Spike

I’ve survived the post office during Heart's Warming Eve.

I’ve braved the Canterlot boulevard during summer sale.

Hay, I’ve even dealt with the reception of the Grand Galloping Gala and lived to tell the tale.

None of them, perhaps not even all three combined, came anywhere close to what was happening within the Dragon Whisper network right now.

The same way the Canterlot Boutique turned into a madhouse during a clearance sale, my head became a madhouse of the worst kind when everypony from frontline scout to rear echelon artillery officer reported their findings, warnings, and requests right into my brain. Often at the same time. It. Never. Stopped.

As the fight outside escalated, so did the frequency of messages floating through my head. Whenever it got too much, and especially when several arrived at the same time, I tried to sort them by priority. This created another issue by itself, though: everypony was first priority in a situation like this. Or, at least so they claimed. Everypony was equally panicked, equally stressed, equally rushed with adrenaline. In the end, I was left with no choice other than blocking out voices that didn’t belong to the Prism Guard, telling everyone else to stand by until Shining Armor was briefed and ready to give new orders.

It was far from an ideal solution, and upon noticing that my mental filtering led to the warzone escalating even further, I relayed at least some of the messages from the frontline, hoping they would turn out critical enough to be worth it. It was a mental walk over a tightrope, without an end in sight.

“Spike, can you hear me?”

And then there was the pony who gave me more heart attacks than anypony else in this insane warzone. I was about to answer Flash when another call entered my head.

“Whisper-One to HQ! Timberwolves and tigers coming in hot from the west! Distance: two klicks. ETA: one minute.”

Just as I focused on the map, trying to visualize their attack vector, two more messages came in, this time from our own artillery commanders.

“Gun-Three to HQ! A fleet of Rocs incoming eastside!”

“Gun-Two to HQ! A dozen manticores charging us from the south!”

Celestia-damn it…!

“Copy that. Stand by,” I sent towards all of them, before turning to Shining Armor. “Whisper-One and Guns two and three called in. Timberwolves and tigers west, Rocs east, and manticores south. All heading for the HQ.”

Shining cursed under his breath. “Pull guns one through eight off to defend. Get all whispers grounded before those Rocs spot them.”

I parroted Shining’s orders through the dragon whisper, switching channels a dozen times. It was starting to strain not just my concentration, but my energy as well. I had never maxed out my use of the Dragon Whisper; single messages or even long conversations normally didn’t tend to be much of an effort. However, today might just be the day there I reached the ceiling of my abilities—and magical stamina.

Once I got their confirmation, Flash’s voice buzzed in my head once again. “Spike, come in!”

“Sorry, dealing with a hot mess right now,” I apologized. “Talk to me.”

“They just entered Quad-four with a hydra and a bunch of Rocs! We’re gonna need help to take it down!”

“A hydra?! For the love of…!” Thorax and Shining’s heads whipped towards me, though whether it was what I said or the ‘I want to punch a wall’ face I was making I wasn’t sure. “How are evacuations?”

“Negative! Civilians are within danger close! Standby for artillery strike!”

“Copy that.” I couldn’t hide the weariness as I repeated Flash’s request to Shining Armor.

“Malice is triple tapping our guns so he can move his heavy hitter in. Clever bastard.” he hissed. His eyes roamed the map, searching for something within the grid lines and marker highlights. “Whatever Flash plans on doing, he better make it quick. If our guns go down, we lose the ability to take down their bigger assets. Spike, have…” Shining trailed off as he looked at Thorax, as did I.

A worried look hit Thorax as he used his magic to draw on the map with his marker. X marks were made to the west, south, and east of our location. The one that threw us off was the fourth one he made a little ways away with an arrow pointed to the castle. All the while he didn’t say a single word.

I appreciated what he was trying to do, but couldn’t help but feel unnerved by his seemingly random moments. He would randomly draw color-coordinated markers on the map or fire off directions and instructions without any warning. I knew he was relaying intel from Elytra or Noble, yet it was still odd to see his expressions randomly morph from one emotion to the other without rhyme or reason.

“Thorax?” Shining asked carefully, as if worried he would trigger a powder keg.

“Incoming Serpent. Warlord host.” Thorax absentmindedly tapped on the x mark with the arrow. “AP shells. Kill it.”

Flashbacks of that basement brawl sent shivers down my spine. “Shining, we can’t have that monster near us.”

“Agreed. Spike, have guns nine through fifteen take down the serpent. Prime guns sixteen through twenty for Flash.”

“Got it.” I channelled my network to reach one of the artillery sergeants assigned to be my voice. “Sergeant Grit, serpent identified south of you. Get nine through fifteen on it with AP shells. Also need sixteen through twenty ready to fire at my call.”

“Wilco, lil’ dragon. Relaying orders and firing at the slithering bastard.” the gruff stallion confirmed.

After a few moments, thunderous thumps echoed through the castle walls as the Typhoons launched their volleys. I couldn’t imagine how the gunners handled being near those things when it was deafening being this far from them.

“Near miss on target. Concentrate fire.” Thorax instructed.

Without waiting for Shiny’s approval, I reached out for Grit once more. This serpent—and more importantly, its pilot—needed to die asap. “We missed. Repeat the volley. I say again, repeat the volley!”

Pencils and glasses danced over the table as another eardrum-pulverizing series of thumps shook the castle’s foundation shortly after. The shots were coming less organized now, though. What had been a rapid-fire series of shots akin to a wardrum’s beat had turned into an arhythmic sequence of explosions, gaps, and even longer pauses that made me question how much longer the reload gunners could uphold this insane rate of fire. All of these were clear signs the gun crews were at the limits of their coordination as well.

“Hit confirmed. Target has been—”

Thorax went still as if stuck in time. Shining and I exchanged looks as his eyes grew wider and wider, then jumped when he shot out of his seat, forehooves slamming on the table.

“We gotta go! Now!”

“What’s wrong?” Shining asked.

The castle suddenly rocked as if a train had crashed into it. I was nearly thrown off my chair, struggling to keep my balance. Rubble and pieces of crystal came loose and fell from the ceiling; exploding into a million fine splinters upon reaching the floor.

Just as my eardrums recovered from the shock, a second explosion followed, this time accompanied by the sound of shattering glass.

Glass, or crystalline walls? My stomach plummeted when I realized it came from the farside of the castle. Those explosive waves of force echoed louder and louder, the ground shaking each time.

“That!” Thorax pointed a hoof in the sound’s direction. “The warlord is coming for us!”

