Dramatis Personae.

Storm Cloak (Upsilon Leader) - Pegasus Male.
Cloud Ranger (Upsilon Two) - Pegasus Female.
Starlight Gleam (Upsilon Three) - Pegasus Female.
Grey Fox (Upsilon Four) - Pegasus Male.
Rotor Blade (Upsilon Five) - Pegasus Male.
Blue Sky (Upsilon Six) - Pegasus Male.
Pony Dave (Upsilon Seven) - Pegasus Male.
White Blossom (Upsilon Eight) - Pegasus Female.
Fell Spear (Upsilon Nine) - Pegasus Male.
Starbright Gleam (Upsilon Ten) - Pegasus Female.
Gale Force (Upsilon Eleven) - Pegasus Female.
Mercy Errand (Upsilon Twelve) - Pegasus Female.
Dust Cloud (Tech Officer) - Pegasus Male

***

The passage of time in war is a strange thing. If you ask a soldier during a war, it will be as if the war is the only thing that ever existed. If you ask a soldier after the war, the war will almost seem like one very bad, very long, day. It is only when we become an outside party, one that could see the war through more logical, and far less caring eyes, that we can properly measure time in war. Time is also a rather dangerous thing. The longer a war goes on the more lives are lost.

Time for Upsilon Squadron was a gift. Wellingborough had an advantage in that it almost seemed like another world entirely (if a very small one), separate from the war but with all of its scars. It stood to reason then, that training felt isolated for the Squadron. For six months they heard very little from the rest of the Resistance. They trained so that they may be of use against Solamina but lacked that call to arms.

Again and again, Fell Spear battered the training dummy. He blocked out the outside world and focused on taking apart his enemy with carefully places strikes. His grunts sometimes reverberated across the room.

However, the room wasn’t that large. Before the war, it had been a simple meeting room for bank officials. Now it was an empty space which had the majority of its windows boarded up (and by the amount of gabs that light found its way through, it was done in a hurry).The room was long enough that you could fight Ponies in but not nearly tall enough for actual flight. It was decent enough for combat training though. The combat itself wasn’t the focus of the exercise.

All afternoon, the Squadron has been perfecting the strikes that they would need in combat. Some, like Fell Spear, seemed too good at it. He fused ever attack with raw power. The expression on his face was like a statue, never moving, not even for a second. Cloud Ranger often looked on at him with concern, wondering just what had happened to him. The Thestral was the hardest to read.

Other Ponies, like Pony Dave and White Blossom, almost saw the fighting as a foreign language to be learnt, approaching it with confusion at times.

At that moment, the rest of the team were mesmerised by the morbid elegance of Fell Spear’s attacks. One slash after another. The only time he stopped was when Blue Sky would set up another target. When that happened, Fell Spear stayed motionless, his eyes locked on Blue Sky’s movements. With the rise of the next dummy came the re-emergence of Fell Spear’s attacks.

Before Blue Sky could set up the next target, Cloud Ranger stepped up to the stallion.

“One moment please,” she said.

Blue Sky nodded. He was a Pony of few words.

“Starlight, Starbright, I want you two to go around the sides of the next one and strike at the same time,” ordered Cloud Ranger. “Fell Spear, I would like a word.”

Fell Spear sighed. “Of course.” There was a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Cloud Ranger turned to the rest of Upsilon. “Get into pairs please. After they strike the target I want each of you to attack in your pairs like they did.”

Upsilon saluted as Cloud Ranger took Fell Spear aside.

“How have you been?” she asked, keeping her voice quiet.

Fell Spear groaned slightly. “Am I not performing as you wanted? Each target is now scrap. I think I’ve done quite well.”

That went without saying.

“That didn’t answer my question,” Ranger said firmly.

“I am as any soldier should be, committed to the fight.”

Cloud Ranger put a hoof on Spear’s soldier. “The fight and only the fight?”

“Of course.”

Cloud frowned. “Have you thought about what you’ll be doing after the war?”

For a moment, Fell Spear said nothing.

“I appreciate the sentiment.” Spear slowly moved the hoof away. “If that is all, I believe that Storm Cloak wants me to be his partner.”

Behind them was a gleeful Storm Cloak, almost giggling as his sight switched from Fell Spear to the rest of Upsilon training and back again.

Cloud Ranger nodded. The Thestral gave her a cold salute before wandering over to the Upsilon Leader.

Back with the dummy, the two mares had wasted no time in swiftly going around to the sight of it (which was now missing three of its limbs) and attacking. Starlight took a deep breath before both sisters bucked the sides of the dummy once more with a switchblade on their legs.

