Chapter Nine: Deliberation.

***

Canterlot.

Twilight Sparkle stood by a Canterlot balcony, looking out on peaceful Equestria - her home - and wondering just how similar it was to the world of horrors David Elliot had come from. She wondered what had happened to her friends, what had happened to the ponies of Ponyville or the inhabitants of Canterlot. She wondered if they - like her - had become a murderer... a monster.

It was hard to wrap her head around the simple idea that she had somewhere, somehow, become part of a regime that supported a mass genocide - that she was inadvertently responsible for the sort of horrible destructiveness that Elliot had described. That she was part of something like that! Even if it was somehow unwillingly... still, the thought made her feel sick.

And he had asked her to go to that world. He had asked all of them - not just the Elements of Harmony, but all of the ponies present, even the guard, True Grit, to go to a world where so many of them were dead, where ponies and humans had fought in a vicious, brutal war...

Twilight had to admit, if she thought about it long enough she could almost see his logic. From his perspective, there was no doubt not all that much difference between her and her counterpart, except for experience. But he must have known their lack of experience would count, and that this same lack of experience - even in True Grit's case - would limit their usefulness. There would need to be valuable time spent preparing them, time his world might not have had.

But then again, Twilight thought, playing Devil's advocate with herself as she wrestled with the idea, Elliot would also surely know the value of potential. If one Twilight Sparkle, one Pinkie Pie, one Lyra Heartstrings could be a warrior, prepared for combat, hardened by it, then why not another? Twilight had to admit, she could see how he - how anypony - could draw that conclusion. If the only difference between a Twilight in one universe and another was something small... well. Why wouldn't he be able to harness that potential? Why couldn't the ponies of this Equestria learn to fight as well as their counterparts, why couldn't they contribute as well as their parallel selves had? Sure, it might take time - but it could work.

But if he could somehow draw out that potential - if there was some way, some training, that could transform Twilight and her friends into killers... did she want that? Did she want to go to a place so horrid, so desolate, so war scarred, to fight an enemy that was so similar to herself - that might even be herself, given that she was not dead in that other world... did she want to expose herself to that kind of change? That kind of horror? Was it worth it? Was it right? Could they be of any help?

She sighed. It was something worth thinking about, and if she were being honest with herself, she didn't want to fight, she didn't want to kill. She wanted to forget that she'd ever heard the name Astra Solamina, or heard of Britons and humans. She wanted to go home, hug Spike, and pretend none of these things had happened. But Elliot's parting words haunted her.

"I won't make anyone... anypony... come if they don't want to. But I won't say we don't need the help."

Millions had died, and died at the hooves of ponies. Had died... possibly at her hoof. Didn't that mean that she had a responsibility to do something - anything - to make up for that? And if so...

And if so, what could possibly make up for it better than the choice that lay before her now: the choice to... to leave her home, go with him back to his world. The choice to take a stand...

The choice to fight.

She didn't like it. She didn't like it at all. It was wrong, and more than that it stood against everything she believed that she, as one of the Elements of Harmony, should stand for... but...

But he needed their help. He had said as much. Millions of lives still hung in the balance.

If she could help, did she really have a choice?

***

Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Ditzy were sat in a hall in Canterlot, discussing the request Elliot had made of them all. The ornate hall was dark, Luna's moon hanging high in the sky, but the darkness seemed oddly fitting: a dark hall fit for dark business.

The four of them seemed somewhat divided as to what course of action to take. Ditzy seemed fairly willing to do something to help the man. Applejack and Pinkie were on the fence. Rarity, on the other hand, was vocally against going with him.

"I can't see how he thinks bringing us to his world would be of any use whatsoever," she was saying, frowning as she thought about the offer. "We're not fighters, we're... well, anything but!"

"I can't honestly disagree with you," Applejack said slowly, "but if he thinks that we could… I dunno, train hard enough to do something, if he thinks we can help him..."

"How can we help a being we’d never met from a world we’ve never heard of fight in a war the likes of which Equestria hasn’t been involved in since Celestia only knows when?" Rarity asked sharply, almost hyperventilating. She took a calming breath. "I'm a tailor, Applejack. You're a farmer. Pinkie's a baker. Ditzy here is a postmare… these are not professions that are conducive to becoming the saviours of worlds!"

"But we must have been these things before," Ditzy pointed out quietly. "Where he's from, I mean. But we learned to fight there, and he thinks we could do it again. And he said he really needs us."

