As we saw the plumes of smoke rising from the burning town, Twilight shouted orders for the chariot to divert to the castle. I wrapped my arms around Fluttershy, shielding her from the sight of the devastation below. I turned my gaze to the airship examining it. The envelope was a drab gray and looked to be some kind of cloth over a frame with an armored gondola below. The whole affair looked to be almost eight hundred feet long and about one hundred and thirty feet wide. The gondola looked to take up about half the length and width of the envelope.

As we approached the castle I could see what looked like bolts of lightning firing out of hatches in the gondola. All seemingly randomly striking the town. From our high vantage point I could not make out much of the action below. We were still high enough that the ponies beneath us looked like candy colored dots moving around. I could make out though the citizens of Ponyville seemed to be fleeing from swarms of black dots.

Fluttershy was whimpering in my arms and I gave her a tight hug, "Don't worry, I'm here. You will be OK." I whispered to her.

Her response was to cling tightly to me and just tremble. Moments later we landed on one of the upper towers of the castle. Exiting the chariot Twilight began frantically talking to herself about what she should do. Though I was terrified I spoke up.

"You there, guards." I yelled to the two pegasai who had pulled our chariot.

"Unhitch yourselves and fly for help! Now!" I shouted in the most commanding voice I could manage.

To my surprise and relief both stallions quickly unhitched themselves, one heading for Canterlot and the other saying he was heading for Cloudsdale. Cloudsdale? Seriously that's a place? I really need to get better educated about my new country.

I turned to Twilight, "Calm down and think. We need to take action. Ponies could be hurt, even dying out there!"

"I know! I know! I just don't know what to do! I don't have any military training or even my own guards!" She cried.

"You have handled national emergencies right or so you said? You know how to handle disasters right?" I shot back.

"This is different! This is an unknown enem-" I cut her off.

"The only difference princess is that this is a disaster that fights back!" I boomed at her.

This seemed to shake her out of her panic. "You're right...OK first thing evacuate the town but where to start?"

"You can teleport right?" I asked.

She nodded. "Then start popping around town and tell the people to make for the hospital. That will be the best rally point, it's on the outskirts and has ponies who can treat the injured. Tell everypony to run, don't be heroes. We wait for the guard and only fight if cornered."

Twilight nodded and popped away. I turned to Fluttershy. "Shy, you with me?"

She merely trembled hiding her face. "Fluttershy, are you with me?"

She looked up and nodded. "You know the layout of the castle right?"

She nodded again. "Good I need you to guide me through it to the front gate. I only know the lower floor where twilight has been training me. I haven't been in the towers."

She seemed to perk up a bit, "O-OK I can do that."

She fluttered off the ground and lead me down to the lower floors. Along the way we found Spike running around in a panic, "Fluttershy! Bear! Some weird monsters are attacking the town!"

I spoke up, "We know Spike, Twilight is already out evacuating ponies to the hospital. We have two guards heading out for help as well."

Spike replied, "I already sent a letter to Princess Celestia but she hasn't replied back yet!"

I thought back to Luna's mention of Celestia being in seclusion, "Spike get a letter to Luna, Cadence as well if you can. Celestia may not have gotten the first one. Better safe than sorry."

It took only a moment for Spike to write out a pair of quick notes and send them off on his dragon breath. I really want to learn that trick. With the letters sent I thought of my next steps. I am no warrior, no soldier, and certainly not a hero. All I had was a bit of handgun training from Yvette's father, a basic self defense class, and way too many hours playing tabletop RPGs.

Creation has a job for you this time so you have to go back and finish it. It will be hard. It's going to ask more of you than it ever has before...

Those words half remembered from a dream state. I had to act, my conscious would not allow otherwise. "Fluttershy, make your way to the hospital. Help the wounded. Spike go with her."

Fluttershy trembled, "Wh-what about you?" she said with her eyes moistening and lip quivering.

"An unknown enemy is at the gates. I'm going to go defend my home by any means necessary." I said with my voice shaking.

"No! No I won't let you! I won't let you get hurt!" Fluttershy cried out and latched on to me. "I'm too scared of losing you..."

With a trembling hand I stroked her head, "Fluttershy I need you to be brave for me. You have skills that can help the wounded. Me? I'm just a paper pusher with a strong right hook. You need to do what you can to help and so do I."

