https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gxe-7CVAh9JZQgasg3JjIQLs4b3DTBeHTQJZlhVp-iE/edit?hl=en_US

1. Wood W., Raw Ap.

Yearling City, Breezemane Manor; Yearling Inn,

D.N.S.

“Third Month”; “Home”

She was quiet. Reserved. Controlled. The mare had said only a few introductory words before withdrawing into passiveness. Her coat was a bloody maroon; her mane a black that could match even Boreas’ armor in lack of hue. Piercing eyes dominated the other features of her face.

There was no doubt about it. Jutsu was a killer.

“We must move soon. This is no place for a pony to stay at night.”

She had the hints of an Umalian accent, like the farmers. It was forceful and even. Absolutely every facet of her body she had exemplary control of. A deadly combination of grace and power. Twilight had experienced that first hand when her iron legs clamped down on her neck; Jutsu had snuck up on her without any of her ‘friends’ noticing.

“If you don’t mind me saying, Miss Scary Mare, it’s the middle of the night. It’d be more dangerous being on the move than staying here.”

“I hear wolves have a profound fondness for pony meat. I’m sure pegasus wings are considered a delicacy.”

Break grunted, seeing her point. Swearing under his breath, he started to deconstruct his tent in the dark, aided only by a small lantern. The others did the same. They were all itching to get out of Hangbuck’s Folly as soon as possible. Within minutes, they were trotting up a cliffside pathway, allowing Jutsu to lead the way.

Twilight offered to use her horn as a light, but Jutsu insisted that they restrict themselves to vision by moonlight. And so they ambled through the dense forest surrounding the folly, following their newest companion to an unknown destination, bumping into every branch and rock on the way. All of them except Jutsu, who weaved around them with finesse.

They stopped twenty minutes later in a clearing. There was nothing interesting about it, but Jutsu seemed to be searching for something. She pushed against a boulder as big as she was. Surprisingly, it moved. Even more surprisingly, there was a hidden staircase underneath.

“Get inside.”

Not ones to complain, the seven of them shuffled in.

* * *

“What is this place?”

Jutsu was quick to answer Pan’s question.

“Umalian forward outpost, long since abandoned.”

They had lit the torches planted in the walls. The spacious room was cozy, in a strange way. Long since rotted away remains of chairs and beds were scattered about the room.

“Very few ponies know of their existence, and fewer still know where to find them.”

“What were they used for?”

“Scouting forays, mostly.”

The ponies rolled out bundles of mats to sleep on. Iron Shod rumbled out a command.

“Better rest up. We’re leaving at dawn. Break?”

The pegasus snapped to attention. “Yes sir?”

“Sitrep.”

Break climbed back up the staircase and took flight. The grey earth pony put his earpiece back on.

“We all clear up there?”

A voice responded. “I’m not sure, sir.”

“What do you mean?”

“That unicorn mare is closer. She set up camp about three miles away, back near the folly. But there’s something else...”

“What is it?”

“I can see smoke, maybe ten miles off.”

“More ponies?”

“Likely. It’s coming from behind a hill. Thermal isn’t picking anything up. I have no visual.”

“Go check it out. And swing by that unicorn on the way back.”

“No problem, sir.”

He removed the ear piece and relayed the information to the others. A knot formed in Twilight’s gut. She had a feeling whatever Break discovered wouldn’t be good. Shaking her head, she banished the thought. In the meantime, she decided to continue what she had started. Levitating a book out of her saddlebags, Twilight resumed her studies. The Corpsponies Creed: A Battlefield Medicine Crash Course by the Equestrian Military Academy. It was, despite the subject matter, a surprisingly good read. She picked up where she had left off last time, at a section that discussed the importance of good hygiene, particularly when stationed in frontline fortifications.

* * *

She was awoken by voices. The room was dark save for one smoldering torch in the corner. The book was lying on her stomach, still open. She looked over to the farmers; they were sound asleep. Iron Shod and Jutsu were listening to Break, who had just returned, almost an hour later. Groaning, she got up and ambled over to them.

“What’s going on?” Her mouth felt like cotton.

Break sighed. “There’s a unicorn that’s been following us.”

“Hm?”

“She doesn’t appear to be hostile, but we’ll just have to keep our eyes open.”

“That was all you found?”

“No. Fifteen clicks due east, there’s a group of fourteen earth ponies camped out. No notable armaments, just a few hoof-blades between them. A couple of them have some major injuries as well. I spotted a broken leg and some major chest injuries.”

