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Harmony Defended

by Starscribe

Chapter 18: Chapter 17: Virus

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Chance was too tired to dream. There were no insane visions or personified versions of the difficulties that troubled her consciousness. As night turned to day and her sleep grew lighter, she gradually got the sense of conversation nearby, as though ponies were whispering in the room where she slept. Eventually she stirred, blinking blearily and searching for the voices.

She expected to see Pip beside her, perhaps talking to Truth or one of the Crusaders. But the room was empty. Pip's scent was still here, and very fresh, but the colt was nowhere to be seen. The whispering in her mind hadn't grown any quieter as she woke, and with sluggish movements she rolled onto her hooves and ambled over to the door. She wasn't awake enough to know if the voices were real or in her mind, but either way they seemed to be louder outside her cabin.

Her friends were sitting in the hallway, backs against the wall. A tablet computer sat on the ground in front of each of them, limiting the space Chance had to walk. Even while half-asleep, she was careful not to step on the delicate glass displays. The sound of the atmospheric processor was all she needed to know that they were still at too high an altitude to travel onto the deck, which explained why Scootaloo was down here. She barely even looked at the screens, just enough to see an ancient and familiar game on each one.

"Better hurry with the farm, earth ponies! I can't keep mining if I'm starving!"

"Keep yer' horn on, Sweetie Belle. We can't use magic in this game."

"Can too! That's what the bonemeal's for."

Without the mental aspects of the Nanophage in his brain fully developed, Pip couldn't use mental control like the Crusaders, so had a stylus in his mouth instead. As a result, all he could do was mumble. "Mugmmmfgm... in.... mhhchest... one sec..."

Chance might have found this hilarious under any other circumstances, as much because Pip hadn't been willing to try human video games before as because her friends had chosen now of all times to play. But she was too tired to laugh, almost too tired to notice. She was following the voices, to the door leading into the room that held Truth.

"There's a ward on there while they talk," Sweetie Belle said, not even looking up from her screen. Small wonder, though. She'd been playing on this server for years, ever since Chance had given her the tablet. "We can't go in." Then a pause. "Dangit! Nevermind about the bread, guys. Zombie got me."

Applebloom looked sagely across the room toward her. "Wasn't it you who told us not to mine at night?"

Chance hardly registered the words, with as intent as she was on the whispers. As she opened the door, there was indeed the fuzz of magic, a deep and shimmering blue. No light or sound came from within, yet it was also the direction the whispers were coming from. She stepped forward, right into the magic, and it yielded around her without any effort on her part.

As she passed through the barrier, the world seem to twist and writhe, and her senses abruptly came into focus all at once, her sleepiness switched off.

What she saw took a moment to process, in part because it was impossible. The Fury was not a large ship, and this room had been converted from one of the tiny bedrooms. It had been barely big enough for three ponies to fit in, and that was standing up. The space she stood in now was as large as the cabins of all the rooms put together, as though the walls had all be knocked out and everything dumped out into the sky. Yet she had just been inside one of the other rooms, sleeping off her exertions from the extraction of the nuclear warhead. Not only was the room impossibly massive now, but there were also comfortable cushions set up in a circle in the center, six in all. Each was a different color, with cartoonish depictions of the intended occupant sewn garishly into the fabric. Rarity would've been appalled.

In the center was a roaring fireplace, though the heat was not so overwhelming that she felt uncomfortable. Actually it was her mind that bothered her, now that she was awake. Stretching space was something pony magic could do (though she hadn't actually seen it before), but if they were still at altitude and the atmosphere was still sealed, then they were in a high-oxygen environment! Combustion could rage out of control and was eating up air meant for their lungs! The ship was already overloaded, it's air circulators weren't meant to handle a bonfire too! Besides, hadn't anyone noticed the ship was made of wood?!

Any fear she might've had vanished as she looked around the room and noticed its occupants. Princess Luna was there, wearing the armor she always wore when leading the armies. Celestia was there, no longer dressing up as an ordinary pegasus. Chance had never seen an expression of such passion on her face before. It was clear at a glance she had just interrupted some passionate discussion.

There were three more beings in the room. Truth, perched absurdly on one of the cushions, and Twilight Sparkle. Without a thought, Chance ran over to embrace her, pressing her head into the familiar lavender-scented mane and wrapping her hooves around her. Twilight, more surprised than anything else, rotated around for a quick hug. Her expression was more stern than usual, though. "Chance... you aren't supposed to be in here."

