***

Cloudsdale. June 6th. Year 6 of the New Solaminan Calendar (2030).

Scootaloo sighed as she blocked another spear thrust, parried the reverse slash and lashed out with her wrist blade in return, repeating the training pattern she had known for years. Rainbow Dash had taught her this pattern, had practised with her for five hours straight every day for three months to make sure she was proficient at it - no, not proficient: masterful.

Rainbow Dash had been so proud of her for being part of the war, for joining the war effort and fighting against the humans and Resistance. She had been so proud that Scootaloo had actually made it through Wonderbolts training, and Scootaloo had been honoured to fly with the Wonderbolts alongside her idol. And Rainbow Dash had been so, so very proud of her for standing by her side in battle.

Rainbow Dash was dead.

And now Rainbow Dash hated what Scootaloo had become.

Scootaloo had been as vague as possible when she wrote the report for Twilight Sparkle about her raid on the Royal Armouries. She had left out as many details as she thought she safely could. She’d had no choice but to mention the other Rainbow Dash - leaving it out would have drawn too much suspicion. At the same time, she had omitted the fact that she had engaged her in conversation. Superiors tended to look down on that sort of thing.

The resultant report - the resultant failure - had seen her demoted and sent back to Cloudsdale with the rest of her team, but she honestly didn’t mind. Her conversation with Rainbow… with the other Rainbow… had given her a lot to think about, and being here, performing the same, almost mind numbing drills over and over again… it was almost comforting.

Almost.

The Wonderbolt barracks she was currently training in had been erected at the outset of the war. Initially, Rainbow Dash had used them to train elite attack forces, but the Wonderbolts had always been free-spirited and individualistic, and that had been especially evident by Spitfire’s refusal to submit the Wonderbolts to the Oath. The Oath was the pledge of allegiance to Solamina and the Empire that almost all ponies in the armed forces had to undergo. The Wonderbolts - by virtue of being an independent unit that was not technically part of the Equestrian armed forces - had never before needed to undergo any pledges or oaths, but there had been pressure to change that, pressure that Spitfire had resisted (despite, so the rumours had it, strongly worded discussions - not to say outright rows - with Rainbow Dash).

This had led to a lack of trust in the Wonderbolts on the part of many units of Guard and Militia, and even - if the rumours could be believed - the Empress herself. Though they had served with distinction and valour, there were always stories of Wonderbolts refusing to follow orders in the heat of battle - even Wonderbolts deserting. Everypony remembered the story of the former Wonderbolt (technically disgraced Wonderbolt trainee, but everypony seemed to forget that part) Lightning Dust, and her eventual fate at the Battle of Manchester, dying in battle against Rainbow Dash herself, and everypony, fairly or not, always expected the rest of the Wonderbolts to go the same way.

And so now the Wonderbolts - Scootaloo included - had been relegated to glorified Home Guard. Their only duty was to guard Cloudsdale and occasionally run escort duty in other parts of the country - other than that, their home was here and here they stayed, no matter what. They weren’t allowed to even mobilise without strict authority from Canterlot.

"Scoots!" somepony called over to her. She looked up, to see Light Beam, one of her graduating class, waving a hoof at her. She jogged over to him - the light green Pegasus looked oddly excited.

"What’s up, Beam?" she asked quietly.

"You’ll never believe who just bucking showed up," the stallion said with wide eyes. "I think it was a messenger from Canterlot. Some pompous looking stallion with a fancy helmet and a platoon of Guards behind him."

Scootaloo frowned. They’d been seeing odd things from Canterlot for most of today - the shield had gone up for a while, before going down again, and there was an odd amount of what looked like zeppelin air traffic. Even weirder, there looked to be clouds in the sky and rain there, despite none being scheduled as far as anypony knew.

Nonetheless, the Wonderbolts had not been called for and they weren’t sanctioned for action without a call, and Scootaloo found herself (to her own surprise) not particularly wanting to mobilise either. Why should she want to?

"He say what he want?" she asked Beam idly.

"Nope," Light Beam said with a shrug. "But why else would he be here? This is it - they’re gonna call on us. There’s something big going on!"

"Where’d this messenger go?" Scootaloo asked, unconvinced.

"Straight for Spitfire’s office," Beam said. "I’m right, aren’t I?"

Scootaloo frowned. it certainly sounded like it could be a call for action, but… well, she wasn’t inclined to take it altogether seriously. The Wonderbolts’ name was mud. They wouldn’t be asked for now, not unless the battle was going badly, and no battle with Solamina in it could ever go badly for the Equestrians.

***

Spitfire, commander of the Wonderbolts, scowled at the stallion who had barged into her office. Her secretary had been summarily dismissed by the stallion, who had such an imperious look about him that Spitfire was half expecting him to bust a muscle, give the apparent pole stuffed up his plot. He had a ceremonial spear under his wing, and wore golden, stylised armour that could only have belonged to the upper echelons of Guard Command, making him (she grudgingly admitted to herself) an important pony. Clearly he knew it.

"Commander Spitfire of the Wonderbolts," the pony said without preamble, "you are hereby summoned to provide any and all able-bodied ponies ready for action to the defence of Canterlot."

Spitfire frowned. "We saw the shield go up - is Canterlot under attack then?" she asked.

"The city has come under siege from traitors and human scum," the stallion replied, a sneer on his face as he said these words. "The Empress herself is tied up with their magical weapon and the zeppelin fleet has already been committed. We believe that they are intent on taking the city and assassinating the Empress.