Rarity sighed, turning to address Ditzy. "Look, it isn't like I don't feel horrible that versions of us are behind so much suffering. I do. I really do." She turned to look at Applejack: the look in the tailor's eyes told the orange Earth Pony that she was being truthful, and she nodded, a sad look on her face. Rarity looked back at Ditzy. "But I don't think for a second that we can make any difference. He’d be better off taking ponies who can - Shining Armour and the Royal Guard, or Celestia herself, or Princess Luna..."

"But he said we fought," Ditzy pointed out again, her voice quiet. Rarity sighed, frowning slightly.

"I know that," she said, "but those ponies he knew were not us. They were other ponies who looked like us, sounded like us... maybe even had some of the same things happen to them before this war business. But they aren't us, weren’t us."

There was a moment’s pause as everypony considered this.

"Maybe they weren't," Applejack said thoughtfully, not looking at any of them. Rarity smiled and breathed a sigh almost of relief, clearly thinking that the Element of Honesty agreed with her. "But," Applejack continued, and Rarity's smile faded slightly, "I don't reckon there's enough of a difference to say what he's suggestin' ain't possible. And besides..." The orange Earth Pony grimaced, thinking of what the human had told them. "You heard what he said. His world needs help. Millions of folks are dyin' over there."

"And our Equestria should help," Rarity agreed, looking and sounding exasperated, "but sending nine ponies, of whom only one had any combat training, is insane!"

There was a moment's silence. Rarity turned to Pinkie, who had been awfully quiet this entire time, looking incredibly thoughtful.

"What do you think, Pinkie?" she asked.

The pink party pony didn't answer. She was stood in thought, focused on a single imaginary spot. She had been staring at it for… well, longer than any of her friends had ever seen her concentrate before. Rarity looked at Applejack, who frowned.

"Sugarcube?" the Earth Pony said gently. "What’re you thinkin'?"

"I'm thinking..." Pinkie said slowly, turning away from the three of them. "I'm thinking of a world that doesn't have parties. I'm thinking of a world where ponies hurt other ponies, where ponies hurt other races too. I'm thinking of a world where... where..." She turned to face her friends, and her eyes shone with tears. "I'm thinking of a world where no one laughs, where no one smiles, or if they do it's a smile like Mr Elliot's smile: all weird, like he's smiling because of something horrible and if he wasn't smiling he'd be crying or screaming or something." She shuddered, and a single tear fell from her eye. "Nopony... no anyone, ever... should have to live in a world like that. If we can help them, I think we should."

"It... it is a horrible thought, Pinkie," Rarity said softly, looking slightly shamefaced. "But I don't know if we, us four and the others, can fix it. If we go... what good can we do?"

"I don't know," Pinkie said softly, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. "But I'd feel really horrible if I didn't try to do... something."

Rarity and Applejack exchanged glances. They turned to Ditzy, who was nodding slowly in agreement.

"What kind of example would I be leaving Dinky if I didn't help somepony... or some human... when they needed my help?" the postmare added, sounding unusually serious for her. "Not a very good one, I know that much. I think... I think I'll go with Mr Elliot."

Rarity sighed and looked at Applejack. The Earth Pony half-smiled, not looking all that happy herself.

"Well, Sugarcube," she said, sounding resigned, "you can't really say much fairer than that."

"No," Rarity admitted softly, looking altogether unhappy but resigned nonetheless. "I guess you can't."

"So that's it then?" Pinkie asked them all, looking between the three other ponies. "We're gonna go to Mr Elliot's world and... well, learn to fight and stuff?"

Applejack nodded. A moment later Rarity did too. Ditzy followed shortly after. Pinkie smiled softly.

"Okey dokie lokie," she said softly.

***

Celestia could feel the presence of Luna before she could see it. The Sun Diarch had stayed up, thinking herself as to what she might be able to do and staring out of her palace window.

It still rankled her to a degree that Elliot had refused to ask more of her than the nine ponies he had named. She knew the fibre of her kind: she knew that if you called upon them to do the right thing, they would. But he had insisted that it was not what he wanted, and she believed it was his his choice, foolish as it seemed to her.

She turned to look at her sister, who was regarding her with odd eyes.

"This Tyrant Sun the human speaks of," the Moon Diarch began without preamble. "She is a version of you?"

"So far as he knows and has been told," Celestia replied.

"And you believe him?" Luna asked.

"I believe he believes, and he trusts those he believes with his life," Celestia said, frowning slightly. "There is always a possibility of something different at work, but in this case I doubt it."

"Then I will take your word on his," Luna said with a slow nod. She trotted up to her sister, a sad look on her face as she gazed out at the sky, which was suitably cloudy, as though reflecting her mood. "War, sister. I can scarcely believe it."

"We've faced wars before," Celestia said grimly. "And some that may rival this horror."