At the word ‘warlord’, I scrambled off my chair, nearly tripping over my own feet as I made for the door. Like Tartarus I wanted to face that monster again. “We can’t fight that thing! Let’s go!”

Shining needed no further convincing as he and Thorax bounded for the door with me.

A dark expression fell over Shining’s face as he snagged the map in his magic. “We need to evacuate the castle. Spike, lead the way out.”

“Got it!” I shoulder tackled through the large double doors, nearly causing the two Crystal Guards stationed in front of it to fall over in surprise.

“Code Ruby! Avoid engagement!” Shining rattled off to the startled guard. His eyes went wide and, after a quick salute and confirmation of the order, sprinted off with the other guard, hollering stuff like “Code Ruby!” and “Evac! Evac!”. While those guards went to spread the word, I led us towards the quickest exit route.

We’d barely made the first turn in the hall when the walls of the council room crumbled from the world shaking impact.

“Gunnery Grit to HQ! We’re getting hit hard! Ain’t gonna be firing anytime soon until these damn things are off our backs!” Grit barely contained the panic in his voice.

Damn, damn, damn!

“Shining, guns are tied up! They can’t fire!” I hollered.

“Overlord Elytra, Zecora, and their squads are enroute to them now.” Thorax informed.

Shining hesitated for a beat. “Spike, have all guns on defense until the assault is dealt with. Thorax, keep me apprised of Elytra’s status.”

“Yes, sir.” Thorax and I chimed. I reached out to Sergeant Grit, doing my best to ignore the battle cries and screams coming down the hall behind us. “Stay on defense! Report back when the coast is clear.”

“Copy that.” Grit responded.

We were halfway towards the exiting staircase when a quick series of exploding walls tore through the castle.

“Shining Armor, I know you’re here! Show yourself, coward!”

That deep, familiar voice powerful enough to echo through half the castle could only belong to the warlord. I briefly wondered how it knew Shining Armor was here, yet knowing some soldiers got caught up in the warlord’s warpath, I decided it was not worth diving too deep on that spiraling train of thought.

“Don’t fall for the bait,” Thorax warned. “He will do anything to spark anger and rage. As long as you keep your emotions calm, he will struggle to find us.”

“I know.” A snarl crept into Shining’s muzzle, probably drawing the same conclusion I did about the warlord’s acquisition of intel. “I know…”

“Spike, I need an AP strike on the hydra! Time-to-Target! Warn Strike-Four of danger close!” Flash’s voice exploded in my head.

“Copy that. Relaying...uh…” I gulped. Oh. Right. “N-Negative. No can do.”

“Why the fuck not?!”

I winced. “Warlord’s attacking HQ with a three-pronged assault and—”

We were mere steps from reaching the exit when a shadow fell over Shining Armor’s back, growing bigger and bigger at a frightening rate.

“—Oh shit!” I tackled into Shining Armor, knocking him out of the way just in time.

Ripped metal and carved flesh crashed where Shining Armor had been. We slid to a halt, caught in muted horror at the sight of the poor Crystal Guard caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. We all glanced back at the one who threw this grisly scene at us.

The wingless draconic phantom draped in ethereal armor laughed from the opposite end of the hall.

“Bring me more toys, Prince!” The warlord cackled at us. “They break too easily… just like she did, ‘BBBFF’!”

A glacier dropped in my stomach.

He didn’t—!

As the words sunk in, rage turned my blood to lava. Black puffs of smoke left my lungs as my breathing grew heavy, interrupted only by the shaking of my tensed limbs.

My fingers wrapped themselves around one of the Niekinis daggers. “Oh, you little—”

Before I could act on my impulse to rip this bastard apart, Shining did. He snapped around and dashed off like a crossbow bolt from Tartarus. Any attempt to call after him died when I belatedly realized the expression of heavenly fury carved into his face.

Thorax’ warning came back to my mind. Seconds too late did I realize how the warlord had played us like fools.

It was also Thorax who found the words that had died in my throat. “Stop! It’s a trap!”

Words did as much to stop Shining’s charge as a breeze did to stop a buffalo stampede. Long before Shining reached him, the warlord adjusted his stance and shield. Holding his sword low, he was prepared to thrust it forward from behind his cover once Shining reached him.

I dashed forward as if chased by the devil incarnate. Instinctively though, I knew I’d never make it in time.

A warcry left Shiny’s throat as he was but a step away from the warlord. Then he vanished, nothing but a quickly dimming glimmer of rose magic in his place.

The warlord hesitated a beat before slashing a spot to the right of where Shining Armor disappeared. His blade struck something invisible and my heart skipped a beat, until I noticed the telltale purple cracks hinting at a shield spell around this invisibility sphere.

A bright flash broke through the sphere, and the warlord jumped back. The sharp sound of steel striking steel snapped through the corridor. I hadn’t even seen the blade, let alone Shining himself. I had no idea how the warlord managed to deflect such a strike.

“You’re full of tricks, General. But they are wasted on me,” the warlord grunted. He lifted his sword to his snout, and breathed white mist against it. At first I thought it was dragonfire similar to my own, but when ice spikes grew across the blade like a thousand sharp needles, I realized it was ice magic instead.

I was halfway across the corridor when Shining lifted his invisibility spell. He was all but three steps away from the warlord, his service sword levitating by his right side.

“My Emperor was right; it’s almost too easy to lure you into the offense.”

Shining revealed but the faintest smile on his face. I slowed down, struck by realization. He hadn’t fallen victim to pathos—and it wasn’t Shining who had fallen into a trap.

“You may regret that,” Shining breathed ever so quietly. “It brought you face-to-face with a Master of the Mystic Blade.”

“What—” The warlord never got to finish his sentence.

Floor, walls, and ceiling exploded with carved blade scars as a dozen unseen swords hammered away at him. Fast as lightning, the conjured weapons danced around him in patterns so random my brain hurt just from trying to follow them. The warlord backpedalled as cuts upon cuts hammered against his defenses.

A furious shout boomed through the hallway as he used his huge shield to slam the conjured blades away like a swarm of flies. “You cowardly little maggot! Stand and fight!”

His ice-coated blade slammed into the spot where Shining had been just a second prior. Reappearing behind the warlord, Shining thrust his sword into the warlord’s heel, pulling a roar from the creature even more enraged than the last.

This time, Shining was too slow to evade, though. The warlord spun around on the spot and slammed his shield against Shining’s chest, tossing him towards the far end of the hall with the force of a locomotive.

“Spike!” Thorax darted by my side, running alongside me. “Hold back for now. We can’t interfere.”

“Are you crazy? He needs help!”