"And so you call for the Wonderbolts?" Spitfire asked, frowning slightly.

"Your force should be sufficient to provide an edge in the air, and once we have air superiority, we shall crush those on the ground," the Pegasus said with a frown. "Why are we still discussing this? Begin your mobilisation!"

"What is the disposition of the enemy force?" Spitfire asked with a scowl. "I can’t be expected to commit ponies without knowing what I’m sending them into!"

"You can and you will!" the Pegasus replied with another sneer. "You should be honoured that Her Glorious Majesty would be willing to give you this chance to prove your worth in battle once more, given your questionable loyalty."

Spitfire’s eyes narrowed. "What did you say to me?"

"Your Wonderbolts are considered unreliable," the Pegasus said with a shrug. "This should hardly be news to you - you can’t seriously think your little stunt squadron has a high reputation beyond this city?"

Spitfire fumed. "We have never been anything less than loyal to Solamina and the Empire."

"Tell that to Lightning Dust," the Pegasus said with a smug grin. "Though you’d have trouble, given her current status of being scattered all over some dreary hill - though actually, whatever was left of her after that battle is more likely worm excrement by now."

Spitfire’s blood ran cold. "Lightning Dust was kicked out of the Wonderbolts shortly after beginning her training."

"That just makes her a rebel among rebels," the imperious Pegasus said, his tone bored. "We’re wasting time."

"You didn’t answer my question," Spitfire said sharply. "What is the tactical situation?!"

"You’ll learn when you get there," the Pegasus said impatiently, clearly tired of Spitfire’s resistance to his authority. "Now - perform your damn duty."

Without another word, he stormed out. Spitfire breathed out heavily, trying to restrain the urge to smash her desk apart. Still, he was right, she had a duty.

It was time to mobilise the Wonderbolts for war.

***

Scootaloo frowned as an important looking Pegasus in heavily stylised golden armour marched into the training courtyard, a look of determination - not to say irritation - on his face. Spitfire was behind him, looking not-altogether happy at his presence on the field, and behind her were at least thirty Royal Guard Pegasi.

"Attention!" the officer yelled across the courtyard once he reached the centre, his voice loud, booming and thunderous. Everypony slowly stopped their training exercises, turning to look at this loud, armoured Pegasus with frowns of confusion or annoyance. Wonderbolts didn’t like outsiders coming into their spaces unless there was a damn good reason.

"Wonderbolts, you have received orders to mobilise!" he yelled once he had everypony’s attention. "Solamina’s capital is under attack and she calls for your aid!"

There was a rush of whispering at this proclamation - Canterlot under attack? Suddenly the shield’s unpredictability earlier made sense, as did the odd air traffic - maybe even the aberrant weather. But what kind of attack? Couldn't be local insurgency - that kind of thing didn't get anypony anywhere.

Suddenly an older Pegasus with white fur and harsh lines on his face stepped forward slightly, a frown on his face. The armoured Pegasus turned to look at him, a quizzical - and somewhat irritated - expression developing.

"What do you want, Wonderbolt?" he asked.

"Why?" the white-furred Pegasus asked in reply. The Pegasus officer blinked at him,

"I’m sorry?" he said.

"Why should we go?" the white Pegasus clarified. "Why should we help Solamina?"

There were gasps of shock that ran throughout the courtyard like a rush of wind. Next to Scootaloo, Light Beam muttered something under his breath about the white Pegasus being a ‘brave bucker’. Scootaloo’s face blanched at the almost-heretical words. Solamina was their Empress - helping her was their duty.

What if that isn’t good enough, Scoots? a voice in her head that sounded altogether too much like Rainbow Dash for her liking asked. What if it isn’t the right thing to do?

‘Shut up,’ she thought at the voice. ‘I won’t start doubting now.’

So you'll be a puppet all your life? the Rainbow Dash in her head asked scathingly. Scootaloo ignored her.

The officer didn’t respond to the white-furred Pegasus' question, but a scowl developed on his face, and his eyes narrowed into slits of pure rage at the older Pegasus.

"Explain yourself," he hissed.

"The Empress abandoned us," the white Pegasus replied with a frown. His voice was raised, as though he wanted everypony to hear what he said. "She treated us like expendable soldiers, let hundreds of us die in pointless battles, then condemned us for the crimes of a few traitors. Well I say, why should we help one who abandoned us? Why shouldn’t we let the humans take her down? And you know what? Maybe Equestria would be better off without her." He turned to his comrades even as the armoured Pegasus' expression turned thunderous. "Can anypony here honestly say they like what we do?! We're murderers. We've helped the Empress oppress and terrorise an entire other species, and why? What for? What did they do to deserve genocide? We should've been helping them, instead we condemned them and we attacked them! You know what?!" he finished, turning back to the Royal Guard Pegasus with a scowl. "That ain't what I signed up for."

All around Scootaloo, she could see ponies whispering amongst themselves (apart from the stock-still Royal Guard). Some of them looked annoyed or confused, but more of them - many more of them - looked like they agreed with every word the older Pegasus had said. Even Spitfire looked conflicted. Light Beam looked to Scootaloo as though wanting her to give him her opinion, but she didn't know what to say.

He's right, you know, the Dash in her head said. She ignored her once again. She already knew she was going crazy, she didn't need confirmation.

The officer, meanwhile, didn’t say anything for a long moment, though one of his eyes was twitching. Finally, he spoke.