"An age or more ago when we were young," Luna responded. "This... I do not even know." She threw her sister a look. "Are you sure we should not send more help?"

"It is the wish of this human," Celestia said tiredly. "It would not have been my preference."

Luna scowled. "And yet where he will not ask for the armies of Equestria to march, he will ask for nine ponies - most of whom are but children - to walk to war."

"He believes they can help win the war, rather than prolong it," Celestia said softly.

"Do you believe it?" Luna asked.

"I believe they are exceptional individuals," Celestia said, looking at Luna.

"But do you believe that they can help win his war?" Luna pressed.

Celestia sighed, looking back out the window. "To that, I do not know."

Luna nodded, apparently making her mind up about something. She turned and headed off. Celestia didn't bother asking her where she was going - her sister had her own choices to make, and she would make them. Besides, were their situations reversed, Celestia knew she would be... hesitant about letting this plan go through unchallenged.

She didn't know, truth be told, whether it was the right thing to allow to happen. What she did know was that it was what the human thought was the right thing to do, and having seen into his mind, she could see why he might think so.

Whatever choice the nine made, she wished them well.

***

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat alone on a high cloud, watching the night pass by. Fluttershy normally didn't really like being this high, but she could accept it for this one time: Rainbow was unusually pensive, sitting - or rather brooding - in silence, and Fluttershy didn't want to leave her alone. She hadn't spoken a word since they'd come up here, lost in whatever train of thought she was in.

"Somewhere on that world," Rainbow Dash finally said, speaking unusually quietly and reflectively for her, "their Rainbow Dash's dead body is... I don't know. She’s dead. I don’t even know if they buried her, burned her, dumped her in a pit, hung the corpse on a spike… I don’t know if Elliot’s people got a hold of it, or if this Empire got it back, or what."

Fluttershy didn't reply, sensing that her friend didn't need her to yet, busy as she was venting her feelings.

"They killed all of us," Rainbow Dash continued. "Rarity, you, Applejack, me, Pinkie... all of the Elements except Twilight. He... he killed us. Them. Whatever."

Fluttershy still didn't respond. Rainbow suddenly snarled and hit the cloud they were on, growling in frustration. She let out a long yell of frustration.

"And you know what the worst part is?" she said, speaking surprisingly softly considering her outburst. "I can't say I really blame him for killing me, or killing you, or killing any of us. Not if what he's told us is true." She sighed. "If somepony came to my home and started hurting everypony there, I'd wanna hurt them too. I'd want to fight."

She rolled over, looking up at the sky and sighing.

"He killed me himself. Even showed me the dagger. And now he wants my help." Dash looked at Fluttershy, who was still silent. "What do you think he feels when he looks at us? D'you think he feels angry? I mean, we look just like ponies who hurt his friends..."

Fluttershy still said nothing, but she looked away from Rainbow Dash, looking out at Canterlot from her own cloud with wide, thoughtful eyes.

"I think he tries to hide it," Rainbow added, not waiting for Fluttershy's reply. "I think he looks at us, sees the ponies he fought and killed, and probably really has to struggle not to hurt us. You weren't there when he first saw us, I really think he was gonna kill us..."

She fell silent. Fluttershy was still staring off into the distance.

"Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asked softly. "What are you thinking?"

The yellow Pegasus slowly turned to her friend, eyes wide with sadness.

"I don't know whether I can help him," she said, her voice soft and filled with uncertainty, barely audible in the night breeze. "But I think I want to try."

Rainbow blinked in surprise. That was not what she had been expecting. To be honest, she had been expecting Fluttershy to be shocked at the very idea of fighting anypony, much less going to a world where war was a constant, grim reality.

"You'd have to learn to fight," she said slowly.

"I know," Fluttershy replied, eyes looking away from Rainbow, "but... but he said he needs the help. Millions of people are hurt, or are gonna get hurt. I don't... I don't want to think I just sat here when I could have h-helped them."

Rainbow Dash blinked once, frowning slightly. Then she flapped over to Fluttershy slowly. Finally, she hugged her friend.

"You're a good pony, Fluttershy," she said quietly. "You really are. I know you'll do great."

"What about you?" Fluttershy asked. "Are you going to come?"

Rainbow only hesitated for a moment.

"Course I am. I can't let one of my best friends go to some other world all by herself, can I? Besides, what would you do without me?" she jested halfheartedly.

Fluttershy smiled a little, but Dash mentally frowned. This was going to be… something.

***

For Lyra Heartstrings, sat in her luxury guest room in Canterlot, the thought process behind Elliot's request was rather simple.

