Her breathing quickened slightly as she ran through the cobblestone streets of the village, eyes scanning the blazing buildings and splintered wreckage of the many wooden structures. Its citizens ran like wild, those with weapons brandishing them as they ran to positions to defend the northern wall while those without tried to escape from a few select beings. One such being dashed across the street right in front of the bow carrying princess, but what astonished her most was that this one was wearing their armor!

"Oh no... They're being controlled...!" she said to herself, quickly drawing an arrow from her quiver and notching it to her bowstring. She'd need to be ready to fire if those unfortunate bastards turned on her. For better or worse, though, they seemed content with causing confusion and terror among the populace.

A thunderous crash sounded from the north wall, which echoed throughout Bauric Yale, as the enemy launched flurries of stones at the walls to attempt to destroy them. But that wasn't the worst of it. No, even amidst all the chaos around her, she could hear the low but clear sound of a thousand battle cries from beyond the walls. Her fur began to stand on end and her ears pinned back against her head; she began to feel like she was about to die, and it was just a matter of time...

But she quickly shook her head out and ran towards the market district, seeing the largest column of smoke rising from there. If she was going to die, she'd at least try to save as many people as she possibly could first. As she ran, she heard the sounds of rocks hitting walls grow louder, more intense... They were making progress, despite the city's defender's best efforts. She had to move.

She quickly ducked inside one building as she heard screaming, readying her arrow as she entered. Fortunately, there was nobo-

Faith's ears twitched and, in a brilliant display of feline reflexes, she ducked just in time for one of the mind controlled soldiers - a rather thin bull - to embed his sword in the door frame. She immediately took advantage; it was him or her. She scrambled away and into a corner of the surprisingly intact building, drawing her arrow and taking aim just as he withdrew his sword from the door.

"May Viyi forgive me..." she whispered softly, letting it fly. The arrow immediately embedded itself in the dominated soldier's chest, practically ignoring his armor as he fell to the ground. He cried out in pain, clutching the arrow. In what some might call a foolish move, Faith then ran to the soldier, hearing little footsteps behind her scrambling downstairs and out the door.

She found him slumped against a table, coughing and sputtering. He looked at the one whom had shot him, grimacing as he let go of the arrow. "... I'm... sorry, your Highness... Please forgive me..." he managed to emit, not seeming to notice or care or have the energy to do either as Faith dropped her bow nearby, placed her hands on his chest and shut her eyes.

"Vælor Lominuio Usin... Vælor Lominuio Usin..." she began to chant, focusing deeply on what she was doing, but being stopped as the man's arm shifted to knock her hands away. "... W-What are you doing...?" she asked, her voice soft and concerned about the bull dying in front of her.

"Leave me..." He coughed harshly, blood splattering from his mouth all over his legs and the floor. "Get to saf-safety, Princess..." His head began to droop and her eyes shot open.

"No! No! Don't die! Vælor Lominuio Usin! Vælor Lominuio Usin! Vælor Lo-" she let out in a panic, beginning to chant to try to save this creature. The only reason she stopped was because she saw his eyes glaze over and his entire body go limp. Slowly she withdrew her hands from the dead soldier's body, the piercing noise around her all but fading out for her as she stared at her handiwork.

She shook her head and looked at her hands, shaking violently. Tears flooded her eyes and she began to sob through her teeth. "... No... nonononononooo..." she whimpered, hunching over next to the bull's corpse.

Never before had she ever thought she'd need to kill. She had been trained for a good portion of her life to defend herself, and that was what she had just accomplished... but she would have never imagined it would feel like this...

Faith's claws dug at the wooden floor beneath her, tears staining her fur, whiskers, and the ground as she wept. "Viyi forgive me, for I have wronged you. I-I shout to you my pleas for mercy, that you may forgive me and spare my life..." she prayed, pounding the floor beneath her. "Please take this man's soul and grant him rest... Glory and praise to you, Fair Viyi..."

Even after finishing these words, the princess remained hunched over next to her victim for several more minutes, just crying... Eventually, though, she calmed herself enough to slowly stand, reaching to, at the very least, draw the bull's eyes shut. "... I'm sorry..." she quietly muttered, bending down to pick up her bow once more before leaving the building.

All at once, the gravity of the situation returned to her. The screaming was much louder now, and she could hear the distinct sound of hundreds of pieces of metal colliding with each other... She quietly hoped that it was just a large selection of weapons being tipped by citizens back in the military district, but she knew better... and that fact was even more terrifying. It meant that the enemy had breached the walls. Faith sprinted away from her first kill, directing citizens to the gates while fleeing from the combat at the north gate.