“Unless you can conjure another hundred blades from thin air, we won’t be much help to him. In fact, we could even get him killed” Thorax growled, eyes glued and shifting to a harried looking Shining who was just pulling himself back up.

“How so?”

“Best case scenario we get cut accidentally with his invisible magic blades. At worst, we break his focus and give the warlord an opening. Let’s stay close and wait for an opportunity.”

It wasn’t until I allowed myself to slow down and process the situation that I realized Shining Armor was holding his own surprisingly well. Even though he had taken a first blow, so had the warlord—and ironically, Shining seemed to be much more in control than the three-meter-tall ice monster from Tartarus.

“Do you really think he can kill him?” I couldn’t help but ask, dreading the answer.

“Until yesterday, I didn’t know these things could die at all,” Thorax admitted, just as another bunch of blades came into existence left and right of Shining. “But if we work together, like one swarm…. Yes, I believe together we can.”

“...Alright, Thorax. I’ll follow your lead.” I nodded, keeping my eyes on the action. Taking position next to him, I drew my blade.

When the warlord’s attention snapped to me, I realized my screw-up.

“Spike?” Thorax wondered.

His glance fell on the Niekinis blade. He was struck by recognition the moment the warlord tossed his sword at Shining like a throwing dagger. For a moment, Shining was distracted with deflecting the huge bihänder, and the warlord used this window to charge me like a madman.

“YOU!” his shout boomed through the hallway.

All plans of a smart, coordinated, tactically valuable approach were stripped from my mind instantly. All that was left was a very straightforward concept I managed to shout at Thorax while turning on my heels and making for the exit.

“RUN!”

The ground beneath us shook as the warlord came after us. I turned around only once, curiosity sparked by a pained shout from my pursuer. Apparently, Shining had hurled several of his conjured blades into the barely protected back of the warlord.

Against all logic and reason, this did little to slow him down though. He used his shield as a last throwing weapon to toss into Shining’s path, then he continued his chase with double the ferocity.

“Split up!” Thorax shouted as we neared the end of the corridor. “We need to split up!”

A conjured sword larger than myself suddenly zipped through the corridor. It passed me high above my head and embedded itself down to the hilt in the wall ahead of me.

What the hay?

As I scurried around the right corner and Thorax around the left, we both threw a glance back at the warlord. A second sword cut through the air, preceded by a warcry from Shining and followed by the angry general himself. This one managed to graze the warlord, and with enough power to almost send him tumbling no less. It then joined the other deep within the corridor wall.

“Stand and fight, you coward!” Shining yelled after the warlord, who had chosen to pursue me instead of Thorax.

Of course he had chosen to pursue me. After all, I was the one with the demon-killing dagger around my hip. Great plan, Thorax!

Suddenly, the shadow of the warlord loomed over me. “Got you!” he shouted.

Something bright rose came into existence ahead of me. A terrible crashing sound sent me flying to the floor. In flight, I managed to spin around to see the impossible: Shining had teleported into the path of the warlord, not a second too late. Casting a shield between us and the warlord, he had brought the foe’s charge to a very unexpected halt.

“I said,” Shining breathed between gnashed teeth, “stand and fight, you coward!”

The warlord stared at Shining with a mixture of amazement and fury. He extended his right arm, and within his open claw a new sword materialized. “You will not deny me my quarry, prince!”

“Should’ve thought of that before foalnapping my sister!”

The Warlord hopped back and dove into a sword thrust. The shield shattered upon impact, but Shining pivoting around the blade to attack with his own. Shining dashed left, then right, deflecting strike upon strike away from both himself and me. The pissed off dragon ghost soon had enough of this and refocused his efforts on Shining.

They clashed repeatedly, each searching for an angle against their defensive opponent with no success. Several blade strokes turned into a defensive reposition with their shields, then they sprang back at each other’s throats. Back and forth, back and forth, a faster and deadlier version of my knife practice with Noble.

“Spike, find Thorax and get out of here!” Shining barked.

“We’re not leaving you behind!” I yelled back, readying both Niekinkis daggers on my hip. While I wasn’t sure how to contribute to this contest of master sword fighters, I couldn’t bring myself to abandon Shining.

This wasn’t just about my desire to kill that warlord. I wasn’t ready to lose another sibling just yet.

“This is no time to be a hero! I need you alive!” Magic poured from Shining’s horn at full power, launching thick spikes of magic at the warlord. “Now run! That’s an order!”

“Go ahead and run!” the warlord joined in. “Without you around, I can kill your general even easier!”

He spun around on the spot, slashing and bashing at the spikes with both his sword and with his shield. Many burst into magic sparkles upon being shattered, but some managed to exist long enough to cause the warlord serious struggle.

One scraped his side, tearing off a piece of his armor’s abdominal plate. Another pushed against his back, nearly causing him to lose balance during a complex move.

Each spike chipped away at the warlord’s focus, demanding more and more of his attention. After the fifth one strafed his back armor, and with a mighty cry, the warlord spun away from us to face the spikes behind him. That was a signal to run for it.

Shining Armor dove in for the kill.

I followed.

The moment the warlord turned his head around ever so slightly and focused us from the very edge of his vision, I knew we done bucked up.

Shining had been aiming high, putting lethality before subtlety. It became his undoing when the warlord released his weapons and grabbed Shining’s sword mid-attack. He used it to pull him even closer, before delivering the haymaker of the millenia.

Shining’s head was struck twice. Once by the warlord’s armored knuckles, and once by the castle wall that caught him mid-flight. Somewhere in between the two he must’ve lost consciousness, because all that hit the floor was a limp, motionless heap of a stallion.

It was too late for me to turn back now. Knowing I’d never outrun him, I ripped both daggers from their sheaths. I crossed them before my chest like armor, ready to slash at whatever they struck first.

If he can’t hit me without touching the blades, then he won’t. That was my logic.

He wouldn’t... right?

His knee struck my stomach like a cannonball. Pain exploded in my eyes and head, then traveled through the rest of my body as I was sent skipping along the ground. I remained where I landed, lungs void of any air. It was as if the echo of his kick still reverberated through me, because my body refused to get up again.

Damn it, something’s broken again, isn’t it?

Barely three steps away from me the warlord had collapsed to his left knee; his right knee was a mess of wafting white smoke and shattered armor.

Before I could even consider moving again, he got back up though. It was clear he was fighting against immense pain, but it still wasn’t enough to stop him.

He breathed heavily, holding his chest with one claw. “I shall not… be made undone… by this foul sorcery!”

I searched for the two Niekinis blades; my spirit plummeted when I saw them scattered across the floor. There was not a chance I’d manage to recover them before he’d reach me.

