Dramatis Personae:

Grey Squadron.

Dream Flyer (Grey Leader). Pegasus Female.

Mellow Air (Grey Two). Pegasus Female.

Rock Hurricane (Grey Three) Pegasus Male

Solid Hoof (Grey Four). Pegasus Male.

Blood Glide (Grey Five). Pegasus Male.

Star Blitz (Grey Six). Pegasus Male.

Bright Wonder (Grey Seven). Pegasus Female.

Acquiescence (Grey Eight) Pegasus Female.

Elegant Flight (Grey Nine) Pegasus Female.

White Blossom (Grey Ten). Pegasus Female.

Burning Feathers (Grey Eleven) Pegasus Converted Male.

Scootaloo (Grey Twelve). Pegasus Female.

ERAF And BDF.

Grey Fox (Air Commodore). Pegasus Male.

Jared Smith (Dead Man Sergeant). Human Male.

Bountiful Bouquet (Archmagi Commander). Unicorn Female.

Gentle Flower (Archmagi). Unicorn Converted Female.

***

Equestrian Royal Air Force HQ, Cloudsdale. February 6th, Year 1 of the New Free Equestrian Calendar (2031).

Ponies marched hither and thither in parade ground formations across the training ground in Cloudsdale. Scootaloo could only watch them and think how strange it was to see such different uniforms on the ponies in this place.

The old Wonderbolt military HQ had been repurposed for the Equestrian Royal Air Force, the immediate successors to the Equestrian Resistance Air Force that had fought in the war. Those Wonderbolts who had survived the battles in Cloudsdale and Canterlot had returned to their old training grounds and began to rebuild their ranks as Stunt Flyers once again, safe in the knowledge that they no longer needed to act as a military. However, just because the war was over, that didn't mean there was no need for an armed Air Force beyond the Guard. Indeed, the Guard had been horribly reduced by the conflict: the Eclipse Guard in Canterlot had been all but wiped out, the Royal Guard had taken an estimated sixty five percent casualty rate and the Night Guard who had come to bolster and supplant them were such a small group that they barely covered the losses (and that was without taking their own into account). Though the need for such a large army was gone - the new Equestrian Principality wasn't intent on wars of conquest soon - there was still conflict. Solaminan loyalists, warlords, rebels and renegades filled Equestria. The fighting wasn't over yet.

And so the ERAF had been reformed into the replacement light armoured Air Force for the Equestrian Principality. This, along with the renewal of the Equestrian Royal Armed Forces and the commissioning of four new Haughty Frame class zeppelins (the new name given to the 3,800 foot long, monstrous super-zeppelins like the former Solar Glory, renamed the Haughty's Revenge after Cloudsdale), six Sky-God class zeppelins (a 1,200 foot "regular" Zeppelin battleship class) and twelve more Interdiction class zeppelins (each about 700 feet long), was part of Blueblood's effort to solidify the military power base of a shattered nation and to quell the smaller wars before they began.

Scootaloo couldn't imagine why anypony, after six years of war, would want more of it. She could still see blood and fire in her nightmares, the smell of it permeating her nostrils, and she had only fought in a hoof-full of battles: some of the ponies still trying to fight Blueblood's regime were veterans of the war who had fought since the beginning.

She shook her head, clearing her mind. She needed to focus today: she was here to join the ERAF, and while Wonderbolts had joined and were joining, there was a certain stigma attached to being a Wonderbolt when you joined up. Wonderbolts might have saved the air battle over Canterlot - but Wonderbolts had slain hundreds, if not thousands. Wonderbolts had killed King Charles of Britain. Wonderbolts had slaughtered Grey Squadron over Manchester. Wonderbolts had attacked Buckingham Palace when King William was delivering a speech, and only the Avatar of Albion had stopped them. Wonderbolts had attacked Leeds.

And she, Scootaloo, had been present for both of the last occasions. Her name was known among certain circles - her only saving grace was that she was known both as the pony who had been behind the Leeds raid and as the pony who had started the Cloudsdale insurrection by killing a Royal Guard officer.

Still, her record was sure to stand against her here unless she was very good at convincing Air Commodore Fox.

'Just be cool, Scoots,' a now familiar voice in her head said. Scootaloo half scowled.

Since Cloudsdale, a voice had spoken to her in her head; the voice of Rainbow Dash. She had acted as something between Scootaloo's guide and Scootaloo's conscience. Scootaloo didn't know whether this was a sign she was going crazy or not, but she wasn't about to spend months talking to a psychiatrist or getting her head looked at by a specialist mind-Doctor when, as far as she knew, this thing in her head was harmless.

'And awesome,' the voice reminded her. She sighed. Harmless apart from the ego.

Taking a breath, Scootaloo headed toward the HQ building.

She had an appointment to keep.

***

Air Commodore Grey Fox was surprisingly at home in his position as the new chief of the ERAF. His time as Upsilon Leader had certainly left him surprisingly confident, far more so than he had been years ago. Surviving the battle of Canterlot had probably helped - Canterlot had been a crucible for the ERAF - hundreds of Guard and Convie flyers and Zeppelins against only a few squadrons of trained flyers, and yet the Resistance's finest had succeeded.

He looked at Scootaloo with a raised eyebrow as she stepped into his office.

"Hello, Miss Scootaloo," he said quietly as she sat down in front of his desk.

"Sir," she replied.

"You'll understand that I was somewhat surprised to hear that you wanted to join the ERAF," he began, looking through her file. "A Wonderbolt joining the ERAF… it'll be challenging for you."

"I understand that, sir," Scootaloo said quietly. "But I'm willing to deal with everything that's thrown at me."

"If you say so," Fox said. "There are several squadrons that are still not up to par of course. Canterlot being so recent, we've not been able to fill all the rosters, and even before then getting skilled flyers was hard - Red was wiped out in London and we're only now rebuilding it, Green and Sigma need ponies, I think Eagle wanted somepony but they're getting a lot of volunteers..." He trailed off slightly, noticing the irritated look on Scootaloo's face. He smirked. "Come to think of it..." He paused. "There's only one Squadron that I think you could really make a difference in… I'm not sure they'd take you, though."

"Why not?" Scootaloo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Tell you what," Fox said. "I'll call their leader in." He tapped his intercom. "Swift Errand, fetch me Captain Dream Flyer, would you please?"

"Sir," a voice replied quietly, sounding tinny from the small box.

A moment later, a light blue Pegasus with a short, dark blue mane and tail walked in, wearing a grey flight shirt and looking tired.

"Commodore," she said to Grey Fox, sounding less than thrilled. "What did you want?"

"Potential recruit for Grey," Fox said. Scootaloo said nothing. "Was wondering what you thought."

Flyer turned to look at Scootaloo, her eyes widening slightly as she took in the pony.

"Scootaloo," she said, her voice a low growl. "Wonderbolt Commander and the head of the Leeds raid, yeah?"

"Correct," Scootaloo said tersely.

Dream Flyer's mouth thinned. "This a joke, Commodore?"

"I don't joke about my work," Grey Fox said with a slight smirk. "Scootaloo is considered a good flyer - good enough, in fact, to fly with Grey."

"She killed members of Grey," Dream Flyer pointed out with a scowl. "And she's the reason True Blue is crippled."

"Which I think rather proves my point," Fox said. "Besides, she led the rebellion in Cloudsdale…"

"One good call," Dream Flyer said, "which doesn't excuse all she did before."

"Flyer," Fox said tiredly. "She's a good flyer. She'd be an asset to your Squadron."

"I'd rather have Bulk bloody Biceps in my squadron," Dream Flyer snapped.

"Excuse me," Scootaloo interrupted, scowling. "I am still here."

Dream Flyer threw her a glare. "And what about you, eh?" she asked. "Do you even want to be in Grey Squadron? Do you even understand what that means?"

"I want to be where I can do the most good," Scootaloo rejoined. Her expression was cold. "You're right. I did those things, and I did more besides. I have a lot to make up for in my life. A lot of bad things. One fight won't change that." She smirked slightly. "But I hear Grey tends to get into more than one fight."