As she ran into one alleyway in the market district, she nearly tripped and fell over a corpse lying in the walk, jumping over it and looking back as she ran. Then she stopped running, turning around and approaching the body... It was an equine with a horn, bearing short light purple fur and clad in expensive looking velvet robes... Its... no, her arms were crossed over her chest and the sleeves looked bloodied. Her visage was splattered with blood as well, and though Faith thought that she might have taken a hammer to the face, nothing appeared broken.

She knelt down and took hold of the creature's shoulders, but she felt warmth... This one was still alive! Seeing this, and feeling that she owed it to Viyi to redeem herself, she quickly dragged the unicorn into a currently extinguished building and placed her hands on the arms.

"Vælor Lominuio Usin... Vælor Lominuio Usin.... Vælor Lominuio Usin..." she chanted, closing her eyes and focusing. Her hands soon began to glow with a soft, pure white magical Aura, the glow spreading to the unicorn's arms. At once, the bones shattered by her attacker's flail began to mend themselves, as did the marks that would come of such.

Faith chanted for at least a minute before the spell completed and her focus was lost on its own (the trademark of the unskilled spellcaster), breathing a little faster as she rolled up the violet furred female's sleeves to check her handiwork; it was as if they were never broken, though blood still covered her sleeves.

Now she just needed to wake this woman from her unconscious state. An intensification in the battle noises from the northern part of the city made her look over her shoulder; they were running out of time. "... Here goes nothing..." she muttered to herself, placing her right hand on the equine's neck on her forehead. She closed her eyes and began to chant once more.

"Porocg Zhuno... Porocg Zhuno... Porocg Zhuno..."

---

Twilight Sparkle was in pain. A lot of pain. But pain, at the very least, was a sign that she was still alive... The most peculiar of sensations began to sweep through her, but it was not unpleasant. It was as though newfound vigor was being forced into her, rejuvenating her tired, sleep-deprived, anthropomorphic body.

She began to be able to make out the voice of a mare, repeating something near her form...

"-cg Zhuno... Porocg Zhuno... Porocg Zhuno..." What strange words... She realized that someone was touching her head and neck... Were they trying to hurt her? She wasn't sure... A soft groan left her lips as she regained full consciousness, having the strength to open her eyes again.

What she saw was a figure in a luxurious purple robe and pink fur, her eyes shut and those strange words streaming forth from a feline maw. Her fur was a familiar shade of pink, as was her hair, a bright red bow adorning the latter.

"... What... Wh-Who..." she managed, turning her head towards her apparent savior. The stranger uttered one last string of those nigh-unrepeatable words before opening her eyes and turning to meet her gaze, a smile creasing her lips as a sigh escaped them.

"Thank Viyi you're alright..." the cat uttered softly, her countenance wet with... tears? Twilight wasn't sure, but tears were a good guess... Perhaps it was time for answers.

"... Where am I... Who are you...?" she asked, figuring she needed the big details first. As she looked at the feline, she noticed her expression becoming worried and slightly sympathetic... Maybe this cat thought something was wrong with her? Surely she must be mistaken... For lack of a better description, Twilight felt amazing, all things considered.

"... My name is..." the pink one started, pausing... She looked away briefly, seeming to be thinking, but only for a few seconds before she revised her reply. "I am Princess Faith Áilleacht of Bauric Yale..." came such, the feline pausing to put a bow over her shoulders before taking both of Twilight's arms and forcing her to stand. There had been a tinge of urgency in her voice... Was she in a hurry? "This is Bauric Yale." She then explained, beginning to tug the alicorn along.

"Wh-Where are you taking me?" the alicorn uttered, listening carefully and hearing the sounds of metal hitting metal, terrified screaming, and intense burning. 'What if that creature is still here...?' she thought, immediately looking behind her.

"The keep. If we don't get there now, I fear for our lives. Come! Run!" the other princess urged, beginning to tug on Twilight's arm. She managed to break into a sort-of run, trying to remember how to walk on two legs while she went.

"What's happening? What's going on!!" she tried to ask, though was overshadowed by Faith's own voice.

"Any of you whom are still alive and value your lives, take any arms you can find and follow me to the keep! We must hold!" the feline princess cried at the top of her lungs, knowing that she had been heard by at least a few dozen. Twilight looked back to see small crowd beginning to form behind them. Those that followed were of all sorts of different species, all walking on two legs. Some carried weapons, some did not. Some were men, some were women, some... looked barely old enough to be carrying the makeshift arms that they were. All of them looked afraid, with a few loudly uttering what sounded like prayers to a foreign entity.

Twilight's heart sank and her stomach began dancing in her gut; something truly terrible must be happening for all of these beings to be acting this way.