Her heart started pounding. “Oh no...”

Iron Shod gave her a quizzical look. “You know something?”

She nodded. “Back in Canterlot, the farmers and I were ambushed by fourteen earth ponies. They attacked with hoof-blades, but Koi was able to fend them off.”

“You’re saying these are the same ponies?”

“No doubt. Celestia warned us to reach the village before the agents got back to their Jade Lotus employers. They knew who the villagers were, and thus if they are able to relay the information that the farmers are coming back to Umala with a contingent of mercenaries... well...”

“The village would be royally fucked before we could get there.” Break finished for her. Despite his brash behavior, the pegasus was surprisingly perceptive. “I’ve heard about the ridiculous isolation laws of Umala. No pony in, no pony out.”

Iron Shod furrowed his brow. This certainly complicated things.

“What do you say, Shod? It’s pitch black out there; we could give them the jump. They don’t even know we’re nearby.”

“I’m not going to lug it ten miles in this rocky terrain when I can’t see. No, we wait until morning.”

“And then?”

“And then, we stalk our prey.” The old stallion grinned.

Jutsu gave an approving nod.

* * *

It was the only crossing within twenty miles. Despite the relative shallowness, the freezing water reached up to her
flanks. The fact that they had galloped all the way to the river didn’t help. Despite her sour mood, Twilight had to agree: This was the perfect ambush spot. Immobilized by the water, the thugs would be incapable of retaliating. She shivered. Something in her was going to change; she knew it.

They had woken up early and made their way as fast as they could to the crossing. Break periodically checked to see where the thugs and the unicorn were. Their quarry had departed their camp an hour after they themselves had left the outpost. The mysterious unicorn that was shadowing them was nowhere in sight.

The ponies had less than an hour to set up. Pan, Mane, Koi and Rise decided to retreat into the forest for their own safety. Iron Shod put on his bludgeons. Break had never left his battle harness. Jutsu was wearing two exotic looking hoof-blades; much longer and more ornate than the typical fare.

Twilight herself tried on the entirety of Boreas’ armor for the first time. It, like the crown, automatically adjusted to fit her perfectly. The plates fit over her skin like a carapace, giving her an utterly terrifying appearance. She looked down at the ground. A bunch of scribbles in the dirt formed a rough map of the area that Break had drawn. She ran through the plan in her head multiple times. It was simple. Effective. Brutal. She wished they didn’t have to do it.

I see you’ve deigned not to wear the Horn of Ceros.

It doesn’t become me. Besides, I won’t need it.

That was true. Break had asked her to use the laser designator. She graciously accepted the job, though the obvious implication was that the pegasus didn’t want to rely on her in hoof-to-hoof combat.

Suit yourself. Speaking of suits, you look positively frightful in my armor. I myself would have second thoughts about approaching you.

Thanks, I guess?

I suppose that wasn’t much of a compliment. Regardless, you look great in that armor, if you don’t mind me saying.

She examined the laser designator. It was a simple enough device. One just held it in their mouth and pointed it at the target. Break had explained what would happen. His package would descend on the target and detonate. He had a wide variety of weaponry for every situation; anti-pony, bunker busting, incendiary, and an assortment of debilitating crowd suppressors amongst many others. The pegasus even mentioned that he possessed a sound-emitting decoy.

Break had made it clear, however, that Twilight would be aiming the lethal varieties of bombs. It wasn’t going to be pretty. “Like fireworks, but with more flying body parts,” was how he described it. The words hadn’t encouraged her in the slightest. Instead, she could only look at the tool with horror. Today, she would kill for the first time.

No. Break is the killer. I’m just... assisting.

Twilight...

Yes?

There is nothing wrong with you if you do this.

Oh, yeah, sure. In a few minutes I’m going to cause the horrific deaths of a group of defenseless ponies. Nothing wrong with that at all.

You will always be you, no matter what happens today.

What am I doing here, Boreas?

What do you mean?

A few days ago I was sitting in a library in Ponyville reading about advanced irrigation techniques. Now I’m in the middle of the wild, wearing an indestructible suit of armor, with the power to instantly kill in my hooves. I’m not meant to do this. Why did the Princess send a filly like me?

I wouldn’t have cho-- that is, Celestia would not have chosen you if she thought you couldn’t succeed in this. She believes in you, Twilight. I believe in you.

I don’t feel any better, but thanks anyways, Boreas.

You know, I’d be concerned if you felt good about this. Never take pleasure in violence. Consider that your lesson for the day. Now, I believe Jutsu is coming. The time is soon.