She looked up at me, tears in her eyes, "I'm not brave like you Bear, I'm so scared."

I forced a smile and remembered the words of one of my heroes, "Shy I'm scared too, but courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened, you know. It’s being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway."

She let go and nodded, "Promise me you will come back to me..."

I met her eyes and said with every ounce of bravery I could, "Shy, I can't make that promise. But I do promise that I will remember I have someone to come back too."

With her eyes tearing up she hugged me and bolted out the window towards the hospital as fast as her wings would carry her. I turned to Spike, "Get going little man. Keep her safe."

Spike crossed his arms and shook his head, "Nuh-uh! After that speech you gave Fluttershy about being brave? No way! I am going with you to protect my home!"

I made to argue and his reply was to shoot a gout of flame in to the air to punctuate his resolve. Far be it from me to argue with a dragon. We made our way to the bottom floor and outside the castle. As we approached the edge of town a crowd of the black beasts turned from chasing ponies and directed their attention at us. I could see them clearly now. Wolves, standing five feet tall at the shoulder. My best guess each clocked in at two hundred pounds of muscle. Each one had a studded red collar around its throat and plates of what looked like black leather armor strapped to their coal-colored hide.

It hit me then, a wave of pure malice emanating from the beasts. Something primal whispering in the back of my mind that these creatures were unnatural, unholy. Spike and I made our way to the cover of the front porch of the Ponyville General store. I scanned the area looking for anything I could use as a weapon. All that seemed suitable was a barrel full of axe handles. I picked one up and hefted it. It would do. Stilling my mind I channeled a small amount of magic in to the bracelets on my wrist and felt them loosen. I quickly shrugged them and the rings off and in to my pockets.

Then the voices came loud and clear. Taking a deep breath I forced them down and said to myself quietly. Please, please grant me the strength and the courage to do what I can for my adopted home.

The voices calmed. I felt an inner peace I have never felt in the waking world. Out of the corner of my eye I could see other men and women, ghostly apparitions. Some wearing ancient armor, some wearing modern, some free of clothes, all wielding weapons.  I felt a wellspring of courage, I was not fighting alone.

The wolves were charging now, closer and closer they approached. Spike looked up at me in trepidation, "Wh-what do we do?" he asked.

"Suffer not the wicked." I breathed.

With that, the dance began.

My movements were not my own. The ghosts of warriors past guided me as Spike and I danced through the enemy beasts. I was not alone in this dance, the spirits of my ancestors had taken to Spike as well guiding him in dodging and weaving around his larger foes, telling him when to claw, when to kick, and when to burn. As for myself I felt my hands guided, a punch here, a strike of my improvised club there, kick, duck, dodge, and body slam. I felt almost disconnected. Though I was accumulating cuts and bruises at an alarming rate I felt no pain. The same could not be said of these fell creatures.

My little partner and I cut a swath through town, at least a hundred of the mongrels fell to us. As we approached town hall I felt my blood chill. Standing in front of town of town hall was Mayor Mare, the school marm Miss Cheerilee, Applejack, and her brother Big Macintosh. Behind them a crowd of school foals, some obviously hurt.

A white unicorn with a blonde mane wearing a black coat stood menacingly before them. On either side he was flanked by a pair of the fell wolves, each easily twice the size of the ones Spike and I had cut our way through. As we approached we could hear the unicorn speak.

"You will surrender the element bearers to us Mayor or by the Father I will begin executing captives starting with these foals!" Growled the unicorn stallion in a voice that carried a German sounding accent.

He has threatened the children. He has lost any mercy I would have shown him. Still caught up in the trance of the dance I looked to Spike and he returned my gaze and nodded. I held my fist down and was met by a scaled fist bumping it and a cocky grin. We turned and charged. In my mind the collective will of humanity cried in one voice.

SUFFER NOT THE WICKED

Spike ran to the left towards one of the fell wolves. I ran to the right. As I ran I gripped my axe handle at each end and channeling inhuman strength I snapped it in half leaving me with a pair of sharp wooden stakes. Sensing my presence the wolf turned and bared its fangs. With a running dive I slid like a baseball player heading for home plate between it's front legs and under its belly where I was presented with the most tempting of targets, the family jewels. Operating on pure instinct I slammed my right first upward, my grip around the stake adding to the impact, and made sure the beasts grandchildren would have broken bones.