---

Faith eventually led a crowd of at least 50 anthropomorphic animals to the only path to the keep, being flanked by several still loyal soldiers whom recognized their princess and moved to guard her. They did not question why she was leading a strange purple unicorn with wings along by the hand, and simply yelled instructions to any citizens to follow them. Once they reached the path, Faith and the guards began ushering all of them up the path to the keep, where the inner gatehouse had been opened to allow for any refugees to rush in. It was there that Faith got her first glimpse of her soon-to-be demise.

From there, she could see the northern gatehouse, but the left portion of the adjoining wall was gone... and in the streets - about a mile from the keep, she could see them. At least a thousand soldiers in dark blue armor, chanting a fierce, demoralizing battle song as they cleaved and ravaged their way to the keep. Faith's body froze up, her mouth agape and her eyes wide and pinprick-ed. The unicorn saw her expression and followed her gaze to the invading army, a similar look of horror on her face.

Her father's men were holding their ground as best as they could, but they simply could not hope to stop or rout the advancing troops. They were scattered all over the city and disorganized, attempting to put out the fires in the village and giving the invaders ample time to breach the walls and flood the streets.

"... No..." Faith whispered softly, shaking her head and quickly turning to the crowds. "Faster! Move faster everyone! Go!" she cried, making frantic gestures towards the keep as people flooded in. One soldier gave the feline a light push.

"Your Highness! You must go, too!"

"Bu-"

"Your father has ordered us to ensure your safety. That is what I am going to do. Retreat into the keep and hide."

Faith slowly nodded, beginning to follow the crowds into the inner walls, leading the winged woman along by the hand.

---

Twilight Sparkle was now regretting her decision. She should have just waited for Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance to come. Instead she had foolishly indulged her curiosity and... well, the gravity of her situation really began to set in. Her eyes began to water as she walked with Faith. Her clumsy gait was gone, but she didn't think on it. No, she was thinking of home.. of her friends... she began to desperately wish she could go home, to see everypony again, to be anywhere but here. She'd rather be fending off Queen Chrysalis and an evil Discord again at the same time than be here, in this most dire of situations.

As they entered through the inner gatehouse, the screaming around them intensified as a flurry of arrows struck just behind them. Panic flooded through the citizens, all of them scrambling for cover as those unlucky souls behind them were struck down indiscriminately by the pointy wooden shafts. Faith pulled Twilight along faster and led her into the keep after being let through by the guards. Surprisingly, the interior was much more quiet and calm than the area outside, though soldiers were scrambling around the place with great urgency.

---

As soon as they had entered the keep, Faith saw a lion at the other end of the room, staring back at her with wide eyes. Her own began to tear up again, and she released Twilight's arm dashing to him and flinging herself into a hug. "Father!!" she cried, feeling his arms wrapping around her body.

"Faith!? By the gods, what possessed you to disobey me!?" he boomed, paying no attention to the slowly approaching alicorn.

"... I-I had to do something, Father! I couldn't sit in my chambers and wait for them to kill us! I wanted to help! B-But... But I... Ahhhhhhh!!!" she managed to get out before breaking down in the King's arms, making him tighten his hold on her. He shut his eyes and fought his own emotions; he could not let his men see his fear as well. Morale or a miraculous save from their allies would be the only things that could save them now, he thought. Without the former, the enemy would cut through their defenses like butter.

It was several agonizing minutes before his daughter calmed down and pulled away, wiping her eyes. It was at that point that the lion noticed the approaching alicorn. He summoned up his courage and turned to face her. "... Greetings, milady," he began cordially. "I hadn't realized you had come to Bauric Yale. Tell me your name and from where you hail."

The purple alicorn froze as she was addressed, her eyes full of tears as well. She quickly moved to wipe her face off with a sleeve and to collect herself before answering. "... I... I am P-Princess Twilight Sparkle... of Equestria... What is happening?" she answered, gaining a pained look from the lion and the pink cat.

"... The Haogah have come... I do not know why... but I do know this... This is the most heavily fortified place in the kingdom. If we cannot hold them here... Than may Viyi rest our souls..."

These words did not comfort Twilight Sparkle, and she immediately began to shake as the lion walked off, yelling orders.

"Boil the oil and let loose the condemned ones! Close the gates! Anyone who can fight, make for the armory and take a weapon! We hold them here or we will all die!"

Faith returned to Twilight's side, sniffling as she approached the fearful pony.

"... What's going to happen to us, Princess...?" Twilight asked, unable to keep from hugging the feline or sobbing. Faith grit her teeth and let out a soft whimper, returning the embrace tightly, as she needed the comfort just as badly.

"... I don't know, Twilight Sparkle... I don't know..."

Author's Notes:

I'd appreciate feedback. Just sayin'. Also, I'll probably put out a chapter to explain some things at some point, but I'm waiting until a certain point when it makes the most sense.