“Are you ready?” the red mare asked, walking up behind her. The stone faced mercenary actually seemed slightly perturbed by the armor. She hoofed her an ear held communication device like the ones Iron Shod and Break had.

“I suppose so.” Twilight replied, slipping the black device on.

“Then take your position. They will be here within ten minutes. And Twilight?”

“Yes, Jutsu?”

“Steel your heart against what is ahead. Make no doubt, there will be blood.”

Jutsu turned and disappeared into the forest.

Twilight whimpered.

* * *

The stallion leaned against a tree, looking at the crossing. He didn’t like this, but they could not afford to delay. They
had to get to Umala as soon as possibly. There was mild cloud coverage just over them. A warm late-morning sun filtered through the forest canopy.

“No point being stupid about this. Three at a time! Once a group makes it halfway, the other goes! Get into the forest as soon as you can! Being in the open means being vulnerable to attack!” He gestured to some of the ponies. “You’ll have to help carry myself and Phoenix.” As he said this, the ponies looked over to Phoenix; she was the mare whose ribs had been broken by Koi back in Canterlot.

They made quick salutes and hefted the two injured ponies onto their back.

“Wounded will be carried by the fourth group! Don’t turn around until you are out of this damn forest!” he shouted. “Go!”

The first three waded out into the current. Another three followed. The first ponies disappeared into the shadowy
forest. Another group in front of him started to move. He felt himself moving as the three ponies holding him and the mare trotted to the river. Out of the treeline, sunlight started to beat on his neck. They entered the water. The ponies started to struggle in the mud under his weight.

“Don’t. Stop. Here.” he growled. They picked up the pace.

He glanced up at the cliffs around him. Something was off. A strange, opaque black form was crouched on the top of the jagged rocks. There was a red light coming from it. Before he could think anything of it, the world exploded.

* * *

“Last group entering kill zone. Designating target.”

Twilight said the words in what wouldn’t even qualify as a whisper. True to her words, though, she pointed the laser device at the center of the river. The five ponies were oblivious to what was about to happen.

“Confirming target.” Break’s voice pierced through the ear piece then paused. “We’re green. Leaflet salvo 1, released.”

Twenty seconds later, hundreds of tiny metal shards fell from the sky. They hit the water.

A concussive blast sent her ears to the moon and back. The ringing was painfully loud.

She blinked at the intense brightness of the explosion, and then tried to see the aftermath of the leaflet bombs. The water had turned crimson. Ponies were screaming. The third group soon returned to see what was going on. They started to wade into the water to try and rescue their comrades.

“Leaflet Salvo 2, released.”

Another twenty seconds, and another detonation rocked her to the core. She didn’t look this time. Her stomach was about to turn inside out.

“Leaflets depleted. Requesting next target.”

She banished the thought; there was a job at hand. She pointed the laser at the next target: the forest the ponies had just come from. Her entire body was shaking.

“Receiving new target.” Another pause. “Confirmed. Incendiary salvo 1, released.”

Two ponies were trying to retreat back to the north. As they re-entered the treeline, the woods erupted in a hellish nightmare. Twilight couldn’t breath as the air was sucked away. She tried to imagine the horrible fate the two thugs had suffered. Her insides decided to unload their contents.

“This is Break and Twilight. Seven neutralized, one unconfirmed. My munitions are depleted. Resuming over watch.”

Switching to a private channel, Break sent a message to her. “You did good, kid.”

* * *

The bark was cold to the touch. The moss even less pleasant. Jutsu was pressed against the tree. Even from this distance, the rumble of the Break’s aerial superiority in action had shaken the leaves off the trees.

A rustle in the undergrowth. “Fuck! What do we do?”

“Run, dammit!”

The three thugs started to break into a gallop. They didn’t make it far before Jutsu leapt out of her cover and eviscerated the one in the lead. His intestines fell to the forest floor. The others pulled to a dead stop, shocked at what had just happened. It wasn’t until the second’s skull was bashed in by Iron Shod did the last one start to run again. Jutsu was
much, much quicker. Leaping onto the back of the mottled grey stallion, she wrenched his head to the side.

CRACK.

As the pony collapsed to the ground, Jutsu leaped off and landed gracefully in the grass.

Three down.

Iron Shod melted back into the undergrowth. Jutsu did the same. Another explosion shook the earth. The voices of
ponies drew nearer.

“Holy shit! What happened to these two?”

“Just keep moving! You heard the captain!”