"But Twilight, that's just not so! I called her here." That was the last of the voices, one Chance was not accustom to hearing nearly so often as the others. She wouldn't forget it, though. Even after his apparent reform, even after he had been around the castle now and then and helping out around Equestria, Chance's most powerful memory of him was from Seattle.

Tall, lanky body. Twisted metal and charred streets. No radiation suit, but she didn't care. "And there you go again. Looking for something to kill me with. Is that all you are?" He had put a gun in her hands, and had told her to kill him. The greatest horror of that situation had not come from the scenes of death all around her. It had come from the fact that she almost had.

He wasn't torturing her this time, though. According to Twilight, his change had stuck this time. His loyalty to Equestria was sure. Considering what Equestria had gone through to make that reform possible, she was inclined to believe. "I made up a spot for you." Discord gestured one of his mismatched paws towards the empty cushion. Little pictures of her danced around the fabric, with words like "Science!" in stupid thought bubbles.

A silent moment passed as the ponies of the room seemed to consider him. Chance got the feeling nonverbal communication was being employed to discuss something they didn't want to tell her about, but there was no way for her to tell for sure. Alicorn magic was far too subtle for her to sense if they didn't want her to. Twilight released her from the hug and gestured to the cushion. She was still looking stern, but her displeasure seemed to have transferred from Chance to Discord. That was fine with her, since it apparently wasn't Chance's fault she was here in the first place. "Keep quiet unless we ask for your input, okay?"

She nodded, and kept her hoofsteps as quiet as she could as she made her way to the stupid cushion and sat down. The conversation promptly resumed.

"I will not leave her to die because it would be convenient to keep my position concealed." Celestia's passion returned as hot as when Chance had first walked in, as though there had been no interruption. "She made her loyalty clear with her willingness to help us remove the bombs."

Luna might not have the same fire in her voice, but she sounded no less confident. "This might all be an elaborate trap, sister. She is most subtle; perhaps her intention is to kill you when you return for her! Or when she makes her escape, that will justify the use of the rest of the bombs, slaying millions!"

Princess Celestia turned to Twilight, obviously wanting her input. Twilight seemed reluctant to speak, and refused to make eye contact with anypony. "Well... if Chrysalis was still working for the dragons, she wouldn't need an excuse to set off more bombs. If she had wanted to trap Celestia, she could have done it earlier."

"If we logically consider the consequences of her telling us about the bombs, her position is much weaker than it was before. Her ability to use bombs in Equestria has dropped by two. Her ability to trap Celestia has decreased as well. There's no way for her to know how we might rescue her. We might send humans, or a team of ponies. She could try to capture them, but the dragons already hold large territories with millions of prisoners."

"The only thing she's really gained is trust, if we're not careful. I agree with Luna that it's possible she considered the nuclear weapons a worthwhile trade for our trust. But we can save her without giving her any... We could send a human rescue team in to kill the changelings and drop her in the wilderness somewhere safe. That way we will have saved her but won't give her anything she could use against us."

"We will have to send ponies to rescue her, unfortunately. There aren't going to be any humans available; that's why I called this meeting." Truth had a very poor understanding of emotional context, because he sounded as cheerful as ever.

Luna raised her eyebrows. "Truth, 30,000 of the troops the Federation sent have already arrived. The other faction has mobilized no insignificant numbers either, at least a few thousand. What could they all be doing?"

A chill went down Chance's spine. Truth hadn't told her anything about this. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. "Last night, I was corresponding with one of the OMICRON cores in Normandy, a delightful fellow named Washington. I requested some updated schematics, for the latest designs that had been invented while I was in Equestria. I noticed something in the Nanophage designs, something other GAIs had missed. I believe that the program I discovered was specifically designed to avoid detection even from AIs like myself. Fortunately I developed in Equestria and not on Earth, so I process patterns differently. Unfortunately, Washington and I discovered we could not develop an antivirus. I informed Admiral Colven of this fact and immediately called this meeting."

"This... virus... What does it do?" Luna glanced at Chance, looking concerned. There were perhaps a dozen ponies with the Nanophage, though none so close to her as Chance was. Chance couldn't help but feel a little better that Luna would think of her so quickly, though the rest of what Truth had said filled her with dread. If the words weren’t coming from an OMICRON core, she wouldn't have believed them.