"That it does," Fox said.

Dream Flyer said nothing, but kept scowling. Eventually, she turned away from the two of them.

"Don't expect to make any friends in my Squadron," she said shortly.

"I don't expect to make another friend as long as I live," Scootaloo replied. "And certainly not here."

Dream Flyer scowled, then sighed.

"Alright," she said. "Fine. Welcome to Grey Squadron."

She held out a hoof, and Scootaloo took it, shaking the hoof. She had a feeling she was making a mistake...

***

Half an hour later, Grey Squadron were stood in rows, Dream Flyer at their head looking the ranks of ponies up and down with a keen eye.

"Alright," she said shortly. "I am Group Captain Dream Flyer. When we're in the air, you call me Grey Leader, Lead or Boss." She looked the group up and down. "Some of you are new. Some of you are not. Some of you have flown with us before. Some of you have not." She narrowed her eyes at them all. "Understand this though - none of you will ever be the equal of names like Ditzy Doo, Lightning Dust, Errant Flight - the heroes that made this Squadron's name!"

Some of the ponies looked at each other uncomfortably.

"These are names that inspired the Equestrian Resistance," Dream Flyer continued. "Ponies who gave their all to the cause. You stand in their shadow, and let me tell you, it will be the rare pony who pushes their way out of it - and I don't think any of you are up to the task!"

She fixed her eyes Scootaloo as she said this. Scootaloo said nothing, keeping her eyes fixed ahead.

"Roll call!" Dream Flyer called out sternly. "Flight Lieutenant Mellow Air, Grey Two!"

"Present," the cool-headed mare said. She had come through the Battle of Canterlot with nothing but scratches, her surprisingly unassuming style masking skill in the air that left Royal Guard in the dust.

"Flight Officer Rock Hurricane, Grey Three," Dream Flyer continued.

"I'm here," the dark grey Pegasus stallion said with a smirk, his upswept black mane and general manner leaving the impression of a pony with an ego. His high position in the Squadron couldn't have helped this problem overmuch.

"Flight Lieutenant Solid Hoof, Grey Four," Dream Flyer said, ignoring the dark grey stallion.

"Here, boss," Hoof replied. The pony was stoic and stern as always - he had been a stalwart of the group since Leeds.

Dream Flyer gave him a nod before continuing. "Pilot Officer Blood Glide, Grey Five."

"Grey Leader," a dark grey Pegasus with a scar across his cheek said with a nod.

"Flight Officer Star Blitz, Grey Six," Flyer said, turning to a relaxed looking stallion.

"Boss," Star Blitz said, giving a lazy wave. The lackadaisical yellow pony was always a little informal, even after the battle of Canterlot.

"I'd say at ease, but I see you've got that covered," Dream Flyer said with a smirk. "Commander Bright Wonder, Grey Seven."

"Yes ma'am," Bright Wonder said chirpily. Wonder was a party-pony at heart, but she had always been a surprisingly good flyer too. Her rank as Commander was a promotion that normally only reached flyers who led squadrons, but Grey had a history of having high-ranking flyers in less prestigious positions. Bright Wonder's promotion was perhaps surprising, but the mare was a good flyer.

"Flight Officer Acquiescence," Dream Flyer said, throwing a smile at Wonder as she spoke. "Grey Eight."

A softly spoken, pale yellow mare with sad brown eyes, a brown mane and tail streaked with stress-grey, spoke up. "Here, ma'am."

"Good to have you," Dream Flyer said with a nod at her. She turned to a pale blue mare with mellow eyes and a complicated-looking black mane-style. "Pilot Officer Elegant Flight, Grey Nine."

"Present, ma'am," the mare replied, her tone clipped and eloquent. She gave the impression of being Cloudsdale elite of some description.

"Good to have you," Dream Flyer said. "Flight Leader White Blossom, Grey Ten."

"Here," said the alabaster mare quietly. The war had taken a lot out of her, but she wasn't willing to leave the squadron that had become her family. Her promotion to Flight Leader was an acknowledgement of her skill - the rank was properly "squadron leader", but obviously she didn't lead the squadron, so "Flight Leader" was the term used.

The next pony in the line was of some interest to everypony in the Squadron. He had a shaven head, no mane, though he had a small growth of beard. His tail was short as well. His left eye was empty, as though he had been blinded, but it seemed to see as well as his other. The most interesting thing about him, though, was that he had no cutie mark. He was a Converted.

"Pilot Officer Burning Feathers," Dream Flyer said, reaching him. "You're my Grey Eleven." She paused. "Are you sure you wouldn't prefer your human name?"

"My human life is gone," the stallion replied solemnly. "I must accept the life I have now, inasmuch as I can. Thank you for your kindness, though."

Dream Flyer said nothing. Finally her eyes flicked to Scootaloo.

"Pilot Officer Scootaloo," she said, her voice quiet, as though she were trying not to be angry. "Grey Twelve."

Scootaloo stood rigidly to attention. "Ready and able, ma'am."

"We'll see," Dream Flyer said, almost too quiet to hear. "Alright. Go to your barracks. None of you are listed as needing training, so you should be fine. We'll run some drills and then talk about our next few missions."

***

In the barracks, Scootaloo sat alone. Her new supposed 'squadmates' were talking over somewhere else. She sighed slightly, trying to be quiet - she didn't want undue attention. Nearby, she could see Bright Wonder and White Blossom talking.

Why had she come here? These ponies would never be her friends. She had done too much in her time, too much in her career with the Wonderbolts, to ever be right with them. She had personally fought Grey Squadron at Leeds, taking one of their flyers out herself. She still remembered the screaming...

Why had she come here? Did she somehow think this would make everything better?

'Maybe it won't make it better, Scoots', the voice of Rainbow Dash in her voice said quietly, 'but it's gotta be something, right? A second chance?'

Scootaloo snorted. I don't believe in second chances, Rainbow Dash.

'Maybe that's your problem,' the Dash voice said sagely, and Scootaloo felt the urge to roll her eyes. 'You don't want to believe you can make a new life for yourself here.'

I can't, Scootaloo thought pessimistically. No two ways about it.

'Lightning Dust didn't do too badly', the Dash voice pointed out. 'Made herself a new life even when her old one was destroyed and every dream she ever had was wrecked.' There was a brief, guilty pause. 'I'm glad about that. She… she deserved it.'

You can't be glad about anything, Scootaloo thought tiredly. You're a voice in my bucking head.

If you say so, but that doesn't mean I don't have a valuable perspective the Dash voice said, before falling silent.

Scootaloo sighed as she climbed into her bed and closed her eyes. She thought about writing to Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, but she hadn't heard anything from them in ages. They had their own lives, she guessed.

I guess I'm alone after all, she thought to herself, feeling more morose than she had expected at the thought. But then again, maybe it was all she deserved.

Finding no reason to stay awake and wallow in her misery, she closed her eyes and went to sleep. Tomorrow would be another day, maybe the first of many such days, and she wanted to be ready.

As ready as she could be.

***

February 12th.

Dream Flyer scowled as she sat in the command briefing room, looking over a map of Equestria.

"As you can see," Grey Fox was saying, "the rebels hold Manehatten pretty tightly, as well as holding a good chunk of the Iron Wall. They're entrenched in the city and the best efforts of the Guard and the Dead Men to shift them out have been... unsuccessful. Las Pegasus is a quagmire of battle and bloodshed - I honestly don't know what's happening there, and I don't think anypony else does either."

"Typical," Flyer said derisively. "So - what's the ERAF's play?"

"I already have Heliotrope and the rest of Blue Squadron running a bunch of raids over the Remnant's section of the Wall," Fox said, pointing at a section of the Wall on the map. "And Pegasus is the Dead Men's playground now - Pony God help 'em, but they're holding out. However... I need something bigger from Grey."

"Why am I not surprised?" Dream Flyer murmured.

"The fact that they hold Manehatten is bad enough," Fox said sourly. "But that's not the biggest issue we have. Our Intel in Manehatten says that they've got potion factories in progress."