As a matter of fact, I wasn’t even sure my limbs would obey if I’d just try to reach the one on my tail. Nonetheless, I slowly reached out for it with my arm, pain accompanying my every motion.

He noticed my attempt much sooner than I had anticipated. Then again, I didn’t really have the strength to be subtle or coordinated anymore. He walked towards me; his limp fading as his magic had almost entirely regenerated his injury.

“You—”

Whatever he had planned to say was drowned out by the beastly shout of…

Of…

Was that a gorilla shouting in the distance?

The ground trembled underneath me as something of no doubt immense mass approached us at Tartarus speed.

*Grab Shining and run!* Thorax’s voice suddenly sounded in my head.

“What the—?” I muttered in confusion.

“What the—” the warlord breathed, louder and even more confused than myself.

This was the moment something huge, black, and hairy came running at him.

It was Thorax, I belatedly realized.

The warlord made an attempt to get into position, but he was caught off-guard by the insane mobility of this eight-hoof tall heap of muscles and aggression. Before he could raise his arms, the larger-than-life beast delivered a bone-shattering right hook to the warlord’s face.

*Get Shining!* Thorax’ voice boomed through my head, and belatedly I realized that this was Thorax. He had transformed into this nightmarish monster in order to buy us time!

As the warlord wrapped one claw around Thorax's throat and slammed the other into his stomach, I realized this opening would soon close.

I crawled towards Shining, first on my knees, but eventually I managed to stumble at him at a quick pace. Behind me the brawl of giants continued, the ground trembling whenever one of them slammed the other into a wall or door frame.

“Shining!” I huffed, shaking his shoulder. “You there, buddy?”

A growl was all I got from him. *No good, he’s out cold.*

*Can you carry him?* Thorax asked between two punches. His follow-up grunt suggested the warlord paid him back in kind, and with interest.

I tried to wrap my arms around Shiny’s barrel, but upon trying to lift him my knees gave in, and a piercing pain shot through my chest. *That’s a negative. I can barely carry myself.*

*Gotcha—ouch! Time for a plan B—oof!”

I looked over my shoulder only to witness Thorax getting absolutely trashed by the warlord. The draconic warrior rammed his armored knee up Thorax’s stomach, then slammed his elbow against Thorax’s brow.

Still, Thorax’s current form was accompanied by a huge load of muscles and much tougher bones than those of an equine, so he was able to stumble away from strikes that would’ve no doubt killed a lesser creature.

To stumble away - and kick my daggers back towards me.

*New plan: you distract him, and I evac the General.*

Thinking back to how well his last plan had worked out for me, he really seemed to have a thing for putting me in these situations. Not like I had a better idea, though.

I grabbed the daggers and got myself up, prepared to collect my next beating. Just as I was wondering how to tackle this beast, Thorax managed to get the warlord into a hold—and slammed him into the ground between us.

There wouldn’t be a better timing. I needed no further incentive from Thorax as I scrambled forward, daggers in hand.

The warlord was mumbling to himself, something about tearing out spines and strangulations, by the time I tossed myself onto him.

I managed to bury one blade in his shoulder before he realized what was about to happen. His pained roar was not from this world, and he jumped up like he was bitten by a horse. I didn’t even get to use the second dagger on him before he stumbled several paces back, trying hard to remove the weapon from his back.

For a moment I was tempted to go after him, but the second he got a hold of the hilt and freed himself from the blade I reconsidered. He was beyond pissed now, and this might be our only window to escape and regroup.

I turned towards Thorax. “Grab Shiny—”

“—and leg it!” he completed my thought.

Thorax rushed at Shiny and scooped him up in his giant hands.

Even through the immense pain he must’ve been experiencing, the warlord still caught on to our plan in no time. An angry huff escaped him as he dashed towards us.

He only made a few steps before he was met with a niekinis blade tossed into his kneecap.

Curses were uttered in a rough and incomprehensible language left him as he stumbled forward, trying to strike me even as he fell.

He narrowly missed me, but before he could get back up I already spinted out of range.

“Go!” I shouted at Thorax. He nodded, and three huge steps later, he vanished around the corner.

White hot fury met my gaze as the warlord slowly rose back to his feet, injury quickly healing and the fleeting Gorilla-Thorax with an unconscious prince already forgotten.

“My emperor wasn’t exaggerating after all.” He stalked towards me, again with somewhat of a limp in his steps—but this time he managed to look far more menacing than the last time. I scampered back, my fierce scowl betrayed by my shaking hands. “That foolish warlord deserved his fate for underestimating you. A mistake I won’t repeat.”

I took a glance over my shoulder. At the end of the hall were two paths; one led to the exit, and the other deeper into the castle. My initial instinct urged me to run towards escape, and I nearly turned for it when a thought made me hesitate.

If I exited the castle with the warlord breathing down my back, no doubt he would carve through anyone caught up between us, and our soldiers would no doubt be forced to fight him. With the evacuation order given, most if not all the soldiers would be outside now; I’d be leading him right towards them. I knew I could never forgive myself if I allowed that to happen.

Since insanity was already the order of the day, I didn’t hesitate before sprinting towards the path which led deeper into the castle.

“Thorax,” I called through the Dragon Whisper. “I need your help.”

*Of course. What’s the plan?*

I swallowed hard. Hate to do this to him, but I can’t do this by myself.

“The moment Shining’s back up, we’re going to kill this warlord.”

Noble Heart

Changelings like myself are bred to face impossible odds. Capture towns without anyone noticing? Done it. Uncover deadly weapons Celestia tried to keep secret? Nailed it. Conquer a city and castle with a quarter of their numbers? Succeeded. Kind of.

This operation Flash allowed me to take charge of? Save a town besieged by Malice and his woodland critters? That was going to take a few miracles.

Lucky for these ponies, I had at least one miracle tucked away in my wing.

Not long after sending Flash off and calming Elly down, Cadenaz’s squad and I bumped into Vivi and her team. They were missing half their squad, the survivors looking worse for wear both physically and emotionally. It only made sense to combine them with our forces, as we too had been hit pretty hard thanks to dealing with the serpent and subsequent mobile hit squads. I briefed them on the situation, Vivi being especially irked by one tiny detail.

“Ma’am, the captain was by far the strongest part of our team. We would’ve been dead without him!” she argued.

“And for that reason he’s the only one equipped to deal with the enemy commander,” I explained. “If he can disrupt the warmaster pulling the strings, that will turn this battle around. We will not win this fight unless we do something about him.”