"It would be easier to let the admiral explain. When she heard we could not develop an antivirus, she recorded this message. I transmitted it moments ago."

The screen flickered briefly as Truth corrected for the compression. A familiar office gradually came into focus, the office used by Admiral Alexi Colven. The desk was mahogany and a huge photograph of Earth from before the war hung on the wall behind her, along with pictures and models of ships. Strangest of all, there was a unicorn in the room with her, though she was barely on-screen. It was hard to be sure, but Chance couldn't possibly miss that cutie mark. Lyra? How had she gotten there?

Alexi didn't look at the unicorn, her eyes were only for the camera. Her uniform was fresh and pressed, a sidearm at her hip and medals gleaming on her chest. She looked perfect enough to pass an inspection, if there was anyone high enough in the chain of command to conduct one for her. "Free people of Earth," she began, her voice confident and powerful. Like a king. "Citizens of Equestria." Her eyes flicked briefly to Lyra, then back to the camera. "Our brothers and sisters of the Steel Tower."

At that last, Chance nearly fell sideways off her cushion. She had heard Alexi say many things about the Tower in her life, but nothing like that! If anything she hated them more than Chance did, since she had understood more about the war. She hadn't been quite so young when it happened. Saying something like that might provoke a court martial under different circumstances. What was she thinking?

"This message was recorded three hours prior to the time you are receiving this recording." The camera zoomed closer to her face, obscuring Lyra and the rest of the office. "To all users of the human-spectrum Nanophage in Equestria; your minds and bodies are infected with a virus program, which has been in the programming for so long that we did not know to look for it. When active in a brain equipped with military-grade Nanophage, it takes complete control of your body. We do not have the resources to develop an antivirus program here in Equestria."

"I have transmitted detailed information about the virus back to Earth. I caution the Aegis not to transport here until a vaccine can be developed. I plead for all convoys from Earth to cease." Again the camera zoomed in on her face. "I beg our human brothers and sisters will not allow the actions of whatever force controls us to pressure them to a war that might consume all Equestria and Earth with it."

"I believe the program's designer was Dr. Samil. I identify this man as an Enemy of Earth, and instruct any who might encounter him not to take him prisoner. He was one of the inventors of the Nanophage, and if you are using it, he could be using you. Shoot to kill. I trust the representatives of the Tower to accomplish what we no longer can."

"There is no present treatment possible except one." She held up her wrist, pulling back the sleeve so that the bracelet sparkled in the light of the camera. "We were all given one of these when we entered Equestria, but many of you do not know what they are for. Suffice it to say that they change the body of the user so significantly that the virus program will no longer function. We thank the wise rulers of Equestria for their foresight." She gripped the bracelet firmly with her other hand, so tight her skin went white. "As my last official order, I instruct every free citizen of Earth presently in Normandy to remove this bracelet. Do so immediately; if you hesitate you may lose control of your body and be unable to act." She tugged, and the bracelet shattered around her wrist. "Good luck," she said, her voice beginning to falter. She clutched at her chest, and nearly fell out of her chair.

Lyra rushed back into frame, to the side of Alexi's chair. The admiral ignored her words of compassion long enough to look towards the camera. "God help us." The screen went blank.

Twilight looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown. No sooner had the screen gone dark than she stammered. "Applejack... Pinkie Pie... They're in the human city! They're going to be in the center of it!"

Truth's voice cut her off before her panicked ranting could continue. "They aren't. Of the entire Federation military currently deployed, there is a single special-forces unit with their own dedicated OMICRON Core, the Washington I mentioned earlier. While their brains are still vulnerable to the virus program, Washington is capable of screening transmissions so its activation command cannot be received. Washington will also censor this transmission so they do not receive the order to use the bracelets; User Applejack and User Pinkie Pie are safe. In addition, the Sons of Barsoom are a small unit, but the most skilled the Federation sent. They are a valuable tool and should not be ignored."

Discord yawned and stood up. "I know we haven't always seen eye-to-eye..." He wasn't speaking to the Alicorns, or even to Truth. He was talking to Chance. "How could we when you're so short?" Nopony laughed, and his eyes darkened. "Tough crowd." Then he shrugged. "I never had the chance to make it up to you for our first meeting. My contribution will be extracting them." He flicked his tail at the now-blank screen. "Every human who follows that instruction. I'll bring them to the Crystal Empire. It would pain me to think you died with such a negative view of me." He returned his eyes to the princesses. "Guess I better get started." Chance wasn't sure where it had come from, but he was suddenly wearing a blue vest and trousers, like something a steward might have worn back on Earth. "All aboard Discord Airlines!" He vanished.