"Those words are treason," he said quietly. A moment later, the spear under his wing lashed out, catching the white Pegasus in the chest. The older Pegasus choked on blood that spewed up his throat, his eyes widening in shock, and then he collapsed to the ground.

There was a massive uproar almost at once from every Wonderbolt in the courtyard. Spitfire swore. Light Beam yelled. Scootaloo’s eyes widened in shock.

Would somepony worth following allow that? the Rainbow Dash in her head asked, but Scootaloo didn’t listen.

Her body moved on autopilot: her wings unfolded and she dashed forward, hoofs impacting on the armoured Pegasus’ head and crumpling his fancy helmet. His eyes widened in shock at the impact, as he stumbled back, stunned by the blow. He tossed his helmet off and stared at her with bloodshot eyes, but before he could react, she attacked again, grabbing his spear, reversing it and stabbing him through the throat. He gurgled in shock, a protest dying as he did, and he slumped to the cloudy floor.

"Motherbucker!" Scootaloo yelled. "Buck you and buck your bucking Empress!"

There was a moment of absolute silence on the training ground as every Wonderbolt stared at the scene in front of them - the dead Wonderbolt, the dead Guard Officer and the furious Wonderbolt who had slain him for killing her comrade.

"Get that traitor!" one of the Guards behind Spitfire yelled. The golden pony scowled and, faster than anypony could see, bucked him in the chest, sending him sprawling.

"Wonderbolts, move!" she yelled.

At once, there was a flurry of motion - an army of Wonderbolts charged forward, swarming the Guards and grappling with them. The heavier armoured ponies killed several of the lightly armoured special-forces Pegasi, but numbers and training prevailed and the Guards were quickly wiped out.

"What the buck..." one Wonderbolt swore, looking at the dead Guards. "Spitfire, what are we doing?!"

Spitfire, who had a cut along her forehead, spat blood out from her mouth and grinned.

"The right thing," she said loudly. "We're doing the right thing!"

Everypony paid attention as Spitfire took to the centre of the courtyard.

"What we're about to do is treason against the Empress," Spitfire said, "but I don't care. If you've got a problem, buck off and don't get in our way." Nopony moved, and Spitfire grinned. "But anypony who's willing to give their all for freedom, follow me!"

At once, the Wonderbolts cheered. All except Scootaloo, who was still

Unfortunately, this commotion managed to attract the attention of other Guards, namely the Cloudsdale garrison. One or two of them flew above the courtyard and started yelling, as though raising an alarm. Wonderbolts moved without needing to be told to take them down, but more came.

In fours and fives they arrived and moved to try and contain the Wonderbolts, but then Spitfire was yelling orders and the highly-trained flyers were outflanking and outflying their opponents, running rings around them and clipping them from the sky, sending them sprawling either to the cloud ground or - if they were really unlucky - the real one.

Scootaloo, breathing heavily, hadn’t moved from where she stood. She watched the carnage with wide, uncomprehending eyes.

"What have I done?" she asked aloud, her voice cracking.

The right thing, Scoots, the Rainbow Dash in her head said approvingly.

"Scootaloo!" Spitfire yelled. Scootaloo snapped herself from her reverie to look where her superior was - Spitfire was atop the Cloudsdale Wonderbolt barracks, a scratch along her forehead and a wide grin on her face.

"Yes ma’am?" she called back.

"Take a group and take out the docks!" Spitfire ordered, sounding more alive than Scootaloo thought she had ever heard her. "We can’t let them launch any more zeppelins from the city!"

"Ma’am, what is this?!" Scootaloo called up, trying to make some sense of what was going on.

"What do you think?!" Spitfire laughed, dodging a Guard that charged at her and disarming him before knocking him down. "This is us finally making a difference in this bucking war - this is us freeing Cloudsdale!"

With that, she took flight and charged into a small Guard formation, scattering them like so many bowling pins. Scootaloo shook her head and steeled herself - she had orders, and for the first time in a long time, they felt right, in a way that her orders for years somehow hadn't...

"Light Beam!" she called to her friend, who had just dispatched one of his enemies. "Get half the third platoon and some of the fourth and follow me!"

"Gotcha Scoots!" he called back with a grin. He headed off and Scootaloo turned to the fighting, throwing the spear she held at a Guard who was about to impale a Wonderbolt who had been knocked to the ground, before charging at two more and throwing them over the edge of the grounds to the cold ground below…

***

It had started with the Wonderbolt barracks, but the word of the fighting spread like wildfire - and the ponies of Cloudsdale blazed with it. For years, Cloudsdale had been living under sanction - Pegasi were often restricted in their travels, often even prevented from leaving the city entirely. The place had become a living hell to live in, and now there was an outpouring of rage and frustration. Ponies who had never lifted a hoof in anger rioted, attacking Guards and Militia with fierce abandon. Converted and Royal Guards were swamped by the sheer number of enraged, even apoplectic citizens, and no matter how many they took out - often killing them - there seemed to be more. It felt like the entire city of Cloudsdale had become one big gathering of malcontents and rebels, ponies who hated the Empire and what it had done to their once-proud city.

Furious about years of fear and suspicion about his family - and more furious about the murder of his beautiful niece, who had fought as part of Grey Squadron at Manchester - Quill Tip, a mild-mannered Pegasus normally, was almost frothing with rage as he attacked a group of Guards, half his co-workers behind him. Pony Hollie, the sister of Pony Dave of Upsilon Squadron, was among those who struck at the main Guard barracks, throwing makeshift firebombs and torches at it and screaming bloody murder at any Guard foolish enough to stand against the rioters. And at the head of a large force of Wonderbolts, Spitfire fought against the bulk of the Guard units in the centre of the city, the Wonderbolts finally - for the first time since the war had begun - feeling as though they were really fighting for Equestria, and not Solamina - and it was a good difference.