“We won’t turn anything around by being dead,” Vivi contered. I was starting to get the feeling she was going to be difficult. “Captain Sentry was able to provide a level of support and cover we won’t get again. Sending him away was wrong.”

I released a tensed huff. “I believe it was, and still is, our best shot at—”

“It was too high of a risk,” Vivi fell into my sentence. I tilted my head, caught dumbfounded for a moment by her brashness. “Flash was our best chance at getting through this mess in one piece, and you just—”

She fell dead silent when I quickly paced towards her, my gaze burning into her forehead with every step. “Perhaps it was the wrong call to make. Perhaps we won’t make it out of here without Flash. But let me make one thing crystal clear: it was my suggestion, but the decision of your commanding officer to follow it, a decision you’re in no position to question, Sergeant Meadows.”

Vivi was about to take breath for a reply, but I cut her attempt short. “And while we’re at it, bear in mind that I don’t simply outrank you in terms of seniority—by much more than you can imagine—but also, Flash explicitly left me in charge of this unit. Thus, you’re in no position to question my orders, either.”

I didn’t need to taste her emotions to tell she was struggling hard to swallow that one. Lucky for her, I wasn’t done yet. “Lastly,” I increased my voice, making sure the others could hear me as well, “it doesn’t matter if any of us survive or not. We’re facing a threat that goes way past a local skirmish. If this warmaster isn’t stopped, the entire continent, your very homeland, is at mortal risk. Thus, it’s our duty to stop this bastard, and his monsters, and our personal fate being the balance must be of no concern right now. Do you understand?!”

Vivi remained quiet for a moment. Then she braced her shoulders. “Yes. Ma’am.”

She was still visibly tense, but as I backed off a few steps, I could sense her releasing that tension bit by bit.

It was Cadenaz who calmed the remaining waves. “Love, I get it, but somepony’s gotta give that enemy commander the shaft. Nothing we do here today will matter if he doesn’t kick the bucket.” He turned to me. “I take it you have something in mind for us in the meantime? We’re in no condition to be of significant impact anymore.”

“On the contrary, my plan is to crush the enemy’s fighting strength, down to the last rabbit and mouse that came out of that accursed forest.”

“How?” Vivi asked.

I flashed them a smirk. “Doing things the changeling way. That starts with getting in touch with Spark and the Major.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Vivi tried to hide it, but I could taste the bitter uncertainty and distrust in her emotions. I couldn’t blame her, as their very lifeline was sent away and left a changeling in charge of this motley crew.

“I’ll explain everything when we get to the front and talk to the major, but with dragon comms down, I need everypony onboard and ready to act when I give the word. I’ve led more hazardous missions than this with minimal casualties. I promised Flash to see you guys through this, and that’s what I plan on doing. Are you with me?”

Cadenaz threw me a serious look, a very rare occasion outside battle. “The prince made you out to be a boogeymare who couldn’t be trusted. But today, when you chose to save ponies and used yourself to direct the serpent away from us, I knew he was wrong.” He nodded at me. “I believe in you, Love.”

Vivi paused, deliberating on his words. Then she gave me a stern nod. “I’ll do the same, ma’am.”

I still sensed a hint of wavering faith within Vivi, but at this point it would be better to show rather than tell. “Spectacular. Now, mobilize and push for the front. We’re regrouping with the Major and Sergeant Spark.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Cadenaz and Vivi saluted. The moment our squads were organized, we set out full steam to the frontline.

Whatever Vivi and Flash did prior to my arrival had thinned out the herd within the town. Pockets of resistance popped up between streets or in the households of those too slow to make it out alive, but it was much less than expected. The weirder occurrences were from citizens and straggling soldiers infused with pathos, attacking anyone within eye contact. My ability to absorb their overflow pacified them before they could do any real harm outside bruises and scratches. I could only imagine what the frontline was going through between berserking soldiers and tides of feral beasts.

By the time we reached the forward supply base, I found my answer.

Black smoke swathed over the battered landscape. Even from the supply outpost, I could spot the countless casualties of both sides strewn across the battlefield. Explosions rang through the air frequently, screams and battle cries joining in unholy matrimony. The very atmosphere was laced deep with pathos, undoubtedly influencing the rising tension and body count. It didn’t matter whose blood was shed, only that someone bled.

The frontline was not the only war being waged.

“GRAAAH!” Sergeant Spark screamed into her sweeping blade stroke, carving up the creatures threatening to storm the supply depot. I started wondering why the sergeant was alone in the monster mosh pit when I spotted the equally harrowing monster wave crashing against the entry point of the Town Hall.

Of the Crystal Guard ponies holding the line against the monstrous tide, I noted two Prism Guards held the entry point into the building, nearly drowning in corpses and pathos possessed monstrosities. Judging from the bodies of the other Prism Guards, those two and Shine had to be the only ones left in their unit. Skilled as Shine was, she was gravely outnumbered and cornered. Then it dawned on me.

If this many already got through the frontline, no way it’s going to last much longer...!

“Vivi, secure the forward base! Cadenaz, on me!” I hovered off the ground and zipped forward, flanked by Cadenaz and his merry band of swift killers.

I tackled the grizzly bear attacking Shine Spark, tearing at its throat with my blades. Cadenaz swooped in and performed a mid-air spin with his cutlass, lopping off the heads of the two Timberwolves near Spark’s flank.

“About damn time you showed up!” Despite the ferocity in her volume, there was no doubt of the sincerity in Shine’s words.

“Fashionably late!” I twirled into a rising slash, splitting a tiger’s head in half. “Cleaning up your mess!”

“Can we save the foreplay for later, ladies?” Cadenaz kicked off one beast and slammed his blade down the other. The rest of his squad tore into the pick, slashing and stabbing at the startled creatures.

Dammit, Cadenaz.

“Dammit, Cadenaz!” Spark growled into her punch, crushing the unlucky werewolf’s face in.

Our combined efforts made short work of the remaining assailants. A disturbing sense of dread crawled up my spine as we cleaved their ranks and limbs alike. Every creature I’ve ever faced had a threshold of morale and common sense. Ponies, dragons, griffons, yaks, they knew when it was time to pack it up and go home. They knew fear. Malice and his vassals, on the other hoof, lacked this quality. To me, that was the true terror of pathos.

As I stared down the last creature, a tiger whose legs I had severed, fire burned hotter than ever in its gaze. Pathos had long killed it’s flight instincts and warped its nature. Twisted into a perfect killing machine.

Exactly what Malice had in store for us.

After casting the creature a pitying glance, I ended its miserable existence with a well placed stomp on the neck.