The wolf yelped in pain and shot forward with it's tail between its legs. I was not going to let it escape. Hopping to my feet I ran after it. With a surge of magic and muscle my ancestor spirits guided me in a mighty leap on the beasts back where I sunk in both stakes and used them as grips to hang on. Black blood flew around me as the wolf cried in pain and rage, attempting to buck me off. Gritting my teeth I pulled out one stake and slammed it back home, using it to pull me forward. I alternated right and left until I reached its neck. With a scream of primal rage I raised both stakes and slammed them over and over in to the fell wolf's neck until it came to a halt and went limp.

I shakily stood, covered head to toe in a mix of my blood and that of the beast before me. I heard a scream and turned back. Spike had dispatched his wolf handily, burning it to a crisp, but now the unicorn stood with his back to the wall and a little filly I recognized as Scootaloo in his magical grasp, his horn pressed to her neck.

"Stay back or I will cover you in this filly's brains. I warn you stay back!" Cried the unicorn.

The foals were still cowering behind the adults, Cheerilee was in tears while the mayor looked on in fright. Big Mac was holding his sister who angrily pawed the ground, eager to jump the stallion. The voices in me calmed. With that calm I felt calm as well. This was no time to act on rage. I slowly began to walk towards the unicorn.

"Stay back you ape, I warn you I will kill the filly!" Growled the unicorn.

I put my hands in the pocket of my vest and pulled out my lighter and a cigar. I lit it while coldly staring him down. "What are you doing ape?" He called.

I gazed upon him with an icy stare, "Trying to decide if I can reach you, break your horn off, and stab you in the neck with it before you can hurt that child."

The unicorn's eyes narrowed and I saw his teeth gnashing, "So what are you, some kind of hero?" he growled.

Taking a long puff of one of my precious few cigars I stilled my mind. I willed my legs forward, my hand outstretched. Time slowed down.

I saw his eyes go cold.

I saw a magical charge build on his horn.

I saw the look of terror on Scootaloo's face.

I saw my left hand grasp the horn.

I felt the jolt of pain as the spell discharged in to my hand.

I heard the horn crack and break as my ruined hand still grasped it and pulled it towards me while my right hand connected with the side of the stallion's head.

I saw him fall, his broken horn in my hand.

I saw my hand descend, driving the horn in to his neck.

I saw the light fade from his eyes.

I saw myself grab Scootaloo and hold her to my chest before she could even hit the ground.

Time resumed its normal pace. I was heaving, trying to fill my lungs with air and block out the pain of my seared hand, three fingers burnt and twisted, obviously broken. The foal in my grasp clung to me screaming. I fell to my knees and stroked her mane with my good hand whispering everything would be OK.

Moments later I was surrounded by a crowd of cheering foals and felts the forelegs of child and adult alike clinging to me in desperate hugs. I heard the words brave and hero shouted. All I felt was a sense of shame. Shame that I had not found a way to end the situation without killing a thinking being.

All the cheering stopped and heads turned upwards in awe. A formation of armored pegasai from the South was flying in, at their lead was none other than Princess Luna. Once in range pegasai powered lightning began striking out at the hovering airship. A moment later there was a bright flash of light and a rushing of wind. When I could see clearly again the airship had disappeared.

I felt a tiny muzzle press itself under my chin and looked down at the little ball of fluff and feathers in my arms. Tears were streaming from her eyes as she whispered, "Thank you."

Luna herself oversaw mop up operations. I came to find out that there was not much cleanup after the trail of death Spike and I left in our wake. To surprisingly both our relief we were assured that the fell wolves were in fact mindless beasts so all total I had only killed one enemy combatant. Sadly Ponyville lost a number of residents that day and more than one foal was left an orphan, including little Scootaloo.