***

Feather Light, Captain of the Cloudsdale Royal Guard garrison, gasped as he pushed his wings as hard as he could. He needed to get to the docks now, before it was too late. He had ordered as many of his troops to get there as he could, though with the state of the city now he doubted all that many would.

All over the city, there was some kind of madness spreading. The ponies of Cloudsdale had always harboured more than their fair share of rabble-rousers and discontented ponies, but he had never thought it was this bad, and yet now madness reigned in the streets and hundreds of his soldiers and Militia comrades had been killed by the rebel Wonderbolts and rioters.

Still, he had a duty and it was clear. He headed for the pride of the docks.

The ERAS Solar Glory was the intended replacement for the famous Harmonious Order, the super-zeppelin that had destroyed Grey Squadron at the cost of itself and it’s entire crew. It wasn’t completed, but it was still one of the most important - and fortunately, one of the most defensible - locations in the city for the Guard and Militia remnant to make some kind of stand.

When he got to the zeppelin, he grinned in relief. The great frame was still there, still intact and mostly completed. Haughty Frame, her designer and chief architect, had been insistent on the fine details being completed before she be launched, but theoretically she should be in a fit state to fly. He could see dozens of Guards present, and almost a hundred Militia, all sequestered in the immense metal gondola and clambering along the hull.

"Commander!" one of his soldiers called from an exposed part of the main gondola. "Up here!"

Feather Light jumped into the air and flew toward his subordinate. The Pegasus Guard was young, tan-coloured and had a cutie mark of a musical instrument.

"Corporal Air Wave!" Light said to him breathlessly. "I want a report!"

"Less than a hundred Guards aboard sir, but we've more than enough ponies and convies aboard to fly the Glory just about anywhere you want her," Wave replied, sounding nervous but excited. "Ready to deliver Her justice at your discretion."

Feather Light ignored the derogatory comment about the Converted - frankly he hated serving with them at all - and instead headed straight for the bridge.

On the bridge, a large room filled with controls, Light found Haughty Frame himself, arguing with one of the Converted crewmembers. The regal blue Unicorn fitted his name, dressed in all the best of Canterlot finery - Feather Light had no issues with Unicorns in general, but he had issues with ponies of all kinds like Haughty; they had air and graces that didn’t suit their kind.

"You!" Frame snapped, looking at Feather Light with wide, angry eyes. "Do you care to explain why in Solamina’s name we’re supposedly preparing to launch this totally incomplete and under-crewed zeppelin into service now?!"

"I don’t know if you’ve bothered looking at the city," Feather Light replied, scowling, "but if you had you’d realise that we’re in the middle of some kind of insurrection."

Haughty Frame’s eyes widened in surprise.

"An insurrection?" he asked, his voice quietened almost to a whisper. "Rebellion?"

"Indeed," Feather Light confirmed. "This zeppelin is fit for battle - we might have a skeleton crew and we might not have the unicorn turrets at full capacity, but we are ready for battle: there are a little under a hundred Royal Guards aboard this zeppelin, together with enough Pegasus and Unicorn Militia to make a fight of it."

"You’re taking this zeppelin into battle against the citizens of Cloudsdale?" Haughty Frame asked, frowning.

"Do you have a problem, Mr Frame?" Feather Light asked, scowling.

"It’s just…" Frame stammered, before swallowing and articulating himself. "Can’t you stop them without her? She’s a full war-zeppelin. It seems like overkill."

"The entire city is rioting," Feather Light replied, turning and barking quick orders to ponies as they passed by. "Get this thing ready to move!" He turned back to Haughty. "This thing might be the last chance we have to restore order."

"I… I see," Haughty Frame said. "Well then… I guess I have no objections…"

Feather Light ignored him, returning to planning the battle ahead. He didn’t have many resources, but this was the sister of the most feared vessel in Equestrian history.

It was time to prove why.

***

Scootaloo dodged a Militia pony that charged her right. While it wouldn’t be fair to say that the Converted were never as good flyers as the natural-born Pegasi, it was safe to say that most of them weren’t as experienced, and none of them that she had ever met were as good as her.

She grabbed the inexperienced pony by the rear hooves as he flew, moving faster than sight, and threw him into a wall, where he lay still. Turning, she almost immediately had to dodge left to avoid a spear-thrust from a Guard, but she grabbed the spear, pulled him towards her and knocked him down.

"Come on then!" she yelled. "Is that all the bucking Guard have?"

She dodged another attack, lashing out and breaking the impudent Guard’s neck. Still she had to admit, this was getting more bloody than she had imagined - all around her, she could see the bodies of Pegasus civilians and Wonderbolts who had fallen foul of the Guard and the Militia, some of them impaled on spears or slain by blades or projectiles. For every Guard that fell, more seemed to crawl out of the woodwork.

Light Beam was near her. She broke another neck, kicked a Militia mare into a crowd and knocked them down like bowling pins, then found herself back to back with him.

"How’s it going?!" she asked breathlessly.

"Not bad," he said with a grin, "apart from the Guards and the Guards. And the Guards."

"Nothing for the Militia?" Scootaloo asked with a smirk.