Once we were sure this area was clear, we regrouped with Shine, letting the corporals and privates aid in recovery efforts and overwatch while my sergeants and I recapped previous events. Flash’s departure drew more than a few eyebrows.

“Sounds like something Flash would do alright,” Shine sighed. “Could’ve at least asked for me to watch his back. Regarding the Major, losing the comms forced him to hunker down here and come up with a new plan. What the hay is happening back there?”

“I’ll explain when we find the Major. Can you take me to him?”

“Sure thing. Let’s go.”

Town hall was just as chaotic as our fight to get here. Ponies scrambled to and fro, tending to wounded and carrying ammunition to the frontline. Many of the injured were missing limbs, healing magic barely keeping their organs and what blood they had left inside them.

It was a bloody mess to witness—literally. Shine Spark was the only sergeant of mine who didn’t have to fight the impulse to vomit. The spicy taste of rage wafting off Shine’s emotions made her feelings abundantly clear.

After squeezing our way through the hustling guards and officers we approached the two entrypoint guards by the closed office door.

“I’m Noble Heart of the Prism Guard. We need to see the Major,” I requested.

“He’s in a strategy meeting. What do you need from him?”

“To listen. I wish to discuss a plan to crush this conflict.”

Surprise caught the guard for a moment before he defaulted to his stoic expression.
“Understood. One moment.” He nodded to his buddy, who returned the nod and slipped quietly inside the office.

“That statement holds a lot of brass, ma’am,” Sergeant Spark said. “Hope you can back that up for all of our sakes.”

“It’s not worth saying if I couldn’t back it up,” I replied. “And I didn’t learn how to break a motherfucker’s neck to be called ma’am. Call me Noble.”

Spark threw a raised eyebrow at me. After a beat, she laughed. “You’re alright, Noble.”

The guard stepped out and retook his post. “Come in.”

In Max’s “office”, which was just Mayor Mare’s office with a military makeover, several armored officers locked gazes with us as we stepped inside. Salty distress drifted through the room, coupled with the spicy taste of frustration among the officers. Changeling or otherwise, it was impossible to deny the lingering desperation. Everypony in the room was in rough shape, some sporting an injury and bloodied bandages. Sprinkles of fang and claw marks decorated their necks and faces. Two of them leaned onto the table for support, sporting damp, bloody bandages on their legs. These soldiers were at their limit.

Noting pony protocol, I stood at attention and saluted in sync with my sergeants. “Noble Heart of the Prism Guard, reporting in, sir!”

Max smirked. “At ease, lady. I get itchy when someone not on my payroll salutes me.” I couldn’t help but feel the heat of the other pony’s gazes on me. They had to already know I was a changeling, their distrust wafting about like a fog. “So I hear you got a brilliant plan to get us out of Tartarus.”

“Yes, sir. But I need to know: how bad is it at the front?”

A grim look fell over Max. “We’ve been thinning their ranks little by little, but we’ve lost a lot of good ponies today. Losing those guns, even temporarily, is not doing us any favors. At this rate, we’re facing collapse within the hour, less if those guns don’t get running soon.”

“Hmm, it’ll be close...” I pondered aloud, approaching the map. “How accurate are the numbers here?” I pointed to the heavily marked areas where the frontline was supposed to be.

“Just finished updating what we got,” one of the Crystal officers said.

“Good. May I?”

“Sure thing, lady.” Max tossed me a highlighter. I caught it with my magic and got to work.

“So, I’m gonna cut to the chase here. I’m gonna need some heavy coordination with the front and to create a defensive line around these chokepoints.” I marked the designated areas with ‘X’ marks. “There’s no telling how many woodland critters Malice has left, but I have to imagine enough to ruin our day. If we can funnel them all to this point—” I circled the forward base, “—then we have a chance to take them out all at once.”

“Hmmm,” Max rubbed at his chin, “I appreciate the idea, but we don’t have the horsepower to hold them long enough to keep up a pincer attack.”

“I noticed. That’s why we’re not going to use a pincer attack.”

Max raised an eyebrow. “You can’t expect me to launch a bombardment with all of our troops trying to keep them in. Nevermind the casualties; our guns are still tied up.”

“I agree. We can’t expect all of our guns to light up the place; it’d simply take too long. And I’m not asking for us to completely encircle them, either. All I need is one Typhoon to be online… along with every explosive we can get our hooves on stuffed inside that forward base.

Dead silence filled the office. Odd glances assaulted me from all angles.

“Ma’am,” one of the officer’s started, staring incredulously at me, “are you seriously suggesting we blow up our own supply base with all of our explosives in it?!”

“With the monsters around it, of course. I’m not that crazy.”

The officers, sans the Prism Guard and Max, started talking all at once.

“Why would you even think that works?”

“There’s no way we could hold such a defensive line!”

“How will our soldiers survive such a blast?”

“Enough!”

Max’s voice cut through the cacophony like a fine blade. The Crystal Officers fell silent. He threw me a hard look. “You’re asking for a risky gamble. Hundreds of pony lives would be counting on it to succeed.”

“I know, Major. It’s not a strategy I take lightly.”

Max gave a long, hard look at the map, then back to me. “Our forces can create a divide and let them run in. They seem reasonably predictable enough to go head long in that direction. However, there is no going back if this doesn’t work. The barricade to box them in needs to hold, we need the typhoons free, and we need something to keep them occupied long enough to hit their numbers.

“The prism guard has proven their resourcefulness and skill,” I answered without hesitation. “With the aid of some extra bodies, they can hold the barricade long enough. I’m not asking them to hold it all day. Just long enough to collect the majority of their lot. All I need is one typhoon to hit the building. The rest will be a bonus if we can get it. As for giving them something to be occupied, I got that covered.”

“How?”

“I’ll be their target.”

“Whoa, hold on, Love,” Cadenaz started, “you know we’re talking about hundreds of who-knows-what biting down your ass in the Celestia-damned blast zone!”

I grinned at him, noting the concerned faces of my sergeants, especially Meadows.

“I’ve been Malice’s most hated changeling for a while. Now that I’ve shown up to ruin his plans, he will stop at nothing to kill or capture me. The vassals controlling the monsters will recognize me and make me their top priority. I’m not throwing myself in the ring for the hay of it. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“You’re gonna need backup,” Shine said. “I can throw my hat in the ring with you and—”

“Negative, Sergeant. I’ll need to go all out for this, and I can’t guarantee anypony’s safety. Hay, I can barely guarantee my own safety. But nopony’s coming out of this if we sit on our asses and wait for a miracle to fall on our laps. If anypony here has a better idea, now’s the time to put it on the table.”