“I think the target is gone,” said Rotor Blade.

“Agreed.” Cloud Ranger held a hoof up. The Gleam sisters stopped in their tracks. “So far so good,”

***

Three Hours later

The group were dangerously close to being comfortable with just training. At least, that was how Fell Spear saw it. He was growing increasingly unimpressed by Cloud Rangers antics.

Ever since Cloud Ranger had arrived to teach the Pegasi the "Grey Squadron" way, they had spent part of each day chatting amongst themselves. Less a Squadron and more a gaggle of old mares gossiping about ponies they knew and what they would do when the war finally ended.

Fell Spear tried to spend the sessions in silence (with the occasional nod so ponies thought he was listening). As hard as he tried, he could not hide his disdain for the training much longer. He was all too aware of that.

Fell Spear was a soldier first and a friend second. That is what he told himself throughout the training, though that didn't stop -

"Honourable Fell Spear, what doth thou think of Lady Cloud Ranger’s training?"

Fell Spear had opted to stay behind and make sure the equipment was ready for their next session. The interruption of his thoughts had come from Upsilon Leader: Storm Cloak, one of the few ponies he had known before the war had kicked off.

“It’s...homey,” he cringed, not looking up from sorting the targets.

“I take it that you dislike Lady Ranger’s brand of training?”

“What gave me away,” Spear sneered.

“Your general lack of vocalization during Lady Ranger’s sessions. Please, forgive my intrusion but I was curious about when Lady Ranger took thou aside. What happened?”

When Fell Spear looked towards Storm Cloak he saw the wide eyes and innocent grin of the colt he had played with back home.

“It was nothing,” he sighed “just her asking if I was okay.”

“That does not sound so bad, if you permit me to say so,” Storm pondered. “What about her concern troubles you?”

Spear groaned. “It is not the job of a soldier to be okay. Our job is to fight so that we can get closer to Solamina’s defeat.”

“I see your point,” agreed Storm Cloak, “for it is then that we can finally toast to victory and spread the tales of war down for generations.”

Fell Spear became quiet. He continued on with his cleaning, trying not to look at Storm Cloak again.

“Sir Spear?”

Still he continued to put aside targets and moved rubble away.

“Sir Spear?” Storm’s voice began to shudder slightly.

Fell Spear moved to the other side of the room, beginning his work on the equipment there. The Thestral looked over the damage the other members of the Squad had done to the dummies. They would need a lot of -

“Spear look at me, please!”

Storm Cloak was stood above Fell Spear. Each breath he took was jittery and his grin had morphed into a frown as he sat beside Fell.

“We will get through this war Fell Spear,” he declared in a whisper. “I promised didn’t I?”

Fell Spear stopped and took a deep breath. “Storm, I will be honest with you. I don’t think I want to see the other side of this mess. When we win, I will be happy but after that…” Fell shook his head. “Besides, I’ll be lucky to live that long.”

“Why would you say that?” Storm asked. His voice was growing angrier.

“It’s the way of world.”

With that Fell Spear got up and left. Storm Cloak quickly following alongside.

“We’re not done yet,” he said coldly.

“We are.”

Storm Cloak rushed in front of Fell Spear. This close together, Fell Spear remembered how much Storm could tower over other ponies. Fell stopped and sighed.

“As thine leader, I decree that you will tell another team-mate what you hath told me within the hour.”

“What!” Fell Spear’s astonishment echoed down the hall. A few seconds later and he could hear the hoofsteps of another member coming his way.

“It will be good for you Sir Spear,” Storm whispered.

“How will it -”

Before Fell Spear could finish, Storm Cloak marched out of the hall, past a mare rushing towards them. In front of Fell Spear- much to his annoyance- was an alabaster mare with a blue streamline mane.

"Is everything okay?" White Blossom asked.

She only met Fell Spear’s gaze for a moment before looking back down the hall for Storm Cloak,

Gone.

“Fine,” Fell groaned. “White Blossom, I… would like a word with you.”

White Blossom snapped to attention. “Of course.”

***

“Again!” Pony Dave declared.

In two powerful movements, Pony Dave, thrust his wings open and launched himself into the air as far as he could until the Squadron members around him were reduced to astonished dots below him. He only hit clouds five times, so far so it was going well.

The force of his wings blew through the cracked copple streets, creating a mighty dust cloud (not the short bloke) that engulfed a few of the members of Upsilon.