"Pfft," Light Beam snorted. "They’re a break."

Scootaloo laughed. This entire situation was entirely surreal and unbelievable for her, but - and she couldn’t believe this - she was actually having fun. She felt more alive than she had in years.

‘If only Rainbow Dash was here,’ she thought to herself. She scowled and killed another Guard with a decidedly angry attack. Rainbow Dash... the Rainbow Dash she had known had led her down a path that had nearly seen her die for ponies that would have slain civilians where they stood, and the Rainbow Dash she had fought against probably hated her for what she had become. Scootaloo's cherished memories of her mentor and surrogate sister were forever tainted, and she hated that.

Suddenly, there was a loud blaring horn, like the rolling of thunder and the blaring of war-trumpets all at once. The clouds shook, and some actually collapsed. Scootaloo felt her ears flatten against the side of her head. She looked up as something flew over the city, and she felt the urge to cower and curse all at once.

It was massive, metal and imposing. For the most part it was bereft of decoration, but she could see at its head, bolted on imperfectly as though added in a rush or not completely affixed and yet still imposing and attention-grabbing, a statue of a regal, resplendent Alicorn.

The Solar Glory - the latest war-zeppelin, sister of the most powerful weapon the Equestrian zeppelin-fleet had ever fielded.

As Scootaloo watched, Unicorn turrets and firebombs began raining down on the city. Civilians screamed and ran for cover as the bombardment began, fire sweeping the streets and catching dozens and burning them alive. Wonderbolts and civilians alike broke and fled, terrified as the rain of death continued.

"Buck me," Light Beam swore. "That’s it then. We're bucking dead."

That’s it, huh? the Rainbow Dash in Scootaloo’s head said, scorn dripping from her imagined tone. Not very awesome, Scoots.

Scootaloo scowled at the voice. 'I'll show you awesome Rainbow Dash.'

"We’re not done yet, Beam," she said aloud. "Get as many ponies as you can together. We’re gonna take that bucker down."

"What?!" Beam asked, eyes wide. "Are you insane?!"

"Yes," Scootaloo replied simply.

***

Haughty Frame frowned as he stared down at the city from the observation deck. Fire raged in the streets of Cloudsdale, fire rained from his glorious creation. Flames, burning everywhere, like the very pits of Tartarus itself unleashed upon the city...

His eyes darted here and there, watching ponies the size of ants flee from firebombs and spells and other instruments of destruction that his perfect weapon unleashed. The flames of judgement had been unleashed from his perfect ship.

And he felt... sick. Sick, conflicted, uncertain, angry... he was wrestling with himself, trying to understand this strange feeling. This should have been perfect, but...

"Was this what Manchester looked like?" he muttered to himself. "Did the Harmonious Order unleash this destruction, burn the world before her? Did the humans scream as these ponies scream before the Order now?"

Why did it matter? This was what he made this weapon to do. This was all he made it to do.

"But did I do this for the destruction?" he pondered aloud. "Or did I do this for the prestige? Did I do it to build the most awe-inspiring airship ever devised, or to see that airship burn all that stood before it?"

The answer was obvious. He had never thought about this part of it. Oh, certainly he had known about this. After all, he was an educated, intelligent pony who knew all-too-well about the wars of their past. But this… this had all been theory, something that would probably happen but something he would forever be comfortably far away from.

And now he was seeing it first hoof.

Was this his legacy? The burning of ponies beneath this? Or the burning of humans beneath her predecessor? Was this what he would be remembered for?

"No," he found himself murmuring angrily. "No." His voice slowly raised. "No!"

He stepped back from the observation deck.

"No!" he yelled. He would not be this pony, the pony who had built a weapon and stood by while evil was done with it. He had never wanted this, and now he saw his folly.

"I have become the destroyer of worlds," he said aloud. "But no more."

Without another word, he turned and headed for the engine room.

***

Twenty Wonderbolts - the best flyers Light Beam could find under the circumstances - huddled in a building thankfully far from the fighting as Scootaloo stood before them. They looked uncertain, but they were still looking at her as though she had some sort of authority. Truth be told, she didn’t think she deserved it anymore - truth be told, actually, she wasn’t sure she ever had - but she was willing to lead them one last time here.

"The Solar Glory is gonna tear this city apart to suppress the rioting," she said to them. "If somepony doesn’t stop it, there won’t be a Cloudsdale to be sanctioned. The Guard won’t stop until everything’s gone."

"The Glory is a super-zep," one of the Wonderbolts pointed out. "In case you weren’t aware, those things don’t go down easily."

"We all know the stories of how one squadron brought the Order down," Scootaloo pointed out.

"One squadron with human explosives that happened to be wiped out," another Wonderbolt muttered.

"We don’t need explosives," Scootaloo insisted, scowling at that pony before turning to the rest with as earnest a look as she could manage. "We’re Wonderbolts! When ponies call out for help, we answer. When Equestria is threatened, we’re the first, last and only line! The Guard bow to us! We’re the descendants of warriors and kings!"

They exchanged glances, and Scootaloo knew they doubted her, so she changed tack.

"I know it’s dangerous," she said. "I know that we’ll probably all die. But ask yourselves this." She leant forward. "Do you want to die defending the ponies of Cloudsdale and Equestria, or do want to die cowering like foals in your own shit?"

That got their attention. Everypony looked annoyed, but they got her point well enough.

"We’re Wonderbolts," Light Beam said after a moment, having remained silent throughout the conversation thus far. "We die like angels in the sky, we don’t live like worms on the ground."