As relieved as she was to think that Alexi was going to be safe, and as strange as it was to think her elder sister might now be a pony, neither of these things were foremost in her mind. There were dire consequences for Equestria if humans were fighting on the enemy's side. Worse ones if the Tower went to war with them. That conflict would combine with the present war and the world would be consumed. Perhaps that had been the intent of the Outside from the beginning.

"Many of the humans may not act in time." Luna's expression was pale, but she did not hesitate in shocked silence. None of these ponies did, though it seemed this was news to all of them. "No doubt those that don't will join the fighting at once. So close to Canterlot... We had expected to make our stand before Ponyville, not be placed at the epicenter of a war! Sister, we cannot fight three enemies at once! The Minotaur invasion from the southeast was already forcing us to plan the defense from two fronts. If the infected begin a third..."

"We need the Aegis!" Chance exclaimed, before she could stop herself. Three sets of eyes fell on her at once, with varying degrees of compassion and frustration both. The room became absolutely silent. "I mean... I'm sorry to interrupt, but I don't think there's any hope otherwise. Not only was most of the hardware on that ship, but the only hope for a cure. If they make one up, we could bring them in and they could fix everything! All we have to do is make the gateway bigger, right? Can't you three Princesses just do the stabilization spell yourself, like what the unicorns did to let the Federation send stable matter through? They could fly in and make everything right again..."

Twilight was the first to shake her head. "Pan-universal spells are extremely complex, Chance. Starswirl the Bearded is the only pony we know of whose research even mentions them, and he never came up with a way to expand the spell. The instability increases exponentially the bigger you open the way; not even the mind of an Alicorn could take the strain." She glanced sideways, to Princess Celestia. "Er... Right?"

The Alicorn remained quiet, her face a mask. For a long time she merely remained there, silent and still. "Unfortunately Princess Twilight Sparkle is correct; not even together would this spell be possible. Perhaps if we had years to outline the proper diagrams and prepare raw materials it might be done, at the cost of our lives." Luna looked suddenly away, her ears drooping. Was that shame? Why wouldn't she meet anypony's eyes, even Chance's? "All is not lost, however. Ponies never had the secret of making doorways so large, but the Precursors did. It would not be impossible to rediscover their technique."

Twilight looked confused. "Princess... Why are you calling them that? Didn't you say we didn't want to assign any religious significance by using terms from that mythology?"

Celestia nodded. "Normally I wouldn't, Princess Twilight. But I am not referring to either of the human factions of Earth." She turned her eyes on Chance. "I wish there was time to explain everything, but there are many ponies to evacuate and one Changeling Queen to rescue. All our power must now be turned to helping as many ponies as possible make it to the Crystal Empire before Canterlot falls. I entrust this mission to the ponies of my flagship. Find this magic and use it to get the human ship Aegis here to defend us. Or, if you prefer, complete your spell and end the war that way."

Luna's guilty expression vanished, and she looked suddenly fierce. "Sister, we agreed we would not-"

Celestia only looked sad, though her expression silenced Luna all the same. "Luna is right, we do not ask that of you. The Aegis may be enough. No time to say more... Truth, do you still have the digital version of Equestrian Heroes and Villains of the Third Age?"

"Yes, Princess." There was none of his usual snark. Apparently Truth recognized the urgency of the situation as well as they did.

"Chance, read the section on Avalon. The locations given are approximate, but accurate. I believe the pony Pipsqueak may know more about the site." She turned. "Twilight, lower the ward. We must evacuate our subjects."

Twilight nodded, reaching over to rest a hoof on Chance's shoulder, however briefly. Her horn flashed once and the shimmering barrier over the door vanished. It flashed again and she was gone. Celestia vanished too, with a brief burst of her own magic.

Luna lingered, at least for a moment. Chance hadn't seen her so bashful for a long time, not since the old days when they had talked frequently about her pain and what had caused her to become Nightmare Moon. "If he still lives," she began, voice so quiet it was barely audible, "tell him I'm sorry." She disappeared.