High in the mid afternoon sky, Pony Dave could see the quiet emptiness of the country of England. In the distance there were, what used to be, roads that stretched on for miles, the veins of this proud beast. Pony Dave could feel the comfort of the sun’s raise on his back but also the cold reminder of the

When he swooped down to the ground, he came face to face with an aggravated Rotor Blade.

“I hope you have a good reason for potentially giving our position away,” he said, a condescending smirk on face.

“I found out something amazing.” Pony Dave’s eyes grew wide and his smile shone.

“What did you find out?” The spark of excitement was clear in Rotor’s voice.

“...I can fly.”

Rotor groaned. “...I’m out.” He turned to the short bald stallion behind him. “Dust Cloud, take over. I need to recover from that.”

Roter walked away in silence, a shell of the stallion he once was.

“I give him an hour before he gets you back,” said Dust Cloud.

“At which point I shall be hiding in the one place he won’t look.”

“Where?”

“Right in front of him.”

Dust Cloud shook the idea off and changed the subject. “You really shouldn’t keep doing that though.”

“Why not,” asked Dave.

“You might be spotted by an invading force and killed,” replied Dust casually.

“Oh!”

“Is there something we need to know?” asked a nearby mare of ruby fur and orange mane.

"Gale Force, good. I have a mission for both of you."

Gale stood at attention.

"What's Storm Cloak got for us?" Dave asked.

"It’s not from Storm Cloak, its from HQ."

The pairs eyes widened. Pony Dave's mind began to race. They hadn't received much from HQ so this had to be something big. This might be the call to arms.

"We have word that Rainbow Dash will be passing over here on a mission of her own. I want you two keep look out for when she does and alert us ASAP. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir!" responded Gale.

Dave just found himself nodding along with Dust Cloud.

The stallion smiled. "Good, I need to go talk to Cloud Ranger and Storm Cloak. Take up your positions."

When Dust left, Dave turned to Gale.

"Do you have a bat?"

"Why?" she replied confused.

"I'm gonna need it for when Dash comes."

Gale giggled. "You can't whack Dash on the head."

"She comes at me, I’m gonna rip her wings off."

***

Fell Spear had taken White Blossom back into the training room. It was some sort of privacy at least.
The two were sat in silence. Part of it was Fell Spear trying to figure out how to start this, telling Storm Cloak had been an… awkward experience, and Fell had known him so much longer than any of the soldiers here. The other part was awe at White Blossom’s expression. She waited for him to begin, still at attention like a good recruit.

A bead of sweat dropped down her face. He couldn’t keep in silence forever.

“Tell me,” he said, as softly as he could. “What do you plan on doing after this war?”

“O-oh.” Blossom lowered her stance. “I’m not sure. After I see my family I guess I’ll go guard to new ruler of Equestria.”

“A noble cause.” Fell Spear sighed. This wasn’t going to be pleasant. “That is my problem -”

Apparently

“- I don’t think I want to see the other side of this mess.”

Blossom’s eyes widened. She was taken back by the Thestral’s dead serious tone with those words.

“What do you mean?” she asked. “Don’t you want us to beat Solamina?”

Fell Spear growled. “Of course I do. More than anything in life. I want to see Solamina burn for what she’s done.” He calmed himself before continuing. “I’ll put it another way. What do you think the end result of this will be?”

“Solamina defeated and peace restored.”

The raw determination in her voice. Fell Spear remembered that feeling. Faith. Without a doubt in her mind, White Blossom believed that peace would reign after Solamina was defeated. After all this training, after so much war, and after all those she lost, she still had an innocence in her. Fell smiled. Who was he to take that away from her?

No. Peace won’t come when we win. Nothing is gained in an instant. There will be followers and it may take years, perhaps even decades for them to be defeated. What about the Converted? When Solamina is defeated, what will happen to…

No. He couldn’t take that away from her. Everypony had their own way to keep fighting in these times, a reason to never give up. Fell Spear’s was to protect his friend while bringing back the honour of the Night Guard. White Blossom’s, as well as many others, was to see the peace of Equestria returned.

“There’s no place for me in peace. Once this war is done then I’ll be on my way.” said Fell Spear.

“Way where?”

Fell Spear turned away. The creeping loom of silence covered these two in its ever approaching aura. It didn’t take long for White Blossom to grasp the full weight of Fell Spear’s words. Now it was simply a matter of not being crushed by them.

***

Cloud Ranger, Storm Cloak and Dust Cloud stood atop a cloud looking out towards the horizon. The enemy were small at first. Simple black dots that were getting bigger and bigger.