"Potion factories?" Dream Flyer repeated, raising an eyebrow. "But with Solamina gone, Converted aren't nearly as useful as they used to be for them."

"True," Grey Fox agreed, "but they don't care. Rumour has it they're aiming for damage, not resources. Sort of a terrorism thing, their target being the humans in the smaller territories they're re-colonising."

"But… I don't understand, how do they think they could do that?" Dream Flyer asked.

"What we know about the Solaminan Forces on the ground is… sketchy, at best," Fox said. "They've made repeated attempts to take Portal Island off of Las Pegasus, which makes most of us think we're dealing with an attempt to start the war all over again." He paused, letting that sink in. "At the very least, making potion factories and potion-attacking the new human settlements will destabilise the Blueblood regime, make his position untenable - and it could weaken relations between Blueblood and the humans if they're getting attacked on their own soil again."

Dream Flyer swore. "That's all we need. These idiots'll cause anarchy."

"Exactly," Grey Fox said with a sour grin. "Obviously, that cannot be allowed to occur. Blowing up this factory will slow their progress in that field considerably. Fortunately for us, we know where their factory is, and we have a trump card."

"If you say Grey Squadron..." Dream Flyer said with a scowl.

"No, actually," Fox said. "Grey Squadron will be running air cover on an Interdiction class Zep called the Ascension, which will be carrying a team of Dead Men elites and Night Guard into the city to destroy the factory. They have C4 and some magical charges we've concocted in the Archmagi labs."

Dream Flyer frowned at the mention of the Archmagi. Since the war had ended they'd been used as a combination research team and as the replacements for Celestia and Luna in moving the sun. "Can we trust anything they've given us?"

Grey Fox frowned slightly in disapproval. "It's been a fair time since the war ended. I think if anypony among them were going to turn on us, they'd have done it by now."

Flyer didn't look convinced, but she nodded.

"So we run air cover for the Ascension and hope to buck they don't have too many ponies in the air to oppose us?" she summarised.

"Something like that," Fox said. "You've got one of the best teams in the sky available."

"The team's untested," Flyer pointed out with a scowl. "I've got a lot of new flyers in my group, a lot of ponies I don't know the skillset of - then there's Burning Feathers, the Convie..."

"He came highly recommended," Fox cut her off.

"And that's not even mentioning Scootaloo," Flyer continued. "I don't trust her in my team."

"She's got the skills," Fox said with a shrug. "Though from what I hear, you put her in the plot slot."

Flyer smirked. "Where she deserves to be. She doesn't get a higher slot til she gets my trust."

"You'd best be darn sure that your issues with her don't cloud your judgement, Flyer," Grey Fox told her, narrowing his eyes. "I don't want to hear that she died on that mission because you gave her dud orders or forgot to cover her flank."

Dream Flyer narrowed her eyes, offended. "I don't let flyers die, sir."

"Even former Wonderbolts you've made a point of giving the worst treatment you can get away with?" Fox asked, raising an eyebrow. "I realize who she is and what she's done. But if you let your grudge get in the way of this operation and this fails, so help me Luna, the war will be the least of your worries."

"I'm a professional," was all Flyer said to that. "If that's all sir?"

"You take off on the morning of the fourteenth," Grey Fox said with a sigh. "The Ascension lands tomorrow to stock up and have you bunk up on her. Dismissed."

She saluted and trotted out, leaving Grey Fox to contemplate his decision to order her to take Scootaloo. From what she had said, her distrust didn't seem to stem from any fair reasons - that was unfortunate. But then again, Scootaloo had been clear that she didn't expect anything else.

"I hope they don't buck this up," he said to himself.

***

February 15th. EAS Ascension.

Being aboard the Ascension was a far cry from the spacious, almost luxurious feel of the Solar Glory, Scootaloo thought as she lay on her bunk, waiting for the call to mobilise. The six hour trip from Cloudsdale to Manehatten was already ridiculous. Doing it whilst trying to avoid glares from just about everypony was doubly so. Still, she thought numbly, it could be worse. Nopony had spat at her yet.

For six days it had been the same. At best, indifference and blank expressions, at worst hostility and glares. She had heard no kind words, seen no smiles, felt no friendship and had no reason to believe that would change. Even the supposedly "nicer" members of the squadron, White Blossom and Bright Wonder, had been at best cordial. Burning Feathers was the only one who treated her like everypony else, and that was only because he never spoke to anypony.

'It'll get better,' the voice of Rainbow Dash insisted. 'They're reasonable ponies.'

Scootaloo resisted the urge to snort derisively. Pull the other one, Dash. They hate me, and they're right to hate me.

'Nothing'll change if you keep thinking like that,' Dash's voice said, sounding disappointed. 'You can't just give up.'

You watch me, she scowled. As she spoke, she rolled up her long-sleeved flight shirt's right sleeve, staring at her arm. Three livid marks stood out against the fur. She closed her eyes, trying to will away the feeling, but the desire to feel... something was overwhelming.

She flicked out her left wrist blade, the weapon already attached ready for the battle ahead, and in one quick strike cut along the fur, bright red wetness beginning to show and slowly flow from the wound. Again she cut, and again a red mark appeared, leaking vital fluid from her arm. She was always careful not to catch an artery - she wasn't trying to kill herself after all - but it was always enough of a cut to let the blood flow.

It hurt. It felt. The numbness was gone in a sudden rush of pain, pain that lanced through her system like a javelin through her body, making her eyes widen and her teeth clench and a hiss escape her mouth. She closed her eyes, drinking in the sensation before it ebbed away, allowing it to overwhelm her senses.

The urge satiated, she flicked the blade away. She rolled her sleeve back down, concealing the still bleeding injuries - the material was, fortunately, thick enough to hide the cuts without showing a stain. Cutting was something she had only just started doing: the urge to feel something, to feel anything other than the haze of numbness that had descended since she joined the ERAF, was overwhelming. The pain was sharp, was focusing, was real. It reminded her that she was still alive, and that was a reminder she desperately, desperately needed.

"Scootaloo?" a voice asked. Scootaloo looked up from her bunk to see White Blossom in the doorway, a frown on her face.

"Flight Leader," she said, sitting up. "What can I do for you?"

"We'll be mobilising in the next half hour," Blossom said shortly, her voice soft, not unlike Fluttershy's had been a long time ago. "I expect you to be ready."

"I'm always ready, ma'am," Scootaloo replied, standing up and grabbing her other wrist-blade, attaching it to her right wrist, grimacing slightly as she did so.

Blossom's eyes drifted to that leg - clearly, she had been watching for some time.

"Pilot Officer Scootaloo," she said, sounding like she was trying to be delicate, "much as I don't want to pry... when was your last psych-eval?"

Scootaloo scowled. "When I joined the ERAF. I'm cleared for duty."

"I see," White Blossom said. "Scootaloo, I realise that I've been somewhat distant with you, but as your flight leader, my job is to keep you fit for duty. If there's anything you want to tell me -"

"There's nothing, ma'am," Scootaloo said shortly, almost cutting her off. White Blossom flinched slightly, but sighed, nodding.

"I suppose I deserved that," she said. "It's nothing personal, but..."

"No, ma'am," Scootaloo said, cutting her off again with a scowl. "It is. I can accept that, but please don't lie to me."

White Blossom didn't seem to know what to say, so instead she nodded and left. Scootaloo sighed, sitting back down on her bunk.

'You could have talked to her,' the Rainbow Dash in her head said.

No, I couldn't, Scootaloo replied. And even if I could, I wouldn't. The only ponies I have to talk to are far away from here.

'Well, I'm here,' Dash said.

Scootaloo snorted. You? You're a voice in my head that sounds like my dead mentor... my dead sister. That I'm even hearing you is just a sign of how bucking crazy I'm getting.

To that, the Dash in Scootaloo's head had no answer, not that the orange mare had expected her to. She stood up and trotted out of her room.

There was a battle ahead.

***

"Hey, Bright Wonder," White Blossom said, approaching her friend in the hangar.