One by one, every other pony from the group nodded, none of them looking happy but all of them looking resolute. Finally, Scootaloo grinned.

"Thank you," she said, smiling genuinely for the first time in years. "Thank you all. Now - here’s the plan…"

***

The engine deck of the Glory was huge. Six great coal fires powered the the great propellers, each one of them forever tended by some of a crew of at least thirty Converted. They were competent at their jobs, if too literal sometimes. Still, Haughty Frame thought to himself, that wasn’t such a bad thing today. In fact, the Converted’s less-than-stellar IQ might actually be - for once - beneficial. He smiled at the irony. They had hindered him during the Glory’s construction, but now...

"Sir!" one of them said, looking at him in surprise as he stepped onto the deck. "We weren’t expecting you."

"Of course not," Haughty said with a slightly patronising smile. "Listen very carefully. I need you to clear the engine room, and then take a message up to Captain Feather Light. All of this is on my personal authority."

Haughty hoped that nopony had thought to rescind his almost total authority over the incomplete zeppelin amongst the Converted. Fortunately for him, his luck held.

"Message sir?" the Converted asked, not questioning the odd orders. "What message?"

"What happens now was my doing," Haughty said. "He’ll know what I meant. In fact, I want you to tell that message to anypony who asks you about this day for years forever. This was me."

"What was, sir?" the uncomprehending Converted asked, his eyes full of innocent curiosity.

"You’ll see," Frame said. "Now take everypony and get out of the room. Go."

"Yes sir," the Converted said. He began yelling at his fellows, and a moment later the great engine room was empty of pony life.

As Cloudsdale will be if I don’t do this, Haughty reminded himself. He sighed. This place was the culmination of so many years of glorious, beautiful work that he was so immensely proud of. To do what he was about to do was… tantamount to sacrilege.

"But I won’t live to see it anyway," he said aloud, and he steeled himself. He had to do this.

He made his way to the core.

***

The plan was simple. There were, all told, twenty three ponies in Scootaloo’s little band including herself. She would take Light Beam and three others as the main attack team, intending to board the zeppelin and fight their way to the bridge to take it, and the remaining eighteen would run interference and try not to get killed. It wasn’t a perfect plan, but it was a plan.

Scootaloo was at the head of her specific group. They didn't have any means of communication once they were in the air beyond shouting - one of the disadvantages the Equestrian forces had compared to the Resistance - but they knew the plan and would follow it through.

The Zeppelin was still raining fire on the city: Unicorn turrets fired spells into the city, both from their horns and focused through magi-cannons installed along the lines of the zeppelin's gondola. Firebombs were being fired from more cannons, destroying buildings and punching holes through the clouds that the city was made up of. It filled her with such rage, such heartbreak, to see the once beautiful city burning.

She saw the eighteen other Wonderbolts charging toward the main deck of the gondola, dodging firebombs and spells. One of the flyers wasn't fast enough and got herself vaporised by a large destruction spell. Scootaloo cursed under her breath. They were probably all going to die, but if they died taking this thing down, it would be worth it.

"You with me, guys?!" she called back to the ponies behind her.

"All the way!" Light Beam replied, yelling back at her. The others echoed his sentiment.

Scootaloo grinned as she charged forward. Now whatever happened, she would at least die with her comrades at her back, doing her duty for the ponies of Cloudsdale...

***

Feather Light smirked as he watched the Wonderbolts charge at the Solar Glory - the lightly armoured Pegasi had no chance against the turrets and defensive positions on the gondola of this mighty ship. He'd have felt sorry for them on their hopeless quest if it hadn't been for the fact that they were traitors, and they had chosen this for themselves.

"Excuse me sir?" a polite, quiet voice spoke up from behind him. Feather Light turned, and found himself staring at a Converted crewmember - judging by the coal-dust covered overalls the stallion wore, he was from the engine room.

"What do you want?" Light asked with a frown. He didn't like convies at the best of times.

"I've got a message from Mr Haughty Frame," the Convie said with a smile. "He says to tell you that what happens now was his doing."

"'What happens now'?" Feather Light scowled. "What in Tartarus does he mean by that?"

"I don’t know sir," the Convie said with a shrug. "He just told everypony in the engine room to leave and told me to give you that message."

Feather Light blinked in shock, his eyes widening in horror as the Convie’s words sunk in. It took him a moment to get past the combination of horror and fury he felt: he stepped towards the Convie slowly, his eye twitching as he approached the passive stallion, who seemed to be perfectly content to keep standing there with the calm, polite expression on his face.

When Feather Light finally spoke, the words were spat out in fury and confusion alike.

"He… did… WHAT?!"

***

At the centre of the engine room was the Core, a giant combination of steam technology and magical energy. Haughty Frame had designed the Core to magnify the power of the furnaces, making the actual amount of coal needed to propel the great zeppelin far less than necessary for a vessel that was not magically augmented.

The Core was connected to the coal furnaces by six magical conduits, one each for all of the furnaces. Each one of them sturdy and strong, designed to withstand direct assault.

Haughty had vaguely considered blowing up the Core itself and destroying the entire engine arrangement, but apart from being incredibly difficult for one Unicorn to do, he was also too vain to permanently destroy his work. Damaging or otherwise disabling the six conduits would rob the Glory of power and she would be rendered inert, with her ability to move hampered, as well as the much of the magical power used in her defences, but it was damage that someone would be able to fix, though not - if he was right, and lucky - until long after this battle was over. Of course, leaving the place in a repairable state made the big assumption that the Pegasi rioters wouldn’t just wreck his creation after he disabled it, but he was living in hope.