Murmurs floated between the officers. Max simply stared at me, as if sizing me up. To my surprise, the first one to speak up was one of my sergeants.

“Permission to speak, ma’am?” Vivi asked.

“Go ahead, Meadows.”

“If something were to happen to you, won’t the beasts simply focus their efforts on breaking through? That would mean the survival of the strategy hinges on you staying alive while keeping hundreds of creatures busy.”

“Alone, as you pointed out,” Max added.

“A calculation I’m fully aware of. All I need to do is buy enough time and bug out before the bomb goes off. I got this.”

Worry crossed Vivi’s features. “I… understood, ma’am.”

“You’re asking a lot of trust from us for this one,” Max pointed out.

“I know, Major.”

“Hmmm…” Max glanced between his officers, uncertainty permeating the room. I half expected them to deny my strategy when he leaned forward, chin propped on his forehooves. “Sergeants, what do you think of your commanding officer’s plan?”

I hadn’t expected that. Each of my sergeants wore contemplative expressions. While I’m sure there was some genuine curiosity, I had a feeling what Max was scrutinizing were my sergeants’ thoughts on me just as much as their take on the plan itself. More than likely determining if I could be trusted through those who have seen me in action.

“I can’t see an alternative, sir,” Shine answered. “It’s bold, but it helps us minimize casualties while maximizing damage to the enemy’s ranks quickly and efficiently. I’m in.”

Cadenaz spoke up next. “It’s risky, but I’ve seen her in action. I believe it’s crazy enough to work, sir.”

Vivi’s turn. For a long moment she simply stared at me. I returned the look, not a glare or withering gaze, simply acknowledgement accompanied by a nod. After a moment, she returned her attention to the Major, mind made up.

“I believe in the plan, sir.”

Couldn’t help but smile at that. Whether she was believing in the plan or I, it was clear she was giving me a solid chance to prove myself.

“I see. Officers, do you have anything to add or say?” No one spoke. After a moment, Max smirked. “...There are some details I would like to throw into the mix. The way I see it, this is a one-way trip. We’re gonna need a spare wagon wheel for this ride, just in case.”

Relief washed over me as I nodded. “Whatever you need, Major. I’ll make this work or die trying.”

Elytra

By the time my strike team arrived at the castle, the forward artillery battery was nearly overrun.

A series of crystal guards utilized their ‘Hurricane’ turrets: a rapid-firing stationary weapon holding a large crystal that fired powerful magic bolts. It could usually rip through any poor bastard dumb enough to get in front of it. The problem here was that the gun crews weren’t all that inexperienced, and their lack of coordination wasn’t helping.

The “Typhoon” cannons meanwhile fired off thick crystal shells imbued with powerful spells, dousing the ground with fire magic and incinerating groups of ground forces. It was an impressive display of firepower to witness, but their rate of fire and accuracy were nothing to write home about, either.

Those of the three attacking forces that had managed to slip through the hail of gunfire had already entangled the guns just as we regrouped with the remaining defenders. At this rate, the artillery will be crippled in no time.

Not on my watch!

“Fan out and help where you can!” I ordered my strike team. Crossbow in hoof and garrote wires held in my magic, I went to work while my squadron scattered all over the artillery batteries. As my team focused their attention on the ground forces I went skyward, my first targets being the Rocs attempting to divebomb our artillery.

A few well-placed bolts in the neck dropped two Rocs from the sky. It was more than enough to catch their attention.

Another one quickly swooped down to bite me. I rolled to the side at the last second to dodge, rewarding it with a bolt through the eye for its impudence. Yet another nearly clipped my face with its large talons. My wires latched from my body onto its leg as we passed each other, pulling me away from some of the aerial predators just in time. While being pulled, I fired bolt after bolt at the other fliers, injuring many while catching two more dead in the bullseye.

The one I latched onto finally came up with a plan to rid itself off me. It hovered into the air, trying and failing to dislodge me. This made it easier for me to line up a headshot at one of the birds diving straight for me. When I’d gotten several of them pissed enough to come at me all at once, I used my magic to dislodge myself. Tearing off the leg of the bird I’d been anchored to did the job just fine, and I dove downward, leaving a few parting bolt shots to catch some of them by surprise.

While plummeting downward, I spotted several Timberwolves assaulting the small token force defending the gunners. The agile bastards easily trapped them in close combat, and while my prism squad managed to hold off the majority of the forces, it wasn’t enough. Apparently only I was left to mop up what slipped through their grip. A plan in mind, I reloaded my crossbow and stripped myself of the disguise to allow my full changeling magic.

I continued speeding towards the ground, calculating their weight and momentum versus my own while spraying some bolts at the Timberwolves in a rain of death. Just before it was too late, I emitted a blinding flash of light from my horn. I channeled magic into my hooves to create a magic barrier and kicked off it to quickly change direction towards the rest of the wolves. Rocs, though powerful, did not have the aerial agility I possessed.

Glancing back, I smirked at some of the Rocs who hadn’t attempted to recover in time. The smarter ones either pulled back early or suffered a mildly rough landing. Those unlucky enough to recover from my momentary flash too late ate dirt at literal breakneck speed. While they were occupied wondering what the Tartarus happened, I had other threats to take down.

My bolts rained down the unsuspecting Timberwolves, tearing into their limbs and bodies. Once I got into melee range, I switched to my daggers and went to work on them. Spiraling through the air, my blade carved through them, caught between the defending gunners and my fury.

During cleanup of the remaining Timberwolves in this zone, I caught another wave of Rocs making their way towards us. Is there no end to them?!

I didn’t have nearly enough crossbolts to take them down. I needed a bigger weapon.

At the corner of my eye, I spotted two empty Hurricane turrets. The chewed up ponies and torn Timberwolves around the guns told the full story. It also gave me a wild idea.

I hurried over to the turrets and, standing between them, got to work. I channeled magic through my remaining spool of garrote wire to wrap around the two turrets and the firing trigger, lowering the amount of magic I would need to aim and fire these bad colts. It took a little work to string them up enough to properly aim the guns and wire them so my forehooves could pull the trigger.

Alright. A little clunky, but it will have to do. Time to Calibrate. Aiming where I roughly guessed the shots would land, I tugged at both wires strung around my forehooves. Two magic bolts exploded from the crystal towards some of the remaining Rocs in the area, and missed wildly.

Hmm. Correct by twelve, no more than twenty degrees.

I fixed my calculations and accuracy and fired off another two shots.

First shot, though a lot closer, missed. The second tore a wing off, sending the beast plummeting into the dirt.

Not bad. Adjust left by five to eight degrees. Adjust right by three to five.

