spare to the west flank. We'll take control there first before swinging east, understood?"

The mare saluted, then took off on a running start through the door, instructions in mind. Luna knew she was fast, as a former wonderbolt she had to be, and the message would be delivered quickly. Luna rolled the map into a scroll and then magicked it away.

"Guards, I need you to-" she began, but was cut off by the loud sound of wood shattering. Luna ducked as a pink blur blasted past her and straight into an unprepared guard, slamming him through the wall and out. The blur didn't slow down, rebounding off the Guard into the two scrambling at the door to respond. They were far too slow. The pink pony arm-barred them both with her front legs, knocking them both on their backs and out cold. Luna got up slowly and cautiously eyed the pegasus as she turned around. She could sense that the magic level of this flyer was way above normal, like only a few ponies Luna had ever met.

The mare had blue hair and purple eyes that were shooting daggers in intense glare that said something deeper than Luna could read. But she wasn't wearing any armor, nor carrying any weapons. Luna knew she had never met this pony before, but yet there was something so familiar about her that she just couldn't place as the pony, equally cautious, stepped forward.

Luna stared right back into the eyes of the pegasus, who was returning it steadfastly, trying not to betray the two NLR guards that were sneaking up behind her. The pony didn't flinch but Luna did a little when another pegasus swooped in and knocked them both for a loop, sprawling on the muddy earth. It was when this violet-blue stallion landed next to the other when Luna suddenly realized who they reminded her of. The powerful ability of flight they both possessed could not be mistaken, and neither could his rainbow-colored mane.

"Alright, you glue-face, where's my daughter!?" growled the pink pegasus.

-----

Celestia couldn't believe what she was seeing. Here she was in the middle of camp in her tent, and she was being confronted by five ponies who had knocked out her guards in a matter of seconds. She was a powerful magic being, yet they weren't flinching away. She also knew one of them very well, and they were the very last pony she would have ever expected in the here and now, and the only one not glaring. Not one of them wore any black, but rather just a purple neckerchief.

But it was the light-blue pegasus that spoke, her voice full of arrogance, "It's game over, your highness. You're coming with us."