An entire world of humans awaited her if she went with him. If she didn't go with him, not only would she not see any more humans... but an entire world of humans might well be destroyed. All the opportunity to know them, gone. A whole species of beautiful creatures, gone forever because of an Equestria gone mad.

She didn't like the idea of fighting at all - she didn't think anypony would - but if that's what she had to do not only to see humans, but to save them from destruction, then she would do her very best to help, no matter what.

It was, all things considered, a rather simple decision.

***

Elliot himself was sat alone in the gardens of Canterlot, cross legged and eyes closed. He was doing as Hell Blazer had often suggested, and meditating. He found he could channel the energy of Albion better after a little bit of focusing, and learning to focus that energy was important: he could only use the full power in extremis, given its toxic properties, so learning to channel bits of it to certain tasks was important. It might... extend the time he had left.

He only hoped he wouldn't die before his most important task - the destruction of Solamina, the winning of the war - was complete.

In any case, he needed to be alone, away from all these ponies - many of whom were the spitting image of the dead, or his enemies, or both. He still felt strange thinking about it: part of him couldn't believe he'd asked the spitting images of his enemies to fight alongside him on Earth. He hoped he could convince the soldiers under his command to accept them, to help train them. He was sure he could, but some pains ran very deep...

Despite the seclusion of this small part of the garden, he heard the soft footsteps of a pony trotting towards him. He opened his eyes, a sigh of mild frustration escaping his lips, to find himself facing True Grit.

"Mr Elliot, sir," the Guard Pony said, nodding respectfully. "I'm sorry to interrupt."

"True Grit," Elliot replied. He was about to say 'call me David' until he forced himself to remember that this True Grit wasn't the stallion he had spent years fighting alongside. Treating this Grit like he was his old friend was neither going to help Elliot get over the death of his friend, nor was it fair to this True Grit to compare him to his other self: that would come with expectations that were too much to dump on anyone's shoulders, let alone the shoulders of one who might well be going to war. "What can I do for you?"

"I thought I'd come to give you my decision sir," Grit said, his tone serious. "I'm going back with you. I can't abide the idea that there's some nightmare Equestria out there where ponies are oppressing others and going against everything our race believe in. I want to help you fight it."

Elliot smiled softly. "Thank you, True Grit," he said quietly. "I'm glad to have you with us."

"Respectfully sir," the pony said, now looking slightly awkward, "am I likely to meet myself in your world?

Elliot didn't want to answer that question, but he didn't want to lie to Grit either. His True Grit or not, he was still in some way the unicorn Elliot had respected and called 'friend': lying to him wasn't on the cards. Ignorance may have been bliss for some but it was a curse for soldiers in that world.

"No," he said grimly, looking True Grit dead in the eye. "You aren't going to meet yourself. You were... he was killed in action, the day before I came here."

True Grit nodded slowly. "I see sir," he said softly. He seemed to be thoughtful for a moment. "I trust I - that is to say he - made a good account of himself?"

Elliot smiled at that: trust True Grit to handle his own death well. "You were one of the best soldiers under my command. You'd fought in most major engagements since the incorporation of the Equestrian Resistance's army." He paused, his smile fading. "You died in a skirmish against Shining Armour, Captain of the Royal Guard."

Grit nodded slowly, looking only a little surprised to hear the name of Shining Armour brought up. "And Armour?" he asked.

Elliot gave him a dark look.

"I avenged my friend," was all he said. Grit nodded, and then saluted sharply.

"I swear to you, I will do my best to live up to my counterpart's example sir," he said sharply. Elliot stood up and saluted the pony back, before they both dropped the salutes.

"I know no matter what happens, True Grit, I'll be able to count on you," he said softly. "Dismissed, soldier."

The Guard nodded smartly, turned on his heels and marched off, no doubt to pack some essentials. Elliot sighed. That was one pony on his side from the nine he had asked to come: now he just needed to see whether any or all of the rest wanted to come. He sat back, closed his eyes, and began singing a song he had heard once and had often sung with soldiers on the march.

"There's forty shillings on the drum, for those who'll volunteer to come, to 'list and fight the foe today, over the hills and far away..."

A rustle in the trees behind him caught his attention, and he turned to see the midnight blue form of Princess Luna observing him. He smiled slightly.

"Princess Luna," he said softly. "What can I do for you?"

Elliot had only heard stories of Celestia’s sister. In some ways, he was thankful that she hadn’t become like Solamina. It was a shame that Luna hadn’t lived to aid the British Isles in their struggle - Lord knows they could have done with the help - but that was the way life went most times. He vaguely considered asking her to come with him… but somehow, while asking the nine ponies he had asked felt right in a way he couldn’t really describe, asking Princess Luna felt wrong, like it wasn’t supposed to be. Besides which - she was the Diarch of this land. She had responsibilities that he couldn't, by rights, ask her to give up.