Spike and I led our rag-tag band of survivors to the promised land of the hospital. All the foals were checked over by the staff and declared fit if not emotionally traumatized. Applejack and Cheerilee both had to be held back by Big Mac from showering me in hugs and kisses for my actions. For his part Big Mac just gave me a wink and continues chewing on his hay stalk. Mayor Mare was at least a bit more dignified promising a raise and the possibility of reinstating the office of sheriff. I thanked her for the former and promised to consider the latter.Spike bounded over to Twilight and told her how he had fought several thousand wolves, play it up little guy you earned it. Twilight glared death at me. You win some you lose some.

I sat quietly cradling my injured hand. I had expended enough magic that I could not heal it. All I could do was numb the pain. After a time Doctor Hoarse limped over to me, steady on his cane as usual. He inspected my fingers and then casually yanked them back in to place and held them with his telekinetic grip. One roll of magical ointment and gauze later and he declared my hand fixed. I admit I gained a frightening admiration for this doctor. I also let out a little pee when he reset my fingers. I was given little time to contemplate the state of my bladder before a butter-colored missile slammed in to my chest, a pair of hooves wrapped around my torso, and a pair of lips locked mine in a long kiss. In the background I could hear the foals all letting out a collective, "Ooooooooooo!"

I stayed at the hospital the remainder of the day helping where I could. The empathic healing I had preformed on Fluttershy the previous day was beyond my means right now, I still could not even heal myself. Partly exhaustion, partly the limiter I was wearing on my right hand to quiet the voices.

Sadly it wasn't long before news of mine and Spike's exploits started making the rounds. I had no desire for celebrity or accolade, I did what I must for crown and country. I found Fluttershy washing up at a makeshift scrub station and followed suit. We walked hand-in-hoof towards the lobby bidding the nurses farewell and them reassuring us all was well in hoof.

I stopped at the doors when I saw a small orange pegasus filly crying, her friends Appleboom and Sweetie Belle doing their best to comfort the devastated filly. I let go of Fluttershy's hoof and walked to Scootaloo, knelt down, and wrapped her in a hug. To my surprise the little filly clung to me. I looked over to Applejack and Rarity who were also comforting her.

"Ladies, lil Crusaders, can I have a moment alone with Scootaloo?" I asked.

All four nodded and went over to mingle and talk with Fluttershy. I looked down to the crying filly in my grasp and said, "I won't ask if you are OK. I know you're not. But I can honestly say I know how you feel."

She looked up at me with her tear streaked face, "What do you mean you know how I feel?"

I stroked her little purple tuft of a mane and said, "I'm the only family I have Scootaloo, my mom and grandparents passed away years ago and I lost my wife only two years ago. I know what loss feels like. It hurts. It never gets any better...but we get stronger. You will get stronger."

The little filly buried her face in my chest sobbing that it wasn't fair over and over. I sat in the floor holding her until she had cried herself out. Fluttershy stayed back with her friends just watching, an unreadable look on her face.

Shortly, Rainbow Dash showed up having heard the news of Scootaloo's parents. I handed the traumatized filly over to Dash and suggested that maybe Scootaloo could stay with her for a little while. She agreed without hesitation.

I stood up and looked down at myself, I was covered in band-aids, bloodstains, and tears. I walked back over to Fluttershy realizing what a grizzly sight I must look but she smiled for me anyway. She reared up on her hind legs and wrapped her forelegs around my neck and nuzzled my face and whispered, "That was very sweet of you to comfort her like that."

I shrugged and whispered back, "I only wish I could have done more."

She kissed my cheek and said, "You did all you could."

I nodded and didn't argue. She then placed her muzzle by my ear and whispered in a quiet voice only I could hear, my eyes widened at what she said, "When we get home, we are going to clean each other off in the shower, then I am going to grind you in to the bed until you put a foal in me."

I numbly followed her home and we did just what she said.

The following morning I was downstairs relaxing on the couch with my tablet. Fluttershy had worn herself out from the activities we had engaged in overnight. I smiled a bit at the thought, maybe I could be what she needs. My musings were interrupted by a knock at the door. I quickly pulled on my pants and opened the top half of the dutch door. Twilight stood on the other side with a worried look. "Bear we need to talk...now."

I let her in and she set a cloth bundle on the table. She told me it had been found on one of the captured invaders, another unicorn stallion like the one I had killed. I unwrapped the bundle to find a red leg-band.

To my horror proudly emblazoned on it was the crooked cross.

Next Chapter: 14 - Yesod Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 7 Minutes