Dust Cloud hopped down from the cloud. He may have not been able to fly with the others but his wings worked as well as any squadron member. At times it was maddening. The sky would call out to him, the alluring memory of the wide open skies of his carefree youth would whisper into his ear.

“Go on Dust Cloud. It couldn’t hurt.”

For a moment he would stare up, waiting for the cheers of his old friend to come to send him on his way. When he realised that they weren’t coming, that they would never come, the whispers turned into torment.

“Be free. Ride the winds as you were meant to.”

He could never be free to roam the skies. The moment his friends cheers turned to screams that could pierce the heavens themselves, that was when the skies stopped being freedom and became another battleground for the war. It was like trying to fly to the moon, ultimately it would fail (at least for Dust Cloud).

“You can do it,”a voice in the back of his mind would say.

A lie. He couldn’t go back to the open skies again. Not without seeing those face. Torn and screeching as they were thrown from their bodies, he wouldn’t be able to see the skies anymore. All he would see would be what was lost to him. He would only think of how he wrongly survived where stronger soldiers had died.

Now though. Well, now he was damned if he was going to let his new friends die. He didn’t care what he did on the ground, as long it the enemy was defeated. He ran to what seemed to be the remains of a climbing frame in the shape of a dragon. It was as dusty as his name’s sake but he could still see the comically snaggly toothed lizard smiling at him as he approached it. The head was mostly intact (save for the right eye being kicked through by Fell Spear when they first found it). On the side of it was a switch. As Dust Cloud pressed the switch, the town lit up in an array of crimson lights. This turned the once small town into their own version of tartarus for the enemy.

***

“This is it then, brave warrior.”

Cloud Ranger turned to Storm Cloak. His tone wasn’t as eccentric or uplifting as it normally was. The stallion’s gaze was focused squarely on the forces that were fast approaching the town.

“Whatever happens this day,” Storm Cloak said, a tone more sombre than a dozen starry nights. “I am glad that I learned the ways of Grey Squadron. It’s been an honour.”

Cloud Ranger nodded. “Likewise. I’m glad I met your squadron. We’ll make it through this and have more stories to tell.”

It was then that Storm Cloak’s eyes widened in pure terror.

“Are you okay?” Cloud Ranger turned to see what it was. Of all the towns of England, she had to fly over Wellingborough. Like the first ferocious lightning strike in an oncoming storm, she led the charge over the battle scarred landscape. Even from far away, Cloud knew who it was. Every resistance member knew who it was. She was once loved, but now despised for her actions, just like her friends. They went from the most trustworthy to the most vile of Equestria’s finest.

Rainbow Dash.

Storm Cloak sighed, recomposing himself before looking at Cloud Ranger. “This will not to easy. Fell Spear and I will handle her first. We’ll keep her busy while the others take out her team.”

“How many are there?”

“To put it simply, a lot.”

“We’ll need to play it smart then.”

“Agreed.”

Together the two of them jumped back down to the ground. As soon as they landed, the entirety of Upsilon Squadron were in formation with their com-devices on. They saluted their leaders as Cloud Ranger and Storm Cloak were tossed their devices by a fired up Dust Cloud. The stallion stood atop the canon that was now pointed up towards the skies.

“Upsilon Squadron!” Cloud Ranger called.

“Ma’am!” they said as one.

“Today our enemy is here. Our enemy has come with one of its highest ranked soldiers. We have the chance to stop her, to end the havoc she creates and show Solamina just what we can do. My friends, Rainbow Dash is here.”

Amongst the group there were widened eyes and a few quiet growls from members like Fell Spear and Blue Sky. The former would have good news then.

Storm Cloud stepped forward. “Fell Spear, after the first attack. You and I will get Dash’s attention. The rest of you will handle her Squadron. Dust Cloud, you provide us with constant report. Are we all clear?”

“Yes ma’am!” they chorused with all the energy of their confidence. All accept Fell Spear. He was glaring at his leader with concern. He didn’t seem like him, the Thestral always agreed with Storm Cloak on tactics. They had been practising these ones for months as well. It was only when Storm Cloak spoke again that Cloud Ranger realised.

“Let’s not waste time. For the Resistance!”

Gone was the eccentric wording that almost defined Storm Cloak. No more was there a spark that made him as young and carefree as freshly graduated flyers back home in the good old days. He was now just as old as he looked.

Fell and Storm nodded at each other before zooming off to fight one of the most infamous Pegasi to ever infect the skies with her presence.