By now, the Converted engineer he had asked to deliver a message to Captain Feather Light would have reached his location, so Haughty Frame had very little time. He quickly ran to the first conduit and began the process of disconnecting it, using his magic to shear away the rivets that held it in place. Each conduit crackled with magical energy, so he had to be careful, but he knew this vessel well enough to do so quickly.

After a moment, the disconnection was complete. Grinning, Haughty moved to the next conduit and began repeating the process.

After he had disabled three of the six and begun work on the fourth, he heard shouts from the entrance to the engine room. That was it then - he had to hurry. He finished the fourth and moved on to the fifth just as he saw two Pegasi Guards approach the Core.

"Hey you!" one of them yelled. "Stop right there!"

Haughty ignored them as he finished disconnecting the fifth conduit - now there was only one left. The Pegasi charged towards him, seeing that he wouldn’t stop at their command, and so he tried throwing an offensive spell at them - he didn’t actually know any, but the flash of impotent light he threw managed to convince them to take cover for a moment. He quickly moved to disconnect the final conduit.

A spear clanged off of the metal near him and he jumped, throwing a quick glance at the Pegasi Guards - one of them had gotten out of cover and tried his luck. Haughty sent another flashy spell in their direction and they ducked, but he figured it wouldn't work a third time. He quickly finished the final disconnection, before turning to try and go - just as the other Pegasus Guard charged at him with his spear.

Haughty Frame had the brief sensation of pain, before a strange numbness began spreading. The Pegasus was standing in front of him, a wide-eyed expression full of adrenaline comedown in his eyes. Haughty looked down, and found himself mildly surprised at the spear impaling his front.

"Oh," he said quietly. He laughed.

"Traitor," the Guard hissed, but Haughty Frame ignored him. His work was done - his sabotage would both stop the Glory and save her. Maybe after the war somepony could put her to better use...

Darkness took him, and he welcomed it's embrace...

***

Scootaloo cursed as another spell shot past her, vaporising one of her wing ponies. Only herself, Light Beam and another Pegasus mare by the name of Speed Runner were left. She couldn't see the interference team, but she assumed they were still flying. She hoped they were, anyway: there were some good flyers in that group.

The thing wasn't easy to divert attention from - there were enough cannons and enough speed (surprisingly enough) in the hulking mass that even with diversionary tactics going on, it was nigh impossible to not have the thing's attention. And without keeping the turrets off of them for five seconds... well getting onto the thing would be nigh impossible.

"Scoots!" she heard Beam yell from behind her. "There's no way we'll reach that thing!"

"We're not giving up!" she yelled back at him. Pushing herself harder, she skimmed the surface of the great balloon. There had to be a way onto the thing...

Suddenly, she was aware of a great absence of noise, as though the loud, roaring battlefield had suddenly grown unnaturally quiet. She frowned in confusion for a moment, and then she realised what was missing.

The propellers. The Solar Glory had several propellers that kept the thing moving, and all of them were off. She had almost stopped noticing it, treating it like part of the background of battle.

"Did something hit it?!" Light Beam called from behind her.

"Who cares?!" Scootaloo yelled back. "This is our chance!"

She pushed herself harder. She could already hear the panicking crew. Now that the propellers were down, ponies would panic - and gaps would open. It was time to take this bucker down.

***

She was not alone in this thought: across the embattled city, the rioting Cloudsdale citizens, still riding on waves of fury and adrenaline, took off and headed for the Solar Glory. The defensive positions on the Glory - already crippled by the loss of the Core and thus many of the magical defences, turrets etc - tried their best to hold off the attackers, but many positions were quickly overwhelmed and Pegasi rioters spread across the Zeppelin...

***

Feather Light was panicking, screaming orders to his crew. With the Core down, he knew they were vulnerable, and the oncoming hordes of Pegasi were just a sign that things were desperate.

"Get engineers down there and repairing it double time!" he bellowed loudly as he surveyed their instrumentation. "We have to -!"

"Sir," one of his adjutants, a pale blue Pegasus mare named Steel Nerve, said in a panicked tone, "there are Wonderbolts inbound and dozens of intruders across the zeppelin - without half the defences operational..."

"Order all Guards to repel the boarders, Sergeant," Feather Light yelled at her, scowling. "We have to hold them off until the engines are operational..."

"Sir, we don't have the numbers to repel the numbers they're sending!" the mare said. "We have to abandon the Zeppelin!"

"I will not abandon the Solar Glory to traitor hooves!" Feather Light screamed. "Stay at your posts!"

Steel Nerve scowled, but said nothing, instead moving back to her station.

***

Air Wave dodged another blow, before grabbing the offending Wonderbolt and throwing him into a wall. He grabbed his spear and stabbed the flyer, pinning him to a wall.

"Bucker!" he cursed. "Everypony, hold your ground!"

All around him, his comrades were being dragged to the floor by rioters or thrown over the edge of the gondola by more experienced fighters like Wonderbolts. He was losing this position.

"Fall back!" he called, ushering one of his troops back towards their route of escape. "Main deck, go!"

He dodged a blow from another Pegasus before impaling the traitor. Another Wonderbolt - this one an orange mare - was just finishing off one of his Guards as he did so, and he scowled. He pulled his spear out of the last rebel and threw it at her, but she dodged it.