"Sup, Blossom?" Wonder said with a chirpy smile. Bright Wonder was the sort of pony who had a smile for just about anypony, no matter what her mood. It often surprised Blossom that her friend had stayed in the ERAF after the war, but Wonder had never explained it.

"I have a problem with Scootaloo," White Blossom said softly. "And I wanted your advice."

Bright Wonder frowned slightly, her smile fading. "Oh, I see. What's up?"

White Blossom looked around carefully, making sure nopony else was around, before turning back to her friend.

"I think," she said softly, "that Scootaloo has been self-harming."

Bright Wonder raised both eyebrows, her face paling somewhat. "Oh my. How did you…?"

"I saw her cutting," Blossom said. "She wouldn't talk to me about it." She snorted. "I don't blame her. We've not exactly been welcoming."

"No," Bright Wonder said softly, frowning. "I guess we haven't. But I mean, she was the pony who hurt True Blue, the pony who led the Wonderbolts at Leeds…"

"I haven't forgotten," White Blossom said softly. "But the war's over… and plenty of ponies want to make a new life for themselves."

Bright Wonder nodded slowly, sighing. "Yeah, I guess." She brightened slightly. "Hey, maybe I can throw her a party when we get back."

"Yeah," White Blossom said, nodding. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

"It really bothers you, doesn't it?" Bright Wonder asked sympathetically.

White Blossom sighed. "Of course it does. We did this. Or at least we didn't help." She paused, smiling slightly. "She can be good, Wonder. She's a good flyer. She just needs…"

Bright Wonder raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"She needs what I had," White Blossom finished. "She needs a mentor. I had Cloud Ranger to keep me in the ERAF. Maybe that's what she needs too."

"You were like her?" Bright Wonder asked.

"Oh, no," White Blossom corrected, shaking her head with a mirthless smile. "I was… young, inexperienced. Maybe a little scared of flying in combat - it's not my best strength. But I had somepony to help me. Scootaloo doesn't have that." She paused thoughtfully. "When we get back, I'm gonna have a serious talk with her."

"Good idea," Bright Wonder said with a nod. "Anyway, we'd best get going or we'll miss the party."

"Yeah," White Blossom said, following her friend to the launch area. "Wouldn't want to do that."

***

The heads of the Archmagi and Dead Men groups assigned to the mission were in the briefing room when Dream Flyer arrived there, roughly twenty minutes before launch time. Jared Smith was a stern looking man with burns on one side of his face - he had been one of the luckier men to face the Solar Idols, and had escaped with burns that nearly blinded one eye and left him scarred. Others who had faced those monstrosities had been far worse off.

The Archmagi leader wore a simple brown cloak, covering most of her ice-blue body, but her head was uncovered, showing a shaved head and tired brown eyes. She smiled slightly, though it was strained. Her name was Bountiful Bouquet.

The Archmagi's adjutant was a unicorn mare with a green coat, darker green mane and tail and a haunted expression matched only by the bags under her eyes. She wore battle armour that looked to have once been stylised and ornately decorated, but the decorations had been inexpertly blasted off. She must have had a human name at one point, but she would only give the name "Gentle Flower" when asked, so whatever the memory was, it was traumatic.

"Ah, Group Captain," Smith said. He spoke surprisingly cheerfully considering the fact that he was part of a death cult. "Good to have you here."

"Sergeant Smith," Flyer said. "Is your team prepared?"

"Damn straight," Smith said with a nod. "With Bouquet's support, we'll be able to get in without much trouble. There's enough C4 with my team to level the whole damn factory."

"Not that we'll need that much," Bouquet added, her voice slightly raspy. "A strategically placed bomb should annihilate the mechanisms for mixing potion without overmuch collateral."

Dream Flyer nodded. "Are we expecting much resistance in the air?"

"We're not one hundred percent certain what forces have been deployed," Smith said with a sigh. "But there's reports of several battalions of Guard in the area, and they've certainly got enough to keep Manehatten and Las Pegasus under wraps."

"Well," Flyer sighed. "That's fun. What's the sitrep?"

"The entire area is a constant battlezone," Smith said. "ERAF and Night Guard are engaged in a near constant assault on the city."

"Which means that, while they won't be able to focus all their effort on stopping us," Bountiful Bouquet said, "we will be flying directly into the heart of their territory in a warzone."

"Hence why we asked for Grey Squadron for the mission," Smith finished. "Your reputation…"

"Is not going to keep five hundred Pegasi off this Zep," Flyer interrupted. "Even with turrets and other defences, you're not going to have a lot of time."

"Small chance of success and high risk - that's a Dead Man mission," Smith said resolutely.

"And we've got a lot to make up for," Gentle Flower added, a haunted look in her eyes.

"There is a secondary objective of course," Bouquet added somberly.

"Secondary objective?" Dream Flyer asked, frowning. "I haven't heard anything about this."

"Neither have I," Smith said, frowning. "Wanna clarify that, Bouquet?"

"This was on a need to know basis," Bouquet said darkly. "Straight from Prince Blueblood's office. We need to be certain no changes have been made to this potion - part of the reason there's an Archmagi presence in the field is to retrieve a sample and bring it back to command at Canterlot."

"Retrieve a sample?" Smith repeated. "What the fuck does Blueblood want a sample for?"

"That is also need-to-know," Bouquet said softly. "And you don't, Sergeant. Your orders are to retrieve a sample and get it back to the Ascension for safe deliverance back to Canterlot command."

Smith didn't look happy, but he sighed and nodded. "Understood."

Dream Flyer sighed. "Alright then. We might as well get this over with."

***

Scootaloo stretched as the rest of Grey Squadron moved into position at the opening hanger trapdoor. She looked to her left - Burning Feathers had his head bowed and eyes closed, as though he was praying. White Blossom was to Scootaloo's right, and threw her a glance. Scootaloo scowled slightly.

"Scootaloo," Blossom said softly, "I want to have a conversation with you when we get back."

"What about, ma'am," Scootaloo asked quietly.

"You know what about," White Blossom said with a scowl.

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes. "I don't have anything to say about that, ma'am."

"I'm sure," Blossom said. "You'll talk about it anyway, Pilot Officer. Or I'll make it an order."

Scootaloo didn't say anything. Part of her resented the other mare for interfering. Part of her appreciated it, somehow: it felt... nice. A moment later, Dream Flyer appeared at the head of the squadron, looking everypony in the eye (and scowling at Scootaloo when she caught the former Wonderbolt's gaze).

"Alright!" she called. "Twenty to launch! Everypony check your weapons!"

The entire squadron dutifully checked their equipment. A moment later, a green light showed, and the trap door opened beneath them. Spreading their wings, the entire squadron descended into the sky around the zeppelin.

It was hell.

In the distance they could see other zeppelins - some with ERAF markings, some with Solaminan, firing bolts of magic and firebombs at one another. Pegasi squadrons in white shirts emblazoned with various materials flew through the air, clashing with hordes of armoured Solaminan Royal Guard.

"Buck!" Rock Hurricane's voice swore out on the comm. "This is tense!"

"Button it, Hurricane," Dream Flyer's voice said calmly. "All flyers, sound off procedure."

"Grey Two, standing by," Mellow Air said, sounding slightly more concerned.

"Grey Three," Hurricane said quickly. "Here."

Solid Hoof's gruff voice spoke next. "Grey Four here."

"Grey Five, standing by," Blood Tide said.

"Grey Six," said Star Blitz, "ready and able."

"Grey Seven here," came the still-chirpy voice of Bright Wonder.

"Grey Eight on station." Acquiescence's tone seemed unruffled by the horrors surrounding them, though it was quiet.

"This is Grey Nine, I am on station," Elegant Flight's prim voice spoke, sounding slightly clipped, as though she were stressed.

White Blossom spoke next. "Grey Ten, standing by."

"Grey Eleven stands prepared," burning Feather said solemnly. "May God watch over us."

"Grey Twelve," Scootaloo finished, feeling oddly concerned after that proclamation. "Standing by."

"All flyers, begin running interference on anypony who comes at the Ascension," Dream Flyer ordered. "One flight, on me. Two and Three flights, cover the rear. Four flight, rear of the zep."