***

If the dark clouds that floated through the airways of England could speak, what would they tell you about that day? That is a question you would not want to hear the answer. The clouds would weep for those who had fallen that day, as they seem to do each and every time a soul is lost fighting for the right to exist outside of Solamina’s twisted vision of peace. This is the reason it rains so much in war, some believe.

Slow and arrogant from their own power, Rainbow Dash and her Squadron of elite Solaminan Pegasi flew through the air. They were waiting for the attack. England was defended, it was such a matter of seeing where and wiping them out before getting to the main course of London itself (this was the plan for now anyway).

A thunderous sound echoed in the distance. It stopped Dash and her company in mid air as they listen to what it was. The sound that met their ears was a high whistling sort of -

“Tank fire!” Dash called out.

As one the Squadron moved. Dash found herself distanced from her team however, some force was pushing her back. Her team tried to move towards her but one was eviscerated by another tank shot. As they looked down, they saw the rushing blurs of the valiant Upsilon Squadron.

Dash managed to kick both of her attacked out of the way as she heard the familiar screech of metal on metal that heralded wartime blades.

Before her were Storm Cloak and Fell Spear. Neither said a word before going to to attack from the sides. Dash unsheathed her own blades and span over Storm Cloak, slashing his back and causing him to tumbling for a moment before the power of his raw determination brought him back, ramming into Dash. He didn’t care if it hurt him, it brought comfort to know that the Harpy of Loyalty was feeling it too.

Fell Spear swooped down at Dash but her speed was not just merely a legend, she dodged him so fast that an onlooker would ponder if she was even there when he started to attack.

“You’re wasting your time, boys,” she mocked.

Neither Upsilon member answered her. Together they charged in.

Meanwhile, another Upsilon member wasn’t faring as well. The pearl coloured mare found herself encircled by four of Dash’s soldiers. They orbited around her, taking great joy in trapping her both diving in for the kill.

Mercy Errand managed gouch the eyes of one of them with a well time, powerful kick to the face. A life for a life as it was, as that was the final act of war she managed to do. She fell to the ground in silence, the battles continuing around her.

On her way down, Mercy was spotted by Dust Cloud who swore under his breath that she’d be the only one. As fast as he could, he fired off another tank round into the sky. It tore apart an enemy who was too preoccupied fending off the deadly pair of Starlight and Starbright Gleam. The blast caused the two to be knocked back in different directions. One of Dash’s soldier’s smirked. She took her opportunity and drove a pair of daggers through Starbright’s spine.

Between the mournful cries for the fallen and the soul piercing screams of pain, Upsilon Squadron’s orders were flowing from their leaders like a river during a storm. The battle was going quickly from their points of view. Far too quickly. Outnumbered and out trained, the Squadron fought on with everything they had.

Cloud Ranger and White Blossom had used the dark clouds around the them to their advantage. They were perfect for simple tricks of the air, catching off guard several soldiers for that precious moment where either Pegasus could end them.

The cloud trick was used wisely by Fell Spear and Storm Cloak to catch their breath. Dash was fast, faster than the rumours about her told. The harpy was hunting them in the skies, waiting for even the slightest glimpse of them.

Amidst the chaos, Storm Cloak could hear his teammates.

“How much ammo do have left for the tank? We need these guys gone.”

“They are quick sir, suggest luring them to the ground.”

“She’s dead. What do I do? Help me please.”

Storm Cloak couldn’t reply to any of them. Carnage surrounded him. He looked to Fell Spear and then out to Dash. With renewed motivation he nodded at his friend. Take out the head and the body will follow.

The two launched themselves at Rainbow Dash, ready to plunge their daggers into her. As they got close, she laughed. Dash was ready. A group of her squadron came ramming in from the sides. Both Upsilon Squadron members had only even time to dodge them.

Dash’s squadron was a ravenous pack. Even with the canon going off every minute, shattering the skies with a thunderous roar, they were outnumbered and the enemy were growing wise to the canon’s limitations.

“This is Upsilon Leader,” Storm Cloak declared, glaring at the oncoming soldiers. “I want everypony to retreat back to the base. Dust Cloud, call in reinforcements. Keeping them on the ground should be easier. That is my final order, over”

“Yes, sir!” came a chorus.

Storm Cloak threw his headset at one of the soldiers, leaving a mark on his face but ultimately useless. He did take the opportunity to charge at them and take out three soldiers by slashing their throats in a spin.