Iron Shod bucked the trailing one in the side. He stumbled into the undergrowth, where Jutsu was waiting with two blood-stained hoof-blades. The colt died without a sound. The maroon pony took off after the other two who were oblivious to their companions death.

She leaped into the air above a mare. Moments later, the Jade Lotus agent found an impressively large sword planted in the back of her skull and emerging out of her mouth. The remaining stallion finally noticed his friends were missing. His eyes went wide as he looked behind him and saw a mare with two blood-drenched swords. He goaded his legs into galloping harder.

It was to no avail, though, as Iron Shod’s metal hoof slammed into his nose, jamming the bone into his brains. He crumpled to the floor, his face unrecognizable.

Six down.

* * *

They had barely entered the forest when they felt the thunder of high-explosives. The three thugs turned around and raced back to the river. The sight was beyond horrific. One of the stallions had burst into fleshy chunks. Yet another was ripped in half at the chest. The third was entirely non-existent; the majority of his body liquefied and floating down the river.

“The captain and Phoenix are in there! We have to rescue them!”

He was still alive, but barely. They could see the stallion bobbing on the water, slowly drifting. And so they dove into the
river to retrieve him. That’s when the second salvo hit.

One was flung clear of the river. He then slammed into a tree head-first. The unfortunate stallions skull burst open like
a melon. The other two were peppered with shrapnel, but otherwise alive. Phoenix was now a lost cause. They reached the unconscious captain and dragged him back to the shore they had originally departed from. The captain sputtered back into consciousness and coughed out water. The bodies of the stallions carrying him had protected him from the worst of the explosives.

“Sir, we need to get out of here!”

The captain looked around. “Are you the only ones left?”

“I don’t know about the first and second groups, but I think we are, sir! We need to go!”

“It would appear we do. I think it’s about time we beat a hasty retreat. Every pony for themselves.”

“Sir?”

“It’s more important that the Jade Lotus knows what’s going on than me surviving! GO!”

They snapped a quick salute. “It’s been an honor, sir!” They galloped into the northern forests.

“Good luck...” he whispered to himself.

The forest they had ran into suddenly burst into flames.

“Fuck.”

With no other appealing options, the stallion hobbled down back to the river, then joined his former companions in floating down the current. Perhaps he could find a crossing down river.

* * *

“Thirteen confirmed killed. One missing.”

“Missing?”

“The leader. I lost track of him after I dropped the napalm. He was wounded though; if the SOB is still alive, he can’t have gone far.”

* * *

No amount of blankets could stop her shivering. She felt impossibly cold. Numb. Dead. Nausea formed in her gut, but she had given up everything she had. Thus another fit of dry heaves set in as images of the torn, mutilated ponies entered her mind once more.

From a distance she had been able to withstand it. It was something far away; she didn’t have to deal with it because she could look away. Twilight didn’t know why she had looked. The two leaflet bombs detonated. She peeked over the cliff. Severed limbs, heads and gallons of blood swirled in a horrific stew. The screams... oh, Celestia, the screams...

It was disgusting. Disturbing. Vile. A necessary evil in a good name. She had crawled away from the cliff, her breakfast spewing out her throat. Break had found her and carried her back to their shelters deep in the forest.

They were stacking the bodies. A heap of shredded carcasses, or whatever remained of them. The mercenaries had no respect for the dead. Missing eyeballs and hooves were indiscriminately tossed onto the crows feast. Senseless was the only word that could describe the scene.

She had done it. She aimed the laser. Their blood was on her hands.

Jutsu, Break and Iron Shod were conversing amongst themselves.

“We need to clear the area ASAP. Every pony around is going to see that smoke from the napalm pretty soon.”

“I don’t think we’ll be moving anytime soon.”

As Jutsu said this, she gestured over to the deathly pale unicorn.

“She’s not taking this well.”

Iron Shod grunted. “Break, take a look around; see if there’s some high ground nearby.” He paused, then added, “I’ll go talk to her.”

The pegasus took off and Shod ambled over to where Twilight was huddled. He didn’t say anything for a while, but just sat down next to her.

“How do you live with it?” she croaked.

“I don’t.”

Twilight did not react, but continued to impassively stare at him.

“I’ve killed plenty of ponies in my years. It never gets easier. I close my eyes and I see them: all of them. Old and young, powerful and weak. So many I’ve lost count.” He returned her gaze. “There is no pride to be found in murder, Twilight. I do not fight because I enjoy it. Only a truly sick pony will find pleasure in ending a life.”