"Come on you little pile of -!" he yelled, but he was cut off by her dashing straight into him, knocking him off balance. She lashed out at him, but he dodged her. She had wrist blades, which made her faster, but he was armoured, which lessened his vulnerability. He blocked one blade, but she grabbed his hoof and dragged him forward, head butting him.

Stunned, he had no way of stopping her from slashing one of his wings and then pitching him over the side of the gondola. His last thought was mild irritation at being beaten by a headbutt - very undignified...

***

Scootaloo watched the crippled Guardspony fall and then turned back to the fighting.

On your left! the Rainbow Dash in her head yelled. On instinct, she turned, and blocked another pony who charged at her. She broke his forehoof and then stabbed him, before throwing him from the gondola.

'Thanks Dash,' she thought to herself, but then she frowned. She was talking to ponies in her head. If there were any proof she were mad, this was it.

You're finally fighting for the right side, Scoots, the imaginary Dash said, and Scootaloo could almost imagine her smirking. I'd say you're going sane.

"Nopony asked you," Scootaloo told the imaginary a Rainbow Dash. Shaking her head to clear it, she threw herself back into the fray.

***

Feather light was getting increasingly frantic as the reports came in, none of them good.

"Intruders in the engine room, sir!"

"We've lost three decks!"

"We're not getting anything from the upper turret!"

"We have to abandon the zeppelin," Steel Nerve said, moving to stand in front of Feather Light. His attention snapped to her.

"No," he said, scowling at her, his tone icy cold. "We don't."

"There are boarders on almost every deck," Nerve said, ignoring his tone. "If anypony in our crew is going to survive, we have to go now."

"I said no!" Feather Light snapped. "It's not happening, Steel Nerve. Get back to your post. We are holding the Glory..."

"Sir, we've lost the Glory!" Steel Nerve snapped. "We shouldn't waste pony lives..."

"We've not lost the Glory!" Feather Light yelled back. "We're not going to lose the Glory - not to the traitors, not while I'm in command!"

"Then you aren't in command anymore!" Steel Nerve screamed. She calmed a moment later as silence fell over the room. Feather Light's expression turned to stone

"You want to relieve me, Sergeant?" he said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Yes sir," she said without hesitation. "I do."

A moment later, Feather Light picked up his spear and stabbed forward, faster than Steel Nerve could react. The Pegasus' eyes widened in horror at the weapon embedded in her chest, and she choked slightly in shock and agony. After a moment, she collapsed to the ground.

"Objection noted," Feather Light said. "Anypony else?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah," a new voice said from the entrance to the bridge. A golden mare in Wonderbolts regalia stepped onto the bridge, eyes narrowed at Feather Light in hatred. Wrist blades were flipped out at the ready and her wings were flared out in a gesture of rage. "Me."

***

Spitfire had never regarded Captain Feather Light that highly. It wasn't that he was a bad pony per se - or at least, she wouldn't have said so before today - but he had always struck her as a bit of a plot-hole. Nonetheless, she had never seen this side of him: she had known he was literal minded, but this... killing his own soldiers when they dared disagree with him... that was too devoted, too wrong. He was willing to fight to the bitter end, even at the cost of every soldier under his command.

Is that the Oath? Spitfire wondered. Does it make ponies like that so suicidal, so single-minded, that they'd sacrifice everything if they thought they could spite Solamina's enemies? Or was Feather Light always like this, just waiting to snap?

It was a question that she had a horrible feeling she'd be asking forever.

"Traitor," Feather Light sneered at her. "Guards!"

Half a dozen Guards and crew were still on the bridge, and they quickly charged at Spitfire. Just as they did, however, ponies charged in from behind the Wonderbolts' leader: she had come with friends.

Feather Light scowled and charged at her, his spear - still red with the fresh blood of Steel Nerve - pointed right at her. She dodged and lashed out with her wrist blade, and the Captain was forced to duck. He blocked another blow with the haft of his spear, before stabbing forward again. Spitfire dodged and slashed her blades at him, but he managed to dodge again.

"Stop dodging and take it like a stallion!" she taunted. He roared in anger and charged right at her, but she was able to sidestep him. She slashed at his throat and it spurted blood. He had a moment to scrabble at the injury before falling to the ground, dead.

She panted slightly as she turned to watch her comrades fighting on the bridge. She smiled slightly when she realised that they had the upper hoof.

Today was a good day.

***

When Scootaloo and Light Beam reached the bridge, they found Spitfire and a half dozen other ponies waiting: Spitfire was giving orders to ponies at the various controls.

We win, a by-now familiar voice in her head said. She did her best to ignore it.

"Scootaloo!" the Wonderbolts' commander said with a grin. "We've captured the Zeppelin."

"Yeah," Scootaloo replied, slightly sarcastically, "I kinda noticed. What now?"

"We see if we can fix her up," Spitfire said with a manic grin. "They wanted Wonderbolts at Canterlot?They're gonna get more than they bargained for."

Scootaloo's eyes widened, but then she grinned too. If Canterlot had been bad enough to ask for Wonderbolts help, it was the biggest battle in years.

Sounded like her kinda fight.

***

Author's Notes:

So I finally got this finished. It's been a pain in the ass, but a fun one - whole load of stuff that's been tricky to do but fun nonetheless. The next chapter will return us to the battle of Canterlot proper. :-)

Thanks once again to everybody reading, everyone commenting, everyone favouriting, and to RoyaPsycho and The Void for their sterling beta work.