"Roger that," White Blossom said. "Scootaloo, on my left. Burning Feathers, my right."

"As you say," Feathers said.

"On your back, Ten," Scootaloo said.

She fell into formation behind White Blossom as the mare slowed up, allowing the great zeppelin to move past them. She could see Pegasi guards starting to fly at the other flights, and tensed slightly.

'You'll do fine, Scoots,' the voice of Rainbow Dash spoke.

Shut up, Scootaloo thought at the voice. I'm working!

As she thought it, a squadron of Pegasi flew at her flight, descending from above - it must have been twenty or thirty militia ponies.

"Let them pass between us!" White Blossom ordered.

"Gotcha!" Scootaloo yelled, and even as she spoke she dodged a militia pony, then another. She let one of the enemy flyers catch her left wrist blade, half his right wing coming off, sending him careening toward the ground. She saw Burning Feathers as he began corkscrewing through a group, sending at least three Pegasi flying away with severed limbs.

"Pony God!" the voice of Star Blitz came, sounding shocked. "How many of these buckers are there?!"

"There were a lot of discontented Guard," came the voice of Rock Hurricane. "Guess they get to die doing what they loved."

"Cut the chatter!" Dream Flyer ordered. "Ascension, distance to target?!"

"Roughly fourteen hundred metres," the voice of the Ascension's Captain replied. "ETA six minutes."

"Fun times," Hurricane said.

Scootaloo scowled, turning her head. Most of the militia who had flown at Four flight had gone on to other targets, but a half dozen had turned and were coming back.

"Ten, we've got hostiles on our six," she said shortly. "Request permission to break formation and engage."

"Wait for it," Blossom replied. She pulled up alongside Scootaloo, making a gesture that looked suspiciously like the old Wonderbolt sign for 'up and over'. Grinning, Scootaloo nodded, and a moment later the two mares pulled up, loop-the-looping over the militia ponies and ending up behind them. Scootaloo immediately pushed herself, catching up to two and, with efficient strokes, cutting both down, their bodies falling from the sky like rocks. White Blossom careened through the remaining four, wings and limbs flying everywhere. She pulled alongside Scootaloo and nodded, a grin on her face.

"Not bad, Twelve," she said.

"Thanks," Scootaloo said, smiling back, feeling irrationally happy at the praise. She checked her HUD - the goggles were definitely one of the perks of ERAF flying: now she could find her enemies without strenuous searching. "Another group at ten o'clock, looks to be militia."

"Then let's go give them a welcome," Blossom said with a determined expression on her face.

***

Dream Flyer zeroed in on the Guardspony she was chasing. The guy was good, but the armour made him slower and clumsier in the air than her. Her HUD reported that there were more enemies coming at her, but she ignored it for the moment.

"Got you," she said, putting on a sudden spurt and cutting both wings from the Guardspony, letting him fall from the sky screaming. "One flight, need a hoof!"

"On it," Mellow Air said blandly. A moment later, Dream Flyer's HUD showed Air coming up on some of the hostiles, and soon the hostiles in question had disappeared from her scopes.

"Hey boss!" Hurricane said, sounding panicked. "I've got multiple hostiles on my six! Need help!"

"This is Four," Solid Hoof said gruffly. "My Flight in inbound to assist."

"Hurry up, will ya?!" Hurricane yelled. "They're getting really bucking - ah!"

Dream Flyer caught a look as Rock was stabbed in one leg by a spear, the heavy weapon slowing him down.

"Hang on!" she yelled. she angled herself to her side, gliding up behind the Guards on Hurricane's tail and lashing out, cutting through limbs and backs. A moment later, Hurricane was clear, though he'd been slowed down.

"Air, Hoof," she ordered, "get Hurricane back to the Ascension. I'll take over Two flight."

"Acknowledged," Air said drily. "Come on, Three. Let's get you home."

"Ah shoot," Hurricane said in an annoyed tone. "And it was just getting fun."

Dream Flyer shook her head, before angling to take the head of Two flight's formation.

"On your six, lead," Blood Tide's voice said. "What's your order?"

Dream Flyer quickly assessed the situation. The hordes of Royal Guard in the air were getting thicker, presumably as they got closer to the remnant's heartland in Manehatten.

"Let's thin out some of these flyers," she ordered. "Spread out and prepare to corkscrew on my mark."

She heard her flight's affirmatives and grinned. This wasn't going to be so bad after all.

***

Locking the clip to his MP5 into place, Jared Smith looked at his team. Eleven of the finest of the Dead Men's ranks, including Dreer and Dupont (although he hadn't managed to convince Kraber to join him for this one: the man had essentially threatened his way into going on leave with his family. Nobody had felt right about contradicting him, but Smith had been somewhat disappointed nonetheless) were with him, each dressed in trenchcoats over bodysuits, gas masks and helmets completing the image.

"We're dead," Smith said to them, smiling slightly. "Our souls already left this joint a long time ago. Some fucker, however, forgot to give our bodies the memo, so here we stand, ready to make some use of these empty shells of ours. We don't fear - fear's for the living. We don't hesitate - hesitation is for folks with stuff to lose. The Dead don't have anything to lose. We do our duty. We keep going. We have purpose!"

"We have purpose!" the squad repeated. They were some of the best equipped men in the Dead Men, each of them armed with modern assault rifles or SMG's - MP5's, L85's, Andra's SMG's, RPLs, even a kalashnikov or three… Smith couldn't think of a better team to go in with.

He turned his head as Gentle Flower approached. The Archmagi would be going in with them, and her armour was painted black to match their uniforms, a dark brown leather saddlebag slung across her body. She nodded as she reached him.

"We have purpose, Sergeant," she said softly. He raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't realise you'd died," he said conversationally.

"I died a long time ago," Flower replied softly, a slight smile on her lips. "It just took me a long time to realise it. Now it's all about making the shell do something useful before it stops."

He nodded respectfully, smiling. "I hear that, sister." He stamped a foot. "Looks like thirteen is our lucky number, ladies and gentlemen!"

"We have purpose!" they said again. Smith grinned, before moving toward the descent ramp, waiting for it to open above their target. As he did so, he could hear singing behind him as Gentle Flower began .

"My body is a cage,
That keeps me from dancing with the one I love,
But my mind holds the key

My body is a cage,
That keeps me from dancing with the one I love,
But my mind holds the key

I'm standing on a stage
Of fear and self-doubt
It's a hollow play
But they'll clap anyway

My body is a cage,
That keeps me from dancing with the one I love,
But my mind holds the key

You're standing next to me
My mind holds the key…"

He nodded. Their bodies were cages, they always had been. Maybe - if he was lucky, or if he was unlucky, either or - today would be the day they got released.

***

"We're coming up on the factory now!" the Ascension's Captain said over the comm. Scootaloo frowned as he spoke - the factory, if that was really it, was a grotty redbrick building with five chimney stacks and a long, flat roof. There were turrets and other guards there, of course, but it seemed oddly undefended.

"Do we need to thin those defensive positions?" she heard Elegant Flight ask.

"No need, Grey," the Ascension's Captain replied. "We have this down."

The Ascension, like most Zeppelins, already had magi-cannons and other close-defence turrets installed as a rule. Though a lot of the more ostentatious elements the zeppelin had been encumbered with during the war had been removed for her refit as an ERAF ship, she was as deadly as she had been. This was only enhanced by the presence of a half dozen pieces of human artillery, suitably adapted for pony usage: 50cal machine guns turned on the ponies stationed atop the building, firing their rounds and tearing the defenders apart. Bolts of arcane power lashed out from the crystalline turrets, blowing away chunks of masonry.

"Damn," Star Blitz said over the comm. "Talk about firepower."

Scootaloo didn't reply - she had seen the Solar Glory at Canterlot - that had been an entirely different definition of "impressive", although she had been in less of a position to appreciate that, seeing how it had been turned on her and the other ponies of Cloudsdale. Still, the Ascension was definitely impressive.

"The Ascension will be landing shortly," Dream Flyer said through the comm. "All flyers, continue to run interference."