* * *

"I told ya’ Pinkie, I've got to tell the commander. You can listen when I tell 'im if yah want, but I ain't tellin' sooner and that's that." Applejack had turned away from her friend on the lift taking them into the belly of the airship, though with the helmet radio that made no difference to Pinkie Pie's ability to talk at her. In this case that meant hundreds of guesses about why Applejack felt suddenly compelled to go in person to talk to the commander when their ship had suddenly changed direction.

"You forgot your apple trees!" Pinkie called gleefully. Even with the volume as low as it would go, Pinkie Pie's voice had not got much quieter. It was frightening how skilled Pinkie Pie had become at operating this armor with only a few hours head start. Applejack had already tried muting her entirely, but found that it didn't work. Probably she just didn't know what she was doing. "You're asking him to get Rarity!"

"No, and no." Applejack was grateful that any further conversation was stopped as they arrived in the belly of the carrier. She had memories of riding in many such craft during her training period on a red planet peppered with craters and rocks, but of course she knew those memories had never actually happened. Would the skills downloaded into her head stick when it came down to real combat?

The belly of the carrier had two levels connected by ramps. Down here was mostly cargo, vehicles ready to deploy with their crews already sitting inside. Applejack wondered if those chairs were more comfortable than the chairs they had been sitting in before. The humans inside watched them, Applejack's solemn march and Pinkie's bounce, though besides watching them they didn't react. They ignored Pinkie Pie's enthusiastic waving, but made no move to stop them. They made it up the ramp without resistance, into the second level filled with more of the dreadful seats. Their helmet radios were filled with conversation on the general channel, conversation so timid it was almost afraid.

"I can't believe they had the balls."

"Violate their treaty, practically inside a civilian city?"

"Not sure what they were thinking, there's no way they can win."

Applejack wasn't sure what these humans meant, but didn't get to hear much more. As they climbed the ramp, conversation abruptly stopped nearby, and all eyes turned on them. Were it not for the roar of the engines, they probably could have heard an apple drop.

Makoto arrived in moments, face looking annoyed through the glass in her helmet. "You could've called if you needed something," she said, folding her arms. "Even with the boot-magnets, it's not a good idea to be moving in the carrier while we're in flight."

Applejack nodded. "I remember. But I got somethin' mighty important, somethin' I gotta' tell the captain right away." She didn't pause, didn't give Makoto any chance to interrupt her. They were talking over the common radio now, which meant that anyone who was relatively close could hear them. Of course it would have been easy to transmit to everyone on the carrier if she had wanted to... But that just didn't feel like the right thing to do. Something deep in Applejack's soul told her she had to tell the Captain in person. Nothing else would do.

"I recieved an important message from an Equestrian source, and I have to tell him right now or the whole unit will be in serious danger."

There was a long silence. Makoto's expression became unreadable, until abruptly she turned and began walking back the other way between the rows. Her voice came in over the private radio. "I hope for your sake this is important, Applejack. The captain prefers to be alone before battle."

"Battle?" Applejack might not understand all the functions of the armor, but she knew how to switch between radio frequencies at least. Pinkie Pie followed close behind her, no longer bouncing with each step. She was also silent, which made Applejack think she must be conversing with these humans. Soon enough she had stopped following completely, and Applejack did not begrudge her. In no Equestrian military unit would anything like this be possible. Armies did not typically allow their generals and officers to be easily accessible by every grunt who thought he or she had something important to tell.

The Sons of Barsoom were not simple soldiers, however. They were the strongest, the fastest, and the smartest soldiers humanity had to offer. There was no formal chain of command because each and every one of them was a commander in their own right. Anyone who wanted could speak to their commander because no one would dare unless they had something important to say.

Makoto took her all the way to the front of the carrier and knocked forcefully on a thick metal door. After a moment a voice spoke from inside, loud enough that they could hear it through the door and over the roar of the engines and their own helmets. Out of reflex Applejack retracted her own, ears pressing down to her head as the complex mechanical apparatus retracted into the rest of her armor and left her face and neck exposed. Makoto had already done the same, and nodded in approval.