Iron Shod put a hoof on her shoulder.

“Twi, you are no sick pony. You will not become a deranged soul. Your will is strong; no amount of blood will make you
lose yourself. This mission; you were sent on it for a reason. When the looming cloud of battle stares you down, never forget who you are. The past does not define you. It only shapes you. Who you are is a matter of now, not then. No matter what you do, you will still be you. We’re counting on you to do what is necessary when the time comes. You’ll be ready for it when it does.”

Break’s voice buzzed in through the ear piece. “Two miles due west, there’s a decent hill with a clearing near the top
we can set up in.”

“Got it.” he replied. He turned back to her. “For now, all we need you to do is take a gentle stroll through the forest with us.”

* * *

Though no one had asked for it, a respectably large fire was burning in the middle of their circle of tents. They needed it. For the rest of the day, they had decided to rest. Night had fallen without a disturbance.

“How far is Yearling City from here?”

“Two or three days, depending on how fast we go.”

His question answered, Pan returned to silence.

Mane looked over at Twilight. This certainly wasn’t the right time to make any sort of move. She was vulnerable. Besides, he had given up on having a true relationship years ago. Still, the least he could do was ask how she was doing.

“How are you doing?”

Twilight’s reaction was to keep staring at the flames. Iron Shod glared at him. Don’t bother her. his eyes read. Mane got the message and shut his mouth.

Pan looked over to Rise, who was sitting to his right. The white pony had helped gather the bodies. She was certainly much more resilient than Twilight; she had been shaken, but not to the point of stupor.

“You feeling okay?” he whispered in her ear. “That wasn’t a pleasant task, earlier.”

She cocked her head at the question.

“I... yeah. I’m fine.” she answered. Her next words made his heart skip a beat. “Uh... can we talk in private?” she said as she nodded in the direction of the forest behind them.

He gulped. This was the chance he was waiting for, and it had fallen right into his hooves. He eagerly smiled and nodded. She stood and walked off into the forest. It had taken him a full three seconds before he followed after her. The awkward exchange seemed to have been a gift from the gods above. As the firelight faded into darkness, he heard a snicker behind him.

Fuck you, Break.

* * *

“You feeling okay?” he asked again.

They were sitting on a patch of grass. Above them, they could see a cloudless sky filled with hundreds of stars.

Rise sighed. “No... I suppose not.”

“Hm?”

“I’m worried, Pan. About our journey. About our new friends.”

“You mean your worried about Twilight.”

“I... yes. It feels wrong to say that when she’s done so much for us. She just seems so out of place, here with us.”

“No, I understand what you mean. I’d have to agree with you, in fact.”

She chuckled. “Thank you, Pan.”

He was taken aback. “For what?”

“For being with me.”

They sat in silence, staring into each others eyes. Pan asked her an innocent question.

“Remember when I asked you why you came on the journey back in Canterlot?”

“Yes.”

“You never answered the question.”

Despite the darkness, Pan could see her roll her eyes. “You’re not very bright, are you.”

“Huh?”

Rise suddenly pulled him close in a tight embrace. They tumbled onto the ground, with Pan finding himself pinned under an extremely emancipated white pony with the body of a goddess.

“Oh.” was all he could manage before they took their friendship to the next stage.

* * *

“Pffffttttttt!”

The sound Break had made when Pan and Rise departed was hard to describe. Most would call it a cross between a snicker and a full-on laugh. It wasn’t until after they were out of earshot that the true laughing began. Even Twilight had cracked a smile at the absurdity of the situation.

“Gotta give the colt some respect! Knows when to get a girl when their vulnerable! Just after picking up dead bodies! HA!”

“She’s gonna get it in the ass like those fuckin’ thugs at the creek!”

“The entire time! I just wanted to yell at him ‘hurry up and get on that mule, you dipshit! She’s beggin for ya!’”

Break and Iron Shod traded crude jokes about the two of them for the better part of a half hour. Even Jutsu and Koi offered their grins. It was good. Twilight felt much better. The others had been making an obvious effort to help lighten her mood, and it was working.

She made a resolution in her heart. They care for me. They trust me. I must not take their gift in vain. I will do whatever I can do within my power to help them when the time comes, no matter the price. They would do the same for me.

Looking up at the stars, she though back to what Princess Celestia had told her. Never forget the Elements of Harmony. They may serve you well in the trials ahead. It hadn’t made sense at the time. But now, in the company of her new friends, her teachers intent was starting to become clear.

* * *

Laughter.