"Roger that," White Blossom said. "Eleven, Twelve, on my six, let's see if we can't disrupt some formations."

"Right with you, Ten," Scootaloo said, narrowing her eyes behind her goggles.

***

The Ascension's landing ramp descended, and a moment later down jogged Gentle Flower, Jared Smith and his team.

"Quick!" the Dead Man sergeant yelled as he brought his MP5 up. "We need to do this fast, there's no telling what kind of reinforcements are on their way!"

Quickly they headed for a nearby access point. A few Guards rushed to try and stop them, but the Dead Men were faster and more efficient, their guns barking staccato notes that sent the traitor Guards sprawling to the ground, holes blown through armour and flesh.

"Dupont and Jacobson!" Smith yelled. "hold the ramp and cover our retreat from the factory! The rest of you, double time it!"

With hurried shouts of affirmation, the Dead Men went to work, funnelling through the access point and charging into battle.

***

"Covering fire!" somepony was yelling on the comm, and Dream Flyer dodged another militia pony as an inbound Guard phalanx was obliterated by heavy fire from the Ascension.

"Ascension to Grey Leader, our team is on the ground," she heard from the Captain of the zeppelin.

"Roger that," she said. She pulled back from the swung blade of another militia pony, cutting him apart with her own weapon as she did so. "All flyers, keep it up - we're nearly done here!"

Grey Squadron formed up back into their loose formation to engage their next target. Most of the Guardsponies were ignoring the Ascension, they had a much bigger battle to fight, but whatever guard detail had been left over the factory was zealously assaulting anything that got close.

Suddenly the air around them erupted in a storm of multi-coloured beams of light. They mostly flew wide of the swift Pegasus formation but Solid Hoof and Dream Flyer were grazed by several of the beams, burns cut into their bodies by the heat.

"Anti-air fire!" Solid Hoof shouted as the rest of Grey Squadron scattered to avoid the shots.

Dream Flyer glanced in the direction of the factory and saw a line of Unicorns in Royal Guard armour lined up along one of the building's roofs. Their horns were constantly lit as they sent a hail of weak but rapid spell-fire in their general direction.

"Grey Leader to Ascension," Flyer said, narrowing her eyes at them. "Hostiles on roof to the east. They're laying down flak. Am engaging - could do with some cover fire."

"Roger that, Ascension laying down suppressive fire," the Ascension's Captain replied. A moment later, a hail of fire lashed out from the landed Zeppelin, forcing the Guards to take cover. Flyer turned to Hoof and Blood Glide, who had taken up formation behind her.

"Let's give 'em a hello," she said with a grin.

"Right behind you," Blood Glide said.

"With you, Lead," Hoof added.

Nodding, she turned back forward and, with a push of her wings, zoomed towards the roof. By the time she reached it, the Guards had yet to really be back in position - and then she strafed, knocking several from the roof and sending them screaming to the ground below. Behind her, Solid Hoof and Blood Glide knocked over stragglers and cut down any they couldn't unbalance. A few spells lashed out from the Guards, but the Pegasi were going too fast.

A moment later, they pulled up and away from the roof - as they did so, however, a Guard they'd missed managed to get a shot off that caught Blood Glide. He had time to let out a strangled yell, and then he plummeted to the ground below.

"Buck!" Hoof swore. "We lost Five!"

"I saw," Dream Flyer said heavily, taking note of more incoming phalanxes of Guard heading for the Zeppelin. "Keep going - we need to keep the Ascension covered."

"Roger," Solid hoof said heavily.

***

The little group of soldiers and ponies reached a small door at the end of a corridor. So far, there had been little resistance.

"This access point should lead to the main production facility," Gentle Flower said quietly. "It might be locked with magic, give me a moment."

"Make it quick," Smith said, turning back to look down the corridor. "Eyes peeled, team - we don't know when they'll catch on!"

As if in answer to his words, a handful of Guards appeared at the end of the corridor. Scowling, Smith brought his MP5 up and fired, and the lead Guard dropped like a stone. The rest ducked into side doorways. Motioning to his squad, Smith pulled a water fountain over and ducked behind it, aiming at firing again. Near him, Dreer fired his L85, the crack of the assault rifle almost deafening as the weapon blew one of the Guards off his hooves.

"It's a standard magical seal!" Flower reported after a moment. "Give me five minutes!"

"We don't have five minutes!" Smith replied angrily.

"Oh, give it here," one of the Dead Men said with an annoyed tone. "Cover me!"

As his squadmates moved to cover him, he stood up,aiming his rifle at the door-handle, before firing at it. There was a crack, and the wood splintered.

"Unicorns always see magic problems," he said smugly. Though no one could see his face, the tone of his voice seemed to imply a grin. "Like a plumber always thinks it's your -"

A spell zapped him in the back, and the smell of burning flesh filled the corridor. The offending Guard went down a moment later, but the damage was done: the man was dead.

"Dammit," Smith said, giving the body a quick nod of respect before motioning to his squad to go through the door. They were the dead - they had a job to do. "Everyone move!"

Quickly, efficiently, with all the discipline for which their force were famous, the Dead Men filed in, those who waited covering those entering. Gentle Flower and Smith were the last two in, Flower holding up a shield spell to block offensive spells. A moment later, she sent a powerful shockwave down the corridor, forcing the Guards to take cover. By the time they returned to the corridor, the Dead Men had moved on, into the factory...

***

Scootaloo dodged another militia pony's hasty charge, sending the less experienced and less trained flyer sprawling through the air to impact into a wall with a sick crunch. Fighting in cities was always risky - running into a building was a more common way for the over-eager flyer to meet their demise, as Scootaloo knew from experience.

Behind her, she saw Burning Feathers clip the wings of another militia pony, the stallions's face not shifting from his solemn, emotionless expression. White Blossom was near him, finishing off a Guardspony who had tried grappling her. She had a cut above one eye but seemed fine otherwise.

Checking her HUD, Scootaloo looked for more targets near the Ascension: the goggles pulled up a small formation inbound, coming in from the west.

"Hostiles inbound," she reported, "our two o'clock, looks like a single phalanx."

"Roger," Blossom said. "I'll punch through, you two pick off the stragglers."

"Understood," Burning Feathers said. "Am on your six."

The three ponies approached the inbound phalanx - they were only a small group, looked to be battered, like they'd already seen action today. Scootaloo frowned as White Blossom headed towards them: something about all of this felt off… those Guard had spears that looked different, lighter…

When it happened, it happened quickly: as White Blossom approached, the phalanx suddenly broke apart, the various members flying around her. Burning Feathers and Scootaloo managed (just) to dodge the trap, but White Blossom flew straight through the suddenly vacated airspace... and was impaled by two thrown spears, the new design apparently optimised for dual functionality as lance and javelin. Shocked, the alabaster mare let out a single strangled cry, and began to plummet, the Guards that had hit her switching back to longer, heavier lances that they had slung over their backs.

Scootaloo's eyes widened. "No!"

She raced after Blossom, putting her blades away and angling herself to catch the other Pegasus. A moment later, she caught her, allowing the momentum to carry them both to the roof of the factory.

"This is Grey Twelve!" she said desperately through the comm. "Grey Ten is hit, badly hit! Need help now!"

"Hang on," she heard Mellow Air's voice. "Am inbound to your position."

She didn't reply, focused as she was on trying to help White Blossom. The spears hadn't pierced anywhere immediately fatal, and both had fallen out from the sheer speed of flight and the momentum pulling them - but both injuries were bleeding profusely. Scootaloo had seen plenty of slashing injuries, and plenty of small bullet wounds, but large impalation damage was not something one encountered overmuch as a Wonderbolt. She had no idea how best to go about staunching the wounds.

Suddenly, through her haze of panic, horror and confusion, she registered the fact that White Blossom was trying to speak.

"Scootaloo," the mare was saying softly, coughing as she spoke. "I… I owe you an apology…"

"Shut up, ma'am," Scootaloo snapped, trying to staunch the wound. "You can apologise when you're strong enough…"

"Not happening," White Blossom said simply, her eyes half lidded, a soft smile on her face. "Been doing this… a long time… guess it was always gonna go this way."