The room inside was not very large, perhaps three ponies across and twice that long. It was what amounted to the commander's office, his personal quarters and the room he used for planning. He was the only one with quarters aboard the carrier, if he needed them. There was no chair; Captain Cigaal sat on the floor on a thin woven mat. Of course he still wore his armor, though the helmet section was off. In one of his hands was an old-looking book, with a red cover embossed with gold. It looked so small in those gigantic paws of his, as though he might squash it flat with even a slight misappropriation of force. Of course, this was completely possible while he wore the armor. Yet the book seemed so old and the pages so thin and fragile, it was a wonder he didn't cause it to crumble just by holding it.

"You interrupt my study before war. Speak quickly."

Applejack had a dozen questions that this situation had called forth, but she forced them all back. She wasn't Pinkie Pie, and she would show that ponies could be as dignified and respectful as humans. "We changed course a few minutes ago. I know you ain't told us why, but I 'ave a feeling I already know."

To his credit, the captain did not interrupt her. If he was annoyed at her for bothering him, he didn't let it show. Applejack took a deep breath and let everything out in a rush. "If 'ah had to guess, I'm thinkin' you got an order to head right back to camp, cuz'a some problem that came up sudden-like in Normandy. I don't think we oughta' follow that order, cuz it aint real. See, the humans there gone an’ got infected with this thing called a virus. I ain’t technical 'er nothin' so I don't know how it works, but I know it uses the fancy little machines in yer brains ta’ up an make yah do things. Truth an' Washington, I reckon you know both a’ them, figure yer bein' lured back so they can kill yah..."

Applejack trailed off, as text began scrolling rapidly across her vision in bright blue letters like Truth's coat.

Local program running:
Acquiring local mesh network connection, acquired.
Transmitting encrypted data packet, complete.
Decrypting packet, complete.
Erasing program, complete.

Everything Truth had told Applejack flashed rapidly across her eyes along with diagrams of the virus and information about how it worked. It was all too technical for her, but the bit at the end made plenty of sense. It was a message from Admiral Colven, complete with her digital signature.

NEW ORDERS:
Do not, under any circumstances, obey any order that would cause you to return to Normandy or its vicinity unless it comes from the UEF AEGIS. Deactivate all tracking devices immediately, and use the Equestrian satellites only for data access and GPS.

All previous orders have been suspended. Based on this and other new strategic developments, we expect the majority of Equestrian territory will fall into enemy hands. We cannot, however, allow the Crystal Empire to fall. Your new imperative is to protect this territory at any cost. How to accomplish this mission is left entirely at your discretion. Avoid all contact with troops of the UEF, consider all individuals and transmissions compromised until the all-clear is received from the UEF AEGIS. You are hereby authorized to communicate and cooperate in joint operations with the Steel Tower or Equestrian troops without approval.

Should an evacuation of CLASS 2 posthuman survivors from Normandy be accomplished, the transfer of technicians and supplies to the Crystal Empire may be required. Truth will coordinate any such requests.

Godspeed.

Admiral Alexi Colven
United Earth Federation

Captain Cigaal lowered his head, muttering something in a language that Applejack didn't speak. It wasn't English, which thanks to the download she could understand easily now. She waited just inside the door for her commanding officer to finish what he was doing. When he was done, he rose, his tone harsh though not directed toward her. "Return to our previous heading, and accelerate to maximum speed! All soldiers, switch into autistic mode. No more data connections, local radio only. Adaptive camouflage, all ships. Deactivate location transponders."

Then he turned back to Applejack, his expression far warmer than the last time. Was that the slightest sliver of respect? "You bring me this news. This is your country; what do you think we should do?"

She didn't have to think of her response. She had been thinking about what they ought to do ever since she had learned about the virus. "We were sent to stop the goblins from takin' Appaloosa. I reckon we can't what with infected humans behind us... if two fields is on fire, yeh can't put 'em both out. I don't think we ought to leave them ponies to die, though. I reckon we could find somewhere to hide some of the vehicles, an’ ditch some a’ the supplies... Then we could evacuate the whole town in one trip. Bring 'em to the Crystal Empire."

Cigaal nodded. "No resupply, we can't afford to lose anything. Perhaps the company deploys in the town, leaving a skeleton crew on the carriers. Evacuate the natives, then fly back and pick us up. No leaving equipment behind we can't replace." His helmet folded up and over his face, and his next words came over the radio. It was clearly the microphone this time, not raw thought transmission. That required a data connection with the brain, which was completely disabled while in autistic mode. "You and the other natives will be the first we drop. They'll take it better from you."