The Princess walked slowly towards him, before sitting next to him, frowning slightly at him.

"Our sister tells us that thou hast asked the Element bearers to come with thou to thine home," she began without preamble.

"I've asked for their help, yes," Elliot confirmed with a nod. Luna snorted, not looking happy. "You don't approve?"

"They are brave and young and foolish," she said softly, looking irritated, "and they do not know war. They will come with thee, they have heard thy story and know thy suffering and seek to help thee. But that does not mean that thou hast the right to ask this of them. Thy war shall destroy them, I fear."

"And what would you have me do?" Elliot asked, trying not to sound as desperate and angry as he felt. "I can't go home alone and tell them I did nothing, tried nothing." He paused. "If your home was burning, and your only hope was a few humans who you weren't sure were ready to help but you knew could be ready to help, would you ask it of them?"

"I would ask aid of those who could aid in such things," Luna retorted, "not… not children who know nothing of such hardships."

"All children grow up," Elliot countered, his expression grim and tired. He was thinking of the youngest victims of the war he had seen - teenagers who had lived their lives in the shadow of obliteration, or the children born at the outset of the Equestrian crisis. He was thinking of the children of Gilead thrown to the fire, or the children ponified in their cribs. It was…

… too horrible.

"Yes, children grow up,” Luna snarled, startling him from his thoughts, “but not so far, and not so fast.”

“Do you speak from experience, Princess?” he asked her.

“More than you know,” she replied. “I was one of the leaders of this kingdom’s armies in the days of the Unification war and the Discordant ages - I have seen the worst excesses of conflict.” Her eyes flashed, full of memories that Elliot could tell were painful, even horrific. “Your war… is one of the worst I know of, tis true, but all wars claim the same victims in the end.” She calmed herself briefly. "What thou hast asked of these young ones is not fair."

Elliot sighed, looking away from the Moon Princess and seemingly thinking hard about something.

"Yes," he said finally, looking unhappy. "It isn't fair. Not even remotely fair."

Luna tilted her head slightly, curious as to this change of tack.

"But," Elliot continued, "was it fair that my world's Ditzy should have to die, with almost all her friends dead alongside her? That my world's True Grit was killed, by a stallion he had trusted?" He paused, looking back at Luna. "War is not fair. I don't want their help for fairness' sake. I want it for the future's sake. I want it because I genuinely believe that they will be able to make a difference. And I owe that chance to my friends, and the people under my command. Can you understand?

The Moon Princess said nothing for a long moment, and Elliot returned to his meditative pose. Then, to his surprise, he heard a softly murmured response.

"Yes. We understand."

Luna sighed, looking away from him and up into the night's sky she had created.

"What ritual do you perform?" she asked softly after a moment.

Though he was surprised by the question, Elliot smiled. "Meditation. Helps to focus the power of Albion, or at least that’s what Hell Blazer said. Under the circumstances… I think I need all the help I can get."

"I see," Luna said softly. She moved herself into a pony approximation of his pose. "Perhaps we shall join thee."

Elliot said nothing, but smiled softly. Next to him, Princess Luna closed her eyes and began meditating as well.

***

The following morning, Princess Celestia walked into the royal throne room and found nine ponies waiting for her, all of them looking resolute and serious. She frowned slightly as she approached them.

"Twilight," she addressed the mare at the head of the group. "Have you come to a decision?"

The purple unicorn nodded slowly. "Yes, Princess, we all have." She turned to look at her friends, as well as True Grit, all of whom nodded for her to continue. She turned back to Celestia. "We're going with Elliot. We'll fight."

Celestia took a deep breath. "Are you certain this is what you want, Twilight?" she asked softly. "Once you go, there is no turning back. You will be in that world, fighting in that war with all that might entail."

Twilight smiled, a soft and slightly sad thing. "I know Princess," she said. "But I have to go, all of us do." Her smile widened slightly. "It's what feels right."

Celestia smiled back at her, and nodded in return.

"Very well," she said softly. "I shall call David Elliot here and inform him, and then we shall begin preparations." She turned to go, paused, and then turned back to them all. "For what it is worth, my little ponies, though you will face hardships greater than any you have ever faced, I think you have made the right decision."

And with that, Princess Celestia left the throne room to find Elliot.

Author's Notes:

Once again, my thanks to all those who have favourited this story. I really do appreciate it.

EDIT: This chapter was (re)edited on 8th July 2015.