Scootaloo heard ponies landing behind her. She threw a glance over her shoulder, but it was only Bright Wonder and Mellow Air. Wonder immediately raced over to her friend's side, eyes wide in shock and horror.

"Blossom!" she said, her voice hitching slightly. "Air, help her!"

Mellow Air raced over right behind Wonder, but her eyes widened as she observed the damage. She quickly examined the injuries, but her expression became grimmer and grimmer.

"You can help her, right?" Scootaloo asked.

"These injuries have torn several arteries," Mellow Air said quietly. "The Ascension left dock without a full surgery unit aboard to handle these kind of injuries properly, and we're too far from the nearest medical outpost." She gave Bright Wonder a mournful look. "There's nothing I can do."

Bright Wonder's eyes widened in horror. "No… please, tell me this isn't…"

"Wonder…" White Blossom interrupted softly. Bright Wonder turned to look at her, her eyes full of tears. "It's ok… this was bound to happen eventually…"

"No!" Wonder yelled. Scootaloo stepped back, not wanting to intrude - these two were friends, after all, and she wouldn't want to be in the way.

"Cloud Ranger always said that this was gonna happen," White Blossom said idly, her voice weak but steady. She smiled. "She said one of her old squad-mates was a gambler, and he always said… 'everypony's number comes up someday'..."

"No!" Bright Wonder said again, stamping a hoof insistently, as though merely saying it would change the reality of the situation.

White Blossom only smiled, before turning her head to look at Scootaloo. The mare widened her eyes.

"Scootaloo," White Blossom said softly. "You… you're a good flyer…"

"S-save your strength, White Blossom," Bright Wonder said. "Y-you're…"

"No," Blossom said, surprisingly strongly. "Scootaloo… you're… a better… pony… than you think you are. You… you need to believe in yourself… you need to… to believe in your team…"

"White Blossom," Scootaloo said softly, not sure what to say. "You…"

"We've… not done right by you…" White Blossom continued, her eyes slowly closing. "I'm… sorry… but don't give up on us… on yourself. You… you can go far… just… believe…"

She stopped moving, her eyes stuck a fraction open, staring at nothing, her mouth hanging open. She spasmed once, her eyes opening again a fraction, and then stilled.

"No…" Bright Wonder said, sobbing. "White Blossom, no..."

"Lead," Mellow Air said tightly, tapping her earpiece, "this is Two. Grey Ten is down. Repeat, Grey Ten is down."

There was a momentary pause before Dream Flyer's voice replied. "Roger that, Two. Get back to it - we're pretty stretched up here."

"Yes ma'am," Mellow Air said quietly. She threw White Blossom and Bright Wonder another look, then took off. Bright Wonder, distraught, stayed by White Blossom's corpse.

Scootaloo stared at the body of White Blossom, trying to process what had happened.

'Scootaloo,' the voice of Rainbow Dash in her head said softly. 'You can't just sit here.'

I'm not leaving, Dash, Scootaloo replied stubbornly in her own mind. I'm not leaving. I can't. I should have been faster, I should have…

'You did everything you could,' Dash's voice said gently. 'More than anypony else could have done. You tried, Scoots. And you already know, you can't save everypony...'

Why didn't you save me squirt?

Scootaloo slowly approached the corpse of White Blossom, before sitting down next to it, her eyes barely moving from the body.

I could have done more. I could have done something to save her. I could have thrown myself in front of the damn spears.

'And what good would that have done?' Dash's voice asked. 'She was right, Scoots. You can't give up on yourself. You have to keep trying, to keep believing that you can change things, make a difference. If you won't do that for yourself, and you won't do that for me… maybe do that for her.'

Scootaloo's face hardened as she took that in. She kept staring at the empty eyes of White Blossom, not certain how to respond, not certain if she wanted to respond…

***

Smith followed Gentle Flower along a gantry, dodging spells as they went. Behind him, he heard gunfire as his men laid down suppressing fire on the ponies below. The factory, fortunately enough, was only sparsely guarded, but he had still lost Dreer and Farrow in vicious firefights to get to this level.

The factory was filled with massive vats and pipes, each pumping the noxious liquid through the great building. It made Smith sick to think that in places like this, right across Equestria, the vile potion that had caused his species so much pain and suffering was

"Over here!" Flower said, indicating a particular pipe in a critical looking junction. "In theory, according to the plans, setting the charge here should destroy the entire process, and likely fill the existing batches with so much contaminant that they're unusable."

"Ok," Smith said. "What about the sample we're meant to retrieve?"

"One moment," Gentle Flower said. She retrieved a small device from her saddlebag: it was a boxxy thing, a single, vial shaped black tube sticking out of it. She sighed and jammed it onto the pipe. There was a soft whirring, and then she took the tube off of the machine, passing it to Smith. The space the vial had been in on the box was covered by a black lid that slid into place.

"That is the sample," she said. He examined it - it seemed perfectly sealed, quite unlike anything he had ever seen. "It can only be opened by the signature magic of Bountiful Bouquet and other high-ranking Archmagi."

"Useful," he said. "Prevents it being tampered with."

"Indeed," Flower said with a slight smile. "Now the C4."

Smith nodded and retrieved the C4 bomb, attaching it to the junction at Gentle Flower's direction. Suddenly, a spell lashed out near them, catching the bomb.

"Shit!" Smith yelled, dodging backward. After a moment, it became obvious that the bomb was not going to explode, and so he quickly inspected it. A moment later, he cursed.

"What is it?" Flower asked.

"The timer's gone," he hissed. "Thing'll need manual detonation."

Gentle Flower nodded, a beatific expression coming over her face.

"That," she said simply, "will not be a problem."

It took him a moment to realise what she meant. When he did, he nodded at her with a glint of respect in his eye.

"We have purpose, sister," he said softly.

"Til the shell joins the soul," she replied. "I will give you five minutes. Complete the mission."

"Yes ma'am," he grinned. With that, he jogged out, motioning to his team as he did so.

Gentle Flower smiled, feeling suddenly calm. This entire situation felt right - as an Archmagi serving Solamina, she had done great evil. Now, here, she had a chance to finally atone. And as Guardsponies began approaching her and she started firing spells off at them, she allowed herself a wide grin.

Finally, she was doing the right thing.

***

Scootaloo looked up as the Dead Men sprinted across the roof from the door. Frowning, she grabbed White Blossom's corpse, her thoughts halting from their somewhat morbid circle of self-loathing and confusion as she concentrated on getting her comrade's body to the Ascension's ramp.

"Where's Gentle Flower?" she heard someone ask.

"She has purpose," the human Sergeant replied. "Everyone on!"

Scootaloo ignored them, lugging White Blossom's body with her as she jogged onto the hangar deck, before releasing her grip, letting the body rest on the floor gently. Releasing a breath, she slumped to the floor next to it.

"Hey!" she heard Rock Hurricane say, eyes wide as he saw Blossom's body. "What the hay happened? My comm's on the fritz - did something happen to…?"

Scootaloo didn't have the heart to answer him as the Dead Men came aboard and the ramp raised.

***

Dream Flyer dodged a militia pony, lashing out and severing one of his wings as she did so. With a yell of alarm, he plummeted from the sky, and she turned her attention to her next target.

Suddenly there was a burst of static from her comm. "Ascension to Grey Leader - mission accomplished, pull back from factory!"

Dream Flyer smiled tiredly. "Roger, Ascension, we are pulling out." She switched to squadron frequency. "All flyers, pull out, mission accomplished. Cover the Ascension as we retreat."

As the affirmatives came in, Dream Flyer reflected on today. One injury, two losses - both of them good ponies. She sighed - not the best odds Grey Squadron had ever had, but this was war, and they'd taken worse losses in single actions before… Canterlot being the most recent, and most painful, example.

This horseapples should have been done with when Solamina died, she thought bitterly. But I guess some things never change. I hope this was worth it.