This time I fired at two separate Rocs. One bolt tore through its legs, another nailed the second in the chest, blowing a hole through it.

Left is calibrated. Right is—

Another shot from the right turret tore the one legged Roc’s head off.

...calibrated.

I took a calming breath while glaring at the Rocs.

“Taste our united fury, you bloody bastards!”

I pulled hard on the strings. Both cannons blasted away stroboscopic salvos of energy, unleashing the unbridled violence of their payloads upon the fliers. The crystals powering them sizzled and sparked as the gun’s arcane mechanisms slowly drained them empty.

Limbs were torn off, feathers melted, and bones shattered, as the deafening crackle of magic lightning almost drowned out the pained screams of the creatures.

Almost.

Like jackhammers from Tartarus, they cut down everything in their line of fire. I yanked the twin turrets around, and another Roc simply disappeared in the cacophony of magic bolts. This much power unleashed at such a rate of fire left no room for wounded.

Like an angry god purging everything in its path, the turrets disintegrated whatever I pointed them at. Enemies. Structures. Corpses. The world around me seemed to melt away in rainbow-colored light as I held the triggers down and directed the wrath of the Empire’s killing machines towards my enemies.

I didn’t notice I was screaming from the top of my lungs until the first gun fell silent, quickly followed by the other. I gasped for air as the cathartic thrill receded. My ears were left ringing, the echo of a thousand magic bolts taking its sweet time to leave them.

Only when I pulled the lever on the side of the first gun and a warm, dimmed crystal was ejected into the grass did I notice how outnumbered the defenders were. All of this, two energy crystals full of death and destruction, and it barely seemed to matter.

A Roc attempted to divebomb me. I reached for the second lever, pulled it back, and heard the telling ka-ching as the metal bolt pushed another crystal into the chamber.

I ducked - and fired.

In the end I lost track of how long I held my position. Rocs continued to take their toll on the other gun crews, tearing guards apart with their beaks or carrying them off with their claws only to shred them to pieces in mid-air. Yet we were trying to fight tidal waves while armed with nothing but buckets, and it showed.

Eventually it was their ground forces that got me.

Timberwolves and tigers had suddenly turned their attention on me, ignoring everything else to go after the bitch that was shredding their air superiority. I noticed them too late to turn the guns around. Prepared to light them up with a spell of my own I channeled my magic into my horn and—

One of them bit down into my leg. I screamed out in pain, and with my focus broken, the spell dissolved.

“Why, you little spawn of Tartarus—!”

I struggled to free my hooves from the wires. He tore at my leg and yanked me around, onto the ground and away from the gun.

…the gun!

I bit down onto the wire and ripped it off my fetlock. Digging both forehooves into the dirt, I tried to remain in place as my telekinesis reached out for the guns.

The last thing I needed was blasting myself into pieces. Then again, the same went for losing a leg because I hesitated too long. I found a middle ground between safe targeting and haste, and mentally pulled back the lever.

The left gun—the only one in my hold—opened up. Scorched wooden splinters exploded around me as I moved the barrel in a circle, mowing the beasts down one by one. Covering my head with my hooves at some point, I was eventually forced to blind-fire.

A tempest of magic energy, bloodthirsty monsters, and burning corpses revolved all around me, making me the literal center of the storm for much longer than I was comfortable with.

I knew something was wrong when dirt and grass around me stopped exploding upwards. I raised my head just in time to witness two timberwolves tearing the gun off its mounting and disassembling it with their teeth.

My hoof reached out for my backup knife. The timberwolves jumped off the wagon, baring their teeth at me.

I got into a combat stance, careful not to put too much weight on my injured hind leg. “Try me, fuckers!”

Something zipped through the air. The first timberwolf was thrown back at least ten steps, its body landing several lengths away from its head.

A shimmering blur flew straight through the other timberwolf, splitting its head like an axe striking, well, timber. I caught Forte at the corner of my vision, weaving in and out of the remaining ground forces with her dancing blades, slicing and cleaving and cleaving and slicing.

Ebony charged down the thickest collection of monsters like a train, sending them flying with each slash.

Because bad luck was the order of the day, some of the tigers slipped through and barreled towards me.

I’d nearly broke off my concentration to fight them off when a certain zebra jumped into my vision and cut them down.

“You beautiful bastards!” I screamed through the sound suppression and gunfire.

“I’m also grateful to see you alive!” She yelled back, slicing off the jaw of a timberwolf. “We still have quite the fight ahead of us, but we must succeed and thrive!”

Forte and Ebony followed shortly after carving a path, covering me from all sides. “Our forces are focusing on crowd control as we speak. It will be close.” Forte said.

“I’m ready for action on your call, Elytra.” Ebony offered.

I was about to send them to help clear out the gun batteries when I remembered a certain changeling and dragon who were facing even more of a dire crisis. “Zecora, I need you to stick around and keep those bastards off my back. Forte, Ebony, pursue the warlord inside the castle! Assist however you can, but be careful! Warlords are not to be underestimated!”

“Clearly,” Ebony nodded at the gaping hole in the castle walls. “Zecora, mind keeping her safe for me?”

“Of course,” Zecora nodded. Ebony and Forte nodded back and rushed for the castle.

*Thorax, I have Forte and Ebony inbound your position to help.*

*Yes, please! I-I mean, thank you, my Overlord.*

I rolled my eyes.

Why can’t he be more confident like this brother?

With Zecora at my side, I was able to focus on taking out the Rocs. There were some close calls with those attempting to divebomb me, but crystal shells to the face were a powerful deterrent.

My thoughts drifted back to the warlord. Even with Forte and Ebony, they were still outclassed by a vastly superior opponent. They needed more help. More power.

More power…

*Elly,* Mum called on the hive network, *can you do me a solid and get on a Typhoon?*

She wants me specifically on a typhoon? What could she be—

The flare of pathos inside the castle caught my attention. It was brief, a ripple in a sea of pathos, but I knew that had to be the warlord. A plan most diabolical came to me in a bolt of inspiration.

*I’m a little busy, but I’ll do so as soon as I clean up. What do you have in mind?*

*On my call, I’m going to need you to shoot an explosive shell at the forward base.*

*...What the hay are you up to this time?*

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

First off, major apologies for this taking so long. Between Covid-19 and several other complications I'd rather not speak about, this chapter was hell of an obstacle to over come. It also didn't help that this chapter after editing expanded a lot more than predicted. Good news is the next chapter is not that far behind.

In other words, the next chapter will be coming out ALOT sooner.

I'll talk more about the context of this segment in the next chapter. Until then, stay classy, my paladins.