"Yes sir!" Applejack turned and bolted from the room fast enough that some of the humans stared at her as she passed. She didn't care, though. It had worked! Despite all her misgivings, they had trusted her! Not only that, but Cigaal hadn't argued with her when she insisted they rescue the ponies of Appaloosa. Maybe these aliens weren't so bad after all.

* * *

"I'll be fine, Charles, I'm not going far." The bag, mostly empty now, was over her shoulder. "I'm positive the goblins have left; I've been watching them since we got up here."

As well-meaning as Rainbow Dash could be, Charles was less sure of the things they had seen from this high up. It was true pegasi had excellent vision, far better in daylight than humans, but that didn't mean they could be positive one of the clever reptiles wasn't lurking somewhere waiting to strike at an individual target. Just because they had miraculously avoided a fight once didn't mean they could count on that happening a second time, particularly without his help speaking the "Ancestor voice."

His mind was still reeling from his conversation with that goblin, and he didn't respond fast enough to stop her. Rainbow Dash vanished over the edge of the clouds out of earshot before he could open his mouth again. So that was the end of that argument. He could have followed of course, but that would involve leaving this pony behind. Her life obviously hadn't been easy; the poor pegasus was covered in scars and injuries, some better healed than others. It was a wonder she could still fly with the condition her wings were in.

"I just realized I don't know your name," he said, turning away from where Rainbow Dash had vanished over the side and looking at the newcomer. She was sitting far too close to him for his liking, her expression one of absolute adoration. He recognized that look, because he had seen it before in humans. It was the adulation the rescued had for their rescuer. Why didn't she look at Rainbow Dash that way? She had been as much a part of the rescue as Charles. Moreso perhaps, since she had at least killed a few goblins. "You... you do have one, right?" It might be an insensitive question to ask someone who had spent some large part of their life in slavery. There was no telling what conditions she had endured. No small wonder she didn't say much.

But she did speak this time. "It's... L-Lonely Dawn," she stammered, her voice sounding hoarse from years of disuse. She spoke each word slowly and carefully, as though they cost her great effort. She kept opening and closing her mouth, as though she wanted to say more but couldn't exactly think of the words.

Charles saved her. "You're going to think it sounds strange, but my name's Charles. Sir Charles Gray, if you want to get formal, but you don't have to. Charles is fine."

"Charles," she repeated, struggling a little with the word. "T-the other..."

"Rainbow Dash. She's with the Royal Guard."

Lonely Dawn nodded, seeming to recognize the phrase. "H-her... her wing..."

"It's cybernetic, yeah." At her blank stare, he continued. "It's artificial, a really clever machine. Like gears and levers, only much more advanced. Where I'm from, we can replace parts that are broken. Rainbow Dash lost her wing in a... in a battle, so we replaced it. It's not perfect, but we should be able to make an even better one when we get back to Equestria."

"I knew you were from Equestria." This time Charles said nothing, only watching her. Waiting for her to continue. It was the only way to get someone who was shy to continue speaking; let them suffer so long in awkward silence that they actually finished whatever thought they had meant to express in the first place. "You didn't fight. You didn't hurt them. My mother... always said that back home… where we had been taken from... ponies were peaceful. Solved all their problems with words and not whips... I never believed her until now." She leaned a little closer. "You didn't even have to hurt them."

Talk about selective memory. Hadn't she noticed Rainbow Dash killing several of the goblins before he had arrived? Hadn't she heard the sounds their bones made as they broke? The irony of this whole situation should've been hilarious to him, yet he found his laughter turning to ash in his throat. Somehow the praise of this frightened little pegasus made his many victories feel empty.

He could not allow such a misconception to stand. Whatever else he might be, Charles would remain true to the oaths he had taken. I will comfort the fearful. Truth without deception. How could he honor both parts of that oath at once? "Rainbow Dash is from Equestria, I'm not. I come from... much further away."

He wasn't sure she was really listening. With everything this pony had been through, he could hardly blame her. She had just been rescued from a life of slavery and abuse. She might not even believe that any of this was really happening. "I always dreamed about Equestria... Thought maybe one day... I would fly away, across the sea... Tell me about it. Is it as wonderful as in the stories?"

What could he say? Charles nodded. "It was. But I will not lie to you: there is an invasion now, a great war. I don't know how it has gone since I arrived here. It might be that the invaders are repelled already, or it might be Equestria is conquered and there is no freedom waiting for us there. I wish I had better news of your home."