***

Gentle Flower hissed slightly in pain as she applied a quick healing salve to a burn on one foreleg. This wasn't the worst injury magic could do, but she had to be careful. By now, it had been a little under five minutes - it was nearly time.

She could see several Guards warily approaching her position.

"Surrender, traitor!" one yelled angrily, apparently recognising her altered Archmagi armour. She grinned as they approached. None of them had noticed the bomb.

"No," she said simply. She lit her horn and with a quick thought fired a detonation spell at the C4.

There was a flash of light.

***

February 19th.

Grey Fox dropped the AAR with a tired sigh. Another old friend gone…

He’d half thought about making a list of all those who had survived from the first Upsilon Squadron he had served with so long ago, but that was one task he could never bring himself to do. This new Grey Squadron reminded him so much of Upsilon. When they were out there, fighting the battles that should have ended with Solamina’s defeat, his mind delved back into his memories and found the days of training he went through under Cloud Ranger.

In many ways Cloud Ranger had been White Blossom’s mentor. Though nopony knew what to make of her at first - battle exercises and group lunches. Not the most common form of wartime training.

She made us wonder… he thought wryly.

Fox recalled what he had been like then. Cloud Ranger had made all of them remember that the world outside the war existed. May them remember that they could in fact survive the war and have lives again (most remembered that anyway).

It was Cloud Ranger’s Grey Squadron that made her so, to put it one way, maternal. Grey Fox could sometimes see the glint of hope that was in Cloud Ranger’s eyes in the new members of Grey Squadron. The glint that shone on to the end.

”Hold on! Just keep pushing forward”

No… that day was not the best thing to repeat in his mind. Grey Fox had seen the soldier that White Blossom would become forged that day… no. “Soldier” might have been the wrong word. “Hero” might have been more apt.

Today, Grey Fox had to witness another fall of an Upsilon member. The makeshift family that had found him in the darkest of times was fading. Despite the massacres, the Tyrant and even the continuing conflict, White Blossom had held strong to how Upsilon was taught. She held strong to the memories of that family.

Grey Fox needed that family now, when times were failing to get brighter, but they were all gone, and those who hadn’t died were still changed irreversibly.

Rotor Blade had been too injured from one of the final days of war to return to service, Starlight Gleam was a wreck without her sister and Blue Sky was a better soldier now but seemed distant from other ponies. Fell Spear had survived so much fighting, but Canterlot had claimed him along with so many others...

How many more of the new Grey Squadron would die, surviving the war only to die in this pointless aftermath?

Still, the battle had been (ostensibly) won. He supposed, losses or not, that was the important thing. This whole business of getting a sample of potion was… concerning, but he didn't worry overmuch. That was the business of other officers. For now, a squadron had lost two good flyers, and he had to find replacements for them. Sighing, he drew up his personnel files…

***

Dream Flyer stood in front of Scootaloo, a neutral expression on her face. She had called the younger mare in to have a chat, but had been silent for a good couple of minutes.

"I'll admit," she said after a moment, her expression softening somewhat, "I wasn't sure about you. But you did the job… and you tried to save White Blossom."

Scootaloo said nothing.

"You're skilled, and with a little work I think you'll make an excellent ERAF flyer," Flyer continued almost amiably. "Therefore, I'm promoting you to Flight Lieutenant and giving you command of Four flight as Grey Ten."

"Understood, ma'am," Scootaloo said smartly. "Thank you."

"Don't make me think this is a mistake," Dream Flyer said with slightly narrowed eyes. "Dismissed."

Scootaloo saluted and left Dream Flyer's office. Outside, Bright Wonder was waiting, to Scootaloo's surprise.

"Hi," the white pony said with a smile. "Did it go well?"

"Captain Flyer gave me command of Four flight," Scootaloo replied shortly, though she smiled back slightly. Her smile faded. "I don't think I deserve it. I didn't do anything anypony else didn't."

"Rainbow Dash got command of a flight too," Bright Wonder said, "and she wasn't with the squadron long… but after you crippled True Blue, she..." There was a pause. "Sorry."

"It's ok." Scootaloo smiled softly, though there was an undoubted awkwardness to it. "I've a lot to atone for. Everypony who fought for Solamina does."

"Well, I guess there's nowhere better than here," Bright Wonder said with a quick grin that faded as fast as it arrived. "Thank you for trying to help Blossom. I… she was my friend."

"I know," Scootaloo said quietly. "I'm just sorry that I couldn't help her in time."

"We've all lost ponies," Bright Wonder said quietly. "This whole war… it's so wrong. How it happened… why it happened…"

"Maybe," Scootaloo said, smiling slightly. "But it's the world we live in, and we can't change it. All we can do is fight to make it better."

"Yeah," Bright Wonder said. "Say, do you wanna go get a drink? We're on leave and there's some bars in Cloudsdale I haven't visited since before the Exodus."

"Sure," Scootaloo replied with a wry grin. Then she had a thought, and held up a hoof. "I just need to write a letter first… to some friends I've been neglecting."

***

She wrote two copies of the letter, one to Sweetie Belle and one to Apple Bloom.

Hey guys.

It's been a long time since I had the chance to write you. I'm sorry. I've been in a dark place.

You may have heard news about fighting in Manehatten with ERAF forces. I was there - I'm part of an ERAF squadron now. it's the best way I can make up for what I did.

I don't know how often I'll get the chance to write you - there's a lot of fighting still going on now, and there's no guarantee I'll come out of it all. But I promise I will write when I can. We're Cutie Mark Crusaders forever. I won't ever forget.

Love,

Scoots.

That done, she went out to the bars with Bright Wonder, and tried to feel like part of the team. She wasn't there yet… but Pony God willing, one day she might be.

***

February 20th, Canterlot Palace.

A mismatched creature observed a vial of burning, sickly orange liquid, his face dominated by an expression of utter distaste. Though he felt ill-at-ease in this old body (it meant something entirely different now that those who had known him - however little they had really known him - were gone), it was the form the Equestrians were comfortable with him wearing (certainly more comfortable than his now-preferred human form), and so the being known to most as Discord kept to the mismatched body. What he wouldn't give to just go home… but when he had done so, he had been told that his mandate on this world had not ended. He didn't see how it could go on now that the two primary subjects of that mandate were dead, but who was he to question the wisdom of his "superiors"?

At least Prince Blueblood was accommodating enough. The white stallion was staring at the vial with wide eyes, not sure how to react to it, and even less certain how to react to the information the third individual in the room, the ice blue mare with the shaven mane, had given.

"Could you…" he began, before swallowing. "Could you say that again, please?"

Bountiful Bouquet sighed heavily. "We've run extensive tests on this potion, my lord. It is an altered version of a project the Archmagi were working on before the war ended. It was only in the initial stages when Empress Solamina was killed."

"How did they get a hold of it?" Blueblood asked.

"Not all Archmagi regretted our actions," Bouquet said quietly, looking shamefaced. "Many of us… many of us preferred to keep believing that we could keep the war going. I tried to dissuade them, but by the presence of this…"

"And you're sure about the effects?" Discord asked quietly, narrowing his eyes at the liquid.

"Oh yes," Bouquet said with a mirthless smile. "That much I am very clear on. Whether this form can successfully achieve these results or not, the original design was intended to transform humans and ponies alike into what we termed 'False Alicorns'. We never worked the kinks out… but without testing this potion, we cannot know if these traitors have succeeded."

"False Alicorns," Blueblood repeated. "And how much potion were they making?"

"There is no doubt from Sergeant Smith's report that these traitors were manufacturing enough to create an army," Bouquet said. "And given the nature of the potion and the amount of time they must have been making it…"

"They could already have that army," Discord finished for her, his expression uncharacteristically grim.

"Yes," Bouquet said.

Blueblood looked from the grim-faced God of Chaos to the vial of liquid.

"Well," he said quietly. "Buck."

Author's Notes:

What's that old phrase? "Shit's about to get real"?

Thanks to RoyalPsycho for ideas and proofreading, to The Void for helping with Grey fox (who is, after all, his OC), and to you guys for continuing to follow my ramblings. :-)