Just as one soldier was about to take out Storm Cloak was behind, she suddenly felt the sharp but short pain of a spear through her temple. Fell Spear flew to his friend’s side.

Dash and four of her soldiers began to circle the two like lions.

“Providing a distraction are you?” asked Fell.

“You know me, I’ll retreat once everypony is safe.” Storm chuckled.

“Same. Shall we?”

As the attack came, Storm Cloak launched his friend out the way to be caught alone in the barrage of daggers.

Everypony

The Thestral felt him land on a cloud again. He looked back only to see his friend dropped out of the sky, a trail of blood following him.

Fell Spear gritted his teeth. Looking at the rest of his team didn’t inspire much hope.

Cloud Ranger and White Blossom were maneuvering through a bunch of Dash’s squadron managing to parry their way passed daggers and lances, trying to get to safety.

Fell Spear rushed to their aide. Now that Storm Cloak was dead, Dash turned her cold gaze onto the two.

Ranger and Blossom readied themselves for the attack only for every member of Dash’s cutthroat crew to take a position around them. Dash walked slowly up to them.

The Skies were clearer, the battlefield was reduced to just that circle. Ten members of Dash’s squadron and the harpy herself were all that stood between three of Upsilon Squadron’s finest.

“What did you think would happen?” Dash mocked. “Did you think you could win? It’s been a nice distraction but I’m afraid we’ll end it here. Do you get me?”

Fell Spear watched intently up high in the dark clouds. If he timed it right, he could take out Dash and save his comrades.

Cloud Ranger’s response was the nod at Blossom and the two of them, a burning determination in their eyes, charge at Dash. Ranger went for her directly while Blossom went to the side.

Fell Spear acted fast and dived in himself to attack.

Before any of her soldiers could move, Dash shouted “Leave them to me!”

She bucked at White Blossom with ease but Fell Spear pulled his team mate out of the way, leaving her with a gash down her face. The two tumbled down to the ground, all of their energy lost in their final acts of battle that day,

Cloud Ranger’s attacked were dodged at every opportunity by the ever grinning Dash. Adrenaline had got her only so far. Ranger could feel her body begin to shut down.

Dash charged with ease at her, slicing her wings. As she fell, Dash rushed under her and caught her back with two well placed dagger. They were in the right position to cause agony but not quite the right spot to kill her. No. That she saved for when she ripped her daggered down her back until they met before ordering every soldier she had left to stab her chest.

Triumphant, she looked around. A simple trip through England had cost her more than she had wanted. Begrudgingly she ordered her troops to follow her back to their territory. It wasn’t a problem though, it just meant that she could come back with more soldiers. That day had been nothing more than a distraction.

****

Fell Spear opened his eyes slowly. He could hear groaning and somepony on the radio. Fell could also feel something warm against him. White Blossom was still in his grasp. They were resting on a big blanket.

Dust Cloud, Pony Dave and Grey Fox walked towards him.

“Report?” he said, still not letting go of White Blossom who was unconscious.

Dust Cloud looked concerned. “Are you -?”

“Report, now.”

Dust Cloud saluted. “Sorry, you’ve been out cold for an hour sir. There are a total of seven survivors, that includes both of you.”

“A miracle,” noted Grey Fox.

Looking around, Spear realised he was in the medical bay (what was once a hotel canteen judging by the size). Most members were sleeping off their injuries. The bandaged had run out at some point as one or two ponies had their Squadron banners wrapped around wounds.

White Blossom was one just pony. She didn’t make a sound.

“You were gripping her pretty tight, I couldn’t move her,” said Grey Fox.

Fell Spear sighed and got up, being careful not to wake White Blossom. Pain shot through him but he endured.

“I think you should get back to bed, sir.”

“I see your reasoning but I can rest later,” Fell growled.

There was no argument. The young stallion was right though, it was a miracle this many survived such as attack. Barely in some cases.

Storm Cloak, Cloud Ranger, Gale Force, Starbright Gleam…

All dead. Fallen in combat.

Fell Spear looked other the survivors. As beaten as they were, with cuts and wounds of all sorts, they were alive. That would have been Storm Cloak’s wish.

Fell turned to Grey Fox. “What have HQ said?”

“They’ll be sending medics here. I did the best I could but -”

“You did more than that. We are lucky to have you. Mercy Errand would be proud of you.”

Grey Fox smiled weakly.

“What’s next on the plan?” asked Pony Dave.

Fell Spear considered the question.

“Rest. Simple as that. You have earned it.”

***

The End