There was a long silence. He felt the weight of the mare on his side, resting against him. Was it merely the close physical comfort of a herd she craved? Charles hoped so, since he had nothing more to give and even that was difficult for him. However much an ordinary pony might thrive in such closeness, humans had come from a different stock, and humans had far stricter rules about personal space.

"Tell me about your home," she said, staring off into the distant sunset. Her eyes looked heavy, as though she were about to fall asleep. Perhaps she was, too.

She wasn't really listening, then. Maybe it only mattered that he spoke softly and kindly. Still, he wouldn't lie to her. "The city I come from is called Helsinki. Not so large a place as many of the cities in Equestria. It was once... very beautiful. Not like other cities; not many skyscrapers. Plenty of cobbled streets, and at least once a week in summer my mother would take me to the sea and I would swim with my brothers. The old marketplace, the cathedral... much like Canterlot, I suppose. I hadn't realized until now..." He leaned back, watching the sun as it lit up the clouds, making them all glow a brilliant rose. "Doesn't matter anymore. I haven't seen it in years."

"Why not?" He was surprised to hear the small voice. It was warm here, and her breathing was beginning to relax him. Something in the stupid animal instincts, probably. It was safer to sleep with company than alone. "I... If I was born in a place like that, I would never leave."

He laughed in spite of himself. "I never wanted to. But I was ambitious, and my family didn't have much money. The lord of a powerful house offered me a position as a page to one of his knights. I didn't like that we didn't own land of our own. I hated the toil my mother went through to care for my brothers and I... So I went. London, since I was to be a page in a lord's house. Eventually I became a squire and then a knight, and I could offer my family what property and money my lord gave to me. It saved their lives when the war came." He sighed very deeply, shaking his head.

"But it was never my home. I don't serve a lord anymore, but the King himself, the King of all Mankind. Still, I think... One day, when the war is over, and I beat my sword back into plowshares, I'll see if the cathedral is still there. If King Richard makes me a great lord, I'll devote all my wealth to rebuilding that city. Not modern either, but exactly the way it was. It might not be so great a city as London, but it will be more beautiful to me by far."

Lonely Dawn did not ask him anything else, and before too long she was asleep. Rainbow Dash returned with the satchel filled with fruit. She landed a few feet away, glancing between him and the sleeping mare resting on his shoulder. "She calmed down." She spoke quietly, barely louder than a whisper. With as deeply as the rescued pegasus seemed to be asleep, he would've been surprised if anything could wake her now, though he didn't dare move. He didn't want to, really. His own body was tired, and he longed for the relief that unconsciousness would be. He didn't want to think about what the goblins had told him, but he found that just now he could think of little else.

He nodded. "Guess so. We were wrong, she does know more than a few words."

Her grin was infuriating. "I bet she does. Probably a dream come true for a stallion like you." He wanted to speak, but she didn't stop, not even for a second. "I know your type! Swooping in to rescue a mare in distress, and gliding off into the sunset with her in your wings." It was hard to say if Rainbow Dash was praising him or upset with him.

Not that he cared. "I'm not sure what you think, but it's not like that. Just because I'm in another body doesn't mean I'm suddenly interested in... in... being like a pony in that way."

"Yeah, I bet that was the first thing you told her." She rolled her eyes. "Never stopped Chance."

That name was familiar... she was the Federation's ambassador, wasn't she? "Well I don't plan on staying this way any more than you plan on keeping that metal wing."

"Whatever." She curled up in the clouds, though not within reach. Charles almost wanted to call out that she didn't have to; after feeling how nice it was to have one pony beside him he didn't see why it wouldn't be even nicer with more. The last thing he wanted Rainbow Dash to think was that he was making advances on her next, however. Even if she was much more his type. Despite what she might say, Charles had no interest in power fantasies and women clinging to him for protection like some ancient and entirely inaccurate vision of masculine superiority. No, Charles was most interested in the sort of woman who never needed rescuing. A pity there was nobody like Rainbow Dash back home, at least nobody he knew.

"Going to be a real pain now... Two pegasi that barely fly instead of one... Nightmare already..."

"Good night Rainbow Dash," he said, groaning. This being a pony thing was not getting any easier.

Next Chapter: Chapter 18: Avalon Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